General Trip preparation discussion...

[jetcrew]

Ok thought I would start a General trip prep thread where we can discuss accessories, spare parts ect


I will start..

How many spare tyres are you all taking, I Know that 2 spares is the recommended but I will loose 1/2 of my roof rack.

I will have a tyre repair kit with me and am thinking that at the lower speeds that punctures rather than high speed black top de laminations are most likely. I did cape york with only 1 spare but that is not as remote.

what are the rest of you thinking ?

Jet

[D4D]

I'm thinking the spare on the rear door plus just a tyre only on the roof rack.

[muzza01]

I reckon two spares. I have 3 when I tow the CT as they are all the same wheels and tyres as the cruza. If your tyre repair kit is old, check the stringers are still moist and buy another tube of glue as it goes off. I have a socket roll and spanner roll as well as other tools in the Cruza all of the time.  I also have a big kit inside the recovery bag full of hose clamps, fuses, electrical wire, fencing wire, nuts, bolts washers, tyre valves, basic electrical crimp kit. I also take spare hoses, belts and filters on bigger trips.

[fuji]

I reckon two spares. I have 3 when I tow the CT as they are all the same wheels and tyres as the cruza. If your tyre repair kit is old, check the stringers are still moist and buy another tube of glue as it goes off. I have a socket roll and spanner roll as well as other tools in the Cruza all of the time.  I also have a big kit inside the recovery bag full of hose clamps, fuses, electrical wire, fencing wire, nuts, bolts washers, tyre valves, basic electrical crimp kit. I also take spare hoses, belts and filters on bigger trips.

P
That's good, saves me packing up all my spares and taking same. 

[DannyG]

I'm a one spare person. I have a good repair kit, a spare tube incase the plugs won't do the job and 3 big levers. Those things along with the ability to use them on the side of the road and good tyres has always seen me through my past trips
Touch wood I don't have the need for more one day!
Mind you when I'm towing the camper it's spare is the same as the patrols spare.

[Brumbypt]

2 is always good, if you take a spare tyre only you can fill it will all sorts of things including a gas bottle.


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[chester ver2.0]

I'm thinking the spare on the rear door plus just a tyre only on the roof rack.

What happened to your rim mate??

[cp]

Will have 2 spare tyres, hose clamps, fuses, electrical wire, fencing wire, nuts, bolts, washers, tyre repair kit, tyre valves, electrical crimp kit, socket set, hammer, pliers, air compressor, high lift jack, long handle shovel, magic tape & putty weld.

[D4D]

What happened to your rim mate??

Keep the weight down and you can always find someone to fit the tyre vs. having to find a 17 in the bush...

[fuji]

Reminds me, I need a new tyre for second spare.

[Alan Loy]

2 spares for me

[weeds]

if you plan on taking a tyre only i.e. not fitted to a rim and you haven't changed a tyre by hand......i suggest having a pratice at home on the front lawn

i was lucky with my old job as we had to change them by hand all the time sometimes in view of a tyre place...........

i have never considered taking just a tyre, i had to overhaul a clutch master cylinder at mt dare the less you have to work with 3 million flys helping you the better

[Barry G]

I did SW Qld, Cameron Corner and Western NSW from Broken Hill to Bourke with only one spare in the Subaru.
Two punctures in total, both in / around towns and easily repaired. Could've fixed either of them with a puncture repair kit myself, but preferred to have them done prefessionally.
These days the Subi has 2 spares, since I have fitted its rear rack. Was happy to have 2 at Freestone Creek a couple of Christmases ago. Puncture on the first day, but could still stay and play.
Only one spare on the Monterey, but will have 5 as soon as I put matching wheels on the Heaslip, with provision for 2 spares on the camper, by fitting a wind-up mount under the rear.   

[dooguss]

As a family of 4 (2adults 2girls 10&7) I am starting to wonder when doing a trip like this how much clothing do you allow to take. Living out of the back of the car and probably swagging it room is goîng to be minimal with 2 swags and a spare wheel on the roof, there isn't a lot of room left up there.

I'm looking at staying out for an extra 2 weeks

[SteveandViv]

We have a set of tyre pliers and did practice using them so felt comfortable taking the usual spare and one caucus. We also had two spare tubes and patches to assist with side wall stakes. As it turned out Jet, that with all we have done, I'm yet to have a puncture. I have seen many attach additional tyres to the rear spare. But we just stood our up any where.

[jetcrew]

As a family of 4 (2adults 2girls 10&7) I am starting to wonder when doing a trip like this how much clothing do you allow to take. Living out of the back of the car and probably swagging it room is goîng to be minimal with 2 swags and a spare wheel on the roof, there isn't a lot of room left up there.

I'm looking at staying out for an extra 2 weeks

Hey buddy we are also going to stay out an extra few weeks

Your not wrong about running out of space real quick, I keep looking at my off road box trailer and thinking HMMMM... but I think it just goes to show how much kit we get used to taking. I have promised Lara a fair few nights in cabins ect and that makes it a little easier, but I will only have the 1 child so gain alot of room in the car back seats, which are coming out to carry the 2 fridges leaving just the single seat for Demitri. ( I will have ample croissant storage )

We are going to do the oztent and swags as JasonB suggested. Having the swag all rolled up with mattress , sleep bag ,pillow all inside it makes it easier I think and then just pop the tent up throw swags in and done , and this takes a few things out of the car that could not be carried on roof alone . like the sleep bags and mattresses/pillows, where as in a swag roll they can go up top and do not weigh that much so strapped on spare tyre is ok IMHO.

The 2nd spare certainly knocks the roof rack around hey. But I figure swags in covers can be strapped directly over the spare wheel, was even thinking of a square plyboard over the tyre to create a flat surface.

Need to start playing around with it all soon though as time will come up quick IMHO.

Jet    

[Bird]

One of the forum members and his old man did Simpson this yer.. the conditions destroyed his old mans new tyres causing him to roll the GU writing it off...  it was one of the last dozen GU 4.2's sold new in AU

The photos of the tyres - they were cut up quite a bit.
I've wheeled with Dan for years and years.. He is probably the most experienced traveller I know, and knows his Shit.. tyre pressures were good.. just the track conditions were poo.

So I think 1 on rim and 1 carcass is the go... or pair up with someone else with same car (this works for all spares - share the spares and costs*)

* Share the spares and share costs
You pair up with someone  with exact same car make/model
One of you buys set of belts - other buys set of hoses etc
this drops costs quite a lot and saves space for both parties.

[Shoey]

we have two two spares so is good two gerry cans of fuel but how much water do we take ??

[jwb]

we have two two spares so is good two gerry cans of fuel but how much water do we take ??

I'd be starting with 5lts per person per day give or take abit!

ymmv

[jetcrew]

Well I had some spare time today so played around with the roof rack config, I have held off on the rear bar till now as once I had all the gear I wanted to see how the puzzle went together.

Pics are best ...

The roof rack was to small in length for the RV4 so I had to sit up on the front and back rails ..this worried me about bending the frame of the tent so I placed the 2 sets of malle tracks underneath , a perfect fit and it supports the tent along its length, just need to put some board over the top so the spikes dont rub a hole in tent bag.


My early calcs have me about  95KGs on roof for the most part of the trip and a whopping 170KG for the first day in the desert.  (80ltrs fuel)

I long ago accepted that I would be over the weight on day 1 of the crossing, although this is not good it is something that I have decided to manage. This means the roof rack will not be overloaded on the corrugations or for any part of the trip except day 1 of the x-ing and after the first hour of driving the weight can start to be brought down. Given the lower speeds and soft sand I think this will be just fine.


So we have

RV4
2 x sets mallee tracks
spare wheel
tool box
3 x swags
thunderbox and shelter
4 x jerry cans


tool box is back of roof rack, and 2 x jerrys are not in the holder in pic (the black hole)

Jet

[MarkGU]

Theo.
you have no more room in your trailer after all that fire wood you took home 

[jetcrew]

Theo.
you have no more room in your trailer after all that fire wood you took home 

I should have brought the 8 teenagers who loaded it for me home.. it took a lot longer to get it all out ...LOL

jet

[Shoey]

looks like your all set there Jet

[D4D]

Good idea to support the Oztent, I have read they bend if unsupported.

[MarkVS]

Theo,
as an interested observer, where are you thinking of storing your water and how much do you think you will need to carry ?

MarkVS