Our "New to Us" Winnie

[Dot]

Sounds like you are seeing the countryside weather you want to or not. We use the GPS thingy as well as George uses the good old paper road maps just to be sure. . This is a good reason we use the "A frame system" just in case we need to turn around in an impossible place.(has happened once) How is the foot Margaret?

[Greynomad]

Dottie,
For that very reason we TRAILERED Jim TJJ rather than A-frame him.
AND the fact that the tyres on the trailer were $100 each compared to Jim’s A/Ts at $250 each. Cheaper to wear out the trailer tyres than using up Jim’s without benefitting from them. A blowout on a sharp rock proved the wisdom of that choice.
When we were caught by the GPS taking us on a road which degenerated into a farm track, we unloaded Jim, hitched his trailer up to him and towed it AROUND Girt (in LR 4WD — boggy edges) before backing up 200m to firmer ground and doing the 36-point manoeuvre to turn Girt around, hitch up & drive out.
Try backing up 200m with a car on an A-frame ! Hard enough with a trailer — which is why we didn’t.
Like you, I prefer paper maps to plan our journeys, then use the GPS for guidance only. If it disagrees with the paper map on the route choice, I always trust the paper.

[jon_d]

43.47ltr/100kms

Almost $1 per k, or a $1 every 45 seconds or 2.3klm per litre

Bus is less than half. About 4.5 ks per litre diesel.

[Dot]

testing levels.jpg

I
The reasons for us are 1/have to buy a trailer and rego.
2/ I can't unhitch and pull it to hook up (heavy). No where to put a trailer if in a precarious position eg top of a ridge (narrow track)3/we don't use the little suzi to go bush bashing or anything apart from sight seeing and shopping so a couple of thousand ks while away cost is 0 to worry about.4/ much quicker to hookup and unhook. But what ever floats your boat 5/ No trailer weight so also lighter on fuel and to answer your prev Q/Ray no just thinking about it .

[T1 Terry]

43.47ltr/100kms

Almost $1 per k, or a $1 every 45 seconds or 2.3klm per litre

Bus is less than half. About 4.5 ks per litre diesel.

and ....... your point is? I could probably get that sort of fuel economy ..... if I wanted to drive slower .... but I'm about to turn 70 ..... it's only money, you can't buy more yrs, so why waste the ones you have left trying to save on fuel
Let's face it, fuel is one the cheapest thing you will ever put in your rig, air in the tyres is about the only thing cheaper ....

We parked beside a B double cement transport rig back at Tintinara, with the back of the trailer and MG level with the rear trailer back bumper, the front of the Winnie lined up with the turn table centre pin on the prime mover ..... it's 16 mtrs long, weighs around 12 tonne all up and shaped as aerodynamic as a block of flats .... but it will still accelerate from 95km/h to 125km/h in the length of a B double and prime mover, so overtaking isn't a case of taking your life in your hands and hoping you get passed before the overtaking lane ends ...... followed enough trucks in the Kombi, Mazda 3500, Hino and the Fuso ... all because they didn't have the power to pass in a reasonably short distance ...... we can pass them now, when there is an opportunity, and yeah, it cost a bit in fuel .... so what ..... I know someone who spend mega $$ buying genuine parts to rebuild a diesel engine, that will probably never see the kms the cheap parts would have achieved .... but it was their money, their choice .....

T1 Terry

[T1 Terry]

I would have A framed the MG4 in a heart beat, if it was possible, but it isn't, so that wasn't an option.
The MG4 doubles as a 4,250Ah 12v battery and inverter in one, cost nothing for fuel once we get the solar set up, takes 10 mins to take off the trailer, as soon as I have the time, the MG4 will get a towbar so it can move the trailer as required, and 2 wheels on the ground V 4 wheels on the ground, equals less drag when towing ..... and today, I actually had to reverse in a service stn because the fuel bowser I needed was on the other side of the Winnie ..... can you imagine the level of hassle it would have been to jump out, disconnect the car from the A frame and park it somewhere ..... then walk back to the Winnie, reverse it back so I could drive up the side that had the bowser I needed. After filling with fuel, I would have then needed to find a spot to park the Winnie, walk back and drive the car to where the Winnie was, hook up the A Frame, and then we could have continued on our way ..... simply reversing the trailer was much easier

T1 Terry

[Dot]

Jeeeze Terry, how many mts did you have to reverse? I can reverse about 5 mts before I get crooked. How is Margaret's foot? Now you can go to bed.

[jon_d]

I know someone who spend mega $$ buying genuine parts to rebuild a diesel engine, that will probably never see the kms the cheap parts would have achieved .... but it was their money, their choice .....

Not really Terry,

This is what I’ve spent so far.

1 Genuine Piston oil cooler: $53
6 Injectors overhauled and calibrated genuine Bosche parts: $1170
1 genuine laminated steel head gasket: $167
1 genuine Air compressor overhaul kit: $120
6 Japanese chrome liners: $681
1 Japanese set of big end bearings (6): $63
1 Sump gasket:$28
1 Japanese Piston ring set(6): $130
1 Japanese Main Bearing set (7): $150
1 Taiwanese set Thrust Washers: $34
12 Japanese Valve Guides: $64
6 Japanese Inlet Valve: $118
6 Japanese Exhaust valves: $127
6 Double Genuine Inlet springs: $63
6 Double Genuine Exhaust springs: $101
6 Genuine individual steel laminated exhaust gaskets $160

Labour for head rebuild – estimated below $1000 (quoted about 800)

Total $4229 (inc labour) for a full rebuild with Genuine or Japanese parts. All in stock and supplied locally at a counter, with warranty and exchange.

I wouldn't call that mega.

I don't have the facilities or finances to fund a tow or repair out of town.
In terms of risk management, this is my mitigation plan.
My contingency plan if a break down occurs is to have a cup of tea and think about it.

[T1 Terry]

Jeeeze Terry, how many mts did you have to reverse? I can reverse about 5 mts before I get crooked. How is Margaret's foot? Now you can go to bed.

Roughly 20 mtrs, one of those servos that don't mark at the ends of the bowser line as to what is available in the row, and all the pump nozzles are the same colour, so drove down to the last bowser, wasn't one of those, had to reverse back the full length of the rig, then enough clearance to not only turn, but have enough width in the turn to get the trailer wheels past the bowser island ..... 16mtr rig, plus room to swing out to get around .... might have been more than 20 mtrs ....

Margaret's foot is progressing well, still on crutches as she can't put weight on the foot, so a one foot hop along .....

T1 Terry

[homeless]

I did offer you a 7" Garmen truck GPS earlier I think when you got the first big bus, and it has all the CAMPS sites loaded as well as all the others I collected from CMCA and CARANERS forums as well as word if mouth. IF you set up your height length and weight it keeps you off those goat tracks. It even works at night time. . It is sitting in the boat alongside its 5" brother. Even has the River Murray mile post locations but suggest you don't go trying them.
Hope you are having a good time and Marg and Cocco and keeping up their walks. Ruby and I are still getting our steps in and Ruby has settled into wearing her Rug
. Soon as I grab it she is up on the chair waiting