Back in the saddle:

Righto so it’s been a couple of years and we are now starting to get back into 4WD mode. The camper trailer was sold some time ago as we found it too much work with the kids so young. On reflection we should have waited until they were around 4 to 5 years old and also bought a type of trailer that suited the kind of trips we like doing, something quick to put up and pull down vs epic effort just to get set up and the hours taken to pack up.

I finally got around to putting some 16x8s on - CSA Raptors and a set of BFG KM2 285/75/16s. The existing KM2s gave me ~80,000kms and were great tyres on and off road so have gone back for seconds just a bit bigger this time.
I have changed over both the starter and deep cycle batteries to be fully sealed AGM and increased the Ah in the deep cycle from 72 to 95. The deep cycle battery install that was done by Toyota (or whoever they contracted to do it in Goulbourn) was so flimsy that it actually wobbled around in the bay which had ended up putting a small split in the wheel guard. Mark from Battery World in Philip pointed it out to me after he had put the batteries in suggesting I get it looked at. He also suggested that using the alternator to charge the deep cycle wasn’t very effective as it didn’t have enough voltage to do much at all. His suggestion was I give it a full charge before and after trips where a fridge was in use or get a proper charger. I didn’t much like the idea of more pre and post trip admin so it was off to my friends up the road at Pride Auto.
The upshot of the trip was a new battery tray properly bolted into the engine bay and also a redarc bcdc 1220 (20A) charger to keep the battery properly charged and topped up while driving. The installation of the changer did mean the isolator switch no longer suited the design and was removed. Since I carrying jumpers anyway it shouldn’t be an issue.
As I have also flattened the start battery twice over the last couple of years by leaving the lights on, I decided that a headlight alarm was also well overdue. It works well, doesn’t have a piercing scream either so hopefully that issue is now done with.
I’d also waited long enough to get an 80 channel UHF so picked up a GME TX4500WS with the remote PTT. On a recent day trip in the Brindabellas I nearly came a cropper reaching up to use the radio to warn the rear vehicle of oncoming traffic while trying also steering around a tight corner (the equivalent of texting and driving in heavy traffic!). I thought the steering wheel mounted PTT was the perfect solution.
Finally a set of three heavy duty rhino bars and some connectors for my thule roof top boxes, foxwing, long handle shovel, and kayaks. I ummed and ahhed over whether to bother with bars and if I should just go straight for a tray but ended up with the bars for two reasons. Firstly, money J and secondly convenience. I sold the ARB touring rack because I wasn’t using it much and also wanted to be able to put our kayaks and bikes up there when not out and about camping and also get into carparks around town.
I think a tray is in the future but not for a while. I might look at a platform type set-up next time. A platform with removable front/side rails might be the go. At least I’ll already have the feet when we finally get there.
Due to the different size of the new wheel/tyre combination the Kaymar locking arm on the rear wheel carrier needed a custom update. Pretty exy but they work.
In the 2012 version of the 76 series they put in longer seat rails. Being tallish, knee room has always been a bit of an issue so Toyota kindly retrofitted the new part into my model, the 2011. It’s not a huge improvement but an improvement none the less.
The car has had over 90k on it now and it’s a bit embarrassing that it hasn’t been out bush any where near as a set-up like this deserves. It has been a reliable and relatively comfortable car for around town and I do enjoy driving it. The local day trips have been fun as is using it’s capabilities for the odd urban shortcut.

Still a few things on the radar. GVM is an issue that needs to be looked at. Radio is still rubbish and an In-dash reverse camera would be better. The rear view mounted display is relatively large and takes up a more bit of the windscrrrn vision realestate than is ideal.

Build so far

-    Factory front and rear electronic diff locks

-    Factory Dual battery system with redarc bcdc 1220 (20A) (Pride Auto – Phillip) and two 12v outlets in the rear and an additional 3 in the cabin.

-    Toyota steel bulbar (winch compatible) and side rails

-    Water Watch – a second fuel filter to protect engine from water (http://www.responsiveengineering.com.au/8263/Water_Watch_System/What_is_Water_Watch?/) Has been updated since installation to include the larger sensor.

-    Old Man Emu heavy duty 2 in lift and Steering dampener (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    166 litre Longranger replacement fuel tank (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    TW12SS 48 Litre Longranger water tank (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    Kaymar Rear Step tow bar with dual wheel carrier, telescopic camp light (upgraded to Narva , 72449 L.E.D Work Lamp (Flood Beam) 850  Lumen output with Current draw: 0.8A at 9-50V ) high-lift jack and HF antenna attachments (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    6 x CSA Raptors Large 5 stud, satin black 16x8

-    285/75/16 BFG KM/2s v all around

-    3 x Rhino Rack heavy duty roof racks with foxwing and shovel holder attachments. (Pride Auto -Phillip)

-    ARB compressor (under the bonnet) with pump points in front and rear bumper (ARB - Fyshwick) Rear has never worked, something that needs following up.

-    IPS XS Driving lights (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    Radiator insect screen (ARB - Fyshwick)

-    4WD Interiors Outback Twin drawers with fridge slide on RHS, Cargo barrier, top shelf and centre divider, 2 x side storage boxes and baby seat anchor points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    ARB 47lt fridge

-    Outback Front tow/recovery points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    4WD Interiors Roof Console with 80 channel GME TX4500WS UHF Radio with wireless PTT (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    Dept of the Interiors replacement centre console with additional cup holder and tray (includes 12v power outlet)

-    Reversing Camera (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    3 additional 12v outlets in the cabin (inc one in centre console), one always-on and the others on-ignition (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    Blackduck front and rear seat covers (Loving Wife)

-    TJM front underbody guard (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    tidy up of the accessories wiring and consolidation to reduce individual connections to the deep cycle battery terminals (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    Safari Snorkel  (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    Piranha offroad extended diff breathers (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-    Electronic Brake controller for trailer and Anderson plug mounted on rear bar

-    Stock Bonnet and headlight protectors,

-    Sandgrabba mats front and back,

-    MSA dash organiser

-    RoNo replacement front door pockets that have a bottle holder in them.

Still to go:

-    GVM upgrade

-    Command AP900 Cruise Control

-    DPChip  (DP-31)

-    Winch

-    Front Seat Upgrade - Recaro

-    LED driving lights

-    In dash navigation/multimedia centre with Apple carplay (waiting for wireless carplay)

3in Exhaust and Longranger Tank

G'day all,
Had a couple of mods done in prep for towing a camper trailer and will do a proper write up soon but just wanted to respond to a question from Shogg around how does the 3in exhaust fit with the long ranger tank. It gets pretty close at one point and have posted some pictures to show how close. I haven't had a problem with it so far.
Cheers
Adrian

Bits n Pieces

Nothing major since the exhaust install just some updates and minor projects.
One is a second child seat! This has had a couple of impacts. The first is deciding to remove one of the spare wheel carriers so Donna can access the rear of the car more easily while carrying a new born and managing a toddler as there is no longer room in the back seat for shopping and a pram. The second is the removal of the ARB rack so she can access more carparks closer to where she is going for the same reason. So that is Saturday’s project, both logical while the car is spending so much time around town but it’s just a couple more things to think about when getting ready for the next trip.
After going over the monthly lease vehicle reports, there has only been a small increase in fuel economy since installing the 3” exhaust, about .5ltr per 100k, better than nothing I suppose.
After having more issues with the reversing camera the guys at Pride Auto have replaced the system free of charge with a new product which has been working a treat, and have stopped dealing with the previous supplier.
Father’s day and Christmas has seen some nice additions. Stock Bonnet and headlight protectors, Sandgrabba mats front and back, an MSA dash organiser and the RoNo replacement door pockets that have a bottle holder in them. I would have to say the MSA dash organiser and Rono door pockets are gold but I am not so sold on the Sandgrabba mats. They really don’t  fit that well and reduce the space for my size 12 feet in the foot-well which was tight to start with. Saying that they do the job as far as keeping the muck off the carpet.
I have also had some ongoing issues with the water watch fuel filter alarming and when I pull over and turn off the engine and start it up again the alarm doesn’t sound. This has happened a number of times over the life of the car. I rang the installers once but they were not really that helpful and just said that means you are right to drive. So now I don’t have great confidence in the product. I need to follow up and get it serviced.
Something that I’ve put up with for a long time is the Bluetooth in the stock radio not working properly. It would sync with my phone and do all the good stuff but people on the other end of the call could hardly hear me. I finally took it in to get it sorted and they initially told me to hang around and they would fix it on the spot. 90 minutes later I was told they needed to order in a new radio from Fujitsu as they can’t adjust the mic gain on the installed model. A week later I am happy to say it looks exactly the same but now works a treat!!
Another little thing I had been looking at for a while was where to put a couple of fire extinguishers. Last weekend I finally spent some time poking around and ended up installing them using some foam strips and zip ties on the base of the front seats parallel to the doors. They fit very neatly and don’t impinge access or catch on anything and means one can be accessed immediately from either side of the car which is handy.
That's about it for now. Anyone else have any issues with constantly leaving their lights on? Will be looking around for an aftermarket solution and would appreciate anyone’s suggestions.
Cheers

Part 5 – the rear end

Well after my last post I got to thinking, sure, I can’t justify a chip just yet, putting the two and half years of warranty aside, I don’t have a trailer to tow and the truck really doesn’t  need more grunt, but a 3in exhaust hell.....that’s another story. There’s a number of justifiable and more importantly defendable reasons for wacking one on!

The seed had been planted a while back by Luke at Pride Auto who mentioned that with all the extra weight on the truck an EGT gauge  might be a good idea especially if I was looking at doing trips where getting to the dirt meant a lot of highway to cover. He relayed the story of a mate who blew up his turbo by cooking it up a long hill on a hot day. Pride don’t supply or install exhausts/EGT gauges and I have built a high level of trust in them over the years so I felt the advice was solid. I did some research and ended up deciding that instead of putting in a gauge to admire the rising temperature , putting on a larger diameter exhaust should actually solve the potential problem, well at least until I start towing.  I decided on a Beaudesert 3 inch mild steel system, their customer service is great, their supply chain is impeccable and it comes standard with a connection to plug in an EGT gauge when I need it. The installer, Ritchie at Hume Offroad said they are one of the jobs they like doing because the kit comes complete and are good system to work with. There seems to be a lot of upsides to upgrading to a 3in exhaust and only one downside being the cost but then again that’s a given for 4WD accessories  :-/.

So the exhaust has been on for a month and finally I can say it was worth it. I was actually really disappointed when I drove it away from the shop. The sound as I accelerated through the gears was really rough and there was no noticeable increase in power at all. Over the month since, the sound when accelerating has mellowed and rounded out nicely and is now what I hoped it would be and I can actually feel a difference in the response of the car as I go through the gears which is a relief as it's a lot of cash to drop for no return! Even though an increase in power was only one of the motivations for upgrading I would be lying if it wasn’t the one I was most looking forward too.  Now it’s a simple upgrade to the chip and with the safari snorkel and 3in exhaust bedded in its impact should be maximised. Righto..... a suitable trailer needs to be found so I can justify it ;-)

Round 4 - Scuba prep

I love driving this truck despite it not being the ‘ideal’ around town car, for some reason I get an immense feeling of joy and satisfaction whenever I get behind the wheel whether to drive to work, take the family out for a drive in the country or head bush. Even all the additional weight from the mods doesn’t seem to affect its performance going through hills or on the highway much and not at all once offroad and in low range. Those of you that have installed a 3in exhaust and chip must just about fly around the place.

I had some minor issues with the water tank install. It took two return visits to ARB to get it sorted. The problem was not with the function of the tank but it was making a loud creaking/grinding sound at different speeds, mainly at very low speeds. After some investigation they found that rerouting the hoses fixed the issue. Just to make sure I took the truck out for some good chassis flexing action in the Brindabella’s one weekend with tank empty and the next weekend with it full and there hasn’t been any reoccurrence of the issue so am considering it sorted! To make the tanks nozzle a bit more user friendly I have used the hose and tap set-up of a boab tank, added another hose clamp and connect it if I am staying anywhere overnight. From completely empty it takes just under ten minutes to fill the 48 litre tank which is better than I expected.

Yesterday I had the stock Toyota snorkel swapped out for the safari version by the guys at Pride Auto in Phillip. It has always irked me that Toyota would go to the effort of including a ‘snorkel’ as stock but not sealing it making it nothing more than a raised air intake which does provide benefits but they could have gone one tiny step further by sealing it!

I had bought a set of Piranha offroad extended diff breathers with the full intention of installing them myself. As usually happens with projects I’ve planned; time, life and other priorities get in the way so while it was in getting prepared for some water action I asked the guys if they could install the diff breathers as well and as usual did a great job.  So with those two mods now done, water crossings become one less worry J

Build so far

-      Factory front and rear electronic diff locks

-      Factory Dual battery system with redarc isolator (isolator and  switch from Pride Auto – Phillip) and two 12v outlets in the rear.

-      Toyota steel bulbar (winch compatible) and side rails

-      Water Watch – a second fuel filter to protect engine from water (http://www.responsiveengineering.com.au/8263/Water_Watch_System/What_is_Water_Watch?/)

-      Old Man Emu heavy duty 2 in lift and Steering dampener (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      166 litre Longranger replacement fuel tank (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      TW12SS 48 Litre Longranger water tank (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      Kaymar Rear Step tow bar with dual wheel carrier, telescopic camp light (upgraded to Narva , 72449 L.E.D Work Lamp (Flood Beam) 850  Lumen output with Current draw: 0.8A at 9-50V ) high-lift jack and HF antenna attachments (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      6^th wheel – Stock Toyota 76 series GXL 16’’ alloy (Toyota)

-      BFG 265/75/16 KM/2s all around

-      ARB Deluxe steel roof rack with mesh floor, wind deflector, Kaymar shovel and high-lift jack holder, dual jerry can holder and foxwing attachments. (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      ARB compressor (under the bonnet) with pump points in front and rear bumper (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      IPS XS Driving lights (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      Radiator insect screen (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      4WD Interiors Outback Twin drawers with fridge slide on RHS, Cargo barrier, top shelf and centre divider, 2 x side storage boxes and baby seat anchor points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      ARB 47lt fridge

-      Outback Front tow/recovery points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      4WD Interiors Roof Console with GME TX3220 UHF Radio (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Dept of the Interiors replacement centre console with additional cup holder and tray

-      Reversing Camera (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      3 additional 12v outlets in the cabin, one always-on and the others on-ignition (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Blackduck front and rear seat covers (Loving Wife)

-      TJM front underbody guard (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      tidy up of the accessories wiring and consolidation to single connection to the second battery terminals (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Safari Snokel  Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Piranha offroad extended diff breathers (Pride Auto – Phillip)

Still to go:

-      Warn 9.5xp  winch

-      Autron Cruise control

-      DPChip  (DP-31)

-      Beaudesert  3 Inch Exhaust System

-      Front Seat Upgrade

-      16x8" Allied Savvanas, machined black rims and 285/75/R16 KM/2s

-      LED driving lights

-      Stereo (digital radio)

-      HF Radio

Part 3: The build continues.....

Space for camping kit is probably the main issue for us so the logical next item on the upgrade wish list is the TW12 48litre Longranger stainless steel water tank. Even though the Boab water container fits neatly across the rear foot well it’s 55ltrs of space that could be better used for soft items like clothes and baby stuff freeing up space behind the cargo barrier. Other bonuses with a tank are not having to open and close the car door to get to the water or have to worry about leaks or accidentally leaving the cap off and getting water through the cabin.  It’s a minimum 4 week wait from order to delivery so I kept in touch with Heath at Longranger who was great about providing info and updates and then booked in a time with ARB while it was still in production. If I had waited until delivery it could have been up to another 4 week wait as the ARB boys at Fyshwick are so busy. The tank fill point is a little narrower than I expected and can’t take a very high flow rate which means it will take some time to fill the tank and filling it out of a jerry would be difficult with a lot of wasted water. On the other hand, the pump really pushes the water out of the tap which is great. I will probably play around with the placement of the tap over time to get it into a more convenient place that can be accessed from the rear of the vehicle. At the moment it is in behind the rear right wheel flap which while it will keep a lot of muck off the nozzle it means when the tyre holder and door are open I need to walk around them to access water while I’m cooking etc. Another little thing is the switch doesn’t have an on/off label which is an easy fix but still wouldn’t take much to sort out either at the factory or the install especially as the price paid even after being looked after is not cheap! The first opportunity I get I will post how long it takes to fill and empty and let you know how it performs in the field.

I was again reminded of how much I rely on the reversing camera when it stopped working last week. It really has cemented itself as a can’t-do-without item. The team at Pride Auto sorted it out in a morning, it was the cable again. They made the connections more robust and left more slack in the cable this time to see if that sorts out the issue.  I would rate the Pride Auto shop guys as the best place for info and service I have dealt with so far in Canberra. Taking into account price, time to schedule an appoint, answering questions and providing advice, follow up, rectification of any issues and general demeanour of the staff puts them as my no1 go to guys followed closely by ARB. The only thing about ARB is that it’s such a business machine and also so popular that they don’t look after their staff as well as they should and it takes ages to get an a slot in their install schedule. Well that’s my opinion anyway!

Cheers

Build so far

-      Factory front and rear electronic diff locks

-      Dual battery system with redarc isolator and two 12v outlets in the rear

-      Toyota steel bulbar (winch compatible) and side rails

-      Water Watch – a second fuel filter to protect engine from water (http://www.responsiveengineering.com.au/8263/Water_Watch_System/What_is_Water_Watch?/)

-      Old Man Emu heavy duty 2 in lift and Steering dampener (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      166 litre Longranger replacement fuel tank (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      TW12SS 48 Litre Longranger water tank

-      Kaymar Rear Step tow bar with dual wheel carrier, telescopic camp light (upgraded to Narva , 72449 L.E.D Work Lamp (Flood Beam) 850  Lumen output with Current draw: 0.8A at 9-50V ) high-lift jack and HF antenna attachments (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      6^th wheel – Stock Toyota 76 series GXL 16’’ alloy

-      BFG 265/75/16 KM/2s all around

-      ARB Deluxe steel roof rack with mesh floor, wind deflector, Kaymar shovel and high-lift jack holder, dual jerry can holder and foxwing attachments. (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      ARB compressor (under the bonnet) with pump points in front and rear bumper (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      IPS XS Driving lights (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      Radiator insect screen (ARB - Fyshwick)

-      4WD Interiors Outback Twin drawers with fridge slide on RHS, Cargo barrier, top shelf and centre divider, 2 x side storage boxes and baby seat anchor points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      ARB 47lt fridge

-      Outback Front tow/recovery points (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      4WD Interiors Roof Console with GME TX3220 UHF Radio (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Dept of the Interiors replacement centre console with additional cup holder and tray

-      Reversing Camera (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      3 additional 12v outlets in the cabin, one always-on and the others on-ignition (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      Blackduck front seat covers (Loving Wife)

-      TJM front underbody guard (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      switch for the dual batter isolator (Pride Auto – Phillip)

-      tidy up of the accessories wiring and consolidation to single connection to the second battery terminals (Pride Auto – Phillip)

Still to go:

-      Warn 9.5ti Thermometric winch

-      Autron Cruise control

-      DPChip  (DP-31)

-      Taipan 3 Inch Exhaust System and Safari air-ram

-      Front Seat Upgrade

-      16x8" Allied Savvanas, machined black rims and 285/75/R16 KM/2s

-      LED driving lights

-      Stereo (digital radio)

-      HF Radio