Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures
MENU
  • Advice
  • Electrical
  • Equipment
  • News
  • Travel
  • Vehicles
  • RV
SEARCH
  • Advice
  • Electrical
  • Equipment
  • News
  • Travel
  • Vehicles
  • RV
0
0
36K
Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures
NEWSLETTER
Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures
  • Advice
  • Electrical
  • Equipment
  • News
  • Travel
  • Vehicles
  • RV

Advice

326 posts
View Post
  • Advice

Rooftop Tents Vs Swags: The Ultimate Camp Showdown

  • MR4X4
  • August 19, 2026
Ask a group of 4X4ers whether a rooftop tent or swag is better and you’ll probably start an argument before anyone has even cracked the first cold one. Both have…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How To Recover Yourself When You’re Solo

  • Dan Everett
  • August 12, 2026
Getting bogged when you’re travelling with mates is usually an inconvenience. Getting bogged when you’re on your own can become a serious problem very quickly. There’s no second vehicle to…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Five Worst Campsite Crimes (and Their Punishments)

  • Dan Everett
  • August 3, 2026
Camping has an unwritten code. Nobody hands you a rulebook when you buy your first swag or rooftop tent, but before long you learn there are certain things you just…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How To Plan An Outback Trip Without Losing Your Mind

  • MR4X4
  • July 29, 2026
The first mistake people make when planning a major outback trip is trying to fit too much into too little time. Australia looks manageable on a map until you start…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Weight Distribution: Why Your Ute Handles Like a Wet Sponge

  • MR4X4
  • July 21, 2026
There’s a familiar moment in the evolution of almost every touring 4X4. It starts life feeling reasonably sharp and predictable, then slowly accumulates a bull bar, winch, canopy, drawers, fridge,…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Five Things That End More Trips Than Mechanical Failures

  • MR4X4
  • July 15, 2026
Spend enough time around campfires and you’ll hear plenty of stories about snapped CVs, blown head gaskets and catastrophic engine failures. They’re entertaining tales, but they’re also surprisingly rare. 4X4s…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Secret To Conquering Steep Terrain

  • Dan Everett
  • July 7, 2026
Few obstacles get the heart rate up quite like a steep hill climb. Whether it’s a loose shale ascent in the High Country, a rocky climb through the Flinders Ranges…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Why More 4X4s Are Getting Defected (And How To Avoid Being Next)

  • Dan Everett
  • June 29, 2026
For years, modified 4X4s have flown largely under the radar. A touring setup with a lift kit, bigger tyres, a bar work package and an aftermarket exhaust barely raised an…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Unwritten Rules Of The Bush

  • Dan Everett
  • June 22, 2026
One of the biggest mistakes new 4X4ers make is assuming that because they’re out in the bush, they have the place to themselves. The reality is that every track is…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Planning A Big Lap? This Weather Forecast Could Change Everything

  • MR4X4
  • June 17, 2026
Most of us spend months planning a major trip. We map routes, book campsites, service the rig and count down the days until departure. What we rarely consider is whether…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Is Your Roof Rack Dangerously Overloaded? (And How To Fix It)

  • MR4X4
  • June 15, 2026
There’s a good chance you’ve spent plenty of time worrying about your vehicle’s GVM, but how much thought have you given to what’s happening above your head? For many of…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Why Corrugations Are Destroying Your Rig (And How To Drive Them)

  • Dan Everett
  • June 10, 2026
When most people think about vehicle damage in the bush, they picture dramatic moments. A tyre sidewall gets sliced open on a sharp rock. A water crossing goes deeper than…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Don’t Get Lost In The Outback

  • mr4X4
  • June 1, 2026
We love getting out into the red dirt as much as anyone, but lately, we’ve been seeing some pretty grim reminders of how quickly the outback can turn on you.…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Rock Crawling for Beginners: How to pick a line without spotting help.

  • Dan Everett
  • May 25, 2026
We’ve all been there. You’re out on a solo mission or maybe you’ve just pulled ahead of the convoy, and you’re staring down a section of track that looks more…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How To Stay Croc Safe In The Top End

  • MR4X4
  • May 18, 2026
We’ve all seen the headlines recently. A young bloke up north of Broome, just minding his own business in a swag, ended up in a tussle with a large salty…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Bush Mechanics 101: Five things you can fix with cable ties and fencing wire

  • Dan Everett
  • May 13, 2026
We have all been there. Three days deep into a track that hasn’t seen a grader since the Olympic Games, and something goes twang. Usually, it’s right when the sun…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

10 Ways To Stop Annoying Everyone On The UHF

  • Dan Everett
  • May 6, 2026
We’ve all been there. You’re settling into a long stretch of tarmac or navigating a tricky line through the rocks, and the silence is shattered by someone who treats the…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Lake Eyre flood of a lifetime is happening right now

  • MR4X4
  • April 6, 2026
We’ve been watching the weather charts and flood gauges with a fair bit of anticipation lately. It is not often we get to talk about a once in a generation…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

10 Tips To Save Fuel In The Bush

  • MR4X4
  • March 18, 2026
With fuel prices bouncing around like a kangaroo on a trampoline and remote outback bowsers regularly charging eye-watering amounts per litre, stretching every drop of diesel or petrol has become…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Outback Roads Are Closing Fast: What’s Shut & What’s Next

  • Dan Everett
  • March 2, 2026
If you’ve been watching the inland radar lately, you’ll know this isn’t just a passing storm. This is basin-wide rain feeding some of Australia’s biggest inland river systems. And when…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Outback Rain Puts Damper On Remote Touring 

  • MR4X4
  • February 24, 2026
Nearly half the country is on flood watch right now. A slow-moving low-pressure system has parked itself over central Australia and it’s dragging tropical moisture deep into the interior. We’re…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Tub Rack vs Canopy: What Actually Works When the Trip Gets Real?

  • Dan Everett
  • February 18, 2026
If you’re building a dual cab for touring, this is the crossroads. Forget tyres and lift kits for a minute, what you do with the back of the ute will…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

10 Tips for successful towing

  • Dan Everett
  • February 16, 2026
Want to master the ancient art of safe towing? Here's our 10 must-do towing tips to ensure your adventures go off without a hitch
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

QLD Police Crack Down On “Sun-Shade” Window Covers

  • MR4X4
  • February 11, 2026
Queensland 4X4 owners are being slapped with a fresh warning from police, triggered by a surprisingly common trend in the 4X4 and touring scene, reflective window covers. What started as a cheap…
View Post
Share
1.build Large Fire2
View Post
  • Advice

How to build the perfect campfire

  • Wes Whitworth
  • February 9, 2026
With the warmer months on the way out, we thought it time to get brushed up on our fire-building skills! For thousands of years, man and fire have had a…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Science of Sun Protection: Why Aussie Sun is So Harsh

  • MR4X4
  • January 12, 2026
Spend a few hours out bush and you’ll learn real quick, the Australian sun doesn’t muck around. It burns harder, faster, and longer than almost anywhere else on Earth. Yet…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Bush Uniform: Thongs, Boots and the Sun-Smart Choice

  • Dan Everett
  • December 29, 2025
There’s a sort of unofficial uniform when you head bush. You know the one, thongs, singlet, cap, maybe a bit of zinc if you’re heading to the coast. It’s the…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Most Underrated Mod for Long-Distance Touring

  • Dan Everett
  • December 23, 2025
We spend a fortune protecting our engines from the harsh Australian elements. We fit snorkels to keep the water out and high-quality airboxes to stop the dust. We obsess over…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Skin Cancer : The Track You Don’t Want to Go Down

  • Dan Everett
  • December 17, 2025
If you’ve spent enough time behind the wheel, you know the rule, ignore a warning light long enough, and something bad’s about to happen. The same goes for your skin.…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How To Buy The Suspension You Need, Not The Suspension You Want

  • Dan Everett
  • December 8, 2025
We’ve all seen it. You’re rolling through a campsite and a dual-cab bounces past. It is stiff as a board and the rear end sits three inches higher than the…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Sun Safety: The Mod You Can’t Afford to Skip 

  • MR4X4
  • December 1, 2025
There are mods you add because they look good. A set of flash looking wheels, a stainless snorkel, a big set of flares. And then there are the mods that actually…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Crackdown on Dodgy Caravans

  • MR4X4
  • October 2, 2025
The caravan industry is in the crosshairs, with the ACCC dishing out fines and launching legal action against some of Australia’s biggest names. After years of complaints about misleading advertising,…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

5 Tips for Stress-Free Mud Driving

  • MR4X4
  • September 1, 2025
Mud. You either love it or hate it, but one thing’s for sure, once you’re in it, there’s no hiding. Few types of 4X4ing are as much fun as slinging…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How To Master Approach, Departure & Rampover Angles

  • MR4X4
  • August 18, 2025
If you’re pointing your 4X4 at steep climbs, rocky ledges or washouts, your bodywork is usually the first thing at risk. That’s where approach, departure and rampover angles come in.…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

7 of the Worst 4X4 Mistakes (That’ll Catch You Out Sooner or Later)

  • MR4X4
  • August 13, 2025
Let’s face it – there’s a lot of opinion in the 4X4 world. Everyone reckons their way is the right way. And if you do it differently? You’re doing it…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How to Keep Your Wheels and Tyres Legal in Australia

  • Dan Everett
  • August 11, 2025
Fitting aftermarket wheels and tyres to your 4X4 isn’t just about looking good, it’s also about clearance, performance, load capacity, and keeping your rig compliant on the road. What a…
View Post
Share
Timing the Tides on beach driving
View Post
  • Advice

Timing the Tides: How Not To Drown Your 4X4

  • MR4X4
  • August 4, 2025
Driving on the beach is one of the great joys of 4X4 touring. Salt on the wind, open sand ahead, maybe even a sneaky campsite tucked into the dunes. But…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Sharing Outback Tracks with Road Trains: What Every 4X4er Should Know

  • MR4X4
  • July 30, 2025
When you’re out touring remote Australia, it doesn’t take long before you come across one of the true giants of the road; road trains, graders, and other heavy vehicles that…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Should Outback Speed Limits Be Raised?

  • Dan Everett
  • July 29, 2025
With modern 4X4s packing more power, more safety, and better handling than ever before, many Aussie drivers are wondering: should speed limits in remote areas go up? It’s a debate…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

The Dry Grass Fire Risk — And What You Can Do About It

  • MR4X4
  • July 22, 2025
If you drive a modern diesel 4X4, particularly one with a DPF, then this article’s for you. Honestly, anyone heading out into Australia’s arid interior should be paying attention to…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

What Really Goes Wrong in the Outback?

  • MR4X4
  • June 2, 2025
When you’re 800 clicks from the nearest mechanic, breakdowns hit different. And thanks to the Birdsville Hotel’s Simpson Desert Recovery truck, we now have some hard data on what actually…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Folklore Legends of the Aussie Bush – What’s Really Sharing Camp With You?

  • Dan Everett
  • May 28, 2025
Campfire crackling, the wind whistling through the spinifex, maybe a roo thumping through the bush at 2am, or was it something else? Australia’s outback isn’t just home to snakes, spiders…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Saltwater Crocs on the Move In The Pilbara

  • Dan Everett
  • April 24, 2025
If you’re planning to head north this season, maybe to throw a line in around the Pilbara rivers or enjoy the views at Cleaverville Beach, there’s something you should be…
View Post
Share
Outback Queensland
View Post
  • Advice

Northern Floodwaters Set to Revive Menindee Lakes

  • Dan Everett
  • April 15, 2025
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to head west, this might be it. After months of dry paddocks, dwindling rivers and cracking floodplains, a massive surge of water is…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Free Virtual Caravan Safety Workshop Coming to Your Lounge Room

  • Dan Everett
  • March 25, 2025
Whether you’re gearing up for your first big lap in your new caravan or just want to be sure you’re towing within your limits, there’s no shortage of advice out…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

How Remote Healthcare Access Keeps the Mr 4X4 Team on the Road

  • MR4X4
  • March 19, 2025
For the team at Mr 4X4, work is anything but predictable. Whether we’re deep in the outback filming the TV show, covering the latest gear at 4X4 trade shows, or testing…
View Post
Share
Kids Off Road Bikes
View Post
  • Advice

Travelling off-road with kids? Pack these 10 things.

  • Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures
  • March 3, 2025
One of the hardest things about travelling off-road with kids is working out what to pack to keep them entertained, ideally that doesn’t involve a screen. Here’s our pick of…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

From 4X4 Tracks to Weight Loss Hacks: How To Stay Healthy In The Bush

  • MR4X4
  • February 20, 2025
Let’s be real: when you Google someone who’s big in the 4X4 scene, you expect to see search results about epic tracks, crazy mods, and maybe a few cringey old…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Is it illegal to use a UHF radio while driving?

  • MR4X4
  • February 5, 2025
It’s illegal to use a mobile phone while driving. We all know that. But there still seems to be some confusion around whether it’s also illegal to use a UHF…
View Post
Share
View Post
  • Advice

Is Your Rig Illegal? How to Keep Your 4X4 On the Right Side of the Law

  • Dan Everett
  • February 3, 2025
Let’s face it: half the fun of owning a 4X4 is kitting it out with all the cool gear—bigger tyres, beefier suspension, a tough bull bar up front. You want…
View Post
Share
Advertisements
Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures
  • Advice
  • Electrical
  • Equipment
  • News
  • Travel
  • Vehicles
  • RV
Designed & Developed by Pat Callinan Media.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.