Ah, the romantic image of a long-distance touring 4X4: roof rack piled high with jerry cans, spare wheel, swag, awning, a big gear box and a row of driving lights. And probably much more. Congratulations, you’ve just turned your 4X4 into a death trap. Or at the very minimum a GIF on someone’s Facebook page.

Don’t get me wrong, the roof of the average 4X4 is designed to withstand a huge amount of pressure to protect the likes of you and me in a rollover. Indeed, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US (it’s like ANCAP) actually tests the roof strength of all the vehicles it tests which is kind of cool. We looked up the Ford Ranger and found the roof will withstand a force of more than 9000kg, which is almost three times the kerb weight.

But that’s got nothing to do with how much weight you can load onto the roof. We only mentioned it because we thought it was kind of cool that a safety agency tests for this sort of thing. Oh, and also because it’s not just in a roll over that your roof is having to deal with these sorts of forces but also when you’re carrying stuff on the roof and you’re driving across corrugations, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Do you even need a roof rack?

Sure, your 4X4’s roof might look like a vast, empty space just waiting for stuff to be plonked onto it but, first, ask yourself, do you really need to put your gear onto the roof? Do you really need to take the kitchen sink with you when you go camping for the weekend?

This weekend pack your 4X4 with all the gear you need to take camping. As you’re loading every item in give it a good look over to see what’s vital, and what you’ve never even used before. The large majority of gear can be slotted inside somewhere with a little creative thinking and making use of the available space. Interior roof-mounted cargo nets offer a great place to stash bulky but lightweight items that’d normally end up on the roof.

Things like push bikes can often be mounted in a substantially cheaper hitch receiver carrier. Larger items such as tents, swags or kayaks can work with cross bars rather than a full rack, offering a considerable cost and weight saving.

Where do you mount the racks?

There are a few ways to mount roof racks onto your vehicle, one is by using the rain gutter that runs around the roofline of your vehicle, another is via the load-rated mounting point you’ll find in channels on top of the roof, and the other is by using the slim-line rails on your vehicle’s roof which can be used as a solid mounting point for either roof bars or a full rack system. Although, with some roof rack mount systems, you’ll need to remove these rails and replace them with the proprietary mounts (we’re thinking of Rhino-Rack’s Backbone system, for example) and that’s not a job for the home handyman/woman as you’ll need to remove your vehicle’s roof lining to install them.

What type of roof rack should I get?

This all comes down to what you’ll be carrying on the roof. You can go for the old-school two bars running across the roof, a platform, or a basket. Whatever type of roof rack you choose, make sure it’ll do the job(s) you need it to do and be as practical as possible. We’re a fan of platform-type systems that allow plenty of versatility.

Whatever type of rack you go for, you’re going to need straps and tie-downs to secure the load to the roof. Almost every single roof rack maker will tell you not to use bungee cords as they allow the load to move in a dynamic situation; only use rigid straps.

How much can I carry?

This is where things become cut and dried. See, most vehicle makers list the roof load limit for their vehicles and some variants within a model range can have a different load limit depending on whether they’ve got a panoramic glass roof, or not. For instance, the Ford Everest lists a roof load limit of 100kg but limits the top-spec Everest Titanium to 80kg because it has a panoramic glass roof.

The limits manufacturers list are dynamic limits and they include the weight of your rack. Meaning, that’s the maximum weight you can have on the roof when driving around (including the roof rack). And by that manufacturers tend to mean driving around town. Have a flick through your vehicle’s owner’s manual and it’ll likely suggest to carry a lot less on the roof when you’re driving off-road and that’s because there are additional stresses in play, like corrugations – the up and down can cause the dynamic load to impose many times more than the peak dynamic ‘static’ load on your vehicle’s roof.

Here are a few roof load ratings: Y62 Patrol = 100kg, Everest = 100kg (unless it’s a Titanium as stated above), Amarok = 100kg, Discovery 5 = 80kg, and HiLux = 75kg. Remember, the rack counts as part of the load too and these can be anywhere in the vicinity of 30kg – 60kg. Now, let’s look at some average weights of the stuff we commonly see people storing on the roof. Say, 20kg per full jerry can, 20-30kg for the spare wheel, 12kg swag, 20kg awning, 20kg box of ‘stuff’, 3kg driving lights, and 20kg alloy rack. Total = 125kg. That’s more than the roof load limit on every single passenger vehicle 4X4 on the market right now. Better not grab any firewood or double up on jerry cans. And, then, consider a steel rack might weigh 45kg and a roof top tent between 45kg and 80kg, and you’re dancing with the devil without any other gear.

The ugly of overloading your roof racks

It’s fair to say most people are carrying way too much stuff on the roof of their 4X4. But there’s more to the issue than just exceeding the manufacturers roof load limit, see, you’re reducing the handling ability of your vehicle and also increasing its wind resistance. And while the latter will cost you cash the former could kill you or someone else.

Now let’s look at how carrying anything on your roof, be you carrying stuff at the maximum roof load limit or over it, increases your vehicle’s centre of gravity. Think of it like this. If you’re carrying two 10kg weights (one in each hand) and you turn a corner while carrying the weights, you’ll be less likely to fall over than if you were balancing those same weights on your head. In fact, you could carry half the weight on your head and your stability would still be affected to a greater degree.

That means, if you’ve got 100kg loaded onto your roof (at 2m above the ground) the effect on stability is the same as if you loaded 200kg into the vehicle (at 1m off the ground). And because you’re carrying weight up high and raising the vehicle’s centre of gravity you need to corner and brake less vigorously. Indeed, any sort of direction change when your roof is loaded becomes potentially dangerous, and that’s regardless of whether you’re travelling at high or low speed – around rocks, ruts, washouts and roundabouts.

Then there’s the additional wind resistance created by carrying a big load on your roof, or even just by having empty roof racks. Depending on the vehicle and the rack type, you could be looking at a fuel consumption increase of more than one per cent with an empty rack. This will increase once you add a load to the roof, because you’re affecting the shape of your vehicle and its ability to cut through the air as cleanly as it would without racks and a load.

Right, go for a walk and come back to this next section when you’ve had a breather. Because, well, math.

Now for the maths around dynamic loading on your vehicle

Being a writer, I was rubbish at math (yes, yes, very funny, I’m not that crash hot as a writer either) so I got my son to explain how this all works. He cocked his head to one side, like a confused puppy. A chip off the old block. The I rang a mate who’s an engineer and he explained it like the below…don’t worry because I’ve got no idea what it all means either. All I know is the answer, and that is that when you’re driving across corrugations and you’ve got a heavy weight on your roof, your dynamic load is a hell of a lot more than your vehicle’s handbook says you can carry.

One word of warning though, this is all theoretical and should be taken as a guide only to the sort of dynamic load imposed on your vehicle’s roof when dealing with severe corrugations.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the manufacturer’s maximum roof load for our long-term Ford Everest is 80kg because of the panoramic glass roof. We’ll use this vehicle for our calculations. Let’s say we’re traveling at ‘a speed’ over rough corrugations that are around 10cm deep and that, as they should be, the tyres and suspension is doing its fair share of the shock absorption, around half, for arguments sake. We’ll assume the roof is, thus, moving up and down by around 5 centimetres every six seconds.

Here’s where you need to start paying attention because it’s going to get all A Beautiful Mind. Using a sinusoidal function (Google it. I did, and I’m still confused). the displacement as a function of time would be: 0.05 sin (2π x 6t) where t = time in seconds and amplitude is in metres. Think about a wave in profile.

Then, taking the first derivative, we get velocity = 0.05 x 2π x 6 cos (2π x 6t). It’s about now in the conversation with my mate, that my mind started to wander. Now we need to know acceleration, and this is 0.05 x 2π x 2π x 6 x 6 sin (2π x 6t). So, peak acceleration = 0.05 x 2π x 2π x 6 x 6 = 71m/s/s. Nope, I’ve got no idea how we got to this either. Lucky then I’m not designing bridges, like my mate does. To work out force, Liam (my mate) said to use the formula: mass x acceleration. But let’s back track and work out the static load, which is the same 80kg, but you need to allow for gravity which is 9.8m/s(econd), or, 784N. Now let’s work out the dynamic load (or peak force), meaning the force applied by that 80kg but when you’re driving across corrugations. That is, 80kg x 71 (our peak acceleration). So, using our 80kg Everest Titanium roof load we get: 80 x 71 = 5680N. From here we can work out what the equivalent static peak force would be by dividing the effect of gravity, which is 5680 / 9.8 = 579kg.

So, what we’re saying is that when you’re driving both on and off-road, the weight of your roof load may well be within the limit set by the manufacturer, but the dynamic stresses as an equivalent static load are much, much higher.

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Charging your auxiliary batteries is a pretty straightforward exercise, right? The bigger the DC-DC charger you’ve got means your batteries will charge faster every morning once you break camp and start driving, because it gives more charge resulting in less time to charge up, right? What if I told you that was actually killing your batteries? It all comes down to bigger isn’t always better.

What’s of greatest importance is your batteries’ ability to take a charge, or more specifically, your batteries’ technology.

First off, let’s consider starting batteries. They’re built to be able to supply high current; whether starting your engine or powering your winch, starting batteries are designed to handle a high-current draw over a short period of time. This works in reverse, too; starting batteries can take a high-current charge quickly and happily. Your alternator is probably able to deliver in the vicinity of 70-100 amps to your starting battery, and as long as you don’t run it flat, and you keep the water in it topped up, it’ll last you more than a few years.

Auxiliary batteries are different. Most auxiliary batteries are a ‘deep cycle’ design, regardless of the technology inside. These technologies include Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM), Gel or flooded wet-cell (just like your starting battery) designs.  The difference between these and your starting battery is that they’re designed to discharge low power (say to run a fridge) over a long period of time, instead of discharge high power (say to turn an engine over) over a short period of time. And then, of course, there is the newer-tech whizz-bang lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries.

Where this gets interesting is that replacing the power you’ve used (i.e. charging) needs to happen at a similar rate to discharging, so while your starting battery will take just about all the amps you can throw at it, your deep-cycle battery needs to be charged at a slower rate if you don’t want to kill it.

So what is a safe charging amperage?

The correct charging rate absolutely depends on what batteries you’ve got. There’s a pretty safe rule of thumb for most lead-acid deep-cycle batteries; work on around five per cent of total amp-hour capacity as your minimum charging rate, and 30 per cent as your maximum, with somewhere around 10-20 per cent being about spot on. Using this will help stop you from killing your batteries.

A bit of beer coaster maths will look like this:

100Ah battery = 5A minimum, 30A maximum and 10-20A ‘perfect’ charge current.

200Ah battery = 10A minimum, 60A maximum and 20-40A ‘perfect’ charge current.

For example, if you have a 100Ah battery, a Redarc BCDC1225D (25amp DC-DC charger) would be just about perfect. It will charge up at 25 amps maximum, which is well above the minimum the battery needs to charge at, and five amps below the rule-of-thumb maximum. This capacity charger is safe, will do the job perfectly and keep your batteries in good nick by not jamming too many amps down their throats.

And if you decide to add a second 100Ah battery down the track – making a 200Ah battery bank – the BCDC1225D 25 amp charger will still deliver enough charge (12.5 amps) to be above the minimum charging rate of 10 amps.

Bear in mind, the maths is different for lithium batteries; you’ll see how further down.

So what kills batteries?

One of the biggest killers of batteries is running a whopping big charger and jamming way too many amps into your battery bank. Let’s just say I absolutely need the biggest, angriest, most expensive charger I can get my hands on, right? And so I go and get myself a you-beaut Redarc BCDC1250D to charge my single 100Ah lead-acid based battery. By throwing 50 amps at it, it will charge to full in just two hours (give or take), but it’ll also get hot and most likely damage the plates in the battery. It’s honestly all bad.

Instead of going and getting the biggest and angriest DC-DC charger you can get your hands on, it makes a lot more sense to get a charger specifically matched to what you need; work on the rule of thumb outlined above. Or, even better, speak to the manufacturer of your battery and to find out exactly what charging current will maximise its life.

If you have already gone and bought a 1250D, and you’ve only got the one 100Ah battery, tell the better half you’ve got Wes’ permission to go buy another two 100Ah batteries to make a 300Ah battery bank. It’ll save the batteries in the long run, and it’ll keep the beers cold for longer! Now that I’ve given you a ‘get-out-of-jail-free-card’, we need to talk about the new kid on the block… lithium.

What about charging lithium?!

Lithium batteries need a specific voltage profile to charge, so some batteries have an included charger, and any good-quality DC-DC charger will also have that charging profile in it too (my Redarc BCDC1240D has, anyway). But how many amps can you push into a lithium battery without killing it? That comes down to each specific manufacturer. For example, the Revolution Power 100Ah LiFePo4 battery will take anywhere from 5-60 amps. And that is one of the greatest things about lithium batteries. You’re able to draw and charge them as if they weren’t deep cycle, but you can still use them for prolonged deep-cycle duties.

There are some lithium batteries that are claimed to be able to handle a charge rate of up to 100 amps; as quick as you want, really. Any decent lithium battery should come with a tech-spec sheet that will list its maximum charge and discharge current, among other things.

Thanks for sticking around to the end; hopefully you’ve now got enough information to stop you killing your batteries!

The post How to stop killing your batteries! appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

And then, moments later: “Oh, man. It’s going down so quickly. This fuel gauge is a goddamn liar”.

But the important fact is: I shouldn’t do this. And neither should you. Here is why you shouldn’t run your fuel tank down.

Fuel cools and lubricates the pump

This is the main reason, beyond any other. Running a fuel pump without fuel is like running an engine without coolant and oil. It’s a systematically bad idea. If you want your pump to live a long, ensure it’s always well submerged in fuel: The fuel actually cools the electric pump as it passes through, like coolant in your engine. It also lubricates the pump, reducing wear and tear significantly.

You might pick up some extra crud

When you’re fuel level runs low, your fuel is going to be sloshing around a bit more and splashing as you go around corners. What you’re doing is aggravating any crud or particles sitting in your tank, which will no-doubt be there on any vehicle with a few kays on the clock.

Air in your fuel system is bad

This goes without saying, obviously. Fuel tank and pump designs are made to keep the pump sucking down only the finest in fuels, without any air getting in there. But in the real world, it doesn’t always work out that way. Keep the air, by keeping a decent amount of fuel in the tank.

Only very old vehicles will have an inline pump or lift pump somewhere other than in the tank, just about every 4WD in recent memory will have an in-tank pump. The problem is that the pump might be really hard to access. Do you have to drop the tank completely to access the pump, or is there an access hole somewhere in the car? If you’ve got accessories like drawers or a fridge in the back, it’s worth checking if these get in the way.

measuring your mileage

Want to figure out how much you’re getting from a tank? Don’t try and get every last metre before fuelling up; There’s a better way of going about it. What I do is fill up my car, either to the first click, or when I can physically see the fuel in the filler. This way, I know exactly how full the tank is. Reset your odometer, and drive off. Then, when your 4WD is somewhere between 1/2 and a 1/4 full, do the same thing.

But, instead of saying ‘I get XXX kms to my tank’, see how many litres it took to refill the tank to the same level. Then, you can accurately calculate your litres per hundred kilometres, or kilometres per litre, or furlongs per flagon, or whatever.

Want to learn more about the basics of a fuel pump? Check out this video we saw on Youtube:

The post Why you shouldn’t let your fuel tank run down too low appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

The bent chassis phenomenon was definitely not a thing 30 years ago. Our thirst for more accessories and longer vehicles, coupled with the auto industry’s attempts to make lighter (read: cheaper) 4X4s, has caused a problem.

And then there’s towing. We love our accessories, so we like to spread them over a couple more wheels, hence, we tow stuff.  Not to mention towing stuff over rugged terrain. As my kids would say, it’s a bad day to be a chassis.

I should highlight that I am not an automotive engineer. I’m a ‘cause and effect’ kinda bloke. And I’ve been on many, many trips where chassis have bent. Patrols, LandCruiser 100s, Navaras – thankfully not Amaroks. Not to mention I’ve spoken with plenty of people who know better than me, like Sam Barnes from Birdsville Auto. So below, is my distilled knowledge on the topic of bent chassis.

CAUSE NO.1 – The Towing Conundrum

If the Simpson Desert were a WWI chassis battleground, it would be Gallipoli.  1100 sand dunes ranging from three metres high to 30 metres high (Big Red) crossed by more than 30,000 vehicles each year.

No graders, soft sand and often inexperienced drivers create a worrying concoction of giant wheel-swallowing holes. Mix in a wee bit of momentum to allow your 4X4 to get over the dunes, and you have a seriously challenging obstacle.

Your suspension will cycle from full droop to full compression in less than one second, which is fine, because that’s what it was designed to do. But that suspension on your vehicle, can, on occasion, cycle at precisely the wrong time if you are towing. For example, if your 4X4s rear suspension is just at the start of its rebound cycle, but your trailer hitch is on its compression cycle, only your chassis can solve that problem. Two, massively opposing forces are colliding, and if the chassis lacks the strength in that split second, it will bend. Something has to give. You can successfully traverse literally hundreds of sand dunes, but when the holes are in just the right (or is that wrong!) spacing apart, the opposing forces are just too great. Additional weight (in the form of heavy rear bars with multiple spares) tends to exacerbate the problem.

In my experience, the worst offenders seem to be D40 Navara, Tritons, and GU Patrols. It’s rare to see 79 Series LandCruisers and VW Amaroks with a bent chassis. The latter has seven cross-members in the chassis, as opposed to five cross-members on most the other dual cabs.

CAUSE NO.2 – The Airbag Issue

When the rear suspension of a vehicle is designed, a pretty smart engineer usually designs it. He or she calculates all sorts of loads and stresses that the suspension and chassis is designed with which to cope.  And then along comes the aftermarket, with a far smaller budget, and says ‘We can do better’.

And often, they can, because their components (shocks and springs) are designed for a different, more robust purpose. But sometimes, things don’t quite work, as they should. Let’s take leaf springs for example. They have two mounting points on the chassis, and those points are designed to shoulder almost any load the springs can throw at them. Enter airbags. They sit directly under the chassis and smack in the middle of the leaf springs. If the chassis is robust, this can even be a good thing. The weight of the vehicle is spread over three points, rather than two points. That’s great! And often, they work just fine.

In some cases though, airbags can lead to chassis failure:

1. The airbags are inflated too high (like 60psi rather than 8psi). So the airbag is carrying the entire load of the rear of the vehicle. So rather than spreading the weight, you’re concentrating that weight into one central point – a point that was never designed to carry that weight (unlike a coil sprung vehicle which could easily have coils interchanged with truck-like airbags);
2. The leaf springs are lightened off (numerous leaf springs removed), and used merely to locate the axle, and truck-like airbags are inserted, thereby concentrating the load on one central point; and
3. There is simply too much weight on the rear of the vehicle, and an airbag concentrates that weight in the wrong place. Overloaded vehicles can cause this, as can excessive ball weight on your caravan or camper trailer.

Now there are plenty of 4X4s that have successfully used airbags like Polyairs over the years. If I were to use them though, I would do plenty of research into your specific model of vehicle, and ask if others have had any issues with their installations. Silverados, 79 Series, Amaroks would be no real problem, but other vehicles with lighter chassis may be an issue. You won’t discover that issue up the highways and byways, but in the rough and tumble of a desert track.

CAUSE NO.3 – The Tracks Are Getting Worse

The 4X4 and touring scene is booming, and it’s set to soar in 2020. We can thank a plunging Aussie dollar and a certain virus for that. I mean, who’s jumping on a cruise ship to China this year – not me.

Yet increasing traffic on the roads that we like to drive (Anne Beadell Highway, I’m talkin’ ‘bout you), means the conditions will deteriorate. Rough and unmaintained tracks like the French Line, the Canning Stock Route and the Telegraph Track in Cape York will get rougher again. And harder touring tracks and heavy loads equals chassis meltdown.

In 2019 after the Big Red Bash, I was blown away by how rough the QAA Line had become. In the space of a few years, it had gone from ‘bad’ to ‘rough as guts’. That’s the technical term, anyway. I, and our convoy, was thrilled to turn onto the comparatively smooth and gorgeous Hay River Track. Of course, we only saw one other convoy on the way, and that was Ron Moon with his 4X4 Australia team. No traffic, no worries.

OMG! It’s bent, what do I do know?

In terms of what to do in a remote location if you do suffer a bent chassis, here are a few options.

• Lighten your load dramatically. Remove the trailer (if you can convince some other bugger to take it!), remove your spare tyres off your rear bar, do anything you can! Lighten lighten, lighten! Usually the vehicle can then be limped into the next town and towed. The chassis bending doesn’t usually affect the driveline, so provided you inspect the chassis and its not actually cracked (only bent), you may be able to limp out;
• If you have full off-road recovery cover, you may be able to make a claim here to get a flat-bed tow to the next town. Keep in mind, recovery cover is not roadside assistance, and it will merely get you to town, not necessarily home to a capital city;
• Big towns like Alice Springs see chassis bending all the time. Friends of mine had their Patrol chassis strengthened and straightened in Alice for $2500. I had a Patrol that landed at a city smash repairer who wanted $13,000 for the same job. The owner paid the former job. The insurer paid the latter; and
• Speaking of insurance, are bent chassis covered by insurers? Most of the time, they’re not. Usually the insurer calls it ‘wear and tear’ as opposed to a ‘single incident’ (which is insurable). It’s debatable, but good luck trying to get your insurer or their underwriter to pay.

The post What (and where) causes a bent chassis? appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

We’ve all been there and headed off for a weekend in the bush without a winch or a mate, decided to explore a side track and become stuck. If nothing else you should always have, at least, a basic recovery kit in the back of your rig or, at the very minimum, a shovel.

If you remain calm and think about what you’re doing and follow our five tips below, you should be able to get yourself out of most situations. And always, always remember, if in doubt, don’t drive it.

Adjust your tyre pressures

If your tyres are digging into the ground, or you’re struggling to get traction and gather momentum, chances are that your tyre pressures aren’t low enough. People are often hesitant to drop their tyre pressures below 20-25psi but they shouldn’t be. Those pressures are a good start, but combined with proper driving techniques (read: slow and no sharp turns) you can easily go quite a bit lower. So, if your valve stems are still accessible, let a bit more air out. When you get towards that 15psi threshold, your tyres will really start to flatten out along the bottom – giving you a much better chance of grabbing traction from the ground. It goes without saying that you’ll need a way of pumping your tyres back up, so, only let air out of your tyres if you’ve got a compressor in your rig.

Dig, dig, and dig some more

It might be a lot easier to sit in the air-conditioning and rev the engine with a hope your 4X4 will claw itself out, but you’re probably just going to end up digging yourself even further into the mire. Now’s the time to get out of your rig and grab your shovel. The long-handled shovel is probably your most powerful ally in the event of a bogging. Yes, you’ll get dirty and sweaty; but embrace it. It’s part of the 4WDing adventure. Clear as much earth/sand/mud/clay out from underneath your vehicle as possible, as well as from around the wheels. If your trusty shovel won’t clear the way for you completely (combined with the above point), it will at least make the upcoming recovery a much safer and less stressful process (both emotionally and mechanically).

Be a Jerk

Not in the literal sense, but you can sometimes turn the tide of traction – especially if you’re only just stuck or getting stuck – by repeatedly and briskly jerking the steering wheel back and forth to try and divert drive between your front wheels. If one is spinning freely, turning it back and forth can force it to grab traction and push some drive to the other wheel. This fast ‘jerking’ motion can also shift your vehicle from side to side as well, shifting your weight to different places and onto different bits of track. Sometimes, it only takes a tiny change in position to keep moving in the right direction.

Back and forth

If you’ve just come to a grinding halt in low-traction mud, sand or clay, you might be able to build yourself a more tractable path by running your 4X4 back and forth a few times. You must be careful with this one, though as it can sometimes lead to you becoming more stuck … stop if that’s the case. If conditions are favourable however, you might be able to reverse up a little bit (even as little as one metre), gather a tiny bit of momentum and push forward, paying attention as to whether you make any more forward progress. The idea here is that you can compress the ground fore and aft of you, giving you a slowly growing ‘track’ to build momentum and slowly work your way out. But if you’re digging in too much or just spinning wheels and damaging the track, it’s not worth it. So, see above and get out and dig.

Gears and throttle

Sometimes, power is your best friend off-road. It can get you out of all sorts of sticky situations. But there are other times when it can cause troubles: too much torque will be too willing to break traction and just spin and dig; where less torque could actually be more beneficial. There are two ways to easily adjust this. And that is, gear selection and throttle control. If you’re struggling for grip on a low-traction surface in one of your lowest gears, try a higher gear. Gearing effectively multiplies the engine’s available torque; lower gears have higher multiplication, turning your wheels slower and with more force. Your other option is, of course, reducing your throttle input. Ease off the throttle a little bit, getting your revs and engine load closer towards a gentle idle. If you’re lucky, your wheels might just stop spinning, and start biting.

The post Top Tips: 4X4 self-recovery techniques appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

Most tourers setups include a 12-volt fridge, and for good reason. While some fridges offer all sorts of gimmicky inclusions, like Wi-Fi connectivity and apps to allow changes of settings from the comfort of your camp chair, others offer dual zones for fridge and or freezer sections, insulated or protective covers, as well as intelligent electronics to help with reduced compressor run-times.

Some offer improved insulation properties via the materials and wall thickness they are manufactured from, while others provide dent and scratch-resistant materials, sturdy tie-down points as well as a plethora of settings to help protect your battery.

Regardless of fridge brand, inclusions and optional extras you may have ticked, there are a handful of tips you can follow to help reduce the run-times and power consumption of your fridge.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIDGE?

Maintaining a temperature, without undue rising or falling of that temperature is my number one want in a fridge. The ability to quickly and efficiently pull down to a set temperature, as well as holding that temperature during changes of ambient temperature, equates to sound insulation and suitably programmed electronics to control the compressor. Undue running of the compressor relates to high power usage.

Ease of use to set the fridges temperatures and associated settings is a must.

Sometimes, single-zone fridges can overdo the cooling in particular spots. Having a couple of different zones within the fridge cabinet is important to help prevent over-cooling the salads, not keeping the meat cold enough, or heaven forbid, freezing the drinks. Removable baskets make it easy to separate different food types and provide various cooling zones, plus also make the job easy for both loading and unloading the fridge.

Power usage is variable depending on ambient temperatures, humidity, amount of food in the fridge and the number of lid openings. Overall though, the less power used, the longer your batteries will last and the longer you can enjoy the contents of your fridge.

Look for a unit that offers plenty of ventilation around the sides and top of the compressor to help rid hot air, which in turn helps with lower run times. An incorporated fan helps to blow that hot air away.

Watch out for condensation or excessive cooling in small sections of the outside of a fridges walls or lid. This shows a lack of thermal insulation qualities, which equates to a loss of cooling effectiveness and higher power consumption.

The higher the evaporator plate sits in the cabinet, the better the all-round cooling will be for the complete fridge. A gap at the base of the fridge is OK as the colder air will readily fall.

Theoretically, a separate evaporator plate in the fridge cabinet should work better than an integrated one; as the air can circulate around the sides of the plate. But, then again, that separate evaporator allows liquid, food and dirt to build up behind it and it’s hard to clean. Not to mention that the separate evaporator can be damaged easier than an integrated one…so, there are pros and cons to types of evaporator plates.

A good lid seal is essential for keeping all that cold air inside the fridge. No point generating plenty of cold air if it leaks through the seal! Same goes for good insulation is compulsory to help reduce compressor run time. Tie-down locations are handy to help mount your fridge into your 4X4. 12, 24 and 240 power options are great to allow the fridge to run at home or a caravan parks 240 volt supply as well as when away from power points.

Fridge covers may have minimal thermal advantages compared to the fridge walls and lid, but are a good option for protecting the outsides of the fridge and for keeping the direct sun (and therefore heat) off the fridge.

WARNING: DIGITAL TEMPERATURE SETTINGS AND READOUTS

Most fridge settings or digital readouts are inaccurate, given they are mostly not calibrated instruments. I’ve found regardless of what setting I’ve set a fridge at, the actual internal temperatures can vary by up to two or three degrees; changing higher, lower and fluctuate over time.

Just because a digital readout displays a specific number, unless it’s a calibrated, certified tool, then it isn’t necessarily correct. Or, for that matter anymore accurate than an old fashion dial gauge; it just looks prettier and more high tech.

Aside from the actual temperature a fridge is running at, an indicator of a well set up compressor and electronics is, is how constant the temperature is maintained.

VENTILATION IS KING

One of the most critical aspects to keeping any fridge running well is to allow for plenty of ventilation around the compressor. Ultimately, there should be ventilation on the sides and top of the compressor, plus a fan to help rid the hot air the compressor creates.

If safe, leave your vehicle windows down, or the fridge box open if it’s fitted into a camper trailer, to help allow heat to escape. Don’t pack other camping gear on or too close to the vents of your fridge. That’ll be detrimental to allowing the compressor to maintain a lower temperature, or at worst may start a fire – you don’t want that!

TOP TIPS AND TRICKS

An all-to-common complaint of fridges not working is due to plugging a fridge into the vehicles cigarette plug wiring in the rear cargo area. The correct power supply to your fridge is paramount. Ensure you use the largest diameter and shortest length cable applicable to minimise voltage drop from your battery to the fridge.

There are two easy ways to ensuring lid seals are working as they should.

1) At night time, turn your torch on inside your fridge and close the lid. If you can see light, the seals isn’t working.

2) Close the fridge lid onto a piece of paper and try to slide the paper around the seal. If the paper slides, your seals are insufficient, or the latches are not compressing the seals adequately.

Only put unchilled items into the fridge just before driving. This will reduce the amount of battery wasted, as the fridge will be running at its maximum to minimise the new food or drinks temperatures while the batteries are being charged via the vehicles alternator.

Consider the benefits of thermal mass. Think of that thermal mass (your food and drinks) as a ‘battery bank’ of coldness. The larger the mass, the longer the cold will remain without having to re-cool it by running the compressor.

While that thermal mass will help, also consider cold air circulation. Having internal baskets helps prevent over-cramming of food and allows cold air to circulate evenly.

Minimise the fridge lid opening times. While cold air falls and all these fridges have top opening lids, the less you allow cold air to escape and hot air to intrude, the less your compressor needs to run. Speaking of lids, try cracking and opening the lid slowly to avoid all that cold air from being vacuum-sucked out as much. Also, make sure you secure the latches when the lid is closed; letting it drop and sit there is not good enough.

Fridge covers; the jury is out with me. Sure, if fitted correctly an insulating fridge cover can help keep a fridge cooler by keeping direct sunlight and heat off, but if the heat is allowed to build up, that same cover may also keep the heat in, so make sure it’s fitted correctly.

Taking care to optimise your fridges environment and working conditions will help to encourage shorter compressor working times, alleviating some of the power use from your deep cycle battery.

I have a couple of fridges of varying brands and sizes and depending on how well I’ve followed my own tips, dictates how long I can last between re-charges by driving, solar or a generator. Be creative and test our suggestions to see how much of a difference it makes to you.

Words and Images by Mark Allen & ARB

The post 12-volt fridge tips and tricks appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

Convoy etiquette is one of those things we don’t think about, until we’re in convoy and everyone has their idea on what do to, and it generally goes belly up pretty quickly. Someone’s pulling up for lunch at 11:30 am, you’re not sure who the last vehicle is, you don’t know if it’s left or right at the next turn, you’re climbing a hill with someone’s bullbar just about touching your towbar, and things are getting frustrating quickly.

We thought it was time to lay out some ground rules we’ve been following for years, in the hope that you and your group of mates or club can benefit from a few lessons we’ve had to learn the hard way.

Have a way of communicating

If you can’t chat with those in your group, you’re going to have problems. If you’re taking a new four-wheel driver on a trip, and they’ve not organised comms, or their UHF is on the fritz, it’s best to put them in the middle of the group. So if anything happens, tail-end Charlie can pick them up and radio forward. That is also true for the leader to radio back any oncoming vehicles, and how many. Use comms; it will help keep your group safe.

Have a leader or person-on-point

Generally whoever organises the trip, or has the least vague idea of where you’re heading should probably be the leader. They get to be up the front of the convoy, dictate the speed, and are generally the one with the most responsibility. They’ve got navigation and comms sorted, and it’s someone to blame if you all end up hopelessly lost – this is where the adventure starts.

Have a tail-end Charlie

Tail-end Charlie is the last person in convoy. They’ll need to have comms, and they’re the person the leader can contact to make sure that everyone has turned at the right spot or made it through an obstacle.

Mark your corners

If you come to an intersection, you want to mark your corners. That means that you will want to wait at the corner, until you have the four-wheel-drive behind you in sight, and they see which way you turn. After direction changes, often the leader will go slow until whoever is on tail-end Charlie duties calls up that they have made the turn, allowing the group to close up again after a long run.

Give a bit of room

On harder trails, especially when a climb is involved, give the vehicle in front of you a bit of space. The last thing they’ll need when trying to negotiate a wombat-holed, off-cambered, near-vertical climb is the four-wheel-drive behind them trying to push them up a hill. Especially if they need to reverse back and have another go at an obstacle. It’s easier to reverse one four-wheel-drive down a tight track, than five trying to do it in concert. Synchronised reversing anyone?

Leave a bit of room, too

The above also rings true for water crossings, and muddy holes. It’s better to have one stuck four-wheel-drive than two. Or three. If someone is going to get stuck, it’s easier to recover a vehicle from solid ground; if you’re halfway across a crossing and the vehicle in front gets stuck and stops, this means you too must give up your momentum, and probably get stuck. It also allows you to pick a better line.

Back off

If you’re in a transport stage, and you’re barrelling down the Peninsula Development Road, back off a touch. This keeps your vision clear of dust, and also stops your engine and cab sucking in a gutful of dust from whoever is in front of you. Safety is paramount, and often part of the reason we travel in groups.

Shut the bloody gate

Lead vehicle opens gates, tail-end Charlie shuts them – this shouldn’t be news to anyone. If you travel through a gate or fence line, make sure you leave them how you found them.

Call obstacles and oncoming

Especially so on the PDR and on more remote outback roads, call any obstacles you see. The PDR is notorious for dust holes that usually have a 30cm lip on each end, and run for 20 metres. If you see one, call it out. Same for aggressive causeways and rocks, or in some cases boulders on the road. If you are at the front, and there’s another convoy or even single vehicles heading the other way; announce them – “four oncoming vehicles – last vehicle white Triton” that way, everyone knows the last vehicle oncoming is a white Triton.

Have fun

The most crucial point is to have fun. If we’re in convoy, chances are we’re with mates, or on a tag-along. You’re out touring and exploring this great country of ours, enjoy it. If someone is missing a bit of etiquette with their convoy procedure, when you pull up for a break, have a yarn and talk the ideas through. No one wants to be the one person who upsets the apple cart.

The post Top 10 tips for 4X4 convoy etiquette appeared first on Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.

Yes, you do need a dedicated off-road hitch if you tow your trailer off the blacktop, but how do you choose the right one? Here’s absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about the different types of off-road hitches…

Tow a camper, caravan or any type of trailer off-road? If you do, you should consider replacing the age-old 50mm ball for a dedicated off-road hitch that can handle articulation in all planes. This comprehensive guide by Mark Allen explains absolutely everything you need to know about selecting the best off-road hitch to suit your towing needs. It’s long, so settle in, because this is important stuff for anyone who tows a trailer off-road.

While that good ol’ 50m ball does have its place and can handle long-distance travel on and off the bitumen, there are many situations it simply wasn’t designed for, and it can severely hinder your off-road ability, plus be downright dangerous.

In years gone by, there were relatively few options when it came to selecting an off-road hitch, making a choice easy. Within the last five to 10 years though, there has been a glut of hitches swamp the market, most of which have had decent R&D, but some not. Most perform the intended job off-road; some don’t. Some are not ADR approved and some that in fact make hitching and unhitching much easier.

Read on for our ultimate guide as to what’s available to best suit your needs, plus we’ll cover a few golden oldies that are no longer available.

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN OFF-ROAD HITCH

Make sure the off-road hitch can achieve the off-road angles you’re planning for it. Do remember though, many of these hitches state both vertically up and down angles of 90 degrees: while this is great, in reality, you’ll never get your vehicle and trailer combination anywhere close to this. Same goes for the 360-degree rotation ability: unless you roll your 4X4 and your trailer stays on its wheels, you’ll never get that much rotational ability.

Depending on how the rear doors or tailgate opens on your vehicle, make sure it doesn’t hit the off-road hitch or restrict the opening.

Make sure you can easily hitch and unhitch your trailer; not just while on the nice flat concrete driveway at home, but also when you’re on the beach or uneven ground where you can’t easily move the trailer by hand. Some hitches require you to reverse very accurately into position to allow for the hitch to engage – if there’s no room for error or misalignment, you could be stuck not being able to hitch up. A few millimetres out of alignment and they won’t come together… no matter how much you kick or swear at them!

Some off-road hitch designs are (so-called) self-aligning but I can assure you they all have to be within cooee initially to allow this function to happen. The better the self-aligning ability of the coupling, the easier your life will be every time you use your trailer or van.

Try looking for an off-road hitch that doesn’t send the load of the trailer ball weight rearwards of the standard position of the tongue – good luck on this one as most tend to utilise various brackets that force the downward load rearwards.

The greater the number of fiddly clips, buttons, latches and locks, the less simple (and easy) it ends up being in real-life use, especially given the likelihood your hitch will get covered in mud, water and dust. The more gunk it gets on it, the less likely all those fiddly bits will work like they do in the showroom.

Some hitch brands offer override brake systems built into the main body as options; check first if you need that option, especially if you’re updating a hitch onto an old trailer.

Make sure the hitch (or next to the hitch) includes a facility for a handbrake… it’s not funny watching your camper roll away when you unhitch!

Part of the ‘National Code of Practice – Building Small Trailers’ mentions a trailer that doesn’t exceed 3.5-tonnes ATM “must have a quick-release coupling which is designed to be engaged and disengaged without the use of tools. It must be of a positive locking type with provision for a second independent device. The locking must be readily verifiable by visual inspection.” The code does go on with further regulations, but either some coupling manufacturers either haven’t read this code or have been smart enough to get around the loosely written code by slight… let’s just say… bending of the intended rules… you be the judge, eh!

Watch out for all the cheap overseas copies that have hit our shores. While some may have been tested and ADR approved, and some may be designed for our use off-road, I can assure you some fall short of the goalposts and do vary slightly from the original design parameters from which they were copied.

Most of these off-road hitches will offer articulation in all planes that will far outdo anything anyone will ever achieve in real life. I’d go so far as to say if you can test to the maximum angles of this hitch, you’ll end up without the shiny side up.

Happy hitch hunting.

 

50MM BALL

Yes, a traditional 50mm ball coupling is fine for on-road and flat off-road work, but once the undulating tracks and true off-road work starts; you’re best swapping the standard ball for a dedicated off-road coupling. In fact, there are advantages to not using a 50mm ball even for on-road use.

My personal experience of trying to unhitch a dual axle caravan that had developed axle-twist while reversing into a tight parking spot found me fighting for way too long to unhitch from the 50mm ball. That twisting effect had bound the coupling onto the ball and given the inability to slide directly vertical over the bulge of the ball meant I couldn’t unhitch. Most parallel-walled tow pins, on the other hand, would have allowed the jockey wheel to lift the van off easily. Since then, I’ve vowed never to use a 50mm ball on a caravan.

A 50mm ball offers acceptable horizontal movement, but is particularly restrictive in rotational and vertical angle movement, making for steep descents or ascents into gullies or river banks impossible without damage.

One point to note is that most 50mm ball couplings are adjustable, and most people don’t set them correctly. See the nut and thread protruding from the snout of the trailer hitch – it needs to be adjusted when the hitch is sitting on the ball to rid movement and noise. You’ve still got metal- on-metal, which will produce wear and tear over time, but a 50mm ball should not rattle if adjusted correctly.

Most standard 50mm coupling aren’t particularly low profile, making for damaged rear doors if you’re not careful while opening.

Personally, if you insist on using a 50mm ball, and that’s okay, I’d flick the standard hitch and look at one of the off-road hitches that can be used with the ball.

 

AL-KO NEW OFF-ROAD BALL COUPLING

Well known for its range of trailer and caravan suspension and parts, AL-KO also has a number of off-road hitches in 2.0 and 3.5-tonnes fixed and override configurations; all of which are ADR compliant.

While the original AL-KO Off-road Ball Coupling is no longer available (it has been replaced by a design similar to the old Hyland product) the New Off-road Ball Coupling still utilises a standard 50mm ball, although clamps on differently to a standard ball coupling.

With its pivoting head, the system is somewhat self-aligning and is unhitched via a lift-up T-piece handle at the top of the main pivoting head. The non-corrosive zinc coating should see the hitch looking good for many years.

A point to note on the original design for making hitching up easier is to remove the round red side-mounted knob to help hold the pivoting head in position; otherwise, you’ll find yourself unnecessarily holding the head up level. Don’t forget to replace it before driving off! The newer design overcomes that teething problem.

One advantage to this hitch is the ability to tow many different trailers that use the 50mm ball, without changing your ball. Other pluses are that the hitch is quite low profile (allowing for use with most tow vehicles’ rear doors), it doesn’t require pins or other locking mechanisms to be used and it can be used with weight-distribution systems.

Website: alko.com.au

 

AL-KO OFF-ROAD PIN COUPLING

This AL-KO off-road hitch utilises a dedicated tow post rather than a 50mm ball as per the company’s other offering. It needs no locking pins, latches or fiddly levers to aid in hitching and unhitching. A simple depression of the top cap and the positive latching indicator (after which you can remove your hands) allows the raising of the jockey wheel to unhitch the hitch from the pin.

Lowered onto the pin; the integrated positive latching indicator automatically pops out to show a green coloured band amid the surrounding red. This ADR-compliant system double locks and prevents accidental dislodging of the hitch.

Provided the hitch is within close range over the pin prior to lowering, it will pivot and self-centre. If you are beyond the scope of working, the AL-KO Click Lock system will not engage the pin, and the green band does not pop out; a great visual indicator that something is amiss.

A low 83mm hitch height allows for use with most door openings, and the 3500kg rating allows use on most larger campers and caravans too.

Given its anti-corrosion coatings, this hitch should remain faithful for many outback and coastal trips. The integrated seals help keep dust and water from within the main hitch body so ongoing use in adverse conditions should be good.

Website: alko.com.au

 

ARK XO OFF-ROAD COUPLING

The cast ARK XO 2-tonne and 3.5-tonne couplings offer full off-road articulation in all axes while utilising a standard 50mm ball. Single-handed hitching and unhitching is via the simple top-mounted locking mechanism with inbuilt red and green indicator to ensure the hitch is seated. There’s also a ‘stopper’ to hold the head up level so it can easily drop onto the ball without having your fingers in the way.

Self-aligning via the head pivoting allows the coupling to slide onto the ball, providing the alignment is close to start with. There are no extra pins, locks or parts to use or lose.

The low profile allows rear swing-out doors to open without concern for denting the panels and the package also comes complete with a 50mm ball just in case the one you already have is not quite right, making the whole kit instantly useable.

The 2-tonne unit offers an override system with lockout (can be used as override brakes or electric), while the 3.5-tonne is for electric braking systems only. ARK also supplies a suitable handbrake lever that slips under the coupling when bolting the whole system on.

There are multiple grease nipples to ensure everything rotates smoothly in all axes. Another big plus with the OX series off-road hitches is that they comply with Australian standards, so peace of mind is always with you on the tracks.

Given it uses a 50mm ball; there is no need to switch coupling if you have multiple trailers in use.

Website: arkcorp.com.au

 

HITCHMASTER AT35 COUPLING

Previously manufactured by Vehicle Components (with a new company name of Cruisemaster) in Queensland, the 3.5-tonne rated AT35 off-road hitch has long since been shelved in favour of the original DO35, which is now up to version three. The AT35 was a crowd favourite along with the poly block hitch types and incorporated a cast pivoting joint which was bushed to prevent rattling, plus a vertical main (spring-loaded) pin which was dropped into position to secure the trailer to the tow vehicle. As well as the standard linchpin that slots into the main pin underneath, the AT35 had extra locking mechanisms to satisfy ADR requirements and to ensure the security of the whole setup.

The AT35 was SA5 coated to resist rust and had optional handbrakes that bolt to the rear of the main body. You can no longer buy the AT35.

Website: cruisemaster.com.au

 

CRUISEMASTER DO35 COUPLING

Queensland based Cruisemaster (previously known as Vehicle Components) is responsible for the design and manufacture of the DO35 (stands for Drop On 3.5-tonne) off-road hitch of which it’s up to version three, which the company claims to be 50 per cent stronger than V2. Plus there is also a higher rated DO45 (4.5-tonne) unit for those who need the higher capacity. The Cruisemaster DO35 unit incorporates a pivoting, self-aligning head that drops onto a dedicated forged towing pin.

Laser-cut designs utilising forged steel, stainless steel and polyurethane, combined with casting methods to ensure precision and strength, 360-degree rotation combined with 70 degrees vertical and horizontal angles, all ensure you’ll tow through almost any angled terrain.

A simple and positive two-stage ADR-compliant locking mechanism ensures fast and safe hitching of your trailer in any terrain while allowing for self-centring as your jockey wheel is lowered. A Checklock cap is also included to ensure positive attachment as well as aiding in keeping dust and water out of the hitch’s workings.

Being such a low profile ensures dent-free use with most tow vehicle tailgates and door openings. Greasable bushings ensure squeak-free workings, while the corrosion-resistant coating should keep your hitch looking like new.

The newer, taller tow pin allows for easy fitting of weight distribution hitches without relying on adaptors.

Early in 2020, Cruisemaster advised us of an upgraded version of the V3 – the V3Plus, which has a few subtle changes driven by customer feedback such as a more intuitive Checklock cap and bumper closing action, increased durability of the front strip, and improved rear webbing that allows fitting under the drawbar.

Website: cruisemaster.com.au

 

HITCH-EZY

The Hitch-Ezy is one of a few hitches that don’t incorporate a vehicle-mounted receiver that transfers the ball weight of the trailer rearward of the standard towing point. That’s a good thing to keep the downward ‘ball weight’ of the trailer as far forward as possible to reduce the negative cantilevering effect on the rear of your tow vehicle.

The Hitch-Ezy utilises a unique towing post, to which the self-centring head engages onto. This hitch locks into position via a set of three internal, spring-loaded ball bearings. Seals are used to keep dirt, water and grit out of the mechanism to aid in long term use. Hitching and unhitching are exceptionally easy with one-touch operation, keeping fingers well away from any moving parts while operating the jockey wheel.

There are 3.5 and 5-tonne units available, both of which are ADR approved. The Hitch-Ezy incorporates automatic double locking when the trailer is lowered into position, and has no pins, locks or parts to lose while out and about, making for easy use. The complete unit is bushed to provide a rattle-free operation and incorporates padlock holes to deter theft.

This hitch can be removed from your tow vehicle, even under load from the trailer, making for easy operation.

Weight distribution systems are useable via adaptors to suit most setups.

Website: hitch-ezy.com.au

 

HYLAND COUPLING

While the Hyland coupling (company) is now defunct, it’s worthy of mention as it was one of the earlier, successful off-road hitches available. Noting also, since the company’s closure, there are options from AL-KO and ARK of a similar design, which utilise a 50mm ball.

The main advantage of the Hyland hitch is that it doesn’t require changing from a 50mm ball; meaning one fitting can be used with both your standard on-road trailer and an off-road trailer.

The Hyland coupling is as simple and easy as a standard 50mm coupling to hitch and unhitch. When hitching up, the head will rotate in two planes to aid alignment. One point to note is that a 50mm ball (rated to 3500kg) with a slightly longer shaft should be used to ensure the coupling seats properly. Often, standard 50mm shafts will not allow the coupling to ‘drop’ on far enough, and the unwary will have their trailer parting ways when least expected – there were no safety or warning aspects for this problem built into the hitch.

The Hyland hitch requires the same internal tongue adjustment as a standard 50mm ball hitch via the top-mounted external nut and thread. This ensures a rattle-free firm fitment on the ball.

 

MCHITCH UNIGLIDE COUPLING

McHitch took a new and alternate look at attaching a trailer to a tow vehicle with its drop-on hitch. The main claim to ‘greatness’ is that the point of attachment (of your trailer to the tow vehicle) is different to the point of movement. That is, unlike all others, the trailer is “clamped’ to the vehicle at one point and rotates (in all three axes) at a separate point. This should, according to the manufacturer, prevent wear and tear from ‘pulling’ the weight of your trailer… although that pulling action must take place somewhere along the mechanical line, so you can’t really escape that fact.

The self-aligning and high articulation angles in all planes makes for a great all-round hitch. One downside, which seems to be hypothetical, is some commentators claim a uni-joint was made for rotational forces, not a lateral pull as per this design. Given the design has been tested and passed, plus is ADR approved, I’d suggest the McHitch system should be safe and suitable in its use. Weight-distribution systems can be used, and there are a few options to look at on the company’s website.

The ADR-approved McHitch is also unique in the use of a universal joint (courtesy of a LandCruiser for its 3.5-tonne model and a light truck for its 6-tonne unit) to provide its pivoting point in two planes. The third plane movement is around the horizontal main shaft within the body. There are also 2 and 4.5-tonne versions, as well as adaptors to suit many other couplings – AT35, Treg and Trigg, which allows you to keep one half of an old hitch in service.

The system requires the use of its uniquely shaped towing pin to which the hitch locks onto via a ‘screw-in’ round handle and horizontal, slide-in pin, into which a clevis pin slides into to lock into place.

McHitch offers a range of adaptors for other hitch types to be used in conjunction with its own and also has optional weight distribution brackets for heavy vans while being used on-road.

Website: mchitch.com.au

 

MCHITCH AUTO COUPLER

Equally distant to anything else on the market as McHitch’s Uniglide drop-on system, the Auto Coupler almost dismays for its uniqueness. The process of hitching your trailer to your vehicle can be done (almost) automatically. There are a few extra things to do before driving away, but the main, initial step of hitching is indeed automatic.

With the system set accordingly, reversing into your trailer sees the primary release lever dropping and locking into place automatically. The jockey wheel has to be wound up, electrical plug connetcted, safety chains attached, and the two extra safety mechanisms engaged. These additional steps almost negate the automatic advantages but, all up, it’s a brilliantly simple and easy system. The automatic system will only work if the horizontal pin is within the receiver plate range. Outside of that range will necessitate the user to adjust either or both the height of the trailer (via the jockey wheel) and the alignment of the trailer to allow proper engagement. Provided the pin and receiver are within range, the system will self-centre as you reverse.

As the driver, you’d need to be mindful while reversing onto the horizontal pin; bumping it too hard may well damage the trailer, your vehicle or perhaps send your trailer off on a solo mission – make sure the handbrake is firmly engaged!

McHitch has successfully refined a hitching system found in the trucking industry; almost all ‘Dog’ and ‘Pig’ trailers are hitched via a similar mechanism. McHitches version eliminates all rattles and coarseness to provide a smooth towing experience. The Auto Coupler is ADR approved and there are kits from 2, 3.5, 4.5 to 6-tonne. Handbrake kits are also available for most of his kits.

Website: mchitch.com.au

 

ORAC HITCH

The Orac off-road hitch is Australian made by O’Brien’s Camper Trailers in Victoria and is a super-simple system that allows for extremes of articulation in all directions, is rated at 2.5-tonnes and comes as a weld-on option only.

Once the horizontal main pin is inserted, a side-mounted clevis pin keeps it all together – done and finished, nothing else to do. The only thing needed for easy hitching is to ensure the height of the trailer (via the jockey wheel) is spot on to allow the pin to slide in unhindered without rubbing on the bushes within the pivoting head.

The horizontal pivoting action is via a solid metal bush positioned where the vertical bolt attaches the whole unit to the tow vehicle. The 90-degree vertical movement (up and down) is via the main (bushed) pin, while the rotational motion is via the main shaft – three simple axis movements.

The bolt attaching the unit to the tow vehicle can be installed pointing either up or down to reduce potential damage to the thread.

Website: obrienstrailers.com.au

 

OZHITCH

The OzHitch has overcome some of the older poly block style hitch problems. Firstly, the self-alignment into a cradle head makes life much easier when hitching up. Once the trailer section is nestled into the cradle, there is no ‘fiddling’ necessary with the jockey wheel to get the correct height. Once it’s in, it’s in! Same goes when unhitching; the trailer is actually resting in the cradle, so pin removal is easy.

Next advantage, the pin slots in horizontally instead of vertically, making the job easier to see and accomplish. The main pin is spring-loaded and locks into a ‘gate’, plus it’s also secured by a traditional linchpin.

One point I do like about this hitch is the ability to mount the bolt that secures the whole show to the tow vehicle pointing upwards instead of downwards. This increases underbody clearances, and also reduces the chances of the thread being damaged – as its pointing up, not down.

The OzHitch is ADR approved and rated at 3500kg. It’s got easily replaceable bushes to ensure a quiet ride and is as simple as they get while being very clever in its dedicated off-road recreational design parameters. Being as simple as it is, it also allows for bush remedies in that you can use a bolt or wire to double as the main pin or linchpin should you lose either.

Website: ozhitch.com.au

 

POLY BLOCK

The Trigg and Treg brands of poly block hitches represent the Australian made versions and are the originals with Treg dating back to 1947 and the Trigg foundry near on a century from 1925. Given this hitch type is the most often copied, be aware of non-ADR approved versions, some of which seem okay, some not. Poly block hitches are restricted in their vertical up and down movement (about 70 degrees) via a small pin in the rear of the block and the main safety pin can (at times) foul on the swivel head. They also cannot tackle some compound articulation without binding; that is, combining some horizontal and some vertical movements at the same time.

The poly block hitch utilises a vertical safety pin that drops into the main towbar bracket, through the poly block and is secured by a linchpin at the bottom. The main poly block provides good damping between trailer and vehicle, and also incorporates a metal sleeve within, which the main pin slides on and, to this day, still represents a good off-road hitch option.

The main downside is aligning the hitch while on uneven ground or soft sand where the trailer can’t be pushed by hand. Unless you get the holes perfectly aligned, you can’t slide the locking pin in… regardless of how much yelling you do! Raising and lowering of the jockey wheel is often needed to help with alignment to allow the pin to drop freely (or be removed) into position.

The poly block style hitch is reasonably simple in its workings with not much to go wrong. Always ensure you have a few extra linchpins, although a nail or length or wire can always get you out of trouble if you lose the dedicated pin. Poly block couplings have various weight ratings and come in many braked and unbraked guises.

Websites: tregtrailers.com.au and triggbrs.com.au

 

RING AND PINTLE

While not used too much within the camper trailer industry, we’ll include the Ring and Pintle for general interest. These hitch types are more utilised in commercial applications and small trucks and rarely used for camper trailers or caravans as they allow a great deal of knocking and clanging which also produces a lot of wear with metal-on-metal rubbing.

Notably, Cruisemaster manufactures its version that incorporates a rubber insert to eliminate all the noise and wear problems, and some offer a combination Hook and Pintle with a 50mm ball… perhaps the Hook and Pintle will make a comeback!

 

LEGALITIES

One of the main attributes you must consider when choosing an off-road hitch is legalities. Yes, choose a hitch that has a high enough load rating, but also ensure it is ADR approved – it should be stamped onto the main body of the hitch. Remember, if it’s not ADR approved, your insurance may well be null and void in the event of a claim after an accident.

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 The Cast Iron Camp Oven 

 The cast iron camp oven is no new thing. They were initially developed by the Dutch in the 17th century, and were affectionately known as ‘Dutch Ovens’. They are, as the name suggests, made from cast iron, and are a rather solid unit. They offer excellent heat retention due to their construction and wall thickness on the oven and distribute the heat over the entire oven reasonably well. If you look after them, they will last you a lifetime, so long as you clean them after use, and then keep them seasoned with a bit of oil to stop them rusting. 

 PROS 

• Exceptional heat retention; perfect for slow cooking 
• Even heat distribution – easier to get the ‘oven’ effect from them and a touch easier to cook with for first-timers chasing the traditional camp-oven roast. 
• Longevity – look after your oven, they’ll look after you.  

CONS 

• They’re a heavy bit of kit for what they are.  
• If they do begin to rust, it’s hard to bring them back to a usable state. 
• They’re brittle. If you drop one of these, there’s a good chance it will crack which renders it just about useless.  

The Spun Steel Camp Oven 

The spun steel camp oven, more affectionately known as the Bedourie Oven is an Australian adaption of the cast iron camp oven. Originally, the drovers working on Bedourie Station in western Queensland worked out that the cast iron camp ovens they were using would break if they fell from their pack horses once they made camp. A mild steel camp oven was created in response to the breakages of the cast iron options they were using. The spun steel ovens are lighter, stronger, and less brittle than their cast iron counterparts, and will not crack or break if dropped.   

That said, they are much thinner than the cast iron option, and so don’t retain heat as well, or offer as even heat distribution. When cooking with them, extra care must be taken to keep an eye on the amount of coals added to the base, and more coals should be added to the top of the oven, to have the heat dissipate downwards as a traditional oven would.  

 PROS 

• Lightweight – they’re usually a third of the weight of a cast iron camp oven 
• Much more robust than their cast iron counterpart 
• They heat up and begin cooking much quicker; so can be used open on a fire as a skillet/frying pan. 
• Can be used easily on coals or a gas cooktop. 

CONS 

• They do not retain the heat as well as cast iron, so more care is needed when cooking. 
• Much harder to get a solid slow-cooked roast from – more practice needed to get your roasts spot on.

Caring for your camp oven 

Seasoning your camp oven should be the first thing you’ll do with your new cast iron or spun steel camp oven. You can do this at home before the first adventure of into the great beyond on your barbeque. Before you do anything, give the entire camp oven a thorough wash down with mild soapy water, to get any manufacturing oil or residue out. 

You’ll need to lightly oil the entire camp oven, including the lid, pot, and handle. If you can, use a high-smoke point oil, like canola oil, or sunflower oil. They won’t smoke as badly when you’re seasoning the new oven, and so don’t burn off as quickly. Plus it won’t upset the neighbours too bad! 

Once you’ve lightly oiled the pot, get the barbeque going, and run it up to high heat with the lid closed.  

For a cast iron camp oven: 

Then you’ll want to add the camp oven, with the lid and pot separated, and with the pot upside down. Let it run on med-high heat for about 30-40 minutes, then turn the barbeque off and let it cool down naturally. Leaving the lid on the barbeque closed will slow the cooling process, which will negate any chance of the cast iron cracking, especially in the cooler months.  

For a spun steel camp oven: 

Similar process as to the cast iron oven, however, you can leave the lid on the camp oven, and you should only need to run the barbeque for around 10-15 minutes. This is due to the spun steel oven being thinner, and absorbing the heat a lot quicker. As with the cast iron oven, allow it to cool slowly, and that will have you just about done. 

Once your camp oven has cooled down, enough to touch, you’ll want to lightly oil the oven, both inside and out, to stop it from rusting until your next cook up. 

After every use, you’ll want to ensure the camp oven has a slight oil film over the entire oven, especially so if you’ve needed to scrub it clean.  

And there you have the ins and outs of the cast and spun camp oven.

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In a rather concerning trend I’ve noticed as of late, there are a lot of people building a ‘battery box’. I absolutely understand the concept behind them; they’re portable, easy to plug-in, can be moved to the different accessories using them, and are a nice and easy DIY jobbie you can do at home. There’s only one problem: by using sealed boxes, you’re basically turning your neat DIY project into a bomb. And I mean that literally.

How exactly am I turning the battery box project into a bomb?!

We’re glad you asked. Most folks probably realise that when you’re charging a lead-acid battery, it gives off hydrogen gas. It’s actually hydrogen and oxygen (two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen – from water; H20). This occurs when your battery voltage goes above about 2.35-volts per cell. In our specific case, your 12-volt lead-acid battery has six cells. So as soon as your charger goes over 14.1-volts (2.35-volts times six cells), it’s generating a hell of a lot of hydrogen gas. That’s why on the side of a lead-acid battery it says to store, use and charge in a ‘well-ventilated area’.

Where this becomes a problem is when you go and buy a ‘sealed’ box or space-case. All of a sudden you’re putting a bunch of 12-volt gear (charger, solar controller, Anderson plugs, ciggy sockets, etc.) in a sealed container that will fill up with hydrogen gas. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that one tiny spark… and the whole thing will go BOOM!

Surely it can’t make that much hydrogen gas?

You’d probably be surprised; hell, I was when I did the research for you good folks. There will need to be a bit of maths but stick with me. It’s generally granted that to fully charge a lead-acid battery, you need to put in about 20 per cent over the recommended Amp Hour (Ah) rating. So 100Ah needs 120Ah put into it to be ‘fully charged’. Each cell of a lead-acid battery will produce 0.42-litres of hydrogen gas for each and every Ah beyond the battery’s capacity.

So the maths look like this:

20Ah x 0.42-litres of hydrogen (per Ah per Cell) x 6 cells = 50.4 litres of H2 or hydrogen gas.

Where this gets really interesting is that to become explosive, hydrogen needs to be in a concentration with air of between just 4.1% and 75%. Yep, 4.1 per cent hydrogen mixed with air will go boom.

From another perspective, we looked up the OHS/legal safety requirement for a battery storage/charging room. We worked out that one 12v battery with six cells in a ‘room’ 1.5ft x 1.5ft x 3ft (the size of the average sealed space case) needs to have the air completely replaced every 7.63 minutes for it to not become explosive.

But I only run AGM batteries, so they’re fine… right?

Sort of. See, the AGM batteries absorb most of the hydrogen and oxygen again and turn it back into water, so they’re reasonably well-sealed, yet they still have vents that will vent some gas. Where this becomes a proper issue is say in two-, five- or eight-years time, your AGM is dead and you’re done with the box and want to change it up, and you put it on Marketplace or Gumtree, and some young bloke comes along with no idea, works out the battery has died and needs to put a new one in, goes and gets himself a lead-acid battery and puts it in the sealed box without a second thought because he can’t afford a you-beaut AGM jobby. See where this is going? That’s where there is an issue. But there is a way to fix this, and not blow yourself up…

Put a vent in it!

You don’t need a fan, and the ability to swap out the air constantly in the box; just make sure when you build it that you cut a couple of holes in the side to let any breeze through the box and for the air to swap out. A hole-saw with a couple of cheap vents from Bunnings will do the trick pretty well. So if you want to do a DIY battery box, put this up there next to putting an appropriate fuse on your power wires. Oh, and make sure your vent is towards the top of the box – hydrogen is lighter than air, so it will float to the top of the enclosure.

Need any more proof? Next time you’re in Supercheap or Jaycar, have a look at the proper battery boxes you can buy; there’s a vent in the lid so that when gas starts to build it vents it over the side of the bottom, and down and out of the box.

Hopefully, this little yarn will help stop you turning your DIY Project into a battery box bomb.

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