Taking the T6 for a drive outback.

GarryM said:
Wife and I are heading out Saturday 10 Jun 17 for a drive up the far North East through the outback then across to the east coast and back down the coast to home at Hanging Rock Victoria. A short drive of about 8000km and will take about three months before we get back home.


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Will start the photos of the trip as we go.

Garry n Kate
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I've driven the bit from Cookstown down to Mackay (so not as far a Brisbane) and it was 10 hours passing fields of Sugar Beat (this was in August), not the most exciting journey. Hope the rest of your trip affords you some great views and stopping off spots
 
I'd have done the 800km to Sydney and waiting till tuesday so they could fit it there :)

Hope you have a great weekend
 
DaveyB said:
Does it matter when you're gonna be on the road for ten times that distance over 3 months. Sounds like a great way to start a nice meander to me.
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To me it would be nicer to start by carving overland on the outward leg and come back down the coast. But that's me plus what's a short delay to a trip of around three months especially if you have no "got to be there bys ..." :cool::D:whistle:.
 
PukkaT6 said:
Google and time lol
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Plus an enquiring mind if you think something is not quite right and wish to check your hunch. No secret to it, just knowing what you are looking for. 40 foot container dimensions on shipping and moving firms' web sites, vehicle dimensions in the VW Brochures - Simples. It's research @PukkaT6 and you do it all the time in insurance assessing.
 
Just been advised the new window has been fitted today but have to wait till tomorrow so that it all sets and does not fall out. Plan on heading out mid morning after picking up van and refitting the Vanshades window pod that I have had to remove for fitting the glass. What I have learnt is that VW did not fit the windows as part of the original build but they were fitted here in Australia, both the opening ones in each slide and the rear passenger and drivers side ones. That has been part of the delay in finding where there was a replacement glass from the Manufacturer.

At last happy to finally get going and heading for Cooktown which is about 4000km the way I am going.

ps driving to or from Sydney, (850km) will be the final days drive (about 8 hours) coming back home.
 
@GarryM Have a great trip and I really hope that is the only issue that you have with the van :). Perhaps importing the van without the Windows is a way of reducing import duties and giving employment locally for tax reasons? Either way you have made the first discovery of your trip. Safe travelling :thumbsup::thumbsup::unsure::whistle::D
 
Another 560km north west today and now at a town called Hawker, South Australia, of maybe 200 people. Had to turned clocks back 1/2 hour as we are heading west north west.. Heading north into Flinders Rangers National Park tomorrow for a coupe of days. It is now red sandy desert where farms (cattle stations) are up to 1 million acres or more.

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Drove up the Birdsville Track a 600km sharp stony road to Birdsville. It is about as central as you can get in Australia. Hot desert and roads made of sharp flint stone that destroys tyres, Luckily only did one tyre with two punchers then a smashed side wall.

IMG_0033 (1).jpg IMG_1505.jpg IMG_1527 (1).jpg
 
What tires are you running on your T6?

Are they the 215/60/R17 Good year cargo vectors 2?

I've got them on my 2017 Aus delivered 3.2 GVM T6 ongoing camper van conversion.

anyhow, enjoying the posts,

I was hoping to be out that way this winter, but delays have hindered the outback this winter..
 
From Birdsville, we travelled further north in central Australia to Mount Isa, a large mining town about 600km north of Birdsville and stayed a night and next morning did a mine tour. They do underground mining for Sliver, Lead, Tin and Copper and several other minor minerals to a depth of 2000 meters. Once we had done the tour we then hi-tailed it again heading north to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria a further 550km and now are going to stop for five days to do some fishing for the famous Barramundi.
Of course being careful not to wander too close to waterholes that are infested with salt water crocodiles that like to eat you!!!

Camp setup in Karumba, Queensland Gulf Country. Still haven’t deployed the rear slide out bed and special canvas covering, maybe in a couple of days as we clean up the vehicle that is full of fine red bull dust that gets into everything. So far we have gone over 2000km north. Next move will be east toward the east coast (another 800km away) and again a bit further north.


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Bryn23 said:
What tires are you running on your T6?
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The tires are Bridgestone Turanza 235 55 17 and they are crap. I asked for a mud and snow tire from VW but they ignored my request and that is what I got. They wanted another $1200 for a tire change. I plan on replacing them with a narrower but higher profile heavier tread some time in the not too distant future.

You using a LWB Transporter as the base vehicle in the build?
 
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Hi Garry,

Yes it's a LWB Transporter T6 132kw Tdi400 DSG, i ordered it as a special order as it is the 3200 kg GVM model that Trakka and the Ambo's use, so it was already complied for ADR's

I had to do the ground work with VW Australia, as the dealers told me it couldn't be ordered as the 3200kg GVM code wasn't on their ordering system.

It came with the Good year Vector 2's Mud and Snow tires as standard and they are 107 or 109 load rated, although it didn't come with a spare tire or tire holder assembly. (something i am sorting out before we head west)

I haven't taken them on dirt tracks yet, but so far after 1900km I'm happy with them so far, i saw that you had a few flats, and wanted to see if they are the same tire.


Enjoy the fishing, but don't become the catch of the day.

Cheers
 
Bryn,

I thought of going that route and struck the same problem with the dealers but got around it by ordering the high lift heavy duty suspension and under body protection. 4Motion and diff lock are good.

I have added about 450kg in weight with the fit out that has made the ride much more compliant but if i was doing it again I would have just purchased the standard suspension and done an upgrade with airbags with on board air compressor and heavier springs only. Where the spare is would be a good place to put a water tank and I would have gone with the barn doors and a tyre mounted on each door. Didn’t think you needed two but the Birdsville track has taught me that it is probably necessary if you are going bush.

Have also avoided going with gas bottle as the cost of compliance was not worth it and we use both a metho stove and the small portable butane stoves that are excellent and again would have done away with the marine metho stove all together as it was expensive. All up the cost came in around $95k finished.
 
Hi Garry,

I just went with the standard suspension in mine with the view of getting the 30mm Seikel lift kit, up in QLD you can't have larger tires and lift suspension together as this van has ESC, so i think the M+S tires i got will be ok and the lift will be better than larger tires, so the gearing isn't changes with a different rolling diameter.

I looked into the gas bottle idea, but quickly ruled it out, as you are right about the compliance here in aus, at this stage we will just use the Butane stove, cheap to run, easy to buy and we do most of our cooking outside and an induction plate for powered sites, if we stay at one.

As for cost, I'm looking at the $95-100k mark myself, I'm a cabinetmaker by trade, so I'm able to do most of it myself, its a great project, but id rather be using it like you are at the moment

Almost finished installing the resomat sound deadening and 10mm reflective closed cell foam insulation, hopefully start on the cabinet template this week, while the RIB bed is still in.

have fun up on the north east QLD coast, we were up there this time last year and had a great time in the warmth
 
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