Driving across Australia, What supplies/spare parts ?

Twinklz

Forum Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
551
Location
Perth, Western Australia
Car Year
2008, 2009
Car Model
D22 Navara 2.5 CR ST-R, Impreza R-spec
Transmission
5 Speed Manuals
Hey guys, am planning a trip across the big island I call home, and thought I would get some suggested parts/supplies from the collective wisdom of the forum.

The trip will be 14000 kms of all different terrain and driving. It will be done in April next year. In a convoy of 3 cars.

What is your "touring kit"?

What spare parts would you take?

What supplies would you take?

What maintenance would you perform before the trip?

What mods would you install?

Any words of wisdom at all?

Thanks in advance.

Twinklz
 
Depends where you are planning to go? How remote? How difficult will the track be? Are the other vehicles more capable/more reliable than yours?
 
Gidday Twink

What Kevin said ...

Adding to DM's questions:

1) How many kilometres on your car's clock?

2) How long since its last major service?

3) Gearbox and diffs oil change?

4) etc.

Keep in mind that you are planning a very long, and potentially arduous trip (on your vehicle), in a car that's almost as old as you are ...

Have your car thoroughly checked, serviced and repaired where necessary by the best Subaru mechanic you can find. Consider this to be cheap life insurance for both you and your car. If you think this is expensive, think about the cost of having it done 50 kilometres from the nearest town ...
Forget about modifications at this stage, make sure that your vehicle is in tip-top mechanical condition.

Walk into your local W.A. Police station and pick up three copies of "Aids to Survival". One for you; one for each of your mates. These are free. If you like, pick up a fourth copy and post it to me ... :iconwink:.
READ IT!!

Upgrade your RAC cover to the highest level for the duration of the trip. This may mean the difference between having to abandon your vehicle and being able to recover it (economically and practically).

At least one of the convoy should be carrying a Spot GPS emergency beacon. A Spot Generation 3 costs about $150-200, and US$165 p.a. for monitoring. Again, cheap life insurance.

Carry "paper" maps and a decent compass. Scout (etc) shops sell a good one for practically nothing. The Hema road atlas and off-road atlas are the ones I recently bought. My SWMBO said to me: "There's no way I'm letting you wander off around the back blocks of Australia with 20 year old maps". Enough said - she's right.

All the usual stuff applies: extra fuel; water; repair kits for: fuel tank, radiator, radiator hoses, spare drive belts, tyres (and compressor).

That's more than enough for now.
The Gods may care for fools and idiots, but they care for us much more if we are well prepared ... :iconwink: :lol:.
 
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Thanks fellas, learning lots here :-D. My car has 270000 on the clock with all the fluids changed at 245000 and new hoses at 250000, I'm also investing in custom underbody protection. The cars coming with me are about the same age as my car so in theory they will be reliable/just as capable as mine but not much more so. Will be bringing my missus who is a qualified nurse and will be attending a refresher course for my senior first aid certification just to be on the safe side.
 
G'day again Twink

Type up a check list.

I will post a copy of mine in the fullness of time (when It's finished ... ).

Include every item that you will carry (no matter how small, or obvious), and where it will 'live' in the car.

I have broken mine down into two lists in the same document - one under items (e.g. Medications, Clothing, Recovery Gear, etc); and one that specifies where it will go in the trailer or car.
 
How comprehensive is your first aid kit?
 
Well now ... :iconwink: :lol:.

Better question would be "How comprehensive is my medications and medical equipment list?" I need to carry a separate small fridge just for my medications ...

Basically, my major concern is any kind of bleeding. What would be "just" a serious cut to most people could well be a life threatening emergency for me these days.

INVHO, it is possible to go nuts with many things. It is impossible to guard against the 1 in a million chance. IME, most who try to forget to cover the basics!

I have freshened up my medical history with a print out from my GP. Got referrals for anything that might need to be done while away from home. Got a full set of fresh prescriptions for all my medications from the various doctors.

Other than that, cover all the most likely events:

- cuts & bleeding
- sprains & breaks
- burns and sunburn
- snake bite
- headache & general pain relief (stronger rather than weaker. I carry Panadol, Panadeine and Panadeine Forte; other than straight opiates, these are the only pain killers I can take).

Basically, lots of bandages; non-stick wound coverings; antiseptic cream.

Get a tetanus booster before you go if you haven't had one in the last 4-5 years. EVERYTHING you can stand on has the bacterium Clostridium tetani all over it. The puncture carries it into the wound, where it will most likely cause tetanus ...

- personal medications and repeat prescriptions
 
Twinklz... after a recent altercation with a bread crate (just don't ask)..... ensure that you at least put some decent plasters in... and some thin emergency stitches. Elastoplast Antibacterial Silver 8cm x 10cm + Solosite. Your lovely wife being a nurse probably already has it in, but is very helpful for deep injuries, and what is used nowadays in I think it is called "wet healing".

Of course, Betadine is a must for any minor cuts also.

Best regards,
 
I'm the kind of person who could cut themselves with bubble wrap, so laceration care will be considered :-D
 
^ I am trying to keep it that way ... :iconwink: :biggrin:.

I forgot to mention eye drops. Something like Albalon A. You can use it as a sterile eye wash. It contains a lubricant, antihistamine and an anaesthetic. Unless you are extremely careful with the application of eye drops, you should have separate ones for you and your wife (mark them with a felt pen). The bacteria that live on your eyelashes can cause infection in someone else's eyes ...

The most common causes of death in the outback are dehydration caused by running out of fuel and water.

I will be carrying 3x 10L + 1x 20L steel Jerry cans of fuel. One 20L steel water Jerry can (UN type issue - blue with a special water resistant inside coating; CANNOT be used for fuel). I will also be carrying about 5x 1L plastic bottles of water in my fridge, along with the one I have to drink out of when driving. Carrying fuel or your main water supply in plastic Jerry cans is not advisable, IMNSHO. Steel ones cost more, but are far less likely to split, break or rupture.

Always remember that your car can "drink" plain water at need; you cannot drink engine coolant - it will kill you.

Also a good idea to carry a litre of pre-mixed coolant, and one litre of engine oil with you. You can always top up by the side of the road, then limp to the next town to investigate the loss properly. Make sure that these stand upright, and live in something that's oil proof in case any of them leak!
 
Definitely will be bringing too much water and petrol, my personal rule is: always carry a tank of petrol when going on a long trip, so 60L in steel 20L cans and really separate to that I'll have 20L of water in a metal water approved jerry can, I'd rather have to much than too little!
 
2x rolls of 357 gaffa , is a must do not bother with any other brand. Awesome for fixing almost anything, rad hoses (pull the hose and let if try first, apply 2 layers, 3 over the split), cv boots etc. and your obvious stuff like taking on bumpers lights. Taped up the door seals on a car once for a deep crossing, did regret that latter since i had to scrap the glue off with a knife after woulds.

Depends how crazy you wont to get with stuff as well ,I carry a spare cv and castle nut now in the roof rack for remote trips, and a couple spare stretch boots and cone. Only takes 30minutes to put in a new one. Extra wire/soldering iron, gas one with a blow torch is good for filling holes in radiators. Workshop manual with your maps. Enough fluid for the radiator and enough oil for the engine + 1 or 2 liters extra. Tube of selleys kneed it aquad sits in my tool box as well, fixed water carriers and stuff with it.

Even if you don't think your going to need it extra fuel, that 20ltr jerry might just be enough.

I think sometimes the trick is working out what not to take :rotfl:

EDIT: fixed a sump with selleys kneed it once too, held oil till we got it back to a tow truck. Given that was a 50c sized hole. Wouldn't of been able to to that without carrying extra degrease, and gasket silicon and oil.
 
Yea, I'm struggling to keep my list down to what I can fit behind the back seats and on the roof hahaha
 
There are comprehensive lists in your list of recovery gear mentioned by Kevin. Have a read through it...

Gaffa tape is great for heaps of things, but isnt stretchy, you'll also need duct tape for curved items. Plus... see the above thread
 
Gidday Id

idw said:
I think sometimes the trick is working out what not to take :rotfl:
Click to expand...

I wouldn't disagree with that statement for an instant.

When I go walkabout soon, I will have to take a number of power tools with me so that I can fit the trailer camper to my trailer in Sydney. Power saw with timber blade and metal cutting wheel; drill and bits; and a whole lot of miscellaneous stuff like rivet gun, rivets, etc, etc.

I've also got to take a small outboard motor that I'm giving to my nephew in Brisbane ... :poke: :rotfl:.

The travelling junk shop? You betcha :iconwink: :lol:.
 
Just wrote a list of everything I'm taking so far, I suspect I'll need to shed some weight, back of the weetbix box maths puts the weight at 400 kg not including the ball and chain.
 
Thats not too bad. When ive packed it'd come close to 600kg before.
Might want to upgrade the suspension as that weight will flog out the already worn out suspension pretty quick with that constant load in there.
 
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