Welcome to 4WDing Australia! We are here to help you travel Australia in a four wheel drive.
You’ll find everything here from 4WD tracks, modifying your 4WD, using your 4WD safely and correctly, product reviews, trip reports, destination reviews and stacks of photos to inspire you to get out there and explore. Subscribe to the email list, check us out on Facebook and we will see you out there!
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Recent Posts
Is a long range fuel tank worth fitting?
Long range fuel tanks are aftermarket, high capacity fuel storage for your 4WD. In most cases, it involves removing one tank and replacing it with a larger one, but there are cases where it is a secondary tank installation.
The obvious benefit of installing one is that you can drive for longer between stops, but there is a fair bit more to think about before you rush out and bolt one on. As usual, there are also some downsides of getting a long range tank, which we look into below, along with the benefits.
Chocolate and Marshmallow Damper
I laughed when Sarah came to me and suggested we should make Chocolate and Marshmallow Damper. What a combination! We’ve done the usual apple and cinnamon, varieties of fruit, several savoury options and plenty of plain dampers before, but never anything this exotic.
I’ve got to say, this was probably the best damper we’ve ever made, despite it looking hilarious during the mixing stages, and me telling Sarah there’s no way it was going to work. We cooked this in Exmouth in our new Weber, and will give it a whirl in a camp oven next time we have a fire. We did it in a cake tin, and used some aluminium foil to avoid a giant mess
Isuzu Dmax Review after 3 years
3 years ago we purchased a brand spanking (demo) 2016 Isuzu Dmax. With just 32 kilometres on the clock, its now racked up nearly 50,000km touring all over Australia and doing the daily family duties in between too. We’ve literally lived out of our Dmax and camper trailer for more than 160 nights in that time, so its been well used!
If you want to know more about the build you can read this comprehensive post; Isuzu Dmax build for touring Australia.
Our burning experience at Litchfield National Park
In the northern part of Australia, fires are intentionally started on a regular basis, early on in the dry season to reduce the fuels and chances of a big fire.
As the sun set on our camp site at Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park on our 3 month trip up north, I commented to Sarah that I could see a fire way in the distance; occasionally flames and a big, red glow. We looked at the wind, watched it for a couple of hours and hit the sack, comfortable that the wind was blowing the other way and the rangers would wake us if it all went pear shaped.
Where’s my solar panel gone?
A few weeks back we returned from a truly amazing 4WD and camping trip on the south coast of WA. We had a brilliant time, and found some spectacular camp sites, 4WD tracks and local attractions. However, we had a few electrical issues on both our camper trailer and Dmax which were a pain at the time.
When we got home though, I found our Lifestyle Reconn R2 wasn’t charging from the solar panels, which it had been the entire trip (as that’s what kept us limping along due to the alternator charge not working). I didn’t think too much about it as the Enerdrive DCDC kept popping the breaker for alternator charge and I assumed it might have been related.
How long does it take you to pick a camping spot?
You’ve got to laugh at the small things when camping, and laugh we did, at Lorella Springs. Some people roll into a camp ground, head to a corner and set up. Others drive every square metre of campsite, get out and check everything out and then finally commit to a place to camp.
Boat Harbour Camp; amazing camping near Denmark
If you are looking for incredible beaches, brilliant 4WD tracks, amazing Karri forests and some of the best camping around Denmark and Walpole, I reckon we might have found it.
What to look for in a 4WD Bull Bar
There was a time not too many years ago where your choices for a bull bar on your 4WD were limited to a handful of companies. Today though, there are a huge number of 4WD Bull Bar manufacturers around, and your choices are much greater. The thing is though, Bull Bars are not all the same, and there are a lot of things you really should think about before committing to one.
Lifestyle Reconn R2 long term review
Back in August 2019 we picked up a second hand Lifestyle Reconn R2, and now its time to do a long term review! It was (and still is) a major commitment, and we had intended on waiting more time before getting a hybrid camper trailer, but it was a deal too good to pass up. The unit itself was almost brand new, with the new owners upgrading to a Reconn R4 (the slightly bigger unit, with more gear).
Why we avoid some Caravan Parks
Some people love Caravan Parks and won’t stay anywhere else. We love some of them, and don’t like others at all. In general though, we’d much, much rather be out in a National Park, or on a Station, or in the middle of the bush, with no one else around.
Now, that’s not to say you’ll never see us in a Caravan Park, or that we have anything against them. Some are brilliant, and there are a couple that we regularly recommend, but have designed our setup in a way that we really don’t have much need to use them on a regular basis because we prefer more isolation away from the crowds.
How to stop your LED Light bar shining on the bonnet
LED light bars have become one of the most popular accessories bolted to a 4WD today, and for good reason. They are cheap, put out a heap of light, don’t weigh too much and realistically are quite compact.
One of the more common places to mount an LED light bar is on the roof of a 4WD, as it doesn’t restrict air flow into the motor, can be the full width of the vehicle and gives you a bit more depth as the light is further back than if it were on the front of your vehicle. The unfortunate thing about mounting an LED light bar on the roof is that if you don’t do it correctly, you’ll end up with it shining on the bonnet.
Collie Camping; Potters Gorge at Wellington Dam
If you are looking for a quiet, bookable bush camp not too far from Perth, then Potters Gorge in Wellington National Park should be on your list. Potters Gorge Camping area is home to 55 individual sites, and 4 group sites and is located about 300 metres from Wellington Dam banks.
Upgraded back in 2016 this camp site is popular year round and has some beautiful scenery to enjoy.
Can you flip your tow hitch?
How many vehicles do you see driving down the road with the trailer pointing towards the road, and the vehicles headlights pointing towards the sky? There’s a distinct lack of understanding when it comes to towing safely, and a portion of this comes from not setting your tow hitch to the correct height.
The other part of it comes from people not understanding, or just ignoring the weight limitations of their vehicles. There are 7 things that you must comply with, and most people are only aware of one or two.
Why won’t my boat run?
Firstly, I’ll put my hand up here for idiot of the year award. Looking back now I chuckle about the whole thing, but down at Dunsborough some time ago I wasn’t laughing so much.
I built an offroad boat trailer a couple of years ago, and purchased a brand new 25 horsepower outboard from Mercury. We’ve had some amazing adventures in it, but it rarely gets used around Perth, so sits around for months collecting spiderwebs
Carmel Cider; the best camping close to Perth
After more than 10 years of looking for the best camping near Perth, I reckon we’ve finally found it. There’s lots of things we look for to make up the ultimate camp ground, and its rare to find one that one ticks so many boxes. After an absolutely fantastic weekend at Carmel Cider though, I’m going to call it. I don’t think you’ll find a better camp site close to Perth.
Buying a 4WD Ute Canopy; the ultimate guide
There is nothing more practical than a 4WD Ute with a good setup on the back. If you are looking at buying a 4WD Ute Canopy, this post covers every option you have along with the many pro’s and con’s of each setup and will leave you with a great understanding of the best option for you.
A Ute allows you a huge amount of flexibility, and there are a huge number of ways you can use the space. The most important thing you can do is to set it up in a way that suits the way you use your vehicle. A lot of people don’t get this right he first time around, and end up changing it down the track. This time consuming, expensive and frustrating.
Where can you camp in the Perth and Peel region?
As of 27/4/20 camping is now officially permitted in WA, providing you maintain the 10 person rule, follow the usual social distancing practices and do the right thing. Initially we were over the the moon; its been a good couple of months since we’ve been out camping. That is, until we started looking for sites to stay at!
So, if you are itching like us to head away, you need to find yourself a camp site!
What is tow ball weight, and why does it matter?
Tow ball weight, or Tow Ball Mass (TBM) is a term that’s being thrown around more and more today, and for good reason. Understanding how it works, how to measure it and what is acceptable is critical to towing safely and successfully.
You don’t need to know it to the exact kilogram, but having an idea makes for safe travel, mechanical sympathy, staying legal and reduced chance of things going wrong. This is especially the case if you are running near the edge of your 4WD’s towing or weight capacities or if you load the trailer and vehicle up differently each time you travel.
What’s the pros and cons of towing?
There are a lot of people in Australia who make the decision to purchase a trailer and tow it behind their 4WD while travelling. Whether its a box trailer, camper trailer, hybrid, caravan or boat, towing something behind your 4WD has a number of benefits.
However, like everything, there’s no free lunch and a whole lot of those travelling this great land will tell you of the benefits of not having to drag something behind you. In the end, you have a make a choice as to what is most suitable for your situation, and it doesn’t always stay the same as time passes, and for each trip.
Our Dmax goes into limp mode from the camper trailer
After spending nearly 9 weeks on the road with our Isuzu Dmax and Soft Floor Camper Trailer, we’d become fairly familiar with how things ran and were having a decent run. The first real issue we had with the Dmax happened in Karratha when we called in to get some 2 stroke oil for our little tinny.
Are LED and HID light conversions illegal?
A lot of new 4WD’s come factory fitted with LED or HID headlights. The benefits are significant in terms of light output, power consumption and reliability. Of course, when new technology comes out everyone is quick to try and roll it backwards, into vehicles that never came with it.
There is however, one substantial problem with doing this; its not always legal, and in fact can be quite dangerous if done incorrectly. In this post, we look at where you can legally convert halogen lights to HID or LED, and what you need to look for.
No more 4WD and Camping trips for a while
It’s been a pretty intense couple of weeks, and it doesn’t look like things are going to calm down any time soon. I’m a bit lost for words really, but wanted to share a bit about what we’ve been up to, and what our plans were, and now are. I’m also keen to know how you are all feeling, and what you have in mind!
Cable Beach in Broome; one of WA’s best beaches
I’ve got to say it; Cable Beach is one of my favourite beaches in WA. It is absolutely magnificent, and if you’ve been there you’ll understand why. Yes, its extremely popular, and can be very busy, but its still a magic place that everyone should see and experience a sunset on.
If you are heading to the Kimberley, check out the Ultimate Kimberley guide that we wrote, which covers everything from where to get fuel, what is amazing, tours you can do, where to get water and food, the Gibb River road, tyre pressures and heaps more.
The ultimate guide to gravel driving
Australia has a huge number of gravel roads. Some are in better condition than many of our bitumen ones, and others will rattle your teeth until you can’t wait to see bitumen.
However, anyone can drive on public gravels roads that they want, without the faintest idea of what they should be doing, and that is a problem.
Little Roper Stock Camp; a brilliant place to camp in Mataranka
Wikicamps and Facebook provide some epic information when it comes to finding fantastic camp sites, and Little Roper Stock Camp just out of Mataranka was one of those golden nuggets that we stumbled across, that family after family raves about.
5 Amazing camp sites near Perth you’ve probably never heard of
I mentioned a few posts ago that we are on a mission to find the best camping near Perth, and over the last couple of years we’ve stayed at a heap of great places. There’s something nice about getting home on a Friday afternoon, jumping in the 4WD and driving under an hour away to a nice camp site for the weekend.
Of course, if you are prepared to drive a bit further there are considerably more options, but we aren’t exactly lacking places close to Perth to camp.
