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
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.
Why we moved from a soft floor to a Hybrid Camper Trailer
We love camping. Even when it was just Sarah and I, the thought of jumping in the 4WD and heading off to some pristine beach camp site, or remote track would have us both itching with excitement for days prior to leaving.
Now, with two young boys (3 and 1), things have changed a lot, but we still head out camping as often as possible, and we still count the days down until we leave for each trip. Sure, its not nearly as relaxing and adventurous as it used to be, but we still have a great time.
Breezy Shade; the ultimate beach shelter
The beaches in Australia are world class, and nothing quite compares to a day spent on a pristine beach, unless you end up cooked by the sun. Being light skinned, I know how easy it is to go home looking like a crayfish, and its something we should all avoid.
With that in mind, we’ve been looking for a beach shelter for some time, but had some pretty specific requirements as a lot of what is out there is just too big, too heavy, too awkward to set up, blows away easily or is just impossible to pack away.
AFN Bull Bar Review on our Isuzu Dmax
A bull bar is a pretty important part of setting a 4WD up for touring Australia. Not only does it provide the protection required when you hit a kangaroo, bird or cattle, it allows for a place to mount your winch, UHF aerial and even lights.
Bull bars have changed a lot over the years, and they have had to in order to keep airbag compatibility, crumple zones and safety.Contrary to popular belief, vehicles without bull bars are usually safer in an accident.
Willowbrook Farm; the ultimate campground for kids near Perth
With two young kids in tow, we are always on the lookout for the best camping near Perth, and I reckon we might have found it; Willowbrook Farm! If you are after something unique, family friendly and cheap, this is a great place to visit.
How to take your boat when travelling Australia
Australia is incredible. There are more hidden bays and pristine beaches to explore than a lot of countries combined, and if you are lucky enough to have a boat with you when you travel the level of adventure is bumped up considerably. I personally know this, having done a lot of fishing and spearfishing in Western Australia over the years.
32 ways to make your 4WD illegal
There are hundreds of thousands of 4WD’s in Australia, and a significant portion of them are not legal in one way or another. Sometimes the reasons are minor and relatively harmless, and other times the risk passed onto the driver when on the road is substantial. A 4WD that isn’t legal can result in some hefty fines, liability and other truly nasty consequences if something goes wrong.
Unique camping in the NT; Zebra Rock Mine
There’s a few great spots in between Kununurra and Katherine to stop and spend a few nights, but we were a bit pushed for time and skipped many of them, choosing only to stay at Zebra Rock Mine. This is about 10km down Duncan Road, on the Northern Territory side of the border and very close to the check point itself.
This has an amazing array of reviews on Wikicamps, and we were very much looking forward to our stay.
Fonty’s Pool; spectacular camping in the south west
For years I’ve been seeing photos of Fonty’s Pool in Manjimup pop up, and some of them almost seemed too good to be true. A few weeks back, we decided to check it out for ourselves, and see if it really lived up to the hype.
Spoiler alert; its pretty amazing!
What changes when camping with young kids?
Camping with young kids is hard. Seriously hard. I won’t sugarcoat it in any way, shape of form. The difference between camping as a couple (or solo), and camping with a young kid or more than one is chalk and cheese.
There are a lot of changes that take place, and I can personally guarantee its a bit of a shock. That said, you can take young kids camping, and you can have fun with the right attitude, expectations and gear!
OBD2; a review of the Ultra Gauge
Modern 4WD’s have a lot of electronics in them, and knowing exactly what is going on in a modern car cannot be done with just your eyes and ears. It requires specialised tools to do so, like an OBD2 Scanner.
I reckon anyone heading bush with a modern 4WD without a way of reading error codes and clearing them in a 4WD is absolutely mad. Every modern 4WD has a little OB2 port, usually under the steering column, which is used for fault finding and clearing problems that the vehicle has.
Installing a baby bunk cot into our camper
Like lots of other families out there, we enjoy camping with our two boys. Up until recently, we used two porta cots on the ground of our soft floor camper trailer. However, since buying a Hybrid Camper we have two bunks, and that’s not great for young kids!
One is 3, and sleeps on top of a bunk with a pool noodle and towel to stop him rolling off, and the other is not quite 1, so needed a safe way to be contained and comfortable. Obviously there is no way to fit a porta cot into the camper, and with a perfectly good bed for Cooper to sleep on all we had to do was come up with a way to keep him safe and contained. Easy, right?
Provent vs HPD Catch Cans; a real world comparison
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know my new Dmax was fitted with a HPD catch can not long after getting it as a catch can is a sensible idea, and they were the most highly recommended by a huge number of workshops and individuals.
A few months later, I received a report from Curtin University showing how poorly the HPD catch can performed in a laboratory test when compared against other catch cans. Of course, given the study was funded by Mann and Hummel a lot of people said the results were flawed and the testing was done to make the Provent and Flashlube Catch cans look better (as they outperformed everything else).
Continue reading here – Provent vs HPD Catch Cans.
GVM Upgrades; how much is too much?
Weights have become a major topic in the 4WD, Caravanning and Camping world today, and for good reason. It’s almost impossible to set a 4WD up for exploring this great country without it being over weight, and illegal. Do you know what your 4WD weighs?
Continue reading here; GVM Upgrades; how much is too much?
Private Camping Near Perth and our new Camper walk around
To break our ‘A Quarter North’ series up, here’s a recent amazing camp only 40 minutes from Perth on private property, with a walk around of our new Lifestyle Reconn R2 camper trailer!
A Quarter North, Episode 2
Episode 2 of our 3 month trip up north with our Dmax, soft floor camper trailer and 18 month old boy. This episode takes us to Cable Beach and the rest of Broome, through to Larrawa Station and onto the incredible Kununurra region.
Why I’d never buy another Treg Hitch
Going back a couple of decades ago, you’d rarely see different towing hitches. Today, there are more options for towing a trailer than you can poke a stick at. Traditionally, Treg and the normal ball hitches were all you’d see, and while the Treg was a great option when it first came out, I would never, ever get one again.
Continue reading here; Why I’d never buy another Treg Hitch
A quarter north, Episode 1
We’ve finally released Episode 1 of our 3 month trip north, heading from Perth through the Pilbara, Kimberley, Northern Territory and back down the Coral Coast. In this episode, we cover Kalgan’s Pool, Cape Keraudren and our setup for the trip:
