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
Fitting an aftermarket transmission cooler
When we upgraded from our 80 Series Land Cruiser to an Isuzu Dmax, one of the requirements was it had to be an automatic. Being our first automatic 4WD, there was some learning to be had, and we fitted an aftermarket transmission cooler not too long ago to cope with the extra heat. This was all part of caring for an automatic transmission.
Having owned the Dmax now for 3 years, I can tell you I’d never go back to a manual anyway, as they are so much nicer to drive around town, touring and off road. However, automatic transmissions are a complicated, and expensive beast, and you need to take good care of them or be prepared for an expensive bill when it fails. They can be super reliable if you look after them, or a pain in the backside, both financially and in terms of inconvenience if you don’t.
60 of the best campsites near Perth
If you are looking for the perfect camping destination near Perth, today is your lucky day. In this post, we are sharing a whopping 60 of the best campsites within 3 hours (or 300km) of Perth, all perfect for a weekend or longer break away. Having grown up here and stayed at most of these sites, I can honestly tell you some of these are next level amazing. Do everyone a favour though, and look after them, please.
How to care for your 4WD’s automatic transmission
There’s no doubt that automatic vehicles are becoming more and more common. This applies in the 4WD world too; there are very few 4WD’s that come out of the factory in a manual only option, with a large majority of those sold being automatics.
They offer a huge range of benefits, but at the end of a day are a more sophisticated bit of equipment, and need to be cared for a bit differently to a manual gearbox. I’m told that 95% of automatic transmission problems stem from the oil running too hot inside your automatic box, and this is a problem that can be easily remedied.
4WD Recovery Deaths in Australia
4WD recoveries are dangerous. The level of risk is so high that it’s killed more than a few Australians in the last two decades, and plenty more overseas. This post highlights some of the deaths in Australia that have taken place around 4WD recoveries, with the relevant news articles/posts to go with it.
Writing and researching this post has been quite unpleasant and rather shocking, but I’m still seeing people do things in 4WD recoveries that ultimately risk their lives and those around them, and I want to see it stop. Share this with your friends and family, so the message sinks in; 4WD recoveries can, and do kill people. Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone you know!
Projecta IDC25 DCDC Charger Review
Nearly 3 years ago, we purchased an Isuzu Dmax and set it up for touring Australia. The focus on the build was to get something reliable, reasonably capable, functional and that would double as a touring vehicle and the family car around the city. However, there was one more major consideration that we factored in, and that was cost.
Every single component that I added, or had added to the Dmax was done with that in the back of my mind. I didn’t want to buy rubbish, but at the same time wasn’t going to buy all the best gear out there and deck it out. That’s why when it came to setting up the electrical system, I went with a Projecta IDC25 DCDC charger.
Amazing WA Wildflowers under 5 hours from Perth
If you’ve never seen the wildflowers in WA, you’ve been missing out. To see the giant blooms of bright pink, white and yellow on the side of the road, and covering huge areas as far as the eye can see is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. Here at 4WDing Australia, we’ve been lucky enough to see wildflowers on a number of trips in the past, but up until now never specifically headed out in search of them.
Well, that’s just changed! We got back just under a week ago, having seen some of the most incredible wildflowers around by heading north from Perth for 5 nights. From the small, hard to find wildflowers to the giant blooms that you couldn’t possibly miss it was a truly memorable trip, and we’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different.
A quick table; the best 4WD accessory you can add
There are some pretty incredible 4WD setups out there today, with the boundary continually being pushed to new limits. I love nothing more than checking out someone else’s pride and joy, and seeing how they’ve set things up, and what is working well for them. One thing that has been a total game changer for us though, is a drop down table that is quick and easy to use.
Bolinda Vale Farm; Creekside Camping near Perth
It’s been a long time since we’ve pulled into a camp site and been left speechless. That’s just changed! Today, we share with you Bolinda Vale Farm, a camp site under an hours drive from Perth that takes the best camp site near Perth to a whole new level.
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.
