Welcome to 4WDing Australia. Here you’ll find information on 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!
Recent Posts
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:
Why you should turn your headlights on when driving on gravel roads
There are a lot of things that you should be doing to make driving on a gravel road comfortable, safe and least damaging to your 4WD. One of the major points though, is that when driving on gravel roads you should always have your headlights on, whether its day or night.
Continue reading here; Turn your headlights on when driving on gravel
Unbelievable camping at Henry White Oval, Yanchep
In terms of Camping near Perth, there’s been a huge increase of fantastic places to stay pop up over the last couple of years that are not at Caravan Parks. In the next couple of weeks, I’ll have a post out covering 5 of the lesser known camp sites near Perth.
Today though, this post is all about a brilliant camp ground in Yanchep, known as Henry White Oval. This is one of the closest places you can camp near Perth, and its seriously well set up too. This camp site is run by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA, previously known as DPAW) and has volunteer caretakers who look after the site on a day to day basis.
Continue reading here; Henry White Oval Camping
Robinvale Orchard; private bush camping minutes from Perth
We’ve been lucky enough to explore a huge portion of WA, and there are some truly remarkable places to take your 4WD to, or to camp at. However, lately we’ve been on a mission to explore our backyard; we’ve been finding the best camp sites close to Perth!
Continue reading here; Robinvale Orchard.
A leaking transfer case on our Dmax
Not long after returning from our 3 month trip up north, I noticed a bit of oil under the Dmax, near the back of the transfer case. Asides from the turbo replacement, its the first thing that’s actually gone wrong with our new 4WD. Granted it had only done about 27,000km and to have an oil leak so early is pretty poor.
A quick look made it pretty obvious that it was leaking out of the rear transfer case seal, where the tail shaft bolts on. I checked the oil level, and monitored it for a few weeks, noticing that it was leaking extremely slowly – under 50ml in 1000km. Continue reading here; A leaking transfer case on our Dmax.
How to launch a boat off the beach with your 4WD
Australia has some truly epic boating locations, right around the country. The problem is, often boat ramps are few and far between once you get off the beaten track. Launching a boat on the beach has been common practice in many areas of Australia for a long time, and there’s a few ways in which it can be done.
The smaller the boat the easier the job is as there is less chance of getting bogged and you don’t have to go so far back to launch it, but even bigger boats are launched on some beaches in WA. Continue reading here – How to launch a boat off the beach with your 4WD.
What does it cost to travel Australia?
There are thousands of reasons why people travel Australia. Whether its just for a break, to see our amazing country, or to have the adventure of a lifetime it’s something very few people regret doing. Unfortunately, everything costs money and this is the primary limitation from stopping more people travelling this great country. So, what does it cost, and how can you keep the budget down?
The price of travelling Australia varies hugely depending on lots of different variables. How fast you travel, what you travel in, where you stay, your day to day habits and the list goes on and on. It can range from luxury house hopping through to the backpackers in their bunky old vans and 4WD’s, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it (unless you are breaking the law, or being a tosser!). Continue reading here; What does it cost to travel Australia?
Where does the Isuzu Dmax fall short?
I’ve been a Toyota fan for a long time. They make great vehicles, and I’d happily own most of their range. That said, our replacement 4WD from the 80 Series Land Cruiser was an Isuzu Dmax; a step in a very different direction.
I’ve had the Dmax now two years now, and clocked up nearly 40,000km in it. They are a great vehicle, with a solid foundation, great engine and reputable gearbox (if you get the auto) and good quality gear used overall.
However, I’m not brand biased, or so attached to it that I fail to mention its shortcomings, and every single 4WD out there has at least a couple. Sometimes their owners will acknowledge it, but more often than not they don’t! Continue reading here; Where does the Isuzu Dmax fall short?
Gidgedales Retreat; amazing camping right near Perth
WA has some of the best camp sites in the world, and we are always on the hunt for new, better places to stay especially close to Perth. We’ve made a great list already; here’s 30 unbelievable camp sites in WA to get you started. However, this week, we are sharing an absolute cracker camp site; Gidgedales Retreat. Located on private property in Gidgegannup this is quiet, cheap, peaceful and has some spectacular scenery.
A few of you were guessing and asking where we were last weekend, so here you go. Continue reading here; Gidgedales Retreat; amazing camping right near Perth.
Our new Hybrid Camper; a Lifestyle Reconn R2
We’ve upgraded our Camper, and in a seriously big way. For those who’ve been following us for some time, you’ll know we’ve had a soft floor camper trailer now for a couple of years, and clocked up nearly 150 nights in it. It’s been fantastic, but we’ve been looking for a long time now for an upgrade. We have spent more time researching, doing figures and trying to find the perfect solution for us than I care to think about, but I reckon its paid off.
There’s a lot of people travelling Australia in all sorts of setups, and a lot of them don’t suit the way we like to travel. Finding something that was light and small enough to drag around anywhere we wanted (including the more challenging, tight and less travelled 4WD tracks) whilst having a few more luxuries, easy setup and plenty of storage was a mission and a half. So, what have we ended up with?
Introducing our new Hybrid Camper – a 2018 Lifestyle Reconn R2
Toyo Open Country AT2 tyre review
I’ve long been a bit sceptical when reading tyre reviews. Most are sponsored, and if they aren’t the tyres haven’t done much work, and if they have, its on a vehicle that’s totally different to yours and not really relevant.
You cannot compare a 200 series Land Cruiser running tyres in the high country to a Dual cab Ute in the Pilbara. The conditions are totally different, and almost irrelevant.
However, I’ll pass on my experience thus far (about 18,500km) of the Toyo AT2 tyres in a 265/75/16 on both the Isuzu Dmax, and our Camper Trailer. This review is purely my opinion, and is not influenced in any way. I paid for the 8 Toyo Open Country AT2 tyres with my own, hard earned moola. Continue reading here; Toyo Open Country AT2 tyre review.
If you leave toilet paper in the bush, you are a grub
If there’s one thing in the bush that makes my blood boil, its finding bits of toilet paper and human poop laying exposed in some of the beautiful, remote parts of Australia. We have some of the most amazing places you’ll ever see anywhere in this world, and nothing ruins it more than peoples lack of respect, decency and hygiene. If it doesn’t stop, there will be more and more places locked up.
Continue reading here; If you leave toilet paper in the bush, you are a grub.
Where can you mount LED light bars and spotlights?
If you do much night driving out of the city aftermarket driving lights are a pretty worth while accessory. The factory lighting on most 4WD’s is not nearly bright enough to give you time to safely stop if wildlife decides to cross in front of you. Today, there are lots of different products on the market to make driving at night safer and more comfortable.
Some people do long distance night driving on straight, bitumen roads full of roaming cattle and need to see up to a kilometre in front, while others need lots of light around their vehicle for slower off road work. What ever your requirements, you’ll find lights to fulfil them. Continue reading here; Where can you mount LED light bars and spotlights?
33 epic 4WD tracks in WA
Western Australia is incredible. There’s some of the best beaches, 4WD tracks and scenery in the country and for this reason thousands of people are out there every day exploring our great state. If you have a 4WD, you’ve got access to the best of the best spots. There are hundreds of amazing 4WD tracks in WA, but here’s 33 truly epic ones to get you started!
Continue reading here; 33 epic 4WD tracks in WA.
Litchfield National Park; worth it or not?
You’ve probably heard people say skip Kakadu, and do Litchfield instead. Before we arrived at Litchfield, I really, really wanted to be able to leave the national park saying that it was terrible and you shouldn’t waste your time. I wanted to prove the naysayers wrong, and say Kakadu is so much better. You know what though? I can’t. In fact, Litchfield blew my mind, and as a family was one of our favourite destinations in 3 months through the Kimberley and Northern Territory. Continue reading here; Litchfield National Park; worth it or not?
How much does your 4WD really cost you?
4WD’s are expensive. I won’t sugarcoat it. They cost a fair bit to fuel up, to keep running and then there’s the rest of the costs; insurance, registration, loan costs and the cost of accessories.
The point of this post is not to put you off buying a 4WD, nor to horrify you with the amount of money you’ve blown on a 4WD (or a few) in the past (or now!), but just to give you an idea of how expensive they really are. Continue reading here; How much does a 4WD really cost you?
Long term soft floor camper trailer review
Some camper trailer reviews are based around a few nights spent in a camper trailer, and they aren’t very helpful, or accurate. A lot are also financially biased, as in the writer gets a kick back for making comments about the product.
This review is neither; I paid $10,500 of my own hard earned money for our camper trailer, and spend a few grand more on modifying it, and as of today, we have spent somewhere in the realms of 150 nights in it. By the sounds of it, my camper trailer manufacturer has shut down recently, so you can’t get the same one without buying second hand, but most soft floors have the same sort of arrangement.
Continue reading here; Long term soft floor camper trailer review.
Mud terrain vs all terrain tyres
4WD tyres are probably the easiest way to change how well a 4WD drives off road. A simple change of tread pattern will take a mildly capable 4WD to the next level, and have it going places you’d dream of taking it before. Anyone who’s ever gone from a set of normal highway terrain tyres to all terrains or mud terrains will back this up. It really transforms a 4WD. Beyond that, a quality tyre lasts longer, resists punctures and will deform correctly off road.
Continue reading here; Mud Terrains vs all Terrain Tyres
Camping with a toddler; 35 ways to make it easier
Camping with young kids is difficult. There’s no sugarcoating it. You’ll have an absolute ball at times, and at other times you’ll be pulling your hair out and wishing you’d stayed home. It’s just how it is. Toddlers are often challenging at home, and it can be even more difficult when you are camping with them. On the flip side, it can be truly amazing too, so don’t rule it out.
Continue reading here; Camping with a toddler; 35 ways to make it easier.
Why I’ll never buy a full size steel roof rack
If you’ve spent your hard earned on a nice, shiny steel full length roof rack, please don’t be offended by this post. It’s written with the best intentions, to hopefully avoid anyone else the pain of buying gear they might look back on and regret having bought.
Continue reading here; Why I’ll never buy a full size steel roof rack.
The importance of daily 4WD inspections when travelling
On 4WD trips, its imperative that you take the time to stop and go over your 4WD. If you are doing a lot of driving, its well worth getting under the vehicle, lifting the bonnet and just having a quick look at everything in the morning before you head off.
Continue reading here; The importance of daily 4WD inspections when travelling.
