Free 4WD and Camping resources worth checking out
Following on from last weeks post, where I suggested the need to take advice given online with a grain of salt, I thought I’d make a list of free 4WD and Camping resources that are worth checking out.
Unsealed 4X4 Mag
Emags, or digital magazines are becoming very popular, very quickly. Unsealed 4×4 is an eMag that is up to its 34th edition and is proving to be extremely popular. Best of all, its completely free and the information is useful, accurate and inspiring. The paper magazine days are dwindling to an end. If you haven’t, already, have a read of Unsealed 4X4 here.
RV Daily
I’ll admit I was a bit mislead with this eMag, but upon actually opening and reading it it comes highly recommended. RV daily covers 4WD’s, caravans, camper trailers and more; anything that’s a Recreational Vehicle. This is run by the same company as Unsealed 4×4, and they do a brilliant job. You can check out their magazine here – RV Daily magazine, which is up to Issue 10.
4X4 Earth Forum
There aren’t too many forums still ticking along today; Facebook has killed most of them. 4×4 Earth is one of a tiny handful of forums I’m active on, and for good reason; its got fantastic members, lots of trips organised and plenty of knowledge. You can sign up here – 4X4 Earth Forum.
4×4 Earth Podcast
Keen to kill some time while driving, or looking for some good information? The 4X4 Earth forum has started a podcast, run by James. There’s 26 podcasts that you can download and listen to for free, ranging from discussions on 4WD insurance through to new products, tips for driving in snow and interviews with well known 4WD owners. You can check it out here – 4X4 Earth Podcasts
Myswag
There’s no better place for information on camper trailers, caravans and anything related. With 760,000 posts, if you are looking for something its likely been covered before, or you can join and ask a heap of knowledgeable people. Check it out here – Myswag forum.
Campertrailers.org
Another fantastic resource for camper trailers is Campertrailers.org. The website is old. clunky and hard to use, but its got stacks of brilliant information. Follow the instructions to join up and you’ll learn a heap of great information. Check it out here – Campertrailers.org.
Redbook
If you want to know any specific details on a car, Redbook is your friend. You can look up new vehicles, and old ones too. It covers the engine numbers, vehicle weights, payloads, towing capacities, value of second hand vehicles, dimensions and a whole heap of other useful information. You can check it out here – Redbook.
Snowys blog
I’ve been a big fan of Snowys Outdoors for several years now. They have brilliant customer service, and ship from the Eastern states to most of Australia for free! They run a fantastic blog which covers a whole range of camping topics. You can check it out here – Snowys Blog.
4WDing Australia
I’m not going to leave this very website off the list! 4WDing Australia has been running for about 6 years now, and has plenty of useful information, tips, trip reports and product reviews. Look around; you’ll like what you see!
Here’s some of our popular posts:
Fitting bigger tyres to your 4WD
20 things you should never do in a 4WD recovery
7 Fantastic Camp Sites near Perth
Willyweather and Seabreeze
Knowing what the weather is going to do in terms of rain, wind and even the tide can be very important when it comes to heading outdoors. You can check both sites out here – Willy Weather and Seabreeze.
Department of Parks and Wildlife
The DPAW manage the national parks in Western Australia. Their website covers a whole range of information about the various national parks, along with where their campsites are and what facilities are available. Check it out here – DPAW.
Wikicamps
Wikicamps is the ultimate camping app. You can download the trial for free, and then you have to pay for it. It’s about $8 for Android, Apple and Windows devices. I guarantee it will be the best money you spend on camping ever. It’s a crowd sourced map showing a massive number of free, paid and low cost camp sites all around Australia. Photos and comments are left in real time, making it extremely useful. Check it out here – Wikicamps.
Vehicle specific forums
Almost every single popular 4WD will have a group of dedicated followers on specific forums. The technical advice on most of these forums is about as good as it gets. Just google your vehicle’s make and model and ‘forum’ and you will find plenty. Here’s some examples:
4X4 Australia
If you are looking for a quality website relating to all things 4WD, then 4X4 Australia is worth a look. They’ve been running for longer than I’ve been on this planet, and are regularly publishing useful guides and information. Check them out here – 4X4 Australia.
Youtube
If you haven’t spent several hours on Youtube watching video’s then you are missing out; there’s everything from inspirational 4WD trips through to tips, tricks and DIY video’s for working on your camper trailer or 4WD.
Facebook groups and pages
Onto Facebook. After last week you might think I hate it, but the reality is I don’t. Seriously. Facebook has some brilliant groups with a lot of handy information. It’s often not easy to find, and you need to take advice given with a grain of salt, but there are some awesome groups and pages to follow on Facebook.
Everything Caravan and Camping (140k members)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/232767733597962/?ref=group_browse_new
Caravan Parks and Bush Camp Reviews (25k members)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1559311791011100/?ref=group_browse_new
Travelling Australia with kids (6k members)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/travellingaustraliawithkids/?ref=group_browse_new
MadMatt 4WD
https://www.facebook.com/madmatt4wd/
Local/relevant groups and pages
If you search in Facebook, you’ll find hundreds of other, relevant pages. There’s at least 5 different 80 series Land Cruiser pages, so search your vehicle and trailer type up, along with local 4WD groups and pages.
What have I missed?
If I’ve missed something, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
