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Touring Ranger

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The Ford Ranger is without a doubt, one of the most comfortable and capable touring rigs in the dual cab ute sector at the moment. It’s ability to be modified exceeds most of it’s competitors, it has plenty of power and mod-cons to make touring and off-roading a breeze and it looks the goods as well.

It was always going to be the perfect platform for this customer’s build and a good start to improve the Ranger’s capability, and to ensure the vehicle handled the extra weight, was to fit a Lovells GVM upgraded suspension package. The Lovells kit uses an upgraded mono-tube shock design as well as heavy duty springs to legally raise the GVM from the Ranger’s standard figures of 3200kg to 3500kg and gives the vehicle approximately 50mm of lift.

This upgrade perfectly complimented the tray and canopy package by Mits Alloy and got the vehicle sitting the way it’s supposed to. The jack-off design by Mits contains all the goodies for touring including tapered underbody toolboxes, trundle draw, spare wheel carrier, jerry carrier, roof racks and the canopy doors were colour coded to suit the rest of the vehicle.

Bar work is by TJM with the T13 Outback which has massive 63mm tubing and matching TJM brush bars and side steps, offering the ultimate in frontal protection. The bar also houses a TJM 9,500lbs Torq winch with synthetic rope and wireless control for recovery duties, and a set of TJM 215 LED driving lights turn night into day on those night time stints on the tracks.

A TJM Airtec snorkel was fitted to the vehicle to feed clean cool air and a Rhino Pioneer Platform was mounted to the roof featuring the backbone mounting system for extra storage and a base for the solar panel. A GME XRS Connect UHF and AE4705 antenna were fitted for communications and towing duties are taken care of by a Haymen Reese X-Bar.

 

Keep an eye for this awesome touring Ranger around the traps – it’s definitely got the goods going on and the perfect touring set-up!

79s in the Blood

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The love of LandCruisers can often be hereditary and the passion for owning a heavily modified 79 certainly runs strong in this family. Father David and son Nick have a common family interest in 4WDing and touring and their passion extends to the love of the Dual Cab 79 Series LandCruisers, so it make sense to do a father/son build from start to finish on a couple of big double cabs.

David opted for the traditional and much loved Sandy Taupe while Nick decided to go left-field and order in a brand spanking new Merlot Red 79.  The only thing better than a Jmacx coil conversion is having two on the go at the same time and, well a 79 build just isn’t complete without one these days so it makes sense to have both of these beasts as capable as you can get a 79.

Both vehicles were fitted with the coil spring conversion using Kings remote res shocks giving a GVM of 4200kg at 4 inches of lift. Both kits entail the usual suspects including refabbed diff housing correcting rear wheel track, stronger axles, airbags for load carrying assistance, front heavy duty radius arms, adjustable panhard rods and an NPC heavy duty clutch.

Both vehicles were also fitted with Method 312 Matte Black wheels in a 17×9 inch wrapped in the Toyo Open Country RTs that measure in a 35 x 12.5 inches. From here though, the vehicles start to take on their own personal touches and the biggest point of difference between the two starts with the bar work. While David went with the traditional bar in the way of the TJM T13 Outback bar offering full frontal protection of the big 79’s square lines, and matching TJM brush bars and side steps – Nick opted for a more stylised look while still offering basic protection from the Predator Bar by Offroad Animal along with matching rock sliders. Both vehicles will be recovering Patrols using a 12,000lbs TJM Torq winch with synthetic rope and wireless controllers.

The other stand-out features for both of these vehicles include tray and canopy packages from MITS Alloy. Again, personalised touches included dimensions of the canopies with David going with the full-length canopy and Nick opting for a half canopy, both colour- coded to match the vehicle.  David’s full-length canopy has the complete touring fit-out consisting of a Bushmans upright 85L fridge, sliding draws, Travel Buddy oven and a battery system combining Enerdrive AC and DC charging systems and twin Kick Ass 170 A/h AGM batteries. There are twin wheel carriers mounted to the back.

There is a full on-board air inflation kit by Airbag Man using the TJM Heavy Duty Compressor. This gives David full control of the airbags in-cab as well as being able to run an airline for tyre inflation which is flush mounted into the rear fascia of the tray. Tapered colour coded tool boxes and an under tray trundle draw add to storage capacity and a built-in water tank in the headboard saves room for water storage for remote travel supplies.

Nick’s Canopy is fitted out with a Clearview ES150 Plus drop-down fridge slide and Enerdrive BCDC charging system driving a single 170A/h kickAss slimline AGM battery.  A Travel Buddy 12V oven was also mounted on an overhanging shelf compartment.  Again an Airbag Man on-board Air inflation system was installed using the TJM Heavy Duty Compressor for airbag inflation as well as the ability for tyre inflation. Tapered under body tool boxes and a trundle tray were also a must for Nick for extra storage capacity.

Both vehicles are fitted with Hayman Reece’s top of the range X Bar tow bar which incorporates heavy duty tow points into the bar. Both vehicles are also fitted with the Redarc Tow Prow Elite Version 3 trailer braking units.

David’s 79 is running a Rhino Pioneer Platform on the roof which holds the Enerdrive 180W solar panel and Darche 180 Eclipse awning for protection from the elements.

Lighting for Nick’s vehicle is a 21.5″ slimline LED light bar by Stedi which is integrated into the top tube of the Off-Road Animal bar and lights up the track while being tucked away nicely and out of harm’s way. David runs the Stedi Type-X Sport 8.5″ LED driving lights which are perfect for turning night in to day.  Both have had the OEM headlights replace with Stedi LED upgrades so no more travelling by candle light as anyone that’s driven the 79 on standard headlights will be familiar with.

Under the bonnet, both of these trucks are running HPD catch cans, Diesel Care secondary fuel filters and HPD upgraded intercoolers for engine protection; and Patrol Docta stainless steel air boxes and snorkels for improved, cleaner air flow.  Both were fitted with the Marks Adapters bonnet strut upgrade to make life a little easier and save the old-school steel bonnet rod from bending under the weight of the hefty overweight bonnet.

Interior features for both vehicles include  upgraded entertainment systems by Kenwood, installed by our good friends at House of Soundz. The interiors were completely stripped out and Dynomat sound insulation fitted for reduced road noise and better interior acoustics. Bushmans Centre Console fridges were installed for keeping stuff cool while on the road and  Department of the Interior custom console with gauges and USB sockets were designed to fit the Bushmans fridges.  GME XRS 370 UHF radios take care of comms and a set of Black Duck 4 Elements seat covers finishes the interiors off just nicely on these two beasts.

The pair of big 70s will definitely be the talking point of many a family get-togethers now and outings on the tracks are family affair. The guys couldn’t be happier with their big rigs and we are happy to be apart of this father/son build. Keep and eye out for these two weapons on the tracks, you certainly wont miss them!

 

 

 

 

 

Stretched Single Cab 79

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Looking for a 4WD that can carry the earth on it’s back and pull the arse out of the sun at the same time? We may just have the answer for you. This is one single cab 79 with a difference! 300mm difference to be exact and the mother of all payloads! So just how much can this ute carry and how did we achieve it? Read on to find out.

When it comes to choosing a new 4WD to suit your exact touring and towing needs, more often than not the standard offerings from all of our manufacturers these days don’t really fit the bill. It really comes down to the tried and tested durability and  servicing/parts network of a LandCruiser with modifications or venturing into the relatively unknown realm (in this country at least) of american pick-up trucks. This was the decision faced by our customer Ian with the plan being to travel with a heavy slide-on camper – maximum payload was required with maximum reliability desired for traveling the remote regions of Aus.

The good news is we can retain that legendary LandCruiser reliability and dependability that so many people have backed over the years in this country, but with a payload and towing capacity that can match and exceed many of the big yank tanks.

The key player to achieving this lies in the chassis which has been modified and lengthened by 300mm. The chassis section is manufactured by our good mates at Jmacx Off-road Solutions and replaces the whole rear section of the standard Toyota chassis with stronger, longer rails, cross members and all the infrastructure to convert the leaf spring suspension arrangement to coil springs in the rear.

At the time of this build a single cab Jmacx chassis extension/ coil conversion hadn’t been done before, so the whole vehicle was put on a truck and sent up to the guys at Jmacx so they could do all the R&D they needed to get the chassis fine tuned to suit the single cab body.

We got the rolling chassis back and went to town on fitting the Kings remote res shocks, coils, airbags and all the other components that come with the kit like radius arms, adjustable panard rods and control arms. The coils have improved ride refinement, axle articulation and down travel, and the airbags assist with load carrying when the 79 is loaded up.

The second part to maximising the payload on this vehicle, was to minimise the weight when fitting accessories. The first step was to fit a lightweight alloy tray that was strong enough for the tasks being asked of it. The tray was custom built by Peninsula Plasma Cutters on the Central Coast and comes in at over 2.5m long and has trundle draw and tapered under body tool boxes. It was built with weight reduction and strength in mind.

An ECB Big Tube alloy winch bar was fitted to the front for protection, again with weight reduction in mind. It houses a TJM Torq 12,000lbs winch with synthetic rope to take care of any recovery duties. The Jmacx chassis also incorporates a rear winch cradle as well, but in the interest of saving weight, no rear winch was fitted.

The extra mods and weight to be carried would also require extra power so with the addition of a Patrol Docta stainless steel air box, HPD ungraded intercooler, Safari Armax snorkel, the big girl was then sent up to Streamline Automotive where they waived their magic wands over it in the form of a Dyno tune. Throttle response was also greatly improved by fitting an iDrive throttle controller in combination with the tune. The engine receives extra protection using a Diesel Care secondary fuel filter and HPD billet catch can.

There is, of course, much more to making a single cab 70 Series LandCruiser into a comfortable tourer, even in the top-spec GXL form. The entertainment system that’s standard in the 79 series is fairly basic so an upgraded unit by Alpine was fitted by the guys at House of Soundz and features upgraded speakers and door pods. The interior was stripped out and sound deadened using Dynomat and mirrors upgraded to full power-fold towing mirrors by Clearview.

A set of Black Duck seat covers were fitted to fit protect the seat fabric and a molded dash mat by No Bull Accessories was fitted to protect the dash from the harsh Aussie sun. A GME XRS 370 and AE4705 antenna pack to take care of communications.

Suspension airbag pressure is controlled inside the cab using the Airbag Man wireless inflation system and the TJM Heavy Duty Vehicle Mount Compressor. The compressor is mounted in one of the under body tool boxes and there’s provisions to run an air hose for tyre inflation as well.

The whole package is rolling on a set of ROH Maverick wheels that are 17 x 8″ in size and wrapped in a set of Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3 that mesure in at 285/70R17. So now the figures you’ve all been waiting for. We’ve been able to obtain a 4490kg GVM thanks to the Jmacx chassis extension and coil conversion and the vehicle tared in with all the upgrades, bar work, tray, a full tank of fuel and spare wheels at 2627kg. That leaves a massive 1863kg payload. The towing capacity is upgraded to 4000kg although GCM (Gross Combined Mass) is capped at 7990kg which means that loaded to full GVM (over 1800kg on the back) you can still legally tow 3.5t. No matter what way you look at it, you’ll never get the same figures out of an american full-sized pick-up. Is this the perfect solution for a tow/touring vehicle? Well if it isn’t, it’s pretty much the closest thing we’ve seen to it!

Keep an eye out for Ian’s big rig touring the country. It’s the first Jmacx stretched single cab LC79 in the country, but we’re sure it won’t be the last!

 

Redi Cruisers’ Sandy Taupe Troopy

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Is there a more iconic 4WD on the market than a Sandy Taupe Troop Carrier LandCruiser? We think not, so it’s only fitting that we got hold of one these box-on-wheels machines for our shop and threw everything we could at it to make it the Troopy from hell. We really wanted to show people what we could do with this Troopy and the 70 Series in general, while still making it practical to tour with, as well as hitting some of the harder tracks.

Of course the first thing was to get our good mates from Jmacx involved, with them fabbing up a 4200kg GVM coil conversion kit with some Sandy Taupe colour-coding thrown in…well a lot of Sandy Taupe colour coding actually! Cradle, coils, control arms, panard rods – you name it – it got hit with Taupe! We opted for the Kings remote res shock options for this build as they are the best in the business for load carrying, touring and off-roading which we’re aiming to do plenty of. The 4200kg GVM means that we could throw all the accessories we could at it, without worrying about the legalities when loaded up with camping gear or towing. The certification with this kit also means we can run a fully legal 4″ of lift and 35″ tyres.

When it came to bar work, we thought we would do something slightly different to our normal 79 builds in the way of the TJM T15 Deluxe bar. The fleet style bar, while a little more basic than the traditional T13 Outback bar that you’ve all become accustom to seeing on our big builds, still caters for the GXL owners with it’s slightly wider design to suit factory flares and built in fog lights. There are a set of TJM brush rails and side steps which match the 63mm tubing of the bull bar and give the sills a bit of extra protection if we ever manage to reach them with anything.

The bull bar houses a TJM Torq 9,500lbs Black Edition winch fitted with a Factor 55 Ultrahook winch hook with built in closed system shackle mount.  There’s a set of Stedi Type-X Pro LED driving lights and GME 4705 6dBi antenna also mounted on the bar.

A Kaymar rear bar and wheel carrier offers rear protection for the big girl and a place to mount the spare to get the weight off the rear door. Up-top is the Rhino Pioneer platform for extra storage and provides a good base to mount the solar panel and Darche 270 Awning for the ultimate protection from the elements.  The awning is running Korr adjustable strip lighting with dimmer switches for ample shades of light for the campsite. There’s also 5 of Stedi’s newest light-  the LED Quad 12 driving light. These things are packing a mean punch in series together and turn night in to day out on the tracks. The square look is the perfect alternative to a roof mounted light bar as well. There’s also plenty of camp lighting from Stedi with 2 rear mounted 10W LED’s and a side mounted ST3520 13″ Micro light bar for lighting up the campsite.

We’ve gone to town under the bonnet as well with an upgraded stainless steel air box and snorkel combination by Patrol Docta. We wanted to ditch the leaky old OEM units for something seriously well designed and engineered to handle the sort of conditions that would be thrown at it. They also look mint in the powder coat black finish and the induction noise resonating from the staino snorkel sounds great without being intrusive.

There’s a HPD high-flow intercooler to keep turbo temps down and a billet catch can to catch any unwanted oil contaminates. This will really come into play when we take the Troopy up to Torqit for some performance tweaks, where they will be playing around with some new technology which we’re pretty excited about. We also fitted a Diesel Care pre-filter to give the engine the best protection from dirty fuel.

Inside, the vehicle has had a complete work over with over-head and centre consoles by Department of the Interior. We’ve added a little Redi Cruisers touch of our own to the consoles which is a sneak peak of something special to come. The floor console is fitted with a Redarc dual battery voltage gauge and a series of Stedi Carling style switches for lighting.  The overhead console houses the Uniden UH9050 din size UHF radio for communications and there is a ton of netted storage compartments to hide all your goodies.

We took the Troopy to House of Soundz at Hamilton so that those guys could work their magic with the sound system featuring a Kenwood touch screen unit with Apple and Android play as well as a set of door pods and DB speakers to suit. Seats are covered by a full set of Black Duck 4 Elements seat covers over the standard Toyota seats. The back has received a once over by RV Storage Solutions with an Easy Access Combo draw system with fridge and cargo barriers. We went with a Bushman DC65-X Upright fridge for cool storage and we’ve fitted out the TJM Heavy Duty 12v compressor hidden away in the wing panel of the draws.

To power the lighting and electricals we’ve done a full lithium battery set-up by Enerdrive comprising of a 200A/h battery, 40A AC and DC chargers, inverter, 180W solar panel, all controlled and monitored through a Simarine panel. There are a series of Enerdrive USB outlets and sockets to run any additional accessories flush mounted into the panel. All the charging units, inverter and breakers were mounted on the side of the fridge barrier to keep them out of the way, but still accessible when the need arises.

The whole package is rolling out on a set of Method Beadlock wheels that are 17×8.5 and a set of Toyo Open Country R/T tyres measuring in at 35 x 12.5/ 17, supplied to the us from the legends at Race Wheels Australia. Even the GXL Troopies miss out on factory flares so a set of  TJM Deluxe flares, colour coded by T&K Restoration were fitted to give that factory look, hide the fat rubber and keep it all on the legal side. Josh and the boys in the TJM Hunter Valley workshop put in a big effort as usual on this one and the results speak for themselves.

We’re all about the big Cruiser builds here at Redi Cruisers and we believe that this Troopy represents a big part of what we do here. It’s built Redi to tour, Redi to tow and Redi to hit the toughest tracks in Australia. We’ve bough together some of the best names in the business to supply the best parts so that we go harder, go further and for longer. If you’re looking to get your own tough build done, then get in contact with us.

 

 

Off-road Taupedo

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The 76 Series Landcruiser wagon is fast becoming the weapon of choice for those that want to get down and dirty, and do some serious off-roading. Add one Jmacx Coil Conversion with 4 inches of lift and 35″ tyres and you are looking at one truly unstoppable combination. Colour choice is a no-brainer for this caliber of 4WD. Sandy Taupe – is there any other colour?

After a bit of inspiration from previous builds that we’ve done and a love of the almighty 70 Series, our customer Adam approached us to build the ultimate track tackler with the Sandy Taupe theme to run not only on the top side of the wagon, but the undercarriage as well. The Jmacx coil cradle, panard rod, control and radius arms all received the Sandy Taupe treatment before they left the sunshine state and lobbed on our workshop floor.

This set-up was done on Kings remote res shocks all round with the assistance of Airbag Man airbags in the rear coils giving this big wagon a completely legal four inches of lift on 35 inch tyres with an upgraded GVM to 3900kgs. As usual the Jmacx conversion has enhanced the off-road ability of the 76 ten fold.

Setting the look of this weapon right off is the Method NV Machined face wheels which measure in at 17×8.5 inches and they’re wrapped in a set of BF Goodrich KM3 mud tyres measuring 315/70/17 or 35 inches of chunky goodness in the old scale.

Bar work is the TJM T13 Outback steel winch bar, brush bars and side steps and the bar houses a TJM 12,000lbs Torq winch for recovery and a set of Stedi Type X Pro LED driving lights for turning night into day.

A Kaymar rear bar with single wheel carrier takes care of protection for the departures off-road and also gets the weight of the heavy 35 inch tyre and wheel off the back door.

The factory two piece Toyota snorkel was scrapped in favour of the higher-flowing and better sealed TJM Airtec snorkel. A HPD catch can and Diesel Care primary fuel filter was also fitted for giving the engine the maximum protection from fuel and oil contaminates and prolonging engine life.

The standard GXL flares were colour coded to match the Sandy Taupe theme and a set of Bushranger Flexi Flares were fitted to keep the law at bay with those big boots. The chrome GXL grille and mirrors were also blacked out for a tougher look.

A Rhino Pioneer platform was also fitted with a Darche Eclipse 2.5m side awning to beat the harsh Aussie elements while out and about on the tracks. The platform is 2.1 m long, giving plenty of extra storage room up-top for all the camping gear and has a Stedi 51 inch Slimline light bar for additional nighttime off-road driving enhancement.

One of the biggest downfalls of the 70 Series Landcruiser is the factory sound insulation leaves a lot to be desired. To rectify this, we completely stripped the interior out and fitted Dynamat Xtreme sound deadening to the doors and floor dramatically reducing road noise and body panel vibration.

The centre console was upgraded to the Department of the Interior Full Length Floor Console and an overhead console was fitted with a unit from Cruiser Consoles. A GME XRS370 UHF radio was fitted with the AE4700 All-terrain series antenna to take care of communications with that neat hide-away look.

The interior was finished off with a set of Black Duck 4 Elements seat covers and some Lightforce factory style switches to keep all the lighting switches looking neat and tidy.

This Sandy Taupe 76 wagon is one weapon of of an off-roader and well set up to take on the hardest tracks this country has to offer. Keep an eye out for Adam and his beast out on the tracks.

 

 

 

Stretched 79

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It all started with something simple – a bare bones, plain-Jane white 79 Series Dual Cab -brand new, but looking a little on the sad side to be honest! I know – let’s chop it up and make it longer! That was the call from business owner Michael and the plans were set in place for our new shop 79 Series.

But it wasn’t as simple as that. I know we’ve said it before, but this thing turned in to the biggest build we’ve ever done…literally. The foundation of this Goliath 79 is the chassis built by Jmacx Engineering which has lengthened the wheelbase by 300mm, displacing the bulk of the loaded weight further forward of the rear axle, and making the big girl more stable on and off the road. There’s more than meets the eye with this seriously heavy duty chassis though, as it also incorporates the coil cradle to complete the coil spring conversion without the need for an additional bolt-in cradle. The beauty of this set-up is the ability to legally raise the maximum GVM to 4490kg and the towing capacity to 4t. With a lower tare weight than most yank trucks available here – this leaves the payload on the stretched 79 greater than anything else on our market.

With that in mind, we set about loading this thing up to tackle anything this country’s harshest conditions can throw at it. Michael had plans to not only build a 79 with the works, but something that met his needs for touring, work and everyday driving. The next stand-out feature is the custom built alloy tray and jack-off canopy built by Mits Alloy.

Mits Alloy are a company based locally to us, that had already been building awesome trays and canopies for some of our customers, so we got them involved in the build early on in the piece to come up with some with a solution to suit the modified chassis. The end result is capable of utilising three fridges including the custom Waeco CFX100 beer keg fridge complete with built in beer taps. Other additions include the Dometic 110L upright fridge and the Waeco CFX75L Dual Zone fridge on the Clearview ES220 Plus drop-down fridge slide. After all – you can never have too much room for beer….and food!

The fridges and all the lighting are powered by the Enerdrive 12v/240v management system running a 200Ah Enerdrive lithium battery all mounted in the canopy.  The system receives charge from the alternator via a TJM 25a DC/DC charger and Century Dualforce battery mounted under the bonnet, and there’s also solar input into the system for remote charging.

The DB Drive 36″ sound bar provides fat beats for the campsite and is controlled via Bluetooth through your phone and the canopy is finished off with Stedi work lights and LED strip lighting through-out.

There’s room in the under body lockers for the on-board air inflation kit by Airbag Man and it’s controlled via the TJM Connect accessories management system. This takes care of inflation of the air bag suspension on the fly and has flush mounted air fitting for running a hose to the tyres for inflation.

Piggy-backing the canopy is the Jmacx coil spring rear-end which uses a combination of Kings 2.5 remote res shocks and heavy duty coils with Airbag Man High Pressure airbags in the rear to assist in stabilising the load. The rear coils provide a much more refined ride, better axle articulation and the refabricated diff housing and upgraded axles provide added strength to make the rear-end bulletproof, even with the added weight. Can’t winch forward? The Jmacx chassis has its own rear mounted winch cradle which houses a TJM 12,000lbs Torq winch perfect for getting out of those tricky spots.

Power upgrades are curtesy of Streamline Automotive who preformed a remap on their dyno. This combined with a HPD upgraded intercooler, TJM Airtec snorkel and Patrol Doctor Air box have increased power by 42% and torque is up a massive 68% over the stock numbers. It’s more than enough to get the big girl up and sprinting off the mark. Exhaust gas is flowing hard and fast thanks to the Torqit 3.5 inch stainless steel system made specifically to suit the unique routing of the extended and coiled rear end of the Jmacx chassis. There’s a HPD catch can and Diesel Care Pre Filter system for better engine protection.

A heavy duty clutch is a necessary upgrade once you start adding weight, power and/or bigger wheels on the 79 and a requirement for the 4490kg GVM Upgrade. The clutch supplied with the kit is by NPC and they are our go-to supplier for clutch upgrades.

Barwork is all by TJM with the T13 Outback bar up front, brush rails and side steps, all running 63mm tubing. The bar houses a TJM 12,000lbs Torq Winch and a set of Stedi Type X Pros light up the night up- front. Giving a good spread of side lighting is two 11.5 inch Stedi light bars mounted under the headlights and two GME antennas take care of communications, with one for UHF and one as a phone booster.

A Rhino Pioneer roof platform is fitted with more lightwork from Stedi including a 41.5 inch slimline lightbar up-front and two side facing 11.5 inch slimline light bars to light up the campsite. A Rhino Sunseeker Awning is bolted to protect patrons from the elements whilst attending the beer keg fridge, and the platform also has a Rhino hi-lift jack and shovel holder for extra recovery gear storage.

The interior has received the once-over with over-head and centre consoles from Department of the Interior that house the TJM Connect control panel and a Uniden 9080 UHF radio. Seat covers are care of Black Duck and there’s a Kenwood in-dash entertainment system front and centre, running upgraded speakers and a slimline subwoofer behind the back seat. The whole interior has been soundproofed using Dyno Mat to reduce panel vibration while the stereo is cranking and to reduce road noise.


The whole package is rolling on ROH Maverick Alloy wheels measuring at 16x 8 inches and a set of 315/75 R16s by BF Goodrich which are a KM3 mud terrain tyre. If you’re in the market for an ultra-tough touring truck that has a payload unlike anything else on the market, then give us a call to find out what we can build for you. We’ve built this truck for a purpose and no matter what your purpose we can build one to suit your needs –  ready to tour, ready to work or just ready to hit all the hard tracks – Redi-built by Redi 4×4!



 

 

 

 

Bush to Beach Touring

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You don’t always have to go the most remote corners of the country to get your touring fix – nor do you have to find the hardest tracks to have an excuse to  load your 4WD up and get out and about. We have so many good spots to explore – all within a few hours of home and the thing we love most about this country is that you can be secluded deep within a mountain range, perched up sinking bevies in a freshwater river or dipping in the surf at a pristine coastal campsite all in the same day.

We take every opportunity we can to get our 4WDs out and use them, so when an opportunity arose, we wasted no time in loading the big 79 up and headed straight for the hills for the first stint of a round about trip that would see us going from bush to beach and back again.

The original plan was to head for the Victorian High Country for a week with a bunch of our good customers we had invited along for the trip. Unforeseen circumstances caused for a few late minute changes to the plan and before we knew it we were heading northwest instead of south with a crew of 4 vehicles instead of a crew of 10.

Our first stop would be Chaffy Dam, just southeast of Tamworth and even though the water levels were pretty low at the time, the weather turned on some perfect conditions for a swim and a great first spot to pull up camp. It’s an easy drive out of Newcastle with a bit of dirt road and some beautiful scenery coming up the back way through Moonan Flat to Nundle. Rolling green hills were the order of the day and it was great to see some recent rainfall transform the brown, arid countryside back to a pleasant shade of green again. A quick pit-stop at the Victoria Hotel at Moonan Flat is definitely worth the detour for a some light refreshments.

The campsite, which has some good amenities, has bucket loads of wide open campsites perfect for groups of campers – but with enough space to set up away form everyone. There’s no powered sites though, so a good battery and solar set -up is a must for extended stays. Water-front views don’t get any better than this though, and it really makes the trip out worth it.

From there, we pushed further north and set about exploring parts of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Nestled just outside the small township of Walcha this national park lies within the Northern Tablelands and features the spectacular Apsley Falls and Apsley River. Unfortunately the recent rain wasn’t quite enough to get the falls flowing but the river was still moving quick enough for us to enjoy the last of the warm weather and take in a quick dip in the refreshing fresh water river.

Riverside Campground is a well equipped campsite that requires the collection of keys from the National Parks and Wildlife office at Walcha so bookings are essential for this site, but are worth it for the seclusion and the views of the mountain ranges on the way in to the campsite are nothing short of spectacular.

From here, we cut a B-line through the national park from Yarrowich to Bellbrook taking in the mountain sites. The driving is fairly easy but can be greasy in the wet so while you won’t be lifting wheels or using diff locks any time soon, it’s advisable to prepare fop the worst in-case the mountains turn on some wild weather. You can pick up some basic supplies at Bellbrook including fuel or stop for a quick counter lunch at the Bellbrook Hotel.

From Bellbrook we pushed further west to Georges Junction – a sensational grassy campsite on the banks of the Macleay River. Campsites don’t get much nicer than this one with wide-open, flat, grassy campsites right on some of the best parts of the Macleay. You can lock the hubs in and cross the river here with water depths ranging from hub depth through to bonnet depth depending on recent rain fall. There’s some good little low range 4WD challenges around the area (again not overly hard but still plenty of fun) so this campsite has a bit of everything.

Amenities are fairly basic including long-drop toilets and non-powered sites but the campsite is far enough away from civilisation to give you the remote touring fix without having to travel to the ends of the earth. We enjoyed the last of our wonderful summer weather bathing off the dust in the fresh, clear waters of the mighty Macleay.

So we’d enjoyed out stint in the bush and it was time to head east to our beautiful coast-line. After a quick stop at Kempsey for some last minute supplies, we headed out towards Cresent Head and then south towards Port Macquiarie – our beach campsite for the night would be Point Plomer. Situated within the Limeburners National Park, this pristine campsite has its own beach, great facilities and is only a short drive from the major towns of either Kempsey or Port Macquarie.

There’s plenty to do here including swimming, surfing, bush walking and it’s one of the best locations in the area to spot migrating whales off the headlands.

 

There’s a huge (cold showers) amenities block, picnic tables and fire pits. Fire wood and basic supplies are available from the site office and bookings are essential in holiday season –  but generally outside of these times there are plenty of campsites to choose from. The track back through to Port Macquarie is 4WD only as it can be very rutted as well as having deep sand sections and can get some serious mud also after heavy rain.

 

 

 

The alternative to this track is to drive on to the beach at Queens Head and drive south down the beach to the exit track which brings you out on Port Macquarie’s North Shore, where the Point Plomer Track also ends. From here, it’s a short trip across the punt to Settlement Point and Port Macquarie CBD.

It just goes to show that there’s plenty of touring opportunities available to get your fix without having to drive to the middle of the country. We all love those big trips but a lot of the time it all comes down to how much time we can afford to spend travelling, so more often than not a local touring trip is much more appealing and realistic than a trip to the High Country, Birdsville or Cape York – so it’s good to know that you can still load up your 4WD, see some spectacular sites and some good remote camping, all over a few days rather than a few weeks.

 

 

 

 

Troopy Fever

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Is there anything more iconic on the Australian 4WD scene than a Troop Carrier Landcruiser? Thinking back to our younger days when the old 40 series troopy ruled the tracks right through to the current day’s 78 –  you would be hard pressed to visit the outback, the top end, the high country or even a local camping trip without seeing a kitted up or a beaten up off-white brick on wheels. They really do epitomise everything we’ve ever loved about a 4WD – rugged, tough, basic and practical….and square! So when some customers approached us about building up the ultimate Troopy for them, you can bet we were pretty damn excited to sink our teeth into the project.

To relieve the customers of some of the basics – the first modification was always going to be a Jmacx rear coil spring conversion. Imagine having the refined ride comfort and axle articulation of a more sedate 4WD put in the chassis of one of the toughest 4WDs ever built! That was an awesome start to this build and the kit included the best of the best – Kings 2.5 remote canister shock absorbers, Airbag Man high pressure air bags and Jmacx billet front radius arms. Torqit also fabbed up a custom 3.5 inch stainless steel DPF back exhaust to suit the Jmacx coil cradle and give the performance and exhaust note that this beast truly deserves. The Troopy was raised a height of 2 inches in suspension lift to fulfil the demands of touring this great country of ours.

“Imagine having the refined ride comfort and axle articulation of a more sedate 4WD put in the chassis of one of the toughest 4WDs ever built!”

Bar work includes the fattest bar available off the shelf by TJM – the T13 Outback bar with massive 63mm tubing, and brush bars and side steps to suit. A Kaymar rear bar with single wheel carrier was also fitted to the back, and given that Kaymar have been around almost as long as the Troopy itself building bars for them – it hardly seems like there was any choice to be made for a rear bar.

A TJM 12,000lbs Torq winch sits out-front to take care of any recovery duties. Turning day into night is as simple as adding a pair of TJM Narva 215 LED driving lights and a Stedi 21.5 inch slim line single row light bar, so now no roo goes unseen on those endless outback roads!

A TJM Airtec snorkel is feeding cooler, cleaner air to the airbox and is welcome improvement over the standard OE item. A Rhino Pioneer Platform gives the Troopy added storage capacity and a Darche Eclipse 2 x 2.5m awning is mounted off the side of the platform as well as an Eclipse 1.4 x 2m awning which is mounted off the back to provide plenty of shelter from the harsh Aussie sun and rain.

A dual battery system powers auxiliary accessories using the TJM BC-DC 25A charger and Ultimate Red Top AGM 110A/hr battery with a Projector dual battery monitor. Other under-bonnet accessories include a Diesel Care Pre-fuel filter and a HPD billet alloy catch can for protecting the thumping big VDJ from fuel and oil contaminates. There’s also a set of Harrop diff breaters venting the diffs and gearbox for piece of mind.

A few changes to the interior of the Troopy include a T-Shaped Roof Console from Department of the Interior which houses a Uniden 9050 din sized UHF and is receiving signal through the giant Axis Ranger 4Dbi antenna. A set of  Wetseat seat covers by Inland Australia keep the seats in new condition and there’s an Autosafe cargo barrier to stop in-vehicle traffic with a fire extinguisher fitted for when parties get out of hand. A Redarc TowPro Elite takes care of trailer braking duties and we’ve bolted on a set of Clearview mirrors to assist in dragging the big van around.

The whole package is rolling on a set of Dynamic Imitation Beadlock rims wrapped in Hankook Dyanpro Mud Terrain tyres that measure 285/75 x 16 inches. There’s a set of TJM Deluxe flares to hide the wheel poke and these flares replicate the GXL standard flares that the Troop Carriers lack. This Troopy is well setup to take on the outback and I’m sure we will see this awesome looking brick popping up in some well- known and not so well-known locations around Aus.


 

 

Y62? We’ll Tell You Why

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It’s been a while since we’ve seen something a little different come through the workshop here at TJM Hunter Valley so it was a bit of an enlightenment to do a build on Nissan’s flagship Y62 Patrol. This fire breathing V8 beast of wagon received the once over and has gone from  humble beginnings to an off-roading weapon that is not only built to do the hard yards , but looks the part as well.

In a diesel crazed market, the Y62 with its V8 petrol only line up hasn’t been the greatest seller on the Aussie 4WD market. However people are slowly but surely coming around to the fact that you don’t necessarily need a diesel for touring, especially when you have a capable 4WD with a motor that can be as flexible as a diesel with low down torque and still retain reasonable fuel economy for an engine that pumps out nearly 300kW and pulls around 3 tonnes of metal. And with modern diesel motors having more and more restrictions put on them to reduce emissions that can cause reliability issues such as EGR systems and DPF exhaust systems not to mention the fact that high fuel rail pressures caused by common rail diesel injection systems can seemingly be like ticking time bombs, petrol alternatives are becoming a better option than they were 20 years ago, as the diesel motor is no longer the reliable old tractor it once was.

We started this Y62 build with the TJM T3 Explorer Bar, colour coded to suit the vehicle’s factory paint scheme. The T3 is a perfect mix of styling and vehicle protection with its solid steel base construction which also gives the Patrol a better approach angle without changing the overall look of the front end on the big wagon.

The bar also houses a TJM 9,500lbs winch with synthetic rope and a Factor 55 winch hook to take care of recovery duties and there’s a pair of Stedi Type X 7.5 inch LED driving lights to light up the tracks.

An essential item on any touring vehicle is a snorkel and the TJM Airtec snorkel has a lower profile snorkel head which still provides great airflow while being down out of harms way when the tracks get tight and overgrown.

An ARB single motor compressor was fitted to air up the Mickey Thompson ATZ P3s which are a 275/70 R18 on Kings Alloy wheels.

The Y62 Patrol uses Nissan’s Hydraulic Body Motion Control (HBCM) suspension which replaces conventional shock absorbers and sway bars with hydraulic chambers that are linked together via a hydraulic circuit. This set up makes the big heavy wagon handle surprisingly well on-road and simulates live axle articulation off-road –  as one wheel lifts it forces hydraulic fluid to the opposite side forcing that wheel down.

However like most 4WDs straight out of the box, ground height can always be improved to make the vehicle more capable off-road and lifting one of these high tech off-roaders is not as straight forward as a conventional suspension set-up. Ontrack 4×4 supplies a raised height kit which consists of extended control arms, caster correction bushes and airbags which we fitted to raise the overall height of the Patrol approximately 2 inches giving the Y62 a tough new look and improving approach, ramp-over and departure angles dramatically.

We finished the Patrol off with a GME XRS 330C UHF radio, Oricom 6.5dBi antenna and a Redarc Tow Pro Elite trailer braking system to further improve its touring capability. The customer was one happy Patrol owner and this is one capable 4WD to keep an eye out for on the tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TJM Dynamic Flex Test

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Ever wonder why your bull bar moves around on corrugations? Check out the TJM Dynamic Flex Test video below to find out exactly why: