14' Series Outback Travel - Some Observations for Expanda Protection

[MDS69]

Last week we got back from a trip to Birdsville from Sydney. Two and a half days up and two and a half days back with 3 nights in Birdsville, 4 nights at Big Red and 1 night on a clay pan half way back to town. No we weren’t at the Big Red Bash but the Big Red Run. 250km ultra marathon over 6 days raising funds for juvenile diabetes research.
Any way on the way up after leaving Windorah it rained. We turned left onto the Development Rd and copped a heap of mud across the front of the van despite using a Stone Stomper. I would hate to see the results without one. Further on we came out of the rain onto dry dirt road so the dust combined with a wet van made it even dirtier. The trip out to Big Red and back was on dry dirt road and the trip home was on a mostly dry and dusty Development Road but with some road works a water tanker made for some muddy sections.

Where I am going with this is after washing the van today it gave me a chance to check the damage.
I think next time I travel outback dirt roads I am going to run duct tape around the front lid gaps. Apart from getting dust in the front bed area inside the van through the gaps around the lid, the water, grit and dust sat on the bottom edge where the lid latched and combined with the sail track for the storm bed end covers it ground through the gel coat. Also the gel coat on the outside of the front lid is covered in stone chips despite the Stone Stomper.

Around 2 years ago we did the Darling River Run from Menindee Lakes north and ended up in Lighting Ridge and the black coating across the bottom front of the van suffered damage again travelling with a Stone Stomper fitted. Don’t get me wrong I am not bagging the Stone Stomper as it does an excellent job of protecting the rear of the tow vehicle and is probably the best stone protection product on the market.

If I had a spare couple of hundred dollars lying around I would investigate getting a padded cover for the front of the van like a car bra and have it fixed along the top with press studs or similar and shock cord down lower. Would also help with bug guts across the front of the van.

I have corflute covers I duct tape to the vents on the sides of the van to keep dust at bay but has anyone else experienced this type of damage both on the front of the lid and at the bottom internal edge.

Would anyone else like to offer their tips on protection when travelling the outback.

 

[achjimmy]

You say the stonestomper still worked in the mud! I’ve always had to remove mine! Maybe the extra 300mm of drawbar does it , but have always found the stomper useless in mud. The rest of the time it’s brilliant

 

[MDS69]

Not mud like driving through bog holes but enough to accumulate on the mud flaps and under wheel arches on both car and van. No mud on the Stone Stomper but I don’t have the pics on the iPad to post up. If I get on a computer I will put some up.

 

[crackacoldie]

Many of us have found a major source of dust ingress us under the back of the van where the fiberglass panel meets the sub frame. This needs a bead of silicon aa's the dust drives up in there.

 

[DRW]

I had some damage on the front of our van after Birdsville but we came up from Cameron corner, we had a stone stomper fitted as well so goodness knows what it would have looked like without it. Dust, don’t go there we duct taped front and rear bed ends, blocked vents etc but to no avail but we found out later about the seal under the guards etc. I still believe most damage was cause from pushing too hard, we had to fit 4 new tyres to the van when we got home as they were chewed to bits, 2 days back to Sydney might be part of the problem but only you can answer that one. Now we’re sort of retired no more rushed trips hopefully, I’m still yet to be allowed back on the dirt with the van

 

[chartrock]

Maybe I pushed too hard from Noccundra to Cameron Corner. That was a tough run.

 

[DRW]

For the old Navara

 

[chartrock]

For the old Navara

No, for your van. The Navara went great except when some clown disposed of his bent tent peg out on the road.

 

[DRW]

I told Carmel we were going to do the Gib River Rosd she asked if it was sealed, I said some of it might be lol

 

[NoWorries]

I told Carmel we were going to do the Gib River Rosd she asked if it was sealed, I said some of it might be lol

Some of the hills are sealed

 

[Drover]

I went in the Mercedes Benz, no damage and I didn't care anyway, if I had an Expanda it would have fitted nicely in the back of the Mog, way better than a stretcher.

 

[Crusty181]

We have a Stone Stomper and we had bugger all stone damage to the van and no accumulated dust issues around the hardlid. I can only suspect the lack dust was a bonus of the ute not causing quite the turbulence a wagon would in pulling the dust cloud in behind the car. The Stone Stomper did a sterling job, but it certainly needed to be wider at the car end to be 100% effective. The tapered shape of the Stone Stomper mat allowed the outside edge of the cars rear tyres a clear line to the outside line of the van. Im assuming the width is an unfortunate legal issue re the bar extending past the car body. I plugged most of that missing coverage by fitting extensions to rear mud flaps and that worked very well.

 

[achjimmy]

The cruiser is shocking for collecting dust behind it thanks to the stupid rear spoiler thing the AU market gets! But with the stonestomper fitted this is reduced considerably. Same crusty it doesn’t go wide enough at the car end. Ill replace the fiberglass on the van with some one day and won’t care.

 

[Linton]

I was in Kalumburu last week (flew in), and met a family who came in with an Expanda OB17, new one. Previous to getting there they had travelled the Tanami road. They had sustained some damage to drawers, and on the advice of others took the precaution on the really rough stuff on the GRR of putting drawers and microwave on the floor, padded with blankets and stuff.
My drive in to Kalumburu with my OB18.58-2 is next year. Interested in any comments experiences on how to beef up the drawer and microwave fixings so they can take it. Or is that wishful thinking and should I just follow suit?

On other off-bitumen damage, last year I traveled from Exmouth across country to Sandstone (through Mt Augustus and Meeka), about 1000k, all on dirt. 3 of the 4 brake leads were torn off at the connector near each wheel, because the installers didn't allow enough travel in the Jaytec suspension, so I was driving with 1 wheel braked. Had to re-route wiring to prevent that happening in future. Also, the white PVC drain fittings behind the right hand wheels were smashed. Dust was a biggy, and I've spent a couple of days and many tubes of silicone attending to that. In my van, the main penetration seemed to be around the wheel arches, which is got at by removing the wheel arch trim. The ensuite mirror fell off twice, and I've fixed that by replacing short screws into the 11mm panelling with small bolts and acorn nuts through it. Other than those, the OB has stood up quite well.

 

[Crusty181]

I was in Kalumburu last week (flew in), and met a family who came in with an Expanda OB17, new one. Previous to getting there they had travelled the Tanami road. They had sustained some damage to drawers, and on the advice of others took the precaution on the really rough stuff on the GRR of putting drawers and microwave on the floor, padded with blankets and stuff.
My drive in to Kalumburu with my OB18.58-2 is next year. Interested in any comments experiences on how to beef up the drawer and microwave fixings so they can take it. Or is that wishful thinking and should I just follow suit?

On other off-bitumen damage, last year I traveled from Exmouth across country to Sandstone (through Mt Augustus and Meeka), about 1000k, all on dirt. 3 of the 4 brake leads were torn off at the connector near each wheel, because the installers didn't allow enough travel in the Jaytec suspension, so I was driving with 1 wheel braked. Had to re-route wiring to prevent that happening in future. Also, the white PVC drain fittings behind the right hand wheels were smashed. Dust was a biggy, and I've spent a couple of days and many tubes of silicone attending to that. In my van, the main penetration seemed to be around the wheel arches, which is got at by removing the wheel arch trim. The ensuite mirror fell off twice, and I've fixed that by replacing short screws into the 11mm panelling with small bolts and acorn nuts through it. Other than those, the OB has stood up quite well.

http://expandasdownunder.com/thread...ping-caravan-and-car-spares.11043/post-190547

Have a look at the microwave installs on the Silverline, although that method my be in all Jaycos now. My micro fell out and I had to refit it on the road. I used polymer and rivets to attach alum angle to front of the micro sides which then screw to the face of the cabinet. I added two vertical ribs above the micro similar to the Silverline which jamb between the micro and the shelf above eliminating any vertical movement. Ive not had another issue. I didnt have the luxury of a workshop or ability to take the chance it would happen again, so you could probably get away with the timber ribs above the micro

The micro is now like those lonely farmhouse chimneys sitting off in the distance in a paddock. My van could get run through by a road train, by the micro will be still sitting unmoved in the cabinet

Before (its actually after. Just sitting back in there getting the repair measurements)



After. Would have preferred to frame it better with the alum, but grass workshops are challenging enough)



Special Noodle Clamps. Cabinet Making tool you wont be able to source, or use correctly without training



Alum angle polymer glued and riveted to the side of the micro