micko

When I manage to escape it's in a 79 Series Landcruiser ute that I've spent a fair bit of time and effort preparing for the type of remote travelling that I prefer to do. I'm very happy with the results and the unit was shaken down on our 2010 expedition into the Gibson, Great Sandy and Kimberley areas.

I have always had a passion for exploring the outback probably fostered by my parents who dragged us off camping and travelling around Australia at every opportunity (picture three kids in the back of a 72 Belmont Panel van towing a 15' Viscount van around and thru Australia at a time when the bitumen ended at Port Augusta!).

I started my travels as a teenager on a pushbike with a waterbag strung from the cross frame, food in army surplass gas-mask bags and a rabbit trap strung to the handlebars. Many a great weekend was spent catching the late Friday train out to desert areas and riding 2 days home through the dune country. I bought my first ute at 18 and my first 4x4 ute at 20 and spent 5 years travelling the iconic outback tracks in the early 1980's. A hiatus of nearly 20 years and then back on the road again in 2005 rekindling the love affair with the remote outback. Age and an income mean a certain level of sophistication in camping equipment these days (An Engel over the esky, GPS over mudmap & compass, twine shower over a dip in the dam, sat phone and HF over 27 meg CB & an occassional phone booth, etc etc) compared to my earliest trips and what was once "remote" is now considered pedestrian but there's still so much to see.

A vehicle description.........

2010 Toyota VDJ79R Cab chassis Ute (with a few modifications)

Vehicle stretched 500mm
110 Hybrid battery as vehicle auxiliary (under bonnet)
Redarc BCDC1220 DCDC charger
2 x Powersonic 140 A/H AGM Batteries (Main pod)
Redarc BMS battery management System
Custom Tray, Undertray boxes and pods by Allform Industries Morwell.
Protective Barbork and Bullbar by ARB (Modified and extended by the can-do people at Brown Davis)
2 onboard compressors and 23 cubic foot pressure tank
80 litre under tray water tank and pump
40 litre under tray stainless water tank
Rear bellows type airbags
Full suspension upgrade (certified GVM increase of 420kg)
Tough Dog Big Bore adjustable shocks all round
165 litre auxiliary fuel tank (Brown Davis)
SensaTyre 8 tyre monitor
Toyo Open Country MT tyres (285/75-R16)
Custom in cab computer mount (brown davis)
Recaro Seats
ARB steel winch bar and side rails
GME UHF radios
GME EPIRB
Satphone (Motorolla on Iridium network
Platinum drop slide
Engel 75 litre Combo Frdige/freezer
3" taipan exhaust system
EGT and Egine Water Temp alarm
3 x 100W solar Panels


For Remote Exploration

Arctic Cat 700cc Diesel ATV (Quad) – Accept no substitutes!
Custom built (and rebuilt!)off-road trailer

Remote desert travel