Touring WA and buying a 4WD - questions

EJ,
Hoping to pick up a decent fourby for $3000 and expecting it to do what you want is a tad optimistic I think, others opinions may vary. Quokka would be a good place to start looking I think it's on line as well so you could have a look there from where ever you are coming from. The trip your planning is quite a task for an old fourby, if you knew the vehicle and had a good history maybe, if you rock up in Perth, buy a fourby (any model) give it to a good cheap mechanic (very rare) and expect it to do this trip reliably, good luck. Sorry to appear a tad negative but I believe that's the way it is.
I don't know how long you are staying for but hiring a new fourby might be a better option, you get all the gear and a new vehicle, might be a better safer option, you don't want to be come a statistic.

My opinions and experience, good luck with your trip, you'll enjoy it.

1. All I can say is 3G’s don’t get you much and be bloody careful buying an old 4WD and touring around Solo, WA it’s a big place and if something goes wrong of a main HWY you could be in real trouble, 2 people died this year when something similar happened

3. Try autotader.com.au or carsales.com.au (Just select WA when you search)

4. I use a dealer when I have to but I do most of the work my-self. The problem with a lot of mechanical faults is they are not always obvious, A example to this was the first car I brought when I got my license 5years ago, It was RAC Inspected and was tolled it was a Fantastic buy a family friend who is a Ex-mechanic said no worries grate condition. Yeah right had many problems with the car like> Carbie, Steering, Master cylinder, Electronic ignition Head and some more.

5. When you get hear buy a Gregory’s workshop Manuel for the car, As for spears well you are on a budget so I would go with Hoses (Main ones) Belt’s Sparkplugs (If petrol) Fuel filters, fuses second spear tyre or tubes and pump. Non-specific stuff> Wire (like fencing), Ducting tape and electrical, Zip (Cable) ties, can of WD40 or CRC and oil’s and coolant. A half decent tool kit wouldn’t be bad ether.

It could all be fine the old $3000 4By could make it, but I would look seriously at stretching the budget and trying to hire a kitted out 4WD it would be more $$ but peace of mind and could work out cheaper in the long run, just remember a Mobile phone is no good in outback Australia.

Get real : you won't get a decent 4wd to do that trip for $3K..( old petrol guzzling units of 20 years or more !)...with rat bleep tyres and trashed suspension and all the rest ....and what u need would be a DIESEL..( better MPG !!) ..so think about hiring one for the trip..all the good rental shops have fully equipped and ready to go Toyotas with all the camping gear u will need and you will have no problems, no hassles and no breakdown expenses ... that are almost as certain as day follows night if you happen upon a cheap unit for the price you want to pay..seriosly don't think of your option as outlined above...pure lunacy ...no point in getting half way and ending up broke and seeing nothing ???

Get the idea ?

Buy a 2WD Ford or Holden wagon on gas. If the road looks too rough to drive on it is probably beyond your expertise anyhow, many tourists suffer from lack of experience.

There are lots of things to do/see in 8 weeks without going off-road. Save your money and enjoy the holiday

Rolande

Sounds like another front page headline coming up "Tourists die in the outback".
Take note of the advise given. Rolande says it all.

Four wheel drive is not required but a good strong suspension is and most 4wd vehicles have a strong suspension.

Exploder has given you a very good list of spares and Rolande has good advice.

My advice take a kimberly tour (there are heaps of them) and let them thrash their waggons. You can get a cheap car for sealed road touring just do not try doing any 'off road' tracks on your own.

Hi Ejoffe,

The advice here is pretty good. You could be lucky enough to get a way with it, but if you are that lucky buy a lottery ticket on arrival then you won't be short of funds!

The Gibb River road is graded at the start of the season so you should be fine in a 2WD, but my advice, if you go 2WD or 4WD is to find someone doing the same thing and travel together. Budget travellers abound in all the Backbacker's hostels/hotels in Perth. There are noticeboards in all of these where you will easily find someone of similar interests, and might pick up a cheap vehicle.

When I travelled the GRR the trip was perfect, including Mitchell Falls, until near Ellenbrae where I managed FOUR punctures in 20kms. I was carrying 3 spares and repair equipment which is excessive for most people, without them I would have been grateful for a buddy travelling with me. Out of curiosity I had a chat with a couple of Hire 4WD drivers and found that they each only had one spare so hiring isn't always the answer.

Bear in mind also that if you stick to the main tourist routes in the Kimberley at this time of year you are unlikely to be stuck in a life threatening situation - too many other travellers. However, they are on holiday and don't really want to spend it rescuing unprepared tourists, though they will of course. If you are not going to carry enough spares, carry enough beers to be able to thank your rescuers properly!

2WD may be best , but if it must be 4WD try contacting 4WD clubs. It may be that a club member has a machine that would suit and if the club secretary can recommend it you have a reasonable chance of ethical advice .

Can you organize an interest only loan before you leave home ? This would enable you to spend more on the vehicle .

Have you factored in the option of earning money while travelling ? Most northwest towns are desparate for labour .

Hi Ejoffe, me again,

I have just noticed that you don't mention meals and accomodation at all. I am sure that you are aware of this, but just in case .... there are no hotels in a lot of the places you want to visit. You can pick up some food at the few roadhouses but there are only a very few and you will not always be within a hundred kilometres of one at mealtimes. So you will probably need to acquire camping and cooking gear and at least a decent sized Esky for four of you.

There are of course Motels in main centres but be aware that some places which look like towns on your map will just be a single building when you get there! (Payne's Find is just one example). In some cases maps show what appear to be towns but never were up to much and are now abandoned (often abandoned once the gold ran out).

I don't want to put you off but you need to do your research - coming to this site shows that you probably know that. Have fun!

ejoffe

I also think you should buy an old (2wd) falcon or commodore and take a tour or hire a 4wd for the off road bits. There's plenty of backpackers who do this and they buy and sell the vehicles amongst themselves between $2000 - $5000 and could inlcude camping gear and other usefull stuff.
Try the lonely planet forum They might me able to give some info.

Enjoy your trip.R.

Toyota fj 40 swb for sale in todays paper. Duel fuel new conversion, recon motor,33" Mud terrain tyers, near new suspension, 9 months rego +many extras 5 grand and knowing the Kalgoorlie market another grand or 2 off would be well possible

Thanks for all your replies.
This is by far one of the best forums I have ever joined.
I was thinking that actually older cars might work because they are usually more simple to handle but I guess I am wrong.
Maybe I'll try to strech the budget and get something newer or rent.
Thanks again
EJ

If you don't have the mechanical knowledge or off road experience then I reackon you should go for a 2wd. You'll be pretty amazed what you'll be able to see and do without having to go hard core off road and in the time you have you'll have more than enough to keep you occupied. You'll have much more choice in your pricerange and are far more likely to get something that will survive the distances you're gonna do. Also, if something does go wrong, its gonna be a heck of a lot cheaper to patch it up than it will on a 4b.

Here in WA they let just about anything on the roads, there are no compulsary vehicle checks each year (RWC in the east of AU, or like a MOT in the UK). So there's a real chance of getting a complete bomb palmed off on ya.

With 4 people in the car you're gonna need an estate I reackon. Go for a commodore (vauxhall) or falcon (ford) something around 12-15 years old. You'll find they are common and easy to find bits for when something does go wrong. IMO get a 6 cylinder car for the km's you'll be doing. Also I suggest you get a car with air-con, if you're from europe (guessing from the name) then the trip will get to be a hardship bl**dy quick if you don't.
There's tons of info on the web about what to look for in a secondhand car but the basics (according to those web sites) are:
Bounce the suspension, the car should bounce once, maybe twice but no more, and then come to rest. Drive it, it shouldn't jump out of gear (manual) if you take your foot off the accellerator suddenly, do that in each gear.
When you test drive it make sure you do it with the windows down so you can hear any pings, knocks, rattles etc. Check the oil colour, if its milky, there is definately a problem, but if its too clean then be suspicious too. Check for oil leaks. Find somewhere safe and do an emergency stop in it. Once its warmed up get someone to stand behind it and give it a good rev, check for smoke. Make sure it has enough vehicle license for the time you're gonna need it. Make sure the tyres are legal (I think its 1.5mm of tread all around, use a coin, someone here will confirm that I'm sure). Make sure the spare is good too.
Don't worry too much about rust, you're not gonna have it that long, but make sure it looks ok on the outside. Cops will stop you if it looks like a piece of cr*p and you can get a Yellow sticker which basically means you have to take it to them and they will check it out and likely (on a $3000 car) tell you that you have to spend a fortune before you can drive it again. For a petrol car look for something with under 180,000 kms on the clock (thats a guess, hopefully someone on the forum will give some more informed advice regarding the mileage to look for).
One other thing. Take down the engine VIN, it will be on a plate rivetted under the bonnet somewhere, and call REVS (google it) and make sure its not stolen or has money owed on it before you part with your money.
Don't be afraid to haggle, people expect a little haggling.

There's a car market in Freo every week that you might get a bargain at, but other than that and whats been mentioned there's auctions. For what you're spending you won't get a warranty at a dealer anyway so there's just as much risk and more chance of getting a bargain. You'll more likely get the best bargain from out of the paper (Sunday Times, quokka - which is also online).

Do a ton of reading about how to deal with emergencies, especially medical, and dealing with nasties. There's lots on this site that will help.

Take TONS of water (they recommend 5L per person per day) in multiple containers.
I hope you're budgeting for some accommodation and meals etc
Food wise if you allow $15 per person per day you should be fine as long as you're not expecting steak every night.

Invest in a few books. The Priceless campsites one's are bloody good and will save you some dosh on accommodation.

For what you're doing, might be worth also investing in some emergency communications, like hiring a sat phone, or at the very least picking up a cheap CDMA phone for the trip.

Also, consider going south of Perth, its really beautiful too, much easier on you temperature wise.

Thats my (almost) completely un-informed take on it. Don't foget your camera's you're gonna have a lot of fun :-)

Tom