Setting Up The Ultimate 4x4 Tourer

So you have decided to tour Australia or prepare your vehicle for an extended road trip! It’s no secret that there is a fair amount of preparation involved, but it is well worth it! Here’s what we believe are the most important touring modifications and accessories you should consider for your vehicle before setting off on your big adventure.

SLEEPING AREA

The first decision you will have to make is obviously what vehicle you will be touring in. Following this, one of the main decisions you will have to make is where you will sleep. Your vehicle choice will help determine this as you may have the option to create a sleeping area in the back, or have a ute tray to easily store a swag or tent. A rooftop tent is also a great option however even once you decide which sleeping quarters to go with, there is still a huge variety of brands and models on the market. It can be overwhelming choosing the right one with all the different styles out there- here’s a few things to consider to help narrow your search:

• Ventilation 

• You want the option to be able to have a window open at all times, even on those rainy nights. Make sure you have an awning type style exterior on the tent that allows for this. This will stop condensation overnight which can cause all kinds of problems. 

• Material

• We’re lucky in our day and age most canvases used are waterproof and can withstand the conditions. One thing we will point out and recommend taking into consideration is the amount of sunlight the canvas allows in. If you enjoy a sleep in from time to time we’d recommend a thick canvas to stop the sunlight from ruining your slow mornings!

• Size

• The size of your sleeping quarters is important not only for getting a comfortable nights rest but also because this will often become your escape when the weather turns bad.

• Bedding

• Will your bedding fit in the tent/swag when packed away? This may seem like a small issue but with limited storage space, being able to pack away blankets and pillows will be a huge help.

• Ease of setup

• When you’ve had a big day of driving or adventuring, the last thing you want to be doing is spending too much time or energy setting up your bedroom. Have a think about what sleeping quarters you’ve decided on and ask yourself, will I be okay to set this up when tired? Will I be happy to pack this setup away 100 times? If you answered no to either of those, perhaps rethink your decision. 

AWNING

Another addition many tourers will have is an awning. An awning is a great addition as it helps extend the size of your living area, while also protecting you from the elements. Again, there are a huge range of awnings on the market. We personally prefer a 270* degree awning as it not only produces more shade around the car, but also prevents heat and light entering through to the back of the car. Some important things to consider when choosing an awning is to invest in one with heavy duty brackets. High winds can often come out of nowhere and the last thing you want is your awning turning into a parachute. Built in straps that stay connected to the awning are also a great option to easily peg down if it gets a little windy. Lastly, make sure the awning has been made to disperse rain water correctly, otherwise it may pool, add extra weight to your awning, and stretch the canvas over time. 

SUSPENSION

Once again there are many of brands of suspension out there, in all kinds of kits. What we have learnt on our travels is to invest in good quality here and tackle the installation job yourself if you can. Grab some mates and give it a shot because knowing how it all works is a huge advantage should anything go wrong when you are remote. If you’re not too keen on getting your hands dirty, we’d suggest doing some research and comparison on different suspension shops to find the best fit for you. Try not to rush this part, you don’t want your vehicle sagging due to incorrect suspension or constant load rates, or shockies blowing because you didn’t take into consideration the terrains you would be tackling. There are many factors to consider here but we would definitely suggest making sure there is a good warranty included. An easily contactable company that is willing to help you normally have a very good product they stand by.

TYRES

The most popular choice of tyre for travellers is all terrain as they are the perfect compromise between off road ability and comfortability on highways. If you personally are going to be tackling a lot of muddy off road tracks, you will probably want to go for mud terrain tyres however keep in mind these will be noisier on those long stretches of highway and cause higher fuel consumption. One lesson we learnt when we were in remote Western Australia was to make sure you have a tough side wall as a puncture in the side wall will often mean your tyre is destined for the bin. Also consider your tyre size, 265 seems to be the most common size around Australia and therefore is more easily replaced in remote areas. 

DIFF LOCKERS

This one is definitely not a necessity but we consider having a rear diff locker to be well worth it! This will allow you to get to some spectacular spots, as it has done for us. Getting hung up on rutted hills can cause you to really give your car a beating, however the locker takes all the pain away as you’re able to slowly and steadily cruise through these little tough spots and get yourself to the locations not everyone can get to. You won’t regret it! 

LIGHTING

One of the best parts of travelling is sitting down outside after a day of driving or adventuring, watching the sun go down and stars appear. The last thing you want is to be bothered by mosquitos or insects during this time so a good quality camp light kit is great most of the kits available are great and most will allow for you to permanently attach them to your canopy setup or awning.

Permanent lighting fitted to the exterior of the car is also a must for us as well. We fitted switches in a few different places within the car including in our bed up top. This way if we hear any strange noises in the middle of the night, we are easily able to see what's happening outside and it gives us a great sense of security. 

SOLAR 

Solar is probably one of the most important parts to your electrical setup and something we started our journey knowing very little about! We originally left on our 45,000km journey with a 110watt solar panel permanently fitted to our roof thinking this would be perfect- we learnt very quickly that we were very wrong! We found that most of the time when setting up camp we would be parking in the shade to escape the heat as much as possible. Then after a day or two our battery would be flat from running our fridge and charging electronics. This is where having a good quality solar blanket was a life saver! When parked up for the day instead of having to move the car around to face the sun, we could easily place our solar blanket to charge the battery all day. This is another area where quality is key, a solar blanket is one of the main things you will be reaching for when in remote areas, so having a good quality one is a must.

ELECTRICAL SETUP

Your electrical setup will be highly dependant on the way you like to travel. For us personally, we require a large amount of power to run our fridge, laptop chargers, camera batteries and so on. A good battery is a must, weather it be an AGM or lithium. You need to sit down and work out what exactly you want to be running, Here is a link to a more in depth take on what you will require when it comes to setting up your 12v system. Our tip would be to run an inverter slightly larger than what you actually intend on using, along with a quality lithium battery. With todays modern technology, they really are the leaders of the pack!

FRIDGE

We know people who have happily toured with just an esky on board, but having a fridge is a huge advantage when going off grid for an extended period. With thousands of brands on the market it can be difficult to decide on, however our tip  would be to spend that little bit more money on a reputable brand that is sold all over Australia and has a great warranty. That way should anything go wrong on the opposite side of the country, you should have no problems getting it fixed. Be sure to check how many amps the fridge is using while on, as this will make a big difference to how much battery and solar you will require.

ORGANISATION

Organisation is key when living out of a small space. We would absolutely suggest having some kind of built in storage or cabinetry and assigning a space for every item. Try to keep your living area simple, the fewer things you have to pull out and set up the better! We personally keep everything packed away in our drawers with the exception of our camp chairs and Hardkorr solar blanket. One of the best things we ever installed was our externally mounted table, as this was one less thing to store inside the car, and is much easier to set up than a normal fold out table. 

Our biggest suggestion would be to work out your setup with trial and error- go for a few local trips to iron out the faults and see what products you do/don’t use. Everyone is different and you need something that works best for you. Happy building and enjoy your time touring this beautiful country!