Offroading NZ – 4WD New Zealand

Installing a 3rd Battery

January 11, 2017January 7, 2017 by 4wdnewzealand, posted in Landcruiser upgrades

For any serious touring, power consumption is always in the back of your mind, this is why we decided to add a 3rd battery for our South Island expedition.

The 74 Series runs a full 24V starting and electrical system, so for us to be able to charge a AA Champion 12V 71 A/h deep cycle gel battery we had to add a few additions to the conventional dual battery set up.

The first thing you will notice is the giant red box bolted to the top of the battery box. This red box is a 24-12V DC-DC smart battery charger made by PowerTech. It steps down the 24V input to a 12V charge from the start battery’s whilst regulating the charging cycle to prolong the lifespan of the 3rd battery.

Mounted to the side of the battery box is a Aopec 24V smart battery isolator that automatically cuts in at 26.6V to allow the battery to charge and cuts out at 25.6V isolating the start batteries. This prevents us from draining the start batteries and not being able to make it home from the campsite after using our Waeco fridge, air compressor and 300W inverter.

First Aid Kit

December 8, 2016 by 4wdnewzealand, posted in Equipment for 4WD

In preparation for any 4WD trip a first aid kit is essential. Being prepared for an accident can mean the difference between saving a limb or life or losing it. But the question is which one do you buy? There are a million different types from personal home use kits by AA to ARB 4×4 Accessories family first aid for 4WD kits and these range from $25 into the hundreds.

After researching and reviewing all the first aid kits out there ( I literally spent 2 hours looking at all the different kits) we settled on a simple kit from from Sell Wood Medical Supplies sold on Trade me for $45 ($5 more for shipping) and simply added to it the extras we have found to be important when out on tracks in NZ.

But honestly most of what is in the kit is over kill as the goal on any trip to to not to maim yourself or your truck while out adventuring. Listed below is the contents of the kit we purchased. I have bolded the items that come in the most handy and in italics is the items we’ve found we’ve needed over the course of our shorter trips. You can always pack your own first aid kit into a 7L plastic container. But when researching all the pricing it actually works out cheaper to buy a base kit and just add to it.

This kit contained

ESSENTIALS

Alcohol Prep Pads 12
Sting Relief Pads 4
Adhesive Bandages 30
Fingertip Bandages 4
Sterile Gauze 5
First Aid Tape 1
Metal Tweezers 1
Safety Pins 10
PVC Gloves 1
Saline 2

We added
Eyewash
Steri strips (skin closure strips)
Burn cream
Sunblock
Aloe vera or after sun cream ( I have bought Soov to try on this trip)
Bug spray (mozzies are lethal in NZ if your prone to being bitten or of foreign blood)
Anti itch cream
Nurofen
Allergy Medicine

HANDY (Specialized)
Antiseptic Cleansing wipes 6
Cotton Tips 10
Knuckle Bandages 4
Trauma Pads 2
Elastic Bandage Large 1
Elastic Bandage Medium 1
Elastic Bandage Small 1
CPR Mask 1
Tourniquet 1
Triangular Bandages/Slings 2
Scissors 1
Instant Ice Pack 1

NON ESSENTIAL
Raincoat 1
Emergency Whistle 1
Emergency Blanket 1
Dynamo Rechargeable Flashlight 1
First Aid Instruction Card 1
EVA First Aid kit Case 1

Tires; A must have for 4WD

December 3, 2016January 7, 2017 by 4wdnewzealand, posted in Landcruiser upgrades

Tires, probably one of the biggest discussion topics in the off-road world.

There are so many factors to consider when it comes to selecting the perfect bit of rubber for 4 wheel driving. These include what kind of rims they are on, the tread, side wall strength, the internal design, road noise and how they will wear.

The boys from ATJ Auto Parts in Waipapa recommend we try out the new Maxxis Bighorn M/T’s over the BF Goodrich KM2 for a competitive cost effective alternative.

Don’t get me wrong, BF Goodrich makes an excellent tire standing true to the name and providing strong, reliable tires with good tire wear, but the problem is they are upwards of $400’s.

The Maxxis Bighorn seems to be the next up and coming off road tire and has been building a good reputation within the NZ 4WD market. They have been delivering a long lasting and tough product, and at $390ea they are very attractive.

Maxxis M/T offers a radial construction tire, with a wide foot print which allows for good traction and shock absorption. They have extra wide shoulder luges which are supposed to be great for mud and add protection for the sidewalls and rims. Maxxis’s touts that these tires are good in the desert, dirt, rock , snow and mud giving it the all terrain label. Which is why we decided to give them a try.

We have had them for 6 months now, about 20,0000kms, and we still have 15mm of tread left so we honestly can’t complain. They’ve held their own in mud, gravel, dirt and tar seal. The road noise is minimal and the sidewalls have held up in the tightest of situations.

Double thumbs up for Maxxis being a more affordable durable tire for 4 WD.

Keep an eye out for a future post on the importance of having good rims for your new tires.

Her First Addition: Ironman Winch Bull Bar

November 20, 2016 by 4wdnewzealand, posted in Landcruiser upgrades

The first addition to the 74 Series project was some serious frontal protection!
After considering durability, practicality and Styling we found that the IronMan Commercial winch bar ticked all the boxes. Ironman 4×4 NZ webpage was very user friendly in selecting the correct bar for the 74series. The bar is sold as (Toyota LC75/78/79 1984-2007 BBC018).

It was super easy to fit as IronMan makes their bars specifically for your vehicle. Slide right into place and attached at 4 spots. Please note that this truck does not have airbags, for vehicles with airbags the bar has to be compliant.

All up it took about 2hours to remove the standard bumper bolt on the winch bar and to wire up the indicator, running lights and light bar. I’ll talk about those in future posts. Lucky for us the 74Series had already had a suspension upgrade and can therefore support the extra weight of the bar and winch, otherwise you should seriously consider a suspension upgrade before installing a bar.