What would you do differently next time?

[Redback]

darren ......... 39L fridge to live out of for a couple of weeks is a top effort.

A 39L fridge is not big enough to store my beer quota for a day Then there is the wygu steaks, black angus cube roll oh and the rib fillet on the bone. Not to mention the pre made curries, roast lamb, roast pork, ribs and the dry aged smoked bacon .... plus all the other goodies we keep in the fridge .... lol

I always take to much food and beer but that's the plan as you just never know when you might end up stuck on the side of the road for a couple of days ..... plus there is nothing like pulling up in the middle of nowhere and having a choice of what to have for dinner, lunch or breakfast

Each trip I add to my specialty tool list and car part spares. Next trip I plan to have a 24v welding kit

yogi

I've seen this in the flesh, it's big

Totally agree with the second paragraph though, especially the bolded bit

As someone has said, everyone is different.

Baz.

[duggie]

I too took way to much food, spot on with the XXXX supply. Did not need or use the coleman hot water nor the shower tent and would not take some other things again on that sort of trip.
But the main thing that I would do if/when I go again would be to ring up all of the fuel retailers along the the way and ask them their prices and post them on the forum.
For an example: On my way home I did not refuel at the Archer River Roadhouse but chose to travel on to Coen, a futher 60'k down the road. Archer River price for diesel was $1.99 cents per litre but in Coen I paid $1.77 cents per litre. A huge saving when buying 80 odd litres of fuel.
If the fuel prices were listed prior to leaving on these sort of trips the group could pre plan stops, fuel refills and save heaps.

[dno]

Good point duggie,
The good lady has worked in the fuel industry for over ten years and at more than one company, They have rules and there not to give out fuel prices over the phone so you'd have to negate this problem.

[9775Andrew]

Good info guys, thanks

We just returned from 8 weeks across OZ and had 2 fridges, the 60lt combo engel died day 3 into the trip, lucky for the 80lt evacool in camper. engel made a great esky / pantry

bought new 40lt in Broome

now packing for extended trip so all ya thoughts are very helpfull, no doubt I'll be taking more than I need, but we're going solo this run so have to be 100% self reliant.


Q1. Can any type of rods used for welding?

Q2. Do you have to use 2 batteries for welding (and I'll asume they are removed from said vehicle)


Some simple suggestions, most may already do this

1. Run fridge up high while driving and turn down when stopped and then down real low at bedtime, don't forget to trun back up in the morning (this saves the fridge working hard all night)

2. In hotter climate areas (Desert / WA north coast / Gulf / Cape etc) we would get a few drinks out and nibbles, put into an esky to save the fridge open and closing all the time. Makes a difference up in those areas. 30 to 40'C is hard work for a fridge. Also in the humid climates it frosts your frodge up quicker opening and closing.

3. Home made pre cooked frozen diners are great for the late night arrivals to camp. Whip out ya favourite dish heat it up and the kids are sorted without the fuss.

cheers

[yogi]

I just finished getting my weldding kit together last weekend ........ you want to run the batteries at 24V ie in series (if running in / from a vehicle remove all cables from terminals prior to welding) ........ I am just using general purpose 2.6mm weldding rods. Don't forget some good quality G clamps as they can double as a vice if required and a welding mask / strip (there cheap as chips and will save your eyes).



yogi

[jk]

Looks the goods mate, now we just have to break something    , and that shouldn't take us long 

[yogi]

Time for another big trip ....... lol ..... I could get some tips off of the bush welding guru

yogi

[jclures]

Is Symon taking his trailer with you yogi?

[Symon]

Looks the goods mate, now we just have to break something    , and that shouldn't take us long  

We've got the best people on it  

Is Symon taking his trailer with you yogi?

No doubt there will be something I'll need to patch on the trailer wherever it goes.

This and the other thread reminded me I hadn't made my welding kit yet either, so this is what I knocked up this morning.  The PVC pipe holds the welding rods, an idea I shamelessly stole from jk    -

[jk]

Bloody nice set up mate, I should drink more often.............that's when I have all my good ideas   

[Symon]

That's a nice setup Yogi, I like the Anderson plug idea.  I'm guessing you have another cable that connects on to that to give you more length or something?

Bloody nice set up mate, I should drink more often.............that's when I have all my good ideas   

Cheers mate, I was going to include the mask in the shot but it is still buried deep in the camper....

[yogi]

JC .......... every big trip I have done someone has needed a welder ...... it hasn't been me yet !!!! So I figure my time is coming and I had better get prepaired

Symon ........ yeah mate my jumper leads are the same size wire as the welding kit and figured it would give me a 5m+ welding range from the front of my truck should I ever need to. Time will tell if it works Oh and that would be something that only the "6B&S Division" would pick up on from a single pic Oh and nice setup ...... now I just need to get a water proof container for my welding rods.

yogi

[jk]

 Oh and that would be something that only the "6BnS division" would pick up on from a single pic

yogi
[/quote]

lol 

[jclures]

We could have done with a welding set at Kingfisher camp, we had everything else.

[yogi]

We could have done with a welding set at Kingfisher camp, we had everything else.

Exactly how cool would that have been ........ remove, grind, weld, drive away ........ myswag power ...... lol

yogi

[Symon]

Oh and that would be something that only the "6B&S Division" would pick up on from a single pic

I only noticed it because I am thinking of doing exactly the same thing!

[yogi]

I only noticed it because I am thinking of doing exactly the same thing!

Great minds think alike

yogi

PS(are you thinking beer )

[jetcrew]

I tell you what someone had better break some steel on the next trip  or we will have to grind some poor sods drawbar in half at night. and then wake up to the INVASION OF THE WELDING KITS. A tale of molten steel and fancy clamps ,coming to a campsite near you.

Jetcrew

[staghornflat]

If you had an extention between the anderson plugs would that extra length of cable reduce power to much to get a good weld? I thought I read that by decreasing or increasing the lenght of cable you can change the amps?

[Diksta]

Symon,

should we do a list of must tools so to speak, and if people have them bring them along for eg there is not much point of having 10 hilift jacks and 10 chainsaws is there, since we are travelling as a troop, if for eg i say i will bring a chainsaw and a 10amp inverter welder, (which i will), and someone else can bring the generator, and a few people bring a hi lift, etc.

that way we have everything covered but not everyone is loaded up bringing along the same thing as everyone else..

besides if i take my little welder it would save destroying someones battery

just food for thought

cheers

Diksta

[yogi]

If you had an extention between the anderson plugs would that extra length of cable reduce power to much to get a good weld? I thought I read that by decreasing or increasing the lenght of cable you can change the amps?

It all depends on the size of the cable, distance and amount of amps / volts your trying to carry. Not sure anyone has ever tried to measure the amount of current draw of a bush welder ..... if they had you could work it out fairly easily.

yogi

[Apollo]

I have a stainless steel CT, so I guess the bush welder is out of the question for me!

[jk]

I'm no welder but wouldn't you just use stainless rods  , or do you need a lot more amps to get it to arc 

[yogi]

I have a stainless steel CT, so I guess the bush welder is out of the question for me!

I don't think all of your camper is stainless ....... unless your Kerry Packer's long lost son ..... lol ...... Seriously though the bit's that tend to break like draw bar, hitch, spring / shock mounts and axles won't be stainless. Happy to be proven wrong though

yogi

[Diksta]

I have a stainless steel CT, so I guess the bush welder is out of the question for me!

i have some nice little 2,5 mm stainless rods