12,000km Trial For Caravanners
The Age
Friday August 13, 1993
I'M UNSURE who, in their right mind, would want to circle Australia in a couple of Toyota Landcruisers with caravans on tow in just 12 days.
If, however, this is what you want, then the masochistic staff of the national magazine `4x4 Australia' will be able to provide you with plenty of tips on how to do it. As part of a promotional stunt for Toyota and Brisbane caravan manufacturer Golf, the magazine recently completed just such a circuit _ and without any major drama. To achieve their aim, the schedule called for 12,000 kilometres in 12 days...not an easy task even without the caravans.
The team comprised five experienced long-haul drivers and, with 1000 kilometres to be covered each day, they changed over at regular intervals to prevent fatigue. Covering this sort of distance day after day is no easy thing, but the people involved are used to this sort of chore as part of their employment with road testing. However, towing caravans was an added challenge. Most experienced drivers can notch up 1000 km for a few days, but, to do this day after day, and with caravans behind, is no easy task. The vehicles used were a Troop Carrier RV and a 70 Series cab/chassis, both powered by Toyota's 4.5- litre twin-cam engine.
The engines were fuel injected, with 158 kW of power and a ``stump pulling" 373 Nm of torque at 3200 rpm; both were fitted with five- speed manual gearboxes.
These were initially driven from Sydney to Brisbane without the caravans and, pushed reasonably hard over a variety of roads, returned fuel consumption figures of 15.2 litres/100 km (18.6 mpg) for the Troop Carrier and 16/100 km (17.7 mpg) for the cab/chassis _ not bad considering that the latter had less than 1000 km on the clock.
Both vehicles were standard with twin fuel tanks taking 180 litres (90 in each) and standard fitment Dunlop Super Gripper tyres on split rims. They carried four spares for the vehicles and two for the vans.
The Troopy was equipped with an 8000-lb, low mount electric winch and both vehicles had bullbars and driving lights.
The latter were an important item as anyone who has travelled through far north Queensland at night knows well the number of 'roos and stray cattle found on and alongside the roads. PIAA lights were chosen as, from experience, the magazine's editor, Ron Moon, believes them to be the best.
He said, ``Yours truly has driven behind the odd set of lights over the years and I can say, without hesitation, that in my opinion the PIAA's are the best. Their disadvantage is the cost. The cheapest cost in the vicinity of $400 a pair (wiring harness included) and for the top models/globes, you could be up for well over a grand! Even so, they are worth it. Indeed, for anyone doing a fair amount of night driving, could you really afford to go past them?" The Troopy, which was the lead vehicle, used one driving and one spread-beam light both being fitted with 135/90-watt Ion Crystal globes. On low beam the globes give a yellowish color which Ron Moon found to be excellent in mist, fog or dust.
The caravans to be picked up from Golf's Brisbane headquarters were a 4.5-metre (15ft) Bushman and a huge 6-metre (20ft) tandem-axle Challenger.
In the next column we'll pick it up from there and tell you how the project fared.
© 1993 The Age
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