COMPILING OUTBACK/OVERLANDING CHECKLIST

[TheDocAUS]

I am working on a draft checklist with @Rok_Dr when traveling remote or overlanding. Anyone think of more points? Feel free to suggest some.

Some suggested checks to help with preventive maintenance when travelling remote.

1. If you are going on a long trip, a pre-trip inspection by your mechanic is helpful, especially if the mechanic services off-road vehicles. Get the car serviced if needed;
2. Monitor the TEMPERATURE Menu when driving. Keep an eye on oil temps, water temps, and tyre pressures and temps;
3. Manually check the tyre pressure on your spare tyre;
4. Take a close look at any alarms raised by the Grenadier’s warning system;
5. Check wheel nuts, tighten nuts to the correct torque setting (160 NM). Check weekly or after severe corrugations (washboard);
6. Set tyre pressures for the road surface being driven. Pressures should be varied between bitumen, gravel, sand, mud, corrugations and towing (XREF pressures);
7. Each day look for tyre damage like nicks, cuts, screws, spikes, and check for slow air leaks (the Grenadier’s TPMS should show slow leaks);
8. Check your roof-rack/bars are secure (I check during each stop);
9. Check your restraining straps, loads and awnings are secure;
10. Look for oil or water leaks under the car;
11. Check for spinifex/grass build up under the car, remove the buildup;
12. Every morning check under the car for loose nuts, missing bolts, broken gear, leaking hoses, etc A ground mat, safety glasses and a torch come in handy.
13. Check your drinking water containers are not leaking. Take more than one drinking water container.
14. Take a Personal locator beacon (PLB), satellite phone or Starlink for really remote travel. Test your equipment before leaving home. As I often travel alone I take a Spot On tracker (set to leave breadcrumbs) and a PBL.

Do you need extra spares for the trip like fuses, filters (oil, fuel, air), extra oil, coolant, clamps or belts? On long remote trips a spare front and rear shock absorber maybe needed (like in Central Australia or remote Africa). I needed a shock when crossing Australia. I asked for the shocks to be inspected in a service before my return trip, they found a problem and the shock was replaced with the spare I had with me (Nissan Patrol days). That damaged shock would not have survived the return trip through the centre of Australia, disaster avoided. The shocks thread, near the top attachment point, was being stripped by the severe corrugations.

@globalgregors @Logsplitter

 

[TheDocAUS]

Print out and take the Rok Dr Guide.

 

[Rok_Dr]

Good initiative Michael

This could be a booklet in its own right. I'll PM some ideas an d suggestions in the next week.

Cheers
Steve

 

[pedrogb]

I found (after a deep water crossing) that the electrical system stopped charging. We had just started the old Telegraph Track. I thought it might be something like the alternator getting wet. It did make the alarm sound, but no dash light that I recall. I had to search the screens to find why it has alarmed. It started charging again after 1/2 hour or so, no alarm this time.
I began to check/cycle the offroad screens every couple of hours as habit then, as I was using the car batteries for camp lights and charging devices. No issue or repeat since.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Pre trip checks

1. Check fluid levels including coolant, oil, brake fluid and the windscreen water bottle.
2. Set cold tyre pressures, including the spare tyre.
3. Pack your tool kit.

Trailer/caravan/toy hauler checks

1. Set cold tyre pressures on the van or trailer, including the spare tyre.
2. Properly tighten and secure the towing hitch and visually inspect the hitch, towball and wiring. Lubricate the hitch mechanism and towball if required. Cruisemaster DO35 and DO45 couplings are commonly used instead of tow balls in Australia.
3. Fit and adjust your towing mirrors.
4. Set air rpessure on any air suspension on your trialer/van. Check during the trip.
5. Close and lock all door and hatches.
6. Ensure trailer/van lights are working.
7. Test trailer/van brakes. In Australia trailer/vans over 800kg must have their own brakes fitted.
8. Raise and secure van stabiliser legs.
9. Attach and cross the safety chains. Tighten any D shackles.
10. Raise and secure the jockey wheel.
11. Plug in any trailer/van power cables (like a 50 amp Anderson plug).
12. Check the number plate and take registration and insurance papers. Check your registration and insurance is current.
13. Check trailer/van tyre pressures, rim and hub temperatures throughout the trip.
14. Check wheel bearings.
15. Distribute the cargo weight around the trailer/van.
16. Ensure weight limits on the Grenadier and trailer/van are not exceeded. In Australia, there are limits on the car (GVM), the trailer/van (ATM) and the combination of both. Do not exceed rated the tow ball weight. [this area is very complex so this is a a rough draft and varies greater between countries].

These will be added to the list in due course.

Keep the comments coming as it is prompting ideas. This is going to be differences between countries around towing limits, rules and best practice.

 

[NQ94]

That's a good list for outback travel TheDocAUS especially for the inexperienced. Here's a few things I have learnt over the years working with off road fleets and my own travels. 13, 5 & 11 are my top three to keep mobile with the most important one; Text, email or voice mail several reliable people where you are going and estimated day of departure and return, need the message to be recorded to reduce errors.
For the daily checks possibly organise the list in order of importance or in specific grouped areas of the vehicle ie engine, left right, under and in the car, drinking water, food this works well to get people into a daily inspection routine.
People always miss checking the condition of first aid kit, snake bite kit and fire extinguisher charge regularly. Fire extinguishers are prone to nitrogen leaks and things can leak from vibration wear in first aid kits.
Check the wheel nut tension within 50km of a wheel change. Some 4x4s changing wheels studs is not a side of the road job.
A few other checks lower down the list check and monitor the radiator and between the coolers for excess seed, grass and insect build up and carefully blow the excess out with air, water can make some seeds and grasses expand.
When it is a big trip off road or with a caravan every couple weeks secure the vehicle or caravan from rolling by chocking the wheels, jack each wheel off the ground using a lever give them a good firm shake and spin to monitor movement or hear noises in the bearings and brakes, besides crook fuel or failed suspension parts failed wheel bearings is up there as one of the major reasons for a vehicle recovery.
One general thing to note and not needed on a daily check list, when doing long or regular trips off road or with heavy caravans the factory service scheduled intervals for normal use are too long for any make. The vehicle has been pushed into severe duty service and has to be inspected and serviced more regularly.

 

[Earthwatcher]

I'd endorse point 14 about the EPERB. They're cheap to hire in Australia and essential if you leave the track to explore the bush. And/or get a satellite phone. Extra fuel and lots of water a must. I took a big bunch of bananas too, plus a catering jar of Marmite (like Vegemite but better). You can go a long way on Marmite. Pack a cannister of sailing flares too and tell folks where you're going and where you expect to be. Spare shockers - yes. When big holes get filled with dust, as they do on Australian dirt tracks, it's hard to see them.

 

[Logsplitter]

On the daily checks, from my own experience check the auxiliary radiators have not come out of their fixings. This happened numerous times to me on badly corrugated roads. Take some spare rubber grommets for these fixings.
Check transfer box Bowden cables and preferably before a trip fit more secure fixings.
A “bush fix” kit of nuts,bolts, soft wire, cable ties , two part epoxy resin/ plastic weld , gaffer tape etc and bicycle inner tube is a favourite bush fix spare for me. I certainly used a lot of these things and I know @PC01 used epoxy to fix his broken plastic gearbox sump on his Morocco tour.
Another thing that came loose for me was the radiator fixings so a torx bit set is essential

 

[TheDocAUS]

On the daily checks, from my own experience check the auxiliary radiators have not come out of their fixings. This happened numerous times to me on badly corrugated roads. Take some spare rubber grommets for these fixings.
Check transfer box Bowden cables and preferably before a trip fit more secure fixings.
A “bush fix” kit of nuts,bolts, soft wire, cable ties , two part epoxy resin/ plastic weld , gaffer tape etc and bicycle inner tube is a favourite bush fix spare for me. I certainly used a lot of these things and I know @PC01 used epoxy to fix his broken plastic gearbox sump on his Morocco tour.
Another thong that came loose for me was the radiator fixings so a torx bit set is essential

Thanks. We needed input from the person who has tested the IG the hardest.

I did mention a toolkit but it will be better to suggest you have tools to deal with the variety of torx, torx plus, hex and Posidrive bolt/screw heads.

 

[Logsplitter]

There are plenty of others now testing them real hard all over the world. Inc some not on the forum unfortunately

 

[TheDocAUS]

There are plenty of others now testing them real hard all over the world. Inc some not on the forum unfortunately

The call is out to the @globalgregors Anyone else you suggest?

 

[Logsplitter]

@PC01 can tell us about his bush fix kit inc epoxy weld.
One more thing to check. Prop shaft CV joint rubber boots. In light of my failed CV joint I will be checking that regularly. If that had happened in the middle of the African bush I would have been proper stuffed.

 

[Logsplitter]

Puncture repair kit inc tyre plugs and a decent compressor. I certainly needed this . If you can get one to fit take an inner tube incase of sidewall split. It will get you out of trouble.
I also used windscreen chip repair kit and the repairs held up very well

 

[TheDocAUS]

Puncture repair kit inc tyre plugs and a decent compressor. I certainly needed this . If you can get one to fit take an inner tube incase of sidewall split. It will get you out of trouble.
I also used windscreen chip repair kit and the repairs held up very well

I will add a heading for spares and tools.

 

[ADVAW8S]

@PC01 can tell us about his bush fix kit inc epoxy weld.
One more thing to check. Prop shaft CV joint rubber boots. In light of my failed CV joint I will be checking that regularly. If that had happened in the middle of the African bush I would have been proper stuffed.

How about the cv joint, looks like the terra flex jeep is a simple replacements

 

[Rok_Dr]

Great to see so many ideas coming forth.

Good Idea Michael adding a trailer section. Attached is my current set-up and pull down check list for the Cub camper which may provide some ideas.

• EPIRBs and PLBs are cheap to buy these days so I wouldn't bother renting unless you are also renting a Sat phone at the same time.
• If you do carry a sat phone make sure it doesn't need a pin code to unlock or if it does make sure everone in your group knows it. Robert Pepper has an interesting video on this (
  View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ba3cqWafQ
  )
• X2 checking trailer wheel bearings and hub temperatures. I carry a small infrared thermometer for this job.
• It will be very interesting hearing what people carry with respect to spares and tools
• A pair of stiff wire hooks are a useful tool for removing spinifex and vegetation in hard to reach places under the car.

Cheers
Steve

 

[4x4Brick #1561]

On an overlanding trip I got an overheating warning. Stopped and checked the two reservoirs. The cold side was full (and cool, I could put my finger in the liquid after a half a day of hard driving) and the high pressure (blue cap) side was below the minimum. I had no coolant (it was full when I left at basically sea level 5 days before and the wagon only has 6k miles) or cell service at the top of a mountain so I had to add bottled water. Windows down, heater on full, the usual (heater never blew hot, other high altitude issue). When I got back to cell service dealer said water was ok for a quick fix but to bring in. Temp staid right with the water. 1k+ miles home and I had to add water again until I finally reached a town big enough to carry 'Blue Euro coolant' as the dealer recommended. So lesson - bring coolant. I had a extra quart of oil but of course that was not my issue.

 

[TheDocAUS]

My current thinking:

1. Spares and Tools will be in separate lists. Volunteers to help are welcome.
2. Trailer/caravan will be its own list focused on checks and hitching up the trailer/van to tow. The Rok Dr list can be used for those wanting more detail.
3. The car checklist will be in parts:
   • Pre-trip checks
   • Daily/weekly checks
   • Post trip checks

 

[TheDocAUS]

Sorry this has been delayed, due to some problems around my rehab from the car accident - which takes priority. I have been slowly turning into Quasimodo, but the intensive treatment is reversing the problems.

I will get back to it.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

Underhood check (from Defender driving) of idling engine for things like:

1. Fluid ‘spray leaks’,

2. Dynamic behavior of ‘fan belts’ and other moving parts that are visible (even spotted an arching spark plug wire one evening).

I try to run this check:

A. On arrival after a day on the trail (‘hot check’)

B. After my check of fluid levels in the morning (‘cold check’)