The Grenadier Smile

[Snipewench]

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - I’m in LOVE with my Grenadier, and can’t stop smiling when I’m driving this amazing vehicle.

Today was Day 1 of an 8 day trip, with my task being to drive solo from Sydney, NSW down to Geelong, Victoria, via the main freeway between Sydney and Melbourne, but completely bypassing Melbourne itself, by taking a bunch of back country roads. In all, about 1100km, over about 13 or so hours.

When I first acquired my Gren, I quickly got used to the infamous left foot bump in the right-hand driver spot. However, after about 2 or so hours, my left knee would start aching, needing to stretch out, but we can’t stretch that leg due to the hump, and no room. So I was worried that this would hamper my travel time, having to stop every couple of hours.

In the end, I did stop every couple of hours, but not because of a sore left knee, but just things like getting fuel, or getting some brekky, or lunch.

The drive itself today was _cruisey_, the vehicle competed it without issue. I was comfortable, pain free, enjoying the drive, the solitude, the scenery, and the music list. I’ve _really_ enjoyed this vehicle since I did the wheel alignment, and had my TPMS sensor issue fixed.

The one “issue” I did have was the TPMS sensors reporting high tyre pressure. I had set the tyre pressures to approximately 37psi, and the rear tyres got up to 44psi. The reason for this? Outside temperature for most of the day was about 33 degrees C, so yeah, they got a bit warm, and never really cooled down to the point the high pressure warnings went away.

I spent a large part of the drive on the main freeway (the M31 Hume Highway) between Sydney and a country town called Seymour. Most of this was on cruise control, and it worked flawlessly.

I’m down here in Geelong for the next few days, then I begin a 3 day drive back home through central NSW, with the goal to find and drive some roads I’d not been down before. Some parts of those may even be dirt roads. So looking forward to that phase of this trip - my first big trip in my awesome Gren.

 

[ANNML]

What an awesome day with your new coolest thing ever! I feel like you — in LOVE with it. It makes me happy whenever I hop inside!

 

[Max]

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - I’m in LOVE with my Grenadier, and can’t stop smiling when I’m driving this amazing vehicle.

Today was Day 1 of an 8 day trip, with my task being to drive solo from Sydney, NSW down to Geelong, Victoria, via the main freeway between Sydney and Melbourne, but completely bypassing Melbourne itself, by taking a bunch of back country roads. In all, about 1100km, over about 13 or so hours.

When I first acquired my Gren, I quickly got used to the infamous left foot bump in the right-hand driver spot. However, after about 2 or so hours, my left knee would start aching, needing to stretch out, but we can’t stretch that leg due to the hump, and no room. So I was worried that this would hamper my travel time, having to stop every couple of hours.

In the end, I did stop every couple of hours, but not because of a sore left knee, but just things like getting fuel, or getting some brekky, or lunch.

The drive itself today was _cruisey_, the vehicle competed it without issue. I was comfortable, pain free, enjoying the drive, the solitude, the scenery, and the music list. I’ve _really_ enjoyed this vehicle since I did the wheel alignment, and had my TPMS sensor issue fixed.

The one “issue” I did have was the TPMS sensors reporting high tyre pressure. I had set the tyre pressures to approximately 37psi, and the rear tyres got up to 44psi. The reason for this? Outside temperature for most of the day was about 33 degrees C, so yeah, they got a bit warm, and never really cooled down to the point the high pressure warnings went away.

I spent a large part of the drive on the main freeway (the M31 Hume Highway) between Sydney and a country town called Seymour. Most of this was on cruise control, and it worked flawlessly.

I’m down here in Geelong for the next few days, then I begin a 3 day drive back home through central NSW, with the goal to find and drive some roads I’d not been down before. Some parts of those may even be dirt roads. So looking forward to that phase of this trip - my first big trip in my awesome Gren.

I hope you have a great trip home and would recommend on the dirt roads that I hope you find, locking the centre diff and then try without...IMO you have more control on dirt at speed with it locked especially on corrugations...have fun

 

[Max]

What an awesome day with your new coolest thing ever! I feel like you — in LOVE with it. It makes me happy whenever I hop inside!

Oh wow! you are up to that stage, hopping inside!

 

[Shopkeep]

 

[trobex]

Your tires are 44psi area also quite fine. Hell, they can go to 80psi if you really want to test them out!

 

[Max]

Your tires are 44psi area also quite fine. Hell, they can go to 80psi if you really want to test them out!

Pending on the weight and surfaces, it is tricky.

Too much pressure can lead to uneven wear in the tread's centre, reduce traction, braking and cause hideous vibration on dirt plus it increases the chances of puncture on dirt where there is the sharp stone. I helped a bloke take three of his tyres into Wittenoom Gorge WA, when it was up and running early 80's they had a fully equipped service centre who knew what they needed in stock, tyres today are of course better all round, pardon the pun.

The higher the pressure the smaller the footprint hence less traction especially in the wet. When driving on sharp surfaces it is best to come down in pressure especially if you have been on the tar for some time, stop and deflate to about 36psi. You now have a bigger footprint which does two things, spreads the weight over more area and increases traction.

I had a Peugeot Van and drove it with 50psi because of the weight in it, it wasn't bad until it rained and I was without the load...tyres are tricky business and they are all different...both my trucks have the same BFG's and are treated the same pending load