Truck Modifications - Halfway Review

I thought I'd take the time to write a review on the modifications we'd done to the truck to make life easier were going. Were they infact, making life easier?

Unlike the van, which has remained largely untouched from factory, the Rock Truck is no longer what you'd call 'standard' and the list of additions and extras is enough to make the wallet scream and the insurance man smile. It also ensures Mr ARB keeps not only his Royal Melbourne membership, but probably his holiday home in Noosa as well.

Everything we've added to the truck ultimately was with the big trip in mind so any modications such as massive mud tyres and 20" three piece chromes were never really in consideration. Paramount to most of the decisions was the weight that it would add to the car and whether or not, once we add the Lizard's ball weight on the back, we'd have enough to remain 'legal' with respect to Tare, GVM, ATM, GCM, MGM, NAB, ANZ and FLW. And whatever other acronym we needed to be aware of.

So... have they been worth it? Let's work from front to back shall we? Hell, I might even give it some sort of wanky score out of 10... 

Bullbar
Thankfully we haven't had any run ins with the local wildlife on our journey but we've had our fair share of close calls. Roo's at Worroora nearly got a kiss, the bulls at Cheela Plains would have made a dint if they didn't move on, and Rosy and Ruby (the names we've given the two donkeys at El Questro) have had some low speed inspections from the roadside. So aside from the odd bird here or there that has probably come a cropper, the bar provides more of a antenna and spotlight mounting point than anything else.

Actually, it provides a lot of peace of mind too which can't be undervalued. Would I be without it? Not on your ninny. Whatever a ninny is.

Score: A robust 7/10... until we need to use it.

Spotlights
Haven't used them other than a run between Kalgoorlie and Gibson Soak which ended up trailing into dusk and nightfall. However I've used them in the past and they're great but I wouldn't think that they're a must have. Whilst any true 4WD should have some bunny burners or light bar, I wouldn't say I had to have them for the trip. But then, I suppose it's nice to have them and not need, rather than need and not have them. Not an expensive addition and don't exactly blow the weight allowance.

Score: An illuminated 6/10

UHF Radio
Now this is one thing I've found far more valuable than expected. When you are permanently towing a van around, you realise that you are a fairly big target for people to run into. You are slower than most, and the other big things, such as the Tonka Truck outside of Fowlers or the road train leaving Karijini pose significant overtaking hazards.

The radio has probably been the most valuable, from a point of safety, addition to the truck. It's allowed us to communicate with, and other to reach us, without hassle and confusion.

From the road trains announcing their impeding arrival at the single lane bridges at Fitzroy Crossing to another advising us of roadworks south of Port Headland, it has simply been brilliant.

And since adding a single hand held radio to go in the car, we have now returned to our normal communication levels when parking the van. We used radios before coming on this trip but they died shortly before so we'd gone back to the tried and true "waving in general directions and muffled expletives" combination. This removal of stress and frustration is worth the price of admission alone.

It would be the first thing I would add to any serious touring vehicle in the future. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Score: A well communicated 9/10

Snorkel
Interesting one this. Probably something that makes the truck look cooler than anything else, it's another peace of mind addition I would add. If you subscribe to the theory about cleaner air higher up off the road when following people on dirt roads, then it has certainly been worth it's weight in gold. We've eaten enough dust and dirt on this trip to double as a family of large earthworms.

As a river crossing tool, other than in El Questro, there hasn't been much to worry about. Having said that, I did manage to make a 'bow wave' on the El Questro Gorge crossing yesterday so I would probably argue that the water is perhaps getting deeper and I'm getting braver.

Once again, it's a "nice to have", but I don't believe a car is going to suffer too much by not having one. But yep, it does make us look more 'legit' in the National Parks, so that's importnt right?

Score: A sitting on a fence in clear air 7/10

Clearview Mirrors

Our 'Dumbo Ears' have been excellent, and are extremely convenient, handy and practical. Sure they are some of the most expensive mirrors you will ever buy, but when you are spending the best part of a year in a car, and towing a van for most of that, it really is quite reasonable. Even more so if you consider we could probably flog them off when we get back for about 50% of what we paid.

And yes, whilst they certainly don't make the truck look better or tougher, they make it a hell of a lot easier to drive, and that's what we bought them for.

Based on the number of sets we've seen out here installed on vehicles, I'd say I'm not alone. I'd also say that Mr Clearview might play in the same group at Royal Melbourne as Mr ARB.

Score: A clearly visible 10/10

There's a sizeable difference. And size matters, right?

You can see why people call them Dumbo Ears....

Roof Platform
Or should I say ' The Royal Surfboard Holder'. It's prime function on this trip has been to give us somewhere to tie the surfboard to, which incidentally has remained largely unused. However, when we've ventured off road without the Big Green Lizard, it has proved invaluable as a place to tie the chairs and tents down. Whilst I'm not sure racks wouldhn't have sufficed as well, the roof platform has been great and has also allowed the kids to climb up on occasion for a better viewpoint and excellent photo prop, cue Francois Peron National Park. Probably something we'll use a lot more going forward, I'm happy with our roof storage system.

Score: A tied down 7/10

It's a nice place to sit... according to James.

Awning
Other than to make sure I knew how to set it up, the awning hasn't come out. But another case of having and not need than the other way around. It's nice to know we've got shade and shelter if we need it and perhaps as we venture out more we will.

I think we could happily live without it, but knowing the future swag trips with the kids, I know I'd end up with one anyhow. As a result, we manage to get it included in the "Big Trip Spending" rather than the "Matt's 4WD Mod Dreams".

Score: A shady 6/10

The only time we've unrolled it... and people put their chair in the sun... Sigh...

Suspension

For those petrol heads wondering, we had the heavy duy constant load EFS suspension upgrade installed before we left by the guys at 4x4 Obsession in Melton. It's been in the car for a little while now, so has softened up a tad, but when empty there's no denying the back end rides like a horse and cart. However once a little weight (i.e. the van) sits on the back, it all comes into it's own.

We do use a WDH for more peace of mind, and improved dynamics but to be honest, it isn't really required. The truck handles the rough stuff as well as I could expect and given the price we paid, I'm very happy with the results. We may go to something a little softer once the touring is completed, but really, no complaints here.

And given we take the truck off the tarmac, the additional strength and clearance afforded by the upgrade means we can tour confidently and capably, driver experience notwithstanding.

Score: Undoubtedly well supported 8/10

Giving not only the suspesion, but pretty much everything else on the truck a work out...

Tyres

Now, when I think of money well spent on the truck, the first thing that comes to mind however are the tyres. I ummed and ahhed and ahhed and ummed prior to leaving as to what to get and what would be required.

The standard Bridgestones had done 70,000km without fault (other than a nail outside of Bonny Doon) and had proven themselves more than capable for our needs. However, they wouldn't see out the trip and not wanting to try and price up a fresh set of shoes somewhere like Barkley Homestead, a decision to renew prior to the trip was made.

We upgraded the tyres to All-Terrain for added performance off road and bought a light truck variant as well for addiitional strength when towing for extended periods. We stuck with Bridgestone and went with a set of 697's for a couple of reasons:

1) Friends of ours have used them in the past with little issue or concern. Real world reviews by people I trust come above pretty much anything else in my opinion. There's no bias or agenda.
2) Cost.... The local Marsh dealer was able to do a great deal on a set that pretty much made them $60 a tyre cheaper than any other option I was looking at. Timing played a part in this, but I'd done my research so I knew when I got given the price it was something I couldn't refuse.

So far, 19,000km down, I have absolutely no complaints. I've had them as low as 15psi on beaches and up to 50psi on the highways. We've done sand, dust, rocks, rivers, mud, road, asphalt, gravel, concrete and just about every other surface I can think of, and not one complaint so far.

I think anyone embarking on a serious trip should consider their wheel and tyre combination as it really adds value, safety and comfort. We could just as well get a few blow outs over the next few weeks, as luck plays a fair chunk in it, but a little bit of preparation, knowledge and investment can go a long way.

Score: A well rounded, high quality 9/10

Exhaust

I had originally intended to get an ECU remap and exhaust upgrade through the 4x4 Obsession guys to give the Rock Truck a little bit more grunt to play with. But for whatever reasons (some kind of computery trickery black magic stuff) the ECU remap wasn't possible. It didn't really worry me too much as this was more of a 'nice to have' upgrade rather than a neccessity. The Truck has towed without issue or struggle prior to this; I was simply trying to make it do it with even less stress.

I went through with the exhaust upgrade anyhow and have since benefited from minor power upgrades and truck that I believe breathes a little better. It has played a little havoc with the torque curve of the engine, and when towing sometimes hangs on to 4th a little longer than I would like, but I've learnt to trust ECU and transmission and really we trundle along without impeding anyone on the road or creating any issue for the car itself.

I don't think it was really required, but it certainly hasn't hurt the vehicle's performance.

Score: A breathable 7/10

Canopy

This was one addition I'd never be without, before, during or after the trip. Sure, having a ute it old school cool, and yes it makes sitting in the back at Bathurst more difficult, but I still wouldnt be without it. Added security and storage away from the elements makes it without a doubt a must have for our crew.

We've had the Ascent Canopy from ARB on it for a while now and if I'm honest, it hasn't been without it's problems. It has had a repeated issue sealing and remaining waterproof, but to be honest, this has been well supported by ARB through attempts in trying to improve it. In the end, I have just accepted that during heavy rainfall and car washing, a bit water will make it's way to the front of the tub. It's not a deal breaker by any means.

The smooth lines and central locking features of the Ascent Canopy is why I chose it and they have proven to be brilliant over our time. No latches or second keys, just unlock the car and flick it open. It's freakin' gadgety brilliant.

On this trip however we've had an issue with the rear hatch door unlocking. A bit of a PITA as I had to go back to opening it with a key (oh the horror!!) but once again, through an ARB partner in Broome, was able to get it 'repaired' under warranty. I use the term repair loosely as within a day or two the right latch started playing up on the rear door. I can't help but think that we robbed Peter to pay Paul with that one. Still, with the help of my mate Matt, we managed to turn a 10min fix into a 90min frustration session with a bit of swearing. Still, it's fixed and the canopy is once again working as it should.

It might not be for everyone, but I doubt I'll have another ute/dual cab without a canopy.

Score: A lockable and well covered 8/10

Drawslide

Now this is an interesting one. Possibly the only one I might consider I've got 'wrong' although the jury is still out and I'll need to check by the end of the trip.

For those not in the know, I invested in an Ezi Reach draw as our rear storage solution. The reason for this was primarily due to the height difference between B and I believe it or not. B isn't able to reach through the canopy windows to reach anything, even more so since the suspension raised it up 2" or so! As a result, B wasn't able to reach anything that was further than a foot in past the tailgate. Seeing 9 months on the road of having to get everything out of the truck, I found the Ezi Reach through some research and eventually invested in it.

Essentially what it allows us to do is slide out the entire tub of the Colorado out the tailgate when you can reach more easily and effectively. This also negated the need for an individual fridge slide.

For the most part, it's been as required and does what it has needed to.  The latching mechanism was playing up and was causing a few issues trying to slide the draw out. As such, I ended up not using it as intended and just reach in. However, my mate Joe managed to help adjust the mechanism such that it returned to as purchased and once again I can slide the tray as required.

A side benefit of the tray is that it limits storage to ensure that it still slides without catching on the tub or canopy. This is a good feature for life on the road as it prevents me from overloading the rear storage space and keeps all our weights under control.

However the jury is out for the prime reason that B hardly ever gets anything out of the rear of the truck regardless! As a result a more standard draw system might have been more efficient and useful!

I love the slide and do get plenty of compliments and onlookers whenever it's in use. I'm just not sure it's the best touring solution. Time will tell...

Score: A slippery 5/10

......

So I think that's about it for the truck.We have other gadgets in the car such as the thumper battery, fridge, HEMA and the like but I don't really class them as modifications as we can move them out of the vehicle and put them elsewhere.

Looking over at the Rock Truck now as it sleeps all nice and shiny (it had a wash today!) I think we're pretty happy with how our rig has turned out. I've seen some amazing setups and vehicles on my travels some of which make you drool, and some make you shake your head. Old Mate at El Questro who had a chopped Landcruiser 200 series turned in to a dual cab was immense and just something to behold. Some dream yank tanks always catch my eye and some hardcore off roaders who you hear before you see them always make the head turn.

But really, The Rock Truck is what we have and it's doing an amazing job taking us and it's best mate the Big Green Lizard around the country....

Coming soon: Big Green Lizard - Halfway Review