4WD MODIFICATIONS – DIY WORKSHOP

We received an email from one of our OTA contributors, who has suffered flooding in his van, caused by a burst connection between the mains inlet and the pressure reducing valve. Here’s how to avoid that, followed by a drying-out procedure.

The availability of low-priced, lightweight awnings means that nearly everyone has one these days. However, you don’t always want one fixed to your roof rack, like a ‘jousting stick’.

Our mate Kevin Y is a senior technician with a large international truck manufacturer, so his background is ideal for this project: turning a ‘softroader’ into a go-almost-anywhere small wagon.

The standard front seats in all Toyota 70 Series base models are awful, flat-cushion horrors that offer no support. They’re supposed seat three, but whoever scores the centre perch has a lap-only belt and sits right in front of the projecting gear lever. No wonder most owners want to swap them for something better.

If you’ve priced a built-up motorhome recently, you’re possibly still recovering from the shock.  We’re not suggesting for a moment that the pricing isn’t justified in producing a skill and labour intensive end result, but there are quite a few of us capable of a DIY job.

Chinese-made camper heaters are shameless copies of European-designed units and they’re available at a fraction of the price. Our test unit cost $340, rather than around five times that for the genuine article. Performance so far is excellent.

Fitting this kit was easy enough, but we used different clamps for ease of fitment and for simpler bush repair.

Many people baulk at fitting driving lights, but having an easy-fit harness can take most of the worry away.

We’ve fitted a snorkel before, so we didn’t find the job too daunting this time. The job involved picking up a snorkel from an Opposite Lock store and attaching it to our Project 75 Series ute.

We’ve been using Ufixit’s windscreen repair kit for years and wouldn’t go bush without one. it’s easy to use and has extended the safe life of a couple of screens.

Your bush trip could be ruined by inadequate wiring between 4WD and trailer. Here’s how to make sure your setup works.

A view behind makes hitching so much easier and can prevent big-buck damage to your paint and panels