G'day all...

[Matty4]

Only just found this forum and thought I'd join up.
We (me, wife and 3 kids) have a 17.56-2 outback that we purchased in at the Caravan and Camping show last March on the spur of the moment. We only went there to get some accessories for our 20' Galaxy in preparation for a trip.

Anyway, we took delivery of the Jayco on the 7th June last year and on the 12th June we departed with 2 other families (who all had Expanda's as well) on a 3.5 month trip from Melbourne up to Cape York and then accross the top end via the Savannah Way to Darwin and continued into WA where we took the van along the Gibb River Road and detoured up to Kalumburu with them. Got a few quizzical looks from all the Bushtracker and Kedron owners when we pulled in with Jayco's.....haha.

We made it to Broome and then went north up the Dampier peninsula before heading home through the centre.

A couple of pics...
The day we picked it up.

On the road out of Mackay for some sugercane

Heading across the Savannah Way


Cheers,
Matt

 

[expanda]

Gday Matt, love the pics and the fact the Kedron owners got a run for their money

Have you got dual gas bottles with that jerry can holder on?

Also what pajero have you got is a diesel or petrol and which version?

I have the NM 2.8 Diesel towing my 17.56.2 as well!

How did the van hold up over the savannah way?

Welcome to the site and again love the pics looks like a excellent trip.

 

[Matty4]

Thanks expanda..

I only have the one gas bottle on there as I decided (pointlessly as it turns out) that I would need the extra fuel carrying ability over the gas.
I removed the jerry holder in Kunnunurra and sold it for a slab of CUB's finest to my mate travelling with us with the other 17.56 for his jerry can for the genny he had.

The Paj is an NP Exceed 3.8V6, bloody thirsty let me tell you, I averaged close enough to 30lt/100k's for the entire trip. Lucky it's fitted with a LR tank (and jerry's on the roof). Needed it all at one stage along the Gibb River road.
Next one will be diesel.

The van did exceptionally well. It was a bit rough in spots but we took our time and got through OK. The roughest part was the Kalumburu road, corrugations for 280k's.... I spent a while when we arrived re-hanging a couple of doors and replacing several screws that had worked loose, but nothing broke either internally or externally.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[chartrock]

What a great trip Matt. How was the trip up to the cape, I believe that can be a bit rough too. I did the run up to Kalumbaru in 2006 but we had left our camper trailer in Kunanurra as we figured the road would be too rough. I think we were right.

You certainly proved the Outback Expanda can take it. The other 2 vans don't appear to be Outbacks, did they do the whole trip and if so, how did they fare?

Enjoy the Forum.

Paul

 

[Matty4]

Thanks Paul,
yes the other 2 vans were also Expanda outbacks, another 17.56-2 and a 16.49-2. They did the whole trip as well
We actually left the vans in Cooktown as we did the Old Telegraph Track, so we tented it for 12 nights in Cape York.
In hindsight, using the Peninsula Developmental Road and the bypass roads around the OTT the vans would have made it easily up to the tip. We could have set them up and driven back down from Bamaga to the start of the OTT and only spent 2 nights in tents, rather than the 12 (we were a bit over the set up and pack up by then).

Yes the Kalumburu road is still atrocious, but we lowered the tyre pressures on the vans and took it pretty easily (50 - 55km/h was the best speed we found) we made it up there fairly unscathed. Having said that upon my return to Melbourne I had the van serviced and they found all 4 springs broken!!!!....the van still tracked straight and I couldn't see any issues when I checked......anyway.....all fixed now, under warranty too!!!

Cheers,
Matt

 

[chartrock]

I can believe being over it as far as tent setups. When we left our trailer in Kununurra we tented it for 3 weeks from there to Bungle Bungles and across to Broome and then back via Gibb River Rd, Kalumbaru etc. Only too glad the weather was fine.

Did you get up to Mitchells Falls? When we tried, the crossing over the Prince Edward river was a bit deep, (we had our Isuzu Mu then) and the water came over the bonnet so we decided discretion was the better part of valour and got back over next morning. The Kimberly is a really great part of the country and I would love to get back again but there is also so much of this country to see.

You say you came back home through the centre. Was that across the Tanamai or one of the other tracks? You sure are game taking a van to some of those places although I would be happy to try those trips in company with a few other vans. (Tag-alongs tours are a bit expensive). The guys I travel with are a bit conservative with where they take their vans but we have been to some great spots and maybe one day they will get Outbacks.

Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for your tales and photos.

 

[Moto Moto]

Great photos Matt, very inspiring.

we are waiting on our expanda to be built, still a few months away

I had to laugh at your story, we were the same, no intention of buying an expanda, our Outback Hawk was working great for us until we stopped into a Jayco dealer and sat in the expandas. In the space of a week we went from happy Hawk owners to putting down a deposit on and Expanda.

After seeing your trip photos, i must say i am just a bit excited about our decision

Did you have any sort of stone guard? I am thinking of getting a stone stomper as soon as the van comes.

 

[oldblade]

WOW nice work love the pic of it going through the water did any water get in ?

 

[Matty4]

Thanks all,
I'll try to answer all of your questions.

Yes we went into Mitchell Falls, but it was just a day trip. We camped at the Prince Edward river campground for 2 nights and spent the day at the falls. It took about 2 1/4 hours driving each way and we treated ourselves to a helicopter flight both ways rather than walking 3.5 hours each way in 38deg heat....no thanks.

We kept the option of coming home from Broome via the Tanami but by that stage we were only 2 families and we were both a bit over the off-roading, so it was home via the blacktop all the way. From Broome back to Katherine and then down the Stuart Hwy. Glad we did actually because when we got to Alice the skies opened up and we heard that the Tanami had been closed. We were the last out of Palm Valley as the river level was rising as we drove out!!!

We did have a stone guard, a Stone Stomper too. Excellent idea but ours is pretty trashed now. It needs better reinforcing where the level ride bars rub from my WDH as it wore through quite quickly and we broke several elastics, probably due to so many stone impacts over time. Having said that, I'd hate to have seen the front of the van without one being fitted.

With regards to water getting in....yes the step got wet and the small carpet mat was soaked. Water also got in through the holes where the water tank lines come into the van under the seat. Luckily we didn't have anything stored in there. A quick wipe out with a chamois and all was good. Can't say the same for the others with the 16.49-2 who kept their clothes in that spot......:eek:

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Bushman]

G'day Matty welcome, love those pictures, good to here water wasn't really an issue, considering they're not really built for that, due to poor sealing, but a good going underneat with extra sealing should help. i have to have one of the wheel arch boxes re-seal.

How was dust entry?

 

[Matty4]

Dust will get in, there is no 2 ways about it.
We basically sealed up all external vents and underneath the van at the rear where the fibreglass taillight assembly rolls underneath there is a gap big enough to stick your little finger in, so that was taped up as well. I'll eventually seal it properly one day.
The main culprit for dust I found was through the front "boot" doors on either side. I taped over the internal access panels under the front bed, but it still got in. 10 minutes with a damp cloth cleaned up all surfaces where it had settled. I honestly expected it to be worse than what it was, afterall they aren't built for what we put them through....


Cheers,
Matt

 

[Matty4]

Just to give you an idea about the dust.
This was taken at Windjana Gorge, our last night on the Gibb River Road

This is up at Middle Lagoon on the Dampier Peninsula. Spectacular spot.....spent 6 nights here

This is Middle Lagoon at low tide, spent days fishing, spear fishing and snorkelling here...


Cheers,
Matt

 

[cruza driver]

Great introduction with some great pics also.

I should get organised and post some pics up of my Expanda

 

[chartrock]

Great introduction with some great pics also.

I should get organised and post some pics up of my Expanda

I should too but as yet, we have not been anywhere worthwhile to photogragh the rig. We are off to Townsville at the end of April so hopefully have some pix to post on the thread Bushman set up after that.

Paul

 

[boots]

Hi Matty,
New member just purchased 2010 Expanda 16.49.1B Outback and I am interested in your setup, in particular with the weight distribution hitch. Did you have any problems with them on the dirt roads? Have read about problems with them and many sites recommend removing them when off road as they can get hung up on wash aways - dips in the road. I have been looking at the Poly Air bags as an alternative and was wondering if you had considered them. I too have a Pajero Exceed 3.8L (NP) and although it sits pretty level (unloaded) it tends to bounce a bit and my thoughts are that stiffening up the rear with the air bags would suffice.

Ian

 

[Matty4]

Ian,
welcome to the forum and the world of the Expanda....
I towed the entire way with the Hayman Reese WDH and bars fitted. Never had a problem with them binding or getting hung up. They did touch down a few times and therefore wore away my stonestomper underneath where the bolts are, but no problems otherwise. The suspension in my Paj underwent fairly major improvements prior to the trip. I fitted a 2" lift using Lovells HD springs and Bilstein shocks all round and I also had polyairs fitted to the rear. This setup allowed me to maintain a level setup at all times, even with 5 in the car, an Engel fridge in the back and a fair bit of heavy recovery gear. It's not the cheapest setup but I didn't have one single failure of any component, which is what I wanted (didn't want to stranded out there awaiting repairs etc.)

Cheers,
Matt

 

[boots]

Thanks Matt,
I've done a lot of reading on the Pajero Club site and the information there is somewhat conflicting and confusing. I bought a set of the Mitsubishi Motors weight distribution bars and I'll see how they go. I don't intend to go real "Bush bashing"; just travel the main dirt roads aroubd the centre. I did a lot of these roads with the Variety Club with the "Bush Bashes" so I know what a lot of the roads are like. If I have to do any more mods I'll have to get them passed by the financial controller.
I too have a 40L Engel in the back of the Paj but taking out the third row of seats has offset that increased weight. I've no doubt that if you are carrying a lot of recovery gear you could have a load in the back. I've got the basic recovery gear but still have to get a hand winch. I have a Smart Bar fitted so can't fit and electric winch.
Going to head west after the school holidays so we'll see how things go. Don't yet know how far and for how long at the moment. Just going to play it by ear.

Ian

 

[Bushman]

. I have a Smart Bar fitted so can't fit and electric winch.

Hey Boots

Thinks you'll find you can add and Electric Winch to the Smart Bar (denpending on type )

A lot of the Police 4x4's around my area have them fitted with Smart Bars both Pajero and Patrol.

 

[boots]

Hi Bushman,
I looked at that when I bought it but you can't fit a winch to an NP Smart Bar. OK for the later models but not the NP.