Really empathise with you about the corrigations. Arrrrrgghhhh!!! What a rough trott you guys had and good on you for the decision of enough's enough.... Rode my motorbike to tip of Cape York a few years ago and felt like the reverberations stayed in my hands and wrists for days. Epic trip well worth it, and probably 100% better straight after road is graded. Love your videos and your adventures! Thanks heaps ❤
Omg the battery!! Fuaaaark that hey, I’d be stressed 🤣 awesome work guys! I love how you film, Dan & I felt like we were along on the adventure with you!!!!! So keen to get out there again
Thanks so much!! Yeah it was stressful with no phone reception to call the RACQ but at least we were near a road so we could have waved someone down if we had to (and we have jumper leads).
Thanks so much Terry, you're absolutely right. In the end, it wasn't worth the risk to the van. As it turned out, we did have a few minor repairs, and a lot of bolts to tighten when we got back to the farm to check (and clean) everything.
Great video Nigel and Sue. Love Nigel's face when describing the issues or trying to find words, it paints a thousand. Good call on turning back, and I think you've convinced me a suspension upgrade from the stock city suspension will be worthwhile not just for that road but many other corrugated locations around Oz. Good to hear from other comments that it's sometimes graded better. Well done on the patience to gradually get it moving and the clever idea with the chock. Omg that Bunyip.
Thanks David! We are currently in the process of getting new shocks on the van, just awaiting their delivery to Darwin. We will be sure to report back on our findings. We have struggled on some rough roads lately!
Yeah we didn't even attempt the Gibb. Maybe another time in the Landcruiser. The road south of Yardie Creek to Winderabandi was quite bad too (not sure if you've seen that video yet.)
Great idea with the van, if you had been able to go mid to late may you would have made it. We went 15th of may and the road had been graded to smooth out the damage from the wet season and on the turn around trip 10 days later both the bypass road and PDR were getting graded
Yeah, we totally want to go back earlier in the season. We did hear recently that the roads have just been graded again. In fact, when we left Bramwell Station they were grading the road, but we chatted to them and they were only going to do 20km from Bramwell. After that is where the road got nasty.
Really appreciated this vlog. Have ordered a Sprinter All Wheel Drive and hopefully will be out doing some similar travels. Hope I don't miss my BT50 and camper too much! Have you been restricted in your off road travels too much?
Hey Steve, thanks for watching! Well, other than having to turn back on the way up to the Tip, we haven’t had a problem. We did the Bloomfield Track no worries (see our previous vlog) and have done many more dirt roads. I mean, it’s not like driving the Landcruiser!! But we were willing to sacrifice a bit of “off-road ability” for the comfort and ease of setting up camp. Have you ordered a new 4motion Sprinter?
@@nigelandsueadventures Thanks guys. Yeah we have ordered one ... not sure when it will arrive though. Like you we desire a little more comfort but I am hoping we can go most places (not all) where we have been in the present camper. Been really enjoying your videos. Keep them coming because you are the only Aussies doing a Sprinter vlog. Just watched your latest one ... can hardly wait to get out of lockdown and hit the road again!
@@steveturner8883 hope you enjoy the sprinter Steve. Check Max & Occy channel for more sprinter inspiration. We're in a VW and the 4motion Adventures channel has been inspiring.
Did you go to fruit bat Falls. I know how you feel about corrugations, as l had major structural problems with my front bicycle rack from Arkaroola to Leigh Creek and again in the Painted Desert. The German cyclist also had problems with his back bicycle rack in the Painted Desert.
Regards the flat battery. In my camper van the cable that comes from my van battery to the dc to dc charger back at my 2 x120 amp house batteries I have a separate heavy cable about 400 mil long which I can attach to the house battery positive and to the entry side of my relay . This then sends power back to the vehicle battery. Hope this is of some help
@@nigelandsueadventures So do I (5 meters of 6 B&S wire.) If you have a DC to DC charger in your system. You should have wire of this thickness or bigger. In which case it would be fine.
Hey, I was wondering what your thoughts on needing or not needing a snorkel for the engine in the dust and for rivers crossing would be? Is it needed and if not, how did you go with the standard intake?
The air intake on the Sprinter is quite high, and we definitely didn't cross any deep rivers. We crossed deeper rivers in the Pilbara (Not sure if you've watched our videos from there). From what I see, in the dusty areas people put a sock over their snorkel, or turn it around so not too much dust goes in. Hope that helps!
Corrugations aren’t friendly for a van or any vehicle for that matter. 🤨 Flattened my battery once, plugged a charger into my inverter and two hours later was good to go. Check out the Leyland brothers 1972 Cape York trip. Lots of issues but they didn’t worry about crocs.
Oh gosh, I remember watching the Leyland Brothers as a kid (would have been around that time!) We plugged the charger into the inverter, but we think the charger is a dud. It's not the first time it hasn't worked. I edited out the bit where I said I was going to smash it with a hammer (and the 40-odd minutes we were actually trying to push it to get started!!. Thanks for watching
Yes we did. I don’t remember what pressure now, maybe 30 or 35. The road was particularly bad that year (this was filmed in 2021). Even the locals in the stations were saying they never see it that bad
We love our van and it’s been super reliable the 18 months we’ve had it. No, it’s the 2.1litre 4 cylinder (516CDI) As the van is 10yo it’s no longer within the warranty period.
@@nigelandsueadventures We have been tossing up the VW or Sprinter love the 3 lt v6 I’am an old diesel head from way back You did the right thing turning back on the cape trip ..Did it in a kombi 37 years ago wish I had of turn around lol
@@nigelandsueadventures I’ve been looking the last couple weeks. Me and the kids wanna do the big lap in a van. Just haven’t found one in 4*4 that’s in a decent condition. Sold the patrol to fund everything,
Really empathise with you about the corrigations. Arrrrrgghhhh!!! What a rough trott you guys had and good on you for the decision of enough's enough.... Rode my motorbike to tip of Cape York a few years ago and felt like the reverberations stayed in my hands and wrists for days. Epic trip well worth it, and probably 100% better straight after road is graded. Love your videos and your adventures! Thanks heaps ❤
Thanks so much Leeana, it was an epic journey and we will be back one day to tick the tip!
Omg the battery!! Fuaaaark that hey, I’d be stressed 🤣 awesome work guys! I love how you film, Dan & I felt like we were along on the adventure with you!!!!! So keen to get out there again
Thanks so much!! Yeah it was stressful with no phone reception to call the RACQ but at least we were near a road so we could have waved someone down if we had to (and we have jumper leads).
he who turns and walks away gets to play another day, smart thinking. please keep up the great Vids, Thanks.
Thanks so much Terry, you're absolutely right. In the end, it wasn't worth the risk to the van. As it turned out, we did have a few minor repairs, and a lot of bolts to tighten when we got back to the farm to check (and clean) everything.
Great video Nigel and Sue. Love Nigel's face when describing the issues or trying to find words, it paints a thousand. Good call on turning back, and I think you've convinced me a suspension upgrade from the stock city suspension will be worthwhile not just for that road but many other corrugated locations around Oz. Good to hear from other comments that it's sometimes graded better. Well done on the patience to gradually get it moving and the clever idea with the chock. Omg that Bunyip.
Thanks David! We are currently in the process of getting new shocks on the van, just awaiting their delivery to Darwin. We will be sure to report back on our findings. We have struggled on some rough roads lately!
Yep, had the same corrugations drama on the Gibb River Rd.. and at Yardi Creek. Preservation of your vehicle is most important.
Yeah we didn't even attempt the Gibb. Maybe another time in the Landcruiser. The road south of Yardie Creek to Winderabandi was quite bad too (not sure if you've seen that video yet.)
Really enjoyed the video, thank you for sharing!!!!
Thanks so much for watching.
Great idea with the van, if you had been able to go mid to late may you would have made it. We went 15th of may and the road had been graded to smooth out the damage from the wet season and on the turn around trip 10 days later both the bypass road and PDR were getting graded
Yeah, we totally want to go back earlier in the season. We did hear recently that the roads have just been graded again. In fact, when we left Bramwell Station they were grading the road, but we chatted to them and they were only going to do 20km from Bramwell. After that is where the road got nasty.
Love you guys! Have been binge watching your channel! I am on the road at the end of September and I hope to one day see you both out on the road! 🎉
Oh awesome! By then we expect to be on the west coast. If you see us, please come say hi
Wow this is awesome! The guys riding it 🚴 SO EPIC!! Oh to have a 4x4 van 😍😍
Always good to explore new places and challenges. Nice one 👍
Thanks for watching Nick. Hope we can inspire you to get out exploring!
Great video vlog, absolutely I like it.
thanks so much! Glad you liked it
Bingeing your videos, just love 'em. Regarding the loud animal cry, I'm thinking a croc may have attacked a wild cow?
Could be!!! I still get the chills remembering that noise though! Thanks for watching Kathie!
Really appreciated this vlog. Have ordered a Sprinter All Wheel Drive and hopefully will be out doing some similar travels. Hope I don't miss my BT50 and camper too much! Have you been restricted in your off road travels too much?
Hey Steve, thanks for watching! Well, other than having to turn back on the way up to the Tip, we haven’t had a problem. We did the Bloomfield Track no worries (see our previous vlog) and have done many more dirt roads. I mean, it’s not like driving the Landcruiser!! But we were willing to sacrifice a bit of “off-road ability” for the comfort and ease of setting up camp. Have you ordered a new 4motion Sprinter?
@@nigelandsueadventures Thanks guys. Yeah we have ordered one ... not sure when it will arrive though. Like you we desire a little more comfort but I am hoping we can go most places (not all) where we have been in the present camper. Been really enjoying your videos. Keep them coming because you are the only Aussies doing a Sprinter vlog. Just watched your latest one ... can hardly wait to get out of lockdown and hit the road again!
There’s a new episode coming out each Sunday morning!
@@steveturner8883 hope you enjoy the sprinter Steve. Check Max & Occy channel for more sprinter inspiration. We're in a VW and the 4motion Adventures channel has been inspiring.
Did you go to fruit bat Falls. I know how you feel about corrugations, as l had major structural problems with my front bicycle rack from Arkaroola to Leigh Creek and again in the Painted Desert. The German cyclist also had problems with his back bicycle rack in the Painted Desert.
Sadly we turned back before we got to the falls 😢
Regards the flat battery. In my camper van the cable that comes from my van battery to the dc to dc charger back at my 2 x120 amp house batteries I have a separate heavy cable about 400 mil long which I can attach to the house battery positive and to the entry side of my relay .
This then sends power back to the vehicle battery.
Hope this is of some help
Thanks! I'm not sure if this would work for us, we have a long distance between our vehicle battery and the house (lithium) battery.
@@nigelandsueadventures So do I (5 meters of 6 B&S wire.)
If you have a DC to DC charger in your system. You should have wire of this thickness or bigger. In which case it would be fine.
That's one place Janette I did not get to in our travel around Auz 2004/05.
Flooded rivers.
Oh that’s a bugger… we are planning to head back this year and hopefully make it to the tip this time
Hey,
I was wondering what your thoughts on needing or not needing a snorkel for the engine in the dust and for rivers crossing would be? Is it needed and if not, how did you go with the standard intake?
The air intake on the Sprinter is quite high, and we definitely didn't cross any deep rivers. We crossed deeper rivers in the Pilbara (Not sure if you've watched our videos from there). From what I see, in the dusty areas people put a sock over their snorkel, or turn it around so not too much dust goes in. Hope that helps!
Corrugations aren’t friendly for a van or any vehicle for that matter. 🤨
Flattened my battery once, plugged a charger into my inverter and two hours later was good to go.
Check out the Leyland brothers 1972 Cape York trip. Lots of issues but they didn’t worry about crocs.
Oh gosh, I remember watching the Leyland Brothers as a kid (would have been around that time!)
We plugged the charger into the inverter, but we think the charger is a dud. It's not the first time it hasn't worked. I edited out the bit where I said I was going to smash it with a hammer (and the 40-odd minutes we were actually trying to push it to get started!!.
Thanks for watching
Great video guys.
Did you drop your tyre pressure when you got to the corrugation ?
Cheers.
Yes we did. I don’t remember what pressure now, maybe 30 or 35. The road was particularly bad that year (this was filmed in 2021). Even the locals in the stations were saying they never see it that bad
@@nigelandsueadventures next time try between 15 and 20 psi , but you have duelys in the back, maybe if you can, change for a super single.
Would you recommend the Merc (Dumb question)Is it the your sprinter the v6 3 litre
And as far as warranty is the Benz group looking after you
We love our van and it’s been super reliable the 18 months we’ve had it. No, it’s the 2.1litre 4 cylinder (516CDI)
As the van is 10yo it’s no longer within the warranty period.
@@nigelandsueadventures We have been tossing up the VW or Sprinter love the 3 lt v6 I’am an old diesel head from way back
You did the right thing turning back on the cape trip ..Did it in a kombi 37 years ago wish I had of turn around lol
Is your van 4*4
Yes it is.
Such a great set up.
Just watching a few of your vids now. Nice build.
@@gavinpeters6402 thanks so much for watching Gavin. Do you have a van?
@@nigelandsueadventures I’ve been looking the last couple weeks. Me and the kids wanna do the big lap in a van. Just haven’t found one in 4*4 that’s in a decent condition.
Sold the patrol to fund everything,
@@gavinpeters6402 they are hard to find, that’s for sure! We got lucky.
What the heck is that animal noise!!!!!
I know right? In the middle of nowhere, completely alone and you hear that. Lucky I'd had a few wines and wasn't freaking out too much!
@@nigelandsueadventures hahahah the wines would help 🤣🙌🏼