4x4 Earth - The 4wd, Camping, Fishing And Outdoors Podcast.

Pete has been working as the Chief Engineer on the Jeep Gladiator.  Pete has a great job, as an engineer for Jeep, working on some of the most iconic 4WDs of all time. We talk about the history of Jeep trucks and what the reasoning was behind creating a new Jeep truck now. Where did the Jeep Gladiator come from? When then start to talk about the engineering process that lead to the Jeep Gladiator, looking at the issues that needed to be managed by putting the 5 foot box at the back of the truck.  How do you maintain the approach and departure angles for the vehicle. Jeep has worked to maintain offroad capacity whilst creating a great on road performance.  What engines will be available when the Gladiator comes out?  How will it compare with the global trend that we are seeing in vehicle like the Nissan Patrol with less power? We talk about the front facing camera designed specifically for drivers to be able to pick the line a lot better as they will be able to see where the wheels are going on the track.  We

The difference between air lockers and eLockers is one of the most popular discussion points on the 4x4earth forum, so we decided to get an expert in to discuss the difference. Heath is the General Manager at Harrop Engineering.  He drives a Harrop Superado, an Holden Colorado with an upgunned V8 Harrop supercharger engine.  Harrop was started in 1955 by Len Harrop in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.  His son had the Harrop Howler, a very fast quarter miler. Heath talks about how Harrop has transitioned about from supporting the Australian vehicle manufacturing industry to exporting components for vehicles like the Toyota Tundra. We discuss what exactly an eLocker is and how it works with the diff.  Heath talks about how the eLocker passes the 300,000 km durability testing.  Originally developed by Eaton for the military, the eLocker is designed for reliability and durability.  An electromagnet is actuated to engage the diff locking mechanism. Harrop has developed a range of 4 pinion designs for a large ran

We discuss with Robert Pepper the new towing laws that are being bought in.  How do the GCM and GVM impact the caravan towers? We talk about one of the things that Russell Coight  did on one of his episodes.  Should you use a tow ball for snatching?  Russell did.  What could possibly go wrong? Should you put nitrogen in your tyres? What about snatchblocks? Where is the new 4WD design concepts going?  We discuss the new Mercedes Utes and the Suzuki Jimny and the Wrangler.  Are the older vehicles going to become classics becasue of the way that they drive? Join the conversation about  the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum.  www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month. If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch.  The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast!  It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.

Robert recently drove the new Ford Raptor recently and he gives us his opinion on what it is like to drive.  We talk about the engine and where you could drive the Raptor.  What would it be like towing?  Would Robert buy one? Jeep Wrangler Ute!  This will be due out next year and looks really interesting.  A ute will fix one of the big problems with the Jeep - lack of space in the cabin, so it will be very popular.  I am pretty keen on checking it out. What does Robert think about the Colorado ZR1?  Is it something that is worth a look or is it a skip? What is it that is causing the recent spate of utes that snap their chassis?  Is it related to overloading? We also discuss tyre pressure management systems.  TPMS are becoming increasingly popular - are they worth the money.  Navarra D40s - is there an issue with the automatic transmission on them when you take them offroad? Lastly, we bid farewell to Pete Brett, AKA Mr Rum, a regular around a lot of campfires around NSW, Victoria and South Australia.  Mr Rum

We look at the number of people who don't finish the Dakar Rally.  It is a very tough course, expensive to compete in and there is some unforgiving terrain, so the failure rate is very high. The vehicles aren't stock, so they are heavily modified to make them capable of surviving the terrain at speed, whilst trying to keep the weight as low as possible.  There are some fundamental changes to the vehicle, including moving the radiator to behind the cabin.  There is nothing in the car that doesn't need to be there. Recovery is another issue.  You have to be able to self recover, so vehicle design is done with recovery as a big issue. Bruce talks about how the change in temperature in the sand dunes can make a big difference in how hard the driving is.  We talk about the mental preparation that you need to be a Dakar Rally driver.  How can you prepare to do some epic Big Dune driving. We look at the technique required to drive down Big Dunes.  It is not as easy as it looks and getting the technique correct is re

If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch.  The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast!  It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open. We talk with Bruce Garland who has a huge amount of experience in 4WD rally driving.  He has done some awesome rallies and we look at how he got started and why and what adventures he has had.  Bruce shares his experiences doing the Dakar rally.  He talks about driving some of the huge dunes. What does it talk to do a Dakar rally?  What kind of driving is it?  What do you have to do to be in the Dakar?  How much does it cost?  What is the role of the rally support team?   How do you navigate in a race where there are no roads and you are travelling at 150 km / h? How dangerous is the Dakar rally?  Dehydration and fatigue can create significant problems for drivers and navigators? Bruce has done 5 Dakars and is one of Australia's most experienced rally drivers and h

We continue our discussion with Brian, one of the 4x4earth moderators. We discuss tyre pressures.  Too many people don't deflate or they deflate enough.  What is the right tyre pressure?  How often should you check the tyre pressure? What equipment do you need?  People see a lot of ads on TV about 4WDs driving along the sand at high speed with sand going everywhere.  Is this realistic?  Should you drive like that? What factors contribute to rollovers? What time of day is the best for 4 wheel driving down on the beach? What about gears?  High or Low?  Second or Third?  How should you be thinking about the gears as you drive through the sand? Don't forget your sand flag! We finish up with a discussion about the importance of trip leaders.  They are fundamental in helping new owners of 4 wheel drives to help them get off road and have a great time and make sure that they go out offroad for a second time. Also the Granites.    Have you ever driven up onto the Granites and taken a photo? Someone had when we went

We talk to Brian, one of the 4x4earth moderators about a long weekend away at Robe where 5 4WDs rolled over.  What happened?  Why? We also talk about the Granites.  Have you been to the Granites?  Have you driven up there?  Is a 4WD up on the rock one of the most iconic 4 wheel drive selfy shots?   Brian talks about the 32 mile crossing and then on to 42 mile crossing for lunch. On the way back there is a vehicle stuck with a tyre rolled off the rim and the vehicle was bogged well down in the sand near the water's end, forcing the convoy to take a high line around the bogged truck.  Trev hits a tuft of weed and has a slow rollover.  Brian talks about how they recover Trev's car and the vehicle that was originally bogged. Why didn't they try to start the vehicle?  How did they get him off the beach?  Brian talks about the recoveries and how no one gets left behind.  There were 5 rollovers in 1 weekend at Robe.  Brian talks about his favourite track, around Arkaroola, which is an amazing part of Australia.  I

Ron talks about the High Country, Robe and South America. Ron travelled through Brazil and Argentina. We talk 4 wheel tourism.  Which state does Ron think is doing the best in providing access? four wheel driving touring brings in a lot of tourism dollars, and the more Councils and local businesses understand this, the more likely we are to get tracks open. What about vehicles?  Are vehicle designs changing the way that we drive and the places that we go? How have online booking systems impacted the 4 wheel driving camping industry?

  Ron's got a couple of vehicles, and has driven the world in them. Ron discusses his time in the Army, and how he transitioned to freelance writing, with a trip through Africa.  He talks about his time as editor of 4x4 Australia and now being the editor at large. We discuss navigation in the days before GPS.  Ron shares his experiences in travelling the world.  We discuss the differences between 4 wheel driving the in United States compared to Australia.  What kind of tracks do they have, what kind of driving is it and what kind of mods do they do? How does Ron Moon rate the Victorian High Country compared to everything that he has seen?        

What sort of vehicle should you have? What sort of mods do you need? What is a medical envelope and why do you need one? What effect do the dunes have? What are some of the common mistakes people make? Camper Trailer - Yes or No? How much drinking water do you need? Where is fuel available? How often does the Canning get graded? What causes the Canning? What are the entry and exit points of the Canning? When is the best time to travel? What advice is there for first timers? What are the top 3 things to see on the Canning Stock Route? Where are the big sand dunes? Are there many abandoned vehicles on the track? A massive thanks to Phil for sharing all of his great advice on the history and how to drive this amazing Australian track.  

This was going to be my new Ute.  The rumours were that it was going to have a new 3.6 litre Petrol engine with a lot more power.  The Ecoboost engine was meant to have 336kW and 690Nm.  The new diesel has 147kW and 470Nm.  We discuss with Robert Pepper, renowned 4WD journalist about - What has Ford done? Why has Ford done it? What is the Raptor all about? Should I by it? We also look at the shocks, gearbox and the tyres.  At least with BF Goodrich tyres is a serious statement from Ford that the Raptor is meant to go offroad. When first announced, people were putting deposits down on the Raptor without knowing the price, which is pretty amazing.  How will the reaction be once people know what the specs are going to be. It will be interesting to see how the Baja mode works, it does sound like it will be a bit of fun to drive offroad, but the other question is where can we take one of these to really give it a good go and drive it to it's full potential. We also talk about how some of the pressures of modern

Between 1,500 and 2,000 a year do the Canning Stock Route.  What is there to see and what is there to do when travelling the CSR. We talk with Canning Stock Route expert, Phil Binachi about the activities and attractions on the stock route. The dune systems are an amazing site and an amazing driving experience.  There is a large amount of aboriginal art some of which is incredibly old.  There are of course, the wells and a number of graves. We discuss the work of Track Care and how they are working to maintain the tracks.  Phil talks about how the 4 wheel drivers are working together with conservationalists to ensure ongoing access to the tracks.  We discuss the concept of 4WD Tourism and the effect that it has on the economy of Australia as a whole and for rural towns in particular.  We talk about the access to the Canning Stock Route.  What parts are open and which parts are effected by the weather.  We answer the big question - how long should you take to do the Canning Stock Route and which way should you

Phil Bianchi is a historian and 4 wheel driver who has documented a lot of history of the Canning Stock Route and he has driven the route many times.  From Wiluna to Halls Creek, it runs 1850 kms and was first surveyed in 1906. We discuss Alfred Canning and his initial trip to survey the Canning Stock Route and the expedition to build the stock route. The history of the Canning Stock Route is fascinating, with murders, sabotage,Beef barons and a Royal Commission.  We talk about the initial survey and the Royal Commission that followed.  Some of the documents from these early times are still locked up in Government Departments. In 1908, Canning started construction creating a lot of issues with the local Aboriginals.  This is a fascinating discussion about the history of this iconic 4 wheel drive track.  

We talk to Robert Pepper about the future of Diesel engines in 4 wheel drives.  My last 3 4WDs have had diesel engines and I have loved the economy and reliability of diesels. Vehicle emissions have become increasingly under the microscope as people become more aware of the effects on the environment.  Whilst the fuel economy of diesel has been great (my old Patriot was getting 6.5 liters / 100km) the emissions are a lot dirtier. The United States has never really embraced diesels, nor has the Middle East, but diesels are very popular in Europe. We talk about the Common Rail Diesel design, and how that works. We look at some of the ways that engine designers have tried to make diesel engines more environmentally friendly. Exhaust Gas Recirculation, whereby some of the exhaust gas and how it works to decrease Nitrogen Oxide emissions. Diesel Particulate Filters and how they work. AdBlue, one type of Selective Catalytics Reduction.  We look at how this works, and more importantly, what happens if you run out of

We talk to Mike Clayton from Clayton's Towing. Started 45 years ago on the Sunshine Coast, Clayton's now has 15 depots and 100 staff.  Have a listen to this podcast if you ever tow a caravan, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider when planning your trip, and those factors can change between the start of your trip and the end, so knowing how to drive with a caravan is really important.  Please share with anyone who tows a caravan. Mike drives a FJ Cruiser, goes offroad and tows a caravan - on top of that, he and his crews have seen a lot of caravan crashes, they are often one of the first people that drivers get to talk to after having a crash while towing a caravan so he is uniquely place to talk about some of the reasons why caravans crash. Claytons Towing has seen a lot of unusual crashes, including a boat recovery off the beach, the sinkhole and aircraft crashes.  We talk about how they worked to move winch a boat of the beach and the technical difficulties they faced with that.  Caravan cra

We talk to Jason Lock to talk about all of the things that can go wrong when you head offroad.   Before we get started, we talk a little about 4WD insurance and the work that Kalen is doing at Club 4x4.  He is providing the insurance for 4x4earth members.  If you are looking for insurance for your 4x4,check out the Inusrance page on 4x4earth.   We get a commission from each one sold which helps keep 4x4earth free and independent.  We also talk about The Day I killed my Jeep. Getting stuck and being unable to recover. We talk about my first trip out,everything that went wrong from a really simple trip out and how it went pear shaped really quickly.  I relied on the kindness and smarts of a passing motorbike rider who helped me get out of the situation I was in. Getting bogged in mud The situation gets a little more serious when you are bogged in mud.  Getting bogged in sand I love driving on sand, but there are some basics that everyone needs to think about.  Tyre pressure is the most importantly thing to th

We talk to Robert Pepper about the new 4x4s coming onto the Australian market in 2017. There is the Mercedes X Class, JL Wrangler, the new Defender, the L472 Land Rover Discovery. We also have an update on the MA/MC issue and which companies have worked to fix the issue and which haven't.  We find out about Robert's trip through the Victorian Desert in a Maserati.  That's right - a Maserati. We also talk about his taking a Jag offroad. We look at the the trend for less diesel's in Australia and what is the future of low range. How are safety features going to change the way that we design bull bars? Lots of interesting stories and great vehicles coming out in 2017.

We talk to Rudy Paoletti, organiser of Navruns, map and book publisher, explorer and champion of the history of the Aberfeldy Track. We are discussing the future of 4x4earth, so please have your say on the forum. We are also looking at a new slogan for the website.  "Looking for a good route" has done us well for the first 10 years of the site, but as we look to work more closely with Corporates. Check out the 4x4earth store.   There are T-Shirts, Caps and stubby holders in the store.  This is partially about you getting some 4x4earth swag, but more so about supporting the website and helping to keep it free for everyone to enjoy. We talk to Rudy Paoletti about the Walhalla - Woods Point Gold Belt. We talk about the work that he has done preserving the history of the Aberfeldy Track.  He has done a great job of putting signs in the area and maintaining them.  He has also done a huge amount of work in identifying grave sites, mines and townships that the bush has retaken. Check out the Aberfeldy Track Facebo

SEMA, Specialty Equipment Manufacturer's Association, is the largest trade only automotive show in the world.  Held in Las Vegas, there was 40 kilometers of displays. ARB and TJM attended with great stands, Harrop Industries. Bubarope has a greatnew product to help kep 5 wraps of cable on your winch, the Grabber. We talk about some new Cummins diesel engines that will be coming out the Australia.  We also talk about the differences between the modification legislation in the United States and Australia.  We talk about a Jeep with an Electric engine! We also talk about the price of Utes and the difference between Australia and the United States. There is also a really interesting story about how the US protects the intellectual property of their companies - Jason talks about the actions of the US Marshalls and some of the dodgy knock offs that were at the show. We talk about the new Pressure Perfect tyre pressure management system.  This allows you to air down or air up automatically.  They have done this by d