4x4 Earth - The 4WD, Camping, Fishing and Outdoors podcast.

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 vehicle design are shaping what is possible for vehicle designers. The smaller engine is part of a trend. It is a bit of a surprise that it is a diesel. We've spoken before about the death of diesel.

The reaction to the engine size has not been great, it will be interesting to see what the final price for the Raptor ends up as. It will be more expensive than the Wildtrak, but just how much will be interesting to see.

Robert gives an example of how the comparing engine and gearbox pairings and how the performance of the new 10 speed gearbox in the Raptor will be really important to how powerful the Raptor feels. The bi-turbo will also assist with off the line performance.

What is the future of big engine 4WDs and cars in general?

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 travel the Canning?

North to South or South to North, which way should you go? Phil talks about where you can get your repairs done, which is a bit factor in travelling the Canning. It is 1,800kms and there is a high chance of vehicle damage, so thinking about repairs is an important part of doing the Canning.

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 Ad Blue when you are out bush.

We talk about Dieselgate, where VW and a number of other vehicle manufacturers built software to decrease performance

What will the introduction of Euro 6 mean for Australian vehicles? New cars sold in Australia after July 2018 will have to meet Euro 6 and the Ford Explorer already has AdBlue fitted.

There have been a lot of developments with petrol engines, although petrol is probably on the way out as well.

In the UK, they are banning the sale of new petrol cars in 2040 and Volvo will drop Petrol and Diesel cars after 2019, so the writing is on the wall.

This is a sad development for fans of the big oiler engines, it will be interesting to see what an electric 4 wheel drive will be like off road.

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 crashes create a lot of mayhem on the roads and tend to get more publicity,

We discuss towball weight,the weight of vehicles, electric breaking, caravan wobbles.

Towball weight can either be too light or too heavy and the weight on the towball can change during a trip, so a good understanding of what towball weight is and how it effects the towing performance is really important.

Vehicle weight - just because a car or ute is rated to 2.5 ton, doesn't mean that you should. Some vehicles, especially utes can be quite light when towing a large caravan.

Electric brakes need to be adjusted for different driving. Highway driving needs more brakes than city driving.

A lot of people think that when the caravan starts to wobble you should speed up, but Mike has seen many people who have speed up and it has only made things worse. You might be better off using the caravan brakes to straighten out the caravan and pull it straight, rather than speeding up.

Be cautious on windy roads, especially when going downhill.

Mike isn't an engineer, but his wisdom is based on years of experience in dealing with caravan crashes.

Please share this podcast with anyone who tows a caravan so that we can help more people get to their holiday and return safe and sound.

Keep an eye out on 7 Mate for their new TV Show - Towie's featuring the crew from Clayton's and some of the interesting people and jobs that they do.

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 think about. Don't turn too sharply, keep your momentum up.

Getting bogged in sand below the high water tide mark at the beach

This makes it a lot more serious, because you are now fighting against time to get your vehicle free.

Creek Crossings

Lots can go wrong with creek crossings. We talk about my Jeep creek crossing gone wrong.If the river is flowing too fast, you can find you vehicle actually floating down the stream. Also, watch out for water in the engine. That is bad!

Fires in long grass

This happens every now and then, with either spinifex building up under the engine as you drive through the desert, or brakes, transmission and running gear getting hot and setting the grass on fire after you park.

Rollovers

Rolling your car can happen at very low speeds. There are a few videos on Facebook that show just how easily it can happen. Try to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible and take you time. Keep the car front on to the slope.

Tow Ball injuries

Common misconceptions have the tow ball as being a good place to recovery off. This is not the case and all too often people are struck in the head (and sometimes killed!) but tow balls flying off during a recovery.

Major mechanical damage

Damaging your car can be a big problem when you are offroad.

Getting Lost

Navigation embarrassment can be a big issue, especially if out by yourself (don't) or only have a GPS which stops working. The tracks databases can be wrong as well. I think it is important to take a paper map so you have a back up.

Have a listen and please share, especially with people new to heading out offroad.

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 Facebook Page and the Aberfeldy Track website or more info on the Aberfeldy Track project. Check out the Aberfeldy Track website to download the maps for the area.

We talk about the burial grounds around Store Point.

We also talk about the effects of bushfire in the area, some of which had a massive impact on the past, including the 1851 Black Thursday fire, which burnt out 5 million hectares (12 deaths) and the 1939 Black Friday fire which burnt out 2 million hectares and had 71 deaths. By comparison, Black Saturday burnt out 450,000 hectares, but had 173 deaths.

We talk about some of the walks that can be done in the area.

Donate to the project to join up to help preserve the history that Rudi and his group is preserving.