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Gil's is a Minelab SDC 2300 & mine is a Minelba CTX 3030

Thanks for watching, Michael and I hope your trip goes well and you have many more great memories! Hope to catch up with you on your travels one day.

🤣 Gee I hope so, I still want Gil back...alive...

We have two Crusader caravans and even though we had issues with the first one we still purchased this one because we know if or when there are issues they are addressed and fixed. Any caravan you have will have issues especially if you take it to places like the Gibb, it's how good is the after sales service that backs your purchase that makes the difference. So yes we would recommend them, but always would suggest that if you are after a van do your research because what suits us many not suit you.

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 im looking at buying a pathway, but im not going off road with it. I think there a good looking and well built

@@man.i.literally.failed6772 I would recommend after purchasing it go on shorter shakedown trips to get to know the caravan and if anything needs to be fixed you won't be far from home. It is much easier, but not impossible to get repairs and maintenance done close to the dealership than to organise things in another state. Also be aware that it is much harder to get anything fixed around the months of Nov, Dec, Jan due to everyone wanting their vans to be serviced or ready for travel or the Christmas closures. It is a large investment into purchasing a caravan and we didn't take it lightly. We checked that the car could tow the caravan and that they were both suited. The X-Country (made to order) was our first van (had it for 4 years now) and the Hurricane (off the showroom floor) the second van (5 months). There are things we would exclude if we were to change vans and things that we would add but that is because we are getting to know what suits us when traveling, not because there is anything wrong with the van.

Thank you. Lovely spot.

Yes, I think that will be a must before the next trip

Hi Cliff, I needed to give Gil the constant reminder. It has come his 'little wife in his head' but he still does stupid s**t. 🤣

Yes, unfortunately there are some places that there has been rubbish left and it then gets blown around. Just won't pick up the 🧻 💩😬

The tyre repair kit has become so handy. Lots of sharp rocks and flat tyres. Opted for this caravan because we already own another Crusader so are familiar with most of the gadgets on it and because of the setup factor. Was thinking about a camper trailer or a pop top but feeling a bit old these days to fuss around with those, also wanted the indoor shower/toilet arrangement for convenience. Love travelling around Australia, it's great to get out and see what there is to offer and meet people along the way. Good luck in your future travels.

Yes, Gil did get permission. He happened to run into someone (not sure of the circumstances, it was someone related or worked for them) but got permission to go and see the property. It was purely by fluke that he happened to be talking about it to this person that knew them & explained that he visited Rabbit Flat many years ago when they were open & really wanted to see it again.

🤣

That is a good perspective. The parents need to lead by example, a good way to look at solving the issues 👍

Correct. That was my fault as I do the thumbnails not Gil. All fixed.

The caravan, are you talking about the Hurricane Gil is in or the old abandoned caravan that was at Rabbit Flat?

If you want to know more about Rabbit Flat try this link trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/57644809 there was a news article about them back in 1978

The thrill of the adventure wearing shoes that are not suited 🤣

It was a trip down memory lane for you too 👍

Thank you for watching and supporting the channel, it is much appreciated ❤️

As we don't live in Alice Springs it is not for us to judge and determine who or what is the cause of the issues as we would only see one view and I think that there is more to it than just that. Politics have a big play but I don't want to start a political debate.

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 Its not just you, but that's the copout and weakness that's got us into this mess. People need to just start being honest instead of being silenced by fear of the so called politically correct. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said it herself.

It definitely is different now. Wait till the next video with Rabbit Flat Roadhouse, you will definitely see the difference there.

It is like any town that you visit, if they don't supply convenient parking and a place that you feel safe you will take your money elsewhere. Hope you managed to get your keys replaced.

Wow!! That is a huge detour. The Triton looks like a pretty sturdy car. With all the larger cars that Australia is getting it would be nice to have larger car parking spaces too. I lived in USA and never had a problem parking with a larger vehicle. Here I feel that it is like trying to squeeze into clothing two sizes too small, no matter how you park something pokes out. 🤣

Gil has replaced the tyres since this video to AT's. Only reason for driving with these tyres was that they still had so much Kms on them when he checked before he left as he was going to replace them before he left but was advised against it.

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 Good to hear he replaced them. The people who gave that advice haven't done any outback travelling...

We were both touring last year, but this year Gil has gone off solo for 6 months in a Crusader Hurricane & I am based at my parents property in the Crusader X-Country whilst renovating a tiny home for our base camp.

You may have to bring that one up with Toyota as the tyres are what came on the 200 Series when we purchased it and we hadn't done a lot of Kms prior to travelling. We were going to change them to All Terrain's before Gil left however had them checked and was told that they still had a substantial amount of Kms worth on them. Gil has recently changed all 4 tyres whilst travelling.

I actually went to get new AT tyres before I left and the salesman talked me out of it, this is something I now regret

Hi Tiny On Tour, nice catching up on the road. Thanks for the tip 👍

I thought that when he said one had a bulge

In the car, they are DCS batteries & incase you are wondering we have had issues with them and already had one replaced and one reset last year.

Thanks for the video, we plan to travel on the Tanami Road next year, hopefully we won’t have a traffic detour.

The road is getting sealed to the WA border. Roadworks will be out there for the next 1.5 years at least

@@dukecolin01 In one way it would be great as there would be less damage to the vehicles.

That is so sad. It is a hard issue to fix and it doesn't matter where you live. We found that where we had our shop we had a few that would come and graffiti often or steal. Gil had his old car stolen twice. Crime is a bit too frequent in many places these days. 😢

no matter what the attractions, if the some of the locals are hostile, i reckon it is better to keep off altogether. there are plenty more civilized places in australia where you do not have to worry about this.

@@ursodermatt8809 I would agree, but Gil is more a risk taker 😳

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 ah yes each according to his own. also some need to learn the hard way: a smart man learns from his mistakes a wise man learns from others mistakes.

@@ursodermatt8809 he definitely will learn the hard way 🤣

HI Jocelyn, we do carry cable ties aren't that so handy, but remembering that they are there when you have an emergency is sometimes the challenge. 🤣

Thank you for joining the channel and for the lovely comments, much appreciated. Great tip on the eye protection, didn't think of that one, we will have to put some in our maintenance kit. 👍

Thank you for the great feedback. So pleased that you are planning a trip too. Starlink is currently in the process of changing things to make it easier for travellers and to have it more mobile (Starlink Mini). I will check into it later in the year and see about upgrading, but basically you need a power source to run it by batteries and an inverter in your car or caravan (a power point). It is not cheap, however is a good safety net to have, especially if you are travelling alone.

Wow! Thanks for that. It's a relief to know that they are swallows. Like everything, you gather information from others then make your own judgement. Thanks for your support 👍

😩

I wonder if things will change in years to come. Wouldn't it be great if we could visit places like Alice Springs without any worries?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could go anywhere in Australia without having issues!

Are you a paranoid American?

I would like to totally agree, however I think it is up the the individual to decide where they want to visit. I would personally not want to go to Alice Springs because of what I have heard from others (but I'm not one to take many risks, or what I see as risks), however Gil did go, our daughter did stay there solo for 3 months and like with every place you have to be aware of your safety and your surroundings. If you feel uneasy about a place then move on.

Totally agree. We don't tend to free camp any distance that is good to walk to a town if the town is iffy. Starlink is amazing to be able to keep in touch. Love the tip on the pool noodles. 👍

Thank you for subscribing and your comments of support. Gil did take duct tape and cable ties with him. Sometimes when something all of a sudden happens you forget about what you have in your maintenance/repair kit until after the event.

To be honest Gil doesn't like to spend money on accommodation, so he tries to free camp as much as possible.

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 we're the same , with the price of fuel these days ,but sometimes a bit of comfort with friends is nice,cheers 👍

@@steeldragon5867 perhaps we will see you on the road one day

I guess you have been there perhaps years ago. That would of been interesting to see the place back then and compare it to now

Not sure. When Gil went there were not only locals but people from outside of Alice Springs that gathered for the event

Yeah , people’s come in from bush camps at weekends. Basically typical of indigenous lifestyle now days.

@@chloeew4627 There was a lot of people these this time because of the festival that was on.

Like with anywhere you go you have to lock your things up, make sure that nothing valuable is in sight. With Alice Springs personally we wouldn't stay in the town but outside the town and it is not recommended to go out at night there. This was an exception because of the event that was on and the police presence. Our daughter stayed in Alice Springs by herself for 3 months just prior to this and she felt safe, but again didn't go out at night. I think it depends on you as a person too. What would you feel comfortable in being around. Gil is ok and relaxed with this but he has traveled places in the world that the average person wouldn't go to, me on the other hand would not feel safe in this type of place and would get anxious staying anywhere near there.

He is a big kid, because he likes to explore everywhere and everything. It's hard to keep up with him at times.

Thanks Jason, Gil has the dealer on speed dial. They have been helping out and we are making note on everything that we are having issues with. Sometimes you are just at the wrong place at the wrong time for these issues to happen. All gets fixed under warranty.

I think he maybe sick of snags when he gets back, but it is snags and beer tonight I believe 🤣 a lovely couple gave him some beer & he gave them chocolate

Thank you 😋 enough for everyone

Thanks guys, still more issues with the caravan since Gil caught up with you

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 yes we have been in touch.

@@TinyOnTour-bm7td you can compare van issues 🤣

You had me at snakes. We tend to lock the car even if we are only a short distance away because of not wanting to have opportunists help themselves and we did have a huntsman hitchhike at one time, that was creepy enough, but definitely a good point to make.

Agree. 👍It seems to make sense that certain parts would be more prone to damage especially under the caravan so why not protect them or use something more durable.

Hi Joe, thanks for your comment, but I feel that you have a misconception about when tyres need to be let down. It is true that the tyres should be let down in soft sand but also "Letting your tyres down for driving on a sandy beach, rough mountainous gravel tracks or corrugated roads when you're in the outback is crucial for ensuring you have the correct amount of tyre to surface contact". The tyres are only let down when it is felt that the road conditions require it to and what is best for both the car and caravan at the time, then they are inflated again. Yes we are still learning what is best for our rig, no we do not have too much money and no we do not want an unsafe car. We really do appreciate your comments but please do not attack us personally or speculate, as it will only deter other newbies out there from reaching out for help if they feel someone is going to be critical for them learning. Everyone wants to be safe on the road.

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 sorry I know I'm wrong I live out on these roads you will destroy your tires and make them unsafe think of other moderates that have to drive the opposite direction to you I do know what I'm talking about I am an engineer I actually understand the structure of tires

@@giljoy-eatsaustralia8768 I have no misconception so-called four-wheel drive experts on TH-cam and television have sponsors that are tired fitters did you that has the misconception now I'm not so much concerned for your safety but other motorists don't have to drive on the road near you by letting your tires down especially on loose gravel roads you will destroy your sidewalks boiler running long periods of time with low tyre pressures overheats your sidewalls it is best to stick to manufacturers minimum precious not what's on clown that's trying to sell your tires recommends I drive 95% of my time on dirt extreme dirt roads with sharp Jasper sand-mud corrugations I run proper tyre pressures and I do not get punches especially sidewall punches are the clowns will recommend that you buy expensive tyres then you get a sidewall puncher or a blow out I've been driving the outback a lot longer than you and a hillbille it longer than most of the so-called four-wheel drive experts I've driven every road in the outback in a variety of different vehicles and from the engineering standpoint when you drive on low tyre pressures the fabric that is in the sidewalls of your tires moves and starts wearing and create a lot of heat and friction which weakens the also the string and the rubber which means the tyre is compromised and no longer safe I know these things because part of my engineering I studied the manufacturing and testing of tires and the maximum and minimum loads and pressure tolerances for safety I also studied up on how safe four-wheel drives are when you lift kit them and every clown that lives their vehicle higher than the manufacturers recommendations deserves Leon roadworthy certificates so before you come back at me as an uneducated person please do your research first do a couple hundred hours of tyre research your suspension is there for corrugations

@@joecolliscollis3512 again thank you for your comment. What we have researched and what is published differs from what you are saying, however we will look into this further.

@@joecolliscollis3512 Joe, that was totally uncalled for. I did not call you uneducated, you in fact are being insulting and calling names. I simply stated that what we have read and understood is different to what you are saying and that we will look into it further. There is no need for trolling. If you feel so strongly about what you are saying then may I suggest you start your own TH-cam channel and educate people on what you know. It maybe a great way to get across what you feel so passionate about. Have a nice day.