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It’s pretty special.

An easy way to remember is if the crease is in the middle, the middle needs to come down. If the crease is at the edges, the middle needs to go up. Most important is to get the edges lined up straight with the van first though.

We’re not doing any serious off-roading with it yet, but when we do our suspension upgrade we will be going to a better hitch.

We’ve not found we have the issues you’re suggesting with the 3 way, the fridge certainly works just fine for us as does the freezer, we’ve had it running in all sorts of temps and no issues yet.

@@rubitherubicon22 The limits of freezing is well known and if you are interested you can look up the limits... Its an issue of the physics not the brand. 30c + days will see your frozen stuff thawing and partially freezing at night. In general, in excellent conditions, an absorption refrigerator will cool the fridge compartment to somewhere around 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) below ambient (outside) temperature. So 28C being very generous

@@markwright196 We had the van out over summer and we certainly didn't encounter that issue. That said we run a secondary fridge in the back of the 4x4 for our bulk food storage and only keep in the fridge in the van on hand what we're cooking that night, so its probably less of an issue for us and it may have just not gotten "warm" enough for us to notice. We may upgrade to a compressor fridge in the future but it's not on the cards for us at the moment.

We don’t carry a generator at all, our HWS is electric/gas so we run it on gas when off grid. The key is to downsize, most people carry more stuff than they need, we deliberately packed less than we thought we’d need on our first big trip and we still find we’re removing stuff that we just don’t use.

Our 3 way has a separate sealed compartment from the rest of the van, I suspect for that exact reason. Of course if you’re travelling for multiple hours a day with a decent DC-DC it’s less of an issue.

Yeah we’re finding that out. It’s still too much for the van without the vents open anyway.

We got a little mirror from Kmart . It has little pedestal and stands about 30cm high. The mirror can also be rotated up, down and side ways . In terms of putting the stabiliser up , have them facing backwards when towing the van .

Facing backwards at the rear will reduce over all ground clearance/departure angle. We actually have a mod in the works to have them tucked up even higher for more clearance, we plan on taking our van some pretty cool places but it’s going to need a custom suspension setup to give us much more ground clearance than even the adventure plus suspension has.

@@rubitherubicon22 Yes even -8 to -12c setting 2 is still sufficient (water lines freeze thou till 10am)

We’re still learning ourselves but it was good to be able to help someone else out.

We haven’t had it out on a terribly windy day yet but if it was pegged down I don’t see why it wouldn’t hold up just fine. Beach could be tricky, might need some of those long screw in pegs.

It takes us about 20 minutes to setup the Annexe. It’s not a difficult process once you e done it a few times but yes, it can be a bit of a jigsaw. I’m not aware of any covers made for them, I know the smaller domes have a habit of warping if they’re under a cover. We store ours beside our house with the roof/sides setup, in order to keep pressure off the springs.

I’m not familiar enough with the vehicle to know if it wouldn’t or wouldn’t be suitable sorry.

Just done a lap around Oz with a Subaru Outback 2020 2.5l. The new Suburu with turbo can pull 3tonne braked would be better on hills.

They're a really nice welcoming group of people. This is trip number two with them now and I think we'll definitely be doing more trips with them soon.

Looks like some must do locations when we get down that way.

Yeah a great little area. Definitely going to have to do some more exploring soon.

Thanks. Appreciate it. So much time lol.

Was a nice little trip. Next one should be a bite more technical I think. We need to get better at A roll footage and remembering to clean the camera lenses.

Is the ring that’s faded metal or plastic?

The fading is the back shell of housing. The EX2 look nice, but they’re still an LED which is a narrow spectrum light. While they might have a higher on paper light output the Halogens generally will give better contrast. I was pretty impressed with the service provided by them, and you can even get on the phone to the designers of the lights if you have any questions. They also do a bunch of hunting lights and thermal optics now too. I may add some LEDs to use as trail lights in the future as off roading is really not something these lights do well.

@@rubitherubicon22 yeah we are running a 20inch bar and 2 x 7inch rounds. We find the light not too bad but we also run an Amber lens on the bar so that takes some of the harshness out.

@filthyoffroadadventures I would say at some stage I’ll add a couple of smaller “warm white” LEDs which will be fine for slow stuff on the trail, but the FYRLYTs are exceptional highway lights. The difference in how fatigued I would be after a couple of hour drive late at night compared to my previous LEDs or HIDs is staggering:

@@rubitherubicon22 if that’s all you need then just put some small rock lights on the ends of your bar or even get some cowl mounts and pop them there maybe?

Will have to double check but I’m pretty sure ours only came with the clip in bag for the shampoo/etc in the shower, unless that’s the bag you’re talking about? We considered the double but really glad we went the extra and got the triple

@@rubitherubicon22 yeah ours has the one for the shower and one for the cloths in the ensuite area.

@@rubitherubicon22 just looked open the website and doesn't look like comes with the triple just single and double.

Tighten them up to the mark, test them then leave them at a preset pressure. I don’t adjust them once they’re set.

Yeah we’ve seen them too. You can also get bench seat versions of them too so considering one of those as well.

Tebbs awning from Alpine Annexes. Link in the description. I’ve found the best thing is to give them a call and talk to them. They’re quite busy and can be slow to answer emails. The shower tent is a Joolca Ensuite Triple. I’ll have more info on that in next weeks video.

We had a crewman before and it wasn’t going to be up to the task of towing the AVan. In short we chose the gladiator due to it not looking like every other tradie Ute out there and we liked it over everything else.

@@rubitherubicon22 Fair enough. I personally wouldn't touch one given their reputation for unreliability and Jerp Australia's utter contempt for customers. Hopefully you got one that's not a lemon mate.

@mikeperth8027 by all accounts the JT are a pretty good thing. Very few issues, certainly no more than other manufacturers these days. The engine is now on its third generation, we’re 20k in and no issues at all. Each to their own I guess. If you look hard enough you’ll find issues with everything. The mid teens tritons and failing water jackets comes to mind - my dad had 5 engines fail under warranty before they gave him a refund. We’re really happy with it.

Nice couple of videos to watch. Did you look at camper vans or just straight to the a-frame van? We enjoy camping in our air tent, but I have noticed a lot of a-frame and campers getting around which are now low enough to clear the carport and go into the backyard. We don't have a big enough backyard for a shed so I'd have to get a van cover. Have you done a video of your full setup from scratch to up and running? As in setting up. Cheers

@@tugboat8475 I’ve always liked the AVans but never been able to afford one until recently. We had a cavas camper previously but it was a bit of a pain, once my wife saw how easy the AVan was to setup, she was sold. We haven’t done a setup video but there are plenty of them out there. I might do a time lapse next time we setup.

Thanks it's been a lot of effort but well worth it!

Thanks! We like them :)

It’s not something I’ve tried. I believe e there’s a way with Android but I’ve never had the need to pre load a large amount of memories on any radio I use. With only 16 available to be active at once I’ve always just programmed via the app the 16 I’m most likely to use/want to use on my “next” trip.

Yep can definitely do something in a future video, but basically when you tilt the windscreen forwards there’s a spot under the passenger side near the battery you can run cables in through. I have 3x coax and a 6mm power cable there.

Because the iOS app doesn’t pass audio to/from the radio via the app.

Ok thanks Do you Think that in the future it Will be possible ?

@@danieleasnaghi8246 you would have to reach out to the developers and ask.

Thanks! Subscribe for more in depth reviews of some of the gear coming!

We got the Tebbs awning from Alpine Annexes. It doesn’t use the factory awning track - so we ordered ours without it and fitted the one that’s supplied for the awning.

@@rubitherubicon22 Thanks for getting back to me ,I’ve seen video of them and so my next question is ,any problem fitting the track yourself ,I have checked out there fitting vid ..thanks again for getting back to me ……….thanks Sandy

@@sandythomson7923 my only advice is measure, test fit, mark, drill the holes and then remove and add the silicone/sealant and re-fit and give the sealant time to dry. It’s not hard if you’re handy with tools but it’s not something you want to rush. I did and as a result I got the lower front rail slightly wrong and so the side has a bit of a kink in it when it’s velcroed to the skirt as I mounted the lower rail too far forward.

Many thanks ,wondering if I should video my attempt 😀

@@sandythomson7923 in hindsight I should have done mine, but I was on a time crunch and we really didn’t start this TH-cam journey until recently so it hadn’t crossed my mind.

Slowly getting there. Unfortunately the ETA of our lift has been pushed back to mid April, but we need our airbags in for towing so I’m going to have to put those in now then reinstall them when the lift arrives. I’m pretty proud of the comms and DC installs.

Yeah I’m not super happy with the trailer socket location but I’m not super happy with the step location either. Will see what happens and where it ends up.

The view was actually better in the pic than it is when it’s straight as it was slightly skewed, I wasn’t quite parked straight. You can’t argue with the maths. In order to be legal the mirrors MUST be wider than the can being towed. That’s basic, year 7 geometry. These mirrors only take the width to 2.1m, there’s NO WAY these are legal on a van 2.1m or wider.

@@rubitherubicon22 Yeah its an annoying requirement. but helps reversing so personally helpful anyway. My vehicle body is 1950 so an inch either side that the mirrors can handle

@@markwright196 I wouldn't say it's annoying. The blind spots that are created without at the very least a parallel view along the van can be pretty significant. I see people driving all the time with narrow vehicles, massive vans and NO tow mirrors and I can't help but wonder how do these guys change lanes? Do they just throw on the indicator and hope nobodys there? The blind spots on some of these are literally big enough for a car to hide in beside the rear of the van. A pretty dangerous situation. I personally like to be able to see the whole side of the van not a parallel view - though as you say that's not a legal requirement, it does help though as it gives you a bit better view of what might be behind the van.

@@rubitherubicon22 I meant retro-fitting it is annoying and the options are not great. yours is one of the better solutions.

Ah yeah there are no good retrofit options, and these are a tidy option but could be better if they were just a bit wider.

No worries. Just saw your video I’ll comment there.

Not sure the boys in blue would appreciate that!

Our pleasure. We have since done some mods to it and we’ll be sharing an update video soon. Lots more in store for this one.

@@rubitherubicon22 fantastic....👍😉

​@@rubitherubicon22..... Just an update I'm in the process of upgrading to lithium battery so therefore I'm swapping out the factory projecta solar regulator & 240 charger with the same items that are lithium compatible..... The original lead acid battery 35kg vs 14kg with lithium .

@@robbiebob6267We have since installed a big Victron system and I have a 240Ah lithium battery on the floor here waiting to go in. Just make sure the battery box meets the new venting and sealing requirements so that you don't void your insurance in the process of doing the upgrade. The AVan battery box doesn't meet the regs.

Correct, but in this test the 240v element draws less juice than the 12v element. In both tests the battery voltage remained about the same. By all accounts the fridge should cool better on 240v, and in my tests, using less energy even factoring in inverter losses. That leads me to believe the 240v heater is positioned better to make more effective use of the heat it generates, despite pulling less power.

It’s an Ozi4x4 Amazon Alloy canopy. I’ll be doing a review video on it shortly. It’s not bad but fitting was a bit of a nightmare.

No worries. Cheers for that. We'll be looking at getting a canopy sometime this year.

Be interesting to see what you go with. Are you going to stay canopy-less?

Flooded cells absolutely vent yes. I’m in the process of upgrading the electrical system in the van. The AVan offering works but in our opinion it’s quite sub-par and we’re replacing the whole shebang. 1600W pass though inverter, 700W of solar, 480Ah of lithium. In order to do it though there won’t be much of the original 12 or 240 system left. We have a teaser on our FB page. Subscribe for updates we should have something up in a week or two.

@@rubitherubicon22 makes you wonder about a more bare bones purchase.. surprised a dealer hasn't picked up on the idea of doing a better job of making a more off grid one

@southerngentleman5321 that basically what we did. I actually asked for it to be supplied without a battery but they couldn’t do that. The dealers I don’t think offer a lot of extras like this, and what I’m doing is pretty out there. I haven’t seen it done in a Cruiseliner before, ever. And once this is done I plan to rip out the tortion bar suspension and replace it with a double shock air bag setup. There won’t be much AVan left.

Aw shucks. Yeah more content coming, we need to catch up next time we’re in Melbourne for more than a flying visit.

Yeah when we were in the sand I was still in 4H auto, if it got soft I would just chuck it in low range, hit Off Road plus.

Each to their own.

I’ll agree to disagree. A recovery hitch in the towbar has the force applied to the cross bar on some really strange angles when you work out the physics on it, and the factory recovery points are actually bolted direct to the chassis and are a much more direct pull. You’re far more likely to bend something on the gladiator using the towbar even with a recovery hitch IMHO.

It’s certainly an option, but the towbar inserts are only as strong as the towbar itself self. The forces in a recovery can easily peak at 10-15 tonnes in a worst case scenario if not done correctly so I’d prefer to yank on the hooks. If you yank on the towbar in a situation like that you’ll bend it, and because of the way it’s mounted, likely the chassis too.

You can’t. The notches in the chassis are reversed so they can only go one way, which is the opposite on each side.

Cheers!

Yeah I’m aware, trying to find ones without replacing the bumpers is challenging. I’m assessing my options.

Thanks! Yeah I’ve got a heap of videos lined up I just need to get time to film them. We got our Gladiator in Sep last year. I think I’m probably going to end up getting the tabs milled off as it’s a cold process. Grinding would introduce heat and I’d bet these are heat treated so I don’t want to weaken the material.

We've got our gladiator in November 2020. Got over 100k on it now. We've taken it to lots of places already. Still more planned. More plans than free time. Lol

I know that story! I’ll have a cruise through your vids tomorrow.

Interesting issue. At least you now know more that 90% of Gladiators owners having turned spanners on it.

@@filthyoffroadadventures it’s a shame TH-cam doesn’t have a laugh emoji in the reactions. Yep I have a long list of little mods I’ve done so far, even some things I fixed that Jeep “installed” for me and I had to redo. I watched a few of your videos today. I actually like the factory ride, unloaded and it’s mostly a daily driver so I’m going for an AEV 2” lift and airbag man high pressure like yours at the same time. That should be a fun video when the gear arrives.

Thanks! Appreciate it. It’s not a smartcap, it’s a budget Amazon canopy from Ozi4x4. I’m going to do a proper review of it soon as I’ve had it about 3 months now. It’s not bad for the money but it was a lot of effort to get it to fit properly (not with the dodgy clamps that come with it that require you to remove the trail rail), and it gets really, really hot.

Thanks. I have most of the gear for the upgrade here and hoping to make a start on getting the bulk of the install done over the next few weeks. Will have more videos coming on this soon.

We wanted a new van built to our specs, so yeah. I guess if you don’t mind buying second hand and dealing with someone else’s fit out that works but the ability to select trim and configuration was a must for us.

buy direct from manufacturer then? we starting to look around and see a lot of bad stoyys..

@@southerngentleman5321 not an option for AVan, everything goes through a dealer network.