Very nice around there on the lake.  We free camped at a free cam at Narrung Ferry could of years back which is further east.

Good to see you out and about.

Hi Robert
Enjoy your little holiday away. Thanks for the photos.
Good Luck
regards Kev

Good spot Robert, have spent a few days there myself a few years back.
Muzz

few years back...Clayton Bay hosted Paddle steamers

couple more

Yes think it was something like 100 years of paddle steamer " Oscar W " not sure ...was while back

Hi Robert
Have a great  trip and safe travel/
regards Kev

Hi Kevvie thank you, unfortunately I woke up Thursday morning with a bung neck. Went through the day in bad pain from the side of the neck all along the muscles in the right shoulder.

Friday went to emergency at Palmerston hospital, saw a doctor who said ir was Wry neck and the had the physio see me. Not much to doo except heat backs and light stretch exercises. Excellent service and my thanks to all who helped me.

Tonight a family meal at the Howard Springs Tavern, excellEnt meals and Molly got to see quite a few family members she has not seen for years. My neck and shoulder muscles were giving mehell sp not that much enjoyable for me.

Back where we are staying with the aircon on and a heat pad on my shoulder and neck. Tomorrow is another day. Cheers Robert

Morning Kevvie bit better this morning but pain is intense. Would like to head home Thursday so hoping for major improvement. Cheers Robert

Thanks Derek hope it does improve but the pain is near unbearable. Cheers Robert

Thanks Aart large improvement in the last 24 hours, heading home Thursday morning cheers Robert

Left Humpty Doo NT for the return trip yesterday, stopped at Adelaide River for a chat with an old mate and a footpath look at our house. Filled up at Katherine and took the bypass rd to avoid the main drag.

Temperature rising again between 40/41 c and sitting on about 94 klm/h average. Come 5 pm and still 40 c pulled into Dunmarra roadhouse and booked into the van park to use the 240v and run the aircon. Took over 2 hrs to bring the temperature to a reasonable level but worth it.

Will fill up this morning and continue on to Ti Tree as it is expected to hit high again. Ute traveled well and no overheating of the transmission fluid. Must be the down hill run making it better.

Nuthing exciting just a wish to be home after the conditions up north. Take care Robert

Hi Robert
Sorry to hear about the problems you are having car wise.
At least you found a camp site away from a rest area.
Hope your health is going OK. and you are on the mend.
At least with each K  you travel to getting you closer to home.
Take care travelling tomorrow
All the very best  Kev..

Kevvie shoulder is good with minor problems which will be sorted when I see my chiropractor next week.

Derek the car power I hope will know when I go to start this morning. Ran the generator yesterday for about 4 hrs and that also runs the battery charger for the house batteries. Now I am sitting with flat batteries in the van again so major over haul of charging system when we get home.

Either car is not charging,
fridge is drawing to much
Or battery charger is stuffed as well.

Home on Monday just have to get out of this heat if outside is 40c + hate to know the tarmac temperature.

Have a great weekend cheers Robert

Back home and glad to be, had a good run today and continued home. This will give us tomorrow to clean the van out. Will write up a bit more later thank you Robert

Thanks Kev now to sort the van out cheers

Thank you Jeff glad to be back.

How far north because around Tennant Creek to Katherine was 40c and Darwin was 40c and over 90% humidity. My lungs felt like they were doing a slow cook stew. Painful to breath most days.

Lived there for over 20 years and most wet season days were 33c and a rare day hit 35c. Now 40c appears to be the norm. The only thing that will get us back there is a death in the family I am sad to say. Cheers Robert.

Hi Derek / Robert
I see that Katherine and Darwin are going into 72 hours lock down
regards  Kev

On the run home my fridge battery in the ute decided to call it a day and join the great recycling roundup.

Would like to go lithium and also set the battery up behind the rear seat. Waiting on prices, size and cost. I know I can get AGM batteries at a reasonable cost but the lithium ones are still a bit high. Will wait and see what my bloke comes up with.

Not only the battery cost but everything else has to be compatable.
So I made a start setting up a power case in the tub, could not make it myself for the cost and is well constructed and the wiring very tidy.

Hi Robert
That looks great set up and better to handle.
Enjoy your travels.
regards Kev.

Robert, have you looked at the iTech Lithium Batteries.  When I changed all my house charging system in the motorhome the intent was to eventually move to iTechs when the original AGM’s gave out.

Still going strong at this stage though.

https://itechworld.com.au/

Bought myself a new 160w solar panel for the ute, the old flexible 100w was 4.5 years old and became brittle from exposure. Have gone back to a solid one, a few kilos heavier but believe it will last longer.

Todays effort still have to attach a Anderson plug and fix the line to the battery. Rest of the gear should be here by next weekend.

Hi Robert
That looks pretty cool.  But will it keep the car cooler ?
regards Kev

Robert
I will pay that one.  HA  HA
regards Kev

Hi Jeff have not taken it for a run yet expect there will be time will tell cheers

Went for a bit of a run this morning up to 80kh and no whistling so should be good. Will give it a good run when it is not rainin*. Cheers Robert

SorryDerek yes I did, bought mine and the panel from 4wheel Drive super centre. But believe they are available in a few places. 

Depends how you need to attach them so do some checking as T bolts are expensive. Cheers Robert

  https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/products/solar/solar-panel-mounting-brackets-to...

BCF have a similar set available as well.

Sounds like you are getting it sorted. My Brother in-law and I wired up a second battery in the back of our Mux before we went away this year. I attached the BCDC charger to the portable battery box.

Jeff

Bear wrote on Dec 1^st, 2021 at 3:18pm:


Know how you feel; my brother in-law got under the vehicle for me. Something I have extreme difficulty with these days.

Jeff

A little bit further along, auto electrician will be next week but have assembled the battery system and done a bit of wiring. Using a kickarss 120 amp slim line battery and battery holder Redarc 1225D BCDC unit, kickarss LVS and 50 amp resettable switch.

Would have loved to have lithium but the quote is just to high at the moment.

Installed a Kings switch board and added another Anderson plug and 50 amp fuse for the compressor.

Installed the 240v battery charge4 under as I can have a 240v lead running inside with the tailgate window down and locked.

Auto electrician has just left, new battery installed with a Redarc DC DC and new 160w solar panel connected.

All so had a Lightforce facer to replace the original one that had the two 12v outlets each side. This enable me to have the two way radion, usb’s and light bar switch in the centre instead of feel around for the originals.

Power board with AC charger and volt meter for easy reading.
2 x views of battery install.
Light Force facer.

Thank you Kevvie cheers

Certainly hoping mate cheers Robert

Funny bit with it when I drove it after the work and the auto elec had gone it seemed hard in reverse and when first going forward.

Was a bit worried and unsure of what was happening as I have never had any problems before.

Sitting there thinking and looking around I notice the drive dial had been moved from 2L to 4L so was engaging both diffs. Turned it back had a spin problem solved. Now just have to reset the scan gauge with out stuffing it up.

Have a great weekend folks cheers Robert

I get a daily email from Kings.  Boy they have an amazing array of stuff.

Looking forward to seeing photos Robert.

Looks good.  We have one of those fans at the foot of our bed.  Gives a nice breeze over the bed.

Chally wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2022 at 7:35pm:

We did the same Jeff. I made a wooden base plate for it.

Thought I had mentioned the problems with the fridge but appears not.

We have a generic Chinese compressor fridge which when operating on the 12 v side did not work. Narrowed the problem down to the change over switch so tested and yes not switching to 12 v.

Bit of a bummer as it is a rotary switch and 3 places I checked here no longer stock them or get them in. After some search I found one on Dick Smith @ $21 so ordered. Overseas and 2 to 3 weeks delivery. Arrived this morning after 2 weeks so first job this morning. Switched to 12v and fired up no problems. Bought the temperature back down and holding well.

Trust this is the end of this problem cheers Robert

Here is the link and a photo giving a description and sellers nam for future reference cheers Robert

https://www.dicksmith.com.au/da/buy/shinuoshop-220v-20a-3-position-rotary-select...

Well yesterday I had Pats Caravan and Mechanical over to service the van. Checked and degreased all bearings, checked and adjusted breaks, checked break away battery and general run over all suspension.  All good except foe one tyre wearing badly on the inside so replaced with spare which had not been used. Wheel alighnment arranged for tomorrow afternoon and both van and ute being weighed on the 11/3.

Intend to do two weeks over on the Eyre Peninsular before being back for a specialist appointment on the 30th then head towards Yetman. Looking forward to the trips. Cheers Robert

There are a lot of nice budget priced Showgrounds around.  We use them a bit.

Today waiting on an aircon guy to turn up.  Need a hose replaced on the motorhome or we won’t be going anywhere.

Hi Robert
Thank you for the photos. I appreciate it when  people like yourself likely share your trip with us by of photographs.
Enjoy you trip.
regards Kev (Kevvie)

Still more photos to come of the trip around the south of the state.
Had to pull up short again as the old power problem reappeard and we came home a couple of days early.

Been trying different things and then swapped the solar controller for a MPPT controller. Thought we had it beat but the crap really hit the fan and now we start from the beginning.

Took the batteries out to be test and will not know or get them back till maybe Tuesday. If batteries ok the same old same old, if not then will up grade to a lithium and rewire to controller and charger with heavier wire. Will also upgrade the Charger and Controller to Victron products so I can keep track via their wireless app.

All up this will take time and money but we can not fully enjoy our journey until it is right. Take care Robert

I use the king brand one and take the readout inside to keep an eye on the temperature while I am testing it.