Australia is a HUGE country nearing the size of the whole of Europe or the United states and with just over 24 million people is one of the biggest and most uninhabited countries you can travel through!

You may have gone 4WDing before, but getting your rig ready for a serious long-distance 4WD touring trip can be overwhelming, as you have to be ready for nearly any terrain in any weather condition, so we’ve put together this handy guide to make sure you are prepared for everything when you are well and truly out of civilization!

Firstly, when you are getting ready for a big trip, you must know where you are going, you can research most destinations quite well on the internet or in magazines, knowing the destination will help you figure out what you are facing and which mods you need most, the age-old expression “the best 4WD for touring is the one you’ve got” rings mostly true when you start out with your first 4WD touring trip, and you shouldn’t go and spend massive coin on the biggest and best mods until you know what your vehicle is lacking .

Before any big trip it is essential to go over your whole vehicle with a fine-toothed comb to make absolutely sure your vehicle is mechanically A1, regardless of how new your vehicle is or how tidy the bodywork looks this will make it less likely for things to go belly up in the bush, and make your whole trip a lot more predictable and enjoyable.

When inspecting your vehicle don’t forget that your tyres are your vehicles connection to the road and the tracks and poor tyre choice or old worn out rubber will mean when it counts most and you least expect it, you may not have the grip that you need, make sure to check over all of your tyres including your spare(s) ensuring you are starting with a vehicle that is as ready as you to get off the beaten path!

From here we can start the fun bit!

MODIFICATIONS AND GEAR!

One of the best things about the Australian bush is seeing all of the native wildlife, unfortunately on occasion in the case of animal strike you can do a lot of damage to essential components from your vehicle.

So the first mod many people make for their Touring 4WD is a heavy duty steel Roo Bar, there are many bars on the market but typically steel is the strongest available and is the perfect mounting point for stacks of accessories, if you fit a steel bar, make sure your springs can handle it and if not something like a Raw suspension kit, designed for steel bull-bars will make a big difference to handling and off-road clearance;

UHF Radio – A standard 5 Watt UHF Radio, like the Oricom UHF380PK is essential for remote area communication, mobile phones simply wont cut it as there arent any service towers, out in the middle of nowhere, with a standard 5 Watt unit you can communicate dozens of km’s without hefty roaming bills.

Bright LED Spotlights – Night time driving, can be dangerous factors like fatigue, night time animal strikes and even not being able to see the road ahead. With modern LED Spotlights  Like the Adventure Kings 9″ LED Spotties you can see clearly hundreds of meters down the road with clear bright white light, eliminating some fatigue and giving plenty of warning of hazards ahead.

Heavy duty winch – A 12,000lb winch, like the Domin8r 7.2HP Winch can get you out of trouble when there is no one else around, being a controllable, steady pull, many even fit winches to the rear, in case you get yourself in too deep and changed your mind about the direction of travel.

Another extremely useful modification people upgrade their vehicle with is a quality solid steel roof rack.

A good quality roof rack is the best foundation for starting a great campsite, able to instantly expand your vehicles storage to include bulkier and larger gear;

Swag – Great for fast and easy camping, require very little time to setup and fully waterproof and include a comfy mattress for the best night sleep, we’ve used the Deluxe Adventure Kings Big Daddy Swag and its plush 70mm mattress is like a cloud.

Rooftop Tents – Fast to setup and being elevated with large mesh windows you get better breeze in hotter climates and the best views around. The Adventure Kings Range of Rooftop Tents setup in just minutes and offers fast comfortable and roomy camping no matter how uneven the ground!

LED Lightbars – Slim and low profile, with LED lightbars like the Domin8r range, you get a bright white wide spread beam, and little air resistance.

Awnings – Perfect for adding extra shade and shelter for lunch or setting up camp and are great for keeping morning dew and winter frost off swags and camping gear, some of the best awnings we’ve tested are the Adventure Kings Range of Awnings.

Shovel and Jack holder – an Offroad Jack and a sturdy long handle shovel are essential pieces of recovery gear, whenever you get stuck you should be able to lift dig and clear out debris from under your touring rig and pack under your tyres. A shovel and jack holder is the perfect place to stash these handy tools up high, and easy to access when your rig gets axle deep!

These tips will give you a head start to get you going on your adventure sooner for less, we will update soon with offroad driving tips for touring smarter!