One of the last accessories I wanted to add to Brutus was a solar panel, one that would fit on the large Zarges case which is installed on the roof rack. I found a 100 Watt panel which would fit the lid of the case nicely and which should be sufficient to keep the accessories battery charged and my refrigerator cooled. An EPSolar Tracer 10A 1215BN is selected as a charger. Continue reading “Installing a solar pannel”
I finally finished operation winch repair
Back in september last year I started operation winch repair after I broke the winch during an offroading event at the Land Cruiser Club. I cleaned and overhauled the which and electrical system but after reinstall the drum didn’t really turn. Brutus faced some other problems and went for repair for more than 3 months, winter arrived and the winch repair project went into hibernation. Yesterday was a somewhat cold but sunny day so I decided to solve the winch matters once and for all.
Continue reading “I finally finished operation winch repair”
An update on repairs and preparations
Brutus is finally back after more than three months of repair by the Land Cruiser specialist in Maasdijk, also costing much more than estimated. Still one or two repairs need to be done though. The repair definitely took to long and I can’t understand how someone can run a business lake that. But enough about that, let’s look forward to new adventures. Continue reading “An update on repairs and preparations”
Introducing to you: Gordigear
I’m happy tot introduce to you: Gordigear, my first sponsor for my Amsterdam to Sydney trip. Gordigear is an Australian manufacturer of expedition camping equipment, thus they know how to make proper products which are able to withstand harsh outdoor conditions. When I contacted them about my plans to drive from Amsterdam to Sydney they responded very exited.
I’m currently using their 140 cm wide Explorer roof top tent and at the start of my trip an additional Gumtree awning and mesh room will be fitted at their European office in Germany which I will be visiting.
Are you interested in supporting my trip from Amsterdam to Sydney? I created a page with some ideas how to do so.
How I plan my route
When planning a new journey I like to collect interesting sights in the countries I’m intended to visit. Articles in magazines, news items, documentaries, other travelogues and other sources of interest I put together in a Google My Maps map. Then when the time of departure is in sight I connect the points of interest together and create a route. Of course this route is often deviated from.
I’ve got a new rooftop tent, and I already used it
Last Thursday I went for a look at an almost brand new Gordigear rooftop tent, only one and half months old. The owner decided that a campervan was more his thing and put it on sale. I gave it an evening to consider my options and although I had a somewhat smaller budget in mind for a secondhand rooftop tent the fact that it was almost brand new and still had 22 months warranty made me decide to buy the tent, of course after some negotiation about the price.
Continue reading “I’ve got a new rooftop tent, and I already used it”
The continuation of operation winch repair
After removing the winch I first removed the rope and cleaned all the debris from the winch. Then I took the winch apart and tested the motor, which seemed to work out fine. After putting the winch back together again everything worked, most probably the cleaning and refitting the thing solved the problem.
Continue reading “The continuation of operation winch repair”
A new adventure in the making!
Dear friends, I am preparing a new travel adventure. One that will exceeds all my previous trips. And of course Brutus plays an important role. Soon I will announce more details!
Operation winch repair is in full swing
Since I broke my winch during an event by the Land Cruiser Club I never looked at it again and it was basically a heavy weight on the front bumper. This obviously needed to change. I don’t really see a need for a winch for the kind of traveling I do so the options are to repair it against minimal costs, or ditch the whole thing and lose some weight from the front bumper as an added benefit. Replacing it with an other winch is not what I was intended to do.
Safe water on the road
Today I received a new addition to my travel equipment, a LifeSaver jerrycan with built-in water filter. I also ordered the optional spray hose so I can easily rinse of fruit and vegetables with clean water, or even take a shower.
I have investigated various filtration options, and decided to go for the LifeSaver jerrycan because of the high filtration claims, the self-contained water storage of 18 litres and the fact that the size is the same as a standard jerrycan which makes packaging a lot easier.