Post Overlord
travel advice
hey guys.. got an offer to go visit a friend in of all places katoomba, nsw.
Now up until this point the longest drive trip i did was to vic to go over and help with the fires earlier this year, and that was kind of a rushed thing as you'd imagine.
Since then biggest trip since then has been for a holiday in victor harbour, hitting 100k roads was a bit of an eye opener on safety, how much more ****heads other drivers can be and how inexperienced i am with some stuff, as well as impact on fuel economy etc.
Im currently rocking a VR exec with LPG which i usually run in economy mode, the lpg hasnt been too impressive lately and i've had a lot of work done to it but from what it seems its not pissing lpg away during long trips only for short ones (needs to have mix checked and redone to fix that apparantly, which i cant do before jan 5).
Driving from adel to katoomba, google maps reckons im looking at 16 hours of driving atleast.
So at this point its looking like a 2 day journey there and back. I also dont know what kind of fuel economy to expect so im after anyones advice or expertise to help me plan out the trip, advice to make hte car more efficiant for it, dealing wiht interstate police (im a p plater im expecting a bit of trouble).
Or if you live in the area or on the way there any advice, great places to checkout etc.
The whole point of hte trip is to just get outta my state for a bit clear my head, meetup with a mate over there and celebrate nYe with her so its all for a good cause.
RAA has been renewed, got 4 practicly brand new tyres, thinking of doing oil change, general cleanup and cut down of weight from car (thinking of taking my subwoofer box out) etc.
hoping i can do the trip for less then $180 of fuel each way but what i want and reality might differ a lot
The Cult Of Personality
I do a lot of trips with my mates, around Vic, upto NSW and once to Robe!
Are you going with anyone or just yourself?
If its yourself, it's always handy to have a map and a GPS, just in case.
Also, try to plan the timing of your trip out as much as possible beforehand and stick to it.
So if you're going to leave at 5am, and plan a stop 830am, stop at 830am, regardless of how you're feeling.
I work out using Google Maps, towns, restaurants, petrol stops and the whole lot, and then work out my stops and petrol fill-ups, because the worst thing is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, especially when you're by yourself.
Take a jerry can of petrol, and also a good amount of water, for yourself and the car independently.
Also, when you do make stops, talk to the locals about what to expect in terms of roads and conditions, they've always been helpful for us.
And lastly, for god's sake don't speed. The number of times I've seen people easily doing 130, its ridiculous, the roads in the country are very different to the metro, not as well looked after, one pothole and that speed and that's lights out.
For external use only
If you take routes 20 and 24 across the centre (Sturt Hwy onto the Mid Western), you should be fine. Mildura, Hay, West Wyalong and Bathurst all have good service stations and rest areas. I prefer the servo in Hay myself, so you can skip West Wyalong and go straight on to Bathurst if you want. Be aware that many rural service stations shut before 10pm, so ensure that if you plan to drive into the night, you fill the car + jerry can at around 8pm and measure your planned range into the next day. You should be able to comfortably make it from Mildura to Bahurst one a tank of petrol, a tank of gas, an a jerry can for backup though.
I've driven inland from Melbourne to Brisbane (22hrs) in one shot, and only encountered problems getting petrol very late at night - but a full tank and a jerry can was always able to carry me through to the next major town and all-night servo.
Take some comfortable clothes, a good spare tyre, spare belt, required tools to change that belt, and a good 20l water for you and the car. The roads you're going to be on aren't that infrequently trafficed, so you will encounter help if you run into trouble.
Take a spare voltage regulator (part number RE60 I think) and a screwdriver to change it. Set of jumper leads and a tow rope come in handy too, but as long as the car is in good repair you shouldn't run into any issues.
Other than that, just enjoy the drive and the scenery, and make sure you have some good music
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The 1972 HQ Kingswood
The 1989 VN Turbo Rally Project
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Post Overlord
sweet guys. ive got my hands on a navman, im making this trip myself.
Right now big thing im looking at is cost, I dont know how much fuel the VR (v6) will chew up there and back, so im worrying over finances atm, the gas has had a service but its still running like crap on it atm.... petrols running beautifully
anyone got a similar car made a similar trip? trying to budget it so i can workout if i can afford this or not
6 speed
i'd budget on atleast 4 full tanks and a jerry can.
and when you budget for fuel, add 10c a lt to the cost just to be safe
Chev badges are an instant fail
Post Overlord
i dont know how many litres it will take to get there... consumption rates etc.
The Cult Of Personality
Well use Google Maps to work out the distance needed to travel, figure out your fuel tank capacity, and average 9L/100km (10 if you want to be safe), and then calculate your fuel costs, by say, $1.30 for country ULP, then you can work out your petrol split and the like.Originally Posted by acex1138
If you want, just pm your departure and arrival locations, and also your fuel tank size, and I can work it all out for you if its gets too messy, and it can.
My mate drove his VR Exec pretty comfortably from Melb to Robe, I believe it doesnt have Cruise Control, but he squeezed in around 600 to a tank, thats with 4 boys in the car and a truckload of beer, so, I guess you could hope for at the worst 600 a tank.
Post Overlord
ok will do some numbers after work. what im factoring in atm is taking bare essentials i figure cut the cars weight down as much as possible, im not having any sports stuff fitted to the car, i've put light 15" tyres on with brand new tread, removed the tow pack, leaving all unneccicary crap from the car.
All thats coming with me is food, ess supplies emergency gear and my ps3/guitar hero/booze
Now in a Calais
Leave the sub in... you'll want to be enjoying your music as much as possible on a long trip like that! I hate not having a good sound system in my car anymore.
Maybe one day....
Post Overlord
looking like its happening i get to stay at her place. 400 fuel should do it + jerry can of extra fuel.
will start compiling a checklist, cheers guys keep adding suggest if u got them.
special thanks tc for the economy numbers and advice
at this point considering tryna pickup a hitchhiker to split fuel with
The Cult Of Personality
Get her to fly into Adelaide, and maybe drive her the way back? At least then when you sleep in the car you can sleep in the car.....
Post Overlord
The Cult Of Personality
Huh? PMSL?
Post Overlord
piss my self lolling.
Any safety checks other then checking oil, coolant levels etc i should do as well?
white trash hillbillie
watch out for fatigue on the long trips, if u get sleepy just pulling over and resting your eyes for a bit and/or hopping out for a stretch can work wonders.
be wary of overdosing on energy drinks, yeah they keep u going for a bit but u come down hard, and too many of them make u crook in the guts. i find the trick is to have a few before u get real tired the buzz seems to last longer.
make sure the stereo is in good working order and crank the tunes that get u fired up.
if u get real tired dont hesitate to park up and snooze, thinking 'just a few more kays' will only end in tears
make sure your belts, hoses etc are up to scratch b4 treking of or have spares.
Mucca Mad Boys
Top up fluids, check all the belts and make sure your tyre pressure is correct. if you have low psi it will increase your consumption. I wouldnt worry about taking your sub out unless you need the extra boot space. Also if you dont drive like a d*** on the road, dont speed and dont drink drive you will be fine aslong as you dont have chiopped springs and fully sick chromies. Take a small tool set just incase of an emergency, screw driver, pliers jumper leads, rope and a torch, duct tape and some fluids and maybe a spare belt and radiator hose is what i would be doing and is what i have in the boot of the vl. other then that have a good nye
Katoomba for NYE huh? Oh well, there are worse places to beMy husband grew up in Katoomba, and we lived there for ages so I guess we're just a bit over it. Obviously go and check out the 3 Sisters..... it's just 3 big rocks but a must see if you've never been before. Also check out this link Scenic World Blue Mountains Australia
You HAVE to go on the Scenic Railway..... it's a blast, try and get the front carriage if you do go on it
A good, cheap pub feed can be found at the Alexandra Hotel in Leura which is the next town over. I don't know if things have changed since I lived there but from memory stay away from Hotel Gearin's in Katoomba, it was a dive. If you are planning on going out on NYE try the Carrington Hotel instead. Oh and Mt Panorama is only an hour and a half from Katoomba if you're up for the extra driveHave fun
The Cult Of Personality
We're definitely sight-seeing aren't we acex......??....:-p
Post Overlord
hahahaha. well she now wants me to meet her in lithgow so we can drive last bit together, and might be taking the train to sydney itself for a party there, so this is going from an alternative for nye to looking like the best thing ive ever done.
She also wants me to stay for a bit after to do some bush walking sight seeing and movies etc.
Excellent advice guys, its always good asking hte experienced.
Got some kickass tunes for the trip as well, just got given 009 sound system's album, some kings of leon (overrated but good cruising music), the new ministry of sound, some more hendrix and some more bryan adams. Another 16gb of mp3's and i should be good
Post Overlord
well guys im heading out tomorrow thanks for all the advice. hopefully the damn state doesnt get flooded on the way there lol
Avoid the Gearins and the Family hotels, big dramas on NYE. The Carrington is by far the best option.
Drive Safe dude.
Post Overlord
cheers guy I made it all the way here. Been doing pitstops at maccas for wifi and bacon bbq burgers. Have done this on astounding s140 of lpg.
met some cool people on the way got a police escort through barossa. bathurst was cool. Picked her up in lith, shopping and dinner in katherine then movies at her all night in wentworth falls.
Good holiday so far
The Cult Of Personality
Good to hear you got there safe. Have a great NY and get one in there for me
Post Overlord
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