Dreamer's white auto 150 GXL D4D

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

G’day all,

I finally picked up my new white auto GXL D4D Prado on Monday, 21 weeks and one day after placing my order.

On Tuesday morning the boss and I headed off to Gunnedah (from Sydney) to get a feel for the vehicle and to get it ready for the first service (1000kms) – happening tomorrow.

We went up via the Bells Line of Road, Lithgow, Dunns Swamp (16kms dirt) and Coolah. We came home via Werris Creek, Scone, Singleton, Broke and Calga. The car hasn't been 'off-road' yet, I'm waiting for all the mods to be done.

We were both very happy with the car, particularly the handling, I expected more body roll. We got 9.3 litres per 100km for the trip.

Accessories so far include:

• Tailor made sheepskin seat covers (front only).
• Plastics and mats.
• Garmin GPS (moved from the old XTrail).
• Engel 40 litre fridge (sitting in the garage).

On Monday the vehicle is booked into ARB for the following:

• ARB colour coded winch bar
• Warn Magnum winch
• IPF spots
• Safari snorkel
• Dual batteries (Redarc system)
• 2” OME lift
• Tow bar
• Redarc electric brakes
• Air compressor
• Drawers with fridge slide
• Cargo barrier
• Diff and transmission breathers
• Maxtrax
• Kaymar WOD bracket
• Five Mickey Thompson ATZ 4 rib 265/70/17.

I originally intended going with front and rear lockers and a chip with 3” exhaust but I’ve decided to hold off to see whether I actually need those mods.

All going well I should have the vehicle back at the end of next week and I can take some photos to post here!

Cheers.

[Madkore Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Madkore]

Geezus Dreamer - ARB is gonna love you!

Look forward to the pics!

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

That's going to be a very nice machine with all that fruit! Hope you get a free stubby cooler out of them when it's all done! Or maybe some of those ARB logo'd tyre valve caps...

(Dont mind me Dreamer, I'm just jealous...)

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Very, very, very nice! You'll have to hook up with Dobbo and others who are in your neighbourhood.

Re the exhaust and chip... it's not about "needing to do it", rather "just do it" . You can always talk yourself into it, based on better fuel economy. If not for you, then you'll be doing the planet a favour.

Lockers... okay, that depends on just what you want to tackle. Whilst the traction control is excellent, I've seen twin locked 150 GXL and they are a clear winner when you take on the seriously gnarly stuff.

LFaR.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Wow, Dreamer when u pick up your car from ARB u might just think u r dreaming when u see the transformation of your rig.


Hutch- 2007 V6 GXL.
2012 V6 GXL on order.

[ursos Member Find all posts View Profile Close ursos]

Impressive list of mods! Can't wait to see some pics :-)

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

Thanks guys,

The Prado is effectively my retirement vehicle, we needed something decent to tow our 1500kg off road camper trailer around. I decided to get all the mods done at the same time so that the Prado is ready to go from day one. I intend hanging on to the vehicle for quite a while so I figure the mods will pay for themselves in the longer term.

ARB did a really good deal with all that I'm getting (but they didn't say anything about a stubby holder). I might have preferred the looks of the TJM bar and snorkel and maybe the Black Widow drawers, but ARB were the only people who could supply everything I wanted - and at a very good price.

Our first trip looks like being Sydney - Cooma - Tumut - Balranald - Lake Mungo - Wilpena Pound - Arkaroola - Innaminka - Tibooburra - Lightning Ridge - back to Sydney. Thinking 4 to 6 weeks?

Cheers.

[N_Butterworth Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close N_Butterworth]

Off topic... but with your first trip drive the extra 45 minutes and stay at Jindabyne rather than Cooma - much nicer place to camp where you can either get a site in one of the caravan parks right on the lake (literally) or head into the national park and camp in one of their camping areas on the Thredbo river.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hi Dreamer.

Great looking trip plan. If you did that trip in reverse, you could be in sync with the SEQ crew arriving at the GTG and then the GTG itself. Just a thought.

LFaR.

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

Hi NB,

Thanks for the suggestion. Cooma was just a general location, I actually plan on camping by the Tantangara Creek, near where it joins the Murrumbidgee. I'm a pretty keen trout fisherman and a few days on the mountain streams is aways fun.

I've camped in the caravan park on the lakeside at Jindabyne and down at Pinch River on the Barry Way, both great locations. I've also camped at Geehi on the Swampy Plain and now that I have a vehicle that a can handle river crossings I might try getting out to the old Geehi Huts.

LFaR,

I'll have to have a look at that as an option, thanks.

Cheers.

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

First pics!

It's all coming together, should be finished tomorrow.





Still to be installed: tow bar, drawers and compressor.

[adamr7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adamr7]

Time to get it out and get some scratches and dents.

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

G'day all,

It's all done, ARB at St Peters (Sydney) do love me, and they did a fabulous job, lots of little extras and great attention to detail. Pics as promised:









More photos to follow.

Cheers,

Lee.

[Dreamer Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dreamer]

G'day all,

More photos:

This is the compressor, installed next to the rear drawers. It's now very unlikely that I'll be installing lockers so the compressor is located so I can reach all the wheels, including my camper trailer (and our two pushies!). The on/off switch is also at the back.



Breathers (diffs, transfer, transmission):





Redarc brake controller:



Cheers,

Lee.

[4wd Supplies Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4wd Supplies]

Nice looking rig there mate, nice and tidy installs allround.