Autonomous, or so-called driverless, vehicles are getting plenty of attention these days.

So much so that the Australian Federal Government – via its Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources – has recently called an inquiry into the “social issues” relating to these new-technology vehicles.

As with most government inquiries, submissions have been called for to discuss this matter. Surprisingly, of the 43 submissions to this essentially car-based subject, only two come from car companies, namely Toyota Motor Corporation Australia and Volvo Car Australia.

A third submission comes from Robert Bosch Australia, so effectively a third ‘car’ company given Bosch is a key global player in the automotive industry.

The other 40 submissions come from government bureaucracies, private industry, academics, motoring associations, various non-government organisations, members of parliament, legal firms and even private individuals.

Included amongst this lot (in no particular order) are the Australian Automobile Association, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Austroads, the National Transport Commission, the Australasian College of Road Safety, the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the National Farmers Federation, Telstra, and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.

It seems just about everyone wants to say something on this subject; although, after reading all the submissions – or at least the executive summary in the case of the longwinded ones – many appear to have nothing original to say and appear to be responding to this government inquiry for the sake of being seen to be doing something. Submissions from individual politicians seem particularly guilty of this.

Predictably, there are many common themes in these submissions regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs), especially in terms of the perceived benefits. On the other side – perceived problems – the messages are more mixed and centre more on legal, moral and legislative issues and rarely on technical issues. There is an underlying assumption that these will be readily solved.

The most commonly cited benefit is improved safety, based on the argument that more than 90 per cent of current vehicle crashes are driver-fault related, according to crash statistics. The obvious implication is that if you take away the driver, the number of crashes will be greatly reduced.

Mind you, once you do away with the driver entirely, 100 per cent of crashes will be a result of a system failure (either electronic or mechanical), so you can play with statistics any way you like.

There is very little doubt fully autonomous cars operating in a fully autonomous traffic environment should have very few crashes. However, how they will cope with what is inevitably going to be a driving environment with conventional vehicles is yet to be seen.

AVs will still have accidents via systems failure all on their own, and there’s even a chance that predicting what an AV will do may be more difficult than predicting the actions of a fellow human driver – so there might be an increased risk of accidents in the future.

Less traffic congestion is another readily cited benefit, but this will be only achieved with ‘platooning’, where a group of AVs drive closely together as one. This requires ‘connected autonomous vehicles’, or so-called CAVs, that can ‘communicate’ with each other, and many of the submissions actually assume all AVs will be CAVs.

Yes, perhaps eventually, but this necessitates another level of technology and invites in another spectrum of problems all of its own.

If AVs can’t do better than the current sophistication of technologies such as radar cruise control, traffic congestion won’t effectively improve as the long following distances of current technologies means less cars can occupy the same length of road, and those cars leftover then have to be somewhere else. This also brings longer commute times.

Another promise, and a most noble one, is for increased mobility for aged or disabled; although, this is predicated on the passenger(s) being able to get in and out of the vehicle – and possibly program the vehicle – unassisted. Without this, you may as well have a driver.

Most submissions also cite environmental benefits, although the assumption here is that AVs will actually be electric AVs, which well could be the case. And again – as ever – the environmental benefit of electric vehicles depends on how and where you generate your electricity.

Remote Controlled Range Rover

What is surprising is that many submissions predict a large number of AVs on the road by 2020. That’s less than two-and-a-half years away, and it goes against most industry analysts who are talking decades, not years.

While AVs may become common as fixed-route shuttle buses and for limited area taxi services in the near future, this is a long way from “large numbers” and “widespread” use predicted in many of the submissions.

Among the submissions is one that suggests governments “make it illegal, beyond a certain date, to sell vehicles that allow human beings the option of assuming manual control”.

For those of us who value personal freedom, this would seem draconian in the extreme and, from a political point of view, simply unachievable.

The reality is, we have a national vehicle fleet that combines both conventional and autonomous cars for the foreseeable future, and full national-fleet autonomy appears to be nothing more than a utopian pipe dream.

ON OUR recent trip to the USA, we stayed for a few days with friends. This is a dish our friend Judy made one night for dinner.

Even though she cooked it in a slow cooker, it can just as easily be done in your camp oven or on the stovetop, which I’ve already done at home.

Check out more bush cooking recipes

This has to be one of the easiest and most delicious chicken dishes I’ve ever made. Everyone will love it and be asking for seconds, including the kids. Served with some stir fry vegetables or a simple green salad and rice, this is one meal that will become a family favourite.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2 to 4

• 4 to 6 boneless chicken thighs (fillets or on the bone – both work fine)
• Oil Cornflour and cold water (optional – to thicken the sauce)
• Spring onions finely chopped (optional – for serving)
• Sauce Ingredients ½ cup soy sauce (if you don’t like it too salty, then use salt-reduced soy sauce)
• ½ cup tomato sauce 1/3 cup honey 3 cloves garlic – minced (or 2-3 tsp pre-packaged garlic mince)
• 1 tsp dried basil (optional) 1 to 2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional – if you like a little heat)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Prep time: 10 mins (approx.)

Cooking: 30-45 mins, depending on size of chicken thighs

• Heat a little oil in the bottom of your camp oven or heavy-based pan.
• Add the chicken thighs and sauté until browned (don’t overcrowd the pan. If necessary, do it in multiple batches).
• Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs, then mix it through and bring to the boil.
• Season to taste.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked.
• Baste occasionally with the sauce during the cooking time.
• If you want to thicken up the sauce before serving, combine two tablespoons of cornflour in a little cold water and mix until smooth. Add half to the liquid and stir until the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the cornflour mixture if you want a thicker sauce.
• Serve on a bed of rice and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
• Sprinkle over some finely chopped spring onions. Oven Baking Bake for approximately 30 mins with a lid on, then remove and bake for another 15 minutes without the lid. Baste occasionally with the sauce during the cooking time

• Add other vegetables such as red/green capsicum, carrot and pineapple to the chicken/sauce mix
• Add one teaspoon of grated/minced ginger (fresh or jar variety).
• When mincing the garlic, consider grating it on a microplane zester or fine grater instead of using a garlic crusher – it’s quick and easy.

You can’t go past the Steggles website for plenty of inspiration on cooking chicken. Australian grown since 1919, there are lots of recipe ideas using chicken and turkey. www.steggles.com.au/recipes

Stockton Beach has, for many years, been a popular destination for camping and sand-dune hopping, but unfortunately, due to two large storms in recent years, the landscape in this area has been badly affected and, as a result, there’s now limited access to what is regarded as the largest moving sand dune system in the southern hemisphere.

When you first encounter this beach you will immediately be struck by its scale and the formidable dune systems that stretch for as far as the eye can see. This beach also has many remnants of history deposited over the millennia, including ancient Aboriginal shells and numerous shipwrecks.

More recently, interesting objects from WWII defence systems against a feared invasion by the Japanese can be found along the beach. One of the beach’s most famous attractions is ‘Tin City’, a cluster of 11 shacks used by fishermen since the 1930s and subsequently made famous by appearing in the 1979 movie, Mad Max.

Located on the Tasman Sea, Stockton Beach starts on the northern side of the breakwall that protects the entrance to Newcastle Harbour in Stockton and continues for 32km in a north-easterly direction to Anna Bay in Port Stephens.

How to: camping with the kids

For those who missed the opportunity to explore the unique sand dune system before parts of it were closed off to the general public, it was not unlike driving through the Sahara Desert, particularly in the dunes. With some dunes towering up to 100-feet tall, it certainly made for a great weekend getaway.

Prior to 2012, Stockton Beach, with its endless dunes, was the perfect environment to improve your sand driving skills and experience beach camping like nowhere else along the NSW coastline. However, things have changed significantly since then.

Unfortunately, the privilege of driving a 4WD through the back dunes of Stockton Beach came to an end following the devastation caused by super storms in 2012 and 2015. In order to facilitate the natural rebuilding of the frontal dunes, new rules dictate where enthusiasts can now take their 4WDs. Luckily, all is not lost, and there’s evidence of regeneration of the frontal dune systems on Stockton Beach.

So, how bad were the storms that pretty much changed this entire landscape? Well, the first major storm in 2012 was the result of a serious southerly low that pounded the beach with swells of ocean 2.3-metres tall. As a result, the ocean overran the frontal dune systems, filling the swale systems behind the dunes with salty water and creating large pools of salt water.

The back beach and swale areas between the Lavis Lane and Gan Gan Road entrances are now closed to 4WDs. The 2012 storm also caused gaps, traditionally used by 4WDs as entry points into the back dunes, to become vulnerable.

Continuous driving over these entry points caused the surface to deflate and, as a result, made it easier for storm swells to enter into the back dunes and cause further damage. So, prohibiting vehicles entering the back dunes gives them the time needed to recover.

Grass and the spinifex are the only things holding the dunes together, and it’s obvious the areas along the frontal dunes that survived were the ones with strong vegetation; whereas the areas where the ocean broke through had limited vegetation. So, it’s understandable why it’s imperative to not drive on the existing vegetation.

In its heyday, Stockton Beach attracted between 1500 and 2000 vehicles per day. This, in part, increasingly added pressure on parts of the fragile dune systems that naturally act as a defence against the approaching swells.

To add fuel to the fire, the devastating storm in 2015 that battered this fragile coastline had further devastating impacts on the conservation lands. This storm added to the previous damage of the frontal dune system, but it also resulted in the destruction of cultural sites.

Other issues resulting from this storm included saltwater killing off vegetation, large water pools that made it difficult for 4WDs to pass in places, and the reduction in beachfront by up to 15 metres – making it hazardous for 4WDs to drive along at high tide.

This resulted in the development of a plan of management for the area, and a number of key recommendations are being implemented under the direction of The Worimi Conservation Lands Board of Management and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

However, all is not lost. The beachfront and Recreation Vehicle Area are open for 4WDs, which means you can drive on the beachfront between what’s left of the Sygna shipwreck in the south and the Gan Gan Road access frontal dune crossing in the north. Due to the storm damage, all dunes, back beach and swale areas between the Lavis Lane and Gan Gan Road entrances are closed to 4WDs.

So, driving behind the beachfront is only permitted along defined routes to and from WCL designated vehicle accesses (Lavis Lane and Gan Gan Road), in the Recreation Vehicle Area and along defined routes (including across the frontal dune) to and from Tin City.

Don’t be too disappointed about not being able to freely experience driving on the large dunes, as you can still test your dune-driving skills in the designated 3.5km² of the Recreational Vehicle Areas. There are also a number of commercial touring companies that access the high dunes in the lands south of the Gan Gan entrance. Make sure your vehicle is registered and display a valid Worimi Conservation Land vehicle permit.

Other than beach driving, one of the other big changes being enforced on Stockton Beach are regulations around camping. Currently, camping is no longer permitted, even if you want to just pull up on the beach, do a spot of fishing, and throw out your swag.

The draft plan of management identified a number of issues with the damage to dunes and coastal vegetation that arose from an increase in unregulated camping over the years, and this has led to a ban on camping since the last storm. Previously, you could cruise up the beach in your 4WD and camp anywhere you liked, but this is no longer the case.

This practice of camping wherever you liked led to issues concerning rubbish and toilet waste. As a result, these concerns raised by local stakeholders, combined with the storm damage, are now being addressed by providing designated camping areas in the future. Details are expected to be announced before the end of the year as to what type of camping will be available.

It is understood the designated camping areas will be located south-west from Tin City and will incorporate a total of 30 designated campsites with a maximum of eight per site, but this has yet to be confirmed.

Despite all of the area’s restrictions, there are still plenty of things to see and do on Stockton Beach. Driving on the beautiful Stockton Beach is still one of the most popular family activities on the Worimi Conservation Lands, and there’s plenty of history to learn about in the area. Just keep in mind that sections of the beach can be hazardous at high tide.

Visitors are now advised to avoid driving along the beachfront one hour either side of high tide. But don’t let that put you off. The southern hemisphere’s largest mobile sand dune system provides a dramatic backdrop for 4WD day-trippers. It’s disappointing that camping isn’t an option, but indications are that this will change in the very near future.

TRAVEL PLANNER

WORIMI CONSERVATION LANDS

The 42km² Worimi Conservation Lands are made up of three reserves: Worimi National Park, Worimi State Conservation Area and Worimi Regional Park. These are co-managed by the registered Aboriginal owners and the Department of Environment and Conservation NSW.

CAMPING

Camping isn’t permitted on Stockton Beach, but announcements will be made before the end of the year about the new arrangements. The best place to get the latest information about Worimi Conservation Lands is at: www.worimiconservationlands.com

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Should you experience any issues on the beach, take note of the distance markers located at 2km intervals between the Gan Gan Rd and Lavis Lane park-entry points. In an emergency dial 000, or if there’s no mobile reception try 112. If calling from the beachfront, advise operator of closest distance marker (markers aren’t to scale).

BEACH PERMITS

Annual and three-day beach vehicle and recreational vehicle permits are available from the following locations: BP Service Station: 135 Gan Gan Road, Anna Bay, NSW, 2316 Tackle Power: Unit 2/1 Mangrove Road, Sandgate, NSW, 2304 Out of Town 4WD: 65 Northville Drive, Barnsley, NSW, 2278 BP Service Station: Cnr Richardson and Nelson Bay Road, Salt Ash, NSW, 2318 ARB: 89 Griffiths Road, Lambton, NSW, 2299 Port Stephens Visitor Centre: 60 Victoria Pde, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315 Metro Service Station: Cnr Nelson Bay Road and Lavis Lane, Williamtown, NSW 2318 NPWS Hunter Coast Area Office: 12B Teramby Road, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315

GENERAL RULES

Fires: Gas barbecues and cookers can be used, but fires aren’t permitted. Dogs: Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times and are only permitted on the Gan Gan entrance road and on a 3km section of beachfront south from the boundary with Birubi Point Crown reserve at the north-eastern end of the WCL. Beach swimming: WCL beaches are unpatrolled and have strong ocean currents. Birubi Beach is the closest patrolled beach. Swimming in the ocean off WCL is not recommended and is undertaken at your own risk. Parking: Car and trailer parking at Lavis Lane and Gan Gan Road entrances. Toilets: There are no public toilets on WCL. New facilities are planned for the Lavis Lane entrance. There are no rubbish disposal facilities on WCL, so please take your rubbish with you when you leave.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR BEACH DRIVING

A speed limit of 40km/h applies, or 20km/h within 100m of pedestrians or vehicles. Give way to pedestrians at all times, and avoid reckless driving. Don’t drive over vegetation and help keep dunes intact by following previous tracks. Also, don’t drive over shell accumulations as you may damage cultural sites.

THINGS TO SEE

The Shacks or Tin City are a collection of huts built by fisherman over the years. You can find them some 10km down from the top of the beach.

Keep an eye out for parts of the Uralla shipwreck that got into difficulty in 1932. There are also numerous WWII defences in the form of tank traps, and if you are lucky you may also see the wreck of a crashed Sabre jet which protrudes through the sand every now and again. The remains of the Sygna shipwreck that ran aground in 1974 can be found approximately 6km from Lavis Lane.

You will also see numerous Aboriginal midden sites that are of cultural significance.

Tourism NT has released a series of videos encouraging Australians to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and visit the Northern Territory.

The ‘get out of the state you’re in’ campaign enlists the help of three comedians to take the mickey out of the populated cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, and then exposes the NT’s countless attractions: indigenous art and culture, incredible beaches, beautiful waterfalls, picturesque sunsets and, of course, stacks of four-wheel driving.

We had a chuckle – mostly at the Melbourne video – and, considering we’ll always encourage folk to load up the fourbie for a getaway, we thought we’d show them to you.

Radio host and comedian Harley Breen does a cheery job poking fun at Melbourne’s most obvious stereotypes, but at the same time enlightens viewers as to why the NT is better.

YouTube comedian Alex Williamson takes the piss out of South Australians. “What is this parallel universe where people swim in waterholes, and fish instead of work,” he says.

“I didn’t believe they had a rock the size of Uluru, but there it was,” he continues.

While Tanya Hennesey jokes about things Sydney-siders never say, and then explains how the NT offers so much more.

It’s all in good humour, and if it encourages people to hit the outback trails, then it’s a good thing in our books!

BACK in 2014, I spent three days in Baja, Mexico, testing the newest iteration of the BFGoodrich All-Terrain, the KO2.

The region was being hammered by the tail-end of a hurricane, which allowed us to put the KO2s through a variety of terrain ranging from sloppy mud and sandy beaches to rocky hill climbs and high-speed drifts on hard-packed two-tracks. I was impressed with the tyre and within a few months had a set on my long-term Tacoma project vehicle.

Since that time, the odometer has clicked off 55,000km and the KO2s have carried me back to Mexico numerous times, as well as on dozens of backcountry treks around Western USA. The company’s tagline for the new All-Terrain was Traction, Toughness and Tread Life, and I can say that in the past two years my new dogs have been given ample opportunity to pass or fail.

TRACTION

THE traction a tyre provides may be deduced with subjective or objective metrics, and there are numerous factors that play into performance on a variety of tractive surfaces. Tread block configuration, rubber compound, siping and sidewall construction are the key variables and must work in harmony with one another.

The new design has slightly wider voids, a broad, staggered shoulder, and a chevron pattern side-biter sidewall tread that wraps about a third of the way to the rim. Its full-depth siping spans nearly the full width of the footprint, and rather than a straight, vertical slice they are three-dimensional, descending from the surface in a wavy pattern like a piece of corrugated metal.

The general premise behind siping is to enhance mechanical keying at macro and micro levels. Micro keying is the ability of the tread face to comply with minute deviations in the traction surface. Macro keying has more to do with the deformation of the tread block and sidewall as a whole, and is most noticeable at low air pressures.

Under these conditions the block remains compliant with undulations in the terrain, while the 3D design of the sipes allows them to interlock, keeping the tread block together while reducing the possibility of chipping.

I live in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California, so in addition to forays over dry-traction surfaces such as the deserts of Nevada and Baja, these KO2s have seen a fair bit of wet roads, snow and mud. Voids feature small ridges at the base (mud-phobic bars) that help clear the tyre of interloping debris.

At low pressure (I usually run about 15psi on dirt and 10psi in soft snow or mud), considering that the KO2 is not a dedicated mud tyre, it does a pretty good job. Regarding Goodrich’s claim of a 10 to 19 per cent increase in traction, I can’t provide objective conclusions. However, the tyre has performed exceptionally well in all of the aforementioned environments and at all tyre pressures.

TOUGHNESS

AS A crew chief and navigator for legendary off-road racer Rod Hall, I’ve raced and chased several Mexican 1000 vintage rallies through more than 8000km of rugged two-tracks. In the process, I’ve had several “oh, shit” moments when I ran out of talent and nailed a boulder flat-out while drifting a corner.

It is during these times of brain fade that I appreciate the extensive research BFG engineers put into this tyre. I have yet to have a failure on my personal vehicle or the race truck.

The KO2 features CoreGard technology – borrowed from the race-only Baja T/A KR2 – which implements a rubber formula that is more resistant to splitting and bruising, while a thicker, more pronounced shoulder reduces sidewall failures. Rod runs KO2s on his competition vehicle (a 1969 Bronco) and we’ve completed each race on the same tyres that left the starting line. Enough said.

TREAD LIFE

ONE OF the major challenges tyre manufacturers face is balancing the aforementioned performance attributes with reasonable tread life. A soft rubber compound will stick like glue but wear to the core quickly. On the flip side, a rock-hard compound will provide extended life but will be as compliant as a steel rail-car wheel in the dirt. BFG claims the KO2 offers a 15 per cent increase in tread life on asphalt and a whopping 100 per cent on gravel roads over the previous KO.

I asked Senior Development Engineer Brandon Sturgis about the rubber/carbon cocktail. He said: “It’s kind of like grandma’s secret recipe for lemon cake… she’s not going to tell you.”

In short, the rubber compound has been engineered to reduce chipping and tearing without compromising adhesion. The interlocking tread block, which includes interesting little pyramids or stone ejectors at the base of each void, is designed to keep gravel from becoming wedged in and grinding away at the carcass.

Three-dimensional siping allows for compliance with terrain while keeping the tread block, as a whole, intact. The overall effect is uniform wear and extended tread life. As for exact tread life, I can’t say, as I would never run a set of tyres down to the DOT minimums – a pathetic 2/32nds. I will say that the average remaining tread depth is 13 of the original 20/32nds, or about 65 per cent.

A tread-life warranty isn’t offered, but at the current wear rate I’d guess 80,000km would be a reasonable expectation for the 50 per cent mark. Not bad, considering the real-world abuse I’ve put them through.

My last comment is in regard to noise. With more than 380,000km on the Tacoma, the rattles have now made my original baseline decibel readings obsolete. Generally, this All-Terrain will be louder than a street or generic SUV M/S-rated tyre. However, they are much quieter than any Mud-Terrain I’ve run and the benefits, in my opinion, make up for slightly less gonzo in the mud.

Overall, the KO2 has proven to be one of the best All-Terrain models I’ve run, and has upheld the company’s lofty claims of the three Ts – traction, toughness, and tread life.

CONTACT

Website: www.bfgoodrich.com.au

RRP: From $293 (per tyre)

PACKING for your next off-road adventure but you’re running out of valuable cargo space? MSA 4×4 Accessories’ extensive range of Tourer and Basket packs will avert the storage crisis.

This is advertiser content

The Tourer and Basket Packs – essentially weatherproof bags that sit on a 4×4’s roof racks – are manufactured from 100-per-cent breathable 15oz polyester and cotton canvas, infused with DuPoint Teflon repel.

The base of each pack is lined with 2mm laminated PVC and canvas, and each pack is secured to a roof rack via a seatbelt harness system.

Opening and closing the packs to load or unload bulky items (chairs, tables, swags) and smaller items (kitchenware, clothing, 4×4 accessories) is made simple thanks to a YKK chunky zip with double metal sliders on three sides. A 50mm Velcro-style dust seal then completely covers the zip for superior protection from the elements.

For added protection when the going gets rough, the range also comes with a removable rain and dust cover. Other features include additional 50mm Velcro-style tie-downs, and anti-flappers on all harness straps.

Whether it’s to increase overall storage capacity, or to free up space in the cabin for more passengers or the family pet, an MSA 4×4 Tourer and Basket Pack is a no-brainer for long-distance tourers.

MSA 4×4 Accessories’ Tourer and Basket Packs are available from more than 450 stockists Australia-wide, and each product comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Sizes for the Tourer Pack range from 90L to 210L; Basket Pack from 90L to 180L; and Half Pack 140L. For the full range of sizes available, visit www.msa4x4.com.au.

Picture this: you’re a bona fide car-guy with a love for off-roading.

Vote for the HSV-powered H3 Hummer to win the 2017 Custom 4×4 of the Year

You’ve had a staple of cars that range from AC Cobras to a rotary-powered 400kg Mini Cooper, and you’ve just been handed the keys to a H3 Hummer fresh out of warranty. It’s a safe bet your mind wouldn’t be racing with dreams of a roof rack and snorkel; a build like that isn’t going to cut it amongst your automotive hall of fame.

This is the exact situation Dean found himself in when it came time to trade in the wife’s soccer-mum-spec H3 – the last iteration of a 30-year-old brand, and the smallest by far. So, what exactly would you build? If you’re anything like Dean, the answer is simple: the best H3 Hummer in the country, and potentially the world.

Before we fall too deep into the rabbit hole, it’s important we address the elephant in the room. Why would you build an H3 Hummer? It’s about as common as an honest politician, so we had a few questions when we first came across Dean’s build a few months ago. “It was my wife’s choice,” he told us. “We’d always had seven-seat 4x4s for the four kids, but when they grew up she still wanted a 4×4. The H3 had all the bells and whistles and made a good family car.”

After a few years of family service, Dean figured the big wheels and chrome should take a back seat to a blacked-out look and tyres large enough to crush a Prius in one blip of the throttle. “I used to take it 4x4ing all the time when it was IFS, but it kept breaking CV joints and front diffs. Things sort of snowballed from there.”

First on the chopping block was the front independent suspension. While the stock set-up was more than enough for mild wheeling with 33-inch tyres, it quickly fell apart when pushed hard. Dean was changing CV joints so often he could get the job done in 15 minutes, and eventually this sparked a call to Matt Kinsela at Kinselas Kustoms to cut off the old set-up and install a new live axle in its place.

The new front axle is a Dana 44 out of a Chevy K20 pick-up, with a set of custom hubs adding tone rings to keep the ABS, traction control and stability control working. Matt sliced and diced the existing mounts and fitted the D44 axle with a set of 80 Series radius arms and a GU Patrol steering box, linking it all to the H3 frame.

From here, the chassis was extensively plated before sheet metal towers were added to house 10-inch travel King Shocks coilovers with external reservoirs and hydraulic bump stops. They were dialled in to give a three-inch increase in ride height over standard and allow the front end to articulate through a huge range of travel, while still retaining enough on-road performance to stretch the new engine’s legs through rolling back-country roads.

Hard on the bump stops, there’s just enough room to swallow the huge 37-inch Federal Couragia mud tyres for a balanced suspension set-up and low centre of gravity.

Ford Ranger gets ARB treatment

In the rear, things were kept a little more sedate. Its 50mm extended shackles were teamed to an add-a-leaf system from The Ultimate Suspension, with a set of its shocks increasing height over stock by three inches. The arrangement flexes similar to the front and stuffs the 37-inch tyres deep into the wheel arches. With most SAS Hummers State-side being in the realms of six-inch-higher-than-stock, Dean’s is inarguably one of the lowest and most stable Hummers on the tracks.

With the suspension sorted, Dean turned his attention to the lethargic I5 petrol engine under the bonnet. “It’d always jump in and out of top gear on the freeway when we were towing our camper,” he said.

“After doing extractors and a cold air-intake, we tried the turbo route to get it working. It melted piston number five not long after. We rebuilt the engine and it did it again, so we started looking at other options.”

In the States, the H3 was available with a 5.3-litre V8 version of the LS found here in go-fast Commodores – so slotting in an LS2 was the obvious choice for Dean. The engine in question was a 2008 HSV-tuned donk, which pushes north of 298kW (400hp) and 550Nm. To fit it, Dean approached custom extraordinaire Steve Etcell from Automotive Etcellence in Sydney’s west. With the H3 already running a 4L60E transmission, Steve pieced together a hybrid unit to slot in between the LS2 and the Hummer’s transfer case, with a few internal upgrades to cope with the extra power.

Custom engine mounts were required, as was a custom loom from Ultimate Conversion Wiring and a trick new exhaust system. With the larger engine in place, the stock airbox was squeezed out, so Dean rectified this with a slimline pod filter spliced into the snorkel. A K&N stocking also goes over the snorkel head for dusty conditions.

In a strange turn of events, the standard ECU was able to run the LS2, with a custom tune helping to simplify things. The result is an engine that easily lights up the tyres, has no troubles pulling ahead of traffic and more than enough low-down grunt for serious off-road work.

Until now, the build reads like the spec-sheet of an off-road racer, but Dean’s H3 has been fitted with more than its fair share of touring equipment. An ARB front bar houses a 10,000lb Warn winch, as well as a set of LED driving lights. Kinselas Kustom scrub bars help mate the ARB unit to OEM rock sliders, while under the bonnet an Optima yellow top powers the Engel up back as well as the ARB compressor under the bonnet. With the kids no longer tagging along for the ride, Dean has plans to yank out the rear seats and build a full-length storage system for longer touring trips, and he’s replaced the camper with a roof-top tent so he should have no dramas finding hidden campsites you won’t reach with 33s.

While there’s always a place in our heart for bare-bone tourers, it’s hard to ignore the rise of what we call Outlaw Touring – builds that push the boundaries of what’s legal and what defines a capable rig, while still being more than up to the job of covering serious kays. Dean’s H3 is the pinnacle of this new trend. A Frankenstein of a build that drives harder, faster, stronger and further than any traditional tourer can, and after riding shotgun while it weaved its way in and out of trees and up one-metre tall rock ledges, it’s hard to argue with it. Bring on the revolution.

BIG TYRES AREN’T THE ENEMY

Alright, there’s an insidious idea that’s taken hold recently and we need to put it to bed. Every time big tyres get mentioned we’re inevitably hit with an onslaught of complaints that big tyres rip up tracks, but it’s simply not true. Track erosion is caused by disturbing the hard-compacted layers of soil, allowing the next downpour of rain to wash it away. It’s spinning tyres that are the biggest culprit of this.

Large tyres, like the 37s fitted to Dean’s H3, are there specifically to reduce tyre spin. They have a large footprint, giving them more traction than smaller tyres and, with a better approach angle, they help the Hummer roll over obstacles that would have a smaller tyre’d rig spinning trying to climb. Sure, if you drive like a flip, they’ll dig a bigger hole than a smaller tyre, but that ultimately comes down to the driver’s mindset rather than the number on their tyres.

Ford Motor Company has unveiled the US police industry’s first pursuit-rated ute.

Based on the F-150 FX4, the Police Responder will run a 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine (280kW/637Nm), Ford’s SelecShift 10-speed automatic transmission and the FX4’s off-road suspension set-up – so the chase won’t be called off when crooks high-tail it off the bitumen.

Utilising Ford’s high-strength, aluminium-alloy SuperCrew body, the crime-deterring F-150 sits on a high-strength steel frame.

With an ability to reach speeds of up to 160km/h, this tough ute will be able to snare law-dodgers right across the urban and rural lands of the United States.

“Ford’s 2018 F-150 Police Responder is the perfect all-terrain law enforcement vehicle,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford’s police brand marketing manager.

“Aside from its industry-first on-road pursuit capability, this purpose-built pick-up can comfortably seat five, while providing capability in off-road patrol situations for officers in rural environments patrolled by sheriff’s departments, border patrol operations and the Department of Natural Resources.”

Other notable performance enhancements of the Police Responder include a police-calibrated brake system (upgraded calipers and pad friction material), an upgraded front stabiliser bar, 18-inch alloys surrounded by all-terrain rubber, underbody skid plates, and a class IV hitch with a claimed maximum towing capability of 3175kg.

A high-output 240amp alternator supports all on-board electrical devices essential to a police vehicle, including a police-calibrated speedometer, and engine hour and engine idle hour meters.

THE Kennedy Range National Park in Western Australia sits approximately 830km north of Perth and 150km east of Carnarvon.

The steep rubble slopes of the south-eastern side are easily accessible via formed gravel roads from Gascoyne Junction. Already well developed by WA’s Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), it has a designated campground with drop toilets, while signposts lead to highlights like Honeycomb, Drapers and Temple Gorges.

However, the western side is a completely different story. It doesn’t have the dramatic cliffs of the eastern side, but it does have permanent springs, shady river gums, creeks and water holes. Access is on unformed tracks via Mardathuna Station to the west or by crossing the Gascoyne River from the south.

There is also a rough 4WD track over the top of the range, and it’s this isolation that keeps the Kennedy Range’s western side in pristine condition.

Access to the south-west end of the range, across the Gascoyne River, can be fraught with danger and travellers should be aware that the riverbed’s sand is coarse and does not compact well when wet, so you risk your tyres sinking in the quicksand. Even when it’s dry it can be challenging.

Being up to 200 metres wide, if you do get stuck on the way across it could be a long reach to the nearest big tree or firm ground to winch yourself out.

Alternative access is from the west via Mardathuna Station. The Mardathuna Road passes the homestead, so it’s worth a courtesy call to the station managers to ask if it’s okay to pass through. From there, continue on to Mooka Station which will eventually lead to Pharoh Well at the base of the range.

The road starts off being reasonably well-formed as far as the homestead, but from there on it varies between soft sand and rough rock, with plenty of washaways thrown into the mix.

Heading south along Mardathuna Road from Pharoh Well, travellers will find numerous permanent springs, waterholes and creeks along the base of the range waiting to be explored. The largest of these is Chaffcutters Spring, which makes a lovely, tranquil place to camp among its pools of water and towering river gums.

Another point of interest a bit further south is the Mookaite deposit near Mooka Spring. This is the world’s only known source of this earthy-coloured Jasper rock. While it’s well worth a fossick for this colourful gem, the rights to the mine is held by lessees, so don’t be tempted to take any samples with you.

On paper, Mardathuna Road T-junctions with the Carnarvon-Mullewa Road, but you’ll have to cross the aforementioned Gascoyne River to reach it. If it’s too wet to cross, the area still makes a lovely spot to camp for a few days of swimming and relaxing in the shade of the huge river gums and paperbark trees.

When you’re ready to get back to exploring the Range, you’ll need to backtrack to Pharoh Well, which should take two hours, without trouble. From there, you can make the decision to travel back along the roads you came in on, or take the more adventurous route and tackle the 4WD track over the top of the range.

 You’ll find DPaW signs along the way, advising that “the top of the Range is currently not safely accessible to visitors”, but people still attempt the crossing. It is not maintained and the runoff from any rainfall can have a significant impact on the state of the track, so a high-clearance 4WD is required, as well as lowered tyre pressures and locked diffs.

Warren National Park, WA

Be prepared for some track-building after recent rains, as the depth of the gullies made by runoff can make the track impassable.

It can be done, though, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Those who are up to the challenge will be rewarded at the top of the range with a view of expansive red dunes and spinifex scrub.

In stark contrast to the rocky climb, once up the top it’s smooth driving along sandy wheel ruts as the track loops between the lines of dunes. Keep an eye out for the visitors’ book in its mounted metal box to make record of your crossing.

You’re not out of rocky territory yet – as you approach the eastern side, the track soon turns rough again, however, this is where you’ll find the crowning glory of the trip with the spectacular views it offers. Make sure to take it in.

The track traces right along the edge of plunging mesa cliffs, and the most difficult decision you’ll have to make is choosing which spot to set up camp so you can sit and watch the changing colours as the sun slowly sets.

It’s for moments like these, in locations like this, that you own a four-wheel drive!

THERE’s an easy way to avoid the old Toyota versus Nissan argument – and that’s to own one of each. Well, that was Craig Perry’s approach.

This article was originally published in the November 2011 issue of 4×4 Australia

See, Craig’s owned a highly-modified 105 Toyota LandCruiser for a while, but it wasn’t exactly ideal as a daily driver for his job as a project manager. He still needed to carry heavy equipment and negotiate sandy construction sites, so a sedan was out of the question, as was a 200 Series.

“A 200 Series would have been nice, but they’re getting pretty pricey and I purchase what is suitable at that time with regards to my budget and what the purpose required,” said Craig. That’s when he came across a pristine 2005 GU 3.0-litre Patrol that offered all he needed in comfort, space and toughness.

While enjoying the more refined on-road manners of the Patrol compared to his highly-modified LandCruiser, Craig decided that a couple of small improvements couldn’t hurt, just in case he needed to go a little way into the bush.

Keeping the mods simple, at least initially, Craig installed a set of BFG KM2 muddies on black steel rims and some heavy-duty covers to keep the seats clean for the weekday business duties.

From there, however, things started to escalate. A 50mm heavy-duty King Springs lift kit complete with Bilstein shocks seemed like a natural enough addition while, to take care of the geometry changes and to help keep things centred after the lift, Superior [Engineering] adjustable Panhard rods and a heavy-duty steering rod, were also added.

Having the new capability meant the Patrol could venture further into the bush, which might expose the new toy to sill damage, so Craig’s mate Daniel came up with a set of custom-made rock sliders.

But as able as the Patrol was off-road, it also needed a few creature comforts. So, in went a 40-litre Engel mounted on a Bushranger fridge slide. Then came some Frontrunner rear drawers to provide storage for recovery equipment and camping gear, some overhead LED lights and extra 12V sockets.

And, if Craig needs extra space on the longer hauls, he’ll just remove the rear seats and fit a second fridge (a 40-litre Waeco) and a 40-litre water tank.

For those overnight stops, the Patrol is fitted with a roof-rack-mounted full-length Outback Campers rooftop tent that houses a 150mm high-density foam mattress. There’s also a Foxwing awning fitted to the passenger’s side of the roof rack.

For entertainment on long drives, the Patrol sports an Alpine DVD head unit, a 900-watt five-channel amp, four Alpine door speakers, and a 12-inch subwoofer in a custom-made carpeted box at the rear. To keep in touch, there’s a GME UHF radio with concealed speaker in the upper dash compartment. Keeping everything powered up and also ensuring there’s sufficient starting power in the morning, Craig has added a second (deep-cycle) battery and a Redarc isolator.

To help Craig stay on course, he’s fitted a 180mm touchscreen on-board GPS loaded with OziExplorer, Hema maps, Australian topographic maps and the WA Land Management maps. And, given Craig and his Patrol can pretty much navigate to any remote location, he’s added some extra get-home ‘insurance’ in the form of a Warn Magnum 4000kg winch fitted with 30 metres of 10mm plasma rope and an extra heavy-duty winch hook.

Concerned about the weight of the 35-inch mud tyre hanging off the original back door mount, Craig fitted an Opposite Lock dual rear-wheel carrier, which also gave him somewhere to fit a shovel and an axe, plus a super-bright XRay Vision LED reverse light on a telescopic bracket.

So, by now the supposed daily drive was looking remarkably like a custom tourer. Luckily, Craig changed jobs and got a company car, so it just wouldn’t have been right not to finish off the Patrol, especially when a good mate offers you his Lock-Rite auto locker for your front diff at a bargain price.

While the GU’s auto-locking front hubs work fine in standard form, Craig found they got a little flustered when working alongside the more aggressive auto locker and replaced them with some quality manual locking hubs. But the rear was left alone; the Patrol has one of the best rear limited slippers in the business.

To ensure the GU didn’t run short on fuel on longer runs, Opposite Lock in Jandakot fitted a long-range fuel tank that increased the fuel capacity from 90 to 148 litres.

Unfortunately, after all the other mods, what lift the Patrol may have had previously was all but gone, so Craig decided that the suspension needed a little more tweaking – the front was upgraded to a 75mm King Springs lift and the rear to a 100mm EFS heavy-duty lift. The result was not only a more level ride, it also minimised the body lean around corners that tends to plague many of the heavier rigs.

The new lift eliminated many issues and provided better articulation, but there’s always a trade off. Changes to the front-end meant the Bilstein shocks were running the risk of insufficient travel when negotiating rougher terrain. Enter a new set of three-degree castor correction bushes and some Raw Nitro Max shocks which could easily accommodate the extra lift.

In the few months that the Raw shocks have been fitted, Craig said “they’ve performed extremely well both towing the caravan and traversing some hard off-road tracks”.

When Craig told me that the Patrol’s GVM can range between 2800 and 3000kg – depending on whether it’s set up for touring or day trips – I was impressed with the performance when driving on the road. The acceleration was strong and responsive and passing slower vehicles was effortless.

As I glanced over at Craig, he knew exactly what I was thinking. Without me saying a word, Craig responded with a chuckle: “No, it’s not a stock 3.0-litre”.

Having spoken to other owners of 3.0-litre GUs, Craig was keen to address the issues he’d experienced such as erratic over-boosting and the oiling up of the mass airflow sensor. A Taipan catch-can took care of the oiling problems, while a Dawes valve helped limit boost to a max of 16.5psi. After installing a few extra bits and pieces, the turbo now provides a linear delivery of power rather than the previous all or nothing delivery.

There’s also a Rapid performance chip, a 75mm Taipan mandrel-bent exhaust and a Cross Country 4×4 air-to-air intercooler with its own dedicated fan to help reduce intake air temperatures. So he can keep an eye on things, Craig has also fitted a boost gauge and a pyrometer.

So, what’s the Patrol pushing in numbers? Thanks to the lads at United Fuel Injection in Perth, the Patrol is achieving 125kW and 400Nm. We’ve heard of owners getting significantly more than this, but this Patrol is set up for reliability, not the dragstrip. Even the auto ’box got the once over.

There’s a manual override hooked up to the torque converter allowing him to engage the lock-up function in any gear. The upswing of this is he can lock up the converter when towing the van, minimising slip and reducing the overall transmission temperature. The final mod was to the control circuit. With increased line pressure the change points allow for a few more rpm keeping each cog swap right in the engine’s sweet spot.

Having waited out the rain multiple times for these photos, it was inevitable that the long trip home was going to be well after dark. Of course, that’s not a problem for this tourer. Up front there’s three new Britax 50W HID spotties, while the standard lights have been upgraded with XRay Vision H4 HID conversion kits.

Craig’s pretty pleased with the outcome: “The performance and useability of the Patrol has increased considerably, due to a combination of accessories working together. The suspension has improved both on- and off-road stability and capability, but the standout items would be the Rapid Chip, the Cross Country intercooler and engine performance equipment, which really unleashed the Patrol’s hidden potential.

The most significant changes were fitting the rooftop tent, which provides a quick and easy set-up that’s dry, warm and very comfortable. I’m very fond of good quality music and the Alpine stereo is a real bonus. Singing along to your favourite tunes is one sure way to stay alert on those long hours behind the wheel. And, thanks to the

XRay Vision lights, I no longer suffer from tension headaches that you typically get by straining your eyes peering into the darkness ahead.”

Craig is appreciative of all the help he’s had along the way. “The fitting of the long-range tank, Taipan exhaust and castor bushes were completed by Chris and Scott from Opposite Lock, in Jandakot. Many of the performance upgrades such as the Rapid Chip, the intercooler and engine tuning were done by Matt Craig at United Fuel Injection, while all the other work has been completed by me in my garage, sometimes with some help from my mate Daniel.”

Aftermarket 4×4 gear

Craig also wants to thank Mick and Dave from The 4wd Shop in Redcliffe, and Greg and Ross from XRay Vision Lighting.

This is one impressive outcome. It’s reliable, comfortable and more than capable of dealing with any touring duty Craig may undertake, with trips planned for the Holland Track, the Anne Beadell Highway and to the south-eastern WA coast along the Great Australian Bight.

I couldn’t resist asking if he had anything else planned for the Nissan. “A second long-range tank to replace the reserve tank would give me about 220 litres,” he began.

“Perhaps an Opposite Lock E-Locker to the rear differential. Oh, and I’d like to replace the steel rims with 16-inch alloys to help reduce the unsprung weight. Of course, fitting an LED light bar under the leading edge of the rooftop tent would provide a real boost to the lighting, but the big test will be getting my wife’s approval for the Duramax V8 turbo-diesel engine!”