GREAT Wall Motors will have a local presence once more, after the budget Chinese brand decided to assume control of its Australian and NZ operations.

4×4 sales have sky-rocketed in Australia in recent months, and Great Wall hopes to cash in on the growing trend with this move.

“As demand for utilities continues to grow, Great Wall Motors decided now was the time to take the brand to the next level by establishing a direct OE presence here,” said GWMA Managing Director, Parker Shi.

Headlining the resurrection on Aussie soil is news that Great Wall will re-enter the market with an all-new Great Wall utility.

The ute is slated to go on sale early in Q4 this year.

At this stage it’s understood the ute line-up will be headed by a 4×4 turbo-diesel mated to a six-speed manual, a Borg-Warner Torque-On-Demand (TOD) intelligent four-wheel drive system and an Eaton diff lock.

Safety features will include ESP and six airbags as standard. But let’s just hope it bucks the trend of Chinese SUVs (Haval H9) and delivers a five-star ANCAP safety rating!

Great Wall HQ will be based in Melbourne alongside sister company Haval Motors Australia.

“Great Wall will focus on light commercial vehicles, with Haval concentrating on SUVS,” Mr Shi said.

“We are confident this strategy will allow both companies to dedicate their resources into the two fastest growing segments in the Australian automotive market.”

Pricing for the new Great Wall range is yet to be released, so stay tuned to 4X4 Australia to find out first when it drops!

Roothy has fired up the frying pan for another instalment of Bush Cooking with Roothy.

To keep the calories down this week, Roothy’s cobbled together a few low-fat ingredients and whipped up a healthy chicken wrap.

All that’s needed is some oil, oyster sauce, plenty of garlic, thyme, lettuce, packaged wraps and some juicy pre-cut chicken.

This simple lunch will take 10 minutes (tops) to cook, and it’ll have the entire family begging for seconds.

If a healthy lunch isn’t your idea of fun when out bush, then Roothy reckons these wraps go down well with a pint of your favourite brew.

Bon appetite!

We’re always talking about the ‘BIG’ trips. However, many of us have to admit that a lot of the time most of our gear and gadgets only gets used on weekends and day trips.

The reality is, our 4×4 rigs spend more time than we’d like taking the kids to soccer practice. And, weekend trips away are more about ensuring that the family gets a chance to put their toes in the water, rather than ensuring the driver gets a chance to engage low gear.

That’s why we reckon WAECO has hit a winner with its CoolFreeze CDF-11. The CDF-11 has 10.5-litre capacity, inside there’s a dairy section which you can also use for fruit storage and, in the lid, there’s a circular recess to give extra stability and clearance to fit a 1.25-litre bottle standing upright. Pack your lunch, or any perishable snacks, and you’re ready to go.

The slim design of the CDF-11 means it can fit almost anywhere. For many of us, it will spend its time on the middle of the backseat, between the kids. The twin cup/can holders on the outside of the unit are particularly handy for backseat travellers. Single drivers might prefer to have the fridge closer at hand on the front passenger seat.

Wherever you choose to put it, the CDF-11 has the innovative feature of a seat-belt-securing mechanism, so you can strap the fridge into place to prevent it from becoming a projectile when you have to slam on the brakes. The unit also has a shoulder strap when you need to move it from the vehicle.

A lot of other small coolers are thermo-electric and can drain a vehicle’s battery in the blink of an eye. By contrast, the WAECO CDF-11 has a compressor. This means it utilises a lot less power and has comparatively more cooling (grunt) effect than a thermo-electric type. This makes it one of the smallest fridge/freezers on the market with a range from 10°C to -18°C.

That said, the CDF-11 still draws 1-1.2 Amps over 24 hours and, as a freezer, it averages 3-3.2 Amps over the same time. This means that it’s still a little hungry for its size.

When we tested it from a hot start in a hot car on a hot day, it cooled down to 1°C in 20 minutes. This performance would obviously improve if you put cold items in it from the get-go (rather than room temperature, as we did).

A useful aftermarket purchase would be a 12/240V adapter. Or, you could combine it with a battery pack which would allow you to take the fridge out of the vehicle if you needed to keep food cool in it overnight.

Whether you’re out for the day, or are on a long haul trip and simply don’t want to stop the vehicle every time someone gets the munchies, then the WAECO CDF-11 has got the goods.

RATED We say: Efficient and effective for everyday use. Where: Available everywhere. RRP: $529. Info: www.waeco.com

Here’s a delicious and easy dish that’ll save you time, effort and water at camp.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4 to 6 350g of pasta (linguine or fettuccine) – broken in half. A handful of basil leaves (more or less to taste) – roughly chopped. 1 cup of roasted red capsicums (for camping, carry and use jar variety) – drained and roughly chopped. ½ to 1 cup of oil-packed semi-sun-dried tomatoes (keep oil) – drained and roughly chopped (the pieces should be bite-sized). 3 to 4 large garlic cloves – crushed (or use 4tsp of jar/tube variety). 5 cups of water (you may need a little more). 2 tbs of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes (or use regular olive oil). 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes (more or less to taste). Salt and pepper to taste. 125g Brie cheese – rind removed and cut into small pieces. Grated or shaved Parmesan – for serving.

COOKING IT • Preparation time: 10 mins. • Cooking time: 10 mins. • Combine pasta, basil, roasted capsicums, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a large deep-sided pan (or you could use your camp oven).| • Add the water, olive oil, chilli flakes and seasoning. Using tongs, mix to combine. Note: the pasta should be covered by about 2.5cm of water. • Bring to a boil over high heat and keep the pasta boiling steadily (uncovered). Cook for about 10 minutes, until ready to eat (al dente). During cooking, using tongs, stir and turn the pasta a few times to help prevent it sticking. • When cooked, remove from heat. • If there is still a little bit of liquid remaining, pour it into a separate bowl. • Add the Brie and toss with tongs until creamy and melted through. • Check the seasoning and add more if necessary. • As the pasta stands, the sauce will thicken up. At this point, if you feel it needs more liquid, add some of the pasta liquid you reserved. • Serve with some Parmesan and fresh bread.

VIV’S HINT: You could easily reduce the quantity of ingredients to make this a dish for just two, but keep in mind the pasta should be covered by about 2.5cm of water when cooking. The amount of ingredients is up to you; for two people, reduce the ingredients by half.

You could also use more (or, of course, less) Brie cheese, but I found 125g was plenty to give the pasta a creamy texture. Alternately, you could use cream or cream cheese. You could also add a spicy Italian sausage – thinly sliced (or similar) – chorizo or left-over ham or bacon. I’d sauté this in a little oil first before adding them to the pasta. If you like olives, add them, too.

It seems Australian scientists and researchers, with the assistance of Aboriginal traditional owners in northern Western Australia, are on the verge of reshaping Aboriginal history.

For many years the rock art of the Kimberley and northern Australia has been thought of – by some – as some of the oldest in the world. However, dating techniques date the Aboriginal art back some 17,500 years ‘Before Present’ (BP). That’s significantly younger than the oldest art so far discovered and dated at El Castillo in Spain (41,000BP) and the famous horses and cave lions of the Chauvet Cave in France that carry a 37,000-year-old tag.

Meanwhile, in 2014, a discovery of rock art in a network of caves in Sulawesi, Indonesia, returned a probable date of nearly 40,000 years, shifting the focus from Europe to this part of the world.

In the Kimberley, the two most distinctive forms of art are the acclaimed Wandjina figures and the much more lively and graceful Bradshaw paintings – now officially known as Gwion Gwion.

The late Graeme Walsh, a leading researcher at Bradshaws, brought the paintings to the attention of the world with his incredible work and subsequent books. Graeme was convinced the art was at least 35,000 years old.

Because of this research (and due to several other factors) many academics believe mankind reached Australia approximately 60,000 years ago – and the latest research indicates the Kimberley paintings are nearly that old as well. For a graphic representation of how mankind spread out of Africa, check out: www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey.

The Kimberley Foundation Australia (KFA) is the driving force behind this latest study, while its Dating Project has been set up to determine how old the art in the region is and whether it dates back to Australia’s very earliest human occupation.

The team uses a newly developed uranium radio-active decay dating method, developed by the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Organisation. This method analyses tiny samples of rock crust from below and above the paintings and, so far, the results are pretty exciting.

The previously used radiocarbon dating technique wasn’t suitable for dating paintings because of the lack of organic matter in the samples.

If the art is as old as it seems to be, it would mean the rock art of the Kimberley is the oldest, continuous painted record anywhere on Earth. That is pretty bloody amazing.

What is equally amazing is the accessibility of some of these sites to wandering travellers in the Kimberley. For many four-wheelers travelling in this region of Australia the ancient rock art is a major attraction, and it’s a great privilege to be able to see them.

The Wandjina heads near the King Edward River crossing – on the way into the magnificent Mitchell Falls – provides the most significant viewing of this incredible art form, while nearby, with a bit of searching, some impressive Bradshaws can be found.

Those who wish to see some of the finest rock art in the Kimberley should contact Mount Elizabeth Station, where the hosts can arrange a tour to some more remote, spectacular sites.

Whatever the results of the latest research, the bodies of incredible rock art across the top of Australia are some of the finest in the world and we are extremely fortunate in being able to visit these places and admire the work of those ancient artists.

At the launch of Yamaha’s new Wolverine side-by-side off-roader late last year, Yamaha showed off its upcoming YXZ1000R ROV (Recreational Off-road Vehicle).

With only two examples of this 1000cc super-sport beast in the country at the time, Yamaha erred on the side of caution and told us we’d have to wait another couple of months for a drive.

True to his word, Yamaha’s PR man Sean Goldhawk soon invited us along to experience the YXZ for ourselves.

So what is the YXZ1000R? Think lightweight, compact buggy powered by a potent 998cc engine out of a top-spec snowmobile and kitted out with long-travel suspension with top-shelf Fox racing dampers. In other words, the YXZ1000R is designed to go seriously fast over the kind of terrain you’d find only on an off-road racing course, which is precisely where Yamaha had brought us.

We were at the Sydney Off Road Racing Association’s (SORRA) facility at Colo Park, north-west of Sydney. The track features a couple of long straights, a big jump, a series of whoops, a couple of nicely banked berms and some off-camber sandy corners.

Driving any ROV requires one to don the correct riding/protective gear, and in the case of the YXZ that included a helmet, goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Once appropriately attired and settled into the contoured bucket seat, the driver is fronted with a small-diameter sports steering wheel, an instrument panel with a massive tacho, bright shift light and digital speedo, a stubby lever for the sequential-shift five-speed gearbox and a big park brake lever. It’s definitely all business in this cockpit, with the only conveniences a centre storage bin and latching glovebox on the passenger side.

With seat adjusted and buckle clasped, I fired up the engine and was surprised by the muted response; the muffler does a good job at keeping engine noise in check, although there’s a nice raspy sound to the exhaust note that only an inline triple can produce. I was read the riot act and told to obey my co-pilot, who in this case was Daniel McKenzie, an off-road riding coach with loads of experience in this arena. I selected first gear, built up the revs, eased out the Rekluse clutch and made my way to the track entrance. After a pause to check for traffic, we headed out on to the main straight.

The engine is a ripper with loads of torque from low in the rev range to the mid-range. Daniel instructed me to upshift with an obvious hand signal, so we were up into third gear and doing around 70km/h by the time we reached the first set of whoops. I tested the brake response before the suspension soaked up the first hard-packed whoop like we had driven over nothing more than a soft cushion. After the whoops we rode high around a left-hand berm and then Dan instructed me to turn in early and hit the go-pedal. After a little slide from the rear-end, we got up to around 80km/h in fourth gear in no time at all and, before I knew it, it was time to downshift again for another left-hander before we were back on the gas and accelerating along the main straight towards the jump.

Dan kept me over to the left and yelled “keep it smooth” as we approached the jump at about 60 clicks. I doubt we even got air at that speed as the landing felt like little more than a soft compression, with beautifully controlled rebound. I was treated to another three laps, gradually building up pace and becoming more accustomed to the YXZ, before it was time to let someone else have a go.

The YXZ’s inline triple is based on the engine used in Yamaha’s FX Nitro MTX snowmobile. It’s a high-performance DOHC powerplant with three Mikuni 41mm throttle bodies, 11.3:1 compression, a 10,500rpm redline and dry-sump lubrication. Due to the generally dusty terrain in which the YXZ operates, there’s a dual-stage air filter, with an oiled foam unit the primary element and a paper filter the secondary stage.

While other manufacturers equip their ROVs with constantly variable transmissions (CVTs), Yamaha has opted for a five-speed manual sequential-shift gearbox in the YXZ, saying it results in better response with instant transfer of power to the driving wheels. The front diff features a torque limiter for overload protection and there’s a low-maintenance rear-diff-mounted parking brake. The four-wheel drive system offers 2WD, 4WD and 4WD diff-lock.

The YXZ offers an impressive 330mm of ground clearance and, if that’s not enough, the underside is protected by tough, 4-6mm thick thermoplastic olefin (TPO) guards.

The fully independent suspension has long A-arms with optimised castor, bump steer and Ackermann throughout the travel and steering angle… and there’s a hell of a lot of travel, with 406mm up front and 432mm at the rear. While you might think $30K is a lot, the top-shelf Fox racing shock absorbers are a good example of where your money goes.

These position-sensitive shocks offer an additional 3000lb of damping force in the last 25 per cent of the stroke, which is the key to preventing bottoming-out when landing big jumps or hitting big obstacles. Their large-diameter bore and remote reservoir design means there’s plenty of oil capacity for good cooling and performance in harsh conditions, and the dampers also offer preload adjustment, high- and low-speed compression adjustment, as well as rebound adjustment, so they can be perfectly tailored to conditions.

As ROVs run relatively low tyre pressures (around 14psi), the aggressive 27×9.0in R14 front and 27×11.0in R14 rear Maxxis tyres are held on to the YXZ’s alloy rims with bead locks to keep them on the rims. On the dry SORRA circuit the tyres offered plenty of bite, even out of the soft sandy corners.

After a few off-road runs on another of the facility’s tracks in a Yamaha Wolverine, I headed back to the fast circuit for my second run in the YXZ1000R. This time, I felt far more confident and started to get more air over the jump and more sideways action in corners, but with a co-pilot instructing me to short-shift at around 5000-6000rpm, I didn’t get the chance to really sample this racer’s full potential until the end of the day, when Yamaha had a special treat for us: a high-speed run in the YXZ with an off-road racing professional behind the wheel.

Now, I’m not a good passenger at the best of times, but a full-tilt run around a narrow and bumpy race track edged with big trees, in a vehicle without doors, piloted by a bloke who I’d only just met, was, well, somewhat exhilarating. It showed me just how fast and agile this little beasty can go!

It’s not just the engine performance of the Yamaha YXZ that makes it such a blast but the way it can be thrown around in corners, the way it handles off-camber bends, and the way it soaks up big bumps and jumps. Racers I spoke to at this event reckon the YXZ1000R is faster than many bespoke off-road racing buggies worth at least three times as much.

RATED Available from: www.Yamaha-motor.com.au RRP: from $29,999 We say: Off-road weapon could flog many bespoke 4×4 race machines.

SPECS: YAMAHA YXZ1000R Engine: 998cc, 4-cycle, 3-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC Gearbox: five-speed sequential 4X4 System: on-demand full-time 4WD with lockable centre diff Construction: tube chassis Front suspension: independent, A-arms, coil springs Rear suspension: independent, A-arms, coil springs Wheel/tyre spec: alloy/27×9.0in R14 (f); 27×11.0in R14 (r) Kerb mass: 699kg Seating capacity: 2 Fuel tank capacity: 34L Price: $29,999 (Team Yamaha Blue); $31,999 (60th Anniversary Yellow)

EXTRA GOODIES For those who want to personalise their YXZ1000R, Yamaha offers a range of accessories including:

• LED headlights • LED lightbar • Spare tyre mount • Flip-up windscreen • Sound system • Cargo box • Warn Vantage 3000 winch • High-output alternator

The YXZ1000R is available in two models: the Team Yamaha Blue is $29,999 and the 60th Anniversary Yellow is $31,999. That’s a fair bit for a vehicle that can only be driven on private land, but Yamaha is not waiting around for legislation changes to build a market for the YXZ.

Instead, it has teamed with the MX Nationals (Australian Motocross Championship) promoter to run an ROV race series at several Motocross events throughout the year, and it will also run a series of endurance races at venues throughout the country (see below). There will also be a number of dealer events and demo drives throughout the year.

2016 ROV RACING

AUST SXS CHAMPIONSHIP www.rzr-racing.com 23-24 April Caboolture, QLD 21-22 MayEagleton, NSW | 16-17 JulyMajura, ACT 20-21 AugustAlbury, NSW 10-11 SeptemberMooroopna, VIC 29-30 OctoberBallarat, VIC

2016 MX NATIONAL PROPOSED ROV ROUNDS 21 May Murray Bridge, SA 16 JulConondale, Qld 30 Jul Shepparton, Vic 27 Aug Coolum, Qld

TRANSMOTO ENDURANCE RACES 27-28 Feb 12 Hour, Batemans Bay, NSW 16-17 Apr 8 Hour, Dargo River, Vic TBA 8 Hour, WA 15-16 Oct 6 Hour, Conondale, Qld 2-3 Nov 6 Hour, Stroud, NSW

HAVAL’S H9 has suffered a major setback in its quest to become a force in the Australian market, with the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) only awarding the premium Chinese-made SUV a four-star safety rating.

This is a massive blow to the budget-priced SUV’s local aspirations, as five-star ratings are now non-negotiable for most buyers.

“New vehicle buyers have come to expect five-star safety from new models, and unfortunately the result falls short of marketplace expectation,” said ANCAP CEO, Mr James Goodwin.

“The H9 is being marketed as a premium offering from China’s highest-selling SUV brand, and we would expect a vehicle in this price range to offer a greater range of advanced safety features and improved crash performance.”

The H9 lost points during the Frontal Offset Test, where the chest and lower legs were susceptible to serious injury; out of a possible four points the chest scored 3.03, while the lower legs scored 1.02 points.

The H9 did score well in the Side Impact and Whiplash Protection tests, though.

It also comes equipped as standard with side curtain airbags for all three rows, reversing collision avoidance and fatigue detection, though it lacks autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems.

4X4 Australia test-drove the H9 for its May 2016 issue and found its trump card to be that it offers Toyota Prado Kakadu equipment levels at prices below a base-model Prado GX.

However, with its failure to score five stars on the ANCAP safety test, that mightn’t be enough to sway buyers.

If you’ve ever toured Australia in your 4×4, chances are you’ve pored over a Hema map, either when preparing for an adventure or when navigating your way from one place to another.

Hema Maps products cover the entire country in great detail and in various formats, from touring atlases and detailed paper maps to electronic maps that can be viewed on PCs, tablets, phones and other GPS-enabled devices.

In addition to mapping information, Hema Maps products also incorporate a vast amount of other relevant data aimed squarely at four-wheel drive tourers, such as the history of specific areas, the flora and fauna you’re likely to encounter, services and accommodation options, important contact details and travel advice, and much, much more.

To gather all of this information, and to make sure it’s up to date, Hema sends field teams deep into the Australian bush to literally drive every road and track in the country. As any four-wheel driver knows, heading bush for weeks at a time in potentially unfamiliar territory requires a well-prepared, well-equipped and seriously off-road capable vehicle, and this Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series double cab is the latest in a long line of vehicles (that Hema dubs Map Patrols) tasked with that duty.

As well as being packed with hi-tech mapping and data-collection equipment, this Cruiser has the off-road arsenal to tackle some seriously tough terrain without fear of becoming stranded. After all, the Hema team has plenty of experience when it comes to properly setting up a vehicle for the task at hand.

“Our goal has always been to map every publicly accessible road or track and put that on a map,” Rob Boegheim, Hema’s Managing Director, explains. “We ask our mapping teams to push the boundaries on where they go. We want them to go down roads that we’ve never been down before, go and find out where tracks take us, and sometimes that means getting into difficult technical situations or getting stuck, and you need the ability to get out. And predominantly you travel solo, so it needs to be fully self-sufficient, with a lot food and water, as well as carrying the gear needed.”

The Hema team was able to draw on its years of experience when it came to setting up this vehicle. “We’ve been setting up Map Patrols since the first one in 1996, when we first started getting out with a GPS and a laptop and doing what we do,” Rob says. “We sat down with this one and asked: What do we need this vehicle to do, where do we need it to go, what kind of equipment do we need to carry, what kind of fuel, people, gear and mapping gear? The whole build, it’s been nine months to get to this point.”

As a base platform, the 70 Series Land Cruiser ticked many boxes – powerful TDV8, strong live-axle driveline, good payload, dual-cab body, bush-proven design and Australia-wide parts and service back-up – but it also had a few shortcomings, such as the narrow rear-wheel track and long rear overhang.

These issues were both addressed at the start of this Map Patrol project, with an ARB Old Man Emu GVM upgrade fitted prior to the vehicle being registered, widening of the rear track by 105mm (to match the front track) and extension of the chassis by 200mm to lengthen the wheelbase for better load carrying ability and weight distribution.

The chassis extension and strengthening was performed by Queensland-based company Creative Conversions, while ARB Toowoomba installed a Multidrive Tru Tracker rear-track-width correction system. The Tru Tracker is a complete rear axle width-correction system that utilises the Cruiser’s existing diff housing; extension hubs are installed on either side of the housing and the kit includes extended axles, brake lines and parking brake attachment plates.

“Those two things [the chassis extension and Tru Tracker] have really helped with the core stability of the vehicle, its load-carrying capacity, along with the GVM upgrade that we got pre-delivery,” Rob says.

With the Map Patrol carrying a lot of sensitive gear over very rough terrain for up to 10-12 hours a day, the right suspension choice was of critical importance, and the fitment of OME springs and BP-51 shock absorbers keep gear and occupants safe and comfortable. “The BP-51s from ARB; fantastic suspension,” Rob says. “It’s the best suspension I’ve driven on in all my 25 years of mapping out there.”

A key to the outstanding performance delivered by OME BP-51 shocks is their bypass technology (as used in racing shock absorbers), which delivers a smooth ride by eliminating harshness at each end of the shock stroke, whether on compression or rebound. The BP-51 shocks can also be adjusted (both compression or rebound) to suit different driving and track conditions.

Protecting the Cruiser, its occupants and its valuable and sensitive electrical equipment was deemed of critical importance in this vehicle build. Up front the Cruiser sports an ARB bull bar, side rails and side steps, as well as an ARB underbody protection system. The bar houses a Warn Zeon 12,000lb winch and is the mounting point for a pair of ARB Intensity LED driving lights.

“When the Map Patrol team is out there, it’s their safety and productivity that’s paramount when dealing with difficult terrain, and that’s where ARB comes in,” Rob says. “So that’s why, for the last 20 years, we’ve chosen ARB to properly equip our vehicles and protect our people and bring them home safely.”

The Metalink canopy on the rear of the Cruiser is split into two main areas: the driver’s side houses all the business stuff, while the passenger side provides access to water and kitchen facilities. The canopy also houses a vast array of electrical equipment, expertly installed by GlobalSat in Ipswich, Queensland.

While there’s a dual-battery set-up under the bonnet of the Cruiser, the canopy is home to its own Redarc battery management system with two 150A lithium batteries. Power management components include a 1000W pure sine wave inverter, 240V outlets, master switch and circuit breakers, various lighting systems, numerous 12V power outlets, solar input, Canon battery chargers, handheld UHF chargers, RDX data storage and more.

On the driver’s side of the canopy there’s space to house luggage above two drawers, one containing camera gear and the other housing tools, tyre repair kit and spare parts. There’s a toolbox behind the rear wheel that holds ARB recovery gear such as straps and shackles.

On the passenger side of the canopy is the kitchen, which incorporates a 75L water tank, an 85L upright Engel fridge, dual-fuel stove, washing tub, extendable table and drawers. The toolbox on this side of the vehicle houses an ARB air compressor and associated equipment, as well as some additional recovery gear.

Hanging off the rear of the canopy are two spare wheels, between which there’s a ladder to access the rack up top. The Cruiser runs Cooper ST Maxx tyres. “We’ve been running Cooper tyres ever since I started mapping in 1996,” Rob says, “and these new ST Maxx tyres are just phenomenal; I’m starting to forget the last time I changed a tyre, just because these things are so reliable.”

In the cabin, there are so many switches, gauges and fuse panels that it almost resembles a flight deck. There are switches for various lights, fuel tanks, batteries, trailer brakes, audio streaming, inverters and more, while gauges cover the usual things as well as boost, EGT, voltage of main and auxiliary systems, and Amps. Warning lights and alarms alert occupants to any potential issues with low coolant, or any canopy doors left ajar.

The cabin power system, also installed by GlobalSat, is an electrical work of art. It’s located behind the rear seat and incorporates a Redarc 300W pure sine wave inverter, RDX power supply, four 240V outlets, and super-neat fuse blocks and circuit breakers. There are a number of USB and 12V outlets scattered about the cabin.

On the safety front, there’s a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) in case there’s an issue with the sat-phones, a SPOT tracker for daily check-ins with the office, a fire extinguisher by the passenger seat and another in the canopy at the rear.

As the Hema teams sometimes travel with family, two child-seat anchor points have been fitted and the canopy rack is often used for carrying additional swags that won’t fit inside. There’s also a Patriot camper trailer that can often be seen following this Map Patrol around the country.

“We’re a pretty close-knit team at Hema and whenever any of our guys go out on map patrol we want to make sure that they’ve got the right equipment, they’re supported, they’ve got the right comms gear, tracking gear… we’ve got 24/7 satellite tracking on the vehicle and we’re ready to swing into action at any point to support them out there.”

Even with a rig that’s this off-road capable and self-sufficient, there’s always an element of uncertainty when travelling in remote areas, so it’s nice to know there’s back-up if needed. One thing’s for certain, though: the operators of this Map Patrol will never get lost.

COLLECTING DATA

Collecting data in remote areas is the Map Patrol’s raison d’être. “Most other mapping companies, particularly street mapping companies, would say ‘it’s all outback, it’s dirt road, take all that off the map because it’s not relevant’.

But for us, that’s exactly the kind of information we need to highlight and bring to the front,” Rob Boegheim explains. “Our goal has always been to map every public accessible road or track and put that on a map, and take out all the other noise that just creates confusion.”

To achieve this, the Map Patrol is packed with complex gear. Sitting behind a fibreglass shroud on the ARB roof rack is the all-important GPS antenna. Signals from the antenna are processed by a Differential GPS (DGPS), which is mounted in a roof console. The DGPS provides half-metre accuracy, ensuring that Hema’s products are as precise as possible.

“You don’t need that accuracy for a printed product where the width of a millimetre on a map could be hundreds of metres or half a kilometre on the ground,” Rob says. “But as soon as you’re getting into a full-blown navigation system where you’re doing voice guidance, then everything’s got to be in the right spot.”

Location information from the GPS is then fed into a laptop computer mounted in front of the passenger, who then tags information to each plot or point. If that point is an accommodation location, for example, information could include the address, type of accommodation, permits required and facilities available, as well as photos of the location.

Below the laptop sits an iPad that’s preloaded with information that explorers can access prior to the heading into the field. It can be used for referencing, while a second rear-mounted iPad is used for purposes such as uploading information on conditions for other travellers to see.

The centre console houses a sat-phone handset and a detachable sat-phone dock, as well as a 3G mobile phone cradle and iPhone. The glovebox houses an RDX storage device and a multi-format SD card reader. On the driver’s side of the roof console is a UHF transceiver.

There’s a lot to like about Toyota’s commercial-grade Land Cruiser 70.

Available as a cab-chassis, a five-seat dual-cab/chassis, wagon and big-bodied Troop carrier, it’s a solid, simple, tough and (almost) no-nonsense torquey turbo V8 workhorse that shoulders a load over arduous terrain like no other vehicle.

But there’s one glaring problem with the present model: the rear wheel track is narrower than the front. When Toyota replaced its six-cylinder engine with a new diesel V8 in 2007, it widened the body, chassis and front axle to allow room for the larger engine and to improve airflow and cooling. Toyota, however, retained the previous model’s rear axle and the result is a vehicle with a rear track 95mm narrower than the front.

It looks a little odd and, more importantly, it has noticeably compromised driving, handling and stability. A narrow track is fundamentally less stable than a wide one, especially when you load heavy and high – or when the vehicle is a quick-response emergency vehicle. And in some off-road conditions, such as sand or ruts, the inner edges of the rear tyres have to work harder, which results in an odd gait.

Multi Drive Technology in Geelong – the company responsible for the 6×6 Cruiser we showed you in August 2014 – has designed and manufactured a fix: the Tru Tracker. This clever Aussie conversion widens the Land Cruiser’s rear track to correct the front and rear track discrepancy and reduce or eliminate the handling and usage issues.

“We knew it was an issue,” MDT’s Tom Hawkes says of the track-challenged present-gen Cruisers. “We do a lot of equipment fit-outs (for fleets) and a lot of end users (drivers) were saying, ‘We love these vehicles, but they wobble around’. It was something that we only began hearing [about] with the newer models.”

What the company has come up with is a simple system of extension stubs, relocated bearings and longer drive shafts. Significantly, the design of the kit means the wheel bearings – now outboard in exactly the same position to the track of the tyre as the original – experience exactly the same loads as original. Axle-bending stresses, outboard and inboard of the spring saddle, are raised slightly, but remain within safe limits; an engineering fact checked by MDT with both FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and fatigue/stress testing.

The extension stubs are machined in-house from high-grade material (4140) and are a tight-clearance fit over the ends of the Toyota axle housing, after it is shortened to suit. The replacement axles are forged in Melbourne – with the splines machined by MDT – and even the high-tensile bolts are Australian-made.

Satisfying ADR requirements was the number one priority after getting the hardware right. As well as CAD design, extensive prototype testing was a big part of MDT’s development, including ADR requirements for lane change and stability tests. Registration requirements vary from state to state, but MDT provides the guidance and information required for pre- or post-registration paperwork Australia-wide through a dealer/installer network.

The axle housing remains in the vehicle during installation, saving time and labour – significant for fleet fitments where dozens of vehicles may be batch-processed in a short time – and making installation possible for keen DIYers with little more than quality tools and a set of chassis stands.

The necessary axle housing nose modification is performed with a hand-held angle grinder – MDT has even devised a way to keep swarf and dust out of the axle tube during cutting.

Hardware such as brake backing plates, handbrake cables and ABS wiring all remain standard Toyota, but moving the hub components a couple of inches outboard means longer hydraulic brake lines, handbrake cable extension links and re-routed wiring – all accommodated for by MDT. Every aspect of the conversion process is covered by MDT, it even includes Loctite and a pair of brake line clamps in its package for hassle-free fitting.

The result? For around $3500 the Cruiser has its track corrected with a 100 per cent legal and durable conversion. For both commercial use and for those wanting to build the ultimate remote-area tourer, MDT’s Tru Tracker conversion adds extra loaded stability and allows the Cruiser to literally drive straight over the problem of trying to follow two sets of ruts off-road, not one! While our photos show it fitted to the 6×6 Scorpion, the Tru Tracker is suitable for any 4×4 VDJ 70 Series Land Cruiser.

WHY NOT SPACERS?

The CHEAP and cheerful way of correcting the track on Land Cruisers – and many other vehicles over the years – has been to install bolt-on wheel spacers. A thick chunk of alloy is bolted to the original wheel studs and new studs are screwed into the alloy spacer.

This is illegal, however, and for good reasons. The extra load on wheel bearings and wheel studs, due to the increased leverage of the track, makes them more likely to break. There are restrictions on altered wheel offsets, too – the wider track with a rim change stresses studs and bearings. Any more than 25mm each side – or a 50mm overall track increase – and you can expect a ticket.

MDT’s conversion widens the Land Cruiser’s rear track using a method that is tested, legal and acceptable to private and recreational rigs as well as government and corporate fleets.

CONTACT

For more info, phone MDT on (03) 5278 5300 or visit www.multidrive.com.au. The company also does 6×6 conversions, GMV upgrades and chassis extensions for Land Cruisers.

LAST year, 4X4 Australia named the Willys Jeep the most significant 4×4 of all time. Here, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Historian (FCA) Brandt Rosenbusch sheds some light on what makes it so special.

The US Army’s WWII Jeep is most commonly known as the Willys-Overland MB, or the Ford GP. It’s named after the two companies that produced the majority of Jeeps during the war, though its design owes far more to the army than any single car company. Of the several car companies involved in its design, the American Bantam Car Company deserves most credit.

In the early days of its design and development it wasn’t even called a Jeep, that name came about later. Even to this day, arguments continue as to where the name originated. The Jeep name wasn’t officially registered until 1950 when Willys-Overland claimed it on the grounds it had produced more Jeeps during the war than anyone else.

The Jeep story starts in 1938, when the US was looking to modernise its military. It put out hundreds of tenders covering a diverse range of military vehicles and equipment, one of them being for a Command Reconnaissance Vehicle. The Army set down very strict guidelines on weight, size, engine power and performance. It also had to have 4WD.

So tough were the Army’s demands that the original prototypes put up by Bantam and Willys-Overland – and later by Ford – were rejected. More prototypes came and went with complaints the Army secretly shared blueprints between bidders, and after a string of redesigns what was roughly the final iteration was settled on by mid-1941. At the core of the design was a separate chassis and live axles at both ends, carried on leaf springs. This became the blueprint for 4×4 design for many years to come.

During the war, Jeeps served as much more than reconnaissance vehicles and did everything the US and Allied militaries asked of it, and then some. They were used as supply vehicles, machine gun mounts, troop carriers, and for towing everything from guns to planes. Hitched together and fitted with steel wheels, they hauled railroad rolling stock when there wasn’t a locomotive to do the job. But more than anything else, the Jeep, as Roothy so succinctly puts it, “was absolutely incredible off-road”.

The Jeep’s wartime versatility ensured its civilian success in post-war USA with returning US soldiers singing its praises. In the words of Ron Moon: “The Jeep began the world’s love affair with lightweight 4×4 vehicles.”