TrackMuncher
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 45
  
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Hi Punters,
This is my first post. Thought I'd provide some details on a brief holiday down the Darling river. Took my disco on its first long distance journey with the wife and 3 young kids. Towed an off-road camper trailer and covered 3,200kms visiting Dubbo (Zoo), Warrumbungles, Bourke, Louth (Trilby Station), Menindee, Mungo NP, Willandra NP (old Willandra Station), Griffith, Temora and then home (Sydney).
Probably 2/3 was covered on back roads including some bull dust.
Averaged 12.9L overall but was higher on dirt (~13.3L). I can get a bit under 9L on the open highway but got nowhere near that with a full load.
Sustained some stone damage on the tail gate and glass despite having a mesh stone deflector on the trailer. If I was doing that again I might protect the tail gate with something.
Other than that the car ran without fault and made towing a breeze. Dust seals worked well. And the vehicle is great for taking the family on holiday - felt like it could go all day.
I can also recommend the Darling run to others as an easy journey that takes you through some great outback NSW places with lots of history. The Temora aviation museum is well done - it's a working museum with all aircraft used for actual flying rather than being mothballed.
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 16th Oct 2006 7:36 am |
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LeighW
D3 Decade
Member Since: 31 Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane, AUS
Posts: 916
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Hi TrackMuncher and welcome to the forum.
Your journey along the Darling including all those places is enviable.
What sort of protector did you have that still allowed the stones to find the back of the D3?
I have seen mesh deflectors that are angled so that stones and debris thrown up are deflected downwards and soft vinyl (foam backed) ones on the front of the towed vehicle but believed the angled deflectors were the most effective. But now I wonder...
You are definately right about the driveability of the D3 over distance. I recently did a run from Brisbane to Cooktown (over 3 days) and at the end of each segment I got out of the car feeling better than any previous 4WD that I have owned. And due to the effortless pull of the TDV6 I felt it could have run non stop and I still would have felt comfortable.
We came back by the Bloomfield track and I can vouch for the dust sealing being very effective.
We are yet to venture to other states yet but have travelled through northern NSW and found the D3 to be the ideal touring vehicle.
Leigh LeighW
The old girl is on her third engine...
* first ran a bearing (design failure in original engine)
* second had a failure of the water outlet on top of the engine (pls check yours)
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| 16th Oct 2006 8:11 am |
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TrackMuncher
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 45
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The trailer was a loaner. It had a mesh deflector that was angled down. One problem was that a few of the plastic straps perished that hold the mesh to the frame. I could hear some stones hitting the back and so I eventually stopped and made some running repairs to the deflector using wire. Perhaps the most damage happened in that short time. I only noticed the chips once I got home and washed the car, and it probably shows up more on my red car than a white or silver one due to the white undercoat.
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| 16th Oct 2006 9:03 am |
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TDMP
Member Since: 16 Jul 2006
Location: South Gippsland
Posts: 511
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Hi TrackMuncher.
Would love to see some picks of your travels, if you have 'em?
Regards Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
(Epicurus BC 341-270)
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| 16th Oct 2006 12:49 pm |
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TrackMuncher
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 45
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I shot mostly video so I don't have a lot of stills but have created a gallery and posted a handful of them. Should be accessible via my gallery link or this url
http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=710
--
Scott
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| 16th Oct 2006 1:44 pm |
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