Hi from Boronia VIC

dswiders · Nov 10, 2010

Hi all, my names Daniel. I've had a look around this site and I must admit that it is very informative, almost confusing, but I suppose it's all got to do with how much your prepared to spend on upgrading your rig.

We are looking at purchasing a new D40, possibly an ST or ST-X in the new year, and are hoping to do some much need time away from the office and get out of the rat race.

We are looking at getting a camper trailer and doing a 12 month trip (in about 4 years time) around this great country of ours, exploring all that it has to offer. But in the mean time simply doing the weekend and holidays getaway.

Cheers, Daniel

KraftyPg · Nov 10, 2010

Welcome Daniel, good choice of rig it will serve you well if you plan on doing any type of touring and there is heaps of information relating to your choices already in these forums. One thing which you might want to take into account when buying is where the car you buy comes from. Most mod makers are coming on board with all models these days but you need to be aware that not all mods made for the ST-X which is made in Spain fit the Thai build models despite them all being D40's

Dave · Nov 10, 2010

Welcome, enjoy the forum Danial.

Dave.

Old.Tony · Nov 10, 2010

Welcome to the forum, Daniel!

My wife and I love traveling too, we just don't get enough time to do it as much as we'd like. Our D40 (Spanish built STX) does just fine for us.

You will have a few options to consider for yours.

In January 2011 we should see the arrival of the STX-550 - a V6 turbo diesel that carries a hefty price tag.

We currently have the STX-450 - a 4cylinder turbo diesel that develops 140KW and 450Nm. There's also the ST model - not sure if it also develops 140KW, but it's a Thai build, so it's quite different underneath to the Spanish models (which are the STX Dual Cabs).

You can tell the difference by looking at the VIN - Spanish cars start with 'VSK' and Thai cars start with 'M'. What's less obvious is chassis construction - Spanish is supposed to be better than Thai. That said, of course, the Thai trucks aren't weaklings at all - the D22 range are (lately) Thai builds but they're quite good off-road where they need to be tough.

If you're towing, I'd recommend focusing on the extra power, if you can stretch your $ that far. Get a Hayman Reese hitch installed just in case you one day want to use load levelers and insist on a proportional brake controller up front, so it's all done for you.

I also insisted on a 12-pin trailer plug with aux power wired in - the 7-pin plug can still fit, but with the 12-pin you can run aux power into the trailer/van without forgetting.

Just a note on the camper: we decided a full van was the way to go, because it allows us to pull over in a rest area, catch 2 hours kip, or make a cuppa, or just use the loo and move on - without the effort of popping the roof or unfolding it. For someone that wants to do more traveling than staying in one place, we think this is a better alternative.

If you want something really light and don't intend to stop overnight in rest areas, pop-up or pop-top vans might suit you better, but may not have all the facilities (we enjoy our shower/toilet). If you want to take a van off-road, take a look at the Gall Boys and what they do with their Kedron Caravans.

scottybobcat · Nov 10, 2010

G'day mate and welcome to the forum.Another VIC whoo hoo.Look up VNOG for upcoming events and touring trips.

dswiders · Nov 11, 2010

Hey thanks all for the welcome, and Old.Tony, I sure will keep in mind the Hayman towbar info that you provided, I agree, its better to have everything at the start rather than cutting corners due to costs.