Solo Trips

[Smim]

G'day lads,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I figured it was time to make an account, introduce myself and ask a couple of questions.
Born and raised in Townsville QLD, I have a 94 80 series with the mighty 1fz and boy, does it pull like a train. Funnily enough, I grew up in a very similar car. With this old bus I am looking at doing a long solo trip later in the year (not sure where about too yet, suggestions very welcome). It is an old rig and I do love it dearly even though it is a turd, but for 5k with rego and a roady I can't complain.

So my questions are:
1. How do you prep for solo, semi-remote travel?
2. Any good solo travel advice for an introverted 20 year old city boy?
3. Any special places in QLD/ northern NSW that are great for camping and 4x4ing?
4. 80 series people - What should I look out for before heading off? Is anything commonly overlooked on these rigs that should be looked at?

Cheers legends, glad to finally be a part of the forum!

 

[Kippie]

Welcome to the forum Smim!
I am an old geezer who travels solo all the time and love it. It took a while to find out what works and what doesn't. And although my way of travelling suits me, it may not suit anyone else. You will have to find your own groove. All I can suggest is to try short local trips first. Meet and talk to similarly minded people and take in their experiences. As you venture further and stay out longer your experience and confidence will grow. Eventually you'll feel comfortable doing the long hauls on your own. It takes time to get to that point.

 

[mikehzz]

Yeah, g'day mate. I do a heap of solo travel and know others that do it too. If you go very remote, I suggest some form of emergency communication not only so you can communicate, but so your family can get in touch with you if there's an emergency at home. The other thing to consider is that breaking down off the beaten track can be expensive if you're on your own with nobody to tow you to a mechanic. These things aside, solo travel is quite peaceful.

 

[hiluxdriver]

There's plenty of info on here for starting out, a bit of time searching and you'll quickly find you bank balance getting smaller. But as said do some smaller trips first to work out what's most important to you when travelling. If you're still in Townsville then gulf country is as good drive, or the cape is just up the road. Get on to Roving Around 4x4 on Facebook as that's the only sort of local 4x4 club that does regular trips (Pre covid) and they aren't wankers tearing up the bush. Good luck

 

[Albynsw]

Get a mechanic that is familiar with your vehicle or 4wds in general to give it a good look over before a big trip. Apart from the inconvenience of being broken down and wasting your holiday time repairs in remote areas can get expensive
Just start out doing trips to less remote areas and become familiar with your vehicle and your camping gear setup.

As you become more familiar and confident with your gear you can venture to the more remote areas confidently.
As Mike said sort out some communication and first aid gear.
Personally I think having phone contact available via a sat phone if there is no phone service is really helpful as you can ring your mechanic for advice if you have vehicle troubles or seek medical advice even for non emergency issues if needed
A PLB are really cheap these days and cheap insurance to keep with you particularly running solo

 

[Bomber2012]

Welcome to Earth @Smim , its a good question , as has been said start with some shorter trips to gain confidence in yourself and your vehicle .
I love getting away with my mates but solo trips are some of my most memorable trips Ive had .

 

[discomatt]

Solo travel is great, car reliability is the most important aspect, before every big trip I make sure brakes are 50% at very least if touch and go a full flush and new pads, suspension is like new, not one worn item, cooling system is like new, no more than 5-7 year old components because this is possibly the most important part of any car when traveling remote , all oils and filters replaced, battery load tested twice, starter motor and clutch checked with no strange noise. Check, adjust and repack wheel bearings. New uni joints because they are cheap and real show stoppers.
Parts I take are fuel and air filter, repair tape, wire, tire repair kit and a full tool kit.
On the trip, every day check wheel temps when you first pull up, open the bonnet and have a quick look and after doing rough tracks throw a tarp down and check under the car for bits that might be coming loose. All these checks will show any issues before they become issues and you are broken down on the side of the road.

 

[cam04]

Not much stops a 1fz-fe. They don't love water crossings, so a tarp/bra setup would be good. Self recovery is great fun and a good workout on your own - winching gear (hand winch will do), shovel, tracks, jack etc etc., should be on the list. I carry a small day pack with my first aid (inc snake bandages), leatherman, torch, some tucker and a PLB. The biggest enemy of soloing is that you become immobile very quickly so you need the important stuff at hand. If you get bitten then walking anywhere just isn't an option if you want to live. You need to stay put, keep alive, and bring the help to you. Broken limbs, bad cuts, car crash etc., same deal. You need a go to place that is familiar to you that you take everywhere. Mine is the day pack. Unless I am on a kayak trip, then my life jacket is a fishing version with pockets that I put in the plb, radio, sea dye, water, knife etc etc - I need to be able to survive without the boat. You need to be able to survive without the car - hence the bag.
We did a fair bit of remote survival/first aid/solas/sar training when working remote, so I got a few lessons from people who know what to do. Your world shrinks quickly when incapacitated. Plan for the worst then go out and have fun!

 

[Lost1?]

I do a little bit of solo touring. Did the Simpson last year. CAM & Matt have hit the key points I think. In addition to what Matt carries I made a kit of differing nuts, bolts and washers. I carry 2 rolls of gaffa tape instead of radiator hoses. I recomend you change the hard to get at heater hoses on a vehicle of that age before you start going remote.

Spend some time working on and learning about your vehicle. If you have problems on a solo trip you need to have the skills to fix stuff on the run and identify potential issues before they break.

Like Matt I have a daily routine of inspecting the vehicle each evening and doing a walk around the vehicle during the day when I stop. I recommend you focus on establishing this routine when travelling remote. It can take a bit of discipline to create a structure for these checks, but they can be lifesaver. As a minimum it will save you cash because you will identify issues before you experience a failure.

Like others have said, work into this by doing increasingly bigger trips. When they let us out, go and enjoy yourself.

 

[cam04]

Yes, the 1fz has a little heater hose right at the back of the block that no Toyota technician in history has every voluntarily changed. Reach down and see how old yours is.

 

[Swaggie]

Are we talking solo as in single person or solo vehicle but have someone else with you....
Two people can make a recovery a lot easier, by yourself winching up a steep hill, you need your brain box working overtime and fitness...

 

[deepop]

One thing from my 105 with the 1FZ is that I have the plastic top and bottom tanks on the radiator. If the 80 is the same get it checked and replaced if required - they will crack, split and leak after so many years.

 

[discomatt]

One thing from my 105 with the 1FZ is that I have the plastic top and bottom tanks on the radiator. If the 80 is the same get it checked and replaced if required - they will crack, split and leak after so many years.

All plastic tank radiators should be replaced every 10 years or 150,000km to stay reliable