OKA 4WD . com

Tony I am so envious of you guys but it is great to hear how you are going so keep it up when you have communication. I am sure the rest of us feel the same.

Have fun

Ewart

Peter is back with us after driving out from Birdsville today.

Little traffic today. One group of five mixed 4WDs heading west and another group arriving late tonight.

A couple of more shots from the beginning of the trip.

Lining up for the obligatory go at Big Red.

Gary was first and made it to the top via the chicken route.

Peter the only other contender shown on the way up, or is it on the way down, or does he have a fault in his reversing lights or what.

Actually he did make it nearly to the top but when he went to go the last bit in low range the slight change in engine mounting he made to accommodate the automatic caused the fan to hit the cowl so he wisely decided to give it up - having been there and done that many times in the past.

Once  to the top was enough for me last time and seemed little point trying again. Steve thought the same.

Equipment varies a lot between the four vehicles. Peter has the newly installed auto box teamed with a non-OKA transfer case so rarely has to get out of high range. 16" wheels.

Gary has 16" wheels (I think) and lockers front and back.

I have 19.5" wheels with standard LSD on the rear.

Steve has 19.5" wheels and no LSD or lockers.

Not too hard to work out relative capabilities on steep soft dunes - but of course that ignores driving ability and general preparedness. For instance, while at the first camp I took the hub locks off to check for slight interference between the actuator and the end of the shaft that was causing the dial to rotate out of the free position (Warn Premium Hubs with 35spline upgrade for those who have done the same work but not tested it properly)

Got to the first piddling dune out of Annandale and barely got into the loose sand before failing to proceed. Bit of a run up to get over that one only to suffer the same ignomy at the next slight rise. Lots of huffing and puffing thinking the transfer box may have got itself into front wheel drive only as it did on the first trip. Back wheels were both turning but front wheels were not. Feared the worst, but eventually found I had left one of the front hubs in the FREE position after the work. Doh, double Doh

In no particular order

Nightfall at Poeppel Corner

Camp at the corner where we waited for Peter and Sandy to return from their quick trip back to Birdsville

Much easier crossing the mud flats this time than 2 years ago

Probably hard to see, but the dunes are covered with these tracks - long haired rats as far as I can tell from a few glimpses when spotlighting at night. In plague numbers with a mini-warren of burrows under every tree, shrub and bush

Which provides a constant source of food for exploding population of birds of prey.

Mostly kites of which there were hundreds spiralling up abobe Purnie bore when we arrived

together with some of their more delicate cousins

It pays to be first in line. I had no problems getting over but watched as Peter made it over, then stopped to drag Gary up the last little bit, who then had to do the same for Steven.

Steven powering up over one particularly soft dune

One dune got the better of all vehicles - especially when Gary had four goes at it. We camped in the swale for the night and Steven sussed out a detour which we all took the next morning.

Peter and Gary about to veer off the main track on to the detour

Four OKAs at the not-so-lone not-a-gum

Those sick and tired of poseur shots of multiple OKAs at one location should look away.

At Dalhousie we were joined by Harry and Jenny, both prune-skinned from three days of soaking in the pool while waiting for us to turn up.

At the Lambert Centre

(no, Gary DID NOT bend the post)

Tony, Betty, Peter, Sandra, Harry, Jenny, Steven, Jenny, Chris, Gary at a final line-up between Finke and the highway before Peter and Sandy peeled off south and the rest of us headed north.

Last night - at rainbow valley

before Steve and Jenny head up the Tanami for parts North-West and the rest of us laze around the Alice Springs area waiting for Stage 2 to begin.

Having trouble containing the drool from seeing the OKAs doing what they were designed for!  Loving the write up and the pictures.  Keep them coming!

Great stuff Tony. How's the new camper body going? Helluva shakedown run.

Yes was sad to  say goodbye at Kulgera as we left the group and headed south, Getting noriceably cooler as we head south.Had a great trip across the desert with the others and the auto conversion works very well in soft sand, no missed gear changes and heaps quieter to boot.

Unbelievable the traffic heading  north up the stuart hwy, caravans, 4wd's,motorhomes and competitors in the Finke Desert Race running next weekend.

Hi everyone

sounds like you have had a great stage 1.  Our Oka is being packed and we will be on our way next week.  See you at Curtin Spring on 22 maybe 21 June.

Rasa & Tony Oka 74 

Hi all, I am at Balgo currently heading to Halls Creek for supplies, will be at Bilaluna tomorrow starting down the Canning. Sorry I am not with you but my trip is work with a tour. 

Happy travels

Brendan 

Hal Harvey at June 3, 2012 at 12:23 PM

Great stuff Tony. How's the new camper body going? Helluva shakedown run.

So far so good. My learn-to-weld--as-you-build streel subframe is still all in one piece and the glued-together box is still glued together , so since the rock and roll of the Simpson plus a fair bit of corrugations hasn't done too much, I'm pretty hopeful that we will get back home in a few months with everything still looking straight and square.

Couple of miscalculations though. My design has no wheel wells as I was pretty sure the aon buffer would compress only enough so the wheel didn't rub on the underneath of the floor. Some of the bumps have caused a light rub mark so when I get to Alice I'll get a 10mm spacer made up to add to the spacer already under the rubbers. Will reduce the suspension travel a tad but better that than busting the floor.

Very nice to have hot showers every day and central heating as well so that too is a bonus , especially since the slight extra weight and height hasn't caused much disadvantage so far compared to the pop-top bus body design.