Hey Guys,
We´re landing in September in perth and wanna kite the whole Westcoast till March. Due to our low financial resources we arent sure whether to buy a 4wd or a normal Van. Of course, a 4wd will give us more possibilites but we were told that a good 4wd costs more than 5K$ + service ... etc. So is it worth buying a 4wd or will a regular van do his job too ?
Thanks in advance, Tobi
Obvoiusly a 4x4 will be the answer to get to places that are hard to get to and some real sweet spots. But i've seen some vans in cruising the west coast and getting to places without problems...or few problems. If budget is an issue, go the van and buy 3 accessories. 1) a snatch strap and 2) a compressor and 3) pressure guage. You'll be surprised how far you can get when you lower your tyre pressure a bit.
And on tyre pressure, when you let out the pressure time each tyre the same i.e. 30 secons or 1 minute etc. That way you'll always have equal pressure. And secondly don't go less than 15psi, you can run the risk of rolling the tyre off the rim.
Snatch strap to offer the person pulling you out of the sh#t if it gets that way
Have fun in west ozit is and has some pretty nice places to play
Or buy a 4WD Van...
Mitsubishi Delicas are quite popular over here :) An early model should be able to be picked up for about your budget.
get a set of maxxtraxx over a snatch strap . set of tracks will get you out of most situations rather than a snatch strap .
You won't need a 4x4 to get to the vast majority of popular kite spots. Only remote areas and mostly ''secret'' spots require a 4x4. In other words you wouldn't miss out on much kite-wise from not having a 4x4.
The most important thing is to get a reliable vehicle that won't break down in the middle of nowhere. Get it thoroughly inspected before you buy it is my advice.
And get a Telstra SIM card so you have phone and 3G reception just about anywhere you go. I find the best way to explore kite spots is with google maps in Satellite view with a 3G signal, you'll find your way in and out very easily....and discover new areas.
So many of the good kiting spots are accessible on 2 wheel drive that a 4x4 is a bit of a waste of money.
Lanno, Jurien, Dongara, Gero, Coronations, Shark-Bay, Gnarloo, Exmouth etc all totally accessable with a van.
The 'off-the-beaten-track' / secret spots you won't really find out about anyway as locals protect their secret stashes.
So I advise you to just go with the van.
There's lots of good backpacker vans, already kitted out with camping stuff etc to choose from.
4x4 fully kitted out harder and more expensive to find.
Yeah check out gumtree theres always a few Mitsubishi l300 for sale ready to go and they're 4x4 as well and usually budget priced
