Today we have had another practice loading of the cargo lockers - a place for everything & everything in it's place - and necessary padding applied.  We have used the fridge restraint buckles to allow quick tightening of the straps.

The alloy winch bullbar was fitted first thing by Custom Alloy.  While we have no intention to get a winch we decided to get a winch capable bar.  This bar also sits out a little from the front of the truck and has some shape to it.  The alternative was a flat bar.  The bar is powder coated in Antique Silver hammertone to match the rear bar.  Hopefully it will be  easier to clean as well.

Then we delivered the truck to Betta Car Electrics who fitted:

1.  20 LED compound light bar (combined flood and spot).
2. 2 x 12v accessory points added to the overhead trays - which are useless for anything else as stuff justs falls out of them.
3. replaced the cigarette lighter with a proper 24v accessory point.
4. 2 x Philips LED daytime running lights - pretty much the only 24v types readily available.
   
5. 2 x 1/2 amp LED  spot lights to each side of the house body to illuminate the side of the truck - activated from the drivers position.  The external wall lights would provide enough light to see obstacles if reversing at night but they are activated from switches in the stairwell of the house.
6. 1 x 24 volt Ansersen plug beside the house steps (powered from starter batteries) - to use with 24 volt compressor - when I get one!
7. GME 80 CH UHF - remote head in the smaller of the spoots in the dash - none of which were quite DIN size!
   

Having driven the truck for nearly 3000 km but only on the highway, the amount of suspension bounce was significant.  I know it's a truck but it was unliveable.  The slightest ripple in the road - of which we have many - would cause not merely the bounce as we passed over it but the rebound would continue for several cycles.  Actually hitting potholes etc was okay - a relatively muted jar.  The truck stays nicely on line regardless.

We took the truck back to ATW and they removed 1 leaf from the front springs and left rear as is.  This has made a significant improvement in the ride, meaning while there is still bounce - it doesn't go on and on.  While they were at it ATW decided to replace all the shock absorbers with the new type they are now using.  The ones originally fitted last December were adjustable by a simple wheel nut but apparently they had some failures.  The new ones are adjustable but not so simply and can be replaced at any Truckline rep around the country.  

Delivered the truck to the rust proofers at 7:30 am.  We had planned to have this done before the body building began but somehow didn't get around to it.  Would have made it easier I am sure for those who had to do the job.  Anyway, successfully done and underneath it looks so beautiful it's almost a shame to get it dirty. 

Having endured a drive it was obvious that we needed to get back to All Terrain Warriors to review the suspension setup.  As there was no real idea of how our custom body would turn out, the spring set up consisted of 4 leaves front and rear.  Having determined the split weights of our test load it is obvious that a spring leaf needs to be removed from the front.  The shock settings were also adjusted and the spring u-bolt torque settings checked.

We were also originally provided with an exhaustive table of tyre pressure settings for the Toyo tyres.  Our axle weights are so low that our truck doesn't fit in the prepared table!  A phone call to Toyo Australia obtained at least revised recommended pressures for highway use. We have been advised to email the company to get more complete guidance eg for corrugations, off-road and sand.

John raced to have the repairs done in time for the long weekend which we had planned to be our first trip away and had planned to meet near Kilcoy. We collected the truck at 6pm on Friday night, drove home and loaded it up with enough to use on the weekend and left on the Saturday morning. 

We arrived under mostly cloudy skies  . . . and then it rained all weekend - and not a drip.