Goodbye Fortuner
After 15,000km and countless trips it’s time to hand the keys back. We’ve had this Toyota Fortuner since back in Issue 041 of Unsealed 4X4, and we have to say it’s become part of the family. We’ve taken it on holidays, used it on shoots as…
Roast me …
With the winter months well and truly upon us, I’ve fallen into a ritual of cooking a Sunday camp oven roast every week. I actually crave it! Now, I’m not home every weekend (nor would I want to be), but it’s gotten to the stage…
You might be able to buy a new, old Jeep
When a vehicle manufacturer stops producing a vehicle, it’s often not the end of the story for an outdated design. Sometimes, they continue to build and sell older models in other parts of the world. Old designs will sometimes also get sold off or licensed…
The Connie Sue reigns supreme over Anne Beadell
I thought the Anne Beadell Highway was tough, but the Connie Sue Highway smacked it down like The Rock on WWE. My sand flag was being smashed, stone guard attacked from below. Like witches clawing, my paintwork was being etched by the tiny sticks that punched…
Dynamat: Is this product music to your ears, or a sticky waste of time?
If you’re one of the unlucky ones where your 4X4’s OEM sound system is like a mash of noises echoing out of the toilet, then you’re not alone. Ours too was an absolute shocker before we decided to upgrade not long ago. But changing the…
Sinking my Patrol was the best thing that could have happened to it
Fight or flight. It’s one of those inbuilt instinctive responses. You’ve either got it, or you don’t. Kind of like when you roll your ’86 MQ Patrol into an old abandoned clay quarry full of water. Are you going to freeze up, like a deer…
Stale bread = yum campfire dessert
If there’s one thing that makes a night around the campfire memorable, it’s finishing a great meal with a perfect dessert. The problem is, after all that four-wheel driving followed by a hearty meal, it seems impossible to get out of that comfy camp chair…
Why I lashed out on a Coleman Hyperflame Fyreknight gas stove
If you are anything like me, there is a certain level of satisfaction that comes from knocking out a half decent meal at the end of a long day on the trails. What started out as a one-off after drawing the proverbial short straw has…
June 2018: Adventure Cinema
In this instalment of Adventure Cinema, we’ve got drowned 4X4s, Simpson Desert crossing in a petrol FJ and Cape York recoveries. There are Unimogs doing their thing off-road and characters of the Australian bush. All this and more in Unsealed 4X4’s Adventure Cinema. CLICK HERE TO…
JK Wrangler – Escape
The first step in working to live, is having an escape plan. For a lot of us, four-wheel driving is a way of escaping the daily grind. Get away from the rat race for maybe a weekend or a month, get refreshed and then head back…
New 1.5L, three-link live axles for 2019 Jimny
Along with the 70 Series LandCruiser, the Suzuki Jimny is one of the last of the properly old-school 4WDs still standing. Where others have morphed into something new or died off completely, the Jimny has some serious heritage in it’s lineage. In 2019, that lineage…
7 things you need for the Vic High Country
Despite seasonal closures in Victoria, there are still places you can explore in the region during winter if you do your research. And if you can get there, you are guaranteed an adventure you won’t soon forget. As the old saying goes though, ‘with great…
June 2018: Readers’ Rigs
Beau’s Zook A lot can happen in five months, and Beau’s Zook is the proof! It was never intended to be anything other than a daily, but we all know how quickly things can get out of hand. After owning a couple of 4WDs previously,…
Here’s what a filtration expert thinks about Toyota’s dust problem
Many folks reading this fine publication have been dismayed that Toyota’s most popular 4WD engine, the 2.8 litre 1GD-FTV, might have a serious problem with dust getting past the air filter system. As we revealed only yesterday, there is enough dust getting past (or around)…
Your Toyota HiLux might have a dust ingesting problem.
In the wake of our recent six-vehicle comparison test in outback South Australia during which the HiLux Rugged X test vehicle dropped into limp home mode four times, Toyota Australia has admitted a design flaw with the air inlet system of the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine…
Desert & dunes without heading into the centre
Why isn’t this on your list? What if I told you Victoria was more than the snow-covered peaks of the High Country, more than the fantastic southern coastlines and endless beaches? Tucked up in the north-west corner of the state bordering South Australia and New…
Gecko slide-on camper
Peter Barber and his wife Heidi have been touring all their lives and have fond memories of camping at the beach over the summer holidays for weeks on end, and it’s that love of touring that saw them bring up their own kids in the…
Do you have camping cryophobia?
Cryophobia // (noun) – An abnormal and persistent fear of cold, including cold weather and cold objects Well, mine is not a phobia, but rather a “yep – I feel the cold”. You probably know my sort, the slightest hint of less than 10°C and I’m…
2018 Toyota HiLux Rugged X Review
There’s a new model 4X4 ute in town, and this one is actually worth talking about: The Toyota HiLux Rugged X. Rather than travel down that same well-worn path they (and every other manufacturer, for that matter) have been down before with model tweaks than…
291kW Hemi-powered Ram: $78,000
It’s Ram’s new entry-level 4X4 ute, aimed directly at top-spec ute buyers. ‘1500’ means this Ram Truck is shorter, smaller and lighter than the big brother heavy-duty models you might be familiar with. Along with a lower asking price, it also has a different motor under…
Queensland Outdoor Adventure and Motoring Expo
Unsealed 4X4 are proud to announce we are the presenting partner for Australian Events running through the sunny state of Queensland. There are seven shows, kicking off with the three day Gold Coast Expo on the 27tah-29th of July at the Gold Coast Turf Club,…
2018 RACV Marine Melbourne Boat Show
So if you’re looking at getting something that will keep you going far past where your fourby can take you, our mates down south have something for you. Unsealed 4X4 are proud to bring you the 2018 RACV Marine Melbourne Boat Show, which will run…
The June Buyer’s Guide
Welcome to the June edition of our new vehicle buyer’s guide. This is a regular section in Unsealed 4X4, designed to help making your next 4X4 purchase as easy as possible by providing you with all the info you need. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT…
The Nymboida: A river for all
While everyone fights with traffic at the beach in summer between Coffs Harbour and Grafton, there’s a lot less people enjoying clear mountain streams, rock pools and shady campsites along the Nymboida River. Sometimes heading west in summer makes sense. Only an hour or two…
Ford Everest, Ranger Recalled
Ford have issued a recall for their Ranger and Everest 4WDs, which sounds pretty serious. The intermediate steering shaft, which sits between (and connects) the steering column and box, has some dodgy welds that aren’t up to scratch. If the weld fails, your steering disappears….
Manlio Musarra’s Black D110 custom
Some 4X4 owners build their rigs with a single focus in mind. Rock crawling, mud plugging, camper trailer touring, desert crossing or beach fishing, perhaps. Then there’s Leo. After years of design evolution, Leo has given this Defender 110 the credentials of a mountain goat…
ISSUE 051 OUT NOW!
Well if you thought things were slowing down after last month’s massive issue, you are wrong my friends. #051 of Unsealed 4X4 is packed with dual cab ute comparisons, epic travel destinations and all the latest gear and accessories for your vehicle. Feeling cold? We’ve…
HUMMINGBIRD BATTERY MONITOR
Just when you thought all battery monitors were the same, Hummingbird Electronics goes and releases this. The RF Battery Monitor Kit will now monitor up to 16 different batteries remotely, give you a warning for just about everything, easily set custom warnings, and it’s completely…
DRIVETECH 4X4 DUAL SPEED WINCH
Fresh out of the Drivetech 4×4 stable is a pair of dual speed winches. Offering up both a 9,500lb and 12,000lb model, the 12,000lb model offers a massive 230.4:1 ratio in low, and 115.2:1 in high speed. They will both run below 95dB, so they’re…
TORQIT POWER MODULE PLUS
The Torqit brand and their Pedal Torq and Power Modules aren’t anything new, but their newest rendition of their modules, however, are. Now you can control everything the modules do direct from your smartphone! From choosing different tunes on the fly, to playing with the…