TerritoryFord Australia Upcoming CrossOver vehicle discussion forum
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I have just returned from an Outback holiday. My family in a Territory TX AWD together with a Prado, Cruiser, Rodeo and Outback (part of trip) went from Sydney via Camerons Corner to Innamincka, Birdsville and the Flinders Rangers.
We experienced all sorts of road conditions from soft, deeply rutted to mud and river crossings. Overall the Territory performed brilliantly and impressed/surprised all (including locals at the various places we visited). The car is very comfortable and stable compared to larger 4wds and could go virtually everywhere they could. The tyres held up well. The Territory developed 2 small leaks that had to be fixed. This compares with 4 punctures on the Prado and 3 punctures and a shredded tyre on the Landcruiser
I used to own an Outback, however they have problems due to their front overhang. The Outback that accompanied us had problems with the bumber guards falling off and scraping the front bumper. I enjoy the extra space and power the Territory has.
Only issues I have are
- Clearance, while it did not stop me going anywhere I did scrape bottom a bit. Certainly used the underbody protection. Another 5cm clearance would be great.
- Fog lights: fell out of their housing after 5 minutes on the first dirt road. This is after getting them fixed once already. Also filled up with water.
Welcome to the forums & thanks for posting your experiences & pics. From all the feedback from owners the Territory is sounding better and better! How did the economy go on the trip?
What parts of the Flinders did you go to? I did a trip up there at easter.
Camped at Bunnyeroo Gorge for 4 days in the Southern Flinders and outside Arkaroola for another 2. Great locations though we much preferred the Southern Flinders/Wilpena area.
Fuel economy was varied from
- 12.5 lt/100 cruising on the highway
- 13.5 lt/100 when we used the air con
- 17.5 when travelling through hills and river crossings (using manual controls for breaking).
1. Were your fogs factory or dealer fitted ? - reason I ask is that I have heard of some of the dealer fitted ones being of dubious quality - in terms of the fitting quality, not so much the actual item's quality. Also, when you say they filled with water - was this due to them being submerged, or splashed?
2. The luggage pod you have fitted - is this a genuine Ford item? If so what are your thoughts on it's effectiveness; quality; and ease of use - especially as you do not have running boards fitted as a convenient step to load/unload?
The car looks fantastic in the shots Mark ... well done. In your shots, the T really looks as if it was born to be out there in the country --- dirty and mean. The car has a real strength about it in white with the tu tone ...... I wish my Ghia had the black headlights ... looks SOOOO much better than the chrome finish .....
Bunyeroo Creek is a wonderful spot to camp in the Flinders, but I must admit I have a favourite spot tucked away in Brachina Gorge which I've been going back to for years ....
I'm interested to know what tyre pressures front and back you ran during your trip .... and whether you know what your friends in the Prado and Cruiser ran? Usually, it's a combination of the tyre pressure as well as separate issues like loading and speed travelled which has the biggest influence on how many punctures you have ....
Your fuel economy experience was very similar to mine as well .... fraction better in fact .. so well done!
The number plate nearly came off through a creek crossing. The water splashed up over the bonnet. This was partly due to me going a bit fast. The night before a Patrol got washed down the same creek (refer attachments). Looking at the tide marks the water would have been more than 1 foot higher and moving at speed.
The car was fully loaded includiung 2 kids, extra tyre, fuel & water etc.
I bought the fog lights as a factory fitted option however I can only assume the factory did fit them. I will put the car in next weeki to get fixed (replaced?) The fogs would have been submerged twice for say 5-10 seconds as you would expect in a creek crossing.
The luggage pod came off my previous car. No problem accessing by opening rear door and standing in door well. I would recommend them as the noise is minimal and meant we had plenty of room for all camping gear etc. The Ford ones are slightly larger but cost twice as much.
I must say I had 2 thoughts about washing the car when I got back. I ended up paying for a high pressure wash to get rid of all the mud build up. The guys could not believe how much dirt/mud there was that made it all the way to the roof. Car now looks like new.
The tyre pressure question is interesting. We have received conflicting advice from "leave it at 40 like I do' from the tyre guy in Innamincka to reduce to 25-28 from the tyre guy in Birdsville. I reduced the pressure to about 32-34. I believe this assisted in preventing punctures (however I could have just been lucky). I did not reduce the pressure more because, with a full load, I would then be more likely to scrape the bottom of my car. Prado had about 36, Rodeo and Cruiser did not reduce pressure at all.
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