Media 200 series picture thread (17 Viewers)
- Thread starter IH8MUD
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After my deer hunt yesterday.
My great grandparents homestead.
My great grandparents homestead.
prwillard2
SILVER Star
Holy GVM batman
I’m kinda jealous.
Also the 200 doesn’t seem Overly upset about it.. I’m sure the fuel bill isn’t friendly though
I wonder how they get the boat and trailer on the roof rack.
The boat on the roof is pimp
GPM instead of MPG?
Anybody know the P/N for those steelies?
Thanks!
I'm sure it handles it fine. You Aussies can change springs and get a GVM upgrade to 9200+ lb
Springs, sure. I'd be concerned about bearings and all the other bits that are being overloaded, particularly if they've been running on any washboarded/non-sealed surfaces. Vibrations+cyclic loads are a bastard and even the almighty LC200 has it's limits.
I agree that the 200 has limits, but I don’t think weighing 9k with stiffer springs puts these rigs in danger of catastrophic failure. Off roading is harder on rigs, sure.
I find it funny that Australia, a country that heavily regulates recreational vehicles compared to the US, will certify that big of a jump in GVWR just from putting stiffer springs on it. Actually I think the GVM kits have some armor as well. A 200 series probably shouldn’t be running washboard roads at high speeds even it doesn’t weigh 9k lbs.
All one needs is a licensed engineer to sign off on the modifications, who then run the modified vehicle through a limited set of tests which are primarily focused on braking and emergency maneuvering. Reliability and service life don't really enter the equation, nor does the expected (ab)use the vehicle will see. So yes, it is funny that with all of the regulations here what amounts to a spring and shock change can get you such a large increase in GVWR. That pictured vehicle is probably exceeding the modified GCWR/GCM (assuming it even has a GVM upgrade) and I am making the assumption that the driver probably doesn't have the correct license class for the weight they're operating. Additionally, unlike the US, recreational drivers are stopped and weighed at random or if there is a GCM enforcement program on. IMO they are opening themselves up to some pretty hefty fines and logistical headaches if they aren't within their license class and GCM limits, let alone whatever repairs and liability they're facing if the unthinkable were to occur.
I completely disagree with your assessment of washboard roads use; these vehicles are designed to take that sort of abuse at the OEM load limits. AU is very, very different from the US when it comes to roads. With >90% of the population living in 6 coastal metropolitan areas, any trips outside of those areas will inevitably include some degraded roads if one isn't exclusively limiting themselves to the few interstate highways, which are much more akin to 2-lane US or state highway than the US interstate system. It is simply unrealistic to expect a recreational traveler to solely travel via the pavement. The vast majority of non-urban roads are gravel/dirt. This is why AU-made camper trailers are so well built; they are designed around a totally different use case than the average camper trailers designed for the US market.
The failures that concern me (bearing failures and structural cracking) would only reach the catastrophic level if the operator has zero ability to pay attention to the sounds, smells, and behavior of the vehicle. I'm not saying that scenario isn't possible, but the failures associated with vibes and cyclic (over)loading ALWAYS have warning signs before things completely fail.
