- Have you overloaded your towcar’s rear axle?
I know it’s complex; GVM, GCM, ATM and more. But, limits are limits, and here’s one that’s overlooked. The axle limits. Each vehicle has a maximum load the front and rear axle can take, and it’s often pretty low. And the thing about all these limits is that the first limit you hit is what […] - Hyundai Kona N track test
I like reviewing interesting vehicles. Which means offroaders, sports cars, trucks, high-tech EVs and the like. Staid family suburban runabouts bore me to tears…I’ll let the others talk about plasticky interiors, fuel economy, rear legroom and child restraints. My site is called L2SFBC. Yet here I am reviewing an SUV. This one is Hyundai’s popular […] - Starlink for travellers, overlanders, 4x4ers & campers
Do you travel in remote areas, away from the usual 4G phone reception, yet want high-speed Internet access? Maybe Starlink is for you. It’s a satellite-based Internet access system, and eventually, you’ll be able to use it to get high-speed Internet access anywhere in the world. Right now coverage is limited, and it is designed […] - Is an ‘e-jerry’ the solution to extend EV 4X4 range?
If you own an offroad touring 4×4 or tow heavy caravans, then your fuel consumption is going to rise quite dramatically compared to standard and so you’ll want some extra range. The simple way to solve this is to fit an long-range fuel tank; either replacing the standard tank, or adding an auxiliary. In my […] - Electric vehicle realities
I’ve published two videos on electric vehicles after my test of a Hyundai Kona EV for ten days, following on from previous electric vehicle tests. This has meant many hours of research, during which I’ve found there’s a lot of misconceptions, with many people predisposed to take a negative view of EVs based on Old […] - Developing a modern 4X4 – LC300 engineer interview
Ever wondered how a modern 4X4 is developed? Following on from my prototype drive in May 2020, in this interview I talk to two Toyota engineers who were closely involved with the design and development of the new LandCruiser 300 Series. This interview is a four-part series: Part 1: Development process Part 2: LC300 tech […] - The story of BMS, a lost kitten
The story is now complete. 24th December, 2021, around 18:30 I had planned for a couple of quiet days in the Canunda National park camping, beachwalking, and working at the sort of beach where seagulls don’t expect chips or even humans. Leaving Mt Gambier after a supply stop I had that familiar feeling of impending […] - Dr Karl on Electric Cars (and more!)
Electric vehicles are becoming a divisie topic; there’s the rather enthusiatic pro-EV brigade, and the very skeptical anti-EV people. And most people aren’t in either camp but just want the facts. I wrote this article on EV Realities, but also I asked Dr Karl along for a webinar where we could get the true, middle […] - Checking out a mud bog on a 4×4 track – and de-bogging a caravan
Everyone bar novices and a few crazies hates mud. It’s a real chore to clean, and damages all sorts of thing such as alternators, starter motors, wheel bearings…it’s basically water and grit. Awful. But, you have to deal with it sometimes, and the video below shows how it’s done. The one after…how it’s not! WARNING […] - MSCA Victoria Come and Try Phillip Island Reference Lap
Here’s a short video I put together for our club’s annual Come and Try day held towards the end of every year at Phillip Island. It is designed for novices driving sports cars such as hot hatches, but the general principles hold for pretty much any roadcar. Quick Tips Hands at 9-3 only. This gives […]