Blogs – L2SFBC

How to set up your solar/battery system for use with Globird ZeroHero – Sigenergy Example
What is ZeroHero? Globird ZeroHero is an energy plan that should allow pretty much everyone with a solar/house battery system to generate a small negative bill every month, or at least negate your supply charge, so if you have a house battery it’s worth a look. But wait you say, I’ve got a battery, I…
Should I buy an electric vehicle in 2026? All your EV questions answered
Are you considering an electric vehicle? If so, you’ve come to the right place because here you will find independent advice from an experienced motoring journalist. And that’s important, because electric vehicles have become a political, ideological issue with misinformation from two competing camps. On one hand you have rabid anti-EV crazies who cannot accept…
Renault (Dacia) Duster offroad review
Watch for my full video review coming soon on my YouTube channel If you are any sort of a car enthusiast who has to have an SUV in your life, then you should consider buying a Duster. People often ask me for car buying advice. Often they’re looking for validation of their choice, not actual…
The Ethics of Pointing Out Towing Risks
“We have got a question for you, and it might even be a good one to ask your followers on your FB page. What to do if/when you see an obviously overloaded car/van/setup. Sometimes it could be that they are within their gvm/gcm limits but overloading the suspension on their vehicle, still a safety issue.…
Jaunt and Weidergerboren – best of old, best of new?
Preserving yet improving, right here in Australia Many people love older, non-electronic cars, decrying the antiseptic, disconnected feel of modern vehicles where you make requests which the car interprets, considers, then responds but only within programmed parameters. There are safety nets of ABS, ESC and myriad other technologies which improve the driving experience, if ‘improve’…
Why can’t I exceed my GVM as my GCM is higher?
“If my GCM is 6000kg, I must be okay to exceed by GVM of 3000kg by only 200kg, I talked to my insurance company and they said no. Unfair!” This is the gist of a conversation relayed to me a few days ago. To illustrate why this is faulty reasoning I suggest the following experiment:…
Can I steer out of trailer sway?
Can you steer out of trailer sway? The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an efficient, agile aeroplane. It is also impossible for a human to fly without the aid of a computer Aeroplanes are generally designed to be stable. In aerodynamic terms that means the centre of gravity is a little ahead of the centre of…
Verifying Mitsubishi advertising
Message Body: “Hi Robert. I’m thinking you are probably the best qualified person to investigate the implied claim made by Mitsubishi in this YouTube advert. It seems improbable that a stock ute – or any consumer 4wd for that matter – can do 45 degree climb. Please could you investigate? Thanks.” Sure. Yes that’s real.…
Transmission windup, aka transmission bind. Understand it before you break something.
Your 4X4 has two axles, front and rear. When you turn a corner the front axle travels further, and therefore faster than the rear. It doesn’t matter whether you turn left or right, same thing happens. If there’s no way for the driveline to let the front axle turn at a different speed to the…
Lexus LX600 Overtrail offroad & tow test
On 20th August 1860, over 15,000 people watched nineteen men depart Melbourne for an expedition into the unexplored region of central Australia. Their transport included twenty-three horses and twenty-six camels. Over the next several weeks the poorly-planned expedition ran into numerous difficulties, one of which was the reliance on horses for transport. The animals were…