CORETORQUE

Christian Off Road Explorers

Winter 2010
 Hi All,

Welcome to the cool winter edition of CORE Torque!

Well what does winter have in store for us this time other than cool and
cold weather, well I know what CORE has in store and its all good!! We
have our trip to Darado downs in June, Kuipto in July (with a hopefully
new improved property) and Kadina Quarry in August, but for further de-
tails please see our calendar within.

That time of year has come around again where fees are due so please
catch up with the treasurer David Boneveld ASAP. Fees are due by the
19/6/10. Fee charges remain unchanged at $60 a year or for those wishing
to join up for the first time also have an additional one off $10 administra-
tion fee. The benefits of being apart of an official club are many such as
public liability insurance, access to private properties, great discounts from
our club sponsor TJM, access to CORE assets to name just a few. If you
want further details please feel free to speak to any of the CORE commit-
tee (as per back page).

Fee renewal coincides with our the club’s AGM which will be held on the
26/6/10 (time and place TBA). Please prioritise this time to come along
and put in your vote of who you want to be President, Vice-President,
Treasurer and Secretary. I also encourage all Victory Church members and
CORE members to consider yourself for such a task as all help will be
greatly appreciated even if it is in other areas like photography, website
maintenance, trip coordinators etc. If you have any interest and would like
to help out in any way please let the committee know.

Again I appreciate all you guys for not only your on-going support of the
club but for just being yourself and getting to know you all so much better. You are all an
awesome bunch of people and it is a privilege to get to know you at a greater level and isn't
that something of what CORE is about.

GOD Bless all you guys

Ben (Yank Tank)

CORE President
 Getting to know you ...
Trent
(Bubbles)
1st question has to be... tell us about your rig
My current ride is a 4.2 turbo diesel 2000 model GU Patrol. It is the pinicale and last of the
tuff trucks.

What mods have you made?

Question 2. My current list of mods to the new
girl is as follows:

• 6 inch lift with proper install. (It's a differ-

ent world up here)
• 35 12.5 15 inch Dick Cepek fc 2 tyres for
around town
• 35 11.0 16 inch Silverstone mt117 Xtreme
tyres for when it gets serious
• Boost gauge and pyro gauges
• HID upgrade on head lights and spot lights
• Nissan steel winch bar
• TJM 12,000 pound winch
• 25watt uhf radio
• heavy gauge wiring for my two Waeco fridge/freezers (ask Dave how good they are)
• Chrome molley adjustable lower control arms

What is the best off-road destination you have been to?

Grampians. Big truck country

Where would you love to go?

Tasmania. Know people who have been and definately want to go.

What do you love best about 4 wheel driving?

What do I love about 4wding well there’s watch jeeps get stuck. But seriously just getting
out and seeing new and different things .... and scaring
myself

What don't you like about 4 wheel driving?

Getting hung up, and watching the tide role in, and in,
and in, and yep it's here now

What other things are you interested in?

I have just started collecting Bianta model cars and al-
ways like a good book.
 Been there ...
  LOWER LIGHT  
 
 
  'Lower Light' well what a eventfull trip that was. We were at first still wondering if it had 
been wet enough during the week before, and as it turned out we were all quite happy 
that  we  didn't  get  anymore  rain  in 
that week! 

We  arrived  at  the  location  and 

some  of  us  had  a  little  fun  sliding 
around on some of the flatter areas 
on  the  very  slippery  surfaces  until 
we  met  up  at  a  little  muddy  spot 
Sunday we decided to explore the “Hungry Ranges” however we had to wait for
were  Marty (Knight Rider) lived up 
another
to  4WD group
his  normal  so we spent
expectations  and some time on the “test track”. I made a point of
avoiding
found  thewater 
some  ‘bottomless’ puddle
to  sink  his  4bie which apparently had claimed two other vehicles
from different
into.....and  that 4Wd
set  groups over the weekend.
off  a  whole 
length  of  events  that  well  kept  us 
thick in the mud for the rest of the 
day. I'd love to say we had fun investigating the whole area but trying to escape from this 
We followed the Ridge Track over the Hungry Ranges which had many of the ve-
mud hole took a little longer then we expected! Trying to recover one vehicle led to an‐
hicles lifting wheels whilst coming down a particularly steep section. Then we
other needing help, which led to another and another and well another. In the end these 
followed an easy track around the base of the mountain before heading up the
four wheel drives with their muddies and lifts with all the bells and whistles also needed 
Billy Goat Track. This was the hardest track in the area and succeed in raising the
to be recovered by another which led to another also getting bogged, so adding this up 
heart beat of many drivers in the group. Approximately halfway up on a very
we arrived with 8 4wd's and within the first hour 6 of us were down to our axels in lovely 
steep part of the track, a rock step and loose gravel made for a challenging obsta-
mud. 
cle.
 

 
 ... DONE THAT
 
 
A  great  day  for  testing  out 
our  recovery  gear,  the 
Max‐Trax  and  all,  I  mean 
ALL  of  the  snatch‐straps 
received  a  great  workout, 
with  Phil  &  Vicki's  (Black 
Baron)  strap  giving  up  the 
ghost  after  a  few  to  many 
work‐outs,  this  then  be‐
came a great tug‐a‐war toy 
for  the  kids.  So  how  many 
recoveries  did  we  have  for 
the  day  I  hear  you  ask? 
Well,  Lyn  lost  count  once 
we hit recovery no.30. Lunch was had right there and then with a few people taking 
over the cooking (thanks to those) as we went back and forth getting each other out of 
the mud and just for the fun of it,‐NOT,‐back in the mud. Congrats to Daryl for winning 
the  prize  for  the  day,  a  new  set  of  floor  mats,  donated  by  TJM  for  getting  the  most 
4wds out of the mud. 
 
Looking forward to catching up on the next trip to 'Dorado Downs' were it would be 
nice clean sand. 

Over and out   
Dave   
Moonraker. 
 What's Coming Up
January 28/12/09 - 8/1/10
Victorian High Country

February 6/2/10
Callington

March 27/3/10
Kadina Cliffs

April 17/4/10
Morgan

May 15/5/10
Lower Light

June 5/6/10 - 7/6/10

Elderado

July 31/7/10
Kuipto
 What's Coming Up
August 28/8/10
Kadina Quarry

September 27/9/10 –
1/10/10
Robe-Beachport

October 23/10/10
TBA

November 12/10/10 –
13/10/10
Father & Sons Trip Coorong

December 11/12/10
Christmas lunch Break up

December 28/12/10 –
7/1/11
The Grampians
CORE CENTERFOLD
 TECH REPORT
Keeping CHARGED
DUAL BATTERY SYSTEMS ­ What is a dual battery system & why 
would I want one? 
Dual battery systems are when there is one or more additional auxiliary batteries fitted to a 
vehicle, or in a towed trailer (e.g. caravan or camper. It has the advantage of supplying  the power 
needed to run accessories when the vehicle is not running for extended periods of time without 
discharging the starting battery to the point the vehicle wont start. It consists of one or more 
auxiliary batteries, a dual battery controller , wiring & optional gauges/meters. 
 
Batteries “aint” batteries! 
There is basically three main types of 
automotive batteries:‐ 
• Starting battery; designed for short 
duration very high power output. 
They don’t like to be discharged 
below 75% & running them down 
to 20% can effectively kill them. 
• Deep cycle battery; designed for 
fairly low output over extended periods of time with minimal voltage drop. They can also be 
‘flattened’ to as much as 20% without sustaining permanent damage. This makes them ideal 
for powering accessories such as lighting, portable fridges, laptop computers, etc. 
• Dual purpose batteries; (often known as marine batteries) are basically a combination of 
both starting & deep cycle design. They usually combine the best features of the two designs 
with only a small compromise on the downside. 

  Dual battery controllers 
The main function of a dual battery controller is to isolate the starting battery from the auxiliary 
battery when the vehicles engine isn’t running & to connect it to the vehicles charging system 
when it is running. 
There are 6 main types of controllers:‐ 
• Manual; Just a heavy duty switch, may have up to four positions. 
     Pros; reliability, simplicity, price. Cons; requires manual intervention, if you forget to 
   switch it over you may get ‘flat’ starting battery or uncharged aux. Battery. 
• Solenoid; electrically operated heavy duty switch. 
     Pros; simple, cheap, reliable, automatic operation, override for ‘jump‐start’    
   available. Cons; no voltage sensing operation (which can lead to incomplete charging 
   of starting battery), can cause voltage spike (which may damage sensitive    
   electronics). 
 TECH REPORT
• Smart solenoid; same as for solenoid but with voltage sensing circuitry. 
   Pros; automatic operation, starting battery gets re‐charge priority, still fairly  
   cheap  & simple, can have jumpstart override. Cons; can cause 
   voltage spike, more expensive than simple solenoid, re‐charge 
   cut in  voltage may be to high for some charging systems.   

• Diode; This is a solid state electronic one‐way switch. 
   Pros; no voltage spike, automatic isolation, relatively cheap, 
   no moving parts. Cons; cannot be used to jumpstart, approxi
   mately .5 volt drop which may give incomplete charging of 
   aux. Battery. 

• Electronic; This uses sophisticated electronic circuitry to control heavy duty relay/s. 
     Pros; fully automatic logic controlled operation, gives priority re‐charge to start
   ing battery, makes best use of available power  to re‐charge aux. battery, and 
   may have additional features. Cons; expensive, generally no ‘jumpstart’ feature, 
   complex & sensitive electronics. 
• Booster charger; This isn’t a traditional battery controller but is in fact a battery charger 
that increases (boosts) the vehicles voltage output to ensure max aux. battery charge, 
even when there is lower than desired charging system voltage ore voltage drop  due to 
long cable ‘runs’. 
    Pros; ensures max aux. battery charge & life span, automatic operation, no  
    voltage spikes, ideal for caravan or camper battery charging. Cons; expensive, 
    complicated & sensitive electronics, no jumpstarting feature. 
 
So as you can see there’s a fair bit to consider when choosing a dual battery system. Namely 
the type of battery & controller for your application .Then there is the matter of mounting 
the battery , controller & running the wiring. If ,however, you intend to run accessories for 
extended periods of time a dual battery system may be for you. The cost of replacing dam‐
aged starting batteries & cost/inconvenience of flat battery may well offset the cost of a dual 
battery installation. 
 
 
CLUB Photos
Cool Pics
For all your
• Repairs
• Servicing
• Modifications 16 Famechon Cresent
• Suspension needs Modbury North
• Anything vehicle related really!! 0416 132 434
A/H 8268 8785

If you need a new Snatch Strap after 
Lower Light TJM Nailsworth are offering 
the following specials to CORE members 
• Snatch strap kits RRP $131.00 -club special $100.00
(bag, 2 x 16mm shackles, gloves, 8000lb snatch strap)
• 8000lb snatch strap RRP $85.00 - club special $70.00
• 11000lb snatch strap RRP $99.00 - club special
$75.00
• 6000lb SUV snatch strap RRP $149.00 - club special
$110.00 (special style - no shackle - weaving type
strap. Ideal for SUV's)
 Club News
MARTY’S “OLD TIMER” BUILD-UP
78 CJ7 JEEP

Part 2.  Well when we left of last I was in the process of making a set of XD Falcon extractors 
fit the CJ.I have since finished these and have manufactured a 2.5” sports exhaust system to 
complement them. I have also fitted a new set 
of 1” lift poly body mounts which meant modify‐
ing the LPG tank mounts as they went through 
the body & chassis. The CJ also copped a new 
brake booster together with a custom booster 
bracket since it didn’t originally come with one. 
Its also had a bit of an overall tidy up including 
repainting the wheel rims, dash & firewall. A 
quick release hardtop fitting kits been put on & 
the heater/demister has been sorted out.  
 
 

Now I’ve removed the LPG tank for re‐certification 
& purchased a rear pick‐up oil sump off  a Ford 
F100  from US Ebay. 
 

One thing this build up has reminded me is 
that with old vehicles every repair completed 
reveals three more areas needing attention. 
But despite this , all going well, it should be 
ready for registration soon & the process has 
been very satisfying. 
 Club Committee
“core 4x4 club” President
Stickers are $20 Ben Cameron
Ph: 0407 663 834
each.
Vice President
Can’t get enough of Martin Beck
CORE? You don’t need Ph: 0448 531 981
a tattoo - you can now
Secretary
wear CORE. CORE TBA
embroidered shirts now
available Treasurer
Dave Bonneveld
Ph: 0428 101 633

Victory Church
5 Maxwell Road, Pooraka
Ph: 8262 7783

www.victorychurch.net.au