ARE YOU AND YOUR VEHICLE PREPARED?

Minimum Requirements

Despite what people might say about towing in the desert – traversing the Simpson along the Madigan Line can be a very enjoyable and a fairly relaxed drive – with the right approach, techniques we will teach you and a good set up it’s might even feel like a bit of a doddle. 
But don’t underestimate the slow relaxed driving, the constant undulations, ups and downs and mogul type track conditions put serious strain on suspension and chassis. These two major components are at most risk on a Simpson trip, towing or not.

Shocks cop a beating, even though we’re averaging 20-25kph.

Tyres ran at low pressures also have a lot of pressure on them. 

🧳 Gear for Touring

• Upgraded Suspension – mandatory (not Defender or D4)
• Good All-Terrain Light Truck Rated Tyres – mandatory

• UHF Radio with External Aerial – mandatory

• Air Compressor – mandatory

• Tyre Gauge / Deflator – mandatory

• Jumper Leads and/or Jumper Pack

• Spare Parts – mandatory
• Tool Kit – mandatory
• Recovery Kit – mandatory
• Personal First Aid Kit – mandatory
• Maps / GPS so you know where you are – mandatory
• Shovel – mandatory

🛢️ Fuel & Water

• ⛽ Enough for a 800km (based on average 30L/100Km 240L)

• 💧 100L minimum per vehicle – max 200L (bending stub axles on vans is a real risk and all due to weight – water is heavy. Bring what you need, not what you can carry)

🚗 Vehicle Prep

🔧 Pre-trip service by a reputable 4WD workshop

• Book a full inspection with an experienced 4WD specialist (not a general mechanic)

• Check and replace worn suspension components, bushes, shocks, and steering

• Inspect brakes, brake lines, and pads for wear

• Thoroughly inspect all aftermarket accessories (bull bar, rear bar, roof racks, awnings, spotlights, aerials, etc.)

• Check all aftermarket wiring for wear, damage, correct fusing, and safe routing

• Inspect wheel bearings and repack or replace if needed

• Service diff, transfer case, gearbox oils, and engine oil

• Check for any leaks or loose fittings under vehicle and under bonnet

• Test battery health and electrical system load

• Confirm tyre pressures and inspect for uneven wear or damage

• Re-torque critical bolts (suspension, wheels, tow hitch, recovery points)

🚚 Trailer Prep

• 🛠️ Pre-trip inspection + service

  • Book a full inspection with a specialist camper trailer service centre

  • Check all suspension components, bolts, bushes, and shackles for wear or cracking

  • Test all external lights, brake lights, indicators, and number plate lights

  • Inspect handbrake operation and brake cable condition

• 🛞 Check/replace wheel bearings

  • Remove and inspect all trailer wheel bearings

  • Repack with high-quality wheel bearing grease or replace if any wear or damage

  • Carry at least one full spare bearing kit for each axle

• 🔌 Check electrics

  • Test 12V circuits, Anderson plug connections, and trailer plug wiring

  • Inspect all wiring for chafing, loose connections, or corrosion

  • Confirm battery condition and charging system

  • Test water pump, fridge wiring, and any other 12V accessories

• 🔩 Structural integrity

  • Inspect chassis rails, A-frame, drawbar, coupling, and welds for cracks or fatigue

  • Check the condition and mounting of all external accessories (jerry can holders, stone guards, spare wheel carriers, gas bottle holders)

  • Ensure all hatches, latches, locks, and hinges are secure and working properly

  • Check condition and pressure of airbag suspension systems if fitted

Spare Parts & Gear for Touring

Being well-prepared with the right spare parts and gear is essential for a safe and successful trip, whether you’re touring with us or exploring on your own. Even if you don’t know how to replace these items, having them in your kit essential if you want help from those that do. Here’s what we recommend! Some of these spares must be carried when travelling with Moon Tours – others are highly recommended.

All of these items are common to be replaced on tour. 

Of course, each vehicle and trailer differs in terms of parts and what can be serviced in the field versus what requires specialised tools and a workshop. For example, if a LandCruiser 200 snaps wheel studs and nuts, the vehicle becomes undriveable without spares. However, with the necessary spares on hand, this issue is an easy fix, and you’ll be back on the road in no time. These spare parts take up very little space but can make a huge difference in saving your trip. We strongly recommend researching common issues specific to your vehicle or trailer and carrying the appropriate spare parts to help prevent potential breakdowns.

 🛠️ Spare Parts

• 🏎️ Serpentine Belt – mandatory

• Radiator Hoses – recommended 

• Tensioner Pulley – highly recommended. Car will not run without one

• 🛞 Shock Bushes – some are serviceable, some are not. Check yours and carry spares if they are. 

• Misc Bolt & Nuts 

• 🔩 Wheel studs and nuts for vehicle and trailer – mandatory
  (This is a common issue and easily repaired. Ensure you have the correct studs and nuts for steel and alloy wheels on both vehicle and trailer.)

• 🛑 Brake Pads / Brake Shoes – A set for Front & Rear & Trailer – mandatory

• 🚛 Prop Shaft / UNI Joint – At least x1 Front and x1 Rear – recommended 
  (They may differ front to back. When towing, your UNI Joints are operating under extreme conditions. If one were to fail, you would lose the drive to that entire axle making you 2WD. Towing in 2WD in an off-road environment will put a massive strain on that axle. Carrying a spare could save a lot of heartache, but they’re easy to replace if one fails, and they’re not very big to store in your spare parts kit.)

🚐 Van & Trailer Spares

• Water hose, joiners and tap fittings

• Brake pads or shoes

• Wheel Bearings

• Wheel Studs and Nuts 

• Spare Airbag, hose and fitting (if you run full air set up, i.e. no coils)

• D Shackles

🛞 Wheel Bearings

• Wheel Bearings For All Your Trailer Axles/Wheels – mandatory

• Wheel bearings for your vehicle?
  It is rare these days to have original equipment bearings fail on a vehicle; however, when it does, it can be catastrophic. If an engine blows up, we can always tow a vehicle out. Without wheels…well. The best cure is prevention. A vehicle’s wheel bearings last a long time, but they don’t last forever and, in some instances, can be almost impossible to replace in the bush. It is absolutely essential that you have a reputable mechanic maintain and check these properly.

• It is super important that your vehicle and trailer wheel bearings are thoroughly checked before any travel.
  (Any free play or rumbling from the bearing is a clear indicator that it is on its way out and must be addressed as soon as possible. In newer vehicles, it is increasingly common to have sealed and pressed wheel bearings, which are more durable but significantly harder to service or replace in remote areas. However, if your wheel bearings are serviceable in the bush, such as with the LandCruiser 79 series, they can be easily greased and/or replaced, making them a practical spare part for remote travel.)

• Adding spare parts like wheel bearings to your remote travel kit is highly recommended.
  (Some of these parts take up very little room in your spare kit but can make a massive difference in saving your trip. We personally carry enough bearings for one side of the vehicle, both front and rear, as part of our spare parts kit.)

🛞 Spare Tyres and Repair Kit

• Heavy-duty plug kit (avoid plastic handles) – mandatory

• Tyre slime – mandatory

• Minimum Two Good Spares on Rims if wheels are interchangeable between 4WD and Van – mandatory

Highly recommend carrying an additional spare tyre (no rim). If we destroy a tyre and have a spare carcass – we will throw it on when we get somewhere like Warburton – giving us two spares on rims once again. 

If the vehicle and van are not interchangeable:

• Two spares on rims for the car
• At least one spare on a rim for the van

🛡️ Filters

• Oil, Fuel, Air, and Cabin Filters – mandatory

• 🧽 Snorkel filter socks (great for convoys, just clean regularly)

🛢️ Fluids

• Oil For Top Ups – mandatory

Engine, Diff/Transfer Case, Transmission, Power Steering (may be the same as your auto trans oil), and Brake Fluid. You don’t need to carry enough for a full change, 500mm – 1L top up bottles are fine and essential to your remote touring kit.

🔥 Fire Extinguishers

• Bring more than one – mandatory 

• Ensure the powder is loose and the pressure is good

🔌 12V Electrical Spares

• Cable ties – mandatory

• Spare Anderson plugs – mandatory

• Spare Trailer plug and Cigarette lighter plug – highly recommended

• Fuses – mandatory

A mix of large blade 40–60A for compressors and Anderson plugs, standard and mini blade, glass fuses and inline heavy-duty fusible links

• 30A Relay (know your own vehicle and electrical set up – you may need bigger relays) – mandatory

• Electrical Tape – mandatory

• Multimeter and Test Light – we have these of course but we highly recommend you carry your own. Even if you don’t know how to use it. 

• Solder and Small Gas Torch work well – we carry this also and highly recommend you carry some too. 12V issues are more common than anything else on tour. 

• Electrical connectors and joiners – mandatory

• Label wiring under the bonnet and inside the canopy for easier troubleshooting.
  If everyone did this, it would make our life so much easier in the bush.

🛢️ Sealants & Cleaners

• Sprays: lubricant, brake clean, contact cleaner, degreaser – mandatory

• Radiator stop-leak – recommended

• Fuel additives / injector cleaner – mandatory

• JB-Weld essentials kit – mandatory

• Gasket Maker / Sealant – recommended

• Loctite – recommended

• Grease / Wheel Bearing Grease – mandatory (a small tub or tube is fine)

🛠️ Tools: Be Prepared for Anything

Basic tool kit – shifters, spanners, sockets, screw drivers, pliers, wire cutters, vice grip, hammer, Allen keys, sharp knife, hack saw, hex keys, cloth tape, gloves and rags.

• Decent Jack – mandatory

A reliable jack and a jacking plate for stability on uneven terrain

• Pry Bar or Tyre Lever – highly recommended

• Rubber Mallet and Hammer – highly recommended

• Cold Chisel and Punches

• Cordless Tools – highly recommended

  • Impact Driver

  • Drill and

  • Grinder – With cutting and grinding discs

• Rivet Gun and Rivets  
• Pick Set

🛟 Recovery Gear

• Rated Recovery Points – Front & Rear – mandatory

• MaxTrax – min set of 4 – mandatory
  (One for each wheel on the ground is recommended; having two in a pickle is not helpful.)

• Kinetic Rope or Snatch Strap – mandatory

• **Shackles (recommend soft shackles) – mandatory

• Shovel – mandatory

• Axe / splitter combo – recommended

• Chainsaw – highly recommended 

🧗‍♂️ Winch Essentials: if you have one – not mandatory

• Winch ring

• Tree protector

• Winch extension strap

• A couple of additional soft shackles

• Dampener

🛡️ Moon Tours Safety Equipment

• 📡 Satellite phone

• StarLink Internet

• 🆘 EPIRB

• 🩺 First aid kit (broad spectrum antibiotics, painkillers, relaxants, morphine whistles – bring your own basic kit too)

• ❤️‍🩹 Defibrillator

• 🛠️ Winch

• 🔥 Welding equipment

• ⚙️ Grinder / Power Tools

• 🔧 Tools

🏕️ Camping Gear

• 🪑 Camp chairs

• 🍳 Cooking kit

• 🍴 Cutlery + dishwashing gear

• 🔦 Head torch + lights

• 🪓 Axe + shovel

🇦🇺 Aussie-Made Trailer Brands

• AOR (Australian Off Road)

• Track Trailer (Tvan)

• Lifestyle Camper

• Trakmaster

• Patriot Campers

• Cub Campers

• Pioneer Campers

• Kimberley Kampers

• Ultimate Campers

• Vista RV

• RhinoMax

• To name a few

Safety is priority #1. Reliability is everything.
Be prepared & have the trip of a lifetime!