Cape York Ep 1: Are Our 4WDs Ready? Prepping Three Vehicles in a Week

Seven days. That's how long we had before leaving for Cape York – and three vehicles that weren't ready yet. Episode 1 of From Workshop & Beyond is the prep episode: the fun-before-the-fun, where the gear goes on and the to-do list gets shorter.

Three vehicles, one week

The work happened at 4WD Industries, our sister workshop in the 4AM Outdoors group, right here in Rutherford. Each vehicle had its own list:

• Dan's Mahindra Scorpio – bash plates and underbody protection, a snorkel upgrade, extra fuel storage and the camping essentials.
• Ben's Mahindra Scorpio – a Front Runner roof rack and a rooftop tent.
• Noah's Land Rover Defender – mechanical servicing to make sure it was fit for the distance.

Want to jump to a particular job? The video is broken into chapters: snorkels (0:00), the rear table (3:09), bash plates (7:36), finishing the underbody protection (8:38), roof rack and tent (11:03), servicing Noah's Land Rover (12:12), fuel and gear storage (14:23) and the final prep review (17:15).

What's actually worth doing before Cape York

Every build is different, but the jobs in this episode line up with what we'd recommend to anyone heading somewhere remote.

1. Protect the underside

Ruts, rocks and washouts are hard on sumps, transmissions and AdBlue tanks. Bash plates are cheap insurance against a trip-ending puncture underneath. For Pik Up owners, we make an engine bash plate for the 2018+ Pik Up and a combined engine and AdBlue protection package for the S11 auto.

2. Get the air intake up high

Cape York is dusty in the dry and full of water crossings. A snorkel draws cleaner air from above the bonnet line and lifts the intake away from water. Pik Up owners can fit our stainless steel snorkel.

3. Plan your fuel

Distances between servos in the Cape are long, and some don't always have diesel. Extra fuel capacity isn't a luxury up there – as you'll see in Episode 2.

4. Think about weight and where it goes

Roof racks and rooftop tents are brilliant for space, but keep heavy gear low and secure. A rack like the Front Runner Slimline II for the Scorpio (or the Pik Up version) gives you a solid platform; just stay within your vehicle's roof load rating. If you're adding a bar, winch and touring weight, look at your suspension too – our Tough Dog lift kit guide explains why.

5. Service before you go

Noah's Defender got a service, and yours should too. Fresh oil and clean filters before a long, dusty trip are the cheapest reliability upgrade there is. Our Scorpio service filter kit and Pik Up filter kits have the genuine filters in one box, and our Pik Up servicing guide covers the main wear items.

Next up

With the vehicles ready, it was time to hit the highway – nearly 2,200km from Brisbane and the Hunter to Cooktown.

From Workshop & Beyond – Cape York series: Ep 2: 2,200km to Cooktown →  |  Watch the series on YouTube