Vehicle and 4WD Preparation Checklist

Track & Canopy · Updated 2026-10-16 · Tick items as you pack — print or save as PDF from your browser.

Tyres and pressure

The only four parts of the vehicle touching the ground, and the failure that ends trips most often.

  1. Tyres checked for manufacture date, replaced past six years Essential
  2. Tread depth gauge and a pyrometer habit on hot roads
  3. Full-size matching spare with the same age and pattern Essential
  4. Second spare or a heavy-duty plug kit and inflator
  5. Accurate gauge and deflator for pressure changes on the track
  6. Torque wrench for wheel nuts, checked after every fitment

Engine and service

The manual's severe-duty column is the starting point for dust, not the exception.

  1. Oil and filters done before the trip on dust duty Essential
  2. Spare air filter and a clean intake path, two filters minimum Essential
  3. Coolant, hoses and belt checked cold, replaced if stiff
  4. Fuel filter service on diesel vehicles with rural history
  5. Engine bay degreased and cleared of leaves and grease carry-over
  6. Service book and the manual's severe-duty intervals read, not assumed

Battery and electrical

Vibration and heat kill batteries quietly. Test before the trip, not at the first cold morning crank.

  1. Battery load-tested, terminals clean and clamps tight Essential
  2. Starter battery and dual-battery or auxiliary setup properly isolated
  3. Spare fuses, relays and the bulb set the law expects
  4. Jump packs or leads held for the emergency, tested quarterly
  5. Wiring additions fused at the source and mechanically protected

Brakes, steering and suspension

The loaded vehicle asks these parts harder than the school-run version ever did.

  1. Pads, discs and drum-inside condition measured, not eyeballed
  2. Brake fluid changed on time, it absorbs water every year
  3. Shocks checked for leaks and the loaded ride height confirmed Essential
  4. Ball joints, bushings and tie rods rocked and inspected
  5. Wheel bearings noted for noise, remote greasing points added

Roof, canopy and tow

Every bolted-on kilogram rewrites the vehicle's handling and its legal numbers.

  1. GVM and GCM checked with the actual fitted options Essential
  2. Roof rack or basket within the roof's dynamic load rating
  3. Canopy payload verified against the rear axle rating
  4. Tow ball, coupler and breakaway cable matched and rated
  5. Load tied to the body, not to gutters, seats or trim clips

Roadside, tools and fluids

The ten-minute fixes that turn a trip-ending failure into a slow drive home.

  1. Tool roll sized to the vehicle's nuts, service and light jobs Essential
  2. Top-up fluids: oil, coolant, brake and washer, one of each
  3. Hose repair tape, silicone self-fusing tape and jubilee clips
  4. Warning triangles, gloves and a fire extinguisher within service Essential
  5. Recovery points rated and tested, shackles with pinned closers
  6. Spill kit and spare fuel container, grounded at every fill