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Date Added:
24/01/2014
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The News page has been introduced to keep you informed on new products and services, feature motor vehicle critiques, report on future happenings and events, or any other matter that may be of interest to Recreational Vehicle owners or people who spend a lot of time behind the wheel.
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Date Added:
24/12/2013
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We have just completed a full set of Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens and a Sun Shield Cabin Set for a Mercedes Sprinter 316CDI SWB. The Mercedes Sprinter is a fantastic vehicle that is very adaptable to campervan and motorhome conversion.
Shortly we will present an article on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter including technical specifications, dimensions, features and versions available.
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Date Added:
24/11/2013
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Soon to be posted on our accessories product page are details, photos and prices for a lightweight mosquito net available in sizes 4 x 2 metres, 6 x 2 metres, 8 x 2 metres and 4 x 4 metres. Visit our website after 4th October for complete details.
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Date Added:
24/10/2013
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Ross River Virus, Barmah Forest Virus, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Kunjin Virus and Dengue Fever are diseases transmitted in Australia by mosquitoes. All of these diseases are notifiable diseases.
Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus
Both occur widely through Australia. The disease caused by Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus (sometimes referred to as Epidemic Polyarthritis) have similar life cycles and produce similar symptoms in people.
Symptoms of Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus:
Most people become unwell within 3 to 11 days of contact with an infectious mosquito. Symptoms may include fever, tiredness, joint swelling, joint pain, muscle tenderness, skin rash and headaches. The joint pain can be severe and can last from 2 to 6 weeks.
Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus are not fatal. People usually fully recover within 4 to 9 months.
Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus and Kunjin Virus
Both are endemic in northern Australia. The diseases caused by the Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus and the Kunjin Virus present with similar symptoms in people.
Symptoms of Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus and Kunjin Virus:
Symptoms vary from mild to severe. A sudden onset of fever, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, headache and dizziness are common. In severe cases brain dysfunction may develop after a few days with confusion, irritability, drowsiness, neck stiffness, convulsion and fits at which point coma and death may follow. Recovery from the encephalitic syndrome usually results in residual mental or functional disability.
Dengue Fever
Dengue Fever can occur mainly in northern Queensland, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. Australia was considered to be Dengue free following on from a large Townsville outbreak in 1955, however a major outbreak occurred in northern Queensland in 1981.
Symptoms of Dengue Fever:
Most people become unwell within 5 to 8 days of contact with an infectious mosquito and lasts about 4 to 7 days. Symptoms of Dengue range from mild fever through to severe and potentially life threatening disease. The infection usually affects older children and adults with fever, severe pain in the muscles and joints and also violent headaches. A severe form of Dengue involves internal bleeding (a life threatening haemorrhagic disease).
How to Prevent Infection
For travellers and campers prevention measures include:
- Apply an effective mosquito repellant. The most effective repellents contain diethyl toluamide (DEET) at 5% to 20% (50 - 200 g/litre) or Picaridin. Note that most repellents loose their effectiveness within 4 hours of application, maybe less.
- Cover up with loose fitting light covered clothing to prevent mosquito bites. Be aware that mosquitoes can still bite you through tight fitting clothes.
- Install Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens to your vehicle's windows, a Tailgate Insect Screen Assembly to the rear door of your van or use one of our Throw over Mosquito Nets. You can view these products on the products page on our website.
TOP GEAR 2 GO is the way to go
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Date Added:
24/09/2013
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Despite skyrocketing fuel prices we can still hit the open road and enjoy our lifestyle by using common sense, good planning and being more resourceful. Consider these tips to keep you motorhoming or campervaning.
Your Vehicle:
- By tuning an engine that is noticeably out of tune can improve your fuel consumption by an average of 4%.
- Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your fuel consumption by up to 10%.
- Correct tyre inflation can improve your fuel consumption by around 3.3%. Under inflated tyres not only increase your fuel consumption but your tyres will wear out sooner.
- Use the vehicle manufacturers recommended grade of motor oil. Using the incorrect grade of motor oil can increase your fuel consumption by up to 2%.
Your Driving:
Driving more efficiently means:
- Driving sensibly - Driving smoothly and steadily makes the best use of your fuel. Hard accelerating and hard braking wastes fuel. Stick to the speed limit, set the cruise control and use your vehicles overdrive gears to save fuel and wear and tear on your engine.
- The actions of a thinking driver - accelerate a little as you approach a hill rather than accelerating and changing down gears once you are on the hill will save your fuel.
- Avoid prolonged idling. The fuel efficiency of idling is 0 kilometres per litre of fuel. It is more fuel efficient in petrol driven engines to turn off your engine than to idle for any longer than 30 seconds. Keep this in mind next time you are stopped at roadworks.
- Airconditioning robs the engine of power and uses more fuel. Don't turn on the airconditioner as a first response to the heat. Start your driving with the windows open to exhaust hot air out of the rear windows. When you do turn on your airconditioning it will work faster and more efficiently.
Packing Your Vehicle:
- Remove excess weight. Power to weight ratio equates to the lighter a vehicle is the more fuel efficient it is. Do not take the kitchen sink or a full trade tool kit and a 30kg vice with you "just in case something happens". The fuel economy benefit can be 1 to 2% per 45 kilograms of weight saved (depending on the vehicle).
- A loaded roof rack produces "induced" drag; effecting the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel efficiency by up to 5%. To remove "induced" drag place items inside your vehicle whilst driving and, if needed, store them on the roof of your vehicle when you arrive at your destination.
This concludes part 1 of Be Fuel Wise. Visit our News page next week for part 2. Subject: Fuel Discounts - whats around and where you get it. Good info on this one.
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Date Added:
24/08/2013
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With fuel prices soaring, it pays to be more resourceful to cover those extra kilometres on the open road in our campervan or motorhome.
So how do we buy more litres of fuel for our fuel dollar? Purchase fuel at a discount fuel outlet is the answer.
Coles and Woolworths discount fuel outlets dominate the discount fuel marketplace. Between them, Coles and Woolworths control around 40% of the retail fuel market. There are other fuel discount loyalty programs out there in the marketplace for you to consider.
For travelling far and wide Coles and Woolworths fuel discount programs are hard to beat. For example they offer:
- More Retail Outlets with a wider range of merchandise for purchase transactions that qualify for a fuel discount docket.
- More Fuel Outlets conveniently located Australia wide.
But you have to be aware that limits do apply regarding:
- the minimum purchase transaction amount for a qualifying fuel discount docket.
- the maximum amount of fuel you can purchase per transaction (presently 150 litres).
- the qualifying fuel discount transaction docket may have a use by date.
If you are planning a long distance trip, maximise the benefits of the Coles or Woolworths fuel discount offers by making a number of qualifying purchase transactions for the minimum qualifying amount. When you and your partner do the shopping take 1 trolley each. Between both of you, your combined minimum purchases will result in two fuel dockets, each for a maximum of 150 litres per vehicle (300 litres in total); to be used within the use by period.
Some other fuel loyalty programs include:
- Beepp: Discount card from participating retailers yields $1.00 off per tank.
- Easy Fuel: Discounts from 5 cents to 30 cents per litre.
- Fuel Savers: Discounts from 6 cents up to 72 cents per litre.
- Save Smart: Discount 4 cents per litre.
- Servo Savers: Discount up to 15 cents per litre.
Terms and Conditions apply that are unique to each of the loyalty programs.
Our Links page lists the web address for each of the loyalty programs outlined in this article. Have a look at each scheme and find the one that is best suited to you and your travel plans.
This concludes part 2 of Be Fuel Wise. Visit our News page next week for the final instalment in this series. Subject: Planning you trip to be Fuel Wise.
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Date Added:
24/07/2013
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A little planning can make the difference in stretching your fuel dollar.
- Where are we going?
- When should we go?
- What is the best way to get there?
- Where do we stop for fuel?
These are all very important considerations in planning for a fuel efficient getaway during these times of high fuel prices.
Where are we going?
Rather than planning that big trip at this time consider a trip of shorter distance. Select a closer destination and when you get there stay a bit longer. When you're not driving on the road you're not burning fuel.
When should we go?
It is fairly well known and just plain common sense not to explore far northern Australia during the wet season if you don't want to get bogged or flooded in for the duration.What is less known is the effect that head winds may have on your fuel consumption as you push the "barn door" through the winds.
If you are planning a trip driving from the east to the west in October then you can be fairly certain you may be pushing into some sort of head wind. Conversely, driving from west to east during the same period would work in your favour because the prevailing winds would become a tailwind component which would aid your fuel consumption.
In aviation flight planning the cruising altitude is mainly determined by the altitude of the most favourable wind for it can make such a difference to fuel consumption.
In times of high fuel prices the effect of the prevailing winds does have a bearing on your fuel consumption.
What is the best way to get there?
There is more than one way to get to your destination. But which is the best way? Road surface conditions, terrain, refuelling facilities and locations are all considerations in successful trip planning.
The power of the internet makes planning your trip much more fun.
You can look up a web site where you can enter your departure address and your destination anywhere in Australia and it will work out the most direct way of getting there. Alternatively, you can enter way points if you want to zig zag to your destination. This web site will tell you how to get there, how long it will take and how many kilometres.
There is a web site where you can download maps.
Your state's motoring association and auto club can also be sourced via the internet. Motoring associations are a good starting point for travel information and maps.
Enter the names of the towns that you will drive through enroute into your search engine to find out more about what the town has to offer.
Most of the sites mentioned above can be accessed via our links page.
Where do we stop for fuel?
The location and brands of service station outlets and the type of fuel available is an important consideration in determining your most fuel efficient route.
The fuel companies' web sites provide the locations for their outlets. For those of us who use discount fuel dockets the location of the outlets is essential if you wish to plan your trip to maximise your discount fuel dockets.
Coles and Woolworths discount fuel web sites can be accessed via our links page.
If you are using discount fuel dockets and you drive a diesel vehicle be aware that not all discount fuel outlets stock diesel fuel.
In conclusion: Careful trip planning can be fun and technology (internet and useful sites) can help you to minimise fuel costs. Start planning your trip a couple of months ahead and with thorough planning you can stretch your fuel dollar further.
This concludes our three part series "Be Fuel Wise". We hope you have found these articles to be informative and useful.
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Date Added:
24/06/2013
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Automotive and Camping gifts from Top Gear 2 Go will benefit the whole family. Take a look at these:
Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens for 4 wheel drives, campervans and motorhomes. Flexible Magnetic Insect screens are priced between $45 to $70 for most vehicles. When fitted to sliding or retractible windows these insect screens provide a 100% seal against flies, mosquitoes and small flying insects for those who camp in their vehicles.
Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens attach to the outside of the vehicle and roll up for storage when not in use. For full product details and to order please refer to the Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens Product Page.
Custom Patterned Sun Shields for vehicles with extra large windscreens such as Toyota Tarago, Mercedes Vito, Kia Carnival, Toyota Hiace Super Custom Vista, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Toyota Coaster, trucks, buses and boats.
Windscreen Sun Shields start from around $50. Cabin sets (windscreen, passenger and drivers side windows) from around $110. Complete vehicle sets from $270.
Custom patterned Sun Shields offer an exact fit to the vehicle's windows. In addition to protecting your vehicle's interior from the harsh rays of the sun and lowering the interior temperature of your vehicle by reflecting the UV rays back into the atmosphere from where it came, the custom patterned Sun Shields also provide privacy to the occupants who camp in their vehicles.
For full product details and to order please refer to the Sun Shields Product Page.
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Date Added:
24/05/2013
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regarding moderate to high numbers of Salt Marsh Mosquitoes and Common Banded Mosquitoes in Darwin and along the Northern Territory Coastline.
The Northern Territory Government's Department of Health and Community Services has issued a warning to residents to step up protection against mosquitoes to prevent cases of Ross River and Barmah Forest Virus disease.
The increase in mosquito numbers is a result of unseasonal rains that fell in July and August and also the recent highest tides of the year.
Both of these events has prompted the Northern Territory Government to launch an aerial blitz against mosquitoes by spraying a bacterial insecticide specific for mosquito larvae in mosquito breeding areas around populated areas.
In the four months preceding 19th October, 2005 over 1,570 hectares have been sprayed at a cost of $183,000.
For any person motorhoming or camping in their vehicle in the Top End Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens are a must have item for front line defence against mosquito transmitted Ross River and Barmah Forest virus disease. Flexible Magnetic Insect Screens are priced between $45 to $70 for most vehicles.
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