Welcome to David and Janet Ribbans blog

We live in Adelaide, South Australia and enjoy travel in the Australian outback in our Oka 4WD motorhome, hence the blog title.



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Friday, 12 August 2011

Where We Store Stuff in our Oka

We need to know where we've put things which are not used on a regular basis, like spares and tools, so I keep a list.
Also see this post for photos of other storage areas we've created around our Oka.


Black Hole Box
(This is above the cabin inside our raised roof. It's dark in there, hence the name)

            Awning
            Engine spares (light weight) in plastic box
                        Belts
                        Fuel filter
                        Gloves
                        Hoses
                        Oil filter
                        Radiator repair stuff
                        Safety glasses
                        Thermostat and gaskets (2)
                        Water pump gasket
                        Welding glass
            Diesel pump (small electric water pump)
            Jumper leads (canvas bag)
            Kettle (dirty black campfire kettle)
            Screen room (pop up 2m x 2m x 2m insect proof tent)
            Snorkel and flippers
            Syphon (manual pump operation)

Front PVC Pole Pipe
(This is a 120mm diameter x 2m PVC pipe with screw caps mounted just behind the top of the front bullbar)

            Antenna poles (to extend the NextG Antenna height)
            Awning poles
            Earth stake
            Lengths of tube and strips of aluminium and timber
            Sand Flag pole (mounts on front bullbar in sand dune country. Also useful for hoisting a wire antenna 4m into the air)

Rear Compartment
(The rear compartment is inside the rear hatch, on the floor, but behind a bulkhead so things can't fly forwards in a sudden stop. It's used for heavier tools, equipments and spares)

            4 inch vice
            Air drill and grinding disks
            Heavy tools in steel toolbox
                        Breaker bar
                        Clamps
                        Grease and grease gun (in sealed bag)
                        Hammer
                        Large files
                        Large screw drivers
                        Large spanners/wrenches
                        Jack handle
                        Rubber hammer
                        Tyre levers
                        Wheel brace
            Hose clips
            Jerry cans for fuel, 1 or 2 (not often required, takes up too much space)
            Plastic box of spray chemicals
                        Brake cleaner
                        IPA
                        Silicone grease
                        WD40
            R pins
            Silicon, glue, gasket goo and Loctite
            Snatch strap and Equalisation strap (Winch/Tow Strap and Bow Shackles in external side box)
            Sockets (heavy)
            Spare nuts, bolts, washers and screws
            Square steel container (a 10L campfire oil drum) containing:
                        Brake fluid (1 l)
                        Diff oil (5 l)
                        Engine and transfer box oil (5 l)
                        Hydraulic oil (2 l)
            Suspension bushes/pins
            Tarp
            Welder rods and rod holder
            Gas blow torch

Rear Gate Tool Boxes
(These are boxes built into the skin of the rear gate hatch after removal of the internal steel panel)

            Allen keys
            Clamps, files, tie wraps, tent pegs and raw materials (Ali/Steel/Plastic) (LHS)
            Hex screw drivers
            Saws, chisels and cutting equipment (RHS)
            Small sockets and drivers
            Small spanners
                        A/F and Whitworth
                        Metric
            Bearing puller

Rear Overhead Compartment
(This is one of the internal overhead compartments built into the raised roof. Other compartments are used for domestic storage)

            Box of wire
            Backpacks/rucksacks
            Coats, spare bedding and towels
            Electric terminal kit
            Electronic components
            Shortwave/spare HF Radio
            Spare insect door and window screens
            USB keyboard
            Yagi antenna beam (for NextG phone/modem)

Seat Compartment
(This is a long internal rear compartment built below a seat alongside our kitchen unit)

            Camping chairs
            Hessian sacks
            Hub lift adaptor and
            Sand mats
            Spade (small)
            Table top
            Table leg
            Wheel brace extension bar
            Torque wrench
            Wooden and plastic strips

Shower Recess
(When not used as a shower we store lightweight bulky things in it)

            Hanging rails for damp clothes
            Laundry equipment (line, pegs, soap, washing powder, washing up bowl, sponges, brushes)
            Water pump (electric bilge pump) with pipe and cable/plug
            Padded Milk Crate (used as a seat/step), containing
                         Wine casks
                         Laundry/dirty clothes bags
            Screens for all rear windows to provide heat and light insulation
                         Made from Aircell aluminium bubblepack insulation from Bunnings
                         Fitted with suction caps
            Spray water bottles for very hot weather
            Interlocking rubber mats
            Toilet tent

Side Box
(This is an external steel box mounted behind drivers wheel mudflap)

            Bow shackles (2 x 4.75 tonne)
            Winch extension strap (used as a tow/object removal rope)
            Ropes various

Under/Behind Drivers Seat

            Behind seat
                        Small steel toolbox with hand tools, pliers, small screw drivers, small wrench
                        Emergency Rucksack above toolbox
                        Flashlube and funnel
                        Rubber Gloves (for refuelling)

            In wheel arch box (seldom required items, accessible from under the seat, contents label on top)
                        Bearing locknut socket (4 pronged for Stage 8 Locknuts) and instruction card
                        Bearings (s/h, 1 of each type)
                        Brake pads (1 of each type)
                        Clutch cable (used, but usable for repair of cables)
                        Gas bottle to airline pipe (emergency tyre "air" source)
                        Hi Lift jack extension (for winching)
                        Hi Lift jack overhaul kit
                        Lift Pump and gasket
                        Spring repair kit
                                    (uses spare half leaf mounted under the rear body to repair broken spring eye)
                        Suspension pins and bushes
                        U-Bolt and nuts

Under/Behind Passenger Seat

            Behind seat
                        Airline (small), tyre pressure gauge and air blower tool (in canvas bag, behind seat)
                        Screens for the windscreen and front door windows (same type as for rear windows)
                        Tyre repair kit (behind passenger's seat, under library)

            In wheel arch box (seldom required items, accessible from under the seat, contents label on top)
                        Bearing lock washers and tab bending puller
                        Bearings (new)
                        Brake parts (wedges, springs, bleed nipples)
                        Free wheeling hubs spares
                        Gear ball joint
                        Oil seals
                        Spare  UJ
                        Spare steering rod ends
                        Split pins

Under Rear Bed/Seat
(This compartment is under the seat/bed base and shares its space with a 50 L flexible reserve water tank in a separate compartment)

            Drill bits, drill and battery
            Electrical tool kits
            Small hex screwdriver kit and small fixing screws
            Small Stanley socket set

On the Rear Gate
(The rear gate is for holding one of the spare wheels but we also use it for storing other external items)

            Coiled airline mounted on a 120mm diameter PVC pipe
                        (covered to avoid the effects of sunlight/ultraviolet)
            Levelling wedges
                        (no longer used as we have airbags all round, space for other items)
            Long handled spade (extension handle inside PVC pipe)
            Water hoses (long and short) coiled up inside the spare wheel
            Water tank/tap connectors (inside airline PVC pipe)
            Spare door key (well hidden)

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