Finally , we trimmed the ends of the cord so there were no bits left sticking out of the tyre . Once that was done , we used our air compressor to pump the tyre back up , whacked it back onto the car , and hoped for the best as we continued on our way to Ruby Gap . Amazingly , that plug lasted for the rest of the tyre ’ s life – about another 25,000km !
One thing that we ’ ve learned from travelling around Australia that not everyone seems to fully appreciate is how harsh and unforgiving Australia ’ s landscapes can be , especially the more remote you go . It doesn ’ t take much to get unstuck , and if you ’ re not prepared , the consequences can be dire . Here are the items we always try to have in our car when 4WDing or going bush .
Maintaining the appropriate tyre pressures for various conditions requires having an air compressor with you .
AIR COMPRESSOR AND TYRE GAUGE
One way to trigger a heated debate around the campfire is to bring up the topic of tyre pressure . No matter peoples ’ opinions , the fact is there are certain terrains where you ’ re going to want lower tyre pressures . Letting the tyres down can not only make your ride a lot more comfortable and put less stress on your car and gear , it can give you significantly more traction and quite often be the difference between getting stuck or carrying on .
Once you have let some air out of the tyres , you need to be able to re-inflate them once you ’ re back on sealed roads – not doing so can cause considerable tyre damage . Having your own air compressor will make you less reliant on other drivers or a nearby service station with an air pump .
They are also useful when plugging a tyre , as in the anecdote above , or putting on a spare ; more often than not the spare tyre won ’ t be inflated to the correct pressure straight off the car . Air compressors also have another great use : they are very handy for blowing up floaty water toys !
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