Dan "Dusty" Whitlock
4WD & Tracks Editor
Based in Cairns, QLD
Dusty spent 20 years with his head under bonnets before he started writing about the tracks he'd been fixing rigs to get across. He's blunt about what will and won't survive a river crossing, and he's recovered enough bogged vans to have opinions.
22 published articles · most recent September 29, 2026
Dusty spent 20 years with his head under bonnets before he started writing about the tracks he'd been fixing rigs to get across. He's blunt about what will and won't survive a river crossing, and he's recovered enough bogged vans to have opinions.
Articles by Dan "Dusty" Whitlock
- Servicing your rig on the road: finding a mechanic you can trust interstateTwenty years of fixing rigs taught me most breakdowns interstate come down to picking the wrong workshop. Here's how I vet one in an hour.
- Independent suspension vs leaf springs: what actually copes off-roadIndependent trailing arm or a good leaf spring set? I've pulled enough busted vans off tracks to have a firm view on which axle setup actually survives.
- Homeschooling on the road: the routine that actually survives a Big LapTwenty years of fixing rigs taught me routines fail the same way engines do — under load, not on paper. Here's what actually keeps road-schooling running.
- Corrugations explained: why washboard roads shake rigs apart and how to actually drive themCorrugations don't just rattle your fillings. They crack chassis rails, snap welds and kill fridges. Here's the physics and the driving technique that actually works.
- The Flinders to the Gulf: doing the Oodnadatta and Birdsville properly in one lapLinking the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks through the Flinders Ranges works as one lap, if you get the fuel, water and timing right.
- UHF radio channels and etiquette: what to actually run and sayWhich UHF channel to run, what to actually say, and why half the convoys on the Gibb are stepping on truckies. A straight guide from someone who's fixed the radios too.
- The Victorian High Country in a caravan: what you can and can't tow up thereNot every High Country road is caravan country. Dusty breaks down which Victorian high-country routes suit a van, which need a camper, and which need a tow truck.
- Bush toilets and grey water: the free camp habits that keep sites openHow you handle toilet waste and grey water at free camps decides whether the site stays open. Here's what actually works, and what gets camps shut.
- Running your fridge flat: the parasitic drains nobody checksWoke up to a dead battery and no idea why? Here's where the current actually goes when your rig sits still, and how to find it before it strands you.
- The Flinders Ranges to Gulf run: a loop most tourers cut shortA Flinders Ranges to Spencer Gulf loop that rewards the extra days: real track notes, water crossings, camps and what your rig needs to handle it.
- Chassis, coupling and suspension: what to check before you sign for a used off-road vanA used off-road van's paint hides the truth. Here's the chassis, coupling and suspension check Dusty runs before he'd sign anything.
- Tow-ball weight: how to actually measure it (bathroom scales won't cut it)Guessing tow-ball weight ruins tow vehicles and vans. Here's how to measure it properly, what the right percentage actually is, and what happens when you get it wrong.
- Battery monitors and shunts: why your voltage reading is lying to youA voltmeter reading 12.6V tells you almost nothing about how much charge is left. Here's why a shunt-based monitor earns its keep on any 12V rig.
- The 24-hour rule: free camp etiquette that actually gets you invited backFree camp etiquette isn't written on a sign. Here's the unwritten code that keeps sites open and campers civil, from a bloke who's fixed the aftermath.
- The pre-trip caravan brake check most tourers skipElectric brakes fail quietly until they don't. Here's the pre-trip brake check I do on every van before a big trip, and what actually goes wrong.
- Weight distribution hitches: when you need one and when you don'tWeight distribution hitches get bolted on out of habit more than need. Here's how they actually work, when they earn their keep, and when they're solving a problem you don't have.
- Why your 12V fridge keeps tripping out (and it's probably not the fridge)A compressor fridge that cycles off on corrugations or after a hot day usually isn't faulty. Here's how to actually diagnose 12V fridge dropouts.
- The Cape York run without the Tele Track: a softer way northYou don't need to smash your rig through the Old Telegraph Track to say you've done Cape York. Here's the bypass route that still gets you to the tip.
- The Kimberley's back roads: beyond the Gibb River RoadThe Gibb gets all the attention, but the Kimberley's lesser-known tracks are where the real country opens up. Here's what's worth your time — and your tyres.
- How to Choose an Off-Road Caravan (Without Getting Burned)An ex-mechanic on picking a real off-road caravan: chassis, suspension, clearance, water, couplings and the payload that gets people fined.
- Must-See Off-Road Destinations for Serious TourersMust-see off-road destinations for serious tourers, from the Tip of Cape York to Mitchell Falls and the Canning, with what breaks on each.
- Five Challenging Off-Road Drives Every Tourer Should TackleFive challenging off-road drives that test any tourer, from the Simpson Desert to the Gibb River Road, plus how to prep your rig to survive them.
