Gotta Be Over 40 to Understand   

I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front verandah, just before he fell off. Little did his Mum know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a yobbo. 
It was a neighbourhood run amuck. We climbed trees, rolled down grassy slopes, made dams in the gutter, jumped into privit hedges ..

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a 'dysfunctional family'.

How could we possibly have known that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes?

We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

How did we ever survive? 

LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA, AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T---- SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED.

I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING

Pass this to someone (over age 40 or close to it, of course), and brighten their day by helping them to remember that life's most simple pleasures are very often the best!

Originally posted by AJ     We have decided and set our sights on a Landcruiser,we have short listed a few and will go hunting this weekend! best thing of all is that it has a cooler in the front,which is good place to keep the ice handy to throw at the kids!! (I am kidding,I do love my munchkins)   Decider was the size,the 7 seats,the tow capacity,the safety,we stay legal and then we will also have enough allowable load to be able to take along the canvas tent for trips further in and leave the van in a park.This 5 week trip is just a trial for next years planned break of 3-6 months depending on how long we can get away from work.   Have decided to go with Petrol,have weighed the pros and cons of both a decided even though not the best for towing it would suit us better.Our garage is at the end of the hall that opens to all the rooms and the airflow always gushes in when you open the door,the house would smell like diesel which I dont think would be great for the kids. Also I am very particular (my husband calls it something starting with "A") when it comes to how my house smells,it must smell clean and like ecyluptus.

Well that is as good a reason for choosing petrol over diesel as I have heard!  You should be able to pick one up at a good price these days – most people walk away from the petrol vehicles due to a misconception about the relative costs of running one.

You will be happy with the Cruiser – a very capable truck and easy to drive, at least for a 4WD.

Cooler in the front?  Must be a Sahara then. Nice.

Originally posted by AJ To help with the fuel usage we have thought we might have the LPG conversion done on one tank...good/bad idea?

Generally a good idea when it comes to running costs and the added bonus is that the exhaust is even sweeter than just the petrol.

But . . . . .

If you go for the 6 cylinder engine you need to be careful as that engine has been known to demonstrate valve recession problems when converted to LPG.

You will need to budget for an additional $1,500 or so to get a swing away spare wheel carrier as the spare wheel needs to be relocated from under the back if you go for gas.

The V8 is an excellent choice though – more powerful and more economical than the 6 cylinder, it mates to LPG well as long as you get one of the better gas injection systems. Don’t go for the old style venturi operation.

Downsides are the reduced range and the fact that the gas tank usually hangs down at the back of the truck and reduces ground clearance. That is only a problem if you decide to go off road and NEED that ground clearance – for towing duties or dirt road touring you don’t need to worry.

You should probably take a critical look at the suspension on the Cruiser as well. It is often not up to towing a heavy van without having some assistance. I’d be looking at some Polyair spring assists and a set of new dampers at the very least.

Enjoy!