LJ70 Build Thread!

[clivehorridge]

Great news Ben, well done with the job mate, I can't believe you're building overlanders now!

 

[Gary820]

Great news on the job mate.

 

[Sag]

Glad all sorted and happy now,and great idea with the spanner holder

 

[StarCruiser]

Well done Ben! Hope the job inspires you every day and continues to be something you long to go to in the mornings.

Well pleased for you. [emoji4]

 

[Ben]

Thanks guys.

I love the new job but not sure how long I will be there!

All of the workshop staff are employed on a "casual" basis, meaning no holiday pay, no sick pay and no employment contract! The wages are also the lowest I've ever earnt in Australia, even when I was backpacking here back in 2009! The hours are also very long as we start at 6am and work till 4.30pm!

At the moment I'm doing it for the love of it as I really enjoy having interesting project vehicles to work on and it will just about pay the bills, but there will be very little left at the end of the month.

The new hospital opens on the Sunshine Coast next year, so we may move up there at the end of the year when our lease is up here. Maybe I would find better paid work up that way.

I really miss Piranha and life in Melbourne, but I dont think I could go back to the cold! Its getting cold down there now but were still having 28-30 degree temps everyday! I havent worn trousers or felt cold since we moved up here before Christmas! Queensland definitely suits me much better weather and climate wise!

 

[fridayman]

It's definitely more difficult to find jobs up here and wages tend to be a little lower, but the quality of life more than makes up for it.

 

[Ben]

Agreed!

I dont understand why wages are so low though.

One thing I keep hearing up here is "The Award Rate" which from what I can gather is there for employers to justify ripping people off as its set so low!

I think the only people befitting from under paying workers are the bosses of the companies because I cant imagine they charge the customer less for the service/product than say a business in Melbourne or Sydney would and rent prices seem very similar to the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne!

I believe in an honest days work for an honest days pay, but I'm yet to find that in Queensland!

 

[Paddler Ed]

Agreed!

I dont understand why wages are so low though.

One thing I keep hearing up here is "The Award Rate" which from what I can gather is there for employers to justify ripping people off as its set so low!

I think the only people befitting from under paying workers are the bosses of the companies because I cant imagine they charge the customer less for the service/product than say a business in Melbourne or Sydney would and rent prices seem very similar to the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne!

I believe in an honest days work for an honest days pay, but I'm yet to find that in Queensland!

Award Rate isn't a always bad thing - it's a Union negotiated wage rate that is set across all companies. BUT the Liberal Government a couple of years ago decided that they didn't like it so have been trying to reduce the union's power in wage negotiations... The other problem is that there is a glut of some trades - I was talking to a mate this weekend who was saying that in the Upper Hunter in NSW motorbikes, jetskis and utes are all quite cheap as the mines are cutting back staff so the boys have had to lose some of their toys they had finance on as they can't keep up the repayments now that they aren't earning as much....

I'd recommend checking what your Award rate is, and what the casual loading is (normally about 25% more than full or part time work) to make sure that you're not being paid below Award (which is not very legal). The level that you are being paid at should be on your employment contract (even casual staff should have a contract - I think you mean you don't have a part time or full time contract rather than no contract at all... I hope...) - for example, the work I do at the caravan park is at Level 2 on the Award, so I should get about $23ph weekdays as a casual.

Also an ABN is easy to get if you've not got one - I have one for some farm work I did in the past, and we've kept them but just dormant as we don't need them now.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Most importantly... forgot to say well done on the job... even if it doesn't pay as well as you'd like, it gets your name around in the area.

 

[Ben]

Thanks Ed.

I will try and get something in writing detailing pay etc.

I'm thinking another few months and the GC should be booming with construction work as all the big sites will have new buildings well out of the ground by then. So at least I will be able to earn good money again doing my carpentry and we can continue saving for our house deposit.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Going on what you've just said there, I'd also check if they're paying super... if not, that's normally another 10%+ levy as you pay that yourself then (this is based on when I used to work somewhere that had both casual staff and contractors who invoiced for work done)

 

[Ben]

It says on my pay slip that they have paid my super.

I think I've worked out a perfect solution which will address all the issues!

Just got to run it past the boss tomorrow and hope hes OK with it.

 

[Pat]

Ben,at times life isn't easy.In my contracting days I found that you had to speak up and sometimes threaten legal
action to get paid on time and for the right price.But remember there are lots of ways to skin a cat.

 

[Ben]

Thanks mate. The work situation has certainly been tougher than I imagined it would be, but I will get there!

I spoke to the boss today and said "seen as I'm only being employed on a casual basis do you mind if I do a day or 2 a week for other companies."

I thought it would be the perfect compromise because then I could top up the low wage with some agency work and if I wanted a day off to go motorbike riding etc. I could!

Sadly he said no and that at the moment hes got that much work on he needs me 7 days a week, let alone 5!

In better news............................

We picked up an Oz Tent RV5 today from BCF after they agreed to match the price from the online company I found, saving us over $500!

And this weekend were going away for a few days of 4wding and camping with Lexi!

 

[Paddler Ed]

I'm doing 2 casual jobs at the moment Ben; one had dried up until I knocked on the door asking if there was any work, and that appears to be getting bigger and bigger again as we go along - add in the challenge I have no idea what I'm doing with it really, and it's a bit more fun, but good resume/CV stuff - whilst the other remains as my regular rent money.

The one that keeps growing is a bit of a different job; originally it was for some report writing and now it's morphed into a support role for a few problems. The way I see it is that it all builds my skill set up and gives me new things to get my teeth into.

Good luck; it sounds like it's going to keep you busy... I can see some interesting avenues in the future for you from this combining your 2 skill sets and doing your own thing - for example, a QLD version of Drifta's range of products.

 

[Ben]

Little Update.

Easter.

We had a great Easter weekend and I had 4 days off work!

I went for a nice morning ride up the mountain!





And then came home for a BBQ on the deck with my girls.







We had a drive up to the Sunshine Coast and took little Lexi to the beach.



This is Lexi looking most unimpressed having just been smashed by a huge wave.



I washed my cars.



And re-fitted the roof rack back on LJ, as the new tent will need to travel on the roof when were going away on trips.



I wanted to see if LJ would fit back into the garage with the rack on, I thought it would be close.

And it was just hitting.



So I let some air out of the rear tyres.



And now there was enough clearance for LJ to drive in!





Bit of a pain having to let air out of the rear tyres to get in the garage.



But atleast the rack can stay on the car and its pretty quick to re-inflate the tyres now I've got my big compressor set up.



So that was the roof rack back on.



Brakes.

I've found the brakes have been a little bit spongy ever since I did the conversion to rear discs and bigger discs and calipers on the front.

I suspected this was because I didn't bench bleed the master cylinder before fitting it, mainly because the place I got the master cylinder and servo from had paint marked the nuts connecting the 2 and I couldn't create enough force to push the piston with it on the bench so I risked it, as I didn't want to disturb the paint encase there was a warranty issue.





So I disconnected the brake pipes and with some help from Bec I bled the master cylinder.



I then pulled the rear wheels off so I could bleed the rear brakes.



And removed the calipers so I could flip them up the correct way to bleed them.



Had to put some pieces of ply wood between the pads to stop the pistons from pushing out.



This weekends 4WD Trip.

So as I mentioned previously I havent got too many places to go 4wding up here on the Gold Coast, I'm certainly missing not having the Vic High Country on my door step!

So anyway................................

I was studying one of my maps.



And discovered lots of 4wd parks. Sadly there not all currently open, but a few of them are.















This is where were hoping to go this weekend.



The Tent.

I only managed to pick these 2 bits up from our local BCF today and I will be picking up the front panel and floor saver tomorrow from another branch.







A few work pics from today.

I finished welding up the gates from the Uni Mog project.





Got all the gates into the spray booth and prepped them ready for the paint guy.



Did some more work on the Iveco box body.

Got the storage system frame back inside the body to have a final check and to mark where all the mounting holes will go.







This is the BBQ I welded up last week, which will be mounted under the body.

I also cut out for the latch/lock in the door.



The hot plate will be mounted on drawer runners and slide out.



3 more days at work and it will be trip time!

Trip report to follow.

 

[Ben]

I'm doing 2 casual jobs at the moment Ben; one had dried up until I knocked on the door asking if there was any work, and that appears to be getting bigger and bigger again as we go along - add in the challenge I have no idea what I'm doing with it really, and it's a bit more fun, but good resume/CV stuff - whilst the other remains as my regular rent money.

The one that keeps growing is a bit of a different job; originally it was for some report writing and now it's morphed into a support role for a few problems. The way I see it is that it all builds my skill set up and gives me new things to get my teeth into.

Good luck; it sounds like it's going to keep you busy... I can see some interesting avenues in the future for you from this combining your 2 skill sets and doing your own thing - for example, a QLD version of Drifta's range of products.

Thanks mate.

Do you think you will stay living Armidale long term?

 

[Paddler Ed]

Thanks mate.

Do you think you will stay living Armidale long term?

Most likely to be here or somewhere similar in the Northern Inland NSW area - can't beat an hour to get out bush, even over the Easter weekend we camped at one of our local spots and there were probably no more 10 groups there, with plenty of space between everyone (it's where we stayed when Scott and Steph visited) and scenery like this can't be beaten really:

(we did that trail with Scott and Steph, but Delz took the bike down it and said no to me taking the 4Runner down - it's got very bad erosion on it that makes it nearly impassable in places - and I CBA to walk down to them)

As you can see it's great country down here... just bloody dry at the moment....

 

[Ben]

Looks nice!

I want to get down to NSW at some point and drive some of the supposedly amazing tracks out the back of Port Macquarie.

 

[Ben]

Work & Preparing For Lexi's 1st 4WD/Camping Trip.

Every so often I make a note of how many views this thread has had at a particular time and date......................

In the last 9 days its had over 32,000 new views!

Thats crazy!

Anyway.......................................

Update time!

Work.

I really really love the vehicles they build at the Uni Mog place and was really enjoying the work, but I had to get out of there!

Had it just been the ridiculously long hours and insultingly low pay then I could have maybe stayed a while, as like I say, I loved the work.

But.............................It wasnt a nice place to be as there was no morale or team spirit. Non of the guys said good morning to each other, spoke about anything apart from the job, or ever had lunch together in the lunch room, instead choosing to all sit in different areas, apart.

The boss was the most negative person I have ever worked for and never once said "Good work", "Thanks", "Perfect", "Yes, thats what I wanted" or anything even remotely positive and would instead come around looking for faults and would then only ever comment if/when he found the tiniest of faults. If he stayed silent you knew/hoped you had done a good job.

I shook his hand when I left on Thursday and I wish him well in the future, but I had to get out of there!

I've had a few calls for carpentry work and I've just signed up with another local agency so I'm hoping to be back building next week.

Camping/4WD Trip.

We were due to leave yesterday (Friday evening) but as Bec was late finishing work I decided it would be better to leave this morning so we can set camp up in the light as we wouldn't have got there last night till late.

I picked up the front section for the tent that we still needed.





As the instructions said to season the canvas by wetting it and letting it dry a few times before first using it, I set it up the garden.

(Didn't really realise how much room it would take up so didn't set it up in the best of spots. )





Lexi seemed happy with it.



Gave it a good spray over with the hose.



Then when it was dry I began packing it up.

Found I can leave the front and side panels all zipped together and roll them up together and put them in one bag.



As others have found out and mentioned before the front and side panels are a pain to setup, so when were just over night camping we probably wont bother.

But for now, one of the reasons we wanted this tent is so that little Lexi can sleep separate to us in the front section.

Once shes older and can be trusted more we will probably let her sleep on her bed in the main section with us, but at the moment I dont think she could and would instead be all over us all night.

I love how quick the main section is to setup and pack away.





So with the tent all packed away in the 2 large bags and 2 smaller peg bags, Lexi guarded it for us.



When she wasnt running around the garden with fallen palm throngs in her mouth!





I picked up some meat for the trip.



And some beer and wine.



Loaded the tent on to the roof rack, along with the chairs and table to free up some room inside LJ.







Lexi seems to like her seat.





I put LJ in the back garden so I could nip out and do some more shopping and not worry about the tent or LJ getting knocked off.







My plan for this and future trips is where possible to avoid having to use my gas stove and instead cook on the fire, how camping should be!

So I went out and picked up these.





Just had breakfast and we will be on the road shortly!

Lexi.

Couple of pics of little Lexi to end on.

Sleepy Lexi.



And full of energy and wanting to play Lexi!



Trip report when we get back guys.