Grenadier Gazette – June Newsletter

As we head into winter, the activity shows no sign of cooling down – whether that be in the club, with new members or in tech innovation. We’ve got a packed calendar of events, meetings and extended trips coming up over the next few months, so there will be plenty happening to keep everyone busy (and warm!) through the cooler weather.

Upcoming Events

5–7 June | Nanango State Forest 4WD Weekend

Mick and Helen Noble are taking us through their backyard in the Nanango State Forest for a weekend of medium-grade 4WDing, with a few harder options for those wanting a challenge.

There’s an optional Friday afternoon arrival, which means we can hit the tracks early Saturday morning. Sunday will be a more relaxed day, with walks, rides and a whisky tasting in the beautiful Bunya Mountains.

If all goes well, we’re hoping to run this again next year with a larger group.

19–21 June | Gordon Country

We’re getting close to 20 vehicles for this trip, which means there’s a good chance we’ll secure the retreat area exclusively for the club. We will be driving through some of the tracks, making fires and memories - it should be a good one!

If you’re keen to join, there are more details available in the event listing. please make sure you book in with the gordon country - the retreat itself as we are trying to have 20 registrations and the place to ourselves.

19 - 24 July | Mud, Mates, and Making a Difference: Our Chinchilla Farm Recovery Week!

If you bought your Grenadier to see the real Australia and tackle the tracks that matter, this is the trip you’ve been waiting for.

This coming July, the INEOS 4x4 Club Queensland is heading out to Chinchilla to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with local farming families. Regional Queensland has been doing it incredibly tough after facing consecutive seasons of challenging, dry conditions. As a club, we have an amazing opportunity to roll up our sleeves, put our vehicles to work, and give back to the communities that keep our country moving.

The Details

What: Rural Aid Chinchilla Farm Recovery Week
When: Sunday 19th July – Friday 24th July 2026
Where: Chinchilla, QLD
Trip Type: Social Outing with a Purpose

Why This Trip is Different

INEOS Automotive is Rural Aid’s official Fleet Partner, providing rugged Quartermaster utes to help counsellors and disaster response teams reach some of the most remote corners of the country. As a club, we are proud to extend that partnership directly to the ground.

Rural Aid’s Farm Recovery Events are among the most meaningful ways to give back. It’s not just about the physical work we’ll be helping with—whether that’s fixing fences, clearing land, or helping out around the properties—it’s about the mate ship. Spending a week out there shows these farming families that they aren't forgotten.

Of course, it wouldn't be an INEOS Club trip without plenty of good times around the campfire. Expect great country hospitality, incredible camaraderie with fellow owners, and the unmatched satisfaction of knowing your 4x4 helped make a hard-working family’s life just a little bit easier.

Ready to lend a hand?

Spaces for coordinated community events like this help us plan logistically with Rural Aid. If you want to be part of a week that you’ll be talking about long after the dust settles, log into the member jungle and register with Rural aid today and secure your spot !

31 July – 2 August | Tara Camel Races

We currently have five vehicles registered for this social weekend away. The Tara Camel Races are the closest camel races to Brisbane and always make for a fantastic country weekend.

If you’d like to join us, grab your tickets from the Tara camel race itself soon as numbers are limited and they’re close to selling out.

The Big August Line-Up

August is shaping up to be a huge month for the club, with:

Cars & Coffee at Ignition
The Club AGM
Mundi Mundi Bash

It’s also the perfect opportunity to finish those final upgrades and tweaks before we head into the Simpson Desert in September.

13 - 26th Sept Simpson Desert Expedition

We now have more than 27 vehicles registered for the Simpson trip. The desert is blooming, tracks are progressively reopening, and Lake Eyre continues to fill.

We are finalising the route, we’ve confirmed a BBQ dinner at Mt Dare and are finalising trip merchandise as this newsletter goes to print. Currently, we have a monthly group meeting to share updates, but that will increase in frequency as we near the departure date.

We’re also planning an optional, informal pre-trip sidequest for those with extra time available. The plan is to attend the Birdsville Races on 4–5 September, then spend the following week exploring Bedourie, Boulia and Diamantina National Park before heading back to the Birdsville pub on Saturday ahead of people arriving and the main crossing beginning.

Looking Ahead – 2027

July – September 2027 | Cairns to Broome Epic Trip

Interest in our 2027 Cairns to Broome trip continues to grow, with 31 of you already signed up to follow developments.

If you think this epic adventure might be for you, make sure you register your interest so you can stay updated as planning progresses.

Past Events

In partnership with Expedition HQ, we recently hosted a fantastic evening event at their Molendinar showroom.

The event was very well attended by both club members and other guests, and we were lucky enough to hear from Ben Southall, who shared stories from his overland adventures driving from the UK to Australia in an old Defender back in the early 2000s. His presentation was genuinely inspiring.

Ben also spoke about life after winning the famous “Best Job in the World” competition run by Tourism Queensland in 2008/9, which many members will remember generated worldwide media attention at the time.

Since then, Ben has continued travelling extensively, including driving the same Defender back from Australia to Europe. He shared some incredible photos and stories that reminded all of us just how much adventure exists both here in Australia and further abroad.

A big thank you to Expedition HQ for hosting the evening.

Training

With the move of the Simpson Desert trip to September, we have had to move our training from August to July to allow participants of the desert trip to prepare and travel to Birdsville in time. The exciting news is that we now have a training weekend on offer on 11 and 12 July at Black Duck Valley (East Haldon) for all members to attend who want to participate in the more challenging trips (like Simpson Desert).

If you don’t want to do the training, but want to come and have a great weekend at Black duck, please feel free to come along, it’s always a great weekend of fun and banter!

Prior to the weekend, we have a Monday night online theory session which you need to attend and some pre-work to complete on your own. We look forward to meeting you all in July for a weekend of cars, fun and BBQ. If you have any questions, please reach out to me or any of the training committee members,

New Tech Developments

There have been some interesting recent developments around communication with the Grenadier ECUs and vehicle software systems.

A number of new diagnostic and reset tools are starting to emerge globally, giving owners greater visibility and control over vehicle systems. One of these is Globeguard https://globeguard.ch/en/produkt/globeguard-basic-ineos-2/ and amongst other things can reset the service internal reminders!

There’s also a new app currently in alpha testing called Grenadier OBD2. Released to a limited group of testers in late May, early reports on its ability to read the various ECU’s (in all variants and years of the car) have been very positive, with regular updates and improvements already underway.

The new app / system works with inexpensive Bluetooth OBD connectors, typically costing around $50–$80, and connects directly to a phone-based app. Hopefully it will be fully available before our Simpson Desert trip later this year and allow us to not just read codes, but potentially clear a few as well.

Rear seat delete plate.

For those wanting a bit more space behind the front seats to put dogs or fridges, buzz overland has come up with a great idea! A simple plate which can be mounted on the rear seat rack. Since shipping this from the UK will be more then the cost of the material, we are looking if there are enough Grenadier owners interested so we can have a plate created in Australia. Read more on https://www.ineos4x4clubqld.com.au/rear-seat-delete

New Shop Items

There is a new category we are trying called “By members only for club members” which requires you to be logged in and purchase items only available to those elite who are part of the club. There are UHF holders and customisable mini maxtrax key spanners available. https://www.ineos4x4clubqld.com.au/index.cfm?module=catalogue&category=30121

Updates from 4wd Queensland

The K’gari cleanup has been a big success for 4wd Queensland, after running it for 25 years there is no holding back. Firstly, a big congratulations to all those who helped make K’gari 2026 such a success. Your efforts cleared 4.7tonnes of rubbish off the eastern beach !

After 6 years of not affiliating with 4wd Australia, all clubs understating 4wd Queensland have agreed that we should house our Insurance again with 4wd Australia (instead of ARMA) and we are liaising with all other states into 4wd Australia as of July 2026! This is great news!

The AGM of 4wd Queensland is coming soon and we are looking for people help out in the new Committee. This is a great opportunity for the INEOS club to get more influence into the larger 4wd community. If you are interested and like to know more about this, please contact Harold at President@ineos4x4clubqld.com.au.

The Hall which has been provided by Brisbane City Council to 4wd Australia is in big need of some repairs and 4wd Queensland is asking for people to help with some working bees. If anyone is interested in coordinating how we can help as a club, please contact us!

Meet the Sponsors - Tougher.co.za

One of the member benefits of being part of the club is the support we receive from some fantastic sponsors. We thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know them a little better and learn more about the businesses behind the products many of us use.

This month we're featuring Tougher, makers of high-quality canvas seat covers, dash mats and other vehicle protection products. Tougher also generously donated one of the prizes for our recent club auction, for which we're very grateful.

We caught up with Tatum from Tougher and asked her a few questions about the business, their products and their connection to the Grenadier community.

How long has Tougher been in business?

Tougher has been in business for just over three years. While the brand itself is young, the team behind it brings over 100 years of combined experience in seat cover manufacturing. Most of the core team have worked together for more than 15 years, giving Tougher a strong foundation of expertise, trust, and consistency.

How many people are in the Tougher team?

Tougher is made up of 22 team members in total, including 4 management staff and 18 skilled machinists, quality control specialists, and product developers. Every product is locally manufactured with close attention to detail and quality control.

Who is a typical Tougher customer?

Our typical customer is active, adventurous, and always on the move — the classic weekend warrior. They enjoy getting outdoors and exploring, but also rely on their vehicles for everyday work and family life. Tougher seat covers are designed to handle both: hard use and daily comfort.

How does Tougher differentiate itself from competitors?

Tougher stands out through a combination of exceptional lead times, outstanding customer service, and premium quality. Local customers can receive their seat covers within 3–5 working days, compared to the industry norm of three weeks or more. We take pride in being responsive, reliable, and delivering products that are built to last.

Which country do you receive the most Ineos Grenadier orders from?

The majority of our Ineos Grenadier orders come from the United States, with the Netherlands a close second.

A few of our members are already rocking some Tougher products, so check out tougher.co.za

New Members

We continue to welcome new members not just from Queensland and New South Wales, but increasingly from further afield, including South Australia.

The growth of the club has been fantastic to see, and it’s the people, friendships, shared knowledge and willingness to help each other that continue to make this community special.

Whether it’s technical advice, trip planning, product innovation or simply getting out and exploring together, the club keeps growing stronger because of the quality of its members.

If you know other Grenadier owners who might enjoy what we’re building, invite them along to an event or encourage them to join the club. The more good people we bring together, the better it becomes for everyone.

Member of the Month - Lewis hoult

We like to welcome another fantastic person to the overhead panel society and reward lewis with one of the best T-shirts created in history! Thanks for some awesome dedication to the club Lewis!

Sponsors and Grenadier Yellow Pages

We’ve spent some time reorganising and improving the Club Sponsors / Partners / Business Directory to make it far easier for members to navigate and actually find the businesses and services they’re looking for. Businesses are now clearer to browse, with better descriptions of what they offer and direct links through to learn more about each one.

There’s a huge range of quality businesses supporting the club across touring, fabrication, 12V, suspension, recovery gear, servicing and more, so if you’re looking for products, advice or work done on your Grenadier, it’s well worth a look. We have created some new categories so you can get quicker to what you need! There are 4wd parks, club sponsors, INEOS service providers, recovery gear, seat covers and Trays and canopies.

You can browse the updated directory here: https://www.ineos4x4clubqld.com.au/index.cfm?display=2903427

We like to thank our sponsors for their continued support to the club! Without them we wouldn’t be where we are today! Make sure to give them a visit from time to time and thank them on behalf of the club!

Updates from our aftermarket suppliers : Eibach

For many of us, the INEOS Grenadier is the ultimate blank canvas. It’s highly capable right off the showroom floor, but as we start bolting on the heavy gear—winches, steel bar work, drawer systems, and rooftop tents—the factory suspension can quickly find its limits.

Recognising the global success of the Grenadier platform, suspension giants Eibach have officially stepped into the ring. They have just dropped a comprehensive suite of hardware specifically engineered to transform the handling, load-carrying capacity, and off-road performance of the 2024+ INEOS Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster truck.

If you've been looking to dial in your ride height or cure that classic solid-axle steering vagueness, here is a breakdown of what Eibach is bringing to the club:

1. PRO-TRUCK Reservoir Kit (Performance Shocks)

Designed to tame the Grenadier’s heavy-duty solid axles, these high-pressure monotube shocks utilise a massive 46mm piston paired with nitro-coated shafts. The standout feature here is the integrated piggy-back external reservoirs. By increasing oil volume, they dissipate heat much faster, completely eliminating shock fade during long, high-speed corrugated tracks. They provide a linear damping profile that dramatically cuts down on "chatter" over rough terrain while maintaining superb on-road comfort.

2. PRO-STEERING Stabiliser

Let’s face it, the factory steering box can feel a bit vague, especially when jumping over obstacles or running larger rubber. Eibach’s heavy-duty bolt-on steering stabiliser is a direct-fit upgrade designed to eliminate the notorious "dead spot" and minimise bump steer. It absorbs harsh feedback from the terrain, reducing driver fatigue on long expeditions.

3. Dual-Rate Levelling & HD Lift Springs

Depending on how your Grenadier is set up, Eibach is offering two distinct coil spring pathways:

PRO-LIFT-KIT (Levelling): If you just want to get rid of the factory nose-dive aesthetic, this gives a 1.2” lift in the front while keeping the rear at stock height. The rear coils feature a dual-rate design, making them balanced for daily driving but progressively stiffer when you load up the cargo area.
PRO-LIFT-KIT HD (Heavy Duty Lift): For the fully kitted tourers running permanent weight. These springs allow for up to a 2.5" front lift and rear options rated to handle static loads of 500 lbs to 1,000 lbs over the rear axle. This ensures you maintain full bump travel and ground clearance even when packed for a remote trek.

4. Adjustable ANTI-ROLL-KIT (Sway Bars)

To stop body roll when heavily laden or lifted, Eibach has introduced adjustable sway bars. The front bar is a 31.75mm tubular, 2-way adjustable unit, while the rear is a 31.75mm, 3-way adjustable bar. This allows owners to finely tune the balance of their vehicle to match their exact weight distribution and preferred sway resistance.

Club Technical Note:

If you are planning to order these parts, please note that changing the ride height on the Grenadier platform requires care. Eibach explicitly recommends pairing their lift springs with their PRO-TRUCK shocks to ensure safety and mentions that modifications to ride height can put stress on the factory driveshafts if not installed correctly. Always consult the technical manual or a professional 4WD suspension specialist before installation.

All components are engineered, tested, and manufactured by Eibach in the USA and come backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Planning an upgrade before our next club trip? Head over to Eibach.com.au to check out the full application list for both the SUV and Quartermaster.

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