Grenadier Gazette – July Newsletter

 

Welcome to July! A new financial year is underway, fuel excise relief has begun to disappear, and somehow our members have still managed to find what might be Australia's cheapest fuel stop... at Yarraman! ($ 1.46 for a litre of Diesel)

This month we've packed the newsletter with upcoming events, member-only deals, some innovative new gear for your Grenadier, and an early look at the impressive new Grenadier OBD app that's giving owners far more control over their vehicles.

Behind the scenes, we've also been giving the website a tidy-up. Event videos now sit alongside the photo galleries, and we've launched a new Grenadier Yellow Pages section featuring auto electricians who actually know Grenadiers. If you've had a great experience with a local workshop, let us know so we can keep building the list.

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Member Specials

Membership has its privileges, and this month there are some genuine bargains available exclusively to club members. Benefits

Thanks to the amazing team at Ignition, club members can purchase Steel rims and Quartermaster Tubs at hugely discounted prices. With rims at just $ 50 each and QM Tubs for $ 1000, it's a little easier to grab yourself a spare set of wheels or potentially make a custom trailer tub to match your Grenny!

Keeping the good news coming, Justin at EFExpedition is offering all club members a 20% discount off anything on his website at efexpedition.co  Use the code you will find in the benefits page (after you logged in).  We have highlighted some of his new products in the Gear Spotlight below.

And our first event badge / patch is being created and the first samples have made their way to us! Gorilla and Nina have been experimenting with their new machine and the result is absolutely staggering! 

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Upcoming Events

11 - 12 July | 4x4 Driver Awareness Training

Whether you've owned your Grenadier for two weeks (you know who you are!) or two years, this is one of the most valuable weekends you'll attend. Our technical team will teach you how the vehicle works off-road, recovery basics, vehicle preservation and what to do when things don't quite go to plan. Completion of Driver Awareness is also a prerequisite for joining many of the club's longer expeditions under our insurance requirements. 

31 July – 2 August | Tara Camel Races
If you’d like to join us, grab your tickets from the Tara Camel Race itself soon as numbers are limited.  As I write we have 14 people and 7 Grenadiers heading that way.

 

 

 

 

 

1 - 2 August | NSW Stockton Beach Sand Driving

Some of our NSW members plan to explore Stockton Beach and do some recovery training.  Stockton Beach is a great spot to test your vehicle out, practice recoveries and enjoy the thrills of driving in the dunes.

8 August | Club Wrenching Day

Thanks to Stu from Murchison Products, we are able to hold our first ever club wrenching day.  Stu will get his car up on his hoist and show us around the critical components you need to check before any big trip.  He will also explain why, when and how to check these components, before we check our own cars.

9 August | Cars and Coffee at Ignition

Coffee and Breakfast should entice members to Ignition Car Centre to get up close with the cars, meet the Ignition team, join a tech workshop, possibly win a competition, grab a giveaway or even spend some money at the accessory sale.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 13th August 7pm  | Club Annual General Meeting

The new financial year means our AGM is not far away and there are new opportunities for you to help shape the future of our club and join the Committee to help drive the fastest growing car club of Australia!  If you fancy meeting  in person, the AGM is being held  at the Australian National Hotel in Woolloongabba or if you can’t make it there please join online by registering for the AGM meeting in Events

13 - 26th September Simpson Desert Expedition

It's not too late to join the club's big trip for 2026.  The water is draining fast in the outback, and we are growing more confident that the trip will head off as planned. 

Recent Events

Gordon Country 

Full Details on the Photo page

Officially the second annual (Doug insists it's the third…) club visit to Gordon Country yet again brought a large group of club members together who were spoiled by some fantastic weather and enjoyed a great weekend of 4wd exploring, camping, relaxing and some wonderful BBQing by Matt.

On Saturday, Doug and Lewis led 12 Grenadiers around the tracks, taking in some steep, technical climbs and descents, magnificent views and a fair amount of (optional) mud. A significant campfire meant the evening cold was kept at bay, and we even managed to watch Australia win at the FIFA World Cup.

 

Sunday was another drive for some or a waterfall walk for others.  A memorable weekend .

 

 

Learnings from Kingaroy
Full details on the Photos page

• A line of Grenadiers winding through the Nanango bush is something to behold. It's hard not to stop and admire the view. 

• Tyre PSI remains the cheapest and most effective off-road modification available.  Getting the PSI right will often make more difference than any accessory, modification, or driving technique. 
• Confidence is accumulated slowly and surrendered instantly when the terrain bites back.
• Spotters aren't just helpful, they're sometimes the difference between a great line and an expensive one.

• After rigorous testing under real-world conditions, Sapper and Mick determined that the optimum sun visor setting is 14. Further peer review is ongoing.
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• For trips with restricted numbers, please make every effort to confirm your attendance early and keep us updated if your plans change. A late withdrawal can mean another member misses out on a spot that could have been filled. 
• We also carried out some highly scientific research while climbing into the Bunya Mountains. At various points, six drivers compared their dash altitude and temperature readings. Interestingly, the vehicles consistently split into two groups. Within each group, altitude readings were generally within 10 metres of each other, but there was around 70 metres difference between the two groups. Temperature readings were a little more consistent, although there was still a 1°C variation across the vehicles. We remain no closer to knowing which group was actually correct. 
• Bush TV remains undefeated

 

Gear Spotlight

EF Expedition 

Rear Door Jack Relocation - https://efexpedition.co/product/jack-relocation/

• Moves the factory jack onto the rear door.
• No more emptying the cargo area.
• Quick installation.

 From personal experience, it’s an easy fit, looks great and makes access super convenient.

 

CV Saver - https://efexpedition.co/product/cv-saver/

Possible CV failure renders the car inoperable, and is a known concern for many of us. Recently INEOS have been rejecting some warranty claims for this issue so Justin has identified the possible cause of the issue and is convinced it is relatively easily prevented with his CV Saver. You can read the detail behind it on his insights page here https://efexpedition.co/general/cv-joints/

Members have said it's simple to install, inexpensive and should offer some peace of mind!

 

LeTech’s Stealthy New Roof Storage Solution - https://lennartz-technik.de/en/product/roof-storage-compartment-trunk/

LeTech, have just dropped an interior storage solution designed specifically to optimise the Grenadier's vertical real estate: the LeTech Roof Storage Compartment.  It mounts seamlessly and tightly against the roofline.

Open the Grenadier's rear doors and the compartment is right at eye level, giving you immediate access to your gear without needing to unpack the entire boot. An integrated double locking system keeps the compartment firmly shut during bumpy trail rides and ensures high-value items are protected from unauthorized access. 

• Premium Build: Tough aluminium construction with a durable black powder-coated finish.
• Smart Security: Double locking mechanism to keep valuables secure.
• Hunting safe: complies with the German hunting weapon transport regulation 
• Pricing: available at ExpeditionHQ for $ 4465.

 

 

 

 

 

📢 Calling All Members: We Want Your Feedback!

Have you already fitted your Grenadier with any of these items, or do you have other  modifications installed you’d like to share with us? We would love to feature your real-world feedback in an upcoming newsletter. Drop a line to the editorial team at [info@ineos4x4clubqld.com.au] to share your thoughts, photos, or a quick review of how it performs out on the tracks.

Member of the Month - Doug Munford

Doug is one of the Founding Fathers (FF) of our club, and as well as being one of our technical leads, he (and his wife, Anne) organise the Gordon Country event and he led the drive around K’Gari.  Doug has quietly become one of those members who is always willing to help, whether it's organising events, sharing technical knowledge or leading trips. Clubs only thrive because people like Doug continue putting their hands up. 

Thanks for everything you do, Doug; the Overhead Panel Society has its newest member!

 

Can you guess who the other Founding Fathers are?  

 

 

 

Grenadier OBD App -read and reset fault codes

Sometimes a fault code is a bit inconvenient, other times a fault code can be a major issue on a remote travel trip.  One of the biggest frustrations for Grenadier owners has been the reliance on dealers to diagnose and clear fault codes.. German owner Dieter Rutter decided to change that.

Over the past few months Dieter has been tirelessly developing an iPhone app that communicates directly with the Grenadier through a Bluetooth OBD adapter. Several of our members have been involved in alpha testing and the progress has been remarkable.

The latest release can now read fault codes and, in many cases, clear them. One of our own members, Rob Brown, successfully cleared the notorious airbag warning light. That's a capability many of us would have been glad to have at various times.

The app is currently in private alpha via TestFlight, with beta testing expected soon. The roadmap looks extremely promising, with additional diagnostic and vehicle management features already planned.

Thanks to everyone who continues making our club what it is. Whether you've attended an event, helped another member, shared technical advice or enjoyed the chat banter, you're helping build one of Australia's most active Grenadier communities.  See you at the next event or out on the trails..

Thanks to our amazing sponsors, make sure to visit them and forward our thanks for supporting what we hope is the most fun and fastest growing car club of Australia!