Having just fitted my brand-new front tyres in East Tamaki, I figured that being about a third of the way from Devonport to Kaiaua, I might as well sneak away for a couple of nights and break them in with a trip to one of my favourite NZMCA park and one of my favourite pubs in Kaiaua.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

I arrived just after lunchtime, giving me plenty of time to head out for a walk. It was one of those typical winter days grey, cold and a bit gloomy but it was perfect for flying the drone. I managed to get some great aerial shots around the marina and out in front of the pub.

As the afternoon wore on, more and more caravans and motorhomes rolled into the park. Considering it was the middle of the week and pretty chilly, I was surprised at just how busy it became.

The following morning, after another walk and another drone flight, I joined my neighbours, Pauline and Keith from Te Awamutu, for lunch at the pub. Some of their relatives were visiting and joined us as well. It was the perfect way to spend a cold winter’s day, sitting in front of a roaring fire with good company and a glass of wine.

After an hour or so, we all wandered back to our vans for a bit of relaxation. I couldn’t resist getting the drone back in the air getting some more images of the park and the pub, really showing off its stunning waterfront location.

It’s amazing how just a little bit of height can completely change your perspective and tie a landscape together.

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up with people around the park. It’s a friendly place with a great atmosphere, and it’s easy to see why so many people keep coming back.

Click on the Gallery below to see all the Drone images

The next morning, it was time to head back to Auckland.

And the verdict on the new tyres?
They’re fantastic!

Back in 2018, we replaced the original Michelin tyres that had been factory fitted in Germany. They had also managed around 60,000km, although, in hindsight, I probably kept them on a little longer than I should have, they were pretty knackered by the time they came off.

A quick step back to 2018. I was at the Hamilton Motorhome Show when I met Phil, one of the senior guys from Carters Tyres. He introduced me to the new GT Radial Maxmiler Pro tyres, which had just been released for the light truck and motorhome market. Knowing the Michelins had well and truly done their dash, I was keen to find a suitable replacement.

Phil arranged to have Rafe weighed, wheel by wheel, and the results were interesting. In almost every case we were right on the weight limit and, looking back, we were probably slightly over on the rear axle. At that stage we didn’t even have the bikes or all the extra gear that now travels with us.

Fast forward to today and, after another 60,000km, it was tyre replacement time again. The GT Radials, however, were in far better condition than the Michelins had been at the same mileage.

Comparing apples with apples, the GT Radial Maxmiler Pros have a load rating of 1,400kg per tyre and feature 10-ply sidewalls. The Michelins were rated at 1,100kg with 6-ply sidewalls. That’s quite a difference. Even better, the GT Radials are about half the price, noticeably quieter on the road, and still had more tread remaining after the same distance.

I gave Mark, who was in charge that day at Carters Tyres in East Tamaki, a call and booked Rafe in, expecting to replace all four tyres. After inspecting them, though, Mark suggested leaving the rear tyres on for a while longer as they still had plenty of tread and were wearing evenly.

So off came the front tyres. Within minutes they had been swapped over to new GT Radials, balanced, and torqued back onto Rafe. The whole process was quick, professional, and very slick.

The difference on the drive home was immediately noticeable. The steering felt more precise and the ride was beautifully smooth.

If you’re an NZMCA member, it’s also worth remembering that Carters Tyres offer a very generous member discount, making the value even better.

Another great experience with Carters and another 60,000km of happy travelling ahead!

After the diesel leak, the tow home, and all the associated drama, it was time to get back on the horse, so to speak, and head away for a night while the weather was playing ball.

We decided Helensville wasn’t too far away, so we booked a stay at The Lawler Estate, a farm just outside Parakai. It’s only a few kilometres from Parakai and a little further to Helensville, so there were plenty of options for tea.

Fiona followed me up in the car so we could head out for dinner and have a bit of a nosey around the area.

Aaron was very welcoming over the phone, and with the overnight temperature forecast to drop to around 3°C, we decided to take the powered site for an extra $5. It meant staying beside the sheds rather than on the hill overlooking the Kaipara Harbour, but call us old-fashioned—we preferred a warm night to a better view!

It was an easy run up the Northern Motorway before turning off through Kaukapakapa and on to Helensville.

The campsite was a lovely spot, and Aaron had thoughtfully left a couple of large timber blocks for us to level up Rafe.

Once Fiona arrived, we drove into Parakai before continuing on to Helensville for dinner at a well-reviewed fish and chip shop. We found a pleasant car park beside the old railway station and enjoyed our tea as the sun went down. Who says we don’t do romance anymore?

The Lawler Estate is a great place to stay. The sites on the other side of the hill have fantastic views out over the Kaipara Harbour, although they’re unpowered. We’ll definitely have to try one of those in the warmer months.

As for Rafe, he went really well. There was still the faintest hint of diesel smell lingering from the leak the previous week, but considering how much fuel had escaped, the workshop had done a great job cleaning everything up.

We thought we’d get Rafe off the blocks and head down to Hamilton to check out the recently completed Gardens. The weather was looking great for a few days, there was nothing urgent in the diary, so off we went.

Heading down the motorway, we got just past the Papakura turn-off when there was an amazing stink of hot diesel. I changed lanes, thinking it might be the vehicle in front, but the smell stayed with us. Then I wondered if Rafe was doing a DPF burn.

Just coming up to the Drury turn-off, the engine suddenly went into limp mode before shutting down completely. I managed to coast out of the traffic and onto the side of the motorway.

It started again straight away and, after a couple of stop-start attempts, we managed to limp off at the Drury exit and pull up outside some industrial buildings. Not exactly where we’d planned to stop!

The first thing we did was ring the AA, but they were only interested in towing it wherever we wanted it to go. Fair enough, so we arranged for it to be taken back to North Shore Diesel in Wairau Valley, where it had recently had a service.

About 20 minutes later, a really nice chap arrived with his flat-deck transporter.

He started preparing the vehicle for loading. During the process I realised I should have reversed about 20 feet onto some flatter ground, because the left-hand side found the only dip in the entire parking area! We managed to avoid even more damage by putting blocks of wood under the tyres, but unfortunately the damage had already been done.

Another home repair coming up…

It actually broke in exactly the same place as my last repair, which was interesting.

After about an hour we arrived in Wairau Road and safely dropped Rafe off in the locked courtyard. I called Mike at North Shore Diesel the next day and he confirmed the high-pressure fuel pipe that feed the injectors, had developed a pinhole leak. Apparently, they’re running at around 2,500 psi, which is huge, and they’re known to fail after about 100,000 km or so.

Mind you, we’d already had one fail four years ago, so I reckon we were just a bit unlucky. Of course, the warranty on the replacement part had expired after three years! The last time it happened there was diesel everywhere. This time it was mostly contained under the engine cover and around the front of the motor.

The rear corner repair needed doing, but having tackled this more than once now, it was fairly straightforward. I seem to be getting better at it each time!

I started by hand-sanding the broken pieces before gluing them back together in stages with Gorilla Glue. It works really well on cleaned-up plastic and, because it expands slightly as it cures, it fills the little gaps nicely.

Click on the Gallery below to see the progress 🙂

Once the glue had set, I hand-sanded everything smooth before using the sander on the heavier areas. Then on went some two-pot Ados body filler.

That was machine-sanded, followed by more hand sanding. I had to repeat the process a couple of times because I’d missed a few small imperfections. Finally, I wet-sanded everything by hand up to 600 grit, and it looked magic.

Then came three coats of Colour Labs Gloss White, followed by four coats of Colour Labs Clear Lacquer.

It’s not perfect, but it looks heaps better than it did sitting on the truck, and the whole repair cost less than $50. Those panels are around $1100!