Articles by Marcus Craft

The Ford Everest Ambiente is the entry-level spec Everest, sitting below the mid-spec Trend and the top-spec Titanium.

The Ford Everest Trend is the mid-spec Everest, sitting above the entry-level Ambiente and top-spec Titanium.

The Titanium is the top-spec Everest, sitting above the entry-level Ambiente and the mid-spec Trend. The new 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine – 157kW at 3750rpm and 500Nm from 1750rpm-2000rpm – and 10-speed automatic transmission are standard on Titanium. Standard features include keyless entry,

There was much anticipation over Merceds-Benz's foray into the realm of traditional workhorses prior to its X-Class launch earlier this year, and many people expected a lot from the premium brand's dual-cab ute.Benz certainly deserves praise for bringing the first ute offering AEB to the Aussie market, and let's hope the others swiftly follow suit, but has it delivered on the hype in other areas? Is the X-Class a fitting example of the three-pointed star brand, or is it just another manufacturer's missed opportunity at ute greatness? When we pitted a top-spec X-Class Power X250d against a Toyota HiLux Rugged X and Ford Ranger Wildtrak, the X-Class was a clear third place in that company, but this time we took a mid-spec Progressive out of the city and into the bush to see how it performed.

The 79 Series is as tough as a collection of tough stuff, but is Toyota's traditional-style ute actually any good? And what flaws - if any - does it reveal after two weeks and more than 2000km?

There's one absolutely correct tyre pressure for your vehicle that will work every time on every type of terrain. Do you want to know what that one absolutely correct tyre pressure is? It's whatever works at that particular moment on that particular terrain.There is no one magical PSI (pounds per square inch) tyre pressure figure that you can apply every time to every different type of terrain or situation. Your optimum tyre pressure will change according to the vehicle, the load it is carrying at the time, the terrain your vehicle is traversing, the time of day, the amount of time you've been driving on those tyres that day, the size and type of tyres you're using and myriad other variables.However, there are various approximate tyre-pressure ranges that work best on different terrain and if you operate within those parameters you will be able to drive off-road sensibly and safely. (Note: If you want to know how to deflate and inflate your tyres, read this yarn.This is a no-brainer, right? Well, a fair few people don't bother ever checking their tyre pressure and that can result in greater tyre wear and tear, less-than-ideal fuel consumption and, worse still, unsafe driving.On bitumen, recommended tyre pressures on an AWD or 4WD will generally be from around 30 psi and up but, as always, check the tyre placard on your vehicle.Always check tyre pressure when your tyres are cold (i.e. the vehicle hasn't been driven for about three hours) and only use a tyre-pressure gauge from a reputable company, such as ARB or Ironman 4x4, to get an accurate reading to make sure you're running at recommended pressure.Again, you'd think this'd be simple, but a lot of drivers set and forget a bitumen-suited pressure, don't bother ever checking and hope for the best. For firm, well-maintained dirt tracks or gravel roads, aim for between 28 and 36 psi to yield better ride and handling than would be achieved if your tyres were simply set at bitumen pressure.For lumpy, bumpy gravel tracks – say, for instance, a chopped-up Birdsville Track – set tyre pressure from 26 to 32 psi. Because you may be forced to travel at lower speeds and over bigger, sharper rocks and deeper potholed sections, tyres will need a little bit more give than if they were set at bitumen pressures, but not too much.Drop tyre pressure to between 15 and 20 psi before you drive onto sand and you'll make off-roading much easier for yourself. That 20 psi measure is a pretty good pressure as it allows you to drive along firm, hard-packed sand and then, if you have to, do short stretches of bitumen – at low speeds – in between beach runs, without the need to inflate your tyres back to road-going pressure every time.If you become bogged or have driven onto a patch of very soft sand then you may have to drop as low as 8 psi (no beadlocks) or 5 psi (with beadlocks) to help get you out.Remember you will have to adjust your driving style to suit lower tyre pressure; read this yarn.This unpredictable, but fun, slop requires judicious attention to tyre pressure at all times and may require you to go as low as 8 psi (no beadlocks) or 5 psi (with beadlocks) in order to help you get out of particularly tricky patches of it.A great general approach on any terrain is: deflate your tyres, drive, and see how you go; then adjust your tyre pressures as needed.Aim for a tyre pressure between 22 and 28 psi when driving on rocks, or even lower if the situation calls for it. You generally don't have to drop too far down from highway pressures but every now and again you may have to drop even lower those pressures mentioned above. By dropping your tyre pressure you'll reduce the risk of punctures, improve traction and make the ride a more comfortable one for everyone inside.As well as using snow chains (if required by law), maintain uniform tyre pressure, as advised by your vehicle owner's manual, to suit the conditions. NSW Transport advises that: 'Tyre pressure should be 25 PSI or higher when using chains. Tyre manufactures recommend that cars with radial tyres shouldn't travel faster than 40 km/h when fitted with chains … National Park regulations require all vehicles (except four wheel drive vehicles) in the National Park to carry chains between the June and October long weekends when driving through designated ‘snow and ice' risk sections*." (*Including Alpine Way – Thredbo to Tom Groggin; Kosciuszko Road within the National Park boundary; and Guthega Road within the National Park boundary.)Uneven tyre pressures can severely affect a vehicle's handling, especially under braking and cornering, so check that all five tyres – never forget your spare – are at the recommended pressure.Before you head back too far along firmer ground (gravel roads, bitumen), re-inflate your tyres. Driving on hard surfaces with low-pressure tyres is unsafe and may damage, among other things, your rims.To inflate your tyres, use a portable air compressor or head to your nearest servo. Portable air compressors are easy to use; attach the unit's alligator clips onto your battery's positive and negative points, and pump up each tyre back to the required levels. Opt for a solid product from a reputable company.

One of Australia's most hotly-anticipated utes of the year - the Ford Ranger Raptor - will arrive in showrooms soon. We drove it in the Northern Territory.

Campervans and motorhomes are more popular than ever before - and custom fit-outs are a way of making these touring-friendly vehicles even better. But are they really all they're cracked up to be?

As with many sections of society, the world of recreational towing is unfortunately influenced by rumour, misunderstandings and misinformation.

Good and safe towing largely boils down to knowledge, skills and experience. Get some training under your belt, use a lot of patience and clock up plenty of hours towing in the real world. But there are tips and tricks to starting out well and maintaining sound habits – and it all begins with safe hitching. Here's our guide for easy hitching of your caravan.Make the whole process easier – and safer – for yourself by doing it all, start to finish, on even level ground.Trying to hitch a caravan with a 50mm coupling on a slope with too much of a gradient, means there's too much of an angle at the towball and coupling, and the coupling pin won't engage or disengage.You might think you're the most vigilant, skilled and experienced reverser of caravans known to mankind but, no matter, you will still benefit greatly from the added vision a reversing camera will afford. Either make sure you tick that option with your next new vehicle, or grab one of the many high-quality aftermarket reversing cameras available if your existing tow vehicle doesn't have a camera.If you can see just behind the tow vehicle with the towball in frame and also see the coupling, you will be able to better steer accurately towards it for easier hitching. Bonus: most newer versions of reversing cameras have guidelines – in the form of colour lines – on the screen which will help you to line up, with pinpoint accuracy, the tow ball and caravan.This is a crucial point as you really don't want any electrical cables (trailer plug cable or Anderson plug cable) dangling about while your tow vehicle and caravan are on the move. If cables are hanging they might hit or drag on the ground and if they're damaged that may cause a short or a break in the circuits and of course those are things you don't want.Use cable-ties (aka zip-ties) to secure any loose cables along the length of the cable to the caravan's A frame, so they're tucked up and out of the way. Make sure you allow enough slack in the cable(s) for when the rig is turning.Common sense perhaps but doing this will ensure that you're towing within the limits of the law and, more importantly, that you're towing safely. Towball download, along with all towing-related measures (GCM etc), is something you should never guesstimate.You never take off on a holiday with a caravan at tare weight, so check towball download (aka towball download mass) yourself, either by using portable ball-weight scales (there are nifty electronic versions available) or visit a weigh bridge and pay for the privilege.Also, remember that people are easily dazzled by a vehicle manufacturer's claimed maximum towing capacity figures, but it's absolutely crucial for a driver to always keep in mind a vehicle's real-world capabilities, including its GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass; the maximum your vehicle can legally weigh, fully laden) and GCM (Gross Combined Mass; the maximum your vehicle and trailer combination can legally weigh). If you tow the max 3500kg you won't be able to load much more of anything in your vehicle before you're well and truly illegal. Remember to factor into your equation that your vehicle will be fully loaded with driver, passengers, camping gear and more.Tip: use your local weigh bridge before heading off anywhere with a caravan, boat or trailer load.For more, read Mark Oastler's yarn hereGet in the habit of always removing the safety chains only when the coupling has been raised off the towball and the caravan handbrake is fully engaged. Undoing the safety chains last, thus keeping it connected to the tow vehicle, will prevent the caravan from rolling away if the caravan handbrake disengages or otherwise fails when you're in the process of unhitching.Note: This and other towing-related yarns in Adventure have been completed with the expert help of an Australian towing legend, who wishes to remain anonymous, but who we will call "Old Mate" for now. Thanks, bloke – you know who you are.