Penny Wells from Top of Down Under (TODU) had more experience in the Australian outback before she got her license than many accrue throughout their lifetime and after years behind the wheel of various 4x4s in the bush, she’s got a pretty good idea of what does and doesn’t work off-road.
When you’re filming a show that spotlights hard-to-reach remote locations and the natural beauty that awaits avid adventurers, getting there is more than half the battle, so it’s essential that the TODU team’s rugged 79-Series Toyota LandCruisers are kitted out with the best bits on the market and meticulously maintained to get them there and back again safely.
From upgraded Jmacx coil-sprung rear ends to the smattering of Ironman 4x4’s finest accessories, these capable ‘Cruisers rely on gear that’s been designed and tested to handle the harsh Aussie outback.
Of course, the last piece of this puzzle is tyres that can conquer the varied terrain found down under while being comfortable enough to keep Penny sane when clocking up huge highway kilometres between destinations all over the country.
“It’s pretty safe to say that I’ve put [my Open Country R/Ts] through hell and back,” says Penny in the video above. “This new design from Toyo is the grand slam for the off-road tourer that is looking for a tyre to rely on to cross Australia.”
Penny certainly has taken her Toyos on tour, crossing the country from TODU’s base near Brisbane, Queensland to explore the northern tip of Western Australia and the vast wilderness of the East Kimberley for Series 8 and 9,with no shortage of off-road challenges along the way.
In between, TODU also filmed a mini-series that highlighted the hard work that 4WD NT have been doing to re-open the stunning Litchfield National Park, tackling long-forgotten tracks with a trailer in tow and encountering a particularly rough, rocky hill climb that you can check out in the video below.
“This hill looked sketchy as hell on the way in,” says Penny, “so knowing that this was my only option to get out made me edgy from the beginning. I had no idea the Open Country R/Ts had endured so much torture until we were back in the studio and downloaded the footage!”
Mud, rock, sand, clay, corrugations, water crossings and countless kilometres of hurtling over blacktop to keep the show on the road is just a taste of what Top of Down Under have overcome on Toyos, yet again proving why many of Australia’s most serious 4WDers swear by Open Country rubber.
“After crossing Australia and enduring the torture I put these tyres through,” adds Penny,” I was blown away by their ability to grip and to run at low pressures. If you want tough, grab a set of Toyo’s Open Country R/Ts.”
