Global Patrollers Travel 40 Countries and Four Continents with Narva

Over the last two and a half years, adventure travellers Justin and Jen Lewis have embarked on an epic Trans-global journey, traversing 40 countries across four continents and covered around 93,000 kilometres in their WA-registered GU Patrol.

While this style of ‘all-in’ travel might daunt even the most experienced travellers, the couple had no reservations in taking the plunge albeit after many years of planning, according to Justin.

“We love travelling, and the idea of doing it in our own vehicle overseas was in many ways a natural extension of the style of travel that we most enjoy – vehicle-based and independent allowing us to be free to explore,” Justin said.

“Once the idea had rooted, we just couldn’t shake it and we began to adjust our lives to achieve what was in many ways, a pipe dream.”

Making Justin and Jen’s travels achievable is a 2006 GU Patrol coil cab chassis with slide-on camper.

The truck features a mild suspension lift and upgraded tyres, upgraded turbo and three inch exhaust, designed to provide improved performance at high altitude while delivering greater low down torque for mountain travel.

A selection of spare parts and tools are carried along with two spare tyres and 130 litres of water. Helping them get around without becoming lost is a tablet and lap top with a range of navigational software and maps.

The Patrol and camper are fitted with a wide array of Narva equipment.

“Upgrading the taillights to Narva sealed combination LEDs, given the amount of dust and filthy conditions we’ve encountered has been a real advantage,” Justin said.

“Not having to ever clean or repair a failed standard tail light combined with the absolute necessity that those behind can see you, has made these a fantastic option.”

The Narva Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) fitted to the Patrol have also been very handy on a couple of fronts, according to Justin.

“DRLs, whilst now standard on many vehicles, are an addition for us. Not only is it law in many countries to now have such lights, it’s the fact that the Narva DRLs have such a low power draw with the added bonus that we have no requirement to have headlights and tail lights illuminated which assists our electrical system considerably!

“It’s trying to run every other electrical item and recharge the house batteries for the camper so any load reduction is more than welcome. It all makes the alternators life much easier.”

Also fitted to the Patrol are Narva’s +50 headlight upgrade kit, which Justin says have been a welcome addition.

“Patrols are not known for their amazing factory lighting. Add to that the fact that taking a right hand drive vehicle onto the other side of the road means that you need to fit a headlight deflection kit (which stops you blinding oncoming traffic by blocking sections of your lens) which has the unfortunate side effect of causing a massive hindrance to your headlights performance.”

Additional forward lighting comes courtesy of a pair of Narva Extreme HID driving lamps and L.E.D bar, which Justin says works exceptionally well.

“The Extreme HIDs provide crispness of the light combined with the penetration even in foul conditions such as torrential rain has made these lights mandatory in any of my future vehicles,” he said.

“The excellent mounting system has kept them in tune throughout our journey including the unfortunate moment when I slid into a rock embankment during a 50 point ‘U’ turn in a ridiculously small canyon whilst exploring in Mongolia.

“In combination with the Narva L.E.D light bar, the old cliché of ‘night into day’ is rather accurate. The light bar really comes into its own when you’re on the back roads and the peripheral spread along with the illumination just forward in both the up and down plain allow you to see overhead obstacles and hazards below the vehicle, making the combination of L.E.D light bar and Extremes fit seamlessly together.”

During their travels, the couple experienced many and varied weather conditions and terrain. From a low of seven metres below sea level in Holland to an elevation of 4,655 metres on the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan – one of the highest roads in the world, and the temperatures ranged from -12°C in Siberia to 46°C in Uzbekistan.

Having completed their circumnavigation of the world, but with plenty more to see, Justin and Jen are continuing their travel through Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central America, with no immediate plans to return home just yet.

Read more about their adventures at www.globatrol.com

About NARVA 

Narva is Australian owned and is a leader in the development, manufacture and supply of automotive lighting and electrical components for the automotive, marine and transport industries. Further information on the extensive Narva programme together with high resolution images for download can be found at www.autonews.net.au.

Additional details can be found by visiting the Narva website at www.narva.com.au.

For further information:

Contact Sales
Brown & Watson International Pty Ltd
Phone: (03) 9730 6000
National Toll Free: 1800 113 443

Graeme McLean
Graeme McLean & Associates Pty Ltd
Phone: (03) 9583 6694
Mobile: 0438 806 090
Email: graeme@mcleanassoc.com.au