The Nissan Patrol was destroyed in a high speed crash in 2023 and has been replaced with an INEOS Grenadier in 2024. The Grenadier build is described in these posts.

THE OLD NISSAN PATROL

Welcome to The Doc’s Blog. This page talks about the customisation of the 2012 Nissan Patrol GU Series 8, White ST Wagon. There were 4 stages in the build.

The starting point.

Stage 1

Wishful Tinting

Window tinting all windows, except the windscreen (obviously).

Brant

Installed Brant Keypad engine immobilizer, anti-car jacking (Model PGM3). This system was later customised.

Opposite Lock

Redarc Dual battery system BMS 1215S2 (including the second battery & the battery holder). This did cause me some grief but it identified some issue early that I needed to get fixed, especially the overheating of the second battery. The BMS 1215S was removed in September 2014 after causing too many issues and not being reliable enough in the field.

SmartBar (Bull bar)

GME CB Radio model 3520W, plus 2 aerials. Second UHF added in 2018, a Bluetooth enabled GME XRS330C with RFI aerial.

Warn 12v Winch Tabor, 30m Rope

Lightforce Genisis 210 HID Spot lights 35W HID (Pair)

Great White Driving Light 9 LED Bar Low Mount (Single bar)

Safari Snorkel

Front and rear recovery points

Plus install and wiring, etc.

To test the build I drove down to Wagga Wagga to my friends farm and his birthday party. All was good except a battery temperature alarm going off, the second battery is overheating. Too close to the turbo charger it seems.

Then a few more changes being Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform with dual jerry can holders, ladder and spare wheel carrier. Featherlite Awning with mosquito net and Foxwing Awning for shade on both sides of the car.

The Doc also installed a sand flag (not attached in the picture).

The Doc headed off later to Dunbogan for a 2 weeks trip. On that trip he identified a small issue with the auxiliary fuel tank, otherwise everything went well. The Doc has not really been any rush to make any more changes, but he needs to be able to sleep in the Patrol so I started to plan Stage 2.

Stage 2

Off Road Systems

Off Road System aluminium twin drawers with double runners, 55 water tank (internal) and a bed extension. Now I can carry a water supply and sleep in the Patrol. When I tested the water tank I managed to drink one litre and the rest leaked. So back to ORS to get that fixed. That delayed Stage 3 a few weeks.

Penrith Off Road

Water in Diesel Alarm. The alarm will pick up and water contamination in the diesel, before it ruins the motor. $700 rather than $7,000 plus repair. I also have a Mr Funnel filter to stop water and dirt getting into the fuel.

Opposite Lock

3 Autron triple function Gauges, now owned by Redarc. The gauges monitor exhaust gas temperature, turbo boost, air intake temperature, oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature, and battery voltage of the 2 batteries and amps. Problem with the Oil pressure Gauge. It seems I need a firmware upgrade to fix that issue. So the sensor was disconnected while the other equipment was tested.

80 litre Brown Davis auxiliary fuel tank. The Doc could only get 40 litres out of the tank. This auxiliary fuel tank caused more problems than anything else during the build. 4 visits being the install and 3 returns visits. All minor but all painful. It is fixed now.

Trip to Glow Worm Tunnel to test these mods. Slight problem with the water tank as noted above. This will delay the start of Stage 3.

All changes in Stage 2 were inside the Patrol or under the bonnet.

Stage 3

Coopers ST Max tyres from Wilpower Tyres and upgraded suspension from The Ultimate Suspension.

The Doc needed to drive 1,000km and have the suspension rechecked. A trip to Newcastle this time. Caught up with a friend and spent some time at Hunter Wetlands then off to Stockton Beach for lunch.

All went well, except some minor tyre rubbing on the front mud guards. The Doc got that fixed in Stage 4.

Stage 4

ARB twin compressor installed (Model CKMTA12) under the front passenger seat. The portable compressor The Doc own was using valuable space in the drawers. So he choose to utilise unused space under the front passenger’s seat.

Hayman Reese Electric brake controller installed for the camper trailer.

Anderson plug installed to charge the battery in the camper trailer.

Modified the front mud flaps to stop the tyre rub.

Bracket for spare tyre with 2 Narva LED lights installed. One is used for camping and the other is a rear spotlight.

Hooray, the build is now tested and finished.

Update

After 54,000km travelling over Australia The Doc has made a few more changes to the Nissan Patrol. These include:

1. Replacing the Redarc Battery Management with a simple fully electronic system, the Intervolt EBI Pro. No more issues around power since the change. The Redarc is too smart for its own good.
2. Installed a front diff guard from Superior Engineering.
3. New steel side steps, from Opposite Lock. They give added protection against rocks.
4. New bonnet scoop from ARE Cooling.
5. Adjustable front drag links, to allow better alignment of the front tyres.

Update 2

Corrugations over several years have taken their toll on a few items. The Doc is thinking on going to the Kimberley in 2020 and is doing some preventative maintenance and fixing a few things. Changes in February 2020 include:

1. New sensor for the battery voltage and AMP gauge. The “Hall Effect Current Sensor” was shaken to pierces by corrugations and replaced;
2. The interVOLT EBI Pro died and was replaced with a Redarc DC to DC charger to charge the auxiliary battery. The auxiliary battery also died (at least it was under warranty). The Doc can plug a solar panel into the new charger as well. The Doc is thinking of installing a small solar panel onto the roof rack (EDIT: solar panel now installed by The Doc, see here);
3. The coils (aka springs) were replaced after 140,000 hard kilometres.
4. Bushes on the front and rear were replaced. It seems the front bushes on the Patrol need to be replaced about every 60,000km. One of the rear bushes was falling out, which is why The Doc asks his mechanic to do checks on the car – he identified the bush issue. This way issues get fixed before they become major problems.

Update 3, August 2022

After 10 years on the road, it is time for a minor refresh of the Patrol for the next ten years.

New rear bumper

The Patrol’s rear bumper was worn out and had some minor damage. The new rear bumper is from UNEEK4X4, with dual jerry can holder on the passenger’s side and wheel carrier on the driver’s side. After installing the solar panel, The Doc could only get one jerry can on the roof rack.

New headunit and reversing camera

The old stereo headunit has had issues for the last year or two and was replaced with a new 9 inch Pioneer unit. Best part is it has Apple Airplay, that is so handy, voice commands and the  9 inch screen helps when reversing.

Suspension and GVM upgrade

The Patrol’s suspension was due for replacement after having done over 100,000 tough kilometers. With the added weight of the new rear bar when loaded, the suspension was redone and a GVM upgrade to 3.3 tonnes undertaken. Work done by Ultimate Suspension who did all the original suspension work.

Plus new brake disks, pads and braided brake lines, plus new rear mudflaps.

The Patrol on the Excellent Adventure.