Member - Luxoluk replied:

Planning to do the same in the very near future so no direct experience per se. What I have read & viewed on DVD I'd suggest you consider a good self inflating mattress and save yourself the hassle of extra fuel consumption and run-up tracks to get over some of the more difficult dunes. From a risk management perspective I suspect a trailer will have a compounding effect on your contingency planning and in the end the benefit vrs risk....eh ...do I really nead it?? What ever you do I hope you enjoy the trip. Cheers

Member - Michael replied:

Ian
Would not recommend taking a camper trailer on the CSR they tend to have a very short life, due mainly to severe corrigations, also you may have to carry additional fuel as petrol may be near impossible to obtain enroute
mike

Matt H (NSW) replied:

Ian,

Oz Trail sell a single and queen size bed that folds up concertina fashion. They have an air mattress on top and feel very comfy (layed on one in the camping store). When folded take up very little room and weigh bugger all. Even have their own carry bag. Would be a much more economical option than a camper trailer for such a trip. I’m will be getting the queen for our tent as the wife is a 5 star girl. They sell for between $160 and $200. I think BBQ’s Galore had them for around the $160 mark.

Wish I was coming with you. Whatever you decide hope you have a great time. Don’t forget to rub it in when you get back. Look forward to hearing all about it.

Regards,
Matt

Well 55 replied:

Ian, if you are starting from the north, and by the sounds of it you are. the approach to a lot of the dunes is at right angles and hard to get a run up, you will need low tyre presure in both patrol and camper, and one vehicle in front to pull you over if needed.

My last trip down the CSR was with a F250 tray back and he could carry all the extra fuel and water we needed, a most underated vehicle.

It can be done but with a lot of care and slow driving on the rough bits.

Member - Jim replied:

Ian

Yes you can do it. Myself and another troopy both did it with "Track" camper trailers in '99.
Whilst we reversed back down a number of dunes and "tried again" we didn't hold anyone else up. In your case you are travelling with others which will make it to the top of the dunes no problem and as you have a winch you can pull yourself the last several feet required.
We found that we had to winch on about 6 occasions that was in the difficult (lots of rope out) category.
Got to remember to take your time and be prepared to "tuff it out" in the middle of the trip (when you have replenished both fuel and water and are at your heaviest) and the going is tuffest (with a trailer).

Have a great trip
Jim

Member - Jim replied:

Ian

The "Track" weighed 680kg empty, and was probably similar to yours when everything was added (including additional water/fuel etc.)
We travelled as 2 vehicles/campers and for the total of the trip which came from the East and up the Canning, through the lower Kimberley to Broome, back via the Tanami etc. did not have one flat tyre. We had to replace a clutch slave cylinder kit whilst on the Canning and had one battery fail (out of six, 2 each vehicle and one in each camper).
When you get up nearer the top it would be good with the F250 in front breaking the branches and sticks so they don't damage your truck!!!, of course the F250 may do it a bit easier in other parts as the width may allow it to have both front wheels up on the sides of the wheel tracks out of the corrugations.

Its a great trip, start looking for a camp site a couple of hours after lunch because there are places where the spinifex growth is 6' high and no clearings for some time. Have a flag on an aerial or something, at least one person should leave their UHF on scan although most people are on Ch 10. Beware of single vehicles travelling (they don't have anyone to talk to so you don't know they are approaching), and as long as one of the group resets his oddo at each well you can give an accurate distance from/to to any approaching traffic.
We had one group estimate that they were at least 5kms from us, the radio was clear as a bell and a strong signal so we pulled up at the base of a sandhill and got a beer, next thing 18 vehicles came over the top.

regards
Jim
Regards