AnswerID: 255416 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007 at 22:40
Crackles
replied:
During the main touring season it makes very little difference. From the East the dunes are slightly steeper but generally smoother. From the west the approaches to the dunes are chopped up (from people with too high tyre preasures) often making run ups difficult. Either way it's a similar amount of effort to get over.
When the traffic dies down wind blows form on the crests making it far more difficult to come from the east, the main exception to this being
Big Red which has always been steeper on the West side.
Then you must decide if you want to end your crossing relaxing in the
Birdsville pub or soaking in the
dalhousie springs.
Never seen any actual stats but I'd say far more people start at the Dalhousie end so if you go the other way you could expect more head on traffic, some thing to watch out for as you crest the top.
On the main routes accross it really doent matter which way you go, it's not until you start heading cross country on say the Madigan Line that it makes a huge difference in the power & fuel required .
Cheers Craig...............
Reply 3 of 7
FollowupID: 516557 Submitted:
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007 at 22:56
Member - Duncs posted:
Someone had to give good advice Craig and it seems you are first.
I couldn't resist the little line about the woman who was walking, she really did look like she was doing it tuff.
When we did the SD in Oct 03 we went west to east and it was like a walk in the park. I was actually a little dissapointed at how easy it was. I do understand that it can and does vary depending on time of year, rain, wind,traffic and probably some other variables as well.
The thing that no body advised/warned us about was the lakes. We got a bit of rain, which is not uncommon, and even thought eh lakes looked OK they were the toughest part of our desert trip. Be really careful if you decide to drive across, check them out thouroughly before you commit yourself.
Duncs
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FollowUp 1 of 12
FollowupID: 516585 Submitted:
Thursday, Aug 02, 2007 at 09:28
Member - Duncs posted:
Nick,
I had 5 people on board and the Trak Shak following along behind. We had been away for a longer trip and the Simpson was the short cut home. I had also suffered a
fridge failure and bought a new one in Alice so I was carrying the extra
fridge too. The old one made a good, but rather heavy, eski.
I dropped pressures at Purni
Bore. Initially to 20psi but it pretty soon dropped to 17 where it stayed for most of the trip. When I got stopped on a lake I dropped to 15psi and then to 13 for
Big Red. (after I failed the first attempt.)
Like I say it was pretty easy overall. Just a couple of surprises like the lake to keep me on my toes.
Duncs
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| Content with where I am but looking for somwhere else to go. Pic 1 Eric the Emu at home Pic 2 camped on Cooper Cr |
FollowUp 5 of 12
FollowupID: 516655 Submitted:
Thursday, Aug 02, 2007 at 17:32
Crackles posted:
Gaday Nick. Over the last holiday period our club passed over 40 trailers being towed over the Simpson in a 3 day period, 1/2 of which were having considerable trouble to the point where couples were yelling at each other due to the stress. Overweight, too much air or just had no idea how to drive in sand. One car towing a camper had been stuck in the
Eyre Creek for 6 hours. Unfortunately a few experienced people cross the desert saying how easy it was to tow & so the novices say I'll give it a go with not the same result. Rain in the creeks, clay pans or salt lakes together with windblown crests make the area difficult for towing. I hope the comfortable bed made up for the hours of winching & towing many seem to do.
Cheers Craig.............
FollowUp 7 of 12
FollowupID: 516742 Submitted:
Friday, Aug 03, 2007 at 09:49
Nick R (VIC) posted:
Craig, hopefully my skill level is up there....
I learned to 4wd well before I learned to drive on the blacktop to I am not too bad in mud up to 12 inches deep.
Growing up on a farm you take for granted the 4wding you do every day so I may have more experience I give my self credit for....
That said, there is not much loose sand to practice on in southern Vic, some but not much....
Cheers,
Nick
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FollowUp 8 of 12
FollowupID: 516772 Submitted:
Friday, Aug 03, 2007 at 12:47
Crackles posted:
Gaday Nick. Certainly not having a go at your ability. My recomendations for towing in the simpson are 120+ KW in the tow vehicle, no more than 1.1 tonne all up for the trailer (car not to be over max gross) driver must be able to back the trailer 50m using mirrors & be prepared to drop the
tyres down to 15 psi or less. Ideally should have either driven the simpson before (without trailer) or at least practiced towing on sand like the big desert or
Robe etc. Although that can't always be the way there would no doubt be far less stress if people came prepared like that.
Cheers Craig.................
PS: just for an idea over the school holidays the mud in
places was a metre+ deep with the salt lakes of course being bottomless. You'll no doubt cringe when you see the holes people have dug them selves out of :-)
FollowUp 9 of 12
FollowupID: 516861 Submitted:
Friday, Aug 03, 2007 at 21:28
Nick R (VIC) posted:
1.1 eh, I should weigh it in some time.....
Metre+ that would be ugly, saw one like that in
the otways, said no way
120 kw, not sure a 4.2 patrol is up to that..... it will have to be!
under 15psi? no probs, what is 10 like?
Had a good bogging here once, 4 tractors and a commercial loader for the extraction, 630hp total power. wasn't a 4by tho.
see ya round mate,
Nick
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FollowUp 10 of 12
FollowupID: 516974 Submitted:
Saturday, Aug 04, 2007 at 21:50
Member - Duncs posted:
Nick,
The max GVM for the Trak Shak according to the compliance plate is 1100kg. It has a dry weight of 660kg. I have never had it on a weigh bridge fully loaded but with 80l of water, 60l of diesel and 20kg of LPG on board plus food and clothing and all the other junk you pack in when travelling it could be getting close to that.
I tow it with a 4.2TD GU. The 120kw would be hard to accept from the GU but it does have lots of low down grunt and that grunt stays there fat and flat right through to red line. It is not the perfect vehicle but for that kind of work it is hard to beat.
Just to give you a bit more info which might help, we travelled on each of the east/west tracks for part of the trip covering 600km from Mt Dare to
Birdsville. I used 130l of diesel.
Duncs
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FollowUp 11 of 12
