caravan on gibb river rd
Submitted: Monday, Sep 16, 2013 at 20:37
ThreadID:
104351
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Replies:
6
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Nev S
hi all we have a jurgens lunagazer caravan it is fitted with alko rubber torsion bar
suspension would this be suitable to travel on
gibb river rd
Reply By: Member - Peter H1 (NSW) - Monday, Sep 16, 2013 at 20:41
Monday, Sep 16, 2013 at 20:41
Please read thread # 104349. just before yours.
PeterH
AnswerID:
518256
Reply By: Member - daz (SA) - Monday, Sep 16, 2013 at 22:57
Monday, Sep 16, 2013 at 22:57
Hi Nev
The Gibb is not for caravans unless you want to wreck it. Most of the stations that have camping such as
Home Valley have workshops doing repairs on broken under carriages of vehicles & trailers. To get a repair done you hand over your credit card details & wait in line for your turn.
Daz
AnswerID:
518268
Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 00:58
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 00:58
Hi Nev
While you will get tales of people who had no problems, my advice is for anyone without a dedicated off road caravan, take a tent and do a loop with the highway, taking in
Geikie Gorge at
Fitzroy Crossing, and Purnululu where you can't take a caravan anyway. While the distances are not great, and the road usually not as bad as some other longer corrugated inland routes, bear in mind the the following:
If you take your caravan and have a
breakdown, be prepared to pay between $10,000 and $20,000 to be recovered from remote areas. Is it worth the risk? Motoring organisation roadside assist policies will not pay much towards large amounts. Even if all goes
well, every corrugation is doing damage which will show up eventually – maybe while you are somewhere else remote.
Google “Should I take my off road caravan on the
Gibb River Road?” for the full story.
Motherhen
AnswerID:
518272
Follow Up By: member - mazcan - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 12:37
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 12:37
hi motherhen
I wonder if they will ever get around to sealing the GRR
does anyone know if its slowly being upgraded to a pre-seal standard
or is just maintained to basic gravel standard on an irregular basis
cheers
FollowupID:
798081
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 13:32
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 13:32
It has been sealed from the north east to the
El Questro turnoff and further upgrading done to the
Pentecost River crossing. Full sealing is not on the radar yet, so considering the costs, it would be many years, even decades away.
Mh
FollowupID:
798085
Follow Up By: member - mazcan - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 13:53
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 13:53
thanks motherhen
yes I understand the rugged terrain and yearly events of cyclone flooding makes it an extremely expensive programme
if it was on the east coast where most of the pollies live it would have been done years ago
cheers
FollowupID:
798087
Follow Up By: John and Regina M - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 23:49
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 23:49
Very simplistic.
Population supports
infrastructure.
Just because a bunch of oldies converge on the area for three months of the year doesn't mean the community should spend what it might cost to upgrade the road.
Come prepared. Slow down. You can travel the GRR on a bicycle. So travel to the conditions and get back
home on budget.
FollowupID:
798133
Reply By: Member - Jefec (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 19:12
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 19:12
Hi We have a Geist 485 which has a similar build to the Jurgens exept BPW not Alko, which has been taken thro'
kakadu,
Oodnadatta track & other rough tracks here in WA do have to keep the speed down <20kph, also have airsafe hitch yet to try dropping tyre pressures for hard corro' expect to be able to get up 40kph. No chassis problems, few loose screws inside so keep checking & take it easy. Cheers
AnswerID:
518305
Reply By: Nev S - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 19:28
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 19:28
Thanks everyone for your reply's. Think we'll store the van somewhere & tent it. Sounds a lot safer:)
AnswerID:
518307
Reply By: Ron N - Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 22:15
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 at 22:15
The Alko rubber torsion bar
suspension is a cheap and nasty
suspension that has very little
suspension travel, and this setup is designed for good sealed roads only.
I used this style of
suspension on my work trailers and fuel trailers a number of times back in the 1970's and 1980's, and it has no durability at all on rough roads.
I went back to spring
suspension with greased shackles - proven, simple, repairable, and durable.
If you want a durable
suspension for rough work, it has to be a robust
suspension, solidly mounted, and have long wheel travel.
AnswerID:
518329