CSR

Scott

I second those thoughts

Cheers

Mick O's video below perfectly illustrates my last point.

Trawe, I traveled in a group of 6 vehicles all diesel - so we arranged for 2 fuel drums at well 23. There is some questions again whether this service is on or off at the moment.

I get your dilemma, it goes without saying you need to do the sums - what's your current fuel load and kpl with say 15-20 % margin for the 1000 k's from Wiluna to Kunawarritji ? Will carrying a couple of 10 litre containers make the difference? Roof rack? Parnngurr given you'll lose over 100 k's in and out...

Rear diff locks might help, however I managed to do it in an overloaded 40 series with Armstrong power steering and no diff locks. :-) Honestly, if you've been through the Simpson, then you'll know how to do this. Correct tyre pressure, get your gearing and run up right, you should be fine in the 70.

Most camp sites have little firewood as they get denuded by previous travelers - however plenty between the wells if you have the means to carry it.

If you go the fuel drop, then you'll need some form of pump (or siphon) and would suggest a fuel filter funnel for particulates and water. I am assuming the 70 is a diesel?

We got our fuel at Kunawaratji and even stayed the night in one of the cabins. It was bucketing down and a nice hot shower was most welcome to get some of the red sticky mud off. Fuel was "only" $3.80 a litre. Still maybe cheaper than modifying or purchasing a trailer. Long range tank and a couple of jerry cans as insurance in a 100 series 4.2 TDd.

Yep - Bucketing down. July last year.

Ha ha, love the "platform" on the Southern Cross windmill.

Never seen that done before, but would be a lot safer than some of the wooden platforms that are supplied, once they age a bit.

Thanks,
Bob.

Thanks Serendipity
Seems like your set up is much like ours. Did you do anything particular to prepare your vehicle for example, was your clutch standard? what spares did you carry? were you with others?
With thanks
Trawe

Hi Trawe
Yes we travelled with a group of regulars. Best mate & wife, his son, my son, 3 other mates and wives. All up 7 x cars. We travel a lot together so it works. Not for everyone.

I carried 3 x spare tyres on rims. One under the tray and two on the roof rack. You can see my 4x4 with my son topping up the water. Complete tyre repair kit starting with 'sticky rope' but also all tyre changing gear - levers, bead breaker, rubber mallet, soapy water sprayer, internal patches, glue etc. 2 x jerry cans of diesel, fuel filter funnel that gets water out of diesel (Mr Funnel - BCF), Tannami pump.
Full 2 x sets of wheel bearings & grease. Full set of Wheel nuts and Wheel studs for one wheel. (5 x), Spare uni joint (but you need to know how to fit one).
Also spare fan belt & how to install on VDJ v8 motor. Spare top & bottom radiator hose with hose clamps. Spare length of water heater hose & hose clamps.
Fuse for all bits. Lengths (1m) of electrical cable & all crimp fittings. Heavy duty jumper leads with spike arrester (400amp). Length of steel flatbar galv 1.5metre x 40mmx5mm. Length of flat bar 1.5metres 25mmx3mm. Plus I carry angle grinder with cut off disks and grinding disks, drill with set of bits & tek bits, box of assorted tek bits, extenstion cord, built in 240v inverter 1000/2000watts. MMA arc welding lead (+/-) with adapter to join two batteries together.
3 x spare fuel filters. 1 litre of engine oil.
Two sets of spanners/sockets - they are slightly different 10mm drive & 12mm drive. Extra tools like vice grips, long nose pliers, screw drivers, pry bar, punches, cold chisels, etc.
Nasa tape (repairs lots - can wrap a radiator hose or a fuel hose). Metal cement.
Tow chain, 10T shackles, snatch strap, 3T hand winch, High lift jack & wooden block for base, shovel,
Sand flag, UHF radio, EPIRB, SAT phone, GPS, 2nd GPS, hand compass, a couple of torches and headlamps, grab bag in cabin with lots of stuff in it - space blanket, matches, blah blah - if you have to get out in a hurry just take this.

And I wonder why I run a bit heavy. That is probably not all either.
I sort of just collected the stuff over years of traveling.

Cheers

Serendipity

Oh yeah for the CSR I added a full set 4 x of shock absorbers.

I did not go for those super duper tough dogs or such - too violent for the CSR but just normal heavy duty.

When I finished the CSR the ones on the car were RS - leaking oil. I have heard of guys with failed shockies and then breaking suspension because of the unlimited bounce.

Thanks Serendipity
What if any damage did the vehicles sustain? is there anything amongst that list you would not take if you were doing it again?
trawe

Hi Trawe

Roo bars without scrub bars broke loose or vibrated a lot. One need to be welded back on - 100 series with the crumple zone roo bar mount and no scrub bars.

One differential vibrated loose and lost all the oil.

One older 60 series broke the front leaf springs all bar the main spring.

One whole differential housing came loose from the leaf spring U bolts. Tried to tighten but we were afraid of snapping the U bolts. Should have tried harder because when finally taking them off at home there was no way the U bolts would snap.

One fuel tank split the seam - fixed it with metal cement. Sort of - still needed replacing.

2 Cars had fuel warning lights come on after refueling at Port Hedland. Changed fuel filters 3 times on each before the light stopped.

4 flat tyres in the group. Most were side wall puntures on A/T tyres with thinner sidewalls. I run Toyo M/T with really thick side walls.

One rear window on 100 series smashed out with load movement. Fixed with windscreen sun visor taped in with 100km/hr tape. (that is good stuff available at Bunnings etc.)

1 x cracked windscreen but OK to travel.

One smashed rear diff when nearly home again - 5000km journey and only 2km from home his diff just goes 'bang'. Who knows why - that was a hard one to predict.

One smashed radiator fan on the older 60 series. We think a stick flicked up and the fan was a bit old and hard. Lesson is to have a bash plate under.

Couple of smashed side mirrors - get a 70 series so you can pull them flat.

2 x smashed solar panels that where mounted on a slope at the front of the roof rack for wind deflection. Both of these were smashed on the way up on bitumen. We did top to bottom.

Snapped tow chain, snapped snatch strap, broken winch cable, all from being bogged on a mud flat. 5 out of the 7 cars were bogged. Took 6 hours to get everyone clear. Drum brakes on the cars bogged were totally full of mud and need a complete strip down before moving on. During that one of the wheel cylinders was broken when stripping down. Lucky one of the team had a spare.

One bent 70 series mag rim. Often we run low tyre pressure for the sand dunes and just found a small section of rock. The rim came down heavy and bend - instant deflation of the tyre.

None of these things happened to me luckily. Only thing I had was the undertray spare wheel drifted forward after it broke the retaining plate. I used one of the lengths of flat bar bolted under the tray to keep it in place.

I think that was all. Oh yeah - when I got home I found the trip had vibrated my two batteries dry. Go figure.

Cheers

Serendipity

Thanks Serendipity
Sounds as though the trip is more of a nightmare memorable for all the wrong reasons I think you have convinced me that it is not worth the stress.
However one final question. Is there one section ie Bililuna to Kunawarritji, worse than the other. Or are they both as bad as each other?

Trawe, I wouldn't say the trip is a nightmare, it just requires a bit of planning and logistics as you're a heck of a long way from anywhere if you need assistance.

What makes the Canning so challenging is also what makes it so interesting. It just doesn't settle down into any form of consistency. You'll encounter clay-pans as smooth as a billiard table, salt-pans likewise, rocky bits that will be slow going, of course sand-hills and sand dunes, and corrugations between most of the above. A few tracks of the main route will be low/slow driving.

In amongst our group we had a few probably not expected issues, a couple of shockies went south, a few mounting brackets cracked, a number of latches and catches worked loose, one fried battery, that sort of thing.

You just need to be prepared to the fact you will encounter a variety of conditions and makes sure you have necessary spares and tools to deal with them. Doesn't mean you will have issues, however you've just got to be prepared if you do. For example, our group had an 80 series, 40 series, 200 series, 70 series, a GQ, and a VW Amorok. Funnily enough, the only vehicle that didn't have a problem was the VW .... go figure !

Totally agree with Scott

It is a great adventure. Sure out of our 7 vehicles we had a few mishaps but it is rugged territory. We did over come all our problems because we were prepared.

It is not a trip for the casual amatuer.

Cheers

Hello Serendipity and Scott
While I don't consider myself a "casual amateur" having the spent best part of the last 15 years living in remote locations, Cape York, Western Desert 500ks west of Alice, Punmu 600ks east of Port Hedland and now the Kimberleys and I don't mean Weipa, Broome or Fitzroy Crossing. I have learnt from all the feedback that the CSR is not to be taken lightly. However there is no way I have the space to carry all the spares and tools you say are required in one vehicle hence my request to any who may be travelling the CSR later this year. My last question was is there any section of the trip better than the other ie is the section from Bililuna to Kunawarritji better than the section between Kuna and Wiluna? or both as bad as the other?
With thanks
Trawe

http://www.carnegiestation.com.au/facilities.html

Seems so.

Hi Trawe,

I would think that joining with others who are not known to you to do the Canning "could" become another kind of nightmare. There are those who want to do the trip in 10 days, others spread it out to 3 or 4 weeks and all shades in between. Some go like a bat out of hades with little regard for what happens to their vehicle while others prefer to go very slowly over the interminable infernal corrugations. If you find a group to travel with whose travel style is similar to yours you could have a great trip. But if you don't then everyone will be frustrated, stressed and unhappy. As others have said, the Canning is challenging, and the challenges take many forms.

Cheers

Thanks J&V
I would be amongst the slow travelers. On reflection I think you are right re joining others that is why we have always traveled on our own at our speed and where we go. From the way you write you have done the trip
did you travel in a group or alone? Would you be able to share your experience and recommendations.
Trawe

Hi Trawe
We prefer to travel slowly also. We have done some of the Canning and have written a short blog about it here though by skipping through some of the before and after blogs for that year you may glean a bit more of the context.

While we were on the Canning we heard regular calls over VKS737 from a solo traveller, and I think if my memory is correct we may have met up with them at Georgia Bore. They seemed to be going fine, just taking it slowly. While many people do the Canning in a group, solo travellers are not unknown. You seem to be an experienced outback traveller so with adequate planning and preparation is there any reason not to give it a go by yourself? Maybe a question to ask on here is for experiences of those who have done the Canning solo.

Cheers,

Val.