Trailer etc in the Simpson

Yes, be careful with the trailer....8-)

Now he owes me a beer if there 3rd-4th of July too.....8-)

Did you have diff locks (or any other modifications) on the Triton Ian?

I might add the reason Cunyu don't allow trailers is they have 20 or so rocky creek crossings with steep approach's & want trailers to detour to avoid getting hung up.
By the way, what is this "environmemtal issue" with trailers anyway? I'm yet to see a trailer digging up the sand ridges. Craig.................

I concur with this post. Just got back from the SD and would not recomend the WAA nor especially the French line unless you have heaps of sand dune experience. The Rig Rd was built on a harder base to transport heavy mining equipment.
Besides the usual allowances for fuel and water, tyre management is cruicial. Max 20psi including the trailer. You should take 2 spares for trailer + 2 for the wagon, hoses, belts, axles, springs etc. Use the "what if" factor - what if this breaks, or what if...... etc. You don't want to get stuck out there. It's a great trip and half the fun of the trip is in the planning. Go steady and good luck.

“The risk of bearings and axle failure is high due to the difficult
terrain & the risk is further compounded by the lack of support
facilities and services in the desert.”

This equally applies to vehicles, you couldn’t possibly say only trailers are prone to mechanical problems. If anything vehicles are worse, because they are far more complex.

“Consequently trailers are
frequently abandoned at great expense to owners and conservation
groups.”

What sort of trailers are we talking about here? The ordinary garden trailer or an offroad trailer?
At the cost of purchasing an offroad trailer, I really find it hard to believe that people, in the event of their trailer breaking down, would just abandon it with no thought of returning to retreive it.

“trailers are frequently abandoned”

If this is the case , why don’t we ever see pictures of these abandoned trailers? Would it be that any abandoned trailer, is only the ordinary garden trailer?

“There is currently NO FINE for towing a trailer through these areas,
but it is your responsibility to retrieve your camper if a breakdown
does happen & the cost is enormous.”

Doesn’t this equally apply to vehicles, or is the cost of retrieval less for a vehicle?

The context of posts and follow-ups on this thread shows that many have not ventured into the Simpson.

I have crossed the Simpson 3 times - in 89, 91 and 95 and my advice to anyone contemplating towing a trailer is 'forget it!' - at least on your first trip. Tent it the first time, and you will see the damage caused and problems that trailer towers have.

We have a custom built all aluminium camper trailer with a tare of only 420 Kg, and there is no way that I could enjoy a trip across the Simpson with it dragging me back on every dune. It certainly would be nice to have the convenience that the CT offers - but not worth the hassle.

“It certainly would be nice to have the convenience that the CT offers - but not worth the hassle.”

Isn’t that for the individuals to decide for themselves? What you consider a hassle, may not be for others.
The real issue, of deciding whether one should tow a trailer, is whether it is risky, or a cause of damage to the track or environment.

“The context of posts and follow-ups on this thread shows that many have not ventured into the Simpson.”

Okay, your saying from your experience don’t take a trailer, and you may be right. But also there are people who have travelled with a trailer, who say the opposite - that a trailer is fine. Who do you believe?

I ask this:
If towing a trailer is as bad as some say, then WHY haven’t the authorities already banned them?
And what is the actual damage that ONLY trailers cause?

I think Flappan and Bob have replied with the most useful, and realistic advice:

“Not the place to "practice"”