Gibb River road help.

Shouldn't be a problem , just take it easy on the tracks going into the gorges , sounds like it's set up right .
I did that trip in 1980 in a Sandman Panel van , i'll bet it was worse then and made it back to Melbourne .
Enjoy your trip
Colin

I have had a Suby and Landcruiser. I agree with Colin. Just take it easy. You should be fine for all the major spots for tourists along the road but I wouldn't go venturing much away from them. If you intend detouring up to the Mitchell Plateau however, that's another question. Not sure about that. It might be OK? Maybe not? I'd be inclined to play safe and give that detour a miss.
I'd watch the weather though. I wouldn't do it if there had been serious rain recently or if serious rain was forecast.

Hi Jamie,

We travelled the GRR last year but in the month of June. There was still a reasonable depth of water in the creeks but nothing too serious. The Pentacost crossing came up to about the front bumper on our Cruiser so around the 600 mm mark. The road itself can be smooth as or horror corrugations depending on the amount of vehicular usage and how long ago the graders have been over it. Lower your tyre pressures and take it easy on the bad sections. The creek crossings at this time of year would most likely be fairly low so easier to pick where the largish rocks are. This especially so about the side tracks to the various gorges.
As others have said, it sounds like you have your vehicle pretty well set up. While I have never owned a Subaru myself I have heard that they are quite a capable 4WD and will go places a lot of people wouldn't give them credit for. Maybe an extra spare tyre and some extra fuel, I have heard that the Imitji roadhouse is no longer open. There is a guy named Neville who trades as Over The ranges tyre service just west of the Mt Barnett roadhouse. As his name suggest he does tyres and also minor mechanical repairs. Not sure exactly what time of year he shuts up shop though. He heads out for the summer months.
Personally I reckon the biggest hazard is the large 4WD tour coaches with a time table to keep to. Give them a wide berth or risk windscreen damage.
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable experience in my opinion.

Cheers
Pop

Jamie, being a Forester owner I reckon (as others have said) you have covered most bases. My only reservation is water crossings. The air intake under the bonnet is not immune to water ingestion, and the often overlooked cabin air vents (hidden behind the rear bumper trim returns) will allow water into the wells behind the rear wheel arches. It will drain afterwards but can cause lingering mouldy smells and is a rust-starter.

After the Gibb I'm sure we'd all like to hear how it went.

Drove the GRR a couple of weeks back and the Pentecost was very low, just large round boulders to ride over and depth wouldn't reach the axle. Around Home Hill was pretty cut up with the blue/grey stone causing a few punctures around us - we got off without damage but probably luck as much as anything. Temperatures approaching 40 deg then so it'll be pretty warm.

Wow, lots of great advice. Thanks. I have a tilting towbar mounted fuel carrier which extends my range to 1000km or more, depending on conditions. I only have one spare tyre but also have tyre plugs and sealant...touch wood I guess! I'll let you know how things go!

Hi again Jamie.
Just to add something to the pot , I would definitely take another spare wheel with you , and avoid over the range tyres unless it's an emergency , I went in there last year , the tyres are double the price of a city and a worn out tyre is the same price as a new one , so buy a tyre to take with you and yes let your tyres down and don't go all that way and not go to Mitchell falls , your car will do it , just take your time , like I said, I did it all in a Holden panel van with no worries .
definitely raise the air intake .

Yep.
Source a spare.
Hubby and I had our last flat tyres about 20 years ago...until we did the Plenty, Tanami, Gibb, Savannah circuit a few months ago...
At one point we had 2 flat tyres on the trailer. When you put your spare on there is something inside you (Murphy?!) that says you will not make it to the next town before doing another tyre.
We marvelled at the puncture repair kit that stayed unopened in its packet. No slow punctures for us...we shredded them. And yet all those other gravelly outback roads that you read of people doing tyres-we did all those roads unscathed. Not the Gibb though!
There are big distances to cover and the roadhouses that say they fix tyres won't be able to fix the shredded ones!
We swore that all those sharp stones on the graded roads had our number plate and were looking for us, and it didn't matter how we drove or what tyre pressure-they still found us!
As hubby said, you could carry 3 spares and still shred them if it's not your lucky day, but why tempt fate?
The majority of the Gibb is accessible to you-ask along the way. We drove it in a beefed up/ not very conventional dual range Kia Sorento with no dramas. We met people at Mt Elizabeth who told us about a track that was damn hard going and we decided that it wasn't our cup of tea. And we got to Drysdale River Station and had to make the decision that Kalumburu wasn't possible because of the corrugations at the time.
But there was so much more that we could do!
Robyn :)
PS: Not booking in to the "bush camping" at Home Valley Station was our only regret-we booked in at the main camping area and then discovered how nice the bush camping area was on the edge of the Pentecost. Check it out before committing to your choice!

try posting on the Facebook group, The Gibb River Road, for the latest info from travellers.