Birdsville to Poeppel corner

I'd be leaving your van either at BRB camping area, or if you might be worried about it's security, at Birdsville 'van park.

The QAA Line isn't a van friendly track, regardless of how off-road your van may be. The Warburton should be still closed in early July, though it is 3 months away, but the cooler months take longer for wet conditions to dry out.

Bob

You mean One of these?

That ain't gunna happen.

I’d be leaving the van

Hi. I can only comment on the QAA Line option. Your first major obstacle is going to be Big Red and or Little Big Red. Following these you will need to conquer several hundred dunes.
The issue is going to be maintaining enough momentum and then having to reverse around the inevitable dogleg corners on the approach to many of the dunes. Many of the dunes have a sharp turn at the crest which is another momentum sapper.
From my experience, without towing, forget it.
Although "only" 165 km, even a return day trip is not easy. We started off very early one morning and then, on the return journey, camped for the night on the Eastern boundary of the N P.

Ok so QAA Track is a no goer, what's Warburton track like towards caravan?

.
Stasik, There is but one answer to your question.....
Caravans and motorhomes are not permitted in the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve, and trailers are discouraged. Do some homework, look up the SA National Parks webpage and particularly click on 'SAFETY'.

Quite apart from the Regulations, take the van, get stuck and require rescue and it will cost you thousands.

Hi Stan

If you are dead set on visiting the corner, buy a small tent or some swags, leave the van in Birdsville and take your time and experience the Simpson in a relaxed state, and not stressed to the max wondering how the hell you are going to get there and if you can get back in one piece.

We are no strangers to the Simpson, having travelled in many, many times and I have been searching through my photos to try and give you an example of what the dunes are like and showing that it is not just an afternoon drive in the largest parallel sand dune desert in the world, but will test any first time visitor and learn how to drive over the dunes without cutting the hell out of them.

These are typical Simpson dunes and do not show their true extent of how cut up they can be.






This image shows some of the way the dune surface is cut up with usually soft sand. Then at the top of many dunes, you will not know if the track goes straight over, or at the last moment takes a sudden turn to either the left or right.



This image will show you that the tracks are narrow, cut up dune face where speed will not get you over the dune, but low tyre pressures and experience. Sand speaking of experience, if by any chance you still went out there, what tyre pressures would you run?

If I to to in your vehicle, I would most likely by running around 8psi in your van and 10 to 12 psi in your tow vehicle. You might think these figures are a lot of bull, with trust me any higher that that and you will not 10 feet up a dune without bogging down.



This image shows that the inter dune corridor is in many places not just an simple drive. There are many mini small dunes that will slow you right down and then there is the larger and softer dune in the background to try and safely get over.



Look at the track leading to the top of the dune in the background. Cut up slow going and get your gearing wrong before going over the background dune, you will be stuck one again.



This dune shows that it is not flat going and the constant rock and roll will damage your vehicle, tow bar and caravan. I say tow bar for a very good reason, from experience that I have see on the Anne Beadell Highway.



I told the owner of this converted to be made off road van he would not get through in one piece.

The end result on when he reached Coober Pedy was nearly every side window broken from constant hard hits from very close vegetation, both side of the clearance lamps smashed, cracked chases on the van, but worst of all, a brand new tow bar cracked from the constant beating. Then to add to the trouble, the tongue bent with the constant un and down pressures. As we know, if you tried to bend one in a workshop, you would need an oxy and lots of very hard work, yet nature made easy work of it. The van was inspected at a workshop when they arrived in Coober Pedy, Insurance Companies where involved and the end result the van was a right off.



This example of a large inter dune swale showing the dune that needs to be crossed and you can make out the change in direction near the top of the dune, which no way of a fast run up.



There are many things in life that we would all love to do, but in reality sometimes it is just impossible, so if you are still sure that you can do it, the next question to answer is.....who is going to snatch you constantly over hundreds of dunes?



Some food for thought.



Cheers



Stephen

Stasick.
Leave the van somewhere , it would be stupidity to take it on the Simpson with no experience in desert travel

If you had desert experience you would not be asking the question .!
Cheers