I got asked again this morning the following question.
"I'd like to come do a tour with you, probably not June 2022, but 2023, what modifications should I do to my vehicle in preparation for a crossing of the
Simpson Desert with you?"
I'm about to undertake my 23rd crossing as a tour leader and my answer is "As few as possible."
In my experience it is the heavily and especially hastily modified vehicles that suffer the most - I can tell you quite a few horror stories.
So if you keep the load light and don't go stupid with the amount of stuff you carry and if you don't drag a trailer.
Then the main things are-
Car in good condition, serviced and maintained
Tyres with preferably at least 70% tread
Suspension in good condition
Sufficient fuel to complete the crossing- preferably in the tanks not jerry cans if possible. (Mt Dare has a web page with great recommendations)
Min. 25 L water per adult
Cargo barrier for safety
One snatch strap per car and means to connect it to a rated recovery point/s
Some critical spares- hoses, belts fuses
This is pretty good advice for a private convoy too, except that due to what I carry for everyone, you may like to add some things that are shared and spread across several vehicles eg. a bit more water 30L per adult. (this is really only in case you get stuck for a few days waiting for the track to dry). recovery boards, tyre repair, compressors etc. What do you recommend for a convoy?
Many people are concerned that they need lots of recovery gear but if each vehicle carries a little it is plenty. The main trick about recovery is this one - avoid having to do it.
Some general rules of thumb.
If you are spinning your wheels on the sand, deflate more. You should be able to ascend most Simpson Dunes at very low speeds. If you can't without spinning ,then your tyres are too hard.
In the gibber country or where there are no sand dunes, do not drive off the road to avoid the water. Do not get even close to the edge of the road. If there is water across the road, stay on the hard packed road.
In the
sand dune country where there is extensive water in the swale (not just puddles)- do not drive through the water. Drive on the sand and detour around the water. Always detour north. Never drive to a point further into a bog than you have recovery gear to reach to.
The Canning is a different story.
Please feel free to add comments and suggestions.