Canning Stock Route experience with family in Pajero

Jonathan,

You are going on the biggest adventure, I believe, a person can do in a 4WD in Australia if not the world. Planning for this trip will take from now until the day you leave. The pace notes from this site are great and very accurate.

Setting the vehicle up is the most important thing, having maps and pace notes will not do you any good if the vehicle breaks down.
First up have the vehicle checked over by a 4wd mechanic, not the dealer, but by some one who knows about 4wding. If you do not know where to go, see a 4wd shop and they might do that type of work or put you on to some one.
Have the suspension up graded to carry the extra weight and also carry at least one spare front and rear shock plus bushes for same. Next is all the belts for the motor. Have the belts changed before you go and keep the old ones for spares, if they are not too bad. The same with radiator hoses. Don't forget the coolant, engine oil, and diff oil. you only need enough for a top up 5lt of each should do.Tyres, have 6 all the same tread pattern and make with 2 tubes just in case and make sure the tyres are new. A puncture repair kit should also be included. A good compressor that will re seat a tubeless tyre on a rim is a must. Tyre pliers and knowing how to use them. All this should be done before you go at home. No good trying out the compressor on the track and finding it will not blow up a tyre.
A good jack and jacking plate or a exhaust jack, don't bother with a high lift jack, too heavy and no where to carry it. A good set of tools, electrical tape, fuses,spare nuts and bolts and cable ties.
UHF radio, EPIEB, and a Sat phone and/ or HF radio. Again know how to use them before you go.
As far as water goes there is a few wells that have good drinking water, fill all your drums or tanks when ever you can. We found good drinking water about every other day so it was not a big problem but you can not rely on there being water good enough to drink at every well. Carry enough food for the whole trip. We were going to top up at well 33 but after the locals had finished there was not much left. We were asked to wait until they had finished because it was pay day there and they stock up then.
Fuel is the next big thing. 270lts from Wiluna to well 23 is what we carried and the convey all had big 6 cyl diesels. Fuel was dropped off and we took our own hand pump to get it out of the drum. 200lt was then enough with what we already had to get us to the Tammine Track. In 2005 we paid $2.00 a litre for the fuel to be dropped off at well 23. At well 33, the only other place to get fuel it was $2.20 a litre. BTW they don't take credit cards at well 33 cash only and get there in there working hours or it is $15 per vehicle to open the pump.The same applies at Billuna

I think there are two important things that you must do.
Don't rush, we took 20 days from Wiluna to the Tammine Track with at least 4 rest days. We only travelled about 3 well per day or 100 klm.
The other thing is don't travel alone, go with at least another vehicle.

This as well as the other post should give you an idea of what to take and expect.

This may sound like doom and gloom and I am trying to put you off, but where you are going is the most remote 4wd track in the world.
I lead a convey for the first time last year and we had a ball, and can't wait until this July when I will take another group of thrill seekers for the adventure of there lives.

Have a good trip, take heaps of photos and enjoy.

Wayne

Hi Jonow.
We meet again.
Do a search on CSR on this forum and you will find at least 2 recent threads, plus the DVD I talked about on Paj.com
Rusty

G'day Jonathan,
You will have a great trip.
First time I went, in 87 I too drove a Pajero, a 3Ltr V6 auto and it was stock standart but with a long range tank, a roofrack and 2 spare wheels..
I too was a bit worried about the weight of the loaded car but all went well.
You will find that with the auto it will be much easier to get over the dunes, just let the auto do the gearchanges. Anyhow, you would have experienced that in the Simpson already.

Since the mid 90's I take a tag along groups that way about every 2 years.

Wayne already told you about what to take etc.
Fuel at Kunawarritji at present is $ 2.20 but expected to rise this coming season ( I phoned them about 2 weeks ago ).
One of my passengers on the 2002 CSR trip wrote a journal, it's here:
2002 CSR Journal

Take your time and "smell the roses",
Mike

Gday Jonathon

Wayne's advice is spot on.

As a minimum upgrade your shock absorbers but I would really recommend springs as well especially since your Paj has already done a bit of work. Go and talk to ARB at Osborne Park.

The CSR is a great drive, you wont have probs if you take it easy and don't hurry, 100kms a day plus a coupla rest days is a good plan.

You are a long, expensive way from anywhere if things go wrong so don't do it "on the cheap", especially with your family on board.

Comms are important, an EPIRB plus HF or Sat phone are a must. VKS737 HF Radio Network is the cheapest and most reliable way to go.

Regards
OB

To help you with your planning and to tell you what you might see or miss if you dont know about it I strongly suggest a copy of of "Canning Stock Route" by R & E Gard. They have done the CSR over 40 times. Its an excellent read and guide.