Campertrailers & Simpson Desert - AGAIN !

As this subject has been canvassed 'ad nauseum' on this site, the short answer is, that taking trailers across sand dunes, is inadvisable as this may damage the track across ther dunes and make life difficult for those who follow. Some 'authorities' frown on travellers who enter their domain with trailers for whatever reason but as far as I am aware, there is no law against taking trailers anywhere. Cheers W

Brad

I belong to the volunteer group " The Friends of the Simpson Desert Parks" , the official line is asking/pleading with people NOT to take trailers into the desert.
I have been visiting and crossing the desert since the early 80's.
On my first trip we did take a camper and tinnie acrossthe desert but the rig rd was 2wd, there were full blooded road trains hauling supplies across. Since exploration has ceased the tracks are not maintained and each year they deteriorate further due to increased traffic and the weather. I have towed a camper across in the last few years but in my opinion it is too hard on both the towing vehicle and the trailer.
It seems that the majority of people crossing the desert do not deflate their tyres enough or at all which leads to track damage, scalloping and corrugations. This combined with excessive speed (I crossed in 3 days syndrome) accelerates the track damage.
Vehicles towing trailers then have to really push the vehicle to get over the dunes creating even more track damage.
There are many people that have towed trailers across with no problems but there are also many that do have big problems and each travelling season finds at least a couple broken and abandoned which then have to be removed by either volunteers or the rangers.
Conditions can and do vary from day to day and even hour to hour depending on temperature, wind, rainfall(rare) and amount and direction of traffic.
In my opinion these days the rig road is just as hard as the french line and in some sections harder due to the lack of traffic and the large sand blows on the crests, you are also travelling further and are further from assistance if it is required.
At the moment the decision is yours but not too far down the track I expect trailer towing will be banned.
Parks ask that you do not take trailers or campers across the desert.
Peter

Try the Camper Trailer list

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/campertrailers/
500 members and Australian list owned by Ari.. Good people.

I was fortunate to do the French line last year having done the Rig Road etc. several years earlier. The contrast in track conditions (on the French Line) was considerable. Whislt I was challenged by a few dunes in my 3.0TD Lux it was nothing compared to those few towing trailers who needed higher speed (land and air) followed by lots of churn to get up some of the larger dunes. If you have an opportunity to witness the duress this equipment is put under and the effect this also has on a dune I rekon you'll leave the trailer at home.