simpson thoughts
Submitted: Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 12:34
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jeff360
just returned from
the desert we had one trailer with us, travled from
birdsville to mt dare on the french line,
a while ago i posted a question about where damage would be done to a trailer, in
the desert or getting to
the desert, info was
the desert would cause the most damage, after this trip i dissagree, all damage was done getting to
the desert, "trailer cause track damage" what a laugh, i saw more damage to the track by ifs as they bottom out cars and 4bs with too hard tires, with correct pressures the trailer actuall smoothed out the steps on the dune face, only one dune the trailer needed help.
we talked to alot of people coming our way and most had been strugling going the "easy" way, we also noticed there tires looked hard too.
we ran 14 in the front and 18 rear in the cruiser, patrol/trailer 13 front 15 rear 13 trailer. any way thats some of my thoughts about
the desert crossing, now back to planing the next simo crossing, the bug has bitten.
Reply By: marq - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 12:52
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 12:52
What was the weight of your trailer?
Did your require any help with crossing some of the dunes?
AnswerID:
378505
Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:02
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:02
tyre size and rim width would be nice to know!! Michael
FollowupID:
645877
Follow Up By: jeff360 - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:22
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:22
dry weight is 600kg, loaded with
water and 4 jerrys of fuel and gear, maybe close to 1000gk, tires 31' 10.5, rims 15 x 7
i was in the landcruiser with no trailer, so i did not need any help, the patrol and trailer needed help on one dune, he got his front
wheels over the crest and started to bog down, if we even gave him a push he would have made, but we snatched him any way. we had a delica with us also, it needed to be snatached 3 times
FollowupID:
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Reply By: blueriderwa - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 12:55
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 12:55
Thanks for the feedback jeff i am interested to hear and learn anything i can about crossing anywhere with a trailer. We are heading around oz in October for 12 months and i would love to be able to show the family
the desert. I am not experienced in the areas you have mentioned but have done a fair bit of 4wding. To be honest I hear such mixed reports about how easy or hard or right or wrong it is to go into
the desert with a trailer i think i am just going to have to try to hok up with someone along the way so we can give it a go. cheers dave
AnswerID:
378506
Reply By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:17
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:17
Hi Jeff
I would agree with you that more damage occurs on
Birdsville track than the nice soft dessert sand.
Mind you, one needs to get any salt laden mud out off the car afterwards.
About which vehicle causes the most, ultimately it has to any vehicle with undriven
wheels which mostly means trailers.
Certainly right tyre pressures etc can help and should be followed but really its not meant to be a highway and overall I think track damage issues are much over rated.
AnswerID:
378508
Follow Up By: jeff360 - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:31
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:31
i thought i would put this in because all the info i could gather about trailers was that they cause the track damage and in my experiance it was not the trailer causing the damage. funny thing is though that with about 30min gap in the convoys, with the wind blowing most track damage was gone beacuse the track was dissapearing.
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Reply By: Member - Wim (Qld) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:57
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 13:57
jeff360.
Like many subjects on this
forum you will get a lot of opinions, which is a good thing.
I have travelled the Simpson a number of times both on the tracks and across country.
I have good friends who have lived many years in
Birdsville and seen first hand what poor driving in
the desert can do.
Many trailers are dragged through
the desert by people not fully aware of how best to travel
the desert.
I have also travelled with a guy who drives an F150 and tows a trailer. This guy can travel across country and leave less damage to the dunes than people who know what they are doing but "not" towing a trailer.
I have also watched as a traytop worked is way up a numerous sands dunes cutting a set of stairs as it went.
I believe damage to the dunes has far more to do with person behind the wheel than the vehicle or whether its towing a trailer.
JMTBW
regards
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:01
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 14:01
Yep!!
Agree 100 percent.
FollowupID:
645883
Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 20:55
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 20:55
Saw a similar problem last week
We were going to Cape
Peron just travelling quietly up the track in the sand,
tyres down, trying to stay out of the ruts and enjoying the scenery.
Along can a Hilux and a
Sorrento Loaded to the max, the
Sorrento had 4 pass
and all the back chocka .
Both going like the clappers, tyres obviously hard.
We let them past then followed the ruts where the
Sorrento was surfing on
the raised centre of the track.
The Hilux was chucking sand everywhere bouncing up and down on the long
corrugations obviously caused by others travelling like him.
Absolute clowns.
No wonder tracks get closed with idiots like this around but try to tell them and what happens.
Its just not worth it.
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