Bundaberg to Birdsville with c/van ??
Submitted: Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:38
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bennyzbit
Hi Folks,
Always wanted to visit
Birdsville. Is this possible or am I just being silly ?
Just planning a 2 month trip for next year after the hot weather ends. Is it sensible/possible to pull a Coromal 17 foot pop top to
Birdsville.
Bundy, Mundubbera,
Chinchilla, Augethella,
Charleville,
Quilpie, to Windora seems fine by my maps but the last section
Windorah to
Birdsville is (our map/knowledge) unknown.
Are we better to leave the van at Windora and and do the "to
Birdsville leg" with just the 05 Patrol ?
Thanks,
Benny
Reply By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:45
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:45
The only issue may be rough roads but they usually keep that road in fairly good nick. Can get a bit corrugated in
places but as long as the van can handle that it should be fine.
AnswerID:
390968
Reply By: Ozhumvee - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:53
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:53
If you drive to the conditions, slow down when necessary etc, then a bit of gravel rash under the van will be the only problem. There are plenty that tow vans to
Birdsville, it is how it is done tha causes the problems. Good LT tyres are necessary and a couple of spares as getting tyres of the correct size can be a problem in remote areas.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Teege (NSW) - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:09
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:09
Benny
As has been said, the road from
Windorah is usually pretty
well maintained. I have seen lots of "on road" vans in
Birdsville. If you take it easy you shouldn't have a problem. Just for safety's sake ask the people in the info centre at
Windorah about the condition of the road. We have found them very helpful, and their local knowledge is fabulous. Be prepared to spend a couple of days in
Birdsville, there's heaps to see and do.
teege
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:50
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:50
Hi Benny,
Maybe I struck a bad year but there is no way I would advise taking an on road van along the
Windorah-
Birdsville stretch. Plenty of gibber strewn km's between these two
places with very little in the way of relief from this. I usually err on the "she'll be right" side of life but after going there I would advise leaving the van in
Windorah and just taking the Patrol out there for a couple of days or more. It is a fabulous town and the surrounds are just as spectacular, very much worth the trip. Try and find
Dingo Caves and spend a sunset out there (ask when you get to
Birdsville).
If you must take the van, allow for plenty of 20kph driving. With 300 odd km's between the two towns thats about 2 solid days at this speed. I did it in about 7 hours but that was with a
well equiped offroad caravan, the last 60k's took me 1 1/2 - 2hrs, it was murderous conditions.
Safe travels,
Trevor.
AnswerID:
390972
Follow Up By: Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:55
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 09:55
Benny,
Here is a
link to a thread where I posted pics of my
water tank guard after coming back from out there. You will need to scroll down the thread to see the pics but you will get an idea of what will happen under the van from these photo's. Prepare the van
well if you intend on taking it out there.
Hope it helps,
Trevor.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 16:14
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 16:14
Trev,
I had a similar problem with my camper trailer.
It has a 13mm thick wall camel 'plastic'
tank, but it was getting pretty chipped as
well.
Put a sheet of 5mm rubber down in front of it. Didn't want to go back under the
tank so it doesn't pick up stones and mud from
water crossings.
Also found that the electricals for the brakes across behind the axle came adrift with the stones breaking the heavy duty zip ties. They would only last about 150k on dirt. Ended up using fencing wire, all good now.
FollowupID:
658843
Follow Up By: Member - Sigmund (VIC) - Friday, Nov 13, 2009 at 08:31
Friday, Nov 13, 2009 at 08:31
Yeah, I had the same prob with zip ties for the brake wires across the axle.
Good fabric tape lasted longer.
FollowupID:
658925
Follow Up By: Trevor R (QLD) - Saturday, Nov 14, 2009 at 08:04
Saturday, Nov 14, 2009 at 08:04
Absolutely anything under the van cops a battering, like you guys my brake wires cop it, my
water tank lines cop it and even the spout off the side of the
tank where the
water line attaches to has completely broke off twice (it now has a brass barb which has solved this) but all this has only helped me make a more bullet proof setup for the next trip. None of this will stop me from taking the Supreme out there, it was born to do it (or at least bought to do it hehehe) but not all vans/trailers are meant to go out there.
Wonderful country,
well worth the effort needed to get out there.....and make it back.
Regards, Trevor.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: bennyzbit - Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 19:37
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 at 19:37
Thanks everybody for your advice. I will take it all onboard. Thanks especially re the heads up re possible damage to the vans
water tank and the electrics from stones.
Just a thought if the underside of the van can be so damaged I wonder what damage we will inflict on the towie without ever knowing.
Benny
AnswerID:
391032
Follow Up By: Member - Tony Z (NSW) - Friday, Nov 13, 2009 at 02:12
Friday, Nov 13, 2009 at 02:12
Just another tip Protect your rear window of the towing vehicle from stones and gravel that are thrown up and rebond of the van/trailer
I had a rear mudflap all way across my vehicle plus used a beer box taped on but did see protectors made from those honeycomb for sale signs. good luck
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Trevor R (QLD) - Saturday, Nov 14, 2009 at 07:57
Saturday, Nov 14, 2009 at 07:57
Yep, Tony is right. I have just found out the hard way. I have always taped beer cartons to my rear screens of the Patrol but this year made a u-beaut stone guard and said "she'll be right" I won't need the beer cartons this year.......ummm not correct......smashed rear screen replacement new $900 but luckily I was able to source a second hand one for $275....lesson learned, tape the beer cartons to the screen regardless of your stone guard on or not.
Regarding damage to tow vehicles? You will always tell a vehicle that has done plenty of outback
miles but I reckon that is to be expected, after all that is what I bought
mine for. It is only character marks if you ask me hehehe.
Cheers, Trevor.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Doug T (NT) - Sunday, Nov 15, 2009 at 17:51
Sunday, Nov 15, 2009 at 17:51
Tony
Good one, I was reading down to see if anyone mentioned the rear window , but smiled when I saw the comment about the beer carton, thats what I used on my Rocky in 1997 , cheap and it works.
Trevor
You wouldn't know what murderous conditions were...(TIC) when the section of
Winton -
Boulia still had 88Klm of Dirt back in 1981/2 it used to take up to 6 hours in the Roadtrain Car Carrier I was driving, later on around 1985/8 I took huts into Chillago, from Almaden to the race course is 5Klm , that took 15 minutes . But then I'm more happy off the bitumen as on it,
.
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Follow Up By: Trevor R (QLD) - Sunday, Nov 15, 2009 at 19:59
Sunday, Nov 15, 2009 at 19:59
:-))) Nope I wouldn't know murderous conditions.......I'm way to
young to tell the real tall tales hehehehe and how much easier things are for the youth of today LOL!!! ;-))
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