jayco on the canning
Submitted: Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 09:17
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Member - rick g (NSW)
g'day
has anybody tried to take a jayco swan or the like across the canning?
am thinking of buying one so i can set up easier and take grandkids with me.
and figure if you get caught in bad weather you got a lot more room than i have in my camper
just a thought
rick
Reply By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 15:47
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 15:47
Hi Rick
I live near the CSR and the Tanami, and have performed many rescues, as
well as doing repairs on site, on both roads. I can only advise that if you take a Caravan on the CSR, do not bother insuring it, as it WILL BE destroyed.
Please, please, pay heed to what the others have said here, it is simply not even worth considering. I have trailers (including a car carrier) that I use on both roads, but I am a boilermaker and have purpose built the trailers. I would not even attempt to build a caravan for such a road, the wieght would be phenomenal.
Cheers
AnswerID:
440873
Follow Up By: Jeffie - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 17:00
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 17:00
Rick,
Did the CSR last year - take a tent - end of story.
You will be lucky if you dont have trouble with your vehicle on the CSR corrugations and sand hills, any sort of trailer will fall to bits, guaranteed.
Take no notice of those so called experts who have taken caravans and the like on the CSR as you would find that they had serious backup to get them out of the trouble they got themselves into and money was not a concern for them.
Also they appear not to consider the damage their caravans and trailers do to the track.
If you haven't experienced real corrugations you sure will on the CSR and you will wonder how your vehicle stays in one piece.
We bought a tent which has a centre pole - just 4 pegs and up with the pole.
Easily put up and down - most kids love sleeping in a tent as
well.
Jeff.
FollowupID:
712781
Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 17:26
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 17:26
Hi Jeffie
Whilst I appreciate the validity of your
well intended comments, I have no put myself forward as any kind of expert. I am just a local for this area, with 40+ years of bush driving and corrugation driving behind me.
I have recovered a lot of vehicles, and have purpose built some trailers for use specifically on these roads. The slow speeds that I use my trailers at do not cause damage, as I would be damaging my own vehicle by doing so.
I agree with you telling Rick to use a tent, but please do not "pay out" on people when there is no need to. I respect your opinion, and you have every right to give your opinion, but not to the negativity of others who care about this beautitful country as much as you obviously do.
Cheers
FollowupID:
712786
Follow Up By: Karunjie - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 19:22
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 19:22
Errr it's plain to see Jeffie is not having a go at you Marc so don't try and draw attention to yourself that way.
There are many
well known 4x4 "experts" in the public arena who make a big show of towing caravans and trailers down the CSR and produce videos and TV shows about it. If you do any sort of research you'll find they have a huge support team that keeds them going and you can bet you don't see the real goings on behind the scenes.
That is what Jeffie was talking about simple as that.
K
FollowupID:
712795
Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 19:27
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 19:27
Fair emough Karunjie
Not trying to draw attention, he dropped his reply under my response, so naturally I assumed he thought I was asserting some expertise.
I must watch more tv to see these experts, as I did not know of them.
I will say no further here, have a great week.
Cheers
FollowupID:
712796
Follow Up By: Fred G NSW - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 20:59
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 20:59
Would be nice if you apologised to Jeffie. We all knew what he was saying, pretty constructive I thought, and were baffled by your very negative uppercut ???
I hope he's not put off from further postings.
Fred.
FollowupID:
712816
Follow Up By: Jeffie - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 11:47
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 11:47
Marc,
Did not intend any offence. Maybe I did not site it correctly?
My remarks/advice are intended for those of us who rarely if ever travel these roads, not for those who live in the area and have a vast amount of outback experience.
I have travelled most of these roads over the past 20years but do not consider myself any sort of an expert in as much as I took a Tag Along Tour on the CSR
as I did not consider that I was experienced enough to do it alone.
Also my opinion is just that and nothing more - and more often wrong to boot.
Jeff.
FollowupID:
712865
Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 12:08
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 12:08
Hi Jeff
Cheers mate. Another member explained to me on MM (Members message) that the wrong button must have been hit. I do live in the area, but noone has a vast amount of experience, as the roads continuously change, sometimes from day to day.
I would be 200% completely lost in any town or city. I do frequently get "warned" by the
Kununurra Police that I drfive too slow sometimes, but it is what I am used to. Not illegal, but inconvenient for others.
Your opinion this time was extremely valid, a tent is the appropriate option, and probably a lot easier to use. I live in the area and still do not know what a tag along tour is, so I am not that informed either.
Cheers
FollowupID:
712872
Follow Up By: Jeffie - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 13:00
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 13:00
Marc,
A "Tag A Long Tour" is when your to frightened to go it alone ( my opinion only) so you pay an "expert" a whole lot of money to make sure you dont get lost and if you break down or get sick he arranges your rescue.
Plus they usually know what their doing and so can show you
places etc that you would probably miss.
Our group had 8 trucks in the party plus the leader.
Also saves you paying out for HF radios, Satphones, recovery gear etc that you probably wont get a lot of use out of normally.
We used to have all this gear but sold/gave it away a few years back thinking we had done enough rough stuff but then got the bug to do the last, for us, of the big outback
treks - the CSR.
Regards
Jeff
FollowupID:
712877
Reply By: Flynnie - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 18:38
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 18:38
Rick
Others have said how rough it is. It is narrow in
places as
well.
The scrub grows alongside and on to the track and is kept in
check by vehicles hitting and breaking off branches sticking a bit far onto the track. This does not do the vehicles any good.
Last year there were many times when I was taking hard hits on both sides at the same time driving through some of the track. On my trayback I had to fold the exterior rear-view mirrors in, they were taking so many hits. Fortunately on my vehicle it was the front of the steel barwork of the tray taking most of the hits and it did that with only the loss of a bit of paint.
Image Could Not Be Found
A caravan being wider could not go through without suffering severe damage.
A Jayco could be great for other trips but would only lead to grief on the Canning.
Flynnie
AnswerID:
440886
Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 21:16
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 21:16
Hi Rick
They are a great camper for the bitumen but you do not want your trip to end in tragedy like this:
Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be Found
These pictures were taken in August 2010 on the
Anne Beadell Highway. The poor owners of this fairly new Jayco found out the very expensive way that even though it was an off road unit, that is where it ended its life - "Off the side of the Road,
well track". Receipts from inside the van showed that it had only been there for less that 6 weeks. We could not see what had happened to the Jayco, as the "A" frame was still good and not broken, the axle was OK, yet stripped from the van. Perhaps someone may know the poor owner of this Jayco and they can fill us all in on what happened.
We felt very sorry for the owners of this once nice tidy unit.
Cheers
Stephen
AnswerID:
440899
Follow Up By: Fred G NSW - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 21:35
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 21:35
Stephen, I hope the poor buggers hadn't gone for a few hours to photograph
the desert????
FollowupID:
712820
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 22:07
Thursday, Jan 06, 2011 at 22:07
Hi Fred
The sad part is that they had covered approximately 3/4 of the Anne Beadell and the van was mid way between Vokes
Hill and Emu. They were travelling from the west to the east (I used to be an Indian tracker in my former life and I could tell by the faint wheel tracks left in the sand...LOL) and receipts still in the van show that they last stocked up on supplies in Kalgoorlie.
What a way to end a trip.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
712825
Follow Up By: Fred G NSW - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 14:41
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 14:41
Wonder if it was stolen one and just dumped after the trip across.
Whatever happened, what a waste.
Fred
FollowupID:
712890
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 19:21
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 19:21
Hi Fred
It was a real waste that is for sure. All the inside was very good and the mattresses were very good. Passing tourists have taken many things from inside and out. The owner even painted the sides of the van with Autoskin or similar, to stop the paintwork getting scratched.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
712935
Reply By: Shaker - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 09:37
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 09:37
Seems to be a lot of scaremongering here.
No, I don't think a Jayco would be suitable, but there are plenty of purpose built camper trailers that will.
We did the Canning in 2009, 4 vehicles & 3 campers. a Track Eagle, Pioneer Argyle & an Australian Offroad Odyssey, the only issue that we had for the whole 10,000km trip, was one leaking shock absorber on one of the vehicles.
The key to any remote Outback trip is .... preparation, preparation & preparation!
Also drive to suit the conditions, it is not a time trial.
I might add, that most of the information that we obtained to aid our preparation, was found right here on ExplorOz.
AnswerID:
440937
Follow Up By: Member Dick (Int) - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 13:59
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 13:59
Shaker
How true.
There are plenty of purpose built camper trailers that have successfully tranversed the CSR each year. As you correctly said, Preparation is the Key together with sensible driving.
I have recently corresponded with several who have towed campers on the CSR in the last few years and without exception they all say if they were doing the CSR again they would again tow their camper trailer. I did this as I am thinking of towing my Ultimate on the CSR this year.
The comment about the Jayco being unsuitable was very true, but as the thread progressed it became generalised that "you should/could not tow a trailer" on the CSR.
FollowupID:
712884
Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 16:15
Friday, Jan 07, 2011 at 16:15
Hi Dick
Recent rains and worsening roads have madfe it very difficult now to get any kind of trailer through, or caravan. There has been oficial consideration about not allowing such traffic for a while, but I have been led to believe that there will soon be some burning off done to thin out some of the vegetation. I am not sure if this is going ahead or not.
Cheers
FollowupID:
712913
Follow Up By: Member Dick (Int) - Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 13:58
Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 13:58
Hi Marc
Yes, have been reading about all the recent rains and for sure it would make towing a trailer very difficult indeed. Unless it was dry and had been for awhile, I would not attempt to tow a trailer. I will certainly be checking with you on track conditions in your area before we leave
Wiluna. I am leaving
Wiluna with three other ExploreOz members on 16th July. I have a good tent and a swag and will certainly take that option if there is any doubt. It is our intention to visit you in
Mulan if permits can be obtained.
I would also like to thank you for the priceless information and rescue/recovery
services you are able to provide.
FollowupID:
713040
Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 14:43
Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 14:43
Hi Dick
First things first, on the question of permits. If you let me know closer to the time when you expect to be here, I will let the office know, as you can actually get the permit on site after arrival here. That is never a problem.
The wife and I will also contact also contact come family members at Kunawaritji (
Well 33) to look out for the vehicles.
I appreciate the thanks for the information and recovery
services, wish others felt the same way sometimes. I would strongly recommend the tent and swag method, but who knows, if all goes to plan we may soon be out there
clearing up some of the CSR for travellers. At the moment it is too boggy in many
places to even consider.
Cheers
FollowupID:
713045