Why do lots of member trips say no campers please

Submitted: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 14:07
ThreadID: 86211 Views:4348 Replies:7 FollowUps:16
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Hi,
Just having a read regarding intended trips that members are planning and just wondering why a number of them don't want camper trailers along.
Thanks
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Reply By: Hairs & Fysh - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 14:30

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 14:30
I guess the reason is that these trips are pretty remote & ruggered and the last thing people want is a broken camper trailer to try and get back to some where to fix.
Makes sense to me.
AnswerID: 453949

Reply By: Mick O - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 15:59

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 15:59
I just had a look as I was a bit perplexed myself. Out of the 11 trips planned, only two are requesting “no Trailers please” and both of these are on the Canning. The Canning has restrictions on trailers between wells 5-9 and given the long, arduous nature of the trip, it certainly takes it’s toll on vehicles and equipment. Trailers in particular take a pounding. Also the terrain involved in the Canning means that a certain degree of difficulty in negotiating the terrain is added to any vehicle towing.

Cheers Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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AnswerID: 453966

Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:53

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:53
I think the only restriction is Wells 1 - 5.
We had 4 vehicles, 3 with camper trailers & had no problems whatsoever.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:44

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:44
Yep my apologies it's between Canning wells 2 and 5 for no trailers and wide tracked vehicles. Shaker, that's a good effort for your team.

Cheers Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 20:13

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 20:13
Thanks Mick, the reason our 4th vehicle had no trailer, was that he would lead at the dunes & if one of us had a problem, he could just snatch us over the top, to save chopping up the track. It worked very well.
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Follow Up By: Member - DickyBeach - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 20:35

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 20:35
Hi Mick,
I'm sorry to say that I have to disagree about the CSR taking a toll on a trailer although I hasten to add that it's 8 years since I did the CSR towing a Kimberley Kamper.

I had zero difficulty but perhaps this was because I took everything slowly and drove to the conditions - none of this "let 'er rip" attitude to the dunes.

My #7590 may be of interest.

However, the corrugations may be worse today after a further 8 years of travellers doing the trip.

Cheers,
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 21:40

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 21:40
Richard, you were also towing a state of the art camper and one that is recognised for its build quality and its suspension set up. You could not compare the KK or an Ultimate camper with the vast majority (I'm making a gross generalisation there but you know what I mean) of entry level or generic campers and/or plain trailers out there today. Take my homemade quad trailer. It's robust, solid and built with rough travelling in mind and yet it's copped a flogging over the past couple of years and suffered issues. From recollection the Ulti's have Konig shockers and I'd presume the KK have similar. This is on top of incredibly robust independent suspension systems and a construction that's intended to stand up to a pounding. How would your GIC "4x4" camper stand up to the prolonged corrugations of the Canning, Gunbarrell or Anne Beadell? You are right in that driving style and preparation have everything to do with vehicle and equipment survivability but the quality of the equipment plays an even bigger part. What I'm saying is that anything will take a pounding out there and it will break...eventually. Even KK's break (well bits rattle off them more than them falling apart). Even the best of accessories will suffer and fail in prolonged arduous conditions like the canning. Yes you probably could successfully pull a $3,500 dollar Chinese made camper trailer along the Canning if you took it very (sorry that should be VERY, VERY) slowly and carefully. Conditions on the iconic tracks today take their toll and many recent threads on the ABH in particular reinforce that.

Wish I could afford a KK or Ulti. They are the bees knees.

Cheers Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

Lifetime Member
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 23:13

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 23:13
TRACK DAMAGE CAUSED BY TOWING TRAILERS ALONG CANNING STOCK ROUTE
Australian National Four Wheel Drive Council (Four Wheel Drive Australia). Plan to use your swag or tent and leave your camper trailers at home. More than the usual wear and tear caused by travellers towing trailers is of great concern to our fraternity and the locals. Part of the attraction of this route is the challenge of driving through such a vast wild natural area. The track is not maintained and for the few who drive it each year this great experience is being lessened by track and roadside damage caused during attempts to haul trailers over dunes in particular. Nobody wants a highway through this area but it does need suitably set up vehicles to traverse its challenges. With improved durability in camper trailer design, the track is now the weak link rather than the equipment. The damage caused by towing trailers highlights that these are not appropriate for this route.

Four Wheel Drive Australia request that trailers not be taken on the Canning Stock Route.


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Reply By: vk1dx - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:00

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:00
We often have them in the club trips. Mainly the ones to the Vic Alps are "no trailers/campers/vans".

Too rugged where we plan to go.

But to be fair we do make sure that they are catered for on other trips.

Phil
AnswerID: 453967

Reply By: Mr Pointyhead - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:26

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:26
[Flameproof suit on]. There are places that people with camper trailers go where they really should not. The reason is the extra track damage that is done draging camper trailer through. Also the effect on other travellers in the area.

I got caught behind a group with a few camper trailers on a high country track for a couple of hours once while they traversed a rough section of track. By the time they got through there would have been another 20 or 30 vehicles behind me, also stuck waiting for them.

For me and others without a camper trailer, the section they got stuck on was "easy" high range 4x4. However, those with trailers did a lot of damage to the track draging there camper trailers through that vehicles without camper trailers would drive through with just about no track damage at all.

In my case I was on a day trip, so losing a couple of hours out of the day really ruined the day for me and my passengers. Remember this was a otherwise easy track that I had planned on only taking a few minutes to drive through.

The other place I have seen problems is on very narrow roads. For example the western access to McKillips Bridge across the snowy river. it is signed posted as no trailers because it is long and narrow and there are places you may need to reverse a distance to get arround other cars. Yet I have seen idiots ignore the no trailer signs and then expect everyone else to reverse out of their way because they cannot back their trailers or fit into the passing spots with trailers attached.

[Flameproof suit off].

AnswerID: 453970

Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:56

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 16:56
If you were behind them, how do you know that they did the damage?

Maybe it was existing damage slowing them down, caused by bogans with massive wheels & tyres getting their rocks off by driving back & forth through mud holes!
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Follow Up By: Rosscotd105 - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 17:07

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 17:07
Hey there Mr. Pointyhead,

I think you have sort of hit the nail on the head there. I don't necessarily agree that camper trailers are the problem, but some PEOPLE take campers where they really should not!

Case in point your example, an experienced driver with well set-up vehicle towing an offroad camper shouldn't have had any problem towing through an easy high range 4x4 section of track. If at all possible, courtesy would suggest letting you and other vehicles through as well, especially if it was only a short section of track.

A lot of track damage is done around this country by inexperienced drivers (Both with AND without trailers).

And to the original poster, I guess some members trips request this because they don't want to (nor should they have to) accept responsibilty for some one towing a trailer if things go wrong.

Have a good one.
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Follow Up By: Member - Jason B (NSW) - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 21:56

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 21:56
I agree with Shaker.

I have a KK and will take where I want to go. It is knuckle heads that dig up traks not responsible users. As for them being slow they were ahead of you.....
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Reply By: four-and-the-great-outdoors - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 18:35

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 18:35
Thanks again everyone - so much to learn.

I bought a camper trailer mag for the first time today and after seeing some of the pictures, I have now come to realise what some of the tracks are like...I really had no idea before hand.

I can now fully understand why on some routes you would not want to take a camper trailer.

Thank goodness I asked...
AnswerID: 453988

Follow Up By: Hairs - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:25

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:25
Swing on by My Swag
These guys know the in's & out's of camper Trailers.
They'll point you in the right direction about how to set your rig up.
It's a big country.
Happy trails.


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Reply By: OREJAP - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:37

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 19:37
One reason for the "No Trailer" is when travelling tracks in the high country it's common sense & an written rule that any vehicle coming down a steep mountain track has right of way over a vehicle ascending that track. Trying to reverse a trailer down a narrow track can prove very difficult just liike reversing back up it.
AnswerID: 453994

Follow Up By: ted - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 12:25

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 12:25
I may be wrong but I thought it was vehicles going up hill that had the "unwritten" right of way!
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Follow Up By: OREJAP - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 13:07

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 13:07
No. Those coming down have right of way it's easier to back down than up. That's the way I was taught....still difficult with a trailer behind you!!
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 14:46

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 14:46
It is easier to get restarted going downhill!
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Follow Up By: AGNI4x4 - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 18:30

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 18:30
It's up has right of way for me ................... break a vehicles momentum and he not be able to get going again .................. Shaker has it.
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Follow Up By: OREJAP - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 20:27

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 20:27
Hi AGNI4X4, I think Shaker is saying coming down has right of way which is what I am saying. Have you ever met a vehicle coming up a steep climb & you believe he should back up the hill. Don't think so. The correct method is for the vehicle going up to reverse back & allow the vehicle coming down the right of way. It's easier to do a key start backwards & try & attempt a key start in reverse going up the track!!! Never seen it done in 40 years and as an ex instructor I have never done a reverse key start UP a track backwards...LOL especially with a trailer on the back which is what this post is all about
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 22:27

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 22:27
We enjoy travelling with our Tvan, but theres a few desert trips (and some high country trips) where it just isn't worth towing - too much extra weight, strain on the vehicle and more likely to get stuck. So on those trips, we roll out a swag - trailers are not that important.
AnswerID: 454024

Follow Up By: Kitchenware Direct - Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 22:47

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 22:47
Yep - simple as that.
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