Gibb River Road
Submitted: Monday, Dec 01, 2003 at 22:59
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RD
Have been told that there are now signs either prohibiting, or advising against towing caravans and trailers on the
Gibb River Road, can anyone confirm?
Reply By: Member - Melissa - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 00:07
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 00:07
RD,
Can't comment on the signs but I was very recently sent a copy of the 2003
Gibb River &
Kalumburu Roads Travellers Guide prepared and published by the
Derby Visitors Centre. To quote..." Conventional vehicles, lightweight 4WD and the towing of trailers and caravans is NOT RECOMMENDED." Also in the last couple of weeks I have been exchanging emails and telephone calls with the very helpful staff at
Fitzroy Crossing Visitors Centre to whom I made aware of our plans to tow an offroad campertrailer along the GRR in 2004. They have given me no indication at all that trailers are prohibited.
I can understand signs advising against towing trailers or caravans along here (the authorities have to cover their butt against those minority of travellers who don't do their homework properly and then need someone to blame when they get into trouble!) but to "prohibit" them would seem very extreme. Let's hope it is the former and not the latter or our planned 8 week trip and not small contribution to the
Kimberley economy will be spent elsewhere.
:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper
http://members.westnet.com.au/flatdog
AnswerID:
39125
Follow Up By: Coops (Pilbara) - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 14:47
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 14:47
Melissa
you will have absolutely no trouble whatsoever towing your camper trailer along
Gibb River Rd (disasters aside) should you drive according to the conditions. GRR has become an urban myth and has very little to offer in the way of OFF ROAD action.
Kalumburu/
Mitchell Plateau is a tad rougher but no drama's either. Biggest problem I imagine anyone would encounter from a
well maintained trailer would still only be river/creek crossings.Allyn
Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 14:56
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 14:56
Hi Allyn,
Your comments confirm exactly the opinion we have formed after talking with others and reading various trip reports. Also saw some recent footage of the GRR on Postcards WA. Looked like a good gravel road in most parts. Summing up his trip, the presenter couldn't quite hide his disappointment that whilst the scenery was superb, the road itself had lost most of its challenge since he first traversed it many years ago.
:o) Melissa
Petrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper
http://members.westnet.com.au/flatdog
FollowupID:
82938
Follow Up By: Coops (Pilbara) - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 15:17
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 15:17
still heaps & heaps of fun and I'd go again tomorrow. At $350 per tyre I was grateful for the more sedate gravel road.
Managed to destroy a couple the first year we went and did one on the trailer last year with a couple of decent slits on fourby tyres too.
All this talk makes me want to head up there now !!!
Hope you enjoy and feel free to call in to
Port Hedland on the way.Allyn
Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen.
FollowupID:
200721
Reply By: Member - Raymond - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 08:47
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 08:47
Hi RD
We travelled the
Gibb River Road earlier this year and there were plenty of Off-road campers and caravans on the Road. Certainly would not recommend it for a normal caravan or trailer.
Regards Raywanderin' in retirement. victor 2010
AnswerID:
39150
Reply By: Member - Alan - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 16:03
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 16:03
RD
We did the GRR in May/June of this year with an o/road camper trailer, my recollection (from publications/brochures) was that it was strongly recommended(and I agree ) that standard caravans and trailers were not taken over the road . We found the corrugations & dust the main things you had to contend with.
Regards
Alan
AnswerID:
39184
Reply By: RD - Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 19:20
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 19:20
Many thanks everyone for the replies. Pretty much confirms what I had expected. Looking forward to doing the trip in about twelve months or so when I have the trailer and Jeep set up and enough time to do it at our leisure.
Maybe we'll meet some of you on the trip!
AnswerID:
39206
Reply By: Member - John- Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 19:55
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003 at 19:55
Off road camper trailers and heavy duty box trailers are fine for the GRR, anything lighter(or heavier) would certainly not be recommended.
The traytop recovery guys in
Derby and
Kununurra do a nice line of business in recovering trailers and campers with busted springs and axles. Busted springs on overloaded fourbies and trailers is very common, usually from overloading or speeding or both.
The GRR is a bit of an urban myth these days and does not present much of a challenge for a carefully driven Holden ute. The Pentacost River is rough and rocky and there are hundreds of sharp ditches where creeks cross and if you hit them too fast you will eventually bust something.
The Cape Levique Rd north of
Broome is a far more challenging drive and is definitely 4wd as you can be forced to pass other vehicles by driving up into the deep sand windrows at the road edge. It combines corrugations, sand windrows, spoon drains and big pot holes all together and is as rough as hell.
GRR is fine for robust, carefully driven fourbies/trailer combinations.
Have fun
JohnS
Derby, WA
AnswerID:
39208