Big Red to poeppels corner

Have done it in one day 12hours, bit rushed crossed big red at 10.30pm>
Better to camp over night.


Cheers

i heard it was only about 6 1/2 hours each way but now hearing from everyone that has replied and been there done that i think i might pack the tent. i will be towing a jayco flamingo into birdsville from mt isa and plan on staying at the caravan park there is it safe to leave it there while i go to the corner and back overnight. i have also have 4x4 experience but not to much sand driving but i think by the time i get there i should be ok as b4 i get to birdsville i will have alread travelled from roper bar to cape crawford via the savannah way which should be fun. About tyre pressure isnt 14 psi a little low and should i keep the tyres at this pressure for the whole trip to the corner.
thank for your advice

Hi dean r2, The road from Roper Bar to Cape Crawford is just a dirt road, not sand,and could get a 2wd through there. By the sound of it you haven't done much sand driving and suggest that you have some practice in some sand dunes before going so you know what your in for, and get use to letting down your tyres to the correct psi. You will see the difference from having 30 psi to 20 psi to 16 psi in your tyres. Just try one sand dune at 30 then 20 then 16 you will see which is best. I may be out that way around late August as I will be at Birdsville races. I'm at Lorella Springs at the moment which is half way between Roper Bar and Cape Crawford, drop in on your way through.
Andy

thanks
how much fuel do you think i will need the pajero has a 90ltr tank will this be enough to go from birdsville to the corner and back. Also should i hire a sat phone for the trip or will there be enough traffic should i have any troubles

i will send you an email when i am at roper bar to see if you are still there

Hi Dean

By August the temperatures out in the desert will be starting to rise again, in and around the low to mid 30's during the day, with mild to cool nights - perfect camping weather.

Now for the tyre pressures.

You will find that the eastern side face of the dunes will be steeper than the western side as you head out into the desert. (my preferred crossing is an East to West crossing, better fun on the steeper dunes) There are big spacings between the swales in the eastern section of the desert, compared to further west, which you will encounter as you head in from the K1 Line and onto the French Lines, very close to Poeppel Corner. Sand conditions should be soft, but with 14psi, you will walk up the dunes no problems at all. Do not throttle off at the top of each dune, and be prepared for a quick change indirection. I have seen countless people going great up a dune, then as they near the top, back off the power, and then sit there spinning in the soft sand. Keeping momentum up will help you over the top and when you start to descend the dune, it is then safe to then just crawl down the dune.

You do not need any run ups for the dunes, either direction, less strain on your vehicle and going fast you will all be thrown into the air as you hit all the cut ups on the dune faces. I nearly always use 2nd high for all dune crossings except Big Red, but will get to that later.

You will not be going fast, mostly 3rd high, and in the longer swale spacings, into 4th. Speed wise around 30 kph, sometimes 40. At the top of each major dune - you will know about that as you travel, I would often put a call out over the UHF (Channel 10 preferred channel for a Simpson Crossing) to see if there are any vehicles heading my way. Make sure that you also have and use a Sand Flag for the safety of your family and so other vehicles can see you if they are close to you.

As you pass Eyre Creek, you will be getting into Gidgee Country, and this means usually good camping spots, and it is a great wood for campfires. One your return trip back, the dune faces will have longer run ups, but no where as steep as you will encounter on the way west into the desert.

Now for Big Red, everyone's favourite dune of the Simpson to cross. Again you will hear of every way to cross this little mother, but again steady as you go and it is easy. I do however top my pressures down to 10 psi to make the crossing easier. I never hit the dune at speed and in fact always start at the very base from a standing start in 2nd low and then go into 3rd low after take off. Again keep the power up and make your change back to second very quick, with minimum loss of momentum and do not power off until you have all 4 wheels safely on top of Big Red.

Your van will be safe in the Caravan Park in Birdsville, it is a top little park. As for fuel, 90 litres should be fine, but if you want peace of mind, then an extra 20 litres would be all that is required, as you are not doing a complete crossing.


Like my first reply, take your time and it will be easy to spend at least 2 nights out in our great Simpson Desert.


Have a Safe Trip.



Cheers


Stephen

thanks stephen for the info it should make my trip alot easier.

Hi Dean,

Everything Stephen has put is spot on, and if you take your time you will have a good run. Another way of doing this is to run out to Poepels and then run down the K1 and back up the Birdsville Track, saves seeing the same country twice.

One other point I didn't see in anyones response, please make sure you have a sand flag on when you go out there, I am seriously over people doing the Simpson or part of it without sand flags.


Cheers

thanks blaze will have a flag with me ( a 12 foot beach rod muilty purpose)

Michael,

I don't think your next trip out there will be a picnic.



Wayne

thanks for your advice.
how much fuel do you think i should carry the pajero has a 90 ltr tank will this be enough

Dean, what are your normal fuel consuption figures for towing with the Paj (is it a diesel of petrol?)? I'm not familiar with the Paj but what ever the vehicle, you need to work on worst case consupomtion. If your avaeraging 6-7 kpl towing you need to work you fuel for the desert on 4-5 kpl and add a margin. 80 x 4 = 320 km. You'd probably make it but I'd be adding a jerry can just to be safe.

If a prado has a comparable engine size and vehicle weight/capability etc, then Stephen l. would more than likely be able to provide advice on that.

Cheers Mick

thanks for the info

after all the replies i was thinking the same thing leave early and just see what happens if i make it i make it if not will have to camp along the way which isnt a bad thing. What tyre pressures did you run?

We started with 20psi, and didn't moniter them or adjust them until we snagged the dune on the return trip in 2WD.
After the distance and the day's temperature, they had expanded to 26, so I dropped them back to 20. If I took them back to 15 to 18, I don't think we would have had any trouble on Big Red.
Cheers

Mmmmmm, driving from 6am in the morning till 8 that night with wife and two kids = car full of unhappy campers

20 kph maybe in a big group but not on your own? That would take you 4 or 5 days to do a full crossing at that speed & of cousre as you already know Wayne much of that 160 km starts with high speed dirt and has inter dune sections that can be safely done at 50kph.
6 & 1/2 hours as suggested to him one way out to Poepells with a few breaks is certainly achievable. Biggest issue I see is being fully prepared for all contingencies travelling solo with no previous desert experience.
Cheers Craig..........

Gee, we're splitting hairs here. 6.5 hrs one way, 8 hrs one way. Either way I would make it a 2 day sortie at least. Whats the hurry, not like most of us can get there every year, so make the most of it while you are out that way, to me 10 or 12 hours a day is not what I call a holiday, 2 kids in the car, I'll bet they will really enjoy 12 hrs stuck in the car.

As Blaze mentioned earlier, take a different route back to Birdsville and really make the most of it. Another great thing to do at Birdsville is to take a trip out to the Dingo Caves at sunset.

Just my two bobs worth, but for me best to make it an overnighter at least.

Not splitting hairs at all Pete. I'm not much at maths but the extra 3 hours return time is the difference between making it back in daylight or not. Not everyone has the same time availability & equipment when touring the desert so accurate info is what dean required to make a decision & reading the full thread he's taken it onboard.
Cheers Craig.............

I understand where you're coming from Craig, but also remember you won't get the same daytime hours in August that we are enjoying now. Also what takes one person 6.5 hrs may take another person 8 hrs. As you know conditions change all the time. Much info here though from which to try and decide what to do.

Cheers

thank mate very helpful. hope not to have any clearnce issues as i have raised the car bit over inchs.
cheers