Recent report on Great Central Road condition

Submitted: Monday, Jul 02, 2012 at 23:03
ThreadID: 96646 Views:1678 Replies:4 FollowUps:0
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Hello,
Has anyone travelled the Great Central Road in the last week or so? Has the grader been on it lately? If not how rough is it (corrugations)? Just trying to decide to travel that way (the van is capable) or the easy way on the Eyre Highway from west to east. I know they finish up at different locations. Either has pluses for us.
Cheers,
Al-one
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Reply By: Member - Michael K (WA) - Tuesday, Jul 03, 2012 at 14:52

Tuesday, Jul 03, 2012 at 14:52
Only comment from a mate who travelled it last week "dirt all the way and rough in parts to Laverton." Go for it!
AnswerID: 490046

Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Jul 03, 2012 at 17:16

Tuesday, Jul 03, 2012 at 17:16
Hi Al-one

There will always be some good and some bad patches. It doesn't take long to corrugate again. In 2008, we were lucky to strike the notorious NT side a few days after the grader. Prior to that there were rumours of road trains getting sand bogged. It was reasonable, but a week later reports were that it was just as bad again. The graders skim and leave the underlying corrugations and it is not long before they return to their wicked ways again.

If your rig is well prepared and corrugation capable, let down the tyres, take it easy and enjoy the trip. I would do it again, despite the fact that we had a breakdown on it.

Motherhen
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AnswerID: 490053

Reply By: Member -Southern Son - Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:11

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012 at 20:11
Hi,
We traveled across the GCR 3 weeks ago and it was good going for most of the way. SA side had a long corrugated section close to the start of the gravel rd.
There are small sections of corrugations and soft sand to be aware of, nothing to cause you problems. Otherwise we could maintain around 80 kmh most of the time.Let our tyres down on the cruiser to 35 front -40 psi at the rear and camper down to 30 psi and had no problems.
As others have commented, drive to the conditions and you will be ok.
Enjoy the trip.
Southern son
AnswerID: 490196

Reply By: Shayne G - Tuesday, Jul 17, 2012 at 21:20

Tuesday, Jul 17, 2012 at 21:20
We crossed GCR on the 9th to 12th July. Spent 3 nights on the road. Road surface varied, we towed 18 ft van and averaged 50 km/hr over the trip, sometimes down to 20 km/hr. Docker river to bitumen at the Olga's was the worst. had tyres down to 25 psi the whole trip and no problems?

Shayne
AnswerID: 491170

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