Should I tow a 1.4 Ton Camper Van to Fraser Island

[JethroT]

Hi guys,

I'm heading up to Fraser with few of the lads in early September, just wondering how easily I will tow a 1.4 Ton Goldstream Camper Van up to Waddy Point with a 3Litre TD Prado, I've towed it up to Double Island Point from Noosa, but that was flat beach all the way.

I'm tossing up weather to take some luxury or just throw in the swag and drink heavily all week.

Regards

[Teabag]

I towed my Jayco no problems at all....Just time it right with low tide or 2hrs either side and it's very easy......

[dooguss]

Shouldn't be a problem mate last year we saw some 20ft caravans being towed up the beach as said just give yourself enough time with the tides, tyre pressure is right and when you get to Indian head if it's a mess get a mate to snatch you through may work out better for you. Once your past thereand champagne pools the track is always pretty good.

[Chris-Vi]

Shouldn't be a problem. Just watch out for the idiots that overtake you before the exits off the beach to get in front then slow you down. Tyre pressures as always play a big factor. Enjoy your time up there. Wasn't wrapped in the camping at Waddy but each to their own. 

[chisel]

Getting from Indian head to Waddy will be 10 times more difficult than getting up the eastern beach.
Do you need to get to Waddy Pt?   Not that you wouldn't make it but it might be a lot simpler to stay south of Indian head.

[cm4x4nut]

I towed my Jayco no problems at all....Just time it right with low tide or 2hrs either side and it's very easy......

We didn't take the campers through Waddy Point though. I think that if you were going with two vehicles and you could send one through to make sure there was no one coming so you could have a clear run at it, then you would probably be ok. As said by chisel though, it would be hard work and do you really need to take the camper that far north.

Cheers,

[Teabag]

We didn't take the campers through Waddy Point though.

Cheers,

True, but there was nothing there that would have concerned me when we went thru with just the vehicles. Conditions do change all the time. Go there, make an assessment and go from there. One week to the next, things change...

[Chris-Vi]

We took our camper to Orchid Beach last October and didn't have a problem. I was a little worried and we had a mate with us towing his camper as well. We towed our Cape York camper to Central Station and back out before heading north and some of those tracks on Fraser were worse than Indian Head. 

[dooguss]

Getting from Indian head to Waddy will be 10 times more difficult than getting up the eastern beach.
Do you need to get to Waddy Pt?   Not that you wouldn't make it but it might be a lot simpler to stay south of Indian head.

Why wouldnt you go to Waddy to camp?  IMO you can get away from the clowns that race up and down the beach, and for the last 9 years we have been going there its where the fish are usaully biting. With the amount of rain fraser and the wide bay has been getting lately i'd say the tracks will be  pretty firm and not to bad. But they may change after this week with all those Myswaggers........ lucky buggers

[JethroT]

Thanks guys,

We can probably stay on the Eastern Beach but it's full of backpackers these days, less one unlucky German.

I'll talk to the lads and make a decision then.

Regards

[snakehips]

We stayed at Dunduburra a few weeks ago.  Quiet as and a beautiful spot. Nice & central too.

[Rumpig]

so long as you have your tyres deflated sufficiently (conditions at the time of your visit will determine just how low that will have to be), Indian Head shouldn't be a problem. if you saw the size of the boats they used to take up to Orchid Beach for the old fishing expo, you wouldn't think twice about towing your camper up there. don't deflate your tyres enough and you will most likely get bogged at Indian Head, if travelling 2 hours before lowtide then the rest of the beach shouldn't be any problem at all.

[99disco]

As has been said mate tire pressure is key. We often tow our viscount camper up the beach and through the sand dunes. I have matching wheels to the patrol and similar track also. With all my tires (camper included) down to 10psi it tows very easily anywhere you want to take it.



Shane

[JethroT]

I'm pretty comfortable with the Eastern Beach, which is similar to Noosa North Shore, which was a breeze with the tyres down to 20psi. 

However I do remember being held up by a few boats between Indian Head and Waddy 30 years ago when we used to chase Tailor up the northern end. 

I haven't been that far up for a while and I understand the tracks have been boarded up so it's probably a much easier run.

Regards

[dooguss]

You'll be right goldstream

[Bingo]

Last year we towed 2x 3.5 tonne boats up to Waddy with Landcruisers.  We needed to give it a couple of herbs getting off the beach behind Waddy but other than that was fine.  The boats loaded with fuel and gear probably was in excess of 4t.  As mentioned above, tyre pressures are important.

[yogi]

If your going with mates then swag it ..... but we have towed our 1.5T camper to Sandy Cape. I won't say it was easy as it was a little bit hard on the way up with soft sand at Ningala rocks but on the way home didn't have an issue at all. It was several cartons lighter though ......... lol

yogi

[Phil69]

Hey Goldstream, As others have suggested get your setup & timing right you will do it easy, I'm just home from a 10 week trip to the cape which included 6 days on Fraser towing a 1.4T camper. We had a little few challanges on the beach as when we headed south, we left soon after high tide as we needed the time to get right down to Noosa still with the tide favourable. 0ne thing we did was use low range on the beach when it even looked like it may be a little soft and even with a petrol engine Patrol we did need the extra grunt a couple of times. Just for the record my mate in his petrol cruiser needed to do the same thing.