Crossing Nolan's Creek !!

[McGirr]

Watching some crossings on YouTube I just shake my head such stupidity. They don't walk it, the support peopl are so far away they have to run in to try and help and some have the support vehicle with the attached snatch strap so the person has to work out how to hook up the vehicle in the water 

Nolans Creek has a soft sandy bottom and slightly flowing water.

Make sure your latches on your camper are tight, spray the electrics in the motor, make sure the are no electrical items or other gear sitting on the floor in the car, shut your vents in the car and use a car bra or tarp.

Always wait if someone has already crossed as they have stirred up the sand and this will make it harder for the next car. Let the flowing water clear and the sand to move and fill up the ruts caused by the last vehicle.

Depending on the vehicle you may get away driving straight ahead when crossing. Yogi did last year but his vehicle is lifted and can do it easy.

The best way is to do a semi cicle in the creek. When entering the water veer left on the bank and then drive into the deeper part before turning right and coming out of the creek. There is a lip as you exit and this can bring vehicles to a halt.

Make sure your snatch strap is attached to the vehicle crossing and wrapped and sitting on your drivers side mirror. Have someone in the water ready to grab the snatch strap and pass it to someone in shallower water so they can attach it to the support vehicle. Don't have your snatch strap wrapped around your bull bar it takes longer to un coil. Every second counts.

Remember let the water clear and the sand settle before attempting other wise your driving in unsettled sand especially if someone has been stuck and been churning up the sand.

Mark

[DaveO]

Mark,

I will be watching with great interest your trip this year. We will be heading up there mid July and anticipate doing the OTT around the end of July. On our last trip to the Cape in 2009, we got through Nolans OK, but only just !! In hindsight I think I should have lowered tyre pressures to say 20psi or less to assist with the sandy bottom of Nolans. From memory I was running at about 28-30psi - my usual dirt road pressures. What pressures do you tackle Nolans at and if lowered, have you found it helped much? This is one crossing that I am very, very wary of, having experienced its soft bottom. I now have a far more expensive vehicle (200 series LC) again will be towing my Tambo camper. As much as it is a very capable vehicle, I have no desire to drown it and if necessary will backtrack to bypass it!! My insurance company (RACV) informs me that any electrical or mechanical damage (such as drowning a computer or hydraulicking a diesel motor) is not covered by my comp insurance which I find somewhat disconcerting.

Good luck to all with your trip - I eagerly await some trip reports and videos with bated breath !!!

Cheers,

Dave

[Diksta]

good tips thanks mark

[McGirr]

Dave drop tyre pressure to 20 psi and if you have a vehicle in the group with out a camper get them across first.

Yes I crossed in 2009 and it was ok. I did churn up the sandy bottom.

Mark

[SteveandViv]

I ran 16 & 20 psi on the MTZ's last year. We took a different way to Mark. We came in on the right as the bottom was less sandy and some tree roots that helped as well. We did swing right then strait then out.

[McGirr]

Steve what no camper   

Mark

[blackmav]

I ran 12psi for the crossing with trailer. I have never rolled a bead on day trips and they far exceed anything on the Tele track.
Mine are Steel rims but I have seen cheep steel rims that roll beads all the time.

[SteveandViv]

Steve what no camper   

Mark

No Frostd and I stayed at Sams creek for 3 nights and then did day trips. There were 4 others that we caught up with that did it with campers. Anyway, we did Frenchmans and that was more than enough fun for one trip

[McGirr]

No Frostd and I stayed at Sams creek for 3 nights and then did day trips. There were 4 others that we caught up with that did it with campers. Anyway, we did Frenchmans and that was more than enough fun for one trip

Yes people have no idea how tough theses crossing can be until you do them and they change every year.

That's why I love doing the Cape 

Mark

[bert56]

I may have to around Nolan's now that I've got the photographer with me.

Just to may sure he gets all the action of others and not me.

Bert

[Symon]

Oh no you don't.  Nolans is shallow enough for him to walk across.

[JeepTJ]

Mark,

I will be watching with great interest your trip this year. We will be heading up there mid July and anticipate doing the OTT around the end of July. On our last trip to the Cape in 2009, we got through Nolans OK, but only just !! In hindsight I think I should have lowered tyre pressures to say 20psi or less to assist with the sandy bottom of Nolans. From memory I was running at about 28-30psi - my usual dirt road pressures. What pressures do you tackle Nolans at and if lowered, have you found it helped much? This is one crossing that I am very, very wary of, having experienced its soft bottom. I now have a far more expensive vehicle (200 series LC) again will be towing my Tambo camper. As much as it is a very capable vehicle, I have no desire to drown it and if necessary will backtrack to bypass it!! My insurance company (RACV) informs me that any electrical or mechanical damage (such as drowning a computer or hydraulicking a diesel motor) is not covered by my comp insurance which I find somewhat disconcerting.

Good luck to all with your trip - I eagerly await some trip reports and videos with bated breath !!!

Cheers,

Dave

Dave, the wife and I will be leaving Brisbane on 27 July 2012 and making a b line for cairns before slowing right down and tackling some of the tuffer tracks.  Should you be held up a little we may be up there around the same time. Feel free to shoot me a PM.   We will be driving a 2005 Jeep TJ with a 3" lift and locked.  Will be towing a very lightweight trailer (375kg ATM).  We will be by ourselves for the trip but would be more then happy to meet up at times.  If Nolans is fairly deep we will have the ability to pull the trailer over after we have crossed.

[DaveO]

Thanks JeepTJ for that and to others for the info/advice. PM sent

[TroyE]

Dave, the wife and I will be leaving Brisbane on 27 July 2012 and making a b line for cairns before slowing right down and tackling some of the tuffer tracks.  Should you be held up a little we may be up there around the same time. Feel free to shoot me a PM.   We will be driving a 2005 Jeep TJ with a 3" lift and locked.  Will be towing a very lightweight trailer (375kg ATM).  We will be by ourselves for the trip but would be more then happy to meet up at times.  If Nolans is fairly deep we will have the ability to pull the trailer over after we have crossed.

how are you going to get your trailer over nolans?

troy

[McGirr]

how are you going to get your trailer over nolans?

troy

That's what I was thinking

Mark

[JeepTJ]

how are you going to get your trailer over nolans?

troy

Not just Nolan's but serious obsticles that could mean having to turn around.  I am considering two options as opposed to leaving the trailer hitched.  I am hopeing to have things sorted before we go in 7 weeks but I am attending to reno's as well.  As to how we will drag it across we will post some photos in our build thread if we have to unhitch it at any time.  Lets just say option one will invole the trailer being able to mostly float     .  Obvioulsy if the current is fairly slow (Nolan's) we would leave it hitched.

Option two will involve the spare being used as a wheel in front of the hitch (a hub attached to a piece of 40x40x4 shs bolted to the underneath of where the hitch sits).

Thinking a little too out of the box for most and I accept that.  Most obsticles become so much harder at usually only one particular point.  By allowing the trailer to clear the obsticle once the vehicle has already cleared the obsticle will give us a huge advantage (like a vehicle snatching another vehicle up an obsticle).  I don't intend to rely on these as options but would like it available if need be.  Yeah I could get a winch, and a heavy bull bar, and a second battery (for the winch), and a fridge(because a second battery is now there), and some solar panels (because of the fridge) and heavy skid plates (thanks to all the weight) etc but then the Jeep would become a tourer and not something that suits us.  We will be taking a set of maxtrax.

[Watty2975]

What sort of tyre pressures are people running on the development road?

[Symon]

Not just Nolan's but serious obsticles that could mean having to turn around.  I am considering two options as opposed to leaving the trailer hitched.  I am hopeing to have things sorted before we go in 7 weeks but I am attending to reno's as well.  As to how we will drag it across we will post some photos in our build thread if we have to unhitch it at any time.  Lets just say option one will invole the trailer being able to mostly float     .  Obvioulsy if the current is fairly slow (Nolan's) we would leave it hitched.

Option two will involve the spare being used as a wheel in front of the hitch (a hub attached to a piece of 40x40x4 shs bolted to the underneath of where the hitch sits).

Thinking a little too out of the box for most and I accept that.  Most obsticles become so much harder at usually only one particular point.  By allowing the trailer to clear the obsticle once the vehicle has already cleared the obsticle will give us a huge advantage (like a vehicle snatching another vehicle up an obsticle).  I don't intend to rely on these as options but would like it available if need be.  Yeah I could get a winch, and a heavy bull bar, and a second battery (for the winch), and a fridge(because a second battery is now there), and some solar panels (because of the fridge) and heavy skid plates (thanks to all the weight) etc but then the Jeep would become a tourer and not something that suits us.  We will be taking a set of maxtrax.

For Nolan's I would recommend that you stop there and wait for someone else to come along (shouldn't be too long at this time of year) and ask them nicely if they would pull you out if you get stuck.

[McGirr]

What sort of tyre pressures are people running on the development road?

We run 28 psi on the development rd , 25 on the Otl if needed and maybe 20 crossing Nolan's

Mark

[SteveandViv]

Same as Mark...Give or take.

[blackmav]

What sort of tyre pressures are people running on the development road?

That will depend on the weight of car, tyre construction and the speed you want to travel at. One wont suit all.

We found on the development road that we were cruising at 80-90kmh, therfore we could run less pressure to take some of the bumps out. Yep, we could have sat on 100kmh but there was no need , all it would have done would be put stress on trailer and car.
Pretty sure we were down to around 22psi. Such a nicer ride.

Lower presure and speed = higher tyre temps. Check em if you run them low.

[Watty2975]

Thanks guys. We are all packed and ready to leave in the morning. We are in no hurry so lower pressures and less speed will be the go to keep it comfortable.
 

[gclan]

Here's one way to cross Nolan's Brook :-O
(You may want to turn the sound down a bit if kids are around)

Nolan's Brook, OTL, Cape York, June 2012	Small | Large

[McGirr]

We did that last year and looks like we will do the same this year.

Mark

[Chris J]

Here's one way to cross Nolan's Brook :-O
(You may want to turn the sound down a bit if kids are around)
Nolan's Brook, OTL, Cape York, June 2012

Yes now where talking, great way to wash the truck, can someone tow me like that.

Regards, Chris.