Simpson Desert and Trailers ?????

[Mandrake]

This months CamperTrailer Australia has an article about crossing the Simpson with 2 trailers ....WTF !!

I thought trailers were verboten on the Simpson Crossings tracks Am I wrong ??

I would have thought a national mag would do the right thing So am I wrong ?

Cheers

Steve

[GeeTee]

Maybe highly unrecommended in certain circles but, no it's not forbidden - yet....

[MDS69]

Everyones mate MR4X4 has done it. As GeeTee says highly recommended you don't from the authorities but not forbidden.

At the risk of starting a war IMO an overloaded tug with high tyre pressures is just as bad if not worse than towing a CT with correct tyre pressures.

God I can see this turning into a Shit fight or is that just exploreoz

[patroldude]

Hi guys, not real sure what all the fuss is about in regards to the Simpson with campers. We went across last year with our camper, no challenges anywhere. Comments made early are on the money - correct tyre pressures and its not to difficult. We came across a guy in a Prado with over 40psi in his tyres and he was wondering why he was having so much trouble!!!!, yet we where just cruising along. Told him to drop them to 20 PSI, and he had no challenges after that. Cheers

[Sixtys Guy]

I have just done the crossing and ran into 4 lots of people towing camper trailers. None appeared to be having issues. Being so close to the Birdsville Races, the French Line was quite cut up. I think it would have been difficult in some spots, but not impossible.

[Psimpson7]

I ran into a bunch heading west - east on the french line a few years ago. (2009 I think)

We were heading east - west at the time.

Unitl we got to them the tracks were very soft but fairly undamaged.

After we went past them they were incredibly badly cut up and pretty unpleasant to drive on.

They were all towing Kimberley Kampers from memory....about 6 or 7 of them..

[Tronnan]

Some like me with all my kids have no choice but to take a trailer as I just don't have the room :-)

[GeoffA]

..........I would have thought a national mag would do the right thing..........

The did Steve. They let their tyres down..........

[TOPNDR]

Mrs T & I did it in mid 2008, west to east. Tyre pressures 28psi on the Rig Rd and Knolls Track (as recommended by the helpful folk at Mt Dare Roadhouse), and 15 psi along the French Line.  We had no issues, didn't chew the track, as confirmed by a chap following us along the French Line, who commented on how easily we were travelling, and how little we were disturbing the track.

[SteveandViv]

Steve. We did an article for 4Wd action on that and some one even wrote in to show their disgust that we had towed. Like the other said it is not that hard. We ran the MT MTZ at 14 psi for the entire trip and there was one tough , have three goes hill on the WAA line. We cam across a family that had rolled their tray on in that trip, two broken ankles of motor bike riders and they reckoned we were going to struggle. The action mob then did a lot of research and the official word was campers are allowed but recommended for HD Campers only and those with enough sense to be there. This family we came across had no Sat or Epirb and had been there since 11 am the day before we got there.

Anyway I think it's fine if you know how to drive and reverse down sand dunes 

Here are some pics

[Spurio]

What about those of us who live out here and need to tow trailers along these easements as thoroughfares ??

There are more and more rules that are just cotton wool for the naive and/or stupid. OH&S and over legislation is interfering with natural evolutionary processes.

Enter and accept own risk should be legislated !!

[Paul (SA)]

To each their own.....based on experience and ability of course.

You could probably cross it in a Kombi if you were careful and prepared enough. I would imagine it would be possible to tow a camper trailer across the Simpson if you really wanted to and were prepared to drive to the conditions.

It just wouldn't be recommended by the parks authority.

Paul

[Bird]

You could probably cross it in a Kombi if you were careful and prepared enough.

probably old Holdens/Fords/Val's etc too...
people would have before 4wd's became popular...

[Bird]

Here are some pics

How did he end up there??
I dont even see any tyre tracks leading to it.

[GeeTee]

it's mentioned the poor buggers were there since the day before so the evening breeze would have covered thier tracks

I've seen similar situations at Stockton etc

[jwb]

How did he end up there??
I dont even see any tyre tracks leading to it.

for the novice I would say very easy.

We did a crossing west -east in 2009 when the dust storm hit.

If you got further than 100 mts behind the car in front you their tyre tracks would be gone.

Cresting some dunes meant the 1st car had to stop, someone had to get out and check for the correct route.

Made for a very interesting day.

ahh the memories.

[Pling]

5 in my family so the camper trailer is necessary, we crossed the Simpson June this year Birdsville to Mount Dare on the French line towing our trailer, tyres at 13psi and we crawled across no problem what so ever, we caused no damage to the track compared to others we had met or passed who were running high tyre pressures diff lockers and massive run ups, one tool was bragging of doing most of it it 2wd.

It is the remoteness that makes the Simpson trek difficult not the driving.

[madmax]

It is the remoteness that makes the Simpson trek difficult not the driving.

I agree with this comment.  I have not crossed the Simpson with a trailer (have a few times without) but a trailer should not make the crossing any more difficult if speed and tire pressure is correct.  I have towed trailers on Googs track (similar to Simpson but shorter) with no issues.

However, if the authorities are actively discouraging the use of trailers and we want to keep the tracks open then the answer is self evident.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[ddr]

However, if the authorities are actively discouraging the use of trailers and we want to keep the tracks open then the answer is self evident.

Agreed 100%, & this is the only reason we are NOT taking our camper next week when we cross.

For every one person that does it right, there are probably 50 that dont & cause 5x the damage.

[Jason75]

Agreed 100%, & this is the only reason we are NOT taking our camper next week when we cross.

For every one person that does it right, there are probably 50 that dont & cause 5x the damage.

I reckon you could reverse that theory, it's always the 1 that does the wrong thing out of the 50 that causes tracks to be closed 

[Bird]

I reckon you could reverse that theory, it's always the 1 that does the wrong thing out of the 50 that causes tracks to be closed 

Sadly it aint that way in Victoria.

[Pling]

I like this debate because before I had kids I was against trailers on 4wd tracks. Now with 3 kids and wife and all the gear, the trailer makes sense and for us is essential.

The Simpson is sand, not a highway that is in need of constant repair funded by taxpayers, besides a good wind will cover tracks.
Ban the trailers sure but who is going to educate the vehicles going across overloaded with over inflated tyres (which is what does the damage)

I guess the next target would be no underpowered vehicles.... For the lack of a torquey engine, the trade off is more momentum which increases the chance of lifting wheels and dropping whilst spinning causing track damage.....Where does it end??

We own 4WD's to use on 4Wd tracks!!

Found this a good read too!
http://www.adventurecampers.com.au/stories/trailers_and_simpson_desert.htm

[Paul (SA)]

Has anyone read the article in CTA yet?

[SteveandViv]

How did he end up there??
I dont even see any tyre tracks leading to it.

They literally just came over the dune which is to the right in the pic in a strait line to where they ended up. As you can see we could easily get around that as I had to de-hitch to winch them up. I just don't know how and neither did they. We found the tracks went every with us each night as well but it was a bit windy and cold that night as I have a pic of the fire we build and it's blowing about. We came over the dune to this women madly waving her arms and then we saw the trayon. They were all OK but could not get into the trayon t get bedding etc. They made a little camp at the front of the car and waited. They ended p travelling out with us.

[Garry H]

  one tool was bragging of doing most of it it 2wd.

It is the remoteness that makes the Simpson trek difficult not the driving.

it's some of these knobs who make it even harder for others in 4wd on the dunes

some of the flats and claypans, no worries in 2wd