Carnage of the Cape

[Symon]

Well now that a few of us are heading back home, it is time to pause and reflect on what didn't go quite right on the trip.

I'll start off -

- 1 x busted bin bag
- 1 x trailer brake assembly
- 2 x tyres
- 1 x bent trailer drawbar
- 2 x bent mudflap brackets
- 1 x bent trailer mudguard
- 1 x spring centre bolt missing
- 1 x axle bedding plate
- 1 x equaliser strap
- 1 x snatch strap
- 1 x dislodged bullbar
- 1000 x bush pinstripes that will 'buff out'

[Heiny]

Was this the spring centre bolt and axle locating plate on the opposite end of the axle to which you repaired not long ago

Bad luck with the drawbar on the trailer too Symon

[D4D]

That's a big list, sounds like you lived up to the saying go hard or go home

[GGV8Cruza]

Sounds as though a challenging time was had, but..... 

GG

[hutchie62]

Sounds like a good trip & no major damages for your self, only 24 days before we head off, but who's counting.
Hutchie

[SteveandViv]

We have a few to add as well and will do that later but after a 6 hour recover session at the Wenlock lets just say the winch isn't going so well..Can spool out but not in. Were are in Weipa to have it fixed before heading up the OTL

[toddy]

Hey Steve, where along the Wenlock did the marathon recover effort happen?

[SteveandViv]

We came south to North along Frenchmans and made it to the Pasco river which was about 1.2m deep. After walkinhg and getting ready we both,Frostd and me made it across and up the other bank and so we though were home and hosed. The we go the the Wenlock where we found the exit that the swaggers did a few years ago blocked by a huge tree and there was a newer track that vears left then up the bank and then right. We'll post pics later. We it was still really wet and had a deep .5m rut that was just slop. So with locker engaged we though we would make it up but with the weight of the trailer we keep getting pulled into the slop and that was that. Got the winch out, hooked up the snatch block hit the in button and all was well for a while then there was a big power drain and that was that. it will wind out but not in. So there we were -0 stuck. So we got out the hand winch and about 1.5 hours later with the chain saw also out to play we filled what we could of the trench and with Frostd and Viv on the winch we got out and then up the rest of the hill. Then Terry had a go and with big new muddies we though he would make it but suffered the same and with the weight of the camper made it hard for him to get out so a few young lads had turned up the other way and so we put his brand new warn to the test. We even had to hook my car to his as with the weight of the camper and the big Nissan deep in the mud sucking him in the winching car was being pulled forward. Shame the 4WD action film crew were not there as it was classic. There were cars attached to cars, snacth blocks and winches and maxtrax every where. We got out at 8pm that night just plain stuffed. We shared a few beers with the guys who had helped and then off to bed

EPIC...........

[RichardNT]

Thanks for the report and pics Steve, looks like you guys are having a ball 
Now how can I get time off in the dry season ??

[Joff]

Steve, can i ask? That exit is a bitch no doubt and i wasn't there when you guys were coming through but surely you would have been better driving it without the trailer then runing a winch extention around a tree to skull drag the camper up??

And to Symon! holy crap that's a list and half for the Cape  

[SteveandViv]

Steve, can i ask? That exit is a bitch no doubt and i wasn't there when you guys were coming through but surely you would have been better driving it without the trailer then runing a winch extention around a tree to skull drag the camper up??

And to Symon! holy crap that's a list and half for the Cape  

Yes, maybe but we had already climbed steeper coming out of the Pasco and felt we could make it. Terry jocky was broken after the Pasco so we could not drag it and I suppose who would have thought my winch which had been great to date pulling others out of sand etc would have failed then Oh well. It was a long drag as well Joff and had my winch not have failed we would have been out quite easy as I was able to drive out once on dry land  Frosty was heavy and not able to get out of the ditch. We weren't sure we would even get out out with out them..

Anyway, dunno mate - was a huge day in any case. I'll get some video up once I find my DV cable some where in the *stuff* I have in the car

[Joff]

Yes, maybe but we had already climbed steeper coming out of the Pasco and felt we could make it. Terry jocky was broken after the Pasco so we could not drag it and I suppose who would have thought my winch which had been great to date pulling others out of sand etc would have failed then Oh well. It was a long drag as well Joff and had my winch not have failed we would have been out quite easy as I was able to drive out once on dry land  Frosty was heavy and not able to get out of the ditch. We weren't sure we would even get out out with out them..

Anyway, dunno mate - was a huge day in any case. I'll get some video up once I find my DV cable some where in the *stuff* I have in the car

Like i said i wasn't there and i hate it when people who weren't there second guess stuff.. looks like you had fun just the same.

PS, I have never skull dragged my camper with the jocky down. I always drop the coupling to the ground and drag it like that (I have been known to stick my shovel under it in sand though). The Jocky isn't designed to take anywhere near the loads a recovery would put on it.

[darren]

Steve
Looking back now, would you consider this a highlight or lowpoint of your trip? I know how i would feel but everyone is different.
Also what type of winch do you have? and did you fix it
Darren

[NewcastleKnight]

Steve
Looking back now, would you consider this a highlight or lowpoint of your trip? I know how i would feel but everyone is different.
Also what type of winch do you have? and did you fix it
Darren

For me at the time I would be cursing and stressed but I reckon soon after it would be the high point.  We had a horror trip to Fraser Island a few years ago but on reflection the troubles we had made the trip memorable and we learnt alot as well .

[rockygu4.8]

 hooked up the snatch block hit the in button and all was well for a while then there was a big power drain and that was that. it will wind out but not in.

Steve this has happened to us a couple of times. After the second time we just swapped the solonoid pack around so it would power in and manually spool the rope out. Works a treat as you really only need to power in. Now thats assuming thats all that was wrong with the winch . possible idea for next time cheers

[jaycamrie]

For me at the time I would be cursing and stressed but I reckon soon after it would be the high point.  We had a horror trip to Fraser Island a few years ago but on reflection the troubles we had made the trip memorable and we learnt alot as well .

x2      building memories mate thats what its about

[TroyE]

here's hoping they never nnnnneeevvvveeeeerrrrrr put a grader through the OTL to cater for those to  soft  for real adventure 

troy

[SteveandViv]

Steve
Looking back now, would you consider this a highlight or lowpoint of your trip? I know how i would feel but everyone is different.
Also what type of winch do you have? and did you fix it
Darren

Darren. We had a great time. It was a great track, hard and fun. I never planned to have the winch failed but I also had a hand winch, just in case - lucky aye. This post was about how cool the whole thing was, not to moan about what happened.

[SteveandViv]

hooked up the snatch block hit the in button and all was well for a while then there was a big power drain and that was that. it will wind out but not in.

Steve this has happened to us a couple of times. After the second time we just swapped the solonoid pack around so it would power in and manually spool the rope out. Works a treat as you really only need to power in. Now thats assuming thats all that was wrong with the winch . possible idea for next time cheers

Yes mate but it wasn't just the solenoid. we also have a hard short on the in-bus

[Symon]

Ah yes, the jockey wheel.  I'll add that to my list as well, I originally bent it on the 09 trip but it was still useable so I kept it on there.  This trip totally destroyed it.

Steve - bad luck about the winch, but I find out the 'improvisations' that you do to get out of sticky situations is what makes a trip much more memorable.

[darren]

Darren. We had a great time. It was a great track, hard and fun. I never planned to have the winch failed but I also had a hand winch, just in case - lucky aye. This post was about how cool the whole thing was, not to moan about what happened.

I never took it as a moan. As NK pointed out things that to outsiders seem like misfortune can quite often be the most memorable highlights of the trip. Thats all.

[speewa158]

Deep down we all reval in the chalange , thats why we are there in the 1st place . I lost a full set of tyres ,just wouldnt hold air for to long , cracked a fuel tank . Flooded the rig stuck in the Wenlock crossing & the croooooooigations nearly rattled my fillings out .& scratched the paint work . Still I would do it again just to do it   

[D4D]

I plan on changing my Warn soleniod pack to an Albright and keeping a spare. I'll also plan on buying a spare winch motor for remote trips.

Steve if you had a spare motor/solenoid would it have been quicker to replace them? I guess the solenoid is easy but the new motor means winch out of the bar.

[duggie]

We all had a great trip and like Symon I too received some damage but not to his extent.
Broken right rear mudguard flare
Bent and battered left rear mudguard flare and mudflap
Broken rear panhard rod
Broken leftside wind deflector
Outboard motor CDI unit packed it in
My winch although serviced prior to the trip failed.
And heavy scratching to both sides paintwork of the old girl (GQ Patrol)
Nothing major that some time and a few dollars wont fix, I had a ball and the people that I travled with were a fantastic bunch of guys and girls, thanks peoples.

[darren]

G'Day Duggie
Great to hear you had a good trip.  Was it an aftermarket panhard rod that failed? and what brand of winch was it
Thanks