MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Disco EMU on May 03, 2011, 07:23:49 PM
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Planning a trip from Syd to Lake Eyre via Broken Hill in September and am looking for advice on the journey, essential gear needed and must see places along the way.
I've very little experience with outback travel, the Finch is standard and NOT an outback. The Disco is stock with the exception of the bull-bar, driving lights, Bilstein shocks and coil-rite air bags.
Any advice/comments welcome.
Thanks
Craig
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Usual toolkit and spares, spare tyre if you have 17/18s
Regular checking of tyre pressures, good tyre pressure gauge, tyre plug kit etc.
Some coreflute to protect your rear window from damage and some spare to make a side window in case one gets taken out
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Planning a trip from Syd to Lake Eyre via Broken Hill in September and am looking for advice on the journey, essential gear needed and must see places along the way.
I've very little experience with outback travel, the Finch is standard and NOT an outback. The Disco is stock with the exception of the bull-bar, driving lights, Bilstein shocks and coil-rite air bags.
Any advice/comments welcome.
Thanks
Craig
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Never fear, you have come to the right place...man, have you got some homework to do..., but you are going to have a ball you lucky buggar!
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Hi Craig,
We did the Oodnadatta last year to see The Lake. Std Pajero, but Off Road CT. You can see places by going on day trips (a lot more travel, but).
The Oodnadatta was fairly easy, corrugations, but it will probably depend on weather and how soon you travel after the grader has gone through. Just take your time.
Wilpena Pound is a must (try to get on a tagalong through Arkarbar Station (I think it was)), Coward Springs, Coober Pedy. You can take flights over The Lake from William Crrek or Coober Pedy. Expensive, but ...
Take the back roads rather than the main ones in SA as it can be more interesting. Nothing to speak of in NSW via Cobar and Broken Hill, but we were on our way home after several weeks away. Menindee Lakes?
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Thanks guys
Better teach myself how to plug a tyre! ... Any other tips?
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have the car serviced..
spare hoses, belts, tools to allow you to change the gear.
as for things to see on the way, how many months do you have?
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have the car serviced..
as for things to see on the way, how many months do you have?
100K service is happen nxt week and the trip is gunna be a quick one ... just two weeks (school holidays)
C
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lots of Bushman and aeroguard
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lots of Bushman and aeroguard
+1..
we did it last year towards the end of September, we didn't stop and look at anything in NSW, drove through to Broken hill for an overnight then onto Wilpena Pound. the Flinders Ranges is amazing to see. The track up to Lake Eyre from there is good condition on the Oodnadatta, unless it rains. it was only opened a couple of days before we got there so it was still a bit wet.
you vehicle will be fine, just regular services.. remember to drop your tyre pressure a bit on the track, and without an offroad van, you may want to take it easy.
we didn't stop and see much on the track itself, there are plenty of sidings and ruins along the way though.
Dan
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Just got back from there and the Ood track was in good nick but that can change quickly. Tyre pressures are the key to getting through. You could base camp at Farina/Maree and day trip it to the Lake perhaps. Plenty to see around the Flinders and the roads are generally good.
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Thanks again!
... so what's the general rule for tyre pressures on the track?
A few more questions ...
Stone guards, should I get a custom made job for the trailer or something for the back of the tug?
Tyres for the Jayco ... will light truck tyres suffice?
Cheers
Craig
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Make up some big temporary flaps to hang off the very rear of the Landy and definitely cover the rear window. Tape some of that plastic convoluted stuff on if you don't want to spend dollars. You can't see out the back window because of all the dust anyway. We ran the tyres at F-26 R-28 Camper-22 all set cold. Some say that is too high but I find it works for me and have never had a puncture. If it is corrugated keep the speed up around the 70 area to keep up on top of the dips. Take care at all times of course. Have fun out there, you will love it.
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Hey,
Cant help as much with the tech stuff as those with a Y chromosome will but ...
Sight seeing ... I can help.
Not sure where you are from, so what you have already seen, but theres so much to see. The Lake and its surrounds are great. Coward Springs is a fabulous spot and might be your place to make a u-turn?? Flinders Ranges must see is Wilpena Pound. We stayed at Brachina Gorge to escape the masses. Just fabulous! Can't say that much appealed between there and Broken Hill but if you like trains apparently Peterborough is the place to go.
Lots to see and do in Broken Hill. Make sure you go up the Line of Lode, out to Silverton (including Mundi Mundi Lookout), you can stay at Penrose Park in Silvy and the pub is a must do. Of course the Sculptures and the desert park are must see's as well (you know the ad with the sun shining through the sculpture?). I can recommend Mutawintji NP. Loved it. Make sure you stay there. And do the cultural tour if you can. From there you can drive round to White Cliffs (a must see but not a long stay ...) and then through to Wilcannia (another must see - there are a lot of them).
Wilcannia to Cobar - just drive. Cobar to Dubbo, I've never done it. Dubbo has the gaol and zoo that are both great. Wellington Caves are good to. Bathurst - the track. Lithgow - zig zag railway. Blue Mountains - three sisters and the scenic railway. Are you home yet?
If you want more detail on anything specific let me know ...
You'll have a great time - just do it!
CC
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Hi Disc Emu
all the top spots to visit have been mentioned the only thing i could add is First aid kit and carry the necessary water for outback travel and don't forget to get the Camper serviced the bearings especially they will get a hiding on the corrugations even think of spares Happy Trails enjoy the trip
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Hi,
Just want to add my little bit...
My wife an I just got back today from a 17 day 4600k trip in our off-road cub supamatic from newcastle to marree and back via a few towns along the Murray River. We saw heaps of small jayco vans on the road, some off-road but mainly on-road vans. Your finch should handle most of the roads we travelled, though maybe Bunyeroo/Brachina Gorges and the road from Parachilna to Blinman might test your van. These could be done without your van if you stay somewhere in the Flinders. We spent 4 nights at rawnsley park station which is about 20 k south of wilpena pound. I liked camping at Farina Station, just past the ruins of the town of farina and just over 50 k south of marree - $5 per person per night - watch out for the frogs and geckos in the toilets.
We took a comprehensive toolkit but never opened it. I have probably now cursed future trips.. :(
Maree was pretty ordinary. We spent a night in the pub, which seems to be the heart and soul of the town. Floorboards were very creeky aand beer was $60 /carton. We also took a helicopter flight from marree over some of lake eyre. The southern lake is mostly dry and all the birds are in coopers creek as the lake is too salty for the fish they eat. The 80 minute flight cost $595 per person but was great. For $995 we could have also covered coopers creek but this cost was well beyond my budget.
Warning. There is possibly the worst mice plague ever at the moment. Be very careful to secure food and make your van mouse proof. We had mice problems all the way from Broken Hill to Maree. We threw out so much food that had been sampled by the mice. They got into the van, the slide out kitchen and pantry, the enclosed tray of our BT50 dual cab and we even found some chewed chip packets inside our car!!!
Mosquitoes were a problem, but only at night if we were outside and when we were trying to sleep.
Diesel prices in most places we went were not too bad. Maree cost $2.00 per litre, but most other places were between $1.50 - $1.70 / litre.
Traffic on the outback roads was very light and we had no issues at all when travelling from 80 - 110 kph. Overtaking or being overtaken was so easy.
Grasshoppers were also a problem is some places. Our radiator was absolutely smothered with squashed insects by the time we got to the flinders. While at rawnsley, I made a radiator cover out of a bit of fly screen mesh I had cunningly (luckily) left in the back of my ute. I used a kitchen knife to cut the bottomend in a W shape, which I wrapped from the inside of the grill and secured by screwing it under the number plate. The top end I just lashed to the top of the grill using one of my joggers' boot laces, cut in half. Crude but very effective and still functioning perfectly.
My first dinner is being served since arriving home. Plan your trip both for the trip there and also the trip back. It is such a long way to drive home if you have not left yourself things to do or places to visit on the return trip.
cheers
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Welcome to myswag stessl85, great report, any chance of some pics?
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Couple of suggestions here regarding covering / protecting the rear window.
What is recommended material for this?
Also running tyres at 22psi, no isues with the sidewall being damaged?
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Couple of suggestions here regarding covering / protecting the rear window.
What is recommended material for this?
Also running tyres at 22psi, no isues with the sidewall being damaged?
Corflute from Bunnings
If you have LT tyres you'll be fine
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Get somebody to teach you to strip a tyre off a rim . Take the tyre repair gear & the best tyres you can get you hands on & a good compressor . To air up & down . Cover the back window or you to can suck dust for 4765.5 km as some have done :cheers:
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Hi Craig,
We did the Oodnadatta last year to see The Lake. Std Pajero, but Off Road CT. You can see places by going on day trips (a lot more travel, but).
The Oodnadatta was fairly easy, corrugations, but it will probably depend on weather and how soon you travel after the grader has gone through. Just take your time.
Wilpena Pound is a must (try to get on a tagalong through Arkarbar Station (I think it was)), Coward Springs, Coober Pedy. You can take flights over The Lake from William Crrek or Coober Pedy. Expensive, but ...
Take the back roads rather than the main ones in SA as it can be more interesting. Nothing to speak of in NSW via Cobar and Broken Hill, but we were on our way home after several weeks away. Menindee Lakes?
We drove up to Coward Springs on the weekend and most of the Oodnadatta Track we drove was in a very good condition. Stone guards is a must and if you don't have them then tape up your rear window. A lot of loose stones on it.
There are still quite a few road closures in the area due to the rains. Check them out before you go.
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/area4.asp (http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/area4.asp)
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Corflute from Bunnings
If you have LT tyres you'll be fine
Corflute from Bunnings ???? I thought that I would just go on a late night raid around the streets and grab some "For Sale" signs.
I've only recently put on Pirrelli Scorpion ATR's ... hoping they will do the job.
Thanks everyone for your input, it's been very informative so far.
Cheers
Craig
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Corflute from Bunnings ???? I thought that I would just go on a late night raid around the streets and grab some "For Sale" signs.
It's about $5 a sheet and remember to keep a piece in case you lose a side window. We saw that happen to an elderly couple, they were coming towards us, we were overtaken by a redneck going somewhere in a hurry, in the process of getting back on the right side of the road he kicked up stones and smashed their rear side window.
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The trick is not to try and see everything you can.
Pick an section and see most of what you have time for in that section, that might be where you plan to be from day 2-4, or what ever.
Then next time you do a trip, pick the next section you havent seen, just how some people do it. Makes life easier or you may end up doing a Clark Grizwold.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_db3qCLhj99E/THgs_epsS9I/AAAAAAAABLw/g690YV6chA0/s400/NL6.jpg)