Simpson Desert and Trailers ?????

[GeeTee]

yep get out there and enjoy it...
but I think you SteveandViv are a shining example of doing the training, practice and preparation before you go

[TOPNDR]

Much as I'd like to do a Simpson trip one day, this thread does little to encourage me. Whilst on the one hand there is plenty of general support to the notion of "just get out there and experience Australia" this is largely countered by the advice to the effect that "inexperienced city slickers have no business out there". Then there are the many mentions of abuse from other travellers on both sides of the trailers/no trailers argument, which I think is a real shame.
....

...  I'll probably make mistakes and when I do I sure hope that other travellers (or locals) that may happen by are civil enough to set me straight without resorting to abuse.

Brucer, it's interesting that you have that take "on things" from these fora.  My experience of camping across the country is that 99% of folk are really nice, and only 1% are wallies. Which I suspect is a smaller percentage than one would find in normal home/work life.

In all the time I've been travelling I've only met two groups I'd prefer no to meet again. 1 was a group of doctors back in '97 who had a SatPhone and a stickup wife, who's method of saying, a la Kath & Kim "look at me" was to set up the briefcase bount SatPhone on a public path at Drysdale homestead to call home, then round on anyone who walked past the antenna interrupting her prescious signal!

The other were two blokes at Birdsville in '08 who wandered the caravan park criticising every one's rigs.

The reality is that these people don't matter and can easily be ignored, or told to take a hike.  We've thoroughly enjoyed the company of all other travellers we've met along the way and very few have ever offered criticism.

[Brucer]

Brucer, it's interesting that you have that take "on things" from these fora.

I've not experienced it myself either TOPNDR which is why it struck me as odd to see it mentioned several times in relation to travelling across the Simpson. It does appear that this track, or dessert tracks in general attract more than their fair share of loud mouths expressing their unwanted opinions about other travellers' methods. Even more concerning when there is no real consensus about what constitutes the "proper way". It is very clear to me from reading these forums (and simple reasoning) that a CT rig setup and driven appropriately does no more damage than any other sort of vehicle, yet drivers are apparently very likely to cop abuse from self appointed custodians of the dessert who think they know better.
One wonders are there any swaggers reading who've crossed the Simpson with a trailer who didn't experience this?

[GeeTee]

Brucer, anything that weighs 1000kg (or some of the stupid ones, 1500kg) being towed over a dune with no drive of its own will do 'damage' Every time.

Yes, there are smartarses everywhere... but there are also plenty of experienced sensible travellers who are trekking within the bounds of their experience, equipment and vehicle capacity that soon tire of assisting others that...well... aren't

I've helped a bloke change CT tyre/wheel on Sydney to Newcastle freeway.  When asked during light conversion where he was heading to, it was Cape York. Yet he couldn't change a tyre. In my best school teacher voice I suggested he'd have to skill-up before he got there in case it happened again. 

His response was 'Yeah I think I'll be right, mate'.

Unbelievable.

Seen others with NRMA doing the same.

Do the training, get the experience and sneak up on the big trips with plenty of smaller ones first.


 
Hope this helps

[GeeTee]

A related topic: It mentions 16 searches in one year

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-21/authorities-issue-warning-to-travellers-in-remote-areas/4772840

[Pling]

One wonders are there any swaggers reading who've crossed the Simpson with a trailer who didn't experience this?

We crossed The Simpson solo last year with our camper and we mainly had other travellers say that we would struggle further on, but never agro.

I took everything much slower whilst in the desert with the trailer, I used the builders principle "measure twice cut once".
Tyres were at 13psi and we drove out of the desert with no mechanical problems and I recall saying to my wife that wasn't hard at all.....But!

In saying this It was later on the same trip I sheared all the wheel studs off the trailer passing through a massive cattle station in the Northern Territory.
This was a cold sharp snap back to reality of the word "Remoteness" and Its things like this that can make an easy 4wd trip very hard.
With wife and three kids in the middle of nowhere It tested me physically and Mentally and through perseverance and persistence we were mobile the following day.

But through all of that It makes a great story when telling people and Ironically added to the whole adventure!

Easy and hard four wheeling is one thing but being remote adds a whole new dimension trailer or no trailer.

My 2 cents

[achjimmy]

We crossed The Simpson solo last year with our camper and we mainly had other travellers say that we would struggle further on, but never agro.

I took everything much slower whilst in the desert with the trailer, I used the builders principle "measure twice cut once".
Tyres were at 13psi and we drove out of the desert with no mechanical problems and I recall saying to my wife that wasn't hard at all.....But!

In saying this It was later on the same trip I sheared all the wheel studs off the trailer passing through a massive cattle station in the Northern Territory.
This was a cold sharp snap back to reality of the word "Remoteness" and Its things like this that can make an easy 4wd trip very hard.
With wife and three kids in the middle of nowhere It tested me physically and Mentally and through perseverance and persistence we were mobile the following day.

But through all of that It makes a great story when telling people and Ironically added to the whole adventure!

Easy and hard four wheeling is one thing but being remote adds a whole new dimension trailer or no trailer.

My 2 cents

Yeah sitting beside a trailer in the middle of nowhere sounds like fun..... Not. Even towing the boat to Adeliade via sealed roads I ended up carrying a spring, shackle bolt, bearings and complete hub with bearings and wheel nuts.

I can't see from your photo clearly but did you wheel studs shear or nuts pull through the rims? Latter used to be common on 4 wheel trailers with Holden/ford steel rims.

[Pling]

Yeah sitting beside a trailer in the middle of nowhere sounds like fun..... Not. Even towing the boat to Adeliade via sealed roads I ended up carrying a spring, shackle bolt, bearings and complete hub with bearings and wheel nuts.

I can't see from your photo clearly but did you wheel studs shear or nuts pull through the rims? Latter used to be common on 4 wheel trailers with Holden/ford steel rims.

Cant say It was fun "at the time" but was all part of the adventure!

All studs sheered off except one which pulled through the rim (loose wheel nuts).

Toyota hub stud pattern on the trailer however different studs to the cruiser!
Had everything else but Studs for the trailer. Had a hell of a time getting the hub off cause linings were smashed to bits and the stub was bent.
When I finally got it off I stole 2 studs from the other hub + two bolts from a recovery hook.

So hardly sat beside a trailer in the middle of nowhere?

[TOPNDR]

Brucer, anything that weighs 1000kg (or some of the stupid ones, 1500kg) being towed over a dune with no drive of its own will do 'damage' Every time.

GeeTee,

Why?

I've only done the Simpson once, with a 3 litre patrol towing a KK (> 1000 kg).  When we stopped and looked back on any of the sand hills we'd traversed, there was no sign of damage.  A fellow who followed us for some distance actually commented on how surprised he was that we weren't chopping up the track.

The tyres, all 6, were at 15 psi, there was no wheel spinning, hopping, bogging or anything else like that, so I don't understand how the simple act of being towed over a sand hill causes this damage "every time"?

[GeeTee]

Good that you were at 15psi, that's perfect on sand with 10 as a 'get out of jail free' option.

Maybe I should have used the word 'affect' rather than 'damage': anytime a tyre rolls over terrain there is an effect.

And six will - or has the potential to - have a 50 percent greater effect more than four. Every time. And I'm sure you will agree that a tow tug's four are working much harder when towing...

Hope that's clear!