Question to those who have taken there Camper Trailers to the Cape.

[Beachman]

Question to those who have taken there Camper Trailers to the Cape. We did Cape York years ago and now thinking of another trip within the next couple of years. Since our last trip we now own a Camper Trailer.

While I try and get the most out of my Camper Trailer, sometimes it’s just easier to use the tent instead.

Just read a recent threat about carnage at the Cape sharing the broken parts or 6 hour recoveries, therefore is taking a Camper Trailer to Cape York really worth the effort?

My Wife asked when we go would we take the trailer, but I couldn’t answer the question as not sure if I want the added effort that goes with it.
 

[Diesel Power]

Beachman
I took our camper to the cape August 09, had the wife and a young child so it was suitable, had planned to do it again this year but with no trailer just swags/ stretcher  and awning. Mind you that was without the better half and kids.
I didnt have any major dramas with trailer, mainly shock absorber bushes flogged out (air bag suspension), but found packing trailer up and down everyday was becoming a pain in the butt.
If its only you and your partner and they dont mind roughing it i would go the tent/ swags.
Regards
Angus

[ddr]

When we did the cape in 2008 we left the trailers at Weipa & did the rest in the tent.  This gave us most of the time in "Luxury" but also reduced the stress (& damage to trailer) for the harder parts.

The only thing we missed out on was bragging rights in a pissing contest & damage.

[Gunna Do]

Beachman, I towed my camper trailer up the Cape June/July 2010, travelling along the OTL (south to north and North to South) with the exception of Gunshot, Frenchman's Track (west to east).  The timing of your trip can have a huge impact on the road conditions and depth of creek crossings etc., with the later in the year you go, generally the crossings are lower, however the tracks are chopped up a bit more.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it again with the camper in tow.  I don't stand a chance in pissing contests, but I do like my family to be comfortable at the end of the day, and don't like a lot of setting up and packing up hassles.

The Cape can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it, with plenty of outs and bypasses on most of the tracks.

Here's a link to our trip:- CAPE YORK GUNNA DO STYLE 2010

 

[TOPNDR]

We did Cape York in Aug'07, including but not limited to, Chili Beach, Frenchman's Track, OTT, Punsand Bay, Vrilya Point, Wiepa & Somerset Ruins.  We were in a convoy of 4 vehicles, 3 with trailers, ours then being a Kimberley Kamper.

I've not read anything that would stop me going again with a camper, even our Quantum (current camper).  Let the tyres down, drive to the conditions and enjoy is my opinion.

[Bird]

... or 6 hour recoveries

Discussing this with Dan on MSN, wondering how much easier it would have been to disconnect trailer and get car out first, then trailer. 2 light weight recoveries.

[Campa]

Discussing this with Dan on MSN, wondering how much easier it would have been to disconnect trailer and get car out first, then trailer. 2 light weight recoveries.

X2
Would've been worth a try

[Beachman]

Appreciate the replies. Just checking dates and time does fly as we did the Cape 8 years ago, so I presume a few things have changed since.

We did the trip in June/July with another 7 cars (no trailers) and back then we were struggling with some on the creek entry/exits, (Mind you they did have a extreme wet season that year and the creeks were high) so having a trailer would have make it a nightmare.

But something to think about.

[Gunna Do]

The design of your camper will have an effect on how easy it is to tow up there also.  There are literally hundreds of campers being towed up there each year, some will suffer damage or cause damage and some won't.  Being big, bulky, low slung (bitumen orientated), or having extremely long drawbars, very poor departure angle, and massive protruding stone guards won't help the cause.

[darren]

I wouldnt hesitate to take a camper up there. I did
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=3209.240

I think the only failure was a bent stut and a battery charger.

[Joff]

6 hours  Holy crap.. was that waiting for someone with appropriate equipment/knowledge or was that 6 hours of work??

[Frostd]

Joff, that 6 hour recovery, included getting stuck, recovering one vehicle, trying to get the second vehicle up the track, which we manually dug wider, getting the second vehicle stuck. I think Steve forgot to mention, his electric winch shat itself just after he tried to recovery himself, so it was back to a hand winch, which worked well. I have no doubt without the trailer, we would have driven up the hill, BUT, how do you pull a 1300kg trailer up a hill with very little anchor points to manuver it through a set of "S"bends. This section of the track was 70-80 metreslong. It was an interesting few hours, but all was accomplished without damage, except for the winch.  The Frenchmans Track, Chilli Beach side to Batavia Downs, appears not to have been drive that much.  The Pascoe River was an easy crossing, when thought out, with the climbed out of the Pascoe a little challenging due to the steps and rocks.
Yes, I suggest this track would have been much easier without a trailer, but we had a trailer and would I do it again in a heart beat, knowing what I know know.Its all part of the adventure!!

[riley]

I also would take my campertrailer again with no hesitation.As long as the trailer is up to it,I had no worries on the OTL north and south.

[Joff]

Joff, that 6 hour recovery, included getting stuck, recovering one vehicle, trying to get the second vehicle up the track, which we manually dug wider, getting the second vehicle stuck. I think Steve forgot to mention, his electric winch shat itself just after he tried to recovery himself, so it was back to a hand winch, which worked well. I have no doubt without the trailer, we would have driven up the hill, BUT, how do you pull a 1300kg trailer up a hill with very little anchor points to manuver it through a set of "S"bends. This section of the track was 70-80 metreslong. It was an interesting few hours, but all was accomplished without damage, except for the winch.  The Frenchmans Track, Chilli Beach side to Batavia Downs, appears not to have been drive that much.  The Pascoe River was an easy crossing, when thought out, with the climbed out of the Pascoe a little challenging due to the steps and rocks.
Yes, I suggest this track would have been much easier without a trailer, but we had a trailer and would I do it again in a heart beat, knowing what I know know.Its all part of the adventure!!

Yep, like i said in the other thread, I'm not trying to second guess you. just interested coz I was on that track about 10 days before you were but heading west to east so we drove down that hill (which of course is much easier - and without a camper in tow) but because we didn't know if the pasco was crossable we did spend a bit of time assessing our options for the return trip incase it was necessary. In my mind (and that has been known to be less than intelegent at times ) that climb looked like a dragger not a driver 

[SteveandViv]

So to all. thanks for all the tips.

We thought we could make it. Once we were stuck we had no hope of de-hitching anyway due to the fact the tow balls were under the mud by now. I do have the expertise in towing and recovery's as does Terry but some times things don't go as planned. Riley, that exit was not available to use as a huge tree was a cross it and there was a new exit and from the look of your Pic there was so much more water when we were there. In fact the stations had not even been advised it was open so it was marginal in any case to if it should have been done.

Any anyway, this was our adventure and we thought we would share. I didn't asked for it to be critiqued as much as it has been. We had fun, that's all that matters.

And as posted. There was no way we could have dragged the campers up through a s bend where you would have needed many blocks and a steel cable. It was to steep to back down and expect to get any speed up and even if you did the mud had suck the campers well in and there would have been more breakages than there were which was just my solenoid and bus bar in the motor

over and out

[RichardNT]

Thanks for the report and pics Steve, please don't stop sending them in.

[Bird]

Any anyway, this was our adventure and we thought we would share. I didn't asked for it to be critiqued as much as it has been

I wasnt having a go at you if thats what your thinking..  Itwas a simple question from someone who wasnt there. You'd be suprised how many people never think to unhook trailer in a recovery

We had fun, that's all that matters.

Agree.

[Redback]

We did the Cape with the trailer in 09, Gunshot included.
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=3338.0

Baz.

[JethroT]

You shoudn't have any trouble with a solid 7x4 Offroad camper trailer.

I would take ours up the bypass road, but it's a bloody big unit on tight tracks so maybe I wouldn't take it up the Telegraph.



 

[gqcamper]

g'day beachman we did it in july\august 08 with a very basic camper trailer and had no problems.
travelled via ott,iron range to chilli beach,frenchmans across the pascoe,punsand bay and back via vrilya pt.
as i said it was a light,basic trailer fully loaded with extra fuel and water and enough supplies for 2 adults and 1 child it weighed in at approx 650kgs.
i know some like to take every spare known to man and overload the trailer but to me a lot of it is over kill.
don't get me wrong you need spares but a lot of it comes down to how much of a hero you want to be, we went the intention of doing the tracks and seeing as much as we could in the time we had without being heroes at the crossings.there are always options that get you there without undue damage to your vehicle.
we might have been lucky as i didn't even get one flat tyre.
the trip couldn't have been to hard on wife and daughter as they both said that they would do it again in a flash.

[duggie]

I gust got home 9.30pm last night from the Myswag 2011 cape trip, there was in total 9 camptrailers that started/completed the cape trip, yes the trip would have been easier without the camptrailers in tow but towing the trailers up the OTL is what it was all about. We all got there with some assistance but the trip was bloody fantastic. 

[ddr]

/

[Symon]

This year there were only two spots on the OTL where the camper made it hard - Palm Creek and Gunshot.  The rest of the track was rather easy even with a camper in tow.  I would not hesitate to take the camper again.  Even Steve's report hasn't turned me off doing the Frenchman's track with the camper on.

I probably wouldn't do the CREB again with a camper though.