We have just done this route (430km dirt road) towing a 20ft semi offroad van.
Tires down to 30lb all round, average speed 30km/hr. Corrugations really bad .
Result: Drainage plumbing system smashed to pieces. Otherwise all else seems to have held up ok.
Inside the van a cupboard door handle fell off. Rubber suction cups on GPS and rear view monitor useless.
However, no regrets, great experience.
Possum3 said
06:08 PM Jul 9, 2020
Yep that's the trouble with "Outback roads" they can be bone-shakers when travelling or when just graded billiard table smooth. When you re-do your piping can you get some aluminium and manufacture some guards to deflect gravel and small rocks.
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:53 PM Jul 9, 2020
NEVER use RPVC for plumbing. It has no impact strength. In 16 years of bush travel we have never busted a pipe under the OKA. Mid May 2019 between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta.
Then some rain kept us in Oodnadatta for 3 days until it dried out.
Yes Peter_n_margaret, I agree with you about rigid pc.
When we had the camper trailer we went to Innaminka from Winton via Diamentina NP. Then you could buy fuel from the ranger station by arrangement. Our water tank (100mm pipe) firstly developed a crack in the front, then eventually the front cap disappeared totally. Mind you when I emptied it at Adelaide, I got 2 buckets of medium sized rocks & half a bucket of mud out of it! If only I had extended the stone guard a bit more!
I'm interested - how many kms have you done in the Oka? And how did Margaret take the picture?
Kevin, without seeing the road (I've been on the other end of it from Roxby Downs to Maree) & up the Birdsville (many times), I would have taken the tyres up to the mid to high 30s psi & the speed up to something comfortable, perhaps variable 50 to 80kph & where it was possible safely, to have driven on the opposite side of the road. Yes, it can be woeful starting off but then if possible you sit on the top of the corrugations, checking often that all is ok out the back.
I don't tell Jayco where I take their units to.
For me 15 years at Ceduna was good training on how to drive on rough roads - the old Eyre Highway was a beauty! It was after a rescue of one of our (then Telecom Aust) crews that all route cars (earlier, Ford Falcon station wagons; later Holden panel vans) carried two spare tyres/wheels. We did break two Ford diffs & punctured many tyres, bent a few wheels but never had any accidents. Don't ask me how much weight we carried!!!! We had to keep the radio systems going.
Whenarewethere said
08:56 PM Jul 9, 2020
The were a lot of sections of road with rocks so it was a matter of finding the smaller rocks to hit. Doesn't help that our car has 255/60R18 wheels!
Peter_n_Margaret said
10:42 PM Jul 9, 2020
Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
I'm interested - how many kms have you done in the Oka? And how did Margaret take the picture?
The OKA has done about 550k km and we have done half of them.
I took the pic.
Cheers,
Peter
Snippy said
06:48 AM Jul 10, 2020
Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
Yes Peter_n_margaret, I agree with you about rigid pc. When we had the camper trailer we went to Innaminka from Winton via Diamentina NP. Then you could buy fuel from the ranger station by arrangement. Our water tank (100mm pipe) firstly developed a crack in the front, then eventually the front cap disappeared totally. Mind you when I emptied it at Adelaide, I got 2 buckets of medium sized rocks & half a bucket of mud out of it! If only I had extended the stone guard a bit more!
I'm interested - how many kms have you done in the Oka? And how did Margaret take the picture?
Kevin, without seeing the road (I've been on the other end of it from Roxby Downs to Maree) & up the Birdsville (many times), I would have taken the tyres up to the mid to high 30s psi & the speed up to something comfortable, perhaps variable 50 to 80kph & where it was possible safely, to have driven on the opposite side of the road. Yes, it can be woeful starting off but then if possible you sit on the top of the corrugations, checking often that all is ok out the back. I don't tell Jayco where I take their units to.
For me 15 years at Ceduna was good training on how to drive on rough roads - the old Eyre Highway was a beauty! It was after a rescue of one of our (then Telecom Aust) crews that all route cars (earlier, Ford Falcon station wagons; later Holden panel vans) carried two spare tyres/wheels. We did break two Ford diffs & punctured many tyres, bent a few wheels but never had any accidents. Don't ask me how much weight we carried!!!! We had to keep the radio systems going.
Had tires on 30 psi, speed varied from 20-80km depending on surface.
Wanda said
09:11 AM Jul 10, 2020
We returned from a similar trip up that way only 2 weeks ago, Coober Pedy- Breakaways-Painted Desert-Oodnadatta-Willian Creek-Marree-Muloorina Hot pool- Adelaide.
Towing 18'6" offroad van with two other vehicles, 21'6" semi-offroad and a Motor Home on a Iveco.
All vehicles performed well except for the un prepared "semi-offroad" Traveller, all issues mainly due to owners first ever trip offroad, nothing major, minor breakages due to their in experience and the quality of the build(very average in my opinion at $80k)
The road conditions were FANTASTIC, I have never seen these roads up there in better condition, mainly as Peter from the Pink Road house said was due to "lack of traffic due to the corona virus lockdown. I think we were one of the first groups through after they had reopened
Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta was as flat as a tack with very few minor corrigations.
Maybe the section out to Marla was bad because the rest of those roads were fantastic at the time, we only saw about 8 other vehicles over 3-4 days.
Great trip, great wheather 2 weeks ago
cheers
Ian
Snippy said
09:53 AM Jul 10, 2020
Wanda wrote:
We returned from a similar trip up that way only 2 weeks ago, Coober Pedy- Breakaways-Painted Desert-Oodnadatta-Willian Creek-Marree-Muloorina Hot pool- Adelaide. Towing 18'6" offroad van with two other vehicles, 21'6" semi-offroad and a Motor Home on a Iveco. All vehicles performed well except for the un prepared "semi-offroad" Traveller, all issues mainly due to owners first ever trip offroad, nothing major, minor breakages due to their in experience and the quality of the build(very average in my opinion at $80k) The road conditions were FANTASTIC, I have never seen these roads up there in better condition, mainly as Peter from the Pink Road house said was due to "lack of traffic due to the corona virus lockdown. I think we were one of the first groups through after they had reopened Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta was as flat as a tack with very few minor corrigations. Maybe the section out to Marla was bad because the rest of those roads were fantastic at the time, we only saw about 8 other vehicles over 3-4 days. Great trip, great wheather 2 weeks ago cheers Ian
Yes Ian, it was the Oodnadatta - Marla section, a couple of good bits bit most of it was crap. There was a 20k stretch which ended 20k from Marla that had been graded.
Wanda said
10:13 AM Jul 10, 2020
I was surprised when I read your post, I thought that section out too Marla would have been ok also, just goes to show how quickly these back roads can change and vary.
I think I would have maybe dropped tyres down to 25psi, , still I have no doubt you had a ball as we did, some fantastic country out that way. Give me the bush over coast anytime.
safe travels
Ian
Whenarewethere said
01:03 PM Jul 10, 2020
The sign if you are starting at the top end of Oodnadatta Track.
The sign if you are starting at the top end of Oodnadatta Track.
Think we ticked all the boxes there, tire pressures a tad to high perhaps.
mixo said
03:38 PM Jul 10, 2020
Yeah I have memories of the Oonda...
Jayco eagle caravan, ripped the brake lines off twice, gaffa tape needed replacing every 100Km and beginning of cracking of towbar(found this out halfway up to cape york)
Traveling mostly at 60 - 80 km, tyre pressure down and people still passing us.
Anyway, the best moment was Lake Eyre with water in it..Magic
mixo
Craig1 said
04:06 PM Jul 10, 2020
Interesting tech update Peter, UHF handpiece with a camera built in
Peter_n_Margaret said
04:15 PM Jul 10, 2020
Craig1 wrote:
Interesting tech update Peter, UHF handpiece with a camera built in
No, head mounted, voice activated GoPro.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Friday 10th of July 2020 04:15:36 PM
Bass said
03:18 PM Jul 12, 2020
It all depends on the gods, we went opposite way in may 2018 80kph whole way no probs, road going jayco with us no problems either. Bore field rd destroyed our microwave but. dirt roads change constantly, thats the beauty, if it was tar you wouldn't bother going.
darjak said
04:48 PM Jul 14, 2020
X2 Bass especially your last 8 words, (if it was tar you wouldnt bother going).
We have just done this route (430km dirt road) towing a 20ft semi offroad van.
Tires down to 30lb all round, average speed 30km/hr. Corrugations really bad .
Result: Drainage plumbing system smashed to pieces. Otherwise all else seems to have held up ok.
Inside the van a cupboard door handle fell off. Rubber suction cups on GPS and rear view monitor useless.
However, no regrets, great experience.
NEVER use RPVC for plumbing. It has no impact strength.
In 16 years of bush travel we have never busted a pipe under the OKA.
Mid May 2019 between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta.
Then some rain kept us in Oodnadatta for 3 days until it dried out.
Cheers,
Peter
We came down Oodnadatta Track last year. Had done a lot of other roads with corrugations & this was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.
We let the tyres down to 24psi, the top 120km was rough, the rest was ok. Out to Lake Eyre North was a choppy track, but worth it!
A bolt on the roof rack broke. The same had happened the previous year, had the tools, spanners & a round file & M10 bolts to replace the M10/M6 bolt.
Have been steadily strengthening the whole structure after each trip.
Photos from previous year with roof rail off to file a larger hole for am M10 bolt.
When we had the camper trailer we went to Innaminka from Winton via Diamentina NP. Then you could buy fuel from the ranger station by arrangement. Our water tank (100mm pipe) firstly developed a crack in the front, then eventually the front cap disappeared totally. Mind you when I emptied it at Adelaide, I got 2 buckets of medium sized rocks & half a bucket of mud out of it! If only I had extended the stone guard a bit more!
I'm interested - how many kms have you done in the Oka? And how did Margaret take the picture?
Kevin, without seeing the road (I've been on the other end of it from Roxby Downs to Maree) & up the Birdsville (many times), I would have taken the tyres up to the mid to high 30s psi & the speed up to something comfortable, perhaps variable 50 to 80kph & where it was possible safely, to have driven on the opposite side of the road. Yes, it can be woeful starting off but then if possible you sit on the top of the corrugations, checking often that all is ok out the back.
I don't tell Jayco where I take their units to.
For me 15 years at Ceduna was good training on how to drive on rough roads - the old Eyre Highway was a beauty! It was after a rescue of one of our (then Telecom Aust) crews that all route cars (earlier, Ford Falcon station wagons; later Holden panel vans) carried two spare tyres/wheels. We did break two Ford diffs & punctured many tyres, bent a few wheels but never had any accidents. Don't ask me how much weight we carried!!!! We had to keep the radio systems going.
The were a lot of sections of road with rocks so it was a matter of finding the smaller rocks to hit. Doesn't help that our car has 255/60R18 wheels!
The OKA has done about 550k km and we have done half of them.
I took the pic.
Cheers,
Peter
Had tires on 30 psi, speed varied from 20-80km depending on surface.
Towing 18'6" offroad van with two other vehicles, 21'6" semi-offroad and a Motor Home on a Iveco.
All vehicles performed well except for the un prepared "semi-offroad" Traveller, all issues mainly due to owners first ever trip offroad, nothing major, minor breakages due to their in experience and the quality of the build(very average in my opinion at $80k)
The road conditions were FANTASTIC, I have never seen these roads up there in better condition, mainly as Peter from the Pink Road house said was due to "lack of traffic due to the corona virus lockdown. I think we were one of the first groups through after they had reopened
Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta was as flat as a tack with very few minor corrigations.
Maybe the section out to Marla was bad because the rest of those roads were fantastic at the time, we only saw about 8 other vehicles over 3-4 days.
Great trip, great wheather 2 weeks ago
cheers
Ian
Yes Ian, it was the Oodnadatta - Marla section, a couple of good bits bit most of it was crap. There was a 20k stretch which ended 20k from Marla that had been graded.
I think I would have maybe dropped tyres down to 25psi, , still I have no doubt you had a ball as we did, some fantastic country out that way. Give me the bush over coast anytime.
safe travels
Ian
The sign if you are starting at the top end of Oodnadatta Track.
Think we ticked all the boxes there, tire pressures a tad to high perhaps.
Jayco eagle caravan, ripped the brake lines off twice, gaffa tape needed replacing every 100Km and beginning of cracking of towbar(found this out halfway up to cape york)
Traveling mostly at 60 - 80 km, tyre pressure down and people still passing us.
Anyway, the best moment was Lake Eyre with water in it..Magic
mixo
No, head mounted, voice activated GoPro.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Friday 10th of July 2020 04:15:36 PM
Darjak