Hi everyone, I've just recently returned from a trip which included Mt. Isa, Bourketown, Cape York and Weipa. Portions of the Cape York gravel roads are really shocking. In country Queensland asphalt roads only exist in the larger towns and cities, the rest of the sealed roads are chip sealed(2cm screenings embedded in tar).
Anyone traveling to outback Queensland should have RACV Total care or your states equivilent. Also have a satellite phone or be on the Telstra mobile network.
When I was in Cape York all telecommunications stopped at 10:30am on a Sunday and didn't come back un until 10pm on the Monday night, and because everyone north of Cairns was trying to make phone calls as soon as to came back up it was utterly useless until Tuesday morning.
No ATMs, no mobile phones, no fixed line phones and no internet.
To buy food, fuel or book into a hotel required cash. It can happen, it has happened and so can happen again.
If you intend to drive on unsealed roads I highly recommend you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and engage 4 wheel drive whenever driving on gravel roads.
And when driving on gravel roads, slow down for bends. Often the corrugations get worse on bends and their approaches. If the bend is badly corrugated your tyres will spend a considerable amount of time not contacting the road and centrifugal force could send you either off the road or into the other side of the road. So be extra careful when approaching bends.
Be ultra cautious when approaching creek fords, slow right down, the corrugations can be brutal and the crossing even worse. And if there is water be even more cautious as under the water surface could be a wheel wreaking hole.
Be wary of approaching vehicles there may be one or more idiots driving right behind them hidden within the dust cloud. When a truck approaches I stop until the dust settles and hope some idiot doesn't ram me from behind.
It is also a good idea to go when your vehicle is covered by a dealer or manufacturers warranty. I had to have a wheel turning sensor replaced as well as get a window winder repaired. All under warranty. $760 for the senior and probably $150 to 200 for the window. Loosing a wheel turning sensor lost me my 4 wheel drive, ABS and stability control.
While in Weipa getting my offroad camper trailer repaired the RACQ inspector said that they had had 35 off road camper trailers to repair in the past six months.
So if doing an outback trip and contemplating a camper trailer, best to take the trip as soon after purchase as possible and nail down the warranty time and conditions. Might be a good idea to ask the dealer what procedure to follow if the camper trailer does break down when half way between Broome and Darwin.
Sorry To hear about your recent trip.I have 4wd/off road camper trailer.Carry GOOD compressor plus foot pump BACK UP.4wd has dual heavy duty deep cycle batts.
Also member vks -737 radio hf radio GREAT.plus carry personal emergency beaco BACK UP.
A couple of observationsif i may.A trip in the bush gravel roads/tracks needs a 4wd GOOD SHOCKIES.AND GOOD TYRES.Bad vibrations corrcations LOWER TYRE PRESURES
reduce speed to road conditions
I always carry cash plus cards.Sorry to hear cost to repair vehicle/trailer.What make Was your Vehicle?.hope this advice helps you in future trips
I got caught out first off road trip with a lot of things..still learning as go along plus talking to people cheers roker
hi.Bobo.I quite agree with you,not for faint hearted trips like that.
I like to know what vehicle he was driving going to Cape York .Preparation for a trip like that has to be spot on ..Murphey Law will come into operation I think.
I Like to get also away from all electronic devices .when on the road.Best wishes,Cheers .roker
My vehicle is a Triton dual cab ute, new in June 2018. That is why the repairs to the Ute were all done under warranty.
The camper trailer was 2nd. hand and I suspect that the springs were already broken. I naively thought no-one would sell anyone defective goods without telling them about it. This is based on photos taken before the trip and the much netter handling after the repair.
The repair was covered by the insurance policy and my accomodation while the repairs were being done was paid by RACV Total care.
I still have things to do before my next trip.
Re-wireing and changing the mounting of the forward compartment, it is fixed to the camper chassis by bolts through the aluminium skin. I will need to weld a bracket to the internal frame and bolt through the bracket.
I might install drawers in there too or tie-down points.
Also do some quality dust sealing.
.Murphey Law will come into operation I think.
