Can i take my c/trailer across the Simpson Desert.

Firstly you will get blasted by people telling you that you can't or shouldn't take a camper across the Simpson. And It is not recommended by Parks SA. So lets get that out of the way.

I have towed E-W and N-S across the Simpson and will do it again.

I think the prerequisite to towing across the Simpson is
-Capable, quality off road camper that isn't too heavy for the vehicle
-A reliable, capable 4wd
-Allow double your normal fuel use plus 40l of fuel
-Right equipment, 2 snatch straps, a way to tow your camper with a snatch strap or extension strap, shovel, 4 maxtrax etc
-Lots of offroad towing experience, especially on sand
-travel with another vehicle.
-Tyres down to 14 - 16 PSI as necessary

If you do that then you will be fine. You need to be good at reversing. You will get stuck half way up some dunes, just as the track goes around the bends at the top. Power down as you enter a corner then gently power up again after your front wheels are through the corner.

A good trick to improve your reversing is to get 2 witches hats 20m apart. Reverse around them with the camper in a figure 8. When you get good at it move the hats 2 m closer. When you can reverse around then at 12m apart in under 2 mins you are good to go.

The best time IMHO is May to August, away from school holidays if you can. Nice and cool. Also travel in the mornings when the tracks are more stable.

If you let your tyres down properly and are prepared with the right equipment then you won't do any more damage than any other 4wd. Trailers are discouraged to stop the casual trailer towing with no experience and inadequate trailers.

If you need to ask, you probably should not.

If you do take a c/trailer, you will probably contribute to the formal banning of trailers from the Simpson. The idea and push for a ban on trailers is for a good reason.

If only two of you, no trailer would almost certainly be an easier and more enjoyable trip.

Iza

I asked the same question in 2003 but a propos the Canning Stock Route and was told "you won't make it", "you'll wreck the track", "you'll get us banned" and so on.

Read archived post 7590 to see what happened.

Stumpyray .

Park south oz don't want campers trailers on the desert for good reason . Ideally if you could do a crossing without the camper you would soon realise towing a camper is not the smartest thing to do .

Cheers

I'd take a satphone.
We did it in April two years ago with a trailer west to east and had no problems at all. Just took it nice and slow in 1st and 2nd high range.
Make sure your tyres are good on tug and trailer. Running 14psi is a big test on tyre walls. I blew out two Coopers on the trip, but that's another story.

Firstly this is directly from Desert Parks Bulletin - SA Government

Simpson Desert – Open to 4WD.
The use of trailers in the Simpson Desert is strongly discouraged. Caravans and motorhomes should not be used.
Serious damage can be caused to vehicles and the environment, and difficulties are likely to result.

I do believe that commercial tour operators are not permitted to take trailers, and they mostly are highly experienced.

If you are an experienced sand 4wd'er then I would suspect that you wouldn't be asking but kudos to you for asking and not running head first into issues.

If you start getting bogged every other dune then the experience is probably not going to be enjoyable to you or your wife, and that's when the fight started :)

I have come across people that are constantly getting stuck both with and without trailers and boy do they make a mess as they try and bully their way up the dunes.

One thing I would ask though is that you ensure you have a good UHF Radio and call out at the top of the dunes every now and then and also take a Sat Phone or HF Radio and an Epirb / PLB should the shyte hit the fan and you are in danger.

Parks South Australia ask you not to.

I respected that request and didn't.

I towed a T-van down the CSR. Did I damage the CSR - I do not believe so.

It's your choice to respect the wishes of those who manage the place or just ignore their request.

Phil

Hi Stumpyray…

This topic is popular and gets raised regularly without any great consensus due to the polarised view people tend to have on towing trailers across the Simpson.

Ultimately it is up to the individual to decide on whether to tow and that requires an honest appraisal taking into account the principles of:

“Think, Assess, and Decide”.

There is plenty to think about in that regard, including – experience; tow vehicle; camper trailer (there are camper trailers, and there are camper trailers; make sure it is suitable for the job!).

And don’t overlook the stress factor, bearing in mind if it all gets too hard you’re stuck with it – you want to enjoy the trip and not turn it into an endurance ordeal, right?

Hopefully this thread and your enquiry will provide you with the insights you are looking for and in the least give you some food for thought.

Having read many discussions on towing in the Simpson Desert over a long period of time, like me you may conclude there are three kinds of people whose experiences are all completely different and usually unique to their own circumstances. Bearing in mind, no two trips are likely to ever be the same.

(In no particular order)

Those who will never tow,

Those who have towed successfully with little or no problem, and

Those who vow they will never tow again and are still recovering from the ordeal…!

Which category you end-up in comes down to your own appraisal of “Think, Assess, and Decide”.

In terms of the best time to do it - certainly the cooler months and if you can, avoid the mid-year school holiday crowd, and once you decide on the number of days, don't be shy in adding a couple of more days just to sit back, relax, and take it all in.

Good luck with the adventure and whilst I have never towed in the Simpson I am indifferent to it one way or the other and have no bias, other than to say, sleeping in a swag looking up at a black sky illuminated by millions of stars is pure magic and our desert country is the perfect place to do this…!

And noting, we tour extensively with our Tvan, but our swags always travel with us.

Enjoy your trip!

Cheers, Baz – The Landy

Thank you for all the POSITIVE feedback, a couple of you have answered my query, for that i say thanks.

I gotta say, i would have expected a more professional response from the members of this forum.

At no time did i ask weather it was right or wrong (legal, morally or not) to tow a c/trailer across the Simpson.

Now the people that know me know my capabilities and i am not going to waste my time justifying them to all the armchair idiots on here.

Again thank you to all for your positive replies.
Cheers.

Noticed only one mention of The Rig Road. For a c/t it has to be this or nothing as the other tracks are not clay-capped.Go into Places and check out all the pix to get an idea of track conditions...... W

The simple answer is 'yes u can' ,,, yes there are 'recommendations' to not tow BUT in truth the only one who can answer the question is yourself ,,,, to tow or not to tow ?? Personally I'm one who subscribes to the theory that 4 ton of vehicle & extra fuel etc is better on 6 wheels rather than 4 so a well built BUT relatively light trailer does less damage than any overloaded vehicle , and lets be honest , most 4x4 available today would be overloaded when doing a crossing..

I've done 8 crossings of the Simpson (French Line, WAA, Rig road, K1 & QAA. Both with and without a camper trailer. If this is your 1st crossing and you have time to rearrange your trip I think tackling the Simpson would be a lot easier if you did it on your return from the Rock. My reasons being that the dunes are far more forgiving when approached from West to East with a gentler slope to attack. The rig road would be my pick with the only hard work being the last few dunes before the K1 line then up to Poepprel Cnr then the QAA line.

You say you have a " capable 4wd & camper, " what 4WD and Camper do you have how heavy is the Camper how heavy is the whole thing .

Sometimes I think this site should be called .....


I'mRightYou'reWrongTheWayYouDoThingsInOz.com