Wednesday, Apr 05, 2017 at 22:38
If this is your "way out" one and only trip in those areas, it sounds like you have not driven over outback roads before.
The major roads like the Great Central,
Birdsville Track etc can look like unsealed freeways at times but there can be a few hidden traps in them. The key to driving safely on them is don't treat them like a sealed road. There are far too many accidents on them involving inexperienced drivers and this prompted Vic Widman to write a story in On The Road magazine about three years ago about the need for
driver training for good dirt roads. There is any amount of it available for rough mountain tracks but not good unsealed roads.. Vic owns this company
VIC
These roads can often contain short corrugated sections that can come up suddenly. There can be sandy patches, holes at the bottom of dips, cattle grids with deep holes each side of them and so on. Cars can easily go into them at too high a speed and within seconds you can be upside down. A roll over is a very common accident in those conditions.
I never set a time limit when travelling on unsealed roads. I set out each day prepared to take as long as it takes. In your case though it may not be all that easy. You can not always drive off into the bush for the night when towing a van.
As for tyres: the air in them supports the weight on them and it should be exactly right for that weight. Letting them down will increase their temperature. It also increases the sidewall exposure to rocks, sticks etc. Many people reduce pressures but you can go too far.
Tyre manufacturers usually have a customer information service. Details will be on their web site. Try contacting the manufacturer of your tyres and discuss it with them. I have done that a few times and found them to be very helpful.
if you do contact them find out the weight on your van wheels first.
Punctures can also be a problem. I know one person who recently towed a van over desert roads in the company of friends in their van. His van had no tyre problems while the other one destroyed three tyres. It just seems to be the luck of the draw out there.
I carry enough
puncture repair equipment to fix holes in the tread and shoulder area as
well as cuts up to 80 mm long in the sidewalls. It is easy enough to buy the equipment from Rema Tip Top but not everybody has the experience to use it or get the tyre on and off the wheel.
Plug kits can be useful but they won't fix every type of hole and they are not legal in sidewalls.
I am not trying to frighten you, you have about a 95 % chance of having a trouble free trip but things can go wrong out there..
AnswerID:
609963