Gibb River Road with trailer

Gibb River Road is easy these days. Lower your tyre pressures and enjoy!

Hi

Quite a few people headed for Mitchell Falls leave caravans at Drysdale River or camper trailers at King Edward River.

I went there last year and while I don't tow I can understand why.

Cheers

Thanks very much guys

Hi Tom
The Mitchell Plateau Road is a real suspension breaker. Drysdale Station does quite a good business repairing broken trailers. However, you really do need a very capable off road trailer if you are to travel unscathed. Two key points to minimise the chances of damage, firstly lower your tyre pressures and secondly moderate your speed. When I travelled the road in August 2013 in my 200 Series and Tvan I had about 25 psi in the front and 28 psi in the rear. Tvan was down to low 20s. Speed with these pressures was nothing above 80 and frequently much less. If necessary stop every 20 minutes or so and let the shocks cool.
The Mitchell Falls are a must visit. When you get there take the helicopter flight out and then spend the rest of the day walking and swimming back to the camp ground.
The Gibb River Road was in reasonable condition back then. Again tyre pressures and speed are the keys to safe travel.
One important consideration with tyres is that with the lower pressures light truck tyres are highly recommended. They have much stronger sidewalks amongst other advantages.
Enjoy your trip.

I know every year is different, and road conditions can change due to the amount of traffic after the graders have done their bit.

2012 was my best year away with my stock standard 2006 Hilux, a Jayco Eagle outback which I towed across the Gibb, to Drysdale Stn and most of the side roads.
From there I towed the Eagle up to Kalumburu, where I stayed for 5 days.

The Gibb road to Drysdale stn was ok, from there to the Mitchell falls turn off was a little worse.
From the turn off to Kalumburu was exciting, but on the way back I towed it up to Mitchell Falls.
Now that was a bit if a challenge, but doable.
The best part of the trip, it only got better on the return to Drysdale.

What made me smile the most was all the people in their "really" off road rigs that told me my poor little Junko would never survive the trip, and no way would they put their rigs over such a road.

Tom, I find the saying, "drive to conditions" does not sit well in my head.
I would rather drive to what I think my rig can handle, than back off 10%.
Haven't broken to much so far.

Cheers

They truck them out 3 at a time on a flat top truck !

When we were at Drysdale there was 3 campers loaded ready to go the next morning, these were too bad to fix so they were trucking them out.

All 3 had the axle and suspension ripped out completely.

However, as others have said and we all will have been bombed by them, some people think 100k on a bad road is a good idea.

Kalumburu then Mitchell Falls roads are far worse than the Gibb.

After all of that, lots of people go there so if you take your time it can be done.

Having seen what can happen to trailers on really bad roads I have a few suggestions.
1 check the welds on the spring mounting points to the chassis and have them reinforced even if you think it not necessary! LOL. Fitting shocks may be also an idea.

2 carry at least one spare set of u bolts and one spare main leaf and a few spring centre bolts. The most likely scenario for failure is that the U bolts get loose the centre bolt breaks and the spring pack slides all over the place, or a main leaf breaks which will quickly turn the axle 90degrees. If you are in a remote place it is not easy to find the correct parts quickly. I have actually witnessed it happen right in front of me , on the Palm Valley entrance track. You can strap the leaf to the camper chassis with stainless zip ties.

3 Check the U bolt tension regularly , like every couple of days as they can stretch.
I have towed a Campomatic (with independent suspension) over the GRR (twice) and to Kalumburu and KE river, Grand Central, Tanami and to Cape York with no problems.
The other thing you should consider is that you will need a stone deflector of some sort as trailers take a hell of a beating from rocks thrown up from the tyres.

Also consider either buying or making a rear window shield from Perspex or even some cardboard. Windscreens are cheap but rear windows are expensive.
Regards Philip A

Hi Tom, all good advice above particularly Phil who mentions the need to carry a spare spring. Check the U bolts daily once you are on the dirt. The track to Mitchell Falls is a corrugated shocker so you give your passengers and the shocks a cooling off period every 20 min. Allow 4 hours to go the 80 km into the Falls campsite.
This could still be interesting as it was for us in May 2010 due to boggy sections which almost stopped us getting through. See the pix in Places The river may be too high to cross on the walk at the falls depending on how late in June you will be there........ W

A look at the [ ROADS ] page on the Drysdale River Station site may be of use for your trip. Oh...keep in mind, even though I'm sure you'll take it very easy, there is of course some risk of "failing to proceed". Being able to communicate effectively out of the region is recommended...Satphone ?...HF Radio network ? Breakdown service providers can be reluctant to act on second hand advice from passers-by (understandable, in my view). That said, have a great trip - wonderful region up there !

Was there last year. Camped at King Edward River with the CT and day tripped to Mitchell Falls.

Also check your wheel nuts daily.

BTW that was part of a long trip involving 2500 kms of dirt. We have a decent offroad CT but still trashed the two shocks.