Coober Pedy to Marla via Oodnadatta, bits Shaking Off

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 17:48
ThreadID: 140224 Views:9004 Replies:6 FollowUps:10
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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.
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:19

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:19
PVC plumbing????
Not an appropriate material for any RV, but cheap so used a lot.
16 years of bush travel in the OKA and have never broken a pipe or pipe fitting.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
AnswerID: 632438

Reply By: RMD - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:23

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:23
Snippy
The 30kmh "average speed" is a meaningless figure because while 30kmh may be the average, for it to be that the max figure has to be far higher. The higher speed will be the cause where the 30 was keeping the flying rocks quiet.
AnswerID: 632439

Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:45

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:45
How things change. :)
Between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta in mid June 2019.

There was light rain. Then there was more and we were stuck in Oodnadatta for 3 days until it dried out.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
AnswerID: 632440

Follow Up By: axle - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 13:56

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 13:56
G/Day Peter, just noticed your speed and the revs your vehicle was at.

Was that top gear, ?


Cheers Axle.
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FollowupID: 909142

Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:02

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:02
Yes, 5th (overdrive) which is good for anything over about 70kph on the flat. That speed is a bit more than we typically cruise at, even on the black top.
The old Perkins just ticks along.
Both the speedo and the tacho are pretty accurate. The speedo is infinitely adjustable.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
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FollowupID: 909143

Follow Up By: axle - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:20

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:20
Which perkins mate ? its interesting to hear that name again in a vehicle .


My old commer had the 6354 or something like that..lol... cheap as chips to do up.


Cheers.
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FollowupID: 909144

Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:31

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 14:31
4 cylinder, 4L, Perkins Phaser, turbo charged, 110HP.
I added an intercooler and more recently changed the turbo.
I had it rebuilt at 330,000km when we bought it (because I could) and it is now 550,000km and going well.
Returns about 17L/100km in "normal" conditions at around 85kph and 6T.
23-26L/100km across the Simpson.

A lot of OKA owners are changing to Cummins 6BT and Alisons. They GO, and don't seem to suffer much if any fuel consumption increases, but the Perkins does us.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
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FollowupID: 909145

Reply By: Member - Jim S1 - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:46

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 18:46
Hi Kevin

I have had a similar experience in the general area, except that our broken water pipe emptied our water supply ! Luckily we were with friends who helped out for a few days. Have since beefed up the water pipe area and protected it ( was just a link to an outside tap for convenience) . Must admit that I hate bad corrugations and all that goes with it, even though our camper handles it brilliantly ........ no dust !!
Those SA rocks are pretty darned savage !!

Cheers
Jim
"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits." A fisherman.

"No road is long with good company." Traditional

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AnswerID: 632441

Reply By: Frank P (NSW) - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 21:11

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 21:11
30 PSI in bad corrugations is too high. 20 PSI at 20 kph might gave been better.
That's what we did with horrendous corries in Rudall River NP with no damage.
FrankP

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Follow Up By: MickeyJ - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 21:17

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 21:17
My thoughts exactly. 30 PSI is for good dirt.
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Follow Up By: rumpig - Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 22:29

Thursday, Jul 09, 2020 at 22:29
If corrugations are bad then I’d have dropped tyre pressures lower then 30psi myself also.
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FollowupID: 909135

Follow Up By: Member - snippy - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 09:56

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 09:56
I wish my hindsight was the same as my eyesight!
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Follow Up By: Gronk - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 22:06

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 22:06
Good dirt, don't drop pressures at all. Good for normal hwy speeds.
Washouts, rocks and small corrugations...normal pressures and slow down...40 to 70 k/ph.
Bad corrugations, bigger rocks, low speed 4wd stuff, sandy areas, and no speeds above 70, then lower pressures !!
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Reply By: Alan H11 - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 08:06

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 08:06
As noted, how things change - this route in 2019 was a freeway!
AnswerID: 632447

Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 10:52

Friday, Jul 10, 2020 at 10:52
For which I was eternally grateful.
Dunc
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Follow Up By: rumpig - Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 at 10:31

Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 at 10:31
And who knows what some areas are like currently...I see Thargomindah got 52.6mm of rain yesterday and Eulo got good rain aswell, Tibooburra had 4.6mm.... no idea how wide spread that rain went overall though
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