Driving Outback Tracks with a 4x4 Campervan

Hi Werner

All but one of the above are very well travelled, wide outback roads and can be travelled in almost any vehicle providing it is not wet. The biggest issue on some will be your ability to have a long range of travel from your available fuel capacity.

For example, the Strezeleck is around 550 kilometres with no fuel stops along the way and even longer along the Tanami. The best time to travel these areas is during our Australian winter months.

Hi Werner,
taking into account the usual warnings about speed and vehicle condition, all except the Gunbarrel should be OK in winter.
ian

G'day Werner,
I have seen vehicles ruined on these tracks & have driven them without any issues myself.
It's all about taking your time & knowing where all 4 wheels are placed on the road in addition to being aware of the lowest points on your vehicle.
While I have a fully equipped 4WD I have on occasion found myself having to drive coventional vehicles on very degraded tracks. In a remote area driving a conventional Ford Falcon a co-worker once said to me "I can't believe you negotiated that track without a scratch on the vehicle".
Its all about knowing yours & the vehicles capabities.
I have often been told it must be great having a 4WD & never getting stuck. Trust me 4WD's do come unstuck when you do make a miscalculation & you are usually very remote when you do it. Preparing your mind & vehicle for this will reduce your stress levels.
Go for it & enjoy the trip but like already said stay put if it rains.

Cheers
Stu

Hi Werner,

I agree with Stephen and others above. All except the Gunbarrel Highway should be fine and the best time to travel is in Australia's winter. (The Gunbarrel should ONLY be approached with a capable team and a well-prepared and capable vehicle.)
Take your time and enjoy!

Regards
Barry

Hi Werner,
You must lower the tyre pressures to soften the ride, otherwise everything inside will rattle and shake. I once watched a similar vehicle struggle along the Plenty Highway doing 10-20 kph while for me it was a good 80kph road.

Not that I would recommend it, but I have seen locals drive their ordinary, somewhat beaten up 2wd sedans across those tracks. So it can be done provided you take the time and take care. Most importantly, check the road conditions before you start. It can go from dry and smooth to a muddy bog hole in no time if it rains!

quote with a Mercedes Benc Sprinter 4x4 Campervan fitted with all terrain tyres. quote
Is the Mercedes a big van or a coachbuilt unit.
A big van would be OK as long as the furniture inside is well mounted.
Coachbuilts can vary greatly in quality.
From the point of view of a van, the first point of weakness would be damage to furniture from coming loose.

As per other comments, lower your tyre pressures and reduce speed accordingly - I suggest 80kmh max with lowered (say 25psi) tyre pressures. And have a decent compressor to reinflate your tyres once you hit the bitumen again.

Hi Werner,

I believe the Mercedes Benz Sprinter 4x4 is really only an “all wheel drive”, and not a “true” 4x4 with both Hi & Low ratio transfer case, someone will correct me if I am wrong. Also, I do not believe it has a very high ground clearance.

Having said that, of all the roads you have mentioned, the only one that you might have trouble with would be The Gunbarrel Highway, and that would depend on which part of the Gunbarrel you intend to drive. I have driven the Gunbarrel around Surveyor Generals Corner, and it is not that bad, corrugated, but driveable in a 2 WD. The other outback roads you have mentioned can be driven with a 2 WD in the right conditions, most of the local indigenous people do. However, if it is wet, even a 4x4 will struggle. Tyre pressures and the correct speed for the road conditions are the secrete for outback roads.

Can I ask how experienced you are with driving In Australia’s outback? If you are not aware, it is extremely remote, with help possibly days away depending on where you are. The roads you have mentioned are fairly well travelled in the winter months with the exception of the Gunbarrel, as parts of this are very remote and can be fairly corrugated so not well travelled. You will need good communications, UHF radio for short distance, Sat Phone for long distance and an EPIRB or PLB for emergencies. An EPIRB or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or PLB Personal Location Beacon if correctly registered, once activated will send a signal via satellite to the relevant authority with you GPS location in order to send the appropriate help. You will also need plenty of water just in case.

Fuel for the most part should not be a problem with the exception of The Tanami Track, and The Gunbarrel Highway. If you have not already got one, can I suggest you buy the HEMA Australia Road & 4WD Atlas, it has very good maps of most of Australia including outback roads & tracks showing locations of fuel stops etc.

Macca.

Werner,

I hired a "Scout", which is a 4WD Sprinter van, from Britz in 2018. They cycle them out of their inventory after only one or two seasons. I wonder if the van you propose to drive is a former Britz Scout?

I'm not familiar with all of the roads/tracks you mention. I do know the Tanami, Oodnadatta, Birdsville, and Strzelecki Tracks are relatively wide roads that are maintained. They may have some corrugations but as mentioned above, you actually don't need a 4WD if it's dry. (Though hire companies will insist you get a 4WD for any dirt roads.)

The Gunbarrel, at least the part I drove, is a different matter. And I did not drive on the particularly rough "abandoned" section. A lot of the stretch I drove is a true track, only a single vehicle width. And there are "washaways" in sections. I drove the Gunbarrel last year, in a Toyota Troopcarrier ("Troopy") hire vehicle. I think the Sprinter would have got through okay. But I don't think it's the best choice for true tracks.

The Sprinter is somewhat larger than the typical 4WD used outback. It is wider and longer. And here I am assuming the vehicle you plan to drive has not been extended to be even longer. I was pleased that the ground clearance on mine was quite high. Once, someone asked me where and how the "lift" was installed, because they wanted to do something similar to their own vehicle! (I don't know if Britz had the vehicles lifted higher or not.) Will yours be the same?

During my time in the Sprinter, I found the ride on corrugations to be quite poor. I drove the section of the Anne Beadell "Highway" west to Emu and back. This stretch of track is notoriously corrugated. The ride was extremely "bouncy", very uncomfortably so. A different ride on corrugations than in the Troopy. Or for that matter, any 4WD vehicle I've owned here at home in the US. Perhaps a different Sprinter might have a different suspension set-up, and wouldn't have this problem? I don't know.

Another important point raised above is the fuel capacity. The Sprinter I drove had only a 75-liter tank. Compare to a Troopy, that has a total capacity of 180 liters. I think some Sprinters may have larger tanks, or have been fitted with a second tank. But this is a very important consideration. During my Emu jaunt mentioned above, the "low fuel" light was on before I got back to Coober Pedy.

One thing the Sprinter may lack that a "real" 4WD would have is recovery points, AKA tow hooks.
My Sprinter had an eye bolt that screws into a hole on the front and/or rear of the vehicle, like a subcompact car would have! Thankfully I did not need to be pulled out of anything!

As for tyres, mine was fitted with Bridgestone Dueler AT's, which performed well through my travels. Most important, no punctures!

As mentioned, the most important factor in safe travel is to "drive to conditions." Lastly, yes, the winter months (and possibly late Autumn/early spring) are the time to travel in the Outback.

It's not possible for me to drive those tracks in any car at the moment. They won't let me into the various states. :-)

These European 4WD vans are designed to keep the goods flowing on bitumen roads that have 300mm of snow cover. They are not designed as "off road" vehicles.
None of the roads and tracks that the OP mentions actually needs 4WD.
What they need is a decent suspension and bodywork that does not fall apart.
I don't have any experience with the vehicle in question, but I could confidently say that YES you CAN drive those roads in the Merc (or almost any vehicle), but you may need to do a lot of it at walking speed to keep the vehicle in one piece.
The tyres fitted are of minor concern.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome