Gawler Range Road

Submitted: Saturday, Jun 08, 2024 at 15:35
ThreadID: 147815 Views:1418 Replies:2 FollowUps:0
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Just home from being in Outback SA and feel I need to warn travellers about the condition of the Gawler Range Rd. The corrugations on the road for 100km south of Kingoonya are horrific, it took us just over 4 hours to travel the 110km to Skull Camp Tanks Rd. Our average speed was just over 20kph! I had traveled this road many times in a Holden HG Kingswood back in the late 1970s and it was a pleasure to drive on it, but now I would advise people to take a different road (via Glendambo and Pt Augusta), yes it will be an extra 300km but it would be worth it.
I will admit we did have a caravan on behind, but driving bush roads is nothing new to me. Skull Camp Tanks Rd was very good, we could cruise happily at about 70kph very few corrugations. We turned off SCT Rd and onto Hiltaba Rd again a great drive, then we turned onto the Yardea Rd at Yardea Station this gave us a pleasant drive all the way to Minnipa. There were a few corrugations on the SW side of the National Park but nothing like we found on the Gawler Range Rd.

Regards Andrew
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Reply By: Member - Duncan2H - Sunday, Jun 09, 2024 at 09:30

Sunday, Jun 09, 2024 at 09:30
Out of interest, did you air down and try a few different speeds?
AnswerID: 646014

Reply By: Andrew M1 (NSW) - Tuesday, Jun 11, 2024 at 15:16

Tuesday, Jun 11, 2024 at 15:16
No I didn't reduce tyre pressure for a couple of reasons
1) I only run the van tyres at 39PSI ( I've used the 4PSI for many years without any averse effects.
2) All tanks were full so I didn't want to have tyre walls getting cut by rocks.

For anyone that doesn't the 4PSI rule.
Set tyre pressures at what you think is best, drive for 10 - 20 km and check pressures. If you have a more than 4psi increase in pressure from cold to hot then your pressure is too low, hence tyre flex then heating. If your pressure rise is less than 4PSI there is not enough flex in tyres because pressure is too high.
I have TPMS on both Ute and caravan so I can watch pressures very closely.

Andrew
AnswerID: 646025

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