I was under the impression that we were going to be spliting up part of the time anyway. As some of us wanted to do some of the harder section & others didn't.
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I was under the impression that we were going to be spliting up part of the time anyway. As some of us wanted to do some of the harder section & others didn't.
We have really opened this up again! Nine vehicles including Tony - sorry, you were right at the start of this thread and I missed you. We are up towards the max comfortable number for a convoy, so if many more people do put their hand up we will need to consider either staggered times, or if some people wanted to go at a different time - two weeks earlier mentioned - then I'd be happy to help organise an earlier convoy. To be discussed in two weeks.
Hunno, the "harder" bits on the Cape (that I know about anyway and I included in my draft last year) are the CREB track, which is only half a day as an inland alternate to the Bloomfield Track around Cape Tribulation - weather and whether it is open or not - dependent, and the Old Telegraph Track, which any Jeep not towing should be able to do anyway - I will go that way... If there are other tracks that people know about and want to try no one has mentioned them to me as yet. There are some places down the East Coast - Chilly Beach via Lockhart River is one, turn East about 40km North of Archer River, but I do not know much about it. It is 150km plus each way - so probably a multi day detour (off my planned trip anyway) and involves (I believe) serious water crossings of the Pascoe and Wenlock Rivers - so I hadn't really considered it. If anyone wanted to go that way then they might not want to follow my plan, which is fine, but it would then kind of become a separate convoy/trip as we might not meet up again...
My main concerns with a big convoy are space in camp grounds for vehicles etc, and possibly time taken through some slower bits of the route. Most days are relatively short drives so I'm not sure how much of a problem that could be, we did find it a bit of a problem some days on the trip last year... Staggered leaving times might be the best solution if necessary. With 8 months until the trip, I'm sure numbers will fluctuate.
Thanks Bear for your clarification re participants from the club and others.
To be continued
Dave
Got my Roof top tent on ready to go :) Also put those dates into my leave for this year
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c..._4170nonum.jpg
Cheers
Steve
That's beautiful work Steve! I saw your build entries earlier. Glen's comment about a deflector was a good one. We both carried spare wheels on our roofs last July. Same wheels and tyres and same engines too, although he has changed his Engine Management System. With that and a deflector, he did about 2 litres per hundred k's better than me without a deflector on the trip to Birdsville, a big difference over 5000 k's.
I bought myself a Rola Vortex roof basket with a small deflector on it for Christmas (same as Adam's) and I'm hoping it will make a bit of difference in Sept / Oct, and I can throw a bit more gear on the roof...
A few people have put in for leave now - still got to put my application in!
Dave
I'm thinking of making a basic deflector but it may get in the way of the window on the tent, my Jeep isn't exactly economical as it is anyway and I cant imagine it getting much worse. At least it has a 120lt tank :) I'd hate to put a spare on the roof, mine weighs 5kg less than the tent!!!
Cheers
Steve
Looking at your wheel / tyre combo, I don't know HOW you would get one on the roof. Need a dockyard crane...
Only reason I carry a wheel on the roof is that the Tag Along operators I have been on trips with all insist on the second spare, and I haven't got room in the vehicle. I recommend carrying a second spare on the long trips too, as it can be hard to find replacements in more remote areas, and flats do happen. However, Ivan with his 37's couldn't carry a second spare last year, you have similar tyres, so up to you. My smaller 30 inch AT's are a bit more vulnerable, as I found out at Innaminka.
Dave
Hi Mate
Great job on the super camper build LoL - I have enjoyed seeing your progress and ingenuity !
I cant help but think just how bad things could end up if your ladder somehow got moved / kicked etc out of place in the night - I have thoughts of the tent being almost a complete write off not to mention how it could ruin a good nights sleep lol
I had a few nights of torrential down pour whilst away and I recall one morning looking out and down at my ladder to see that it was in essence dangling from the tent - sure made me feel happy to have the rear half of my rt tent on my roof bars and not relying on the ladder.
anyway - just a thought - if you were worried about the ladder getting dislodged during the night - you could make up a short steel cable (swagged) with hooks on both ends 1 connecting to the ladder the other end could hook into your sunraisers and ensure the ladder remaned in place
I Love your heap - good work - cant wait to see it in the flesh - (hopefully Sat pm)
cheers Hunty
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...K/DSC_3474.jpg
Plenty run the tent off the side :) The bracketry in the fold out section, the flooring and the canvas itself wont let the floor fold out past center. In saying that it came with straps to tie the ladder down. Dont forget that anyone who has a lower room under the tent has to have it hanging over the edge somewhere, side or rear :)
Cheers
Steve
Watched Pat Callinan's Cape York DVD yesterday. I was relieved to see that Gunshot had three possible entries into the creek (the most famous of them being the very difficult near vertical descent one). All of the entries were slippery red clay, but of the easier two, the middle difficulty one even looked fairly tame for a KJ, and not much water in the creek the year he was there (not even knee deep).
I've been watching a few DVD's as well, if the water isn't too deep I dont think anyone will have any problems (terrain related anyway) :)
Cheers
Steve