Traveling on unsealed outback roads

Hey Jim · Guru

Traveling on unsealed outback roads

Spydermann · Senior Member

Not sure if it still works but if the road causes damage and the local road authority know about it or it has been previously been reported or it is marked up as future repairs, the local road authority may be responsible for damage .

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

You may not legally seal up the gas vents.
There will be 2, one at low level (usually in the door) and one up high (within 300mm of the roof).
The best way to keep the dust out is to have a forward opening vent on the roof that will pressurise the inside of the van with clean air.

If you hit a pot hole in the road and damage the van, you were driving too fast for the conditions and you are on your own, so that should be incentive enough to take it easy.
Most outback roads have warnings about road conditions that will be sufficient for the local road authority to say "Sorry mate".

Cheers.
Peter

dogbox · Guru

if it is unsealed roads corrugations no problem the 4 wheel drive goat track at your own peril watch the gall boys video no one in their right mind does that to own expensive van
the majority of people who buy 4x4 vehicles never use it in anger

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Jim, there is a good attachment you can use to solve any of the above problems and it is with you at all times.

Shanks Pony biggrin

I reckon if you drive according to the conditions and no overhead or overhanging obstacles you should be ok on most reasonable unsealed roads.

Hey Jim · Guru

Dougwe wrote:
Jim, there is a good attachment you can use to solve any of the above problems and it is with you at all times.

Shanks Pony

I reckon if you drive according to the conditions and no overhead or overhanging obstacles you should be ok on most reasonable unsealed roads.

Good morning Dougwe Chief and everyone,

A shanks Pony then. confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse confuse

Jim

RobandFlip · Senior Member

Jim, you must have done your research before buying a Jayco?? We took a Jayco Outback Swan wind up camper across the Gibb River Road and quite a few other unsealed roads on our trip in 2011. Driving to the conditions meant our Swan survived. We were well aware of its' limitations. The dust was phenomenal, and we never really got it all out of the van.
Unfortunately, we cannot have it both ways. One gets what one pays for. If travelling off the bitumen is something you had planned to do, then investigating the vans available to this with relative ease is the first port of call. Yes, they cost more, but are designed for unsealed roads with the condition "do not abuse". To travel on a graded road with minimal imperfections means being there as the grader grades the road. Corrugations and pot holes reoccur within a very short time following a re-sheeting or grading because of the amount of traffic and people not driving to the conditions. CIL is a very good insurance company and mainly insure caravans.

NeilandRaine · Guru

My solution to dusty unsealed corrugated roads is I don't go on them. Lots love to do it, but they made me do it when I was a worker, no desire to do it again.

We pulled into Boulia caravan park for a few days last year, via Winton. Was amazed at how long it took people to "almost" clean out their vans after the trip up from Birdsville

-- Edited by NeilandRaine on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 09:57:10 AM

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Peter & Margaret,

We owned a kk camper for a long time. Even it couldn't keep out all the dust. Nothing ever will. However I will endeavour to seal it up my way.

We were out walking this morning and I was saying to Lambie that first up, I will put the van outside one night and close all the blinds in the van and leave all the house lights off. Turn on all the internal lights on inside the van.

By doing so any sign of light showing out top to bottom will get my full attention, with the chalking gun and fully felxable mastic to match.

Before turning off the blacktop I intend on blocking off these air vents till days end. It still won't be fool proof, nothing ever will. We can only try.

Our full HD dash cam may help in the advent of unforseen road conditions.

We travelled 40000km odd with the camper and never had an issue.

What they mean by hard landings has got me though.

We did the Sanvanna way from Normanton to Borroloola in 2008 A great road journey at 70-80kmph. what a fantastic trip it was. We would do it again.Yes the dust was heavy, however it can be washed off at Katherine in the NT.

This van has the same independent trailing arm suspension as the KK camper, I can't see a problem with the Jayco doing the same trip.Its all graded in the dry season.Even traveling at say 50-60kmph.

I will however fit a stone guard + extra's to protect the van from wayward stones. theirs so much to see in retirement.

Regards Jim & Lambie

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 12:03:36 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 12:05:46 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 12:06:11 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 04:32:00 PM

DMaxer · Guru

This news and the owners changing their names has certainly been a challenge.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Hey Jim wrote:
theirs so much to see in retirement.

Absolutely.

And with more time to do it, speed becomes irrelevant. Taking an extra couple of days to drive a section of dirt just means you see more and the fuel consumption is better. All plusses.

Not driving on those dirt roads means that you only get to see 1/4 of Australia and have to do it with 3 X as many other people.

One way of legally sealing up the vents forever is to eliminate un-flued gas appliances from the van.

You can do that by changing to diesel cooking and a compressor fridge.

The ram air vent is still a great solution for the leaks around the windows and door though.

Cheers,

Peter

Hey Jim · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Hey Jim wrote:
theirs so much to see in retirement.
Absolutely.
And with more time to do it, speed becomes irrelevant. Taking an extra couple of days to drive a section of dirt just means you see more and the fuel consumption is better. All plusses.
Not driving on those dirt roads means that you only get to see 1/4 of Australia and have to do it with 3 X as many other people.

One way of legally sealing up the vents forever is to eliminate un-flued gas appliances from the van.
You can do that by changing to diesel cooking and a compressor fridge.
The ram air vent is still a great solution for the leaks around the windows and door though.

Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter & Margaret,

The size of vent in the top? Do you have a size to work on, for the X cubic area internally to maximise the pressure.

Regards Jim & Lambie

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Hey Jim wrote:
Hi Peter & Margaret,
The size of vent in the top? Do you have a size to work on, for the X cubic area internally to maximise the pressure.
Regards Jim & Lambie

The size is more related to the other holes than the size of the interior.

Ours is about 300mm x 100mm and has some S/S 'termi mesh' over it to stop bugs getting in. It is also a U bend shape so it can stay open in the rain without getting stuff inside wet. It is permanently open.

I have seen the same effect achieved with some of the standard roof vents that can open to the front.

Cheers,

Peter

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Peter & Margaret,

Your a Legend. knowledge = Power. Im on it. I will check with Jayco as to weather the van has a vent already in the top. Other wise I will be adding a professional one and have them install it.

Makes you wonder, if not one installed already. Why? In a unit like ours that should.

Shouldn't be a problem as it has not even got to the assembly line.

PS: Started looking at your Photo's last night. Don't folks miss out on so much staying on the black top.

Regards Jim

leajoy · Veteran Member

Hi Jim & Lambie Last April we bought ou first ever van after having an Ultimate camper which you could take anywhere and dust was never an issue, but, we still like to get off road now where we can. On our recent trip we did Bourke to Thargomindah - off road. We turned the gass off at the cylinder ( always do when traveling) blocked the door vent and the back access vent. We have a compressor fridge. Half the road to Hungerford was in good nick, the rest was very ordinary indeed. We drove to the conditions. The only dust we got in was a tiny amount around the door and I discovered some in the cupboard where the hot water service is a few days later - it was all contained within the cupboard. Next time we will cover more vents, including the fridge. We were lucky with the wind direction. The biggest issue we think is if the cupboards etc can stand up to the corrugations. Fortunately ours did. We also have a mid door van and we use a stone stomper. We also deflated tyres all around. The only mark we got on the can was thrown up by a group of 4WD who couldn't/wouldn't slow down. I think the key is driving to the conditions and so what if it takes a tad longer to get to your destination. Goodluck

Radar · Guru

Hi All.

We have found our Supreme basically pretty good as far as dust goes, just keeping the road speed down a bit goes along way to enjoying the experience.

Most tours away from home I find some unsealled roads, our average would be about 10% of our travels, 80% low class secondary roads, most times not as good as a unsealed road and the remainder motorway.

I must put a pressure roof vent in as from experience with ute canopys it works a treat.

The photo is typical of the roads we encounter in our travels, this is Thargamindah to Quilpie 35 ks with 2 standard caravans.

-- Edited by Radar on Monday 3rd of August 2015 08:32:04 AM

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Leajoy & Radar,

Yes we have been there too.

Our first trip in the KK out to Bourke across to Wanaring to Tibooburra to Cameron Corner to Birdsville over to Quilpie on to Charleville to Bollon back down to Hebel to Lightning Ridge to Sydney.

Just fantastic trips that can be done in conventional 2WD. if you drive to the conditions.

The cuboards latches in the new Jayco seem a lot better now then in the past.

Stone stompers or simular, just have to work things through.

We can't wait till its arrival. We will be adding to it a diesel heater for the inland cold nights, and basket over the a frame to carry some fire wood for the next stop. we have ordered ours with the extended draw bar to allow for the basket. I have a little 18v chain saw to block up each nights FW supply.

Regards Jim & Lambie

Kiwi-as · Guru

Jim, the basket will be under the A frame, Won't it. The Chassis manufactures should weld that in place at manufacture. Then it all gets galvanised or sprayed.

Hey Jim · Guru

Kiwi-as wrote:
Jim, the basket will be under the A frame, Won't it. The Chassis manufactures should weld that in place at manufacture. Then it all gets galvanised or sprayed.

Hi Kiwi as,

NO.

We have a cradle been fitted in the A Frame by Jayco to take a second spare tyre/ wheel. the draw bar is extended by Jayco to accommodate the spare. I want to add a small cargo basket with U bolts to the frame to carry our fire wood as we collect it for the coming nights camp fire and our camp oven. It has to be able to be removed to access this tyre and make it extra hard / trouble to NICK.

biggrin biggrin biggrin

Regards Jim