Gibb River and beyond

jab160 · Senior Member

Gibb River and beyond

PeterInSa · Guru

Only If I had:
Club 4x4 $25,000 Breakdown Insurance, 2 spare wheel/Tyres, a Sat phone and a Scan gauge ( and know how to use it), along with spare fan belt.

KJB · Guru

What is a conventional winny..?

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

So long as it is not a FWD Fiat.
And so long as you really are prepared to drive slow on the corrugations if they are bad. And so long as you don't expect to really keep the dust out.
Forget the sat phone, the problem will be too many other people, not too few.
Cheers,
Peter

JohnR · Senior Member

My thoughts only.

We were in North West WA in 2018.

We rarely go off the bitumen and only for access to bush camps etc.

Our set up is 2016 Land Cruiser towing 23' Jayco Outback 2013.

It is home and makes no sense to risk or compromise your vehicles.

However, we were at Derby for a few days and I have attached a few pics.

The feedback from those doing the Gibb is the amount of traffic on the road particularly in the peak period.

Young families with camper trailers etc. Everyone in a mad hurry.

We were to do a farm sit for a couple who were going to do the "Gibb" in July/August this year.

Like everything at the moment it is all shut down and another factor there are no workers in Kimberly's as the workers (back packers) are not about.

Unless the back packers are available there will be NO workers and the area will remain closed.

So there are more considerations to be taken in to account outside the ability of winny to do the Gibb River Rd and areas in North West WA.

Cheers

JohnR

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

To qualify my comments....
We have driven the GRR in 1995, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. From 2005 to 2008 we spent about 2 months in the Kimberley each year.

I can provide pics from any of those years.
It varies from year to year and from month to month depending on the weather, the grader and the timing of the end of the wet season (and of course, the traffic).
The best time to be there is as early as possible after the first grading is done in the new year and before the school holidays.
The Kimberley is the most spectacular part of Australia but also probably the hardest to see.
Don't try to do it in a limited time frame.
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Saturday 18th of April 2020 04:52:29 PM

wendyv · Guru

Agree with all that Peter says, based on our three extensive trips on the Gibb and through that area.
I would not take a Winnebago on the Gibb, unless you are prepared to really crawl along - and I mean crawl. This would mean you annoy other travellers immensely.
There is also the fact that if you go at the optimum time - when road first graded, the waterways may still be a bit up and you would get your underneath wet. Certainly the Pentecost Crossing almost always is an extensive wet crossing.
You would be limited to the Gibb only, as side tracks - to Drysdale River, Kalumburu etc are nearly always much worse than the Gibb itself.
We were camped at El Questro a few years back and a couple of hired Winnies came in. They had breached hire conditions by coming across the Gibb. Both had some dings and underneath damage. One arrived at the parking area with a very big rock solidly wedged between two of his back tyres - that took some shifting and cost him money for the mechanic. Unfortunately, one of our party was a rather high up employee of the hire company! Those - South African - travellers did NOT get their bonds refunded when they returned the vehicles!
We actually had a very strong offroad caravan for two of our trips up that way and chose to leave van stored in Kununurra. Did not doubt van's ability to handle the roads, but on one trip we were going to Bungles, as part of a circuit route, and couldn't take it there. Another trip we were planning on taking very out of the way tracks where it would have been a hassle towing anything.
In my view, the angst/anxiety you would feel, would ruin the experience anyway.
Could you hire a 4WD camper - or tent and gear - and do it that way?

-- Edited by wendyv on Saturday 18th of April 2020 05:41:13 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I recall seeing a Coaster at Kalumburu a couple of years, but they are a better 2WD motorhome choice for bad roads than most.
Cheers,
Peter

Inland_Sailor · Veteran Member

Yes, I agree, the Kimberley is the most spectacular part of Australia, with Tassie a close second.
But realistically, this is camper trailer territory and not the cheapies either! Off roaders that are built for the type of conditions found there [and are properly maintained and equipped] do it in their stride. Using anything else is hoping the conditions are benign. That doesn't last for long so the odds are most likely against you.
I'm sure you don't want that ruined by ongoing "misadventures". Leave your winny at home and buy/hire/borrow something that will do the job. That way you will make the most of your experience there!

-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Saturday 18th of April 2020 06:39:15 PM

Whenarewethere · Guru

We did 2/3 of it a couple of years ago, went to the Bungles first then in from the east 2nd June, Pentecost Crossing wasn't too deep. We got a flat tyre after & destroyed it, only had one more spare. Decided to turn around & back past the Bungles turn off again, picked up a new tyre in Halls Creek. It turned out to be a screw in the tyre. We had checked the tyres daily.

Went up from the south via Tunnel Creek & then turned east along along GGR. This end was on a lot better condition, still corrugated but without the stones. The east end was corrugated plus covered in stones. Even with reduced tyre pressure it was very tiring to drive on.

On the east end in one day we saw 3 other vehicles changing tyres. The biggest issue we had was the speeding vehicles. While we were changing our wheel 6 went past & didn't slow down, just raced past & in 2 cases sped up throwing stones everywhere.

There is a lack of safety & common sense on GRR. We stopped for the other vehicles & asked if they were ok & each said they were ok & we were the only car that slowed down & the only one that asked if they were ok!

We bought TPMS in Broome which allowed us to repair 3 more punctures catching them early enough on the rest of our trip. We had intended to get TPMS before but hadn't got around to it but did have a tyre repair kit & multiple compressors.

If doing GRR get a second spare, tyre repair kit & quality compressor, TPMS & take it slowly, it's not a race track!

Coming out the west end we were 1 or 2 cars that pumped tyres up, other than that we didn't see another vehicle changing tyre pressure at the east or west end, same in the Bungles & the rough public road north of Karijini NP.

Cleaning up coming out of the Bungles.

normal_IMG_5423-cleaning (1).jpg

Meredith · Senior Member

Personally I wouldn't take a conventional Winnebago along the whole Gibb, too much risk of damage. But that doesn't mean you can't see anything of the Kimberley, there is a lot you could get to. From the Kununurra end you could easily go to El Questro and spend a few days or more there, Home Valley Station would be fairly easy too. From the Derby end the road is partly sealed and then the rest fairly good gravel as far as Windjana Gorge campground, any 2wd vehicle can get to there and then carefully drive from there to Tunnel Creek. Then of course there are the parts of the Kimberley you can see around Kununurra and Derby themselves, taking the sealed highway past the Bungle Bungle NP where you could take an organised tour from the caravan park at the entrance, Geike Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing is easy to access too.

bgt · Guru

Peter can you qualify your statement re FWD Fiats?

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

bgt wrote:
Peter can you qualify your statement re FWD Fiats?

I have travelled in company with a front wheel drive Fiat motorhome on moderate to good unsurfaced roads and the suspension performance was abysmal.

They had to crawl at walking speed.

It was a hire vehicle, so it was not a case of taking particular care of it.

Cheers,

Peter

bgt · Guru

Thanks Peter. Fiats have sensors that will send them into limp mode with bad front suspension shocks. (I believe it's not on all Fiats. Ours has the feature). Many Fiats have upgraded front suspensions. Some folks have installed airbags. But in truth if you want to go off road with any conventional built motor home then I think you are pushing your luck.