Simpson Desert Vehicle Selection

[Michael2]

Would a Nissan Navara (new DC Ute) make it across the Simpson? Not sure whether to invite a Navara on our trip next year.

Other vehicles at this stage;
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif TD5 Defender
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif SIII Petrol Defender
:? Jeep Cherokee (V6 I think)
:x SI Disco will probably be up(down)graded to a 100 Series :x

[Maggot4x4]

Originally posted by Michael2
Would a Nissan Navara (new DC Ute) make it across the Simpson? Not sure whether to invite a Navara on our trip next year.

Other vehicles at this stage;
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif TD5 Defender
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif SIII Petrol Defender
:? Jeep Cherokee (V6 I think)
:x SI Disco will probably be up(down)graded to a 100 Series :x

The Navara is more likely to make it than the Jeep or an IFS 100

[Bushie]

Yeah....................

Inviter the Navara then after a few hundred kays give him a spell in the defender. Poor ba$*ard will then realise what he's missing.


Bushie

[weeds]

Hi Michael

Just got back from the simpson and gauging on the other vehicles crossing the simpson the Navara would get across. A tag along was crossing the french line the same time as we were crossing the rig and there was a dual cab ute which could have been a navara or bravo, they also had a hyundia terican which made it along with a couple of jeeps. One of the guys indicated the prado in the group had most trouble, although his driving ability may have been a part. While i was travelling down the Oodnatta track I chatted to a group of at least 12 VW combies heading the Mt Dare to cross the simpson west to east. They had a couple of support 4wd's, they said they had done the border track which didn't stop them, not sure how hard the border track is. I guessing they will travel the rig track most of the way.

[JDNSW]

Any vehicle in good condition, not overloaded, adequate ground clearance and a good driver should be able to cross the Simpson, the last being by far the most important. The Navarra should do it provided it meets these conditions, but the Defender etc will be a lot easier on the driver!

[rmp]

Any dualcab ute is capable of it, depends on your preparation as to whether you'll succeed.

[Michael2]

Thanks for the insight, my main concerns with the Navara were ground clearance and IFS. I'd heard from a surveyor in the Kimberley (some years ago) that as soon as his company ute was upgraded to an IFS model, he kept getting stuck.

Anyway, I'll see this guy tonight and see if he's interested. We'll organise a trip to the Big Desert in the interim so he can get used to some sand.

[Alex]

I crossed the Simpson in June and we had a Navara with IFS in our group. It didn't have many issues at all apart from a few scrapes underneath. As long as he wasn't the lead car, we could let him know if there were any decent drops or holes and there was almost always a chicken run around them. The only time he got stuck the whole trip was when he tried to avoid a small mud hole on the track and go around it, only to find out that the road edges are mighty soft! Considering we got a bucket load of rain both leading up to, in, and coming back from the desert, the ute did better than anyone thought it would.

[barney]

when we did it in 2002, we met some guys crossing in a subaru brumby ute. loaded to the roofline with esky, water and fuel. i think they had no other clothes than what they were wearing

[rmp]

Originally posted by Michael2
Thanks for the insight, my main concerns with the Navara were ground clearance and IFS. I'd heard from a surveyor in the Kimberley (some years ago) that as soon as his company ute was upgraded to an IFS model, he kept getting stuck.

Anyway, I'll see this guy tonight and see if he's interested. We'll organise a trip to the Big Desert in the interim so he can get used to some sand.

The limitation of IFS is articulation. You won't need much of that in the Simpson. What you do need is fuel economy and load carrying capacity. I didn't even get above 1200rpm in the Defender in high range until I hit Big Red, at which point I really had to cane it. Never needed to use low range at all.

This surveryor guy sounds like he needs a driving lesson.

Drop your tyre pressures to 18psi when you're into the sand and start cruising.

The Navara's clearance won't be any problem at all, the ground clearance is fine as are the angles.

[seqfisho]

I think I remmember Ron Moon making a video of the simpson and crossing it with 3 Mazda Bravos without any dramas


He also interveiwed the mechanic at Birdsville at the time who's favorite vehicle to do his desert recoveries and emergency repairs was a Ford Courier, the new Navara Diesels are pretty capable although soft in the suspension if fully loaded.

Doubt it would be as bad as the Cherokee 8O