Discovery Sport on Fraser Island - Has anyone?

[Chilly]

Hi,
Just moved to:Sunshine Coast. Looking to go to Fraser with mate. He has a Discovery Sport. We were ndered if anyone has taken the Ds to Fraser and if so how did it go?

Thanks

Chilly

[ozscott]

Chilly have you done any driving on powdery dry sand before? Cheers

[scarry]

hmm,unless your going with another genuine 4WD vehicle,that has low range,and have at least a set of max trax,and a couple of long handled shovels,and good rated recovery points on both vehicles,straps and shackles to suit,i think i wouldn't be too keen.

You could end up on that Inskip point Facebook page[bigsad][biggrin]

It is a fantastic place though,that is if you keep away from the main touristy spots.
So if you do go ,hope it all goes OK.

[Chilly]

I have done a bit of driving on sand.
I will be in either my RRS TDV8 or Defender.

More interested on how people have got on with a DS. Have seen a video of an Evoque on their.

My mate has been a many times in other manufacture 4wd cars. So he is not new to it.

[donh54]

I think the vehicle is capable, more a case of the operator being able to relate to the capabilities of car and tyres. IMHO the tyres are going to be the deciding factor. If they're those stupid bloody "O-rings" that masquerade as tyres nowadays, he may be limited to where he can go.
Freelander 2s, (the predecessor to the DS) have crossed the Simpson Desert many times without problems, but in the cases I've known of, the driver was very capable, and wasn't running stock rubber.
At the very least, it'll be a good learning experience. Please come back with a follow-up report (and pics, I hear Pedro saying!)

[weeds]

Given your experience I reckon it will be fine......

[PhilipA]

I think A DS has a simiar underbody to an Evoque.
If so they are really compromised by the front crossmember clearance.
I went to driver training with one on Stockton. It was brilliant on dry sand with no ruts as good power to weight. Better than d2s-d3s and RRS.

BUT once the sand became rutted it bellied out very quickly. And Fraser has lots of places with deep ruts and probably all of the inland tracks if not wet.

If you insist take some maxtrax or similar but be prepared for a lot of digging and pushing.

Oh and disable the stability control or you will go nowhere.
Regards Philip A

[ozscott]

Parts of Fraser can be very difficult. As an example there was some years ago a climb up a hill (fairly deep ruts filled with very dry sand when I was there) heading to Kingfisher from the East. Just as it started to ramp up a little there was a large tree root and even normal clearance 4wds had to slow to a crawl and go over. That put the vehicle straight into a slight uphill area of soft sand and many where bogging down. That requires good torque, clearance and plenty of the black stuff lowered. Anywhere where you need to start in difficult conditions will challenge vehicles without low gearing and good tyres and clearance.

Likewise I had to stop for bogged 100 series and a Jeep in the Indian Head bypass. It was during the drought and school holidays. The d2 just drove off in second low and 20psi in 265/70/16s and did my mate with the same vehicle and tyres (ie once those stuck had been snatcjed out...drove over where they had been stuck which amused people). Many people got stuck even without stopping in the pass. Fraser if dry is the province of full size 4wd with good tyres and low range in my view although with recent rain, few cars and good skills a more road based all wheel drive will probably be ok for the most part.

Cheers

[Dorian]

As said, depends upon the conditions, if it's dry then you'll have trouble with clearance. On one trip I've been on there was a falcon ute getting around no problems, saw him at Waddy Point, Lake Mackanzie, Central and King Fisher, but the island was pretty wet and firm.
I think that the last 1km of the track to Kingfisher is getting harder each year, with the ruts getting just that bit deeper and the drains steeper each year.

In my experience often the hardest part of Fraser is often getting across the sand from Inskip to the barge.

As an aside I'm traveling up there in a couple of weeks, has anyone been in the last month or so and can you tell what condition is the eastern beach in? I,ve seen a few news reports from the Sunshine Coast and the beach there seems to be really short.

Cheers Glen

[BobD]

As said, depends upon the conditions, if it's dry then you'll have trouble with clearance. On one trip I've been on there was a falcon ute getting around no problems, saw him at Waddy Point, Lake Mackanzie, Central and King Fisher, but the island was pretty wet and firm.
I think that the last 1km of the track to Kingfisher is getting harder each year, with the ruts getting just that bit deeper and the drains steeper each year.

In my experience often the hardest part of Fraser is often getting across the sand from Inskip to the barge.

As an aside I'm traveling up there in a couple of weeks, has anyone been in the last month or so and can you tell what condition is the eastern beach in? I,ve seen a few news reports from the Sunshine Coast and the beach there seems to be really short.

Cheers Glen

I have had my DS on soft WA beach sand with no problems except ground clearance. As others have said, you will be grading the track due to the lack of ground clearance if there are ruts. Mine was just starting to touch ground on a beach near Bunbury, which was just a lot wheel ruts spread across the beach, not a rutted track. It didn't stop forward progress but my other two Land Rovers never looked like touching the ground on that beach.

Apart from clearance, they are brilliant because they are so light and powerful with great traction control. I have 17 inch wheels and tyres were on 18 when on the beach.

At Fraser, the inland tracks will a problem due to the lack of ground clearance but the beaches are so firm even a 2WD would have no problems. Nothing like the soft sand on most WA beaches. I can't believe people actually get stuck there. Even Inskip is like a highway compared with a lot of WA beaches. But then again, no one seemed to lower tyre pressures when we were there, except us!

[Dorian]

In my experience often the hardest part of Fraser is often getting across the sand from Inskip to the barge.


Perhaps I should clarify, I'm luckly enough to get over there most years and agree it's not overly difficult, but
if Inskip to the barge is a breeze then Fraser will be a breeze, if it's tricky then the island will likely be a bit less tricky. The island usually gets mote rain than Inskip.

Cheers Glen.

[Dorian]

Hi,
Just moved to:Sunshine Coast. Looking to go to Fraser with mate. He has a Discovery Sport. We were ndered if anyone has taken the Ds to Fraser and if so how did it go?

Thanks

Chilly

Chilly,
was there last week and saw a Delica, Vitara, and a Mitsubishi Outlander getting around just fine.
Saw them on the Eastern Beach coming from the barge at Inskip, Lake McKenzsie and coming across from Wanggoolba creek.

I recon they would have been pushing a bit of sand around on the track from Central to Eurong, but at least the Delica and the Outlander made it.

Only trouble spots I'd see for you were over Nagala rocks as the ruts for the first 30 meters there are ground into the coffee rocks and the lake up into Happy Valley at the moment is more than 600mm deep.

Cheers Glen

[Webz]

I honestly would advise against it. I went to Bribie on the weekend and although I powered past many larger 4wds bogged as soon as got into the thick stuff I bottomed out and that’s where I stayed. Clearance is the DS archillies and Bribie is basic compared to Fraser and InSkip. Unless you get better AT tyres + significant clearance you will do nothing but frustrate your mates with low range constantly pulling you out.

[PhilipA]

Yes same as Evoque which is D sport in fancy pants.

That front crossmember is the problem in deep ruts.

But they go well in unrutted sand as good P/w ratio.
Regards Philip A