Thread: Driving to Darwin

I'm heading Dariwn to Brisbane, Wednesday morning. I'll be just sleeping in the back of the Disco. It'll be one of very few times I'll actually have a bed to lie down in. I'm usually just stopped in the table drain with the drivers seat reclined.

Best I have done is Bathurst to Perth (3800km) in 42 hrs on my own.

I have to be in Brisbane before 4pm Friday so this one should be a easy trip.

Happy Days.

Originally Posted by GlennWA

When travelling, my wife and I have done it on numerous occasions. Just get off the road a little.

End of the month will be doing it again. Defender and a horse from Melbourne to Darwin.

I would not be worried and never had an issue. Most people out there are doing the same thing. Truckies are sleeping out there every night too.

Glenn

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you'd be much quicker if you put the horse in a float.


There is common sense required in camping locations but really I think you'll be right. Take it easy.

Originally Posted by digger

you'd be much quicker if you put the horse in a float.


There is common sense required in camping locations but really I think you'll be right. Take it easy.

Thanks digger for the advice Now where to find a float:banghead:

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Hi,

The last few months I have done Canberra - Bundaberg and return, Canberra - Darwin, and Canberra - Adelaide and return and have just pulled up and zonked beside the road on each trip.

I try to get off the verge a bit in case of errant road trains or hoons, and a few trees for morning shade are good. ( not many trees between Hay and Balranald!) even on a quick trip I do not set the alarm, and rely on the body letting me know how much sleep I need after pulling up late....

All of the roadhouses in NT seem to have a reasonably priced campground with a bar and shower. And expensive diesel. Apparently the cheapest fuel in NT is in Katherine.

Cheers,

Gumnut

I just did Darwin - Brisbane - Darwin. Left Darwin after a night shift at 7am on Wednesday 6 November, Arrived Brisbane about midday on Friday 8th. I pickup up a roof top tent on the Friday afternoon and dropped my wheels at the tyre joint and then bummed around Brisbane. I left Brisbane about 1pm on Saturday 9th and got back to Darwin about 10:30pm on Tuesday 12th November.

The whole time I just slept in the back of the Disco. I took the rear seat of to give me a bit of extra length and I was able to stretch out full length on a slight angle in the back.

The only place I was a bit concerned about sleeping was out the front of the tyre joint in Coopers Plains, Brisbane. It's a bit of an industrial estate and there aren't many people about during the night. I just thought it looked a bit like the kind of hang out for unsavory people during the night.

Apart from the night in Darwin, I wasn't concerned about where I slept at all. I try and stay out of the way of the road trains but I often pulled up in truck parking areas. I never heard any of the trucks coming and leaving while sleeping inside the Disco and I like the fact there were people about.





Happy Days.

Hi All

Mr Whippy I would be more concerned about the state of the cooling system of the car than sleeping in or near it. With the buildup in full swing, the high ambient temperatures and the very high bitumen temperatures find a way to test vehicles that aren't very healthy.

Have a safe tip and check out the Christmas thread in territory chat, hope to see you in your travels

Regards Mark

Originally Posted by marko66

Hi All

Mr Whippy I would be more concerned about the state of the cooling system of the car than sleeping in or near it. With the buildup in full swing, the high ambient temperatures and the very high bitumen temperatures find a way to test vehicles that aren't very healthy.

Have a safe tip and check out the Christmas thread in territory chat, hope to see you in your travels

Regards Mark

I can tell you the air up here isn't as bad as you'd think for cooling. I had higher temps around Blackall, Longreach and Winton in the mid afternoon.

I have a madman gauge and I'm very conservative with my temp alarms. My EGT is set at 650 which limits my time at full acceleration and then my water temp alarm is set at 95 degrees.

I think the issue with my Disco is more related to the Autotrans cooler than the engine cooling. My auto never gets over 75 degrees so I think the cooler is working well but the problem is that cooler is putting all the heat infront of my intercooler and radiator and thats what puts the water heat up.

When my water alarm goes off over 95 degrees, I just kill the A/C for 30 second or so and it comes back down to 93 - 94.

Worries me a bit what the temps hit before I owned it and installed the gauge.

Happy Days.

In summer where I live we get temps that Darwin can only dream of. Even the fruit pickers that come from Qld to do our fruit season whinge about the heat.