Thread: Camper trailer Rescue

Hope it all goes well Tank , stay safe.


Cheers Ean

That's very good of you.


What sort of mileage involved in doing that?


Cheers, Jerry

Presumably the Triton owner hadn't read this.

Applies from Wed 24 Sep 2014, 10.00am. Last reviewed: Wed 7 Oct 2015, 3.04pm.

Safety alerts:
Some fire trails not suitable for trailer access
Within Deua National Park some trails are not suitable for trailer access. National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has had advisory signs in place for some time to encourage people towing 4WD trailers to avoid some of the steeper, harder-to-maintain trails in Deua National Park. However, due to ongoing damage to trails as a result of continued inappropriate use of 4WDs towing trailers on these signposted trails, NPWS is now prohibiting the use of trailers on the following trails in Deua National Park:
Dampier Mountain trail
Oulla Creek trail
Minuma Range trail
Merricumbene trail
Mongamula trail
Dry Creek trail
It is now an offence to tow trailers on these trails. The penalty for towing trailers on these trails is a $300 penalty infringement notice, or higher if the matter is taken to court. By keeping trailers away from these identified trails, you reduce the safety risk to yourself and others, reduce damage to the park environment and your assets and reduce park maintenance costs, a benefit to everyone. Trailer access to Bendethera is still available from Moruya via Little Sugarloaf Road and Bendethera trail. From Braidwood, this increases travel time by about 30 minutes to 1 hour. For more information, please contact NPWS Narooma on (02) 4476 0800.

Deua National Park | Local alerts | NSW National Parks

Originally Posted by Road Stone

That's very good of you.


What sort of mileage involved in doing that?


Cheers, Jerry

Not so much how far it is, more how long it takes due to the steep terrain, so it's slow going.

If you know what you're doing, Dampier Trig is not that hard, add rain though and it can be quite slippery.

I'm supprised it was open if they have had all the rain they say they have, anyway he shouldn't have been on the track with a trailer in the first place.

Originally Posted by Road Stone

That's very good of you.


What sort of mileage involved in doing that?


Cheers, Jerry

I have with my Son a Recovery and Towing business, I get paid for our work, don't want to give the impression that I'm a good soul rescuing trapped/bogged 4wd'ers, just letting those that know Bendethra and Dampier Mt. FT of our latest adventure, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Redback

Not so much how far it is, more how long it takes due to the steep terrain, so it's slow going.

If you know what you're doing, Dampier Trig is not that hard, add rain though and it can be quite slippery.

I'm supprised it was open if they have had all the rain they say they have, anyway he shouldn't have been on the track with a trailer in the first place.

Baz and Allan, that was the hardest I've ever worked to earn a Quid in my life, got a call yesterday evening, from a nice bloke who had to park his Jayco Swan Outback part the way up Dampier Mt. FT (DMFT) leading out of Bendethra camping area.
Another couple of campers nearby told him he shouldn't have any problems pulling his Van up this trail, one even supposedly drove 8k's up the trail and came back and said he shouldn't have a problem (nice bastard) Baz it was dry as a bone, but the first river crossing (from Moruya side) was up level with the bonnet, hard to read the depth at night.. He has a late model Triton 3.2 ute with a lift and some reasonable tyres. I was told this Jayco only weighs 1500kgs., I believe it was 5.3M. long and it was at least 600 to 700mm wider than the Disco, when we got to the van I had to drive over the edge of the drain to get in front, it was about a kilometre from the first switchback on the steepest loose gravel section.
We were told that the Jayco electrical pin was compatible with our adaptor, it wasn't and it was too hard to match them up on that slope that we decided to do it later on flat ground, there's nothing worse than trying to work in the dark on a steep slope like this.
So after having fun trying to get the hitch onto the Disco we were finally ready for the big pull.
My Son Myles stood on the drawbar to operate the brakes manually, I was worried about getting dragged backwards by this Van, which I swear weighs well over 2 tonne.
Locked in both diffs, Low Range and the Auto in 1, at just above idle I was able to get to the next eco drain, but couldn't get the Van up and over.
Hooked up 2 9m. chains and with one layer of wire left on the winch, dragged and drove up to the next Eco drain (best thing since sliced bread).
There was only one more drain to get over before the reasonably level ground before the first switchback.
The plan was to wire up the brakes from the Van to the Disco and turn around at the switchback and drive back out the way that we had come in.
But had confidence I could get to the top, boiled the engine in the next section to Minuma FT. Used up all the spare water in the Disco and drained the Van water tank as well.
Once out of Duea nat, park onto Snowball to Cooma, that road must be 20 miles long, straight up, boiled up 3 or 4 more times, had to scrounge some water from a creek in pitch black, funny how batteries go flat just when you need them, Son had to use the light from his phone to clamber down to a trickle of water.
We were using this same phone light to illuminate the temp gauge needle which for some reason wasn't lighting up.
Well after hours of waiting for the engine to cool, thank christ I fitted a MLS type gasket instead of a Composite head gasket, we finally got to Cooma, got paid and went and had brekky at Macca's, the trip from Cooma to Queanbeyan took forever, we could only drive 10 minutes or so before we had to stop because of dozing off at the wheel, finally got home (Moruya) around 11am.
I know this bloke shouldn't have taken that size van up that FT, but he was given **** advice by someone who was supposedly familiar with the terrain and I couldn't find any sign of signs warning not to take C/T's on this FT, some dick may have knocked the signs down, common practise, so I made some money and the Jayco and it's family are back on the road again, I would hate to have to tow it all the way back to Qld., Regards Frank.

Jeez, Frank, did you have to show the Triton up with a crappy Land Rover?

I hope the boiling hasn't harmed anything.

So whats your company motto?

You flog it and bog it and we'll slog it out

Got yourself stuck? You need a tank in a truck!

My old footy club use dads nickname to name the kids
So Spanner (the mechanic) has socket as his kids nickname
Im Digger so my son is trench

On that theory..is your son called halftrack or apc or what?

Hope the car is ok.