Thread: Roof load

I had 3x20litres on the roof of our D1 300Tdi coming from Alice through Dalhousie to Birdsville, but I emptied them as fast as possible, before we got into the dunes.
So that was 89 litres + 60 litres. We didn't have much other weight up there though. We reached Birdsville with one-third of a tank left.
Now our Defender has a long range tank and it's much better being down low.
I recommend you put some diesel drums inside rather than on the roof and empty them as fast as possible.

Looking at maps, Birdsville to Dalhousie & Mt Dare is around 500kms +/-.
I went Birdsville to Poeppel Cnr then north along Hay River Track, towing a camper trailer, around 590kms.
I took 3 x 20L jerries, used all 3 but had plenty at next fuel stop, at Jervois.
Do your numbers before deciding to carry 6 jerries.
Keep them off the roof if possible.
Great drive, you should love it.

If you aren't towing it would be reasonably easy to make,or get made a jerry can holder that mounts to the tow hitch,much like a bike carrier does.
Andrew

That 75 kg (on road only) includes Rhino rack...so what 45-50kg payload?

Cheers

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

If you aren't towing it would be reasonably easy to make,or get made a jerry can holder that mounts to the tow hitch,much like a bike carrier does.
Andrew

That is a brilliant idea.

As the others have said, don't get carried away with how much fuel you are carrying and definitely keep the weight as low as you can. Crossing soft dunes with that much weight up high is crazy.

The big question is still are we talking diesel of petrol? Petrol you definitely do NOT want to carry in the vehicle, but diesel could be carried safely as described.

If you are talking diesel, the amount (120Ltrs + the standard tank) sounds extreme to me...mine carries 105Ltr in a long range tank plus the standard tank and I can regularly get 1500-1600 km out of that. (not across sand dunes obviously.)

You don't mention where you intend to enter the Simpson or which line you are following - but fuel is available at both Birdsville and Mt Dare and following the French line they are under 600 km apart even allowing a few hundred km of detours and significantly higher fuel use than normal - I doubt you will need 3 jerrys.

While you are planning where to store all this fuel...... how much water are you taking?

We did Mt Dare to Birdsville easy on stock tank and two jerrys,in the D4.

I took three to be sure but didn't need the third.

Loaded but not towing.

Depends which way you go as well.

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

If you aren't towing it would be reasonably easy to make,or get made a jerry can holder that mounts to the tow hitch,much like a bike carrier does.
Andrew

There was a thread linking to such a product a year or more ago. Can't remember the brand though.

Scott