Aussie outback driving

seafarer28 · Jul 20, 2015

Looking for some advice.
In one of those rare events, the Australian outback had some substantial rains, best rains in 3 years, some 35mm (1 1/2") recently and I was lucky enough to be in the area.
As a result there were substantial road closures and some boggy conditions on most main (dirt) roads around the Birdsville area.
My issue is on what is the best way to go through a boggy red soil soft section with 6-12" of water over it ?
I found a couple of such sections on my way from Birdsville through to the Bid Red sandhill, my line of attack was to switch traction control off and power my way through.
That tactic resulted with the Treg sliding all over the track with water and mud sent everywhere including over the roof, we did get through but it led to me questioning my tactics.
Being a single vehicle on that track I had no opportunity to experiment on the best way to handle that bog in case I got stuck, so I would like to hear from others more experience with those conditions if it would it have been a better tactic to lock the centre diff, put it into low range and to slowly wade my way through?

Thanks for your feedback.

TonyB

Dubby · Jul 20, 2015

Back in the 'good old days' the philosophy was "If the track is hard enough to hold water, it's hard enough for your vehicle'. Be wary of 'finding away around' as often as not it's soaked in and soft as. Momentum is always good too - depending on the terrain. Cheers, Dub

Odessa · Jul 20, 2015

stay within the wheel tracks outside of these and you will get bogged.

moderate speed (20 - 30 km hr) low range (more torque ... although you should not be bothered Tony) obviously with the revs in the right band.

excessive speed could increase risk of roll over doesnt really help either let the vehicle work calmly and consistently

Singh · Jul 20, 2015

Hmmmm.... Tacking such terrain alone in remote areas is a challenge. I would try and avoid if possible, the pain if you get stuck will make you repent.
However if you have to then i would get out and see how soft the ground any possible detours is.
If you go straight through then depth most likely is not the issue, maintain fair momentum but if you throwing mud on the roof then you're going too fast.
Safety first, our vehicles are a lifeline in the remote areas

GazzaK · Jul 21, 2015

seafarer28 said:
Looking for some advice.
My issue is on what is the best way to go through a boggy red soil soft section with 6-12" of water over it ?
TonyB

Fly.....!

Seriously though, on those 4wd adventure type shows, pretty much everytime they leave the track they seem to get bogged and usually up to the diff as Dubby alludes to.

I guess another matter is that many of the roads in the outback are closed when the rains start and stay closed until the tracks dry up. We have seen a sign west of Bourke, stating that the penalty of driving on closed roads is $2000.... per axle!

Sounds you guys were very lucky seeing such a relatively rare event. Hope you have some more pics?

Singh · Jul 21, 2015

GazzaK said:
Fly.....! Seriously though, on those 4wd adventure type shows, pretty much everytime they leave the track they seem to get bogged and usually up to the diff as Dubby alludes to. I guess another matter is that many of the roads in the outback are closed when the rains start and stay closed until the tracks dry up. We have seen a sign west of Bourke, stating that the penalty of driving on closed roads is $2000.... per axle! Sounds you guys were very lucky seeing such a relatively rare event. Hope you have some more pics?

Hey Gazza, when are doing high country? In solace or happy to make it a group trip?

oakeswa · Jul 21, 2015

Hi Singh
I'm in the process of wiring up led light bar to my 2007 treg ! When placing positive wire into my hi beam it sends a pulsing light through the light bar ! Any idea how to over come this ? Cheers Paul

Odessa · Jul 21, 2015

Just a little resonances here

stay within the wheel tracks outside of these and you will get bogged.

GazzaK said:
Fly.....!

Seriously though, on those 4wd adventure type shows, pretty much everytime they leave the track they seem to get bogged and usually up to the diff as Dubby alludes to.

seafarer28 · Jul 21, 2015

Thanks for the feedbacks so far everyone, keep them coming!

Will post a few pics tomorrow after I resize them on my other PC.

TonyB

Coight57 · Jul 21, 2015

Tony, we were out driving the old and new Stzelecki and the Cordillo Downs roads at the same time, a week after the 35mm rain. Both roads were open to 4WD (under 3 tonne only), with caution. Like others, my previous strategy would have been to drive where the water was... as that typically has the firmest base. But I can tell you there were tracks 300-500mm deep in the middle of the road in places where the water had pooled (or was pooled).

Our approach was to walk and survey any of the serious ones. And some we went through the water as it was too soft off the road, others like the one with the bus below we walked around and found a firm track off the main road... and even that one I sunk probably 300mm as I followed a track back onto the main formed road (btw, the bus should not have been on that road). And I spoke to a guy who had been at the same location where the bus was bogged a few days earlier where Pat Callinan was stopped and filming, and he drove straight through the water as you see it below. There seemed to be no pattern, apart from when the hard surface was broken through, it was best to avoid the water.

seafarer28 · Jul 21, 2015

Here's a few pics you may find interesting of the Birdsville area.

seafarer28 · Jul 22, 2015

and a couple more

Singh · Jul 22, 2015

seafarer28 said:
and a couple more

nice shots seafarer! Stuck in the office so good see these pictures... Refreshing!

Tregtogo · Jul 22, 2015

Tony
Great photos of what must have been an 'interesting' trip after so much rain.
Many thanks.

Coight57 · Jul 23, 2015

Great photos seafarer... driven that road myself a few years back. But it was just dry and quite a number of bulldust patches then. I remember the gibber plains stretching as far as the eye could see.

Was it slippery and boggy in patches, or just boggy? The rain hit when we were in Menindee... and down there it was just like driving on ice, not so much boggy. (grey clay).

seafarer28 · Jul 23, 2015

paulm57 said:
Great photos seafarer... driven that road myself a few years back. But it was just dry and quite a number of bulldust patches then. I remember the gibber plains stretching as far as the eye could see.

Was it slippery and boggy in patches, or just boggy? The rain hit when we were in Menindee... and down there it was just like driving on ice, not so much boggy. (grey clay).

Hi Paul?m,

Yes, those gibber plains are something else, I call it a "moonscape".

The Eyre Developmental Road (Mt Isa-Birdsville), was pretty good as it rained there a number of days previously, I did hear from other travellers heading north that the Birdsville CP had flowing water through the park which shut down the facilities and that they had to use the servo for showering and toilets, must not have been fun, by the time we got down there it was OK with the ground a little damp but that's all.

The wet patches from Boulia south that we encountered in the main were just boggy in low lying areas, not much grey/black soil there however we did encounter the slippery stuff on the Gregory Downs - Camooweal road to Barkly Hway into Mt Isa, there was an area just south of Gregory Downs with that grey clay that was interesting, I certainly wasn't game to get out of the wheel ruts.......the next section of 130 odd kms took the best part of 3 hours to do, it was probably the worst we encountered during our 7500kms trip.

But all interesting stuff, good memories!

TonyB

hedditch · Jul 23, 2015

Hi Tony,

With you all the way in thought at least. Now that I am working as a Contractor for the next 12 month, with no leave, I need you guys posting photos to over come the depression of the office.

Love the photo's, keep them coming...

Stuart....

noobytoogy · Jul 23, 2015

Yup, contracting is great . . . except when it comes to holidays your next thought after saying "How much????!!!!" to SWMBO is what you can earn by staying at work and sending the family off on their own!

GazzaK · Jul 26, 2015

Singh said:
Hey Gazza, when are doing high country? In solace or happy to make it a group trip?

Hi Singh,
Sorry for the delay, just got back from OS this morning.
We are planning a Vic High Country trip for two weeks beginning 9th November.
I'll start a new post with our plan.

Rgds,
Gaz

GazzaK · Jul 26, 2015

Great pics Tony. The 'Touareg Moonscape' is a beauty. That would look fantastic hung up in your lounge room.. Hope you guys are well.

Aussie outback driving

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