Simpson Desert

[markw829]

Hi all, just thought I would provide a quick post on my recent trip in late Sep across the Simpson from Birdsville to Mt Dare in my 2018 Pajero Sport. The only modifications to the car were changes to rear suspension (KCRS-23 and Peddars 5899 cones - thx for advice OJ as this was greatly appreciated crossing over the 1,100 sand dunes) and replacement of plastic bash plates with stainless steel plates (Boos in Kilsyth). I used 75L of diesel, got up Big Red first try and was able to get up and over the steeper sand dune on the top of Big Red (only 2 cars out of 7 got over). I had no mechanical troubles or punctures despite driving on highway tyres (but I would strongly recommend upgrading to All-Terrain tyres next time as I drove cautiously and acknowledge I was lucky). I dropped tyre pressures to 18psi all round at Little Red and used 4WD High for all the dunes. At Dalhousie hot springs, I increased the tyre pressure to 24psi as corrugations driving into Mt Dare were challenging (10-15kph). I was lightly packed with my wife and I (about 145kgs), slide-out drawers (60kgs), Waeco fridge for the meat, veggies and beer (35kgs), auxiliary battery (13kgs), 30kgs food and clothing, 20kgs of camp oven, 40L water and 3x20L containers of diesel and a full fuel tank (68L). We took a satellite TV so we could watch the AFL grand final - it would have looked crazy as we set up a large tarp in 41C (in the shade) whilst warming up meat pies in a small fire. Thanks for all the great advice on this forum. Look forward to next adventure in this amazing car.

[Dicko1]

Sounds like you had a good time....unless you were a giants supporter.

[Starsky99]

Thanks for the report, sounds like a great trip.



I'm preparing for a Simpson trip in May next year, looking forward to it


Glad to see your fuel usage wasn't too crazy. Have just installed an ARB frontier tank, as I'm already at capacity on the roof without adding another 40kg of diesel! I am planning on taking one 20l jerry can on the roof, but three cans was too much weight with other stuff already going on there.

[old Jack]

Hi Mark,

Glad you had a great and trouble free crossing. Your weights added up to about 400kg so you still had around 200kg before reaching GVM. The 400kg is a good weight for the KCRS-23 to carry off road, anymore and you would have been really using the 5899 rubber cone springs.

OJ.

[ron.dunn]

May I ask how / where you carried the diesel? Your approach to modifications seems like my own, and I'm currently thinking about fuel for my next trip.

[old Jack]

May I ask how / where you carried the diesel? Your approach to modifications seems like my own, and I'm currently thinking about fuel for my next trip.

With my PB Challenger,
I can carry up to 110 litres of diesel inside the vehicle.7x 10 litre and 2x 20litre plastic jerry's.
2nd row seat gets removed and a custom marine ply side loading 2 piece storage box bolts on to the seat mounting points.
I empty the jerries at night as I need them, and then wash off of any spillage, leave overnight to cool down them tighten caps firmly and replace back inside the car in the morning. No fumes or smells.

When I have not removed the rear seats I have carried 4x 10 litre plastic jerries on my roof rack along with a spare tyre carcass.

OJ.

[ron.dunn]

I empty the jerries at night as I need them, and then wash off of any spillage, leave overnight to cool down them tighten caps firmly and replace back inside the car in the morning. No fumes or smells.
OJ.

That's the trick I needed

[AndrewRe]

With my PB Challenger,

I can carry up to 110 litres of diesel inside the vehicle.7x 10 litre and 2x 20litre plastic jerry's.

2nd row seat gets removed and a custom marine ply side loading 2 piece storage box bolts on to the seat mounting points.

I empty the jerries at night as I need them, and then wash off of any spillage, leave overnight to cool down them tighten caps firmly and replace back inside the car in the morning. No fumes or smells.



When I have not removed the rear seats I have carried 4x 10 litre plastic jerries on my roof rack along with a spare tyre carcass.



OJ.

Hey Old Jack!
Once again I would repect your input as the reason I am here is that in June -July this year, my son and I are doing the simpson and on down through the flinders ranges. He is experienced 4WDer in his very well prepared patrol. I am new to offroad in my NT paj I am now preparing. Got any advice on preparations, specific to Pajero? Parts to take? Items to remove? I may have already done a few of what you suggest. Items I may break-so I can bring item and tools? Dont mean to highjack post but this is the closest info I found. If someone has already gone thru this please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[old Jack]

Hey Old Jack!
Once again I would repect your input as the reason I am here is that in June -July this year, my son and I are doing the simpson and on down through the flinders ranges. He is experienced 4WDer in his very well prepared patrol. I am new to offroad in my NT paj I am now preparing. Got any advice on preparations, specific to Pajero? Parts to take? Items to remove? I may have already done a few of what you suggest. Items I may break-so I can bring item and tools? Dont mean to highjack post but this is the closest info I found. If someone has already gone thru this please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Hi Andrew,

A well maintained stock NT is capable of a Simpson Crossing if it is very lightly loaded and you drive with a high degree of mechanical sympathy.

Weight is your enemy because it reduces your ground clearance and puts huge loads on the suspension and tyre's.

I would suggest you make a list of who and what you are taking and its weight, add these up and if it exceeds 400kg then you really need to look at suspension and tyre's.

What suspension have you on the NT, factory original or aftermarket?
What tyre's are you running and how much tread is on them?
What route across the desert are you planning to take?
How many days will the crossing take?
How much fuel are you intending to carry?
Auto or Manual Trans?
Want mods are accessories are fitted?

OJ.

[AndrewRe]

Hi OJ and thanks heaps for your time and opinions. I have pasted your message below so I can answer everything in turn.
A well maintained stock NT is capable of a Simpson Crossing if it is very lightly loaded and you drive with a high degree of mechanical sympathy.
I always drive pretty gently as 55yo and little to prove . This is good news, and I will be sure to do ALL fluids and makes sure everything is gone over with a fine tooth comb before leaving.

Weight is your enemy because it reduces your ground clearance and puts huge loads on the suspension and tyre's.

I would suggest you make a list of who and what you are taking and its weight, add these up and if it exceeds 400kg then you really need to look at suspension and tyre's.
Thanks again! Yes it will exceed 400kg, but I am running 300kg over springs with a 2 inch lift and by the time I leave will have LT285/70/R17 K02s so hopefully will cope.

What suspension have you on the NT, factory original or aftermarket?
King 300 kg 2"lifted Springs and Tough Dog HD Shocks
What tyre's are you running and how much tread is on them?
New LT285/70/R17 K02s
What route across the desert are you planning to take?
In the process of planning that now. Sons Patrol is extremely well prepared but under powered so will be taken into account too.
How many days will the crossing take?
We plan on allowing 4 weeks but want to spend some time in the flinders ranges too.
How much fuel are you intending to carry?
This is still to be worked out. I will be carrying some for him too as he is close to GVM just by filling his tanks. I would estimate 100 litres at the moment as he will carry the water
Auto or Manual Trans?
Auto, but will fit an Automate before leaving
Want mods are accessories are fitted?
Front-mount HPD intercooler upgrade, Safari Snorkel, Diesel Performance Tune (As intend towing but not on this trip)Catch can. I think that is all the relevant stuff...

OJ

[old Jack]

Hi Andrew,

See my comments below.

Hi OJ and thanks heaps for your time and opinions. I have pasted your message below so I can answer everything in turn.
A well maintained stock NT is capable of a Simpson Crossing if it is very lightly loaded and you drive with a high degree of mechanical sympathy.
I always drive pretty gently as 55yo and little to prove . This is good news, and I will be sure to do ALL fluids and makes sure everything is gone over with a fine tooth comb before leaving.

Weight is your enemy because it reduces your ground clearance and puts huge loads on the suspension and tyre's.

I would suggest you make a list of who and what you are taking and its weight, add these up and if it exceeds 400kg then you really need to look at suspension and tyre's.
Thanks again! Yes it will exceed 400kg, but I am running 300kg over springs with a 2 inch lift and by the time I leave will have LT285/70/R17 K02s so hopefully will cope.
LT285/70R17 are 831mm diameter this is 54mm over diameter so not only are they not a legal fit, I suspect they will run at full tuck with 3/4 steering and you auto trans will be working very hard even with Auto Mate. A couple a years ago I did a Simpson Crossing with NJswb in his NT and Pajero 12 in his NW both autos with Lockup Mates, LT265/70R17 Kumho MT51 and Cooper ST Maxx. Both Pajero's were at GVM +130kg -150kg, both have extra heavy duty suspension and each used around 125litres for the 750kms from Oodnadatta to Birdsville. Neither vehicle had any trouble in the desert on the 265 tyre's at reduced pressures.

What suspension have you on the NT, factory original or aftermarket?
King 300 kg 2"lifted Springs and Tough Dog HD Shocks
It will be worth doing a test load up a few months before you depart, measure your ride heights and they should be no lower that 520mm front and rear. If they are then chances are you will suffer from suspension bottoming and this can lead to strut/shocker and even coil failure.

What tyre's are you running and how much tread is on them?
New LT285/70/R17 K02s
I would have a serious think about not running 285/70R17, 265/70R17 in a 10 ply is an ideal size for Gen 4 Pajero's both on and off road.

What route across the desert are you planning to take?
In the process of planning that now. Sons Patrol is extremely well prepared but under powered so will be taken into account too.
The longer you take the more water and food you need and this is extra weight. We camped at Dalhousie then 2 nights in the desert and arrived in Birdsville on the afternoon of the 3rd day. We drove from about 8.30am to 4.00pm everyday, stopped for lunch and did not rush.

How many days will the crossing take?
We plan on allowing 4 weeks but want to spend some time in the flinders ranges too.
How much fuel are you intending to carry?
This is still to be worked out. I will be carrying some for him too as he is close to GVM just by filling his tanks. I would estimate 100 litres at the moment as he will carry the water
Auto or Manual Trans?
Auto, but will fit an Automate before leaving
Even with Auto Mate I would suggest you use the Sports Shift mode of Auto Mate. You will use less fuel and have lower ATF temperatures, and have better engine braking on descents.

Want mods are accessories are fitted?
Front-mount HPD intercooler upgrade, Safari Snorkel, Diesel Performance Tune (As intend towing but not on this trip)Catch can. I think that is all the relevant stuff...
I would suggest fitting replacement underbody guards, intercooler and engine sump as a minimum.

OJ

[nj swb]

It sounds like you have a well-prepared Pajero.

I'm with OJ on the tyre sizes. Going up one profile (but same width) does made a difference to fuel used, and how hard the transmission works. Increasing width too will further increase fuel consumption and transmission load, but an Auto-Mate will definitely help. Have a chat to Marshall about his "Quirk Mode" solution, and how that will work in the desert. From memory, it won't lock below 30km/h in high range, and you are likely to spend a lot of time below 30km/h - so you may have no choice but to use low range for the crossing.

Have you had a good look at the spare tyre carrier? Whichever way I look at it, I can't see how to fit a fully inflated 285/70/17 in there - I think it will need to be deflated to make it fit. If you have a spare wheel lift kit you'll probably need to trim the plastic cover much more too.

KO2s will certainly be tough enough for a Simpson crossing, but pay attention to tyre pressures. Once you're in the sand, lower pressures tend to be better for economy than higher pressures, particularly with an aggressive pattern like the KO2s - they'll be very happy to dig if your pressures are too high, making your engine work harder everywhere, and use more fuel. I suggest something like 16 / 18 psi cold pressures, as they will come up as you drive. I wouldn't be afraid to lower them to 16 / 18 warm, but they might look frighteningly low first thing in the morning.

Enjoy your trip!

[Xl76]

Hello all
Many years ago I did the west to east run via the centre and used 2 70 litre diesel fuel bladers which are still available.the advantage was they took up very little room when empty and molded t the shape of the floor behind the driver and passenger seat.l found them to be brilliant for fuel and are available for potable water

[alanymarce]

We drove across the Simpson last year (have just arrived home so are now posting).



We used our Montero 3.8 L petrol (it's becoming difficult to have a diesel in much of the world today). Because this engine is not sold now in Australia, and because few people seem to use this model (equivalent to a Pajero) in Australia, we found it tough to get insight into the probably fuel consumption. Experience in deserts elsewhere in the world led us to conclude that we would need to plan on 25-50% higher consumption than on tarmac. We saw advice online ranging from 50-100% higher consumption. At Mount Dare the advice was to plan on 50% higher than "normal" and to plan on the possibility of taking the longest route (770 Km), since the shortest route was badly chopped up when we were crossing.



So, we calculated needing around 195 L of petrol. The tank holds 88 L, and we had cans for another 100 L, so we bought one more and left Mount Dare with 208 L. We ended up finding that the French Line wasn't as bad as we had expected, and ended up on the French Line, Rig Road, WAA line, Knoll's Track, French Line, and then QAA line. 610 Km in all. We filled from cans once and when we arrived in Birdsville found that we had used 135 L, so a lot less than we thought we might need. I hope that this information helps anyone planning on using the same vehicle (petrol engine).



Beautiful trip - one other vehicle each day on the first 4 days, then a lot more traffic from Eyre Creek westwards. No problems at all with the vehicle. Crossed "Big Red" easily (not by the most aggressive track since we didn't see much point in stressing the vehicle before the next 20,00 Km or so). Fantastic starry skies and overall a great experience.

[AndrewRe]

It sounds like you have a well-prepared Pajero.

I'm with OJ on the tyre sizes. Going up one profile (but same width) does made a difference to fuel used, and how hard the transmission works. Increasing width too will further increase fuel consumption and transmission load, but an Auto-Mate will definitely help. Have a chat to Marshall about his "Quirk Mode" solution, and how that will work in the desert. From memory, it won't lock below 30km/h in high range, and you are likely to spend a lot of time below 30km/h - so you may have no choice but to use low range for the crossing.

Have you had a good look at the spare tyre carrier? Whichever way I look at it, I can't see how to fit a fully inflated 285/70/17 in there - I think it will need to be deflated to make it fit. If you have a spare wheel lift kit you'll probably need to trim the plastic cover much more too.

KO2s will certainly be tough enough for a Simpson crossing, but pay attention to tyre pressures. Once you're in the sand, lower pressures tend to be better for economy than higher pressures, particularly with an aggressive pattern like the KO2s - they'll be very happy to dig if your pressures are too high, making your engine work harder everywhere, and use more fuel. I suggest something like 16 / 18 psi cold pressures, as they will come up as you drive. I wouldn't be afraid to lower them to 16 / 18 warm, but they might look frighteningly low first thing in the morning.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for your input, Appreciated and taken onboard. Will change tyre choice. Another question if I may...
My Pajero has done 200k and in pretty good running order, but want to do as much preventative work as possible before Simpson. Does anyone strip and re-grease CVs? Everyone seems to agree the MM Cvs are best so I figure why not preserve them. Bags not torn but would love to know they are fresh before heading off the tar much. Thoughts??