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So, my wife and I have just returned from a couple of days camping at Newnes (at Little Capetree) after picking the trip from "4wd Treks Close to Sydney"
We were originally planning to do the Caves to Caves trip but when we checked with NPWS some of the track was closed so decided to goto Newnes.
We went directly to the campsite via Lilsdale rather than following the track in, planning instead to so the track to glow-worm tunnel the next day.
The track in, while fine, was heavily potmarked following the recent rain.
The next day we did the short drive to the industrial ruins and the walk around it. After having lunch we decided to have a lazy day and do the Lost city on the way out on our way home the next day.
Now before I go on, for those that don't have the book, this track is graded easy, suitable for AWD & 4WD and that the track is suitable for towing camper trailers.
Anyway, we struck camp the next morning, hitched up the trailer, plugged the first waypoints into the GPS and off we went. When we turned onto the track we were expecting a relatively simple trip, a good warm-up for me (first time on a 4wd track as a driver, first time 4wding for my wife). However shortly after getting onto the track we came across a washout that we went around, as I wasn't sure we would have successfully got through it. [mistake 1]
At this point I, mistakenly assumed that this was not a sign or things to come. However after passing two similar washouts I made the decision to turn around. [mistake 2]
At this point the flat area of the track was only slightly longer than the car and trailer put together and not much wider than the car. So since I wasn't feeling very confident at this point I made the decision to turn around there [mistake 3] rather than scouting further up the track for somewhere suitable to turn around.
I managed to manoeuvre the trailer around a tree and onto the side of the path at 90 degree angle, unhitched the trailer and turned the car around,backed the car to a position near the trailer and reconnected it.
At this point I have a trailer perpendicular to the track, and the car on track at about a 45 degree angle and a large dip about half a car length in front and to the left (near trailer).
Well I tried to drive forward onto the other side of the track and manoeuvre the trailer to a point where I could reverse backwards and then take the dip straight on.....well that didn't work, lost traction going backwards, run out of space going forward and ended when my wife stopped me from jackknifeing the trailer.
So, unhitch the trailer again, push it back as far as I can, just managing to clear the car, which means I can get the car out of the bush on the side of the track and down to the bottom of the dip. Which leaves me with a trailer at the top of the small Hill a car at the bottom, and nothing to help manouvre the trailer down.
Eventually with a combination of manhandling, two large logs and the chocks for the trailer I stop the trailer with the hitch at the bottom of the hill and in a position I can reconnect the trailer and head out the way we came.
As I stopped at the main road to double check all the trailer connections two other cars came off the track. Following a discussion with them it seems after about another km the track got better, 20/20 hindsight alas.
So where did I go wrong.
- I went past my level of competence: I should have stopped and turned back when I saw that first washout
- I was towing a trailer when I was learning: The trailer made reversing and reassessing anything hard if not impossible
- I was learning on my own: If something had gone wrong, I would have been on my own literally and figuratively. And when your recovery gear consists of a pair of maxtrax and a shovel your options are very limited
- Unhitching the trailer: While I think unhitching the trailer was still the right thing to do, I didn't think properly about how I would achieve what I needed to after I detached the trailer.
- I didn't air down: I should have aired down the moment I realised the track was wet and slightly muddy, which probably would have helped with the traction when trying to manouvre the trailer
Well there you go, that's my assessment of my failings and how I need to approach my next attempt.
Any suggestions on other things I should consider would be greatly appreciated. I'm a firm believer in that assessment from other people is the best way to learn, and hopefully help other people avoid my mistakes.
We were originally planning to do the Caves to Caves trip but when we checked with NPWS some of the track was closed so decided to goto Newnes.
We went directly to the campsite via Lilsdale rather than following the track in, planning instead to so the track to glow-worm tunnel the next day.
The track in, while fine, was heavily potmarked following the recent rain.
The next day we did the short drive to the industrial ruins and the walk around it. After having lunch we decided to have a lazy day and do the Lost city on the way out on our way home the next day.
Now before I go on, for those that don't have the book, this track is graded easy, suitable for AWD & 4WD and that the track is suitable for towing camper trailers.
Anyway, we struck camp the next morning, hitched up the trailer, plugged the first waypoints into the GPS and off we went. When we turned onto the track we were expecting a relatively simple trip, a good warm-up for me (first time on a 4wd track as a driver, first time 4wding for my wife). However shortly after getting onto the track we came across a washout that we went around, as I wasn't sure we would have successfully got through it. [mistake 1]
At this point I, mistakenly assumed that this was not a sign or things to come. However after passing two similar washouts I made the decision to turn around. [mistake 2]
At this point the flat area of the track was only slightly longer than the car and trailer put together and not much wider than the car. So since I wasn't feeling very confident at this point I made the decision to turn around there [mistake 3] rather than scouting further up the track for somewhere suitable to turn around.
I managed to manoeuvre the trailer around a tree and onto the side of the path at 90 degree angle, unhitched the trailer and turned the car around,backed the car to a position near the trailer and reconnected it.
At this point I have a trailer perpendicular to the track, and the car on track at about a 45 degree angle and a large dip about half a car length in front and to the left (near trailer).
Well I tried to drive forward onto the other side of the track and manoeuvre the trailer to a point where I could reverse backwards and then take the dip straight on.....well that didn't work, lost traction going backwards, run out of space going forward and ended when my wife stopped me from jackknifeing the trailer.
So, unhitch the trailer again, push it back as far as I can, just managing to clear the car, which means I can get the car out of the bush on the side of the track and down to the bottom of the dip. Which leaves me with a trailer at the top of the small Hill a car at the bottom, and nothing to help manouvre the trailer down.
Eventually with a combination of manhandling, two large logs and the chocks for the trailer I stop the trailer with the hitch at the bottom of the hill and in a position I can reconnect the trailer and head out the way we came.
As I stopped at the main road to double check all the trailer connections two other cars came off the track. Following a discussion with them it seems after about another km the track got better, 20/20 hindsight alas.
So where did I go wrong.
- I went past my level of competence: I should have stopped and turned back when I saw that first washout
- I was towing a trailer when I was learning: The trailer made reversing and reassessing anything hard if not impossible
- I was learning on my own: If something had gone wrong, I would have been on my own literally and figuratively. And when your recovery gear consists of a pair of maxtrax and a shovel your options are very limited
- Unhitching the trailer: While I think unhitching the trailer was still the right thing to do, I didn't think properly about how I would achieve what I needed to after I detached the trailer.
- I didn't air down: I should have aired down the moment I realised the track was wet and slightly muddy, which probably would have helped with the traction when trying to manouvre the trailer
Well there you go, that's my assessment of my failings and how I need to approach my next attempt.
Any suggestions on other things I should consider would be greatly appreciated. I'm a firm believer in that assessment from other people is the best way to learn, and hopefully help other people avoid my mistakes.
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