file=	SimDes2.htm
Background		After my previous failed attempt to cross the Simpson desert in May-2012,
the following items had been fixed in my Buggy :-
	Previous "loaded" clearance under rear bashplate was=						167mm
	New loaded clearance, with trip load, spare petrol, etc. was =						230 mm
This was achieved by the following :-				a) Porsche 930 CV's and axles
b) Adjusting spring plates and Torsion bars.				c) Larger rear tyres, 29 inch vs 27 inch, as measured.
d) Re-arranging heavy item as far forward as possible, as front clearance was not a problem.
The larger rear tyres required lifting radiator pipes in the rear wheel wells to provide bump clearance.
The sticking accelerator cable was replaced entirely, together  with a "stronger" return springs.
Tratty was keen to do a Cape York trip, so after all the above had been done, and Tratty's engine
had been re-built (it blew up soon after returning from 1st attempt) we decided on the following :-
Proposed map of our travels, cross Simpson twice, then go to Cape York and return home !
The plan was to head for Birdsville, cross the desert
to Mt Dare and return, then head for Cape York, then
home. As it turned out, My Buggy failed me again, in the
worst place possible I might say, in Australia.
The Simpson desert is approx. 520 km from Birdsville
to Mt Dare, with about 1000 Sandhill's of various heights
ranging from say 30 to 50 metres of varying difficulty.
My gearbox had a catastrophic failure about 270 km from
Birdsville or 250 km from Mt Dare. This meant that I
had to be recovered from Mt Dare side, by conventional
agreement. I will elaborate on the recovery efforts
later in this narrative.
Now as it turned out, my gearbox stripped its 1st gear
and contaminated the gearbox with metal shrapnel.
Both Tratty (experienced mechanic) and myself, 1st
thought the big ends had busted from the horrific noises
coming from the engine/gearbox ? We both agreed that
I would need towing out, so Tratty went on to Mt Dare
to organise my recovery. I settled down in my tent with
the heat and the flies to await a tow truck from Mt Dare.
I had plenty of food and water for just such an eventuality and it was surprising how many other
vehicles passed me, ( I'd guess about 2-3 the 1st day and 2-3 the second day?) They all offered
sympathy, food and water, which I didn't need. I must mention that Tratty and several of the passers
by tried to contact Mt Dare with their UHF radios from the top of the sand dune, to no avail.
Trip narrative		The trip from Tratty's place to Birdsville was more or less un-eventful. I had a
rear shock absorber come loose, making horrible noises, but easy fixed at Birdsville. The next day,
while fuelling up and getting last minute supplies at the Birdsville servo, we found out there was
a Camel Cull going on that day, with camels being shot from helicopters, so the track was closed
for the day at least !! After Tratty filled up his Buggy with 90 lt. of diesel, he noticed this before taking
taking off !! The servo told us to put the "contaminated" diesel/petrol mix into the Birdsville recovery
truck (which they reckoned could run on kerosene?) Wouldn't give him any refund. The news of
Tratty's diesel folly spread around Birdsville quicker than we did.
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	We decided to spend the day doing all the sandhills in the Birdsville area, some 30 odd
km from the township. Tratty left tyre marks on every VIRGIN dune in the Birdsville area, some where
most 4WD's wouldn't make it. I was a bit more restrained, as I am not allowed to over-strain myself.
Second nite at Birdsville, delay for Camel cull.					Killing time near Birdsville...showing flag.
Tratty left tyre marks everywhere.					The "detour lake" was still full in August.
Before I lost my Dune Flag.(brittle bamboo)					Looking west, towards Big Red.
Camel cull nearly over, track soon open.					1st fuelling stop, after track opened again.
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	After a days delay, we headed west into the desert. It was amazing how easy my buggy
now handled the dunes, with good clearance and no sticking throttle. Quite relaxing. We made our
way past Poeppel corner, took some photos and spent the nite, near the middle of the desert.
The next day, at about the middle of the Simpson desert, while going up a reasonable sized dune, I
heard horrible and expensive noises coming from my engine/gearbox. Both Tratty and myself thought
it was a big end had bust, from the nature and frequency of the noise from the engine, when turned
over by starter motor. In any event, we decided it was a tow out job, before more expensive damage
was done to the engine gearbox. There was a convenient camping spot, at the bottom of the dune
my bust up occurred, so I set up my pup tent, to wait for help. Because we were more than 1/2 way
to Mt Dare, Tratty went on to mt Dare, seeking a Desert recovery tow truck, such as we had seen
available at Birdsville. We couldn't contact Mt Dare or Birdsville via Tratty's UHF, even from the top
of the nearby dunes. There was no way a Buggy could have towed another buggy any distance over
these dunes, being 250 km from Mt Dare, and 270 km from Birdsville. I had plenty of food & water so
I reflected on the fact that I couldn't have broken down in a "worse" spot, in Australia, but counted my
blessings that in 1 million km of motorbiking and unknown km of car touring, in Australia and overseas
I hadn't had any major previous problems, in over 50 years of motoring.
Heading west, after nites camp, near middle.					This is the dune where I broke down, about
					250 km from Mt Dare, and 270 from B'Ville.
Camp site, waiting for rescue tow !					Some passing cars that stopped.
I was expecting a tilt tray tow truck in the next day or so, allowing time for Tratty to get to Mt Dare
and for the recovery vehicle to get to me. Therefore, I was quite surprised when about midday next
day, a Landcruiser ute turned up from Mt Dare, to tow me out. It wasn't the tilt tray truck like they
had in Birdsville, nor did he have an A-Frame for flat towing !!! He was going to snatch strap tow me
for 250 km over steep dunes on curving narrow tracks with dust blinding the towed vehicle.
When I expressed my surprise and dismay, the driver told me to hurry up, as he couldn't waste any
time as he had to go to Melbourne the next day ??  What choice did I have ??
Anyway, we hitched my buggy up to the snatch strap, and commenced the tow. The next 90 to 100
km were the WORST experience of my entire life. There was no way we could avoid jerking the
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	snatch strap, even with brake pressure on, going up and down steep dunes and around
tight curves. The dust from the towing vehicle left me practically blind at all times, and the only
communication was to use the horn ! Great help in all the noise and dust. At the tops of dunes,
the track often curved, and the tow rope pulled me into the side of the dune slope, very nearly
rolling me over on many occasions. Also, the dust from the towing vehicle left me so blind, after
about 20 minutes I could barely see the track or the tow vehicle. The driver reluctantly attached
another length of snatch strap after I complained about not seeing thru the dust !
This was the towing arrangement, on flat section.					The snatch strap kept jerking from tight to
The dust behind the tow was blinding.					loose, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.
After about 90 km of horrendous towing, in blinding dust, up and down steep dunes, around sharp
curves with constant "unavoidable" jerking of the snatch strap, I felt I had lost my brakes. We were
lucky we were on a flat section, not going down a steep dune when this happened. The jerking
snatch strap had slapped against my front metal brake line, and busted it. We couldn't continue
with the flat tow by snatch strap, without any brakes on the towed vehicle, so we had to abandon my
buggy at the side of the track, until a trailer could be sent to recover it ?? We were about 160 km
from Mt Dare, still in the desert dunes. I was not happy about leaving my buggy at the side of the
track, with expensive gear, tools, spare wheels, MaxTrax and suchlike in it.
We continued on to Mt Dare, in the towing ute, and got there late that evening.
Having arrived at Mt Dare, leaving my					Tratty fixing a flat tyre he got, on the way to
Buggy 160 km back, at the track side.					seek tow for me.
At Mt Dare, we had to make arrangements to recover my Buggy with a trailer, about 160 km from
Mt Dare, and an extra 350 or so km from Alice Springs. Mt Dare didn't have a trailer, so they had
to arrange a rental from Alice Springs, with a round trip of two times 510km or 1020 km.
It seems incredible that the only recovery station on the western side of the Simpson desert did not
have a tilt tray truck, a recovery trailer, or an adjustable towing A-Frame. Jesus wept ??
Anyway, I have to advise others the cost of this exercise :-
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	The tow from the middle of the desert, for about 90 km., until my brake lines were broken
by the snatch strap cost $2,000. I suppose you could reckon my lift to Mt Dare was included.
Then, obtaining the trailer and taking my Buggy to Alice Springs, cost me $4,000. They reckoned it
was cheap, and I was getting a good deal. We may see about this in due course. I have been told
it is illegal to flat tow using a snatch strap for any distance ? How this may apply to desert tracks,
will be further investigated by the RACQ.
Anyway, after all the arrangements were made to recover my Buggy, and then forward it to
Tewantin, Sunshine coast (my home) I was dropped off at Alice Springs, while Mt Dare went there
to pick up a trailer to recover my Buggy from the desert. RACQ ultracare covered the costs of
recovering my vehicle from Alice to Tewantin, approx., $3,000. The only way I could fly home to
Brisbane from Alice, was via Melbourne, that day.
After the my Buggy arrived at home, massive damage was discovered to the chassis, where the
tow rope (snatch strap) had jerked the front suspension arms free of the chassis. The large cracks
in the chassis, and the new chassis suspension mounts are shown below. Also, it was discovered
that it was not the engine, but the gearbox, which had failed catastrophically with horrible noises.
It was suggested that on my 1st Simpson desert trip, which failed because of low clearance, my
attempts to get up some dunes, taking 10 to 15 attempts, dragging sand and using 1st gear in high
revs, would have contributed to my gearbox failure in the second attempt. It was indeed the 1st
gear which failed, stripped all the gears and contaminating the box. I was advised that 1st gear
should only be used for starting, not pushing  "HARD" up dunes, dragging vast amounts of sand.
Cracks in chassis caused by tow jerking.					Another view of chassis cracks.
New frame head to support front suspension.					Another view of chassis repairs.
I have to compliment AMauto for the repairs they did to my buggy when it arrived home.
It is a comfort to know you are in excellent hands when such critical repairs are being made.
Also, RACQ ultracare  were very helpful, as were some staff from Mt Dare.
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	Trip wrap-up.		Tratty made his way home, from Mt Dare, via Alice and the Plenty
hwy, not wanting to do the desert and Cape York alone, although I'm sure his tough buggy would have
made it. We followed up with a Cape York trip, not long afterwards.
After all the drama, its taken me months before I got around to doing this report...quite an expensive
experience. Nevertheless, many good lessons were learnt, including :-
	1) It pays to have your own A-Frame for emergency towing, in the outback. This would
	have saved me heaps of time and trouble, in recovery and less damage to my buggy.
	2) A long range communicator, say Sat phone would be helpful for remote desert trips.
	A UHF is useful to maintain convoy contact, but does not have the range in hard terrain.
	3) Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. I could have survived OK for a week or so
	in the desert, with sufficient food and water. The Kindle proved useful, as did extra lights
	and batteries for reading while killing time.
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