Frequently asked questions
This is one of our favourite trips in outback Australia with lots of history, culture and some of Australia’s most iconic tracks put in by Len Beadell back in the 50s-60s and of course because it is so remote.
Your meeting point, unless otherwise advised, will be at the Big 4 Caravan Park in Ceduna SA where Moon Tours will have booked you a powered site for day one of the itineraries. We will have dinner at the pub.
PRE-TRIP VEHICLE AND TRAILER PREPARATION
The trip requires a well-set-up vehicle and if towing, a well-built and suitable Australian-made camper trailer or hybrid off-road van. Maintenance and preparation are the keys to tough remote touring like this. Most of this information is on our website and probably more.
The crux of it though, almost without exception, you’re vehicle needs to have a thorough going over by a 4WD specialist to check everything and replace anything that is on the way out. You are travelling huge distances so regular service intervals hardly apply. Wheels bearings, I can’t stress this enough, have them replaced, repacked, properly checked and serviced. We can deal with most things and if we have to tow someone we can do that if all four wheels are attached. The same goes, perhaps, especially the camper trailers.
INSURANCE – VEHICLE / TRAILER, ROADSIDE, RECOVERY, PERSONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE
Ok yep, these are all different things. You are not covered by Moon Tours at all on a tag-along.
You do need to protect your holiday investment like you would any overseas holiday with domestic travel insurance in the event you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. It happens quite a lot and I know if you were going overseas you would purchase travel insurance for exactly that reason, this is no difference as outlined in our terms and conditions, website and invoices. Deposits are non-refundable with terms of balance payments in our Ts & C’s. A quick google search and you will find plenty of options for domestic travel insurance, we can’t advise you.
We recommend everyone take out roadside assistance top cover. In Victoria we have RACV total care, it’s less than a few hundred a year, covers me for any vehicle I drive and has saved many a headache every year for clients with similar. This won’t help you if you’re broken down off-road but in general, if we get you to a main road you will be covered.
Remote recovery. This is somewhat new and as far as we know is only available with Club 4×4 vehicle insurance which we have. You can choose up to $30,000 of remote recovery coverage with your insurance. It has nothing to do with roadside assistance, rather it is like an amount allowed to recover a vehicle from anywhere by any means (not really, you need to read up on the terms).
It goes without saying your vehicle and trailer need to be well-insured for accidents. Here’s something interesting though, let’s say you’re in the bush and you hit a rock, log, hole or water (you need to check what your insurance covers you for) that damages your vehicle or you run into a tree for example and you can’t drive it. This wouldn’t be covered by roadside assistance but the towing and recovery may be covered by insurance as an accident as opposed to a breakdown.
ESSENTIAL SPARES AND TOOLS
Spare parts, belts, hoses, tensioner pulleys, wheel bearings, especially for the trailer, it is pretty rare for vehicle bearings to go if they’re well maintained but I still carry them and recommend you carry a spare set when touring to do a front and rear wheel. Oil, fuel, air and cabin filters (carry a couple of each air and cabin). We run snorkel filter socks although they’re not everyone’s cup of tea we have never had an issue and they work well in convoy, the key is cleaning them regularly. Oil for your vehicle, half a dozen wheel studs to suit your vehicle (they may be different front to rear), tie downs, cable ties, cloth tape, 12v electrical spares (elec tape, Anderson plugs (grab a few of these), fuses, relays, globes, multi-meter, wire, joiners if you don’t know how to solder. Radiators stop leaks, fuel treatment additives for bad fuel and products like Liquid Metal to repair things like radiators and fuel tanks are all essential items to carry. Silicone or sika flex, lubricants WD40 style, degreaser, contact cleaner, brake cleaner, grease, filter cleaner and filter oil if you are using a filter sock or reusable air filter.
Shock bushes. Definitely carry some of them.
Personally, I don’t carry spare shocks, a leaking shock is not a show stopper and I haven’t seen a snapped or broken beyond drivable after-market shock on tour for years. That is not to say it doesn’t happen. If you’re going to carry a spare for your vehicle throw in a rear.
Most vehicles have independent front suspension (strut with shock inside the coil spring), even if you are carrying a spare we ain’t changing that in the bush.
*Tvans or camper trailers running on single shocks, BRING A SPARE.
A grinder (grinding and cutting discs), drill (drill bits), impact gun, screws, nuts and bolts are all good things to carry while touring.
Air compressor, tyre plug repair kit and tyre slime, a decent jack and base you can lift the car and camper with, wheel brace and basic tools for the job along with some spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, socket set and breaker bar.
Invest in an engine scan tool that displays the code, description and possible causes. You can pick these up for as low as a couple of hundred bucks. Try Autophix which Ron and Trent use as a basic tool. A full-on mechanics tool will give a lot more detail but for the most part, a basic one will do the job. You will probably use this more than any other tool these days. Importantly you can clear engine codes and take vehicles out of limp mode and it may help you find and fix issues with your vehicle.
A workshop manual for your vehicle is a must.
FIRE
It is essential you carry at least two fire extinguishers in working order and a fire blanket. ARB fire sticks are also a good idea. Be sure to check your fire extinguishers, we have found that old units may not work when you want them to. Generally, if you can hear and feel the powder moving around when you shake it should work. The powder settles and hardens so extinguishers should be shaken up regularly. Tapping the cylinder with a rubber mallet can help loosen up the powder.
We’ve also found that the small ones do not go far when you need them.
SUSPENSION AND TYRES
You will be required to have heavy-duty aftermarket suspension in good condition, and light truck-rated all-terrain tyres, most of the big-name brands are pretty good, for what it’s worth Ron and I now both run Mickey Thompson AT and MT Baja Boss although I have seen the new Baja Legend (less aggressive) perform well. (Please don’t roll up with Goodride or any other cheap Chinese-made tyre), you will need two spares on the rims. All your tyres should have 75% tread life in them when you leave home.
If your camper or hybrid runs the same rims, meaning you can interchange wheels and tyres between van and vehicle then two tyres on rims is enough. Having a third carcass only or on a rim is even better for this trip but we understand weight is an issue which is why your tyres need to be in good condition. If you need to carry individual spares for your trailer then I recommend one on a rim and one carcass (no rim) which could be put on the roof rack and still two spares on rims for your vehicle.
UHF, FUEL, WATER, RECOVERY
UHF radio with external aerial (no hand-held without an external aerial), the ability to carry enough fuel for 1100km and generally if you work on 25L / 100km that will give you a good idea of how much you need to carry.
We want you to have some maxtrax, two aint much good but better than nothing if everyone has some. I recommend you carry maxtrax for every wheel you have on the ground but that is not mandatory. For some recovery gear, you do not have to have a winch but you should be carrying a snatch strap or kinetic rope, a tow rope/winch extension strap does the job, some shackles (preferably soft) and a shovel.
Fuel is an issue for everyone so don’t freak out. We need to be creative when it comes to fitting it all on board. First of all, jerry cans weigh next to nothing when empty and you don’t need them full when you leave home or for all legs of the trip. We fill them when required and empty them as quickly as possible. For example, if we can not get fuel at Oak Valley it’s about 1000km from Nundroo to Ilkurlka, on the first day you might be able to empty three jerry cans and a couple the next day. That takes care of your burden pretty quickly. If you have water tanks and water jerry cans on your camper trailer we recommend swapping them out for fuel jerry cans if you are struggling to fit it on board. We like to use the 10L cask-style water boxes for extra drinking water which can be easily stowed somewhere in the vehicle or camper.
FRUIT FLY RESTRICTIONS
Supplies and quarantine borders. You can not enter South Australia with certain fruit and vegetables, same goes for Western Australia so be sure to check the links below for what you can and can not carry across borders.
SUPPLIES, REFUELLING AND WATER
During the tour you will have the opportunity for basic supplies, fuel, water and groceries, don’t let your expectations get too carried away. You can generally get meat, fruit and vegetables of some kind along with snacks, milk and bread. Five days after leaving Ceduna you will roll into Ilkurlka Roadhouse on the Anne Beadell, followed by Tjukayirla or Warburton a few days later, after that you can expect 7-10 days without supplies depending on access to one of the remote aboriginal communities. That’s if everything goes to plan but gives you an idea.
THE BUSH TOILET AND TOILET PAPER
Do not leave toilet paper buried or otherwise in the bush, animals will dig it up and it floats around the bush for months, longer in dry areas. There’s not much worse than rolling into a camp to find toilet paper everywhere.
1/ dig a hole for your business
2/ burn paper in a hole
3/ fill the hole in with dirt once the paper is burnt
If you chose not to burn your paper in the hole you can bag it and burn it with rubbish at the end of the night.
Check out the links below for more details and ideas about what to expect, and carry and how to prepare for a trip like this.
It’s going to be a heck of an adventure and if you’ve got this far you have invested in all the right gear and equipment, you are set up for the job. Now time to get prepared.
