i'm planning a crossing around June/July next year with a mate, I have a fl2, he has a hilux with everything that opens and shuts so recovery gear etc is not a problem for me.
what I need to work out is how to carry the extra diesal and axtra spare without putting too much weight on the roof.

any ideas on this and any other suggestions for the trip from anyone who has actually done it in a fl2 would be great.

I did the Simpson crossing in July 2010 in an FL2, from Dalhousie to Birdsville.

There was heavy rain the day before we left Dalhousie and the Spring Delta area was covered in water. There were several kilometres of flooded and muddy track. Elsewhere a good number of the claypans between dunes were wet to flooded. Close to Poeppel Corner several large claypans were impassable and had to be detoured around on tracks which were no more than treadmarks left by the very few vehicles in the same position. Eyre Creek was flooded, but the southern bypass had just opened.

All of that is a preamble to saying that in those conditions fuel consumption in the desert was about 16.5 l/100km. By contrast fuel consumption prior to Dalhousie was about 10.2 l/100km. I would not take less fuel than indicated by those figures unless you choose to go straight along the French Line - but that would be a dull way to go.

I carried 60l on a roof rack and that was enough for the route I took. The route was Dalhousie, Purni Bore, Rig Road, WAA line, Lone Gum, Rig Road, Knolls Track, French Line, Poeppel Corner, QAA line and into Birdsville. (There was a detour near Big Red as both sides of Big Red were flooded and required a bypass.


Check road conditions before you go, call in at MT Dare, carry a radio and have fun.

The Freelander went well. It will bottom out in deep ruts but it is light, accelerates quickly and will handle all of the dunes. At one stage I overheard some "real" 4WD's on the radio with one commenting "I am surprised that the Freelander is going so well."

It was a great trip. Have fun!!
















andrently theFuel use was about 1

I was thinking of a solo crossing in mine next week but have canned it due to too much water. The first crossing this year only got through last week and they reckon it was a battle due to the mud. I'm off to Warraweena in the Flinders Ranges instead.

RVG, thanks for the heads up, it is good ton hear it from someone who has actually done it, the trip has been delayed but still intend doing it[/i]