Towing Jayco Outback to Gibb River Road

by Kim
(Grafton, NSW)

In reading the stories I see you are saying it is accessible to most areas. Does that include the Mitchell Falls area or would it be advisable to leave the Jayco at a major camping area, and travel lighter?
Could you tell us, is it necessary to take 2 spare tyres for Jayco as well as the vehicle?

Re: Towing Jayco Outback to Gibb River Road

Hi Kim,
Jaycos are not the toughest trailers out there but as long as you drive to the conditions you should be ok. Tyres and suspension are the trouble points, so drop tyre pressures and take it easy. That are the two main things that will avoid trouble. Ignore them at your own peril.

If your trailer will be ok at the Mitchell Falls depends on the time of the year. The only problem would be the river crossings, especially the King Edward River. As long as the water is low enough to cross with a trailer you will be fine. There are no other concerns.

If you intended to go further to Surveyor's Point and Port Warrender, then I would recommend you leave the trailer at the Mitchell Falls.

Well, ideally you would carry two spares for the Jayco as well. In part it depends how much you tend to worry. It is stressful to put on the spare and then drive on a rough road, knowing that if something goes wrong, there is no other spare...

But of course it also depends on your load, on how you drive, where exactly you will go, the pressures you run, how good the tyres are to begin with... Murphy says if you take one you will need two. If you take two you will need none.

Do you know what to do with a puncture repair kit? Instead you could also get a can of "Slime" (the liquid stuff you can put inside a tyre that seals holes up to 6 mm from the inside). That would get you out of trouble and to the next repair facility if needed.

Drop the pressure in all tyres when you leave the bitumen, to minimise problems. (Not knowing your trailer and the size of your tyres it's a bit hard to make recommendations. Around 18-20 psi is usually a good ballpark figure for most trailers.)

Also, the slower you drive, the less likely you are to have problems.

Comments for
Towing Jayco Outback to Gibb River Road

Click here to add your own comments

Thanks 4 information
by: Kim

I'm a little concerned about the tyre scenario as we are traveling as a 4 person family and space is scarce. We have a new Outback Jayco with LT235/75 tyres Cruiser new Goodrich all terrain 275/70 R16s. We would like to travel the Gibb River Road and detour to Mitchell Plateu and other semi remote areas. With the wealth of knowledge of your readers do you suggest 1 or 2 spares per vehicle?

Difficult decision
by: Birgit

Starting out with new tyres is good. But with four people and all their gear on board the vehicle and trailer may be heavily loaded. Unfortunately that increases the risk of punctures.

(You may also need slightly higher pressures than the usual offroad ballpark figures.)

I understand you want to take as little as possible. It makes sense. Nobody wants four spares on board. As I mentioned in the original question, there are other ways to keep you rolling, apart from taking full spares.

You can take spare tubes (very little weight and space) and learn how to put them in, or you can learn how to use patches to repair tyres. And you can buy a can or two of the stuff that seals them from the inside.

Does anyone in your area run 4WD training courses? I would think they would usually also offer classes on tyres and how to fix them.

If I was in your situation, I'd still take two spares for each, simply because I can't be bothered doing repairs at the side of the road in the middle of the day. I just don't want the hassle.

But that's just me. Others might think differently about it. (Actually, I would have had the trailer modified so it can take the same tyres as the car...)

If I could only take one I would definitely have a puncture repair kit and spare tubes, as well as some of the spray can stuff.

But I'm not you. Obviously you would need to know what to do with all that stuff.

If you want more specific information, specific for your particular set up and tyres, you could post on the exploroz.com forum. The guys there have a lot more technical knowledge and they usually like debating that stuff. (But I warn you, it can get a bit technical.)

You know all the factors that come into it and the options you have. In the end you have to make the decision. There is no perfect solution.

X Close Editor

Rating

Submitted by: Birgit

Title

Comment
Starting out with new tyres is good. But with four people and all their gear on board the vehicle and trailer may be heavily loaded. Unfortunately that increases the risk of punctures. (You may also need slightly higher pressures than the usual offroad ballpark figures.) I understand you want to take as little as possible. It makes sense. Nobody wants four spares on board. As I mentioned in the original question, there are other ways to keep you rolling, apart from taking full spares. You can take spare tubes (very little weight and space) and learn how to put them in, or you can learn how to use patches to repair tyres. And you can buy a can or two of the stuff that seals them from the inside. Does anyone in your area run 4WD training courses? I would think they would usually also offer classes on tyres and how to fix them. If I was in your situation, I'd still take two spares for each, simply because I can't be bothered doing repairs at the side of the road in the middle of the day. I just don't want the hassle. But that's just me. Others might think differently about it. (Actually, I would have had the trailer modified so it can take the same tyres as the car...) If I could only take one I would definitely have a puncture repair kit and spare tubes, as well as some of the spray can stuff. But I'm not you. Obviously you would need to know what to do with all that stuff. If you want more specific information, specific for your particular set up and tyres, you could post on the exploroz.com forum. The guys there have a lot more technical knowledge and they usually like debating that stuff. (But I warn you, it can get a bit technical.) You know all the factors that come into it and the options you have. In the end you have to make the decision. There is no perfect solution.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Gibb River Road
by: Anonymous

Hi We travelled the Gibb with an outback Jayco Hawk all the way to Mitchell falls. No flat tyres just some loose screws and a broken door handle. We live in the Pilbara and regulary "drag" our Jayco over some rough tracks. I believe my success in 4WD over the last 6 years with no flat tyres is due to tyre pressure. 20 to 22 psi and never over 80km/hr on dirt. My friends now agree as I have witnessed over 20 flats tyres over these years on trips with them and I still change my tyres when it final goes bald. BF Goodrich AT 85,000 kms and Pirelli Scorpion A/T

Jayco Caravans on the Gibb
by: David T.

The last thing I want to do is to knock any brand of Caravans...but to take a Jayco ( any type) on the Gibb and more particularly to the King Edward River and beyond, is asking for trouble. Sure if the road has been recently graded, you are taking your time and your tyre pressure has been lowered, you may well get through. There are many examples of suspension problems,frame breakages, cupboards falling off,doors falling off etc etc. These things happen to dedicated offroad vans as well...when driven as if there is no tomorrow. If you have a young family and expect to do the Gibb in a Jayco...my advise is to rethink your strategy.If you still want to go..have installed a UHF in your drive vehicle so contact with other travellers is possible. You may well need assistance.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to The Gibb River Road

Travelling to the Kimberley?

The free Kimberley Pocket Guide
is a great introduction to travel in the region.

The full Kimberley Travel Guide
shows you how to make the most of your adventure at Australia's last frontier.

Travelling to the Northern Territory?

NEW! Destination Top End offers the same comprehensive, detailed insider information for the tropical regions of the Northern Territory.

A must have if you travel to or from Darwin.

Return to top

Return to Kimberley Travel Guide home page

The Kimberley > Share YOUR Stories And YOUR Pictures > Submissions From Readers