XJ crossing the Simpson Desert in 2022?

[jkjeep1]

I am a long-term JK 2-door CRD owner and a huge Jeep fan. I am looking at crossing the Simpson desert. I feel my diesel is not up to the task given the complicated engine and parts availability when things go wrong. The short wheelbase is also a concern for travelling on corrugation roads unless I stretch the rear wheelbase to make it more stable.

The plan is the build it as an Overlanding XJ to cross the Simson desert. Is this a stupid idea given the age of the vehicle in 2022?

Base requirements
2 people -150kg
tent -roof mount 2 people tent 65kg + light aluminium frame 20kg
Water 100L= 100kg
120L petrol tank

Given Xj can carry 500kg. that leaves about 235kg payload for all other stuff. The Xj seems to be the only light vehicle with a solid axle and a reasonably powerful engine. I have the opportunity to buy a 1999 XJ (petrol ) or 1997 Xj diesel at the moment.

Your thoughts? should I go down this route or develop the 2 door JK?

[humdingerslammer]

OK....

1. There is no reason why your 2 door JK will not be able to do this crossing... it looks relatively easy to me (tho I haven't done it but I think probably a lot worse) and less capable vehicles succeed. Have a look at You tube videos.

2.And how will u stretch the wheelbase? Buy 4 door. And even that will feel the corrugations. And I dont think crossing the Simpson would be worth the cost of lengthening the chassis etc etc etc that goes with it.

3. so where did u get 150Kg for 2 people? R they slender teenagers? Last I looked most of us r probably 90kg or more. Each!!

4. I would ditch the rooftop tent. This is quite heavy and will have impact on centre of gravity. Unless you have direct connect between RTT and JK body I doubt that it will hold up. Go for swag with a stretcher bed. Preferably a "lockup" swag that will keep critters out at night. There! You have saved yourself at least 65kg in weight.

5. 100 litres of water doesn't sound much for 2 people for say 6 days crossing. Work it at 6L per person per day plus have say 5days extra in reserve. Who knows what the conditions will be and if u end up stuck in Birdsville or worse. You should also take about 5-7 days food in reserve. Usually I take 10 days EXTRA food and Water for emergency use/if i get stuck.

6. Dont know how much fuel u will need. Say double what u reckon. You could find this info via Google search.

7. Make sure u take satellite phone. Dont rely on others to have one because they won't!!! Oh, and an empty credit card.

8. 2 spare tyres on rims also.

9.Take a 12x12 inch piece of 19mm ply for a jack base plate.

10. Remember u will mainly be travelling over sand. So have a reliable pump and pressure gauge for airing down/up.

11. Insect repellant, sun block and one of those fly nets for your wide brimmed hat. Indispensable.


Just my tuppence worth from reflecting on my trips over the years.

[eksjay]

I haven't done a Simpson crossing, but I have gone as far as Witjira NP. The track out to Dalhousie Springs was smooth and very comfortable after a rain event when I was last there. If you approach Mount Dare from Kulgera, the terrain is generally soft sand which makes for a smooth run.

In either an XJ or a JK, I wouldn't cross the Simmo alone because I would need to carry everything but the kitchen sink. I maxxed out my XJ weight on the last big lap I did (single vehicle, taking everything to sustain me and 2 pax for 5 days in the middle of nowhere, including recovery gear) and that was on level ground (corrugated and rocky tracks), not over dunes.

Whichever car you take, you would need a lot of fuel and places to mount Jerry cans. To travel as light as possible, it would be ideal to share the weight across a small convoy of vehicles.

I often wonder if I am pushing my luck, taking a 27 yo XJ into remote places across bomb roads. The engine bay of the 4.0L I6 XJ is easy to work with in order to spot emerging problems or make running repairs. It can be forgiving. I can't speak for a diesel engined car because I am unfamiliar with it.

Wherever you go, you have to look after your vehicle so it can get you out. In my view the focus should be on self-preservation because anything more could be very expensive and inconvenient. Some of the Youtube videos posted show cowboys, pushing their Land cruisers and Hiluxes to the limit, travelling too fast, and suffering break downs. Anyone travelling alone needs to keep tyre pressures and speed right down, even to a crawl, if needed.

I would also suggest you have a look at a video link I posted in the Insurance thread (Blokes Advice) at the top of the Forum. If anyone breaks down in a remote location like the Simmo, what are their options and are they covered?

Of course, the must-have items to take with you are a satellite phone and an air compressor and all the things Humdingerslammer said.

Good Luck.

[Grippy]

The JK will be fine mate.
I did the crossing a coupleof years back in the WK2 with the stock 20 inch rims and AT tyres. Corrugations are shithouse, let pressures down and you will make it more comfortable and find a speed that suits your rig. We went from Dalhousie down to the Rig Rd, then up to WAA then up to to the corner and the QAA out to Big Red.
You will burn a heap of fuel if you don;t know how to drive on sand, mine used an average of 14 lph for the whole 720 km we did, others in the group in their Jap rigs burnt a whole lot more.
The corrugations on the tracks running between the dunes (north/south) are the worst, and the road out to Dalhousie from Oodnadatta was rough as guts.
The worst bit after rain is the Birdsville Tk, hundreds of k's of nothing, the track is all rocks (gibbers) with tyre carcasses along the whole bloody thing.
100 litres of water for a couple of days is extreme, take about 30 litres per person in the those 10 litres casks, that way they can go in the fire once finsished and the bladders can be blown up and go in the fridge and where ever to stop shit moving around once the car empties out of supplies.
Fuel wise, take a couple of jerries and you should be Golden.
My advice, even though it's slightly longer, go down to the WAA, it's a muc nicer track, less people (we didn't see anyone) and not cut to shit like the French line with all the heroes and their trailers on it.

[jkjeep1]

Thank you for your feedback. Safety is a top priority will take your advice on board. I ended up getting 4L XJ anyway. XJ trip computer is saying it's using 18l per 100km driving around in Sydney. At that rate, I will need to carry a lot of petrol. I will stick to JK CRD for crossing Simpson. I found a video of 2dr JKs crossing Simpson with stock suspension. Also came across go jeeps write-up of XJ crossing Simpson in mid 1990s'.

[LuluBelle]

So you bought a XJ and you are going into the Bush?
Did you get the one with the 120 liter tank? If not you might want to start searching for one or look for some wrecking a old dual fuel XJ and get the fuel tank out of it. They fit in front of the rear axle a good second tank.
Take spares especially a spare of every sensor
Recondition the entire cooling system and flush the shit out of the engine XJ's are hot buggers at the best of times.
Is the XJ you got setup for bush? or a stock one? Check and service everything A XJ is a good car But it is OLD and will require some TLC no matter how good it looks

[jkjeep1]

Originally Posted by LuluBelle

So you bought a XJ and you are going into the Bush?
Did you get the one with the 120 liter tank? If not you might want to start searching for one or look for some wrecking a old dual fuel XJ and get the fuel tank out of it. They fit in front of the rear axle a good second tank.
Take spares especially a spare of every sensor
Recondition the entire cooling system and flush the shit out of the engine XJ's are hot buggers at the best of times.
Is the XJ you got setup for bush? or a stock one? Check and service everything A XJ is a good car But it is OLD and will require some TLC no matter how good it looks

I bought the Xj as a run-around to fit the dog and kids friends. Getting a dog and kids + kids friends to back seat of a lifted JK 2dr is bit of a problem. It is 1999 in stock condition. Thanks for the heads up that there is a heat problem. The previous owner fitted a fan timer, and when I shut it down the engine the electric fan kept running for like 10 minutes. Also the radiator cap is a tridon brand one with a pressure relief mechanism. There are two brand new high-flow tridon thermostats in the glove box. I asked the previous owner if it overheats he said no he just likes to keep it running cool. I am not sure where to start. I have driven it about 200km and no overheating yet. The temperature needle sits just above 100