Tyres for Kimberley Trip

[timsgonecamping]

Hi
We are looking to go for a drive to the Kimberley region and have to decide on what to do about tyres.
The Prado has the standard Dunlop Grandtrek AT20s that come with the car.
The question is whether I stay with them or swap to something more suitable for the trip.

The current tyres only have around 15,000km on them so still fairly new.
On a previous Prado I had this type of tyre during our trip on the Oodnadatta Track, Painted Desert and Mereenie Loop without any problem (I could have just been lucky).
However I don't know what conditions are like at the Kimberley so don't know if that is comparable.

I will be carrying two spare wheels and a spare tyre carcass plus tyre repair kit and compressor.
So for those of you more travelled, what do you reckon?

Tim

[Dave G]

G'day Tim,

We badly chipped the tread blocks on the rear BFG's on our trip down the Birdsville Track last year before Rawnsley Park. I put it down to having the pressures too high, 35psi, and travelling too fast on the stony sections. I was probably doing around 90 Klms/hr that in hindsight was too fast. From talking to other people since I should have been running about 30 psi and doing less than 80 Klms/hr.

From what I have heard and read about the Gibb River Road and other areas of the Kimberley I don't expect it to be much worse than the Birdsville and Strezlecki tracks were last year. I plan on having a second spare and the tyre repair kit plus we already have the compressor. We have the luxury of time so if we get through the two spares we'll just wait until we can get a spare wherever we are.

We are heading up to the Kimberley as well and should be there abouts from the beginning of May for about a month then slowly heading over to Darwin by the beginning of July. When do you and Julie plan to be in the Kimberley ???

Cheers

Dave

[expbjw]

Tim

I had a new set of these tyres on my Land Cruiser on a trip to the Kimberley 2 yrs ago. Got a stone thru one up near Burketown, a brake adjuster bolt thru another on the Gibb & a tek screw thru one on the Tanami. All were repairable. Mostly just bad luck (especially the brake bolt as I guarantee it would be almost impossible to even hammer that thru the tread!) but after returning home I replaced them with BFG AT's.

Comparing the BFG's with the Dunlops, the Dunlops are a much weaker construction. Sit on an unmounted Dunlop case & it will collapse under your weight. Sit on the BFG & it gives just slightly, doesn't collapse under your weight. The tread is also much deeper on the BFG's.

Depending on where you go in the Kimberley & what pressures you run on the unsealed roads you should be OK with the Dunlops but you have more chance of a puncture than you would with a tyre that has a bit more sturdy construction.

Hope this helps your decision.

Barry

[timsgonecamping]

Hi Dave
Plans are a bit vague at the moment with regard to timing of the trip.
Probably go to Kakadu first in May and end up in The Kimberley in June.
BFGs seem a popular choice.
How noisy are they on the black top?

Thanks for the comments Barry
I agree that the Dunlops aren't particularly ideal.
I'm tempted to use them mainly because the Prado is still a work leased car so its attractive to use their rubber rather than mine (particularly for the Sydney to WA bit).
However I'm aware that it increases the risk of problems. Hence the extra, extra spares.
So it looks like a cost vs risk issue.
I'll keep tossing coins until I decide.

Tim

[Dave G]

G'day Tim,

I didn't find a noticeable noise difference between my original Goodyear HT tyres and the BFG AT on the tar. What I did really notice was the improved steering response (lower tyre pressure) on the dirt and rough roads.

I wouldn't be too worried about the tyres. If you keep the speed down and drive to the road conditions they shouldn't be extremely different for your tyres than what you experienced on the Oodnadatta and around the centre last year.

Looks like we'll pass each other around the WA/NT border end of May.

Cheers

Dave

[leeke0]

Hi,
While I'm not looking at the Kimberly (at the moment), does anybody have any comment on the Maxxis Bravo?
I have to do something before or corner country trip.
Just looking at the moment and saw them at our local tyrepower.
Redding forum and group post at the moment.
Thanks
Malcolm

[expbjw]

Hi again Tim

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous reply was that on my Kimberley trip with the Dunlop tyres I was using a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). These aren't cheap to buy but mine saved wrecking two tyres. As soon as the pressure in the tyres started to drop I got a warning on the monitor & was able to pull over before the tyre shredded itself. I didn't feel the tyre deflating & probably wouldn't have noticed anything was wrong until it was too late.
The TPMS paid for itself by not having to replace a shredded tyre.

Barry

[timsgonecamping]

Thanks Barry

I have been thinking about a TPMS, particularly if I stay for the Dunlops for the trip.
Which one did you go with?
I was looking at one from ABR Sidewinder that has the senders that screw onto the valves.
I liked the idea of the receiver running on an internal battery that you recharge. It saves another power cable dangling around the cabin.
Tim

[LetsGoTravelAus]

We changed from the tyres that came on our Colorado Ute after we did 3 tyres in 2 weeks in outback qld. After a lot of research we choose Cooper St Maxx, They have been great, we did a trip up to Cape York and the Old Coach Road last year, no problems whatsoever. Like you we carry 2 spares and they can also be put onto the trailer if needed.

We also also heading to the Kimberley this year in June/July so we might see you on the road

[expbjw]

Tim

The TPMS I have is a TyreGuard. It has the sensors that screw onto the valves. The sensors are surprisingly robust, mine have been through plenty of mud, dust & water & have survived OK. ABR Sidewinder was the agent for these when I bought mine but now Davies Craig distributes them. When I got it ,it was one of the few available that could be used with more than 4 sensors. It's was a bit fiddly to set up (Chinese English) but seems to work reasonably well.

http://www.daviescraig.com.au/TyreGuard ... -list.aspx

Don't know anything about the ones sold by Derek at ABR now but he's good with any backup you might need.

Barry