oigle
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2005
- Messages
- 3,515
- Reaction score
- 976
- Age
- 84
- Location
- Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia
- Your Mercedes
- 2003 ML270 sold but not forgotten. 2022 Kia EV6 GT Line RWD
Just got back from a 5000km/3 week outback trip in the ML, towing a foldout off-road camper trailer. Much rough roads, a chipped windscreen, a broken rear window and many stone chips later, we are home. High centres on stony dirt roads proved to be a problem with the vehicle loaded and we "graded" the centres regularly. Hopefully no damage underneath. The hire trailer had a bad weight balance with 200kg on the drawbar when loaded, which caused some problems. Had to offload some weight on to another vehicle and rearrange my own loading somewhat - got it down to 150kg, which was still too high, but better. Carried a roofrack with an extra spare tyre (one in trailer too) as space savers aren't any good on that sort of trip. Economy averaged from 6.5 to 9 kpl (18 to 25 mpg) depending on surface, winds and speeds. Roofrack and spare aloft affected the economy badly and the trailer weighed around a tonne. Managed to survive without any tyre problems. Broken rear window caused many problems with dust ingress particularly. Sealed it as well as possible with heavy plastic sheeting stuck down with gaffa tape.
Travelled with a friend driving a Nissan Patrol - similar to a Toyota Landcruiser. He was far more comfortable with his trailer and ride height on those roads. He had one major problem - his air cleaner element (which was a non-genuine type) had the rubber seal come adrift and allowed "half the desert" to bypass his element and enter his engine!!! Exit one expensive turbo charger and Lord knows how much engine damage. He made it home very slowly. A 4 cylinder 3 litre "non-turboed" diesel doesn't pull a 2.5 tonne Vehicle with a 1 tonne trailer very well!!! Very slow on hills and don't dare pass anyone!!
Saw some very desolate country - went to Lake Eyre where Donald Campbell set the land speed record some time ago. No water - just a dry salt bed of enormous proportions. Travelled the fabled Birdsville, Strzlecki and Oodnadatta tracks and part of the Simpson desert. Lots of dust, rocks, red sand dunes and corrugated roads - just what ML's are made for (Right???) Not really, I'm afraid. Not in the same league as the "proper" Japanese off-roaders in those conditions. Got through though. If I ever do it again, I won't take a trailer - just stay in those fab Outback pubs. Wouldn't cost any more and be just as much fun with less stress on the car.
Have oodles of photos which I am in process of sorting out. When done, I shall post a good number of appropriate shots in my Picasa website for anyone to see that may be interested.
Travelled with a friend driving a Nissan Patrol - similar to a Toyota Landcruiser. He was far more comfortable with his trailer and ride height on those roads. He had one major problem - his air cleaner element (which was a non-genuine type) had the rubber seal come adrift and allowed "half the desert" to bypass his element and enter his engine!!! Exit one expensive turbo charger and Lord knows how much engine damage. He made it home very slowly. A 4 cylinder 3 litre "non-turboed" diesel doesn't pull a 2.5 tonne Vehicle with a 1 tonne trailer very well!!! Very slow on hills and don't dare pass anyone!!
Saw some very desolate country - went to Lake Eyre where Donald Campbell set the land speed record some time ago. No water - just a dry salt bed of enormous proportions. Travelled the fabled Birdsville, Strzlecki and Oodnadatta tracks and part of the Simpson desert. Lots of dust, rocks, red sand dunes and corrugated roads - just what ML's are made for (Right???) Not really, I'm afraid. Not in the same league as the "proper" Japanese off-roaders in those conditions. Got through though. If I ever do it again, I won't take a trailer - just stay in those fab Outback pubs. Wouldn't cost any more and be just as much fun with less stress on the car.
Have oodles of photos which I am in process of sorting out. When done, I shall post a good number of appropriate shots in my Picasa website for anyone to see that may be interested.
