Overland Europe

After 3 1/2 years traveling around the world on a motorcycle, I never had to change one single tire. Even I think that sounds ridiculous, but it's true.  

In my opinion, there are so many good people who change tires for a living, and I'd rather they do it.  I would have never trusted myself that it was done correctly and I did NOT want to experience my tire popping off going down the road at 100 km/hr.

There is no question I have traveled down some of the hairiest roads on the planet on a KTM 690 Enduro.  With help, I became the first foreign female to travel the famous Road of Bones in Siberia. That road was full of hazards, broken bridges, jagged rock, deep water crossings. The type of road I have seen many others needing to change 2 or 3 tires! Surprisingly, I never got a flat.  I crossed countless broken bridges with exposed nails on an unmaintained road in the Amazon Jungle, Brazil. Surprisingly, I didn't get a flat.  Where did I have a flat tire?  Parked on the side of a paved road in Costa Rica. I must have picked up a nail while parked to look at crocodiles in the creek below.  Amazingly, within moments of discovering my flat tire, a local KTM990 rider passed me, buzzed around the road side and changed the tire for me.   For the most part, I believe the "luck" stems from being taught early in my journey about quality tire choice. Early in my travels, I had heard about a young American rider traveling in Argentina who blew a front tire, crashed and died on his "dream trip". I didn't want that to happen to me so more often than not, I had them changed a bit early. 

 

Photo credit:  Walter Colebatch

I have a favorite motorcycle tire, now that I have experience with all types of roads and conditions.  They are a harder rubber which kept me on the road for longer than most of the other brands that tend to wear out quickly. I had tried different tire brands that wore down in as little as 5000 kilometers or 10,000 kilometers, but my favorite tire would last between 20 - 25,000 kilometers.  This is a huge difference when traveling full time!  I could do sand, gravel and bitumen as easy as each other without having to change tire "type" to suit the terrain.  Most would argue against my tire choice saying that the harder rubber slips on wet bitumen.  I'm not a speedy rider and I go slow on corners in the rain regardless of tire choice, so that was never an issue for me.  Although I get it.

So why am I talking about motorcycle tires in a 4WD post?

Well, I've recently changed up from two wheel adventures to four wheel adventures. And it's a whole new ball game.

On my last motorcycle journey around Australia, on roads that are very long between fuel stops, I started to take note of people in 4WD motorhomes. We would pass them often and I  mentioned to a friend I was traveling with that I was attracted to them and would like to investigate getting something similar.  My thinking was that I could still travel in a similar way, but with a bit more convenience.  Plus I have a dog now, so I'm not enthusastic to make him travel down rough roads with me on a motorcycle.

After searching for months and months, the Explorer Motorhome range in Australia came up on my radar and it was LOVE at first sight. What drew me to this choice is the ability to be self-sufficient in my travels without relying on Caravan Parks.  And I particularly love that I have everything I need without having to tow anything.  The 4WD component was a crucial part of my choice for obvious reasons.  There is no question that the dirt roads take you to the best places and I wasn't willing to give up the ability to explore the roads less traveled by towing a large caravan behind me.

The motorhome itself is built on a Toyota Hilux chassis in one single piece; meaning no joins for leaking water or dust!  And beyond those details is a very well thought out self-sufficient design with three solar panels, two lithium batteries, 2000W inverter, long range fuel tank, large water tank, air-conditioning if you want it, diesel heating, and the list goes on. All of this and I can fit in to a standard car parking space at the shopping center!

During Covid-19 in Australia, getting to my new motorhome by crossing our state borders is going to be challenging.  I live in South Australia.  However, the motorhome is located in Queensland, about 3000 km to the North.  With only 6 states in a country the size of the United States, it is a long distance to the border. The two states between South Australia and Queensland were ravaged with Covid and the state borders are completely closed, so passing this way is not a consideration. My only option is to drive the route where the Queensland and South Australia borders meet directly.  This route is called the Birdsville Track; a dirt road which is in the Outback desert through the center of Australia.  Although I have not been down the Birdsville Track before, I have traveled many similar tracks on my motorcycle, so I knew what to expect. This road is going to be dusty, gravelly, and full of corrugations.

They call the first trip in a Motorhome a shake-down cruise and there is no doubt in my mind that the Birdsville Track will shake it good!

Well aware that tire punctures are the norm in the Outback, I can honestly say I never had a flat tire when riding similar roads on my recent motorbike trip in the Outback either! So half of me thinks I should just make a run for it. How likely would it be to get a flat on a brand new vehicle?  But I decided that that wouldn't be smart or responsible. What I will do, is be prepared and have a plan. Just in case. 

After some research of what I should take, I purchased an air compressor and a 4WD tire repair kit.  Even though I couldn't tell you how to run the gigantic compessor or how to repair tire punctures with a kit, I felt like that would be enough for now. 

The day finally arrived for me to travel up to Queensland pick up my new Explorer Motorhome.  The last hurdle to jump was getting an approved state pass to fly in to Queensland during Covid.  Luckily, South Australians are allowed in to Queensland because we do not have the virus in our state due to closed borders. However flights are rare as most airlines are still not operating much at all. And then the opposite problem to get home.  Will they allow me a pass to return home after traveling outside our state?

My requests for a pass were repeatedly denied, but I eventually got approval within a week of my motorhome completion and the moment they said yes, I quickly booked the one flight I could find.

It was so good to finally make it to Queensland.  There it is.  Wow, I knew I would love it, but what a sight to see my beautiful new motorhome! After a quick review of how to operate everything, I was on the road in no time traveling and free again!  It's one of my favorite feelings in the world. 

One of my favorite things to do is plan routes and fuel stops again after so many years!  My journey will be around 3000 km with the first 1500km on bitumen. Easy.  

On day 3 of my journey home, I enjoyed sleeping alongside a beautiful river camp. I have been testing things both inside and outside the motorhome.  It is all so new to me and a different way of life that I have not experienced before.  How wonderful it is to have a full kitchen, refrigerator, toilet, shower, lounge with a dining table and a bed made up and ready to go each night!  

In the morning, I found my way to the last fuel stop before starting the dirt roads down the Birdsville Track.  I'm a little bit nervous about the rough road ahead so I want to make sure to fill up with Diesel in the special long range fuel tank.  When I arrived this last fuel station, I was greeted with a "No Diesel" sign on the pump.  Crap.

With around 400 km of fuel left, I know by the map that Birdsville has a fuel stop, which is 385 km from here.  That might be fine but what if they don't have fuel either? I could take my chances to continue to the town of Birdsville, but given the horribly remote outback track it takes to get there, it's likely I could get stuck.  And given the added Covid restrctions and delays, I decided to wait for this fuel rather than take chances of having the same problem in a more remote area. 

It was now 8:30 AM and the sign was updated to "No Diesel til lunch time".  Good! I decided to park on the road leading in to the fuel stop so I could be the first in line to whenever the delivery truck comes. That was also a good choice.  It wasn't long before a long line of Deisel-needing vehicles filed in behind me.

I took a walk and explored the little museum in the town of Windorah.  Although I have plenty of food on board, I ordered a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich for the road and waited.  The joys of adventure for me because when I started my journey around the world on a motorbike from South Australia, I did not easily have the capacity to make my own lunch.  I remember buying my first toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches on the road back then, and it' funny I'm doing it again now.

It feels so good to be completely full of fuel and water,  so I'm now very ready to head down the rough rocky Birdsville track of Central Australia.

The first important job that I was nervous about is to remember to lower my tire pressure and to put the Toyota into 4WD. I have to admit, I rarely lowered tire pressure on these roads with my motorbike, even though it is recommended. A fun little item I bought before this trip are digital tire pressure monitors. Wow, do I like this product and so badly wished I had such a thing on my motorcycle journey around the world! 

The factory suggestion for standard tire pressure on the motorhome in basic conditions is 45psi front and 50psi rear. Although I have not attended the training course yet, upcoming 4WD trainer, who is familiar with my motorhome and weight recommended I lower pressure on the track to 38psi front and 45psi rear.  

So with my new digital monitors, this is what I did and the monitor said I was spot on! 

This road looks pretty easy to me!!  Since I am alone with nobody to ask, I wonder about everything and question what I might be doing wrong.  Do I pick my lines as I would do on a motorcycle, or just stay in the worn corrugated ruts from others?  What speed should I do?  The corrugations hit hard and fast, and I am traveling with a gigantic box on the back with all kinds of equipment.  Air conditioner, shower head, oven, etc.  It feels and sounds like I am hurting it badly How will this big guy fair in the corrugations.  Do I go extra slow or should I try to glide across the top like I would on the bike?

It was a flat, corrugated bouncy trip but I made it in to Birdsville Queensland on my first night unscathed!  What a relief to get this leg out of the way.  My first rough road in a heavy 4WD Motorhome alone. I had a look at Wikicamps for a free camp and found one along a small river in Birdsville.  That is something I didn't expect.  Another river with trees in the Outback?  I thought it would be completely dry, flat and desert-like as the entire road has been so far!

In the morning I found yet another surprise.  The Outback is such a harsh environment.  So, I didn't expect a nice clean fuel stop with the added bonus of Good Vibes.  Yes, I think they are speaking directly to me.

 

I take the time to explore this little tiny town that is mostly famous due to one big race per year.  Birdsville has a population of around 140 people.  But during the Birdsville Racing Carnival, the town swells, and I mean swells to around 8000 people during the two day event.  People fly in with small airplanes from all over the country, while many more drive or ride in to camp, watch up to 13 races, drink a little (understatement) and enjoy the one and only pub.

The old Birdsville Hotel has seen better days!

With my overnight break behind me, I topped up on fuel whether it's needed or not and I start heading south again toward home. As mentioned, Birdsville is in Queensland and just south of Birdsville is the South Australian border.  I was finally approved for my Covid border re- entry pass into South Australia and I was expecting to see police here to check me! Sure, it was questionable on this sort of road, but I have seen police on back roads in the news who have been catching people illegally crossing borders. But this one is all clear, so lets go!

The landscape changes somewhat from a tan sand colored gravel to a dark red color with gibber rock. Usually not as smooth and round. It tends to be an angular rock, which concerns me for tire punctures.

It was a rough road, no question, but so far so good. 

I was recommended by a few friends on Facebook to make sure I stop at the Mangerannie Hotel, about 314 kilometers south of Birdsville.  So I do just that.  It's only 3 in the afternoon, but I have been pushing hard for days. So I thought an afternoon off to enjoy where I am here in the Outback was ideal.  It is nice to stop, slow down, and take in what I just bought and continue to tinker with things to see how they work in the motorhome.

And here is the moment I finally took a seat and just stared at my new home for a while. I like it.

Isn't he good looking over there!

It didn't surprise me to find the library outside the Female toilet in this Outback environment.

After exploring every bit of the historic property, it was time to head in to the Hotel for a beer and a burger.  I met Phil, the owner, who quickly started calling me "Yank" and he told me to call him "Dickhead" Not joking!  He was excited to hear what I had done in my motorcycle travels.  From this one conversation he was kind enough to offer me to ride one of his motorcycles across the Simpson Desert anytime I like!  How generous, especially since I sold my last motorcycle. 

Phil and I were talking so much at the bar, he was not getting any work done.  I ordered a beer ages ago, he was still talking.  I kept wanting to interrupt him to ask for the beer I was so ready drink, but couldn't get a word in.  I hear a woman yell, "Yank!!!  Yank!!!"  I turned around and saw the waitress carrying my burger.  I looked at him and laughed that he turned in my order with the name Yank and then it dawned on him. You need your beer!  Yes!  Thank you!

When I sat down to eat my burger, the couple sitting next to me started a chat and they told me they were stuck there waiting for two tires to be sent up the road from the city hours away.  They have had five; count them, five flat tires in the last week on the track. There was no way to predict they would have needed to carry that many spare tires and repair plugs. Wow.. Five!! I asked what they think the cause is, could it be tire pressure?  They said no, all were dropped to 30psi.  They are a retired couple and they have been traveling full time for two years, so they were experienced with their caravan and tires. I had to knock on wood and proudly say it was all going well for me in that regards, and we ate our outback burgers together. I hope that doesn't happen to me, but with three quarters of the track done, I expect the flat tire angels who have looked after me for so many years are still on the job. I'm doing well and will be fine the rest of the way.

I'm glad I was told to stop here. It was a great place full of Outback history and hospitality.  I couldn't help but to compare what I was driving to what they used to drive in this very remote and harsh part of Australia a few years ago. I would expect the drivers of those trucks to be long gone, but wouldn't it be fun to show them how things have changed.

My little break is over and I can't wait to get started driving down the road early in the morning.

I love looking at my tire pressure monitors and have been so pleased to see how well the pressures have held up on the rough road.  Just 20 minutes in to my drive, with my eyes peeled to the monitors as they had been the day before, I see the front left tire go 38, 28, 24, 18......  No No NO!! Stop!!  I reach for the monitor itself hoping to grab it and stop the pressure from falling.  Surprisingly, that did not help.  I slow to a stop, get out and hope it is just a monitor problem as the road so far today was not too rough or difficult.  But the bad news is blatently correct as I'm looking at a very flat tire.  Oh wow.  That is karma right there.  How many times have I been cocky enough to say I never get flat tires.  It took a while, but karma finally showed up to bite me back!

Goodness. I have not taken my training course yet.  Let's hope the instruction manual will guide me through this process.  I am not looking forward to it, but I am also not panicking.  Luckily it is still winter in Central Australia which means it's only 26C at 7:00 this morning, not the 40's or 50's it will be during summer.

 

 

 

I easily found the tire changing instructions in my car manual.  Next, I found the tools tucked away behind the passenger seat.  The first job on my list was to work on lowering the spare tire, jack up the front end and then loosen the bolts.  It was very easy, actually.  So much so, I was wondering why I was nervous about having to do this!

A small admission here is that changing out the tire completely was my only thought.  I did not go around looking for the hole and wonder if I could repair it.  This literally did not dawn on me.  I believe this is because the car manual explains the process I'm following methodically and it does not explain how to do a repair.

When I was nearly finished changing the tire a family towing a caravan stopped to check on me and help.  They asked me what pressure I was running and I told them, 38psi front and 45 psi rear advised by the 4WD training professional who told me to do this based on his knowledge of my motorhome and weight. The two men quickly said, "Your pressure should be lower, we do 30 psi all around". 

Hmmm.  I understand, as I have lowered my motorcycle pressure on previous trips down to 22psi on bad roads.  However, what does that mean to do 30psi all around when there is a heavy motorhome being carried in comparison to towing a caravan?  The man said, "You're right, we should take that in to consideration.  I'll lower them to 30 psi front and 35 psi rear".  I was fine with that, so that is what he did.

They had a nice power tool to help me finish off the job which I appreciated.  I'm so happy they stopped, as it gave me some confidence that what I had done so far was correct in my changing process.  Especially when they saw the gigantic hole in my flat tire.  It was the size of my fist! They said there would have been no way to repair it and hope I don't get another bad punture, since I just used my one and only spare.  I have 355 kilometers of this rocky corrugated road to go, so yes, fingers crossed.

Finally I can get on with my day and finish the Birdsville Track!  Now that I have experienced my first flat tire, my eyes are even more peeled to the digital tire montitors as I get up to speed.  30, 35, 30, 35.  Looking good.

The landscape is changing to a red color which is iconically central Australia.  It is vast.  My mind is always wandering and wondering what it must have been like to travel through here before roads existed.  The early pioneers mostly walked on those harsh stones or used camel trains with little opportunity to find water.  I am so happy to be born in the era that I was!

 

I'm still keeping my eyes on the tire monitors and annoyed at how much I look at the numbers.  And there goes the rear left tire, 30, 20, 10 gone.  It has been a whopping 30 minutes since I started driving after the first flat tire.  Is it really possible I have another flat tire already?  I slowly come to a stop and check the damage.  Darn it!!

So what do I do now. The spare tire already has a gigantic hole in it.  This could be really bad.  It's around 9:30 AM now, a bit hotter and all I can know to do at this stage is jack up the rear of the motorhome to try to get something started.  While I was doing this, a couple who were towing a caravan stopped.  They were very kind and said they don't know anything about changing tires, but they will do anything they can to help.  Just having somebody there is good too, for moral support.  About 20 minutes pass and another vehicle stops. How unusual it seems that this desolate road is actually busy!

The man that stopped is a local outback station hand and he digs right in to help me.  He's seen it a million times before.

His name is Gordon, and he was pleased to see I was carrying a brand-spankin-new 4WD tire repair kit.  He quickly found the small hole and plugged it in no time.  The good news?  I didn't have to do it.  The bad news?  I still need to learn how to do it for next time.  I didn't even have to get my new gigantic air compressor out, he had one on his truck ready to go.

What a wonderful man and he was fun to talk to as well.  Most of us just pass through this environment as tourists, but he was born here and has never been anywhere else. 

The caravan couple said their goodbyes while Gordon put my pressures down a bit more to 28psi each.  Then he said he will follow me the rest of the track (around 300 km's) until we get to Maree which is his final destination as well as the start of paved roads again.

Although I was watching the tire monitors like never before, it was such a nice feeling to have Gordon following me.  We made it to Maree without any further flat tires so it was time to pull over and thank Gordon.  I asked Gordon if I could pay him or take him to the pub for a beer and a meal.  He said no to both, he was just happy I was safe and needed to make his delivery and drive back up the track to get home in time for his wifes dinner.  He said he couldn't wait to tell his wife about the nice lady he met on the road.  I loved Gordon, I wish him all the best.

It was only 2018 when I rode up this road to Maree at the beginning of a one month motorbike tour through Australia with my friend from Sweden. This road was under construction at that time, but not yet paved.  Now I am enjoying the nice flat road and riding in comfort once again. 

As I continue south, the weather is much cooler, however there are gale force winds and I'm driving in to a dust storm.  I wondered how this motorhome design will handle the super strong wind and if I should pull over and wait it out.

I chose to drive through it, and I was pleasantly surprised.  The tall motorhome was mildly rocking with the wind gusts but nowhere near as bad as I imagined it to be. 

This shake down cruise is showing me everything in one trip!  Although I've had my challenges, it was wonderful and I couldn't be more pleased with how it handled and how much I learned.

At last I make it to my final camp before driving home. The sunset was calm and it was like the ending of a movie.