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  • Sending the Prado and Camper from Melbourne to Perth

    Hi all, long time lurker first time poster!

    We're planning a lap next year (or at least half a lap), which will start in Melbourne. The first task is to get the Prado and camper trailer across the Nullarbor to the west coast so we can hit the beaches and make our way up to Broome.

    About 10 years ago the wife and I did a similar trip and found the crossing just as boring as people had warned us.

    Fast forward to the present and I'm a little worried how the munchkins will go with four full days of driving across the Nullarbor...

    We've only allowed ourselves 2 months for the half lap too so if we can save some time by not having to do the crossing that'll help.

    So the question is, has anyone had any experience with trucking their fourby and camper trailer across to Perth from Melbourne (or something similar)?

    If so, how did it go and if you don't mind sharing, roughly what was the cost?

  • #2
    A few years ago I took five weeks to drive from Melbourne to Darwin and three weeks around the top.

    We took the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide complete with Prado and soft floor camper.

    Had a great trip back on the train and then drive back to Melbourne that afternoon.

    The train trip was quite expensive but only about $300 more to put the car and camper on. Much cheaper bringing them back than had we taken the train North.

    Contact GSR as the rules a about vehicle and trailer size are very strict and nothing on the roof!.

    Have a great trip,

    S.
    155 SX with dual battery and Polyairs in the rear springs..

    Comment


    • #3
      Take plenty of pics of your setup before it gets loaded.
      Allow extra time in case they are slow to sent your car on.
      You dont want to get to WA and find you are waiting a week for the car.
      Best if you can find someone over here to pick it up and store it so bits dont go missing while sitting in a yard.

      Comment


      • #4
        We're in the same situation except we fly out to Perth on Saturday.

        A similar question was asked on MySwag the other day about getting to the Kimberley. My comment there was:

        We looked around for a cheap way to get our Prado and Tvan from Sydney to Perth recently and couldn't find anything economical.
        The car wasn't too bad - $1200-$1500 from memory. The Tvan was more like $2500. I couldn't find anyone who would take them together - they wanted to send them separately and so the Tvan was a hassle because it didn't have a "motor". Some people were going to put it on a truck, some in a container and then by sea.

        Loading the camper trailer should be ok because they don't need to get into it. I think the issue with loaded cars is you may claim they have stolen something at the other end and they have no way of proving they didn't - easier for them to force you to have it empty.

        I gather Perth-Sydney is cheaper because most of the road freight goes the other way so people are looking for a load back.

        We ended up getting some friends to take it to Perth for us. You have to be happy entrusting your vehicle to someone else and there is a risk they will have an accident but we decided it was worth the risk. They lent us their BT-50 and I had an accident in it on the weekend (reversed into someone because I find it really hard to see out the back) so the risk goes both ways

        Another possible starting point might be Alice Springs - I'm flying our family back from there and got Qantas Frequent Flyer tickets cheaply (18k pts x $50 taxes per person). From there you can go up the Tanami Track to Halls Creek/Bungle Bungles and onwards to the Kimberley. Alice is a bit closer to Sydney - you could drive back in 3 days if pushed.


        On getting friends to take it:

        Some suggestions:
        - don't sell it as "drive our car to Perth" - sell it as a family adventure across the Nullabor and South West WA with a car/camper provided. Give the family 2-3 weeks to do it so they can have a proper adventure on the way over. Some people we ran it past thought it was it was a daft idea - who'd want to drive all that way. Some thought it was an interesting concept but it didn't fit their holiday plans. And, in our case, one family thought it was a great idea and are having a fantastic adventure at the moment.
        - organise a camping weekend with people from school and tell everyone in your kids classes they are welcome to come (including telling their friends). You'll get to go camping (yeah) and might meet another family who are interested.
        - If you end up having to drive it yourself consider flying the family to somewhere cheap (Perth/Alice Springs/Darwin) - you can make a lot more progress each day if you don't have the kids in the back complaining. Google Maps says it's 40hrs driving to Perth - if you left on a Friday afternoon you'd be there Monday night (and probably reasonably tired)

        Comment


        • #5
          There is plenty of logistics trips like this done all around Aust.
          I see heaps in the Motorsport community.
          I've even done a few myself with race car transporters and trailers across to Perth.
          3 days 2 nights from ADL.
          I just returned today from an ADL-MEL return run.

          Flying anyone into Perth/Alice or Darwin sadly isn't cheap. Nearly as exxy as Canberra! Lol.

          If your really stuck and need logistics sorted drop me a line.
          I know if trucks carrying Motorsport vehicles that go across constantly. I also have heaps of logistic contacts and can supply drivers that do that sort of thing full time.

          Comment


          • #6
            I've used Automovers to get my Prado back from Darwin to brisbane - they were one of the few carriers that allowed the car to be full of gear, all the others wanted it empty!

            www.automover.com.au
            Rob.
            '08 GXL V6 Manual with: O/L Bar, Cibie Oscars, Safari Snorkel, Revalved Ironman 45710 Struts & 45682 Shocks, Dobinsons & King springs, MickeyT STZs, Eaton E-locker on rear, ScanGaugeII, InaWise TPMS, and a Tvan controlled via TowPro.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Piggy View Post
              Flying anyone into Perth/Alice or Darwin sadly isn't cheap. Nearly as exxy as Canberra! Lol.
              That's a relative thing - Perth/Alice/Darwin are all heaps cheaper than Exmouth/Broome/Kunanurra.

              We got Qantas frequent flyer tickets out of Alice to Sydney in mid July for 18k points and $50. Syd-Perth was also 18k points but only $40. Both are a bargain compared spending 3-4 days driving 10hrs/day with the kids in the car...

              Comment


              • #8
                If you transport your car get a wheel alignment as soon as possible after arriving at your drop off point. I've had two cars with alignments both badly out of whack due to the wheels being chained/fastened/secured on trucks/trains, so much so that I could smell burning rubber when driving.

                Comment


                • #9
                  You pay for an airline ticket back from Perth to Melbourne and I will drive your vehicle for you. I will cover the cost for me to get to Melbourne.
                  [B]Tasmania 2015 GTG Committee Member[/B] 2005 Prado Pilbara, Sovereign Bar, Driver & passenger weathershields, UHF TX3220, Spare wheel spaces, Lifestyle rack, Genuine front & midrow seatcovers, Genuine front & midrow rubber floor mats, ARB 47 litre fridge/freezer, Hilux washer jets, BF Goodridge A/T, Radiator protection plate, Dual battery tray and isolator, ARB 2.5m awning, Rhino heavy duty areo bars, MSA rear wheel bin, MAXTRAX

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks for all the responses gents, lots of good info!

                    Thanks to Piggy and VK Prado too for the offers, we're not actually heading away for about 12 months so will have to check back closer to the date!

                    After some more research, looks like the train option is going to be a tough one - expensive to accompany the car yourself and if you send the car unaccompanied you can't book until 30 days prior... by then too late to change our plans.

                    Given it's really the Kimberley where we want to spend a bunch of time, perhaps skipping the south-west altogether and heading up the middle (Adelaide/Alice/Katherine) then across to Broome.

                    Then on the way back come via Tanami Track.

                    Anyone been down the Tanami?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by aidan8380 View Post
                      Thanks for all the responses gents, lots of good info!

                      Thanks to Piggy and VK Prado too for the offers, we're not actually heading away for about 12 months so will have to check back closer to the date!

                      After some more research, looks like the train option is going to be a tough one - expensive to accompany the car yourself and if you send the car unaccompanied you can't book until 30 days prior... by then too late to change our plans.

                      Given it's really the Kimberley where we want to spend a bunch of time, perhaps skipping the south-west altogether and heading up the middle (Adelaide/Alice/Katherine) then across to Broome.

                      Then on the way back come via Tanami Track.

                      Anyone been down the Tanami?
                      With regard to the Tanami there will be a few travelling this either before or after the 2017 GTG so they will be able to answer that one in a couple of weeks time.
                      [B]Tasmania 2015 GTG Committee Member[/B] 2005 Prado Pilbara, Sovereign Bar, Driver & passenger weathershields, UHF TX3220, Spare wheel spaces, Lifestyle rack, Genuine front & midrow seatcovers, Genuine front & midrow rubber floor mats, ARB 47 litre fridge/freezer, Hilux washer jets, BF Goodridge A/T, Radiator protection plate, Dual battery tray and isolator, ARB 2.5m awning, Rhino heavy duty areo bars, MSA rear wheel bin, MAXTRAX

                      Comment

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