How did you prepare for the trip?
Prep was extremely thorough. We had to carry a satellite phone in case of emergency since the only quick way out would be long-range helicopter. We also carried an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).
Our truck was a new build and we spent sleepless nights perfecting it for the task. We conceived it a few years ago and finally built it over the course of four months before the trip. This was its first outback outing and it performed even better than expected. It was such a thrill to drive my brand-new truck for my first Australian overland expedition.
What were some unique challenges specific to this expedition?
The sheer remoteness—you have to experience it to believe it. We covered an average of 50 miles over eight hours of driving each day. Severe washboards were quite common, and some of the worst I’ve ever encountered. They can shake the truck to pieces if the tire pressure is too high. Sometimes they feel like hammer blows to the chassis. You have to make the tires act as additional shock absorbers by letting 80 percent of the air out—more than you’d normally feel comfortable doing. We carried two spare tires but didn’t end up needing them.
There were also more than 1,000 sand dunes to cross throughout the route. Day after day, they appear right in front of the windshield—one after the other—in a seemingly unending line. Many of them were a technical driving challenge, too.