The problem isn’t always the trailer – sometimes it’s the muppet towing it

His arrogant attitude would give anybody a bad name under any circumstance.

But the fact that he was towing a trailer across the Simpson Desert, and was bogged in the middle of a wet claypan, only exaggerated the idea that many people believe trailers are a pain and should be banned. Most of all, those people believe anyone towing a trailer should get out of the way of the ‘real’ four-wheel drivers – the ones who never tow trailers anywhere, yet somehow still consider themselves experts at towing and trailers in general. I’m not one of them, and I’m sure I’ll ruffle a few feathers with my stance.

For the last 40-odd years, I’ve been towing trailers whenever we head off on a long trip – whether that’s into the desert, along a beach, through the Victorian High Country, or anywhere in between. Thinking about it, back when I was in the Army, I was towing trailers through the desert in the 1970s, so that makes it close to 50 years of experience in all sorts of environments.

If you have a trailer, you need to change your attitude and understand your limitations – both with the trailer and the environment you’re driving in. You also need to know what changes to your driving style are required when you’ve got a trailer on the back. There are times when you may need to leave the trailer behind – like on the Ingeegoodbee Track in the far east of the Victorian High Country. Still, there are plenty of places a trailer will go, regardless of what the naysayers reckon.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve joined my son on trips across the Madigan Line in the Simpson, through the deserts of WA, and along the toughest trails on Cape York – with trailers on the back of nearly every vehicle in our small convoys.

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Not only have we traversed these iconic tracks, but with low tyre pressures and the use of shovels and MaxTrax on numerous occasions, we’ve managed to get through with minimal wheelspin. In the case of the Simpson, we’ve actually left the track in better condition after going over a dune than it was before we came along. That’s no bull.

On the Cape, we’ve done far less damage to the tracks with trailers on than the often-seen hoons – V8s roaring, big mud tyres spinning, tearing up the approaches to crossings like Gunshot and Cannibal Creek. They’ve never heard of ‘slow and steady’ – and if they have, that kind of behaviour does little for their ego, which in most cases is much bigger than their brains.

So, before you head off with a trailer on the back, it might be worth doing a towing course and learning how to reverse – and practising that often. Sooner or later, you’ll be caught at the dead end of a track where you might not be able to turn around.

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Learn the limitations of your trailer, how it cuts corners, and how best to recover it if the need arises. A set of MaxTrax might just be the thing that gets you out of trouble. Drop your trailer tyre pressures. We often run them considerably lower than the tow vehicle’s, but it depends on the trailer’s size and weight. Start at 20psi and don’t be afraid to go lower.

So, what happened to old arrogant mate? We offered help – water and a sat phone – but he wasn’t having any of it. We left him to his own devices, although some other travellers – more generous with their time – were already helping.

I guess he eventually made it to Birdsville. Hopefully, he learned a lesson or two.