Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT tyres survive punishing Simpson Desert shakedown

When you roll into the Simpson Desert, you want gear you can trust. No servo around the corner, no tyre shop waiting in Birdsville, and if you shred a sidewall halfway up Big Red… well, that’s a whole day of swearing and digging.

With a fresh set of Cooper Discoverer LT AT3 tyres bolted on, we pointed our BYD Shark north from Melbourne and into the dunes for a proper shakedown. Over 6000 kilometres later – highways, red dirt, gibber plains and the full west-to-east Simpson crossing – the results spoke for themselves.

1

From Melbourne to the desert

The run out of Melbourne was all highway hum until the bitumen finally gave way to red dirt. Across the outback highways and into Alice Springs, the tyres stayed quiet, comfortable and predictable – none of the drone you’d expect from a heavy-duty all-terrain.

By the time we reached Alice, the rigs were dusted, the tyres had already covered a couple of thousand kilometres, and the real test was still to come.

From the outset they looked built for the job – chunky tread, thick sidewalls, and the sort of profile that makes you feel like you’ve brought backup. Aired down to 16-18psi at the start of the desert, they bagged out perfectly, widening the footprint and holding traction without digging down too aggressively. Steering stayed predictable even at low pressures, with no floaty “waterbed wobble” to fight against.

1

Surviving the Simpson

The desert is tyre-shredding country.

Rocks, sticks, salt pans and endless gibber plains punish rubber relentlessly, but the Discoverer LTs held firm. After roughly 700km of desert driving, they came out without a single puncture. The sidewalls picked up some cosmetic scars – desert rash – but nothing serious enough to halt the convoy or demand a repair kit.

Cresting Big Red and rolling down into Birdsville felt like a rite of passage. After days of soft sand and steep climbs, the tyres were still intact and confidence was high. Parked outside the Birdsville Hotel coated in red dust, they looked like they’d been through a fight – and won.

1

Road manners and the long drive home

After airing back up to 38psi, we braced for the usual all-terrain howl on the run south.

Instead, they stayed relatively quiet and refined – not whisper-silent like a highway tyre, but far more civilised than expected after hammering dunes all week. Ride comfort stayed high, too. Even over long corrugated stretches, there was no harsh vibration through the wheel – a welcome surprise when you’ve got another 2000km to cover back to Melbourne.

1

Final verdict

This shakedown focused purely on desert conditions – no mud runs, alpine climbs or towing marathons have been thrown at the tyres yet. That’s still to come!

The Discoverer AT3 LT made the Simpson feel almost easy. Strong sidewalls, steady steering, no punctures, and decent highway manners gave us the confidence that we weren’t going to be stranded halfway up a dune. For desert runs and big off-road adventures, they’re a rock-solid choice.

5

Cooper Discoverer LT specs

• Size tested: 285/70R17
• Construction: 3-ply sidewall, all-terrain tread
• Load rating: LT spec – built for heavy touring rigs
• Tyre pressure (sand): 16-18psi 
• Tyre pressure (road): 38psi 
• Kilometres covered: 6000+ (including ~700 km of desert driving)

Simpson Desert run: Trip notes

• Route: Melbourne → Alice Springs → Simpson Desert (west–east) → Birdsville → Melbourne
• Distance: ~6000 km round trip
• Highlights: Big Red, salt pans, gibber plains, endless dunes
• Convoy: 2x 4WDs, fully loaded with touring gear
• Conditions: Dry sand, sharp rocks, corrugations, long highway runs

COMING SOON: Keep an eye out for our comprehensive review of the Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT tyre!