We took our NextGen Ranger Raptor to the Simpson Desert! East to West - Birdsville to Mt Dare!

 

In October 2024, our team set out on an epic expedition across one of Australia’s most iconic landscapes – the Simpson Desert. Starting from Birdsville and making our way west to Mt Dare, we followed the famous QAA Line and French Line, tackling the vast, remote desert with our NextGen Ranger Raptor, along with a Suzuki Jimny XL! (Which did amazingly well!)

This wasn't just a trip; it was a challenge, an adventure, and an opportunity to test both our skills and our vehicle in the desert!

The route we took from Birdsville and making our way west to Mt Dare covered 530 km.

Vehicle Setup and Gear:

Here’s an overview of the Ranger Raptor’s setup for the Simpson Desert. With everything we needed to survive the harsh conditions and carry our gear over the unforgiving dunes, we were prepared for just about anything.

The Ranger Raptor:

For this trip, we outfitted it with several accessories and mods to make sure we could handle the desert's rough and sandy tracks.

• ARB Base Rack
• Triple M Tub Rack - We sat our rooftop tent on this tub rack on the tub.
• San Hima Roof Top Tent (73kg)
• 60L ARB Elements Fridge 
• San Hima Fridge Slider
• San Hima Shower Tent
• 180 degree San Hima Awning (20kg)
• 100AH Custom Lithium Behind Seat Dual Battery
• Starlink Mini

Suspension/Tyre Mods: 

• Lift and Shock Revalve from Mikes Shock Shop in Brisbane
• Falken Wildpeak - 315/70R17 Tyres 
• Airbags from Keith 4 Wheels Underwood

Fuel Tank:

• The Longer Ranger 140L Fuel Tank from ARB

Other Mods:

• ARB Twin Air compressor hidden in between tub with outlet to tub panel
• ARB Lightbar on BaseRack
• GME XRS370 Radio with RA Ranger GME Harness
• RA Ranger Stop/Start Eliminator
• Programming by Stewart Brown
• J Brace Tub Support installed by Ford
• PCM Upgrade to show correct fuel DTE with extended tank
• Triple M Tub Rack Supports

The Gear We Carried:

Packing the right gear was critical to ensuring we stayed safe, hydrated, and comfortable. Here’s what we had onboard:

• 40L of Drinking Water
• 20L Water Jerry Can (On-Tap Shower)
• 2x Swags for the Jimny Guys
• 2x Stretchers for the Jimny Guys
• 4x Camp Chairs
• 3x 20L Jerry Cans
• Tyre Puncture Repair Kit

Our Simpson Desert crossing was a true adventure—one that tested our vehicle, our gear, and our resilience. The Ranger Raptor, fully loaded with the right accessories and gear, handled the desert terrain with ease, despite the increased fuel consumption. At 23.77 L/100 km, our fuel usage was on the higher end, but it was expected given the load, tyres, and terrain.

Did we encounter any issues?

Yes. The only issue with the Raptor was that our Airbag Suspension giving out. We went through a deep dug out dune, and it twisted its bracket, and blew the bags out.This happened on the 8th dune, thankfully we could still power on, but since we had such a heavy load on the rear, it was sitting lower then the front.

If you’re planning a similar journey, here are a few takeaways:

Plan your fuel carefully: Always carry extra fuel, especially in remote areas with limited refueling stations. We filled our 3 jerry cans at Birdsville before we entered the desert. Probably a good idea to have 20L spare making your journey up to Birdsville though.

Pack light, but pack smart: Only bring what you need, but ensure you have all the essentials like water, food, and the recovery gear. Next time, I probably wouldnt bring a rooftop tent, as it made the vehicle so rear heavy. I would bring swags and a stretcher. Keep load to a minimum!

Fuel:

Our total fuel consumption over 530 km was 126L which resulted in 23.77L per 100 km.

530km - 126L

This was our exact route below: