Dust, Corrugations, and a 4-Cylinder Battery: Behind the Scenes with the Coopers Cowboys
The Shitbox Rally is not for the faint of heart. It’s thousands of kilometers of the most brutal, unsealed outback roads Australia has to offer, driven in cars worth less than $1,500. It’s a massive test of human spirit, mechanical luck, and—above all—component reliability.
This year, Paramount Browns was proud to sponsor The Coopers Cowboys, sending them off into the dust with a standard 4-cylinder car battery from our shelves.
We sat down with the team to find out how they survived the track, how much they raised for the Cancer Council, and whether our budget-friendly battery actually stood up to the ultimate Aussie stress test.
Part 1: The Spirit of the Shitbox Rally
Q: First things first—how did the name “Coopers Cowboys” come about, and what was the weapon of choice for this year’s rally?
Coopers Cowboys: Haha, yes well we wanted our team name to reflect one of favourite pastimes, and who better to represent than South Australia’s own.
It also perfectly matches the proposed colours of our car with their beers, orange, green, and red.
We are probably more pretend cowboys than real cowboys however it’s probably more of a reflection on how we have fun and know how to party!
Our weapon of choice in cars was the famous 1986 Corolla – 2nd rally in this car now… still going strong.
Q: The Shitbox Rally is famously brutal, but it’s all for an incredible cause. Can you tell us a bit about how much the team raised for the Cancer Council this year?
Coopers Cowboys: We raised individually over 6.5K this year as a team, and the entire winter rally raised almost 2.6 Million!
Q: Outback tracks are unpredictable. What was the absolute most sketchy, hilarious, or “we might be stranded here forever” moment of the trip?
Coopers Cowboys: Some of the roads in northern Qld were incredibly remote, dusty and corrugated with numerous cows on the road, creek crossings and cattle trucks.
We followed a 3 trailer cattle truck for at least 50km in thick dust, couldn’t see a thing, 2 cracked windscreens.
In particular, over 500km from Karumba to Chillagoe in far north Qld threw everything at us, yet we managed to get through.
Part 2: The Ultimate Battery Stress Test
Q: Let’s talk tech. Corrugated outback roads are notorious for destroying car batteries by literally vibrating the internal plates to pieces. How did the Paramount Browns 4-cylinder battery handle the relentless shaking and dust?
Coopers Cowboys: Yep no worries…battery didn’t skip a beat, still going strong.
Most nights we played some pretty loud music for an hour, through the car amplifier and subwoofer, and the battery held up strong.
Q: In a rally full of $1,500 cars, electrical issues are bound to happen. Did the Cowboys end up having to play saviour and jump-start any other teams along the way using your Paramount battery?
Coopers Cowboys: Actually we had a pretty good run and didn’t experience any electrical issues thankfully. We had to run a compressor to pump up a tyre, which was no issue for the battery, and car running.
Q: A lot of people think you need to spend top dollar to get a reliable car battery. After pushing a budget-friendly battery through the toughest terrain in Australia, what would you say to a customer standing at our Gepps Cross or Mount Barker counter wondering if it’s tough enough for their daily drive?
Coopers Cowboys: Yep certainly, we definitely put the battery through its paces and it’s still going strong. I’d say go for it, what have you got to lose?
Part 3: What’s Next for the Cowboys?
Q: Now that the dust has settled and you’ve had a proper shower, are the Coopers Cowboys retiring the boots, or are you already planning the next crazy automotive adventure?
Coopers Cowboys: No retirement in sight, our next box rally will be in 2 years I’m guessing, however we are looking at crossing the Simpson desert again next year 2027… so stay posted 😊
Need a Battery That Survives the Outback?
You don’t need to be driving across the desert to appreciate a battery you can rely on. Whether you need a fresh start for your daily commuter, your 4WD, or your farm machinery, we’ve got you covered with the same rugged reliability that got the Coopers Cowboys across the finish line.
Drop into Gepps Cross or Mount Barker and let the team find the right match for your ride—at a price that gives you the best bang for your buck.