Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Go! Drive & Camp

Jurgens Campworld, as Jurgens Ci is now known, revealed that they’ve made a deal with an investment group. These investors now own 50% of this once prosperous caravan manufacturer and intend to get the factory 100% back on track within a year. Jurgens’s business has been shaky over the past 18 months: labour disputes, pending court cases and struggling to supply new caravans to dealers. Also, more than two-thirds of Jurgens’ Campworld dealers took matters into their own hands and formed the LeisureWorld group. The deal with the new investors was clinched on 1 March this year, amounting to more than R100 million. One of the new co-owners told go! Drive & Camp that they choose to stay out of the public eye at this stage. More than one investor…

Considering the conditions in which we use cooler boxes, it’s not surprising they often give up the ghost after a year or two. But the Extreme Ice Box series imported by Tentco, boasts a five-year guarantee, which should be an indication of quality. And with the new clever design you can open the lid after you’ve strapped it to a roof rack. The Extreme range is available in six sizes: 20 ℓ (R1 426), 40 ℓ (R1 875), 60 ℓ (R2 655), 90 ℓ (R3 115), 120 ℓ (R3 567) and 140 ℓ (R4 265). The largest one is 86 cm long, 53 cm wide and 56 cm high. The three largest have a set of wheels on one end so you can easily drag it when fully loaded. The…

Nowadays, it’s fashionable for vehicle manufacturers to create special versions of their bakkies. Think of the Toyota Hilux Dakar, Volkswagen Amarok Dark Label and Mitsubishi Triton Athlete. Now, Nissan has released a special edition: the Nissan Navara Stealth. The Stealth boasts silver and chrome strips, black decals, black wheels and orange accents on the front bumper and running boards. The colour scheme is repeated on the inside. Available in two-wheel drive as well as part-time four-wheel drive, the Stealth retains its 2,3 ℓ diesel engine that delivers 140 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. It also uses the six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission. And there’s a five-link coil rear suspension system. You can choose between three models: Navara 2.3D Stealth 4x2 double cab R582 200 Navara 2.3D…

Ford offers an astounding 33 Ranger models, four of which come with a brand-new turbocharged 2 ℓ engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. In addition, two of these four have dual turbochargers that will soon be featured in the Ranger Raptor. In addition to the new engine, the range has also been revamped with improved suspension and cosmetic refurbishment of the interior and exterior. Let’s see how the Ranger 2.0 differs from its older siblings. The interior The newcomer’s interior is strongly suggestive of that of a sedan, with finishes not traditionally associated with bakkies. Almost everything is black, but the dashboard is shinier than ever before. And to further enhance the interior, chrome panels have been strategically placed. Despite the refinement, the design remains masculine and the theme stays true…

When travelling from Gauteng to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Richtersveld, you’d probably take the quick and easy N14 through the southern Kalahari. There is, however, an alternative to this dead-straight highway: a dirt road less travelled that follows the Molopo River. The Molopo is rather enigmatic, as nobody is certain where its source lies nor how old it is. Geologists suspect that the Molopo River as we know it today is relatively young in geological terms. At one of its possible sources, it flows strongly and then it suddenly recedes in a clump of reeds. A few kilometres farther, its dry bed winds through a valley that could only have been carved by a giant river – something the Molopo isn’t. At one point the Molopo disappears utterly…

Kaia Manzi, a popular resort for watersport enthusiasts – especially those with boats – lies on the northern bank of the Bronkhorstspruit Dam between homes and luxury security complexes. The resort is the only location on the northern bank (and one of only two destinations around the dam) that is open to the public to launch boats and it can get really busy over weekends and holidays. The guys start early in the morning, long before the first birds begin to chirp. They’re not scared off by the mist that drapes itself over the dam in the early hours. KAIA MANZI is a big resort. From the top where you enter the camp in Dam Street, the rows and rows of stands lie on the slope towards the dam. At…

Look at the mountains around Thabazimbi and you’ll see they’ve got loads of scars, abrasions, pits, paths, and huge terraces of earth and stone. In fact, driving southward out of town, it appears as though ancient Babylonean ziggurats loom over the town. That’s because these jagged mounds of earth is rich in iron ore and has been mined for decades. The town’s name means “mountain of iron” in Setswana. Due to mining, many of these mountains around the town are off-limits to the public. Fortunately there is one place where you can still camp on top of a mountain and drive its 4x4 trail. THE ROSSOUWSPOORT TRAIL starts next to the mountain campsite, at the sign that boasts “4x4 only”. Deflate your tyres before you leave (the people here recommend…

Bakkie or bust 2008 TOYOTA HILUX 3.0 D-4D DC AT 4X4 Like the legions of Toyota fans across Africa, there’s nothing that would convince Jaco Wilson from Witbank to let go of his current set of wheels. Except maybe a Land Cruiser. Or as Jaco confesses, a double-cab Land Cruiser 79 turbodiesel V8 to be precise. “I used to drive a Fortuner 3.0 D-4D, which suited my needs for a proper four-wheel drive vehicle, as I used to drive another 3.0 D-4D before that, a Hilux 4x2. I owned it for a little over two years but coming from a bakkie previously I couldn’t get over the limited packing space – especially when it was time to go camping. Around two years ago I started putting my feelers out there…

FISHING RESORT MANSFIELD CAMPSITE Cozy at the Kowie The Mansfield campsite lies about 10 km outside Port Alfred, direction Bathurst, but here between the green hills – with no tar road or building in sight – you may as well be deep in the old Transkei. The campsite is inside a nature reserve and right next to the Kowie River. The 10 stands are unmarked and three don’t have braais. To avoid disappointment, pack your own braai or take your camping chairs and start a fire at the communal braai area near the bathrooms. The stands on the far side of the grounds as you enter (below log cabins on a hill) have the best shelter. However, if you like plenty of space around your caravan, turn right onto the…

The story of how Renault got the Duster from their Romanian subsidiary, Automobile Dacia bears a certain resemblance to the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk in that Renault obtained a proverbial goose that lays golden eggs. Since its launch in 2010, more than two million Dusters were sold worldwide – whether with a Dacia or a Renault badge. People love this car, even here in South Africa, because it offers so much value for relatively little money. It is, however, the standard two-wheel drive version that receives the most attention, while the all-wheel drive model is often considered to be overkill. So the question is whether that 4WD button is really necessary, or whether you’ll be fine with front-wheel drive only. We bolted a rooftop tent to a Duster…

Length 3,9 m Width 1,93 m Height 1,83 m Cam height within 1,98 m Weight 543 kg Price R268 000 Plus The camper is surprisingly spacious and does not feel cramped. It’s built of a special kind of fibreglass with a gel layer and is strong and durable. The USB mobile charger sockets are a smart addition. The roof is sturdy, and you can secure items such as mountain bikes on it. Minus There is not much storage space. The third bed is tiny. go! Camp & Drive loaned the camper from the distributor. go! Camp & Drive says Palomino’s camper is just the thing for couples who want to camp effortlessly, yet comfortably…

Several million years ago, when plankton and algae dominated the oceans, these creatures lived and died and their remains were left on the seabed. The organic material was covered with sediment, and as the plates of the earth’s crust moved around, huge reservoirs of organic matter formed underground – and this material eventually decomposed into crude oil. Some of these reservoirs were just below the earth’s surface where early civilisations such as the ancient Babylonians could reach it and use it for fuel in their lanterns. Modern petroleum production, however, only began in 1846. 1846 Canadian Abraham Gessner makes kerosene from coal. 1854 The Pole Ignacy Lukasiewics makes kerosene from crude oil. 1858 Canadian James Williams drills the first oil well. 1920 South African PN Lategan proposed that oil could…

In the glow of the golden hour He seldom misses the chance to catch a beautiful sunset with his camera, even when he’s next to the fishing water, says Theo Kriel from Orania. “We live pretty much next to the Orange River and recently acquired a fishing spot. We call the place Sandbaai, and my neighbour Daan Meyer and I pad it a visit. Daan wanted to fish, but I saw the sun setting and couldn’t help but shoot the beautiful view.” Every one of us has a photo of a sunrise or sunset somewhere on a phone or in a family album. It’s that time of day – usually lasting just a few minutes – when shades of yellow, orange and red appear between the blue heaven and the…

In the autumn of 2009, a group of Nissan Patrol fans sitting around a campfire in Bloubergstrand decided to set up an Internet forum where they could discuss their favourite vehicle. Founding member John de Clerk asked a number of friends with diverse talents to help him establish this forum. One week after it went live, they had 10 members. Today, a decade later, the forum has close to 2 400 subscribers, most of whom live in Africa. Although it started out as a chat forum, members soon started arranging gettogethers and close friendships were eventually forged. To celebrate their 10-year anniversary, the forum decided to meet at the Piesangkloof 4x4 trail near Brits in the North West Province. A total of 40 vehicles attended the event – members did…

Early this year, Hoefer made headlines with its Azzero, a 7,5 m caravan with a tare weight of less than 1 300 kg, which made it the lightest caravan of its kind. Now the company has launched a second model. At 5,7 m the Nevada is a good 1,8 m shorter than the Azzero, and it costs nearly half the price. The same building materials are used, including an aluminium chasis. The Nevada, which is also relatively light for its size, will be available in two variants: one with a bathroom and one without. The tare weight is 775 kg and 850 kg respectively. When compared with the Jurgens Expo, for example (which is 17,5 cm shorter than the Nevada and has a tare weight of 1 050 kg), the…

Seven years ago, André Le Grange of Rayton was one of the four finalists in our off-road trailer design competition. Now he’s made his first off-road trailer, the Buffel, available to buy. André, a mechanical designer, said he worked on his initial design until it was ready for the showroom. The layout is like that of a conventional off-road trailer with the kitchen on the left, the nose cone on the A-frame and a roof tent that fits on top, but André has a surprise or two up his sleeve. The Buffel comes equipped with a gas stove and an induction plate. So when the wind renders the gas stove unusable, you can switch to the 220 V induction plate. The hull is made of stainless steel and the chassis…

LeBusha Trailers in Pretoria have dolled up its Overlander off-road trailer. The outside kitchen got a number of drawers that slide out from the hull, and a fridge-freezer is mounted on one of them (previously the kitchen had no pull-out section). Furthermore, the two-plate gas stove is now made of cast iron. In addition, the sloping canopy that pitched over the kitchen was replaced with an awning that now covers an area three quarters around the trailer as well as the kitchen area. You can also order a shower cubicle. The power box and cabinet with the deep-cycle battery was previously next to the food cupboard, but now has its own cupboard for easier access. The Overlander has always had a good high-density mattress, but according to the manufacturer, the…

“It takes us less than 40 minutes to get to Kaia Manzi from our home and this is why it’s one of our favourite weekend getaways. We’ve been camping here for the past 15 years and have brought our caravan along more than 12 times. Our son Jason, his wife Nicole, and their daughter Taylor, regularly join us. We also often come just for the day, and then we socialise down at the dam, take a picnic along and light a braai fire. The ablution facilities are good and always clean. Another plus of the camp is the large stands: they’re bigger than those at many other resorts and our large Exclusive fits in easily, and then there is still space next to the vehicles and jet ski. The jet…

The Steyls had already visited Namibia a number of times and had seen most of the well-known places, including Etosha, the Skeleton Coast National Park, Van Zyl’s Pass in the Kaokoland and Sossusvlei. In April 2018, therefore, they embarked on a tour to visit a few of the lesser-known places. Johan tells us more... “We kick off our journey with two nights in the Kgalagadi. Our plan is to enter Namibia at the Mata Mata border post, but it’s a peculiar setup there. You check in on the other side of the border at Twee Rivieren and then only enter Namibia 100 km farther at Mata Mata. And you have to spend two nights in the Kgalagadi before crossing the border. (This is to prevent people from using the road…

Like many of us, Hennie and his wife, Esté, started out camping in a tent. They enjoyed camping so much that Hennie eventually built his own off-road trailer. This wasn’t enough though and it soon made way for a larger trailer. But it wasn’t quite what they were after and so Hennie obtained an old road caravan that he could modify. Looking at the results, it’s hard to believe there’s a stately old Sprite Sprint from yesteryear hiding under the battleship grey coat of paint, clever drawer system and outside kitchen. Hennie tells us more… “AS A FAMILY, we love the outdoors and have hiked most of the great hiking trails in our country, including the Otter and the Fish River Canyon. As soon as the kids were old enough…

You arrive at your holiday destination, ready to put your feet up. Even though you booked your stand months in advance, management has kindly allowed you to see if you’d like an even better spot and you circle the campsite until you find the ideal stand on which to park your Jurgens Penta. You’re already picturing your camp layout while reversing and then, bam! You’ve hit the concrete column on which the tap is mounted at the edge of the stand. The exact spot where you thought the caravan would be perfectly positioned so that you have the fire pit right next to your rally tent. Alas, you’ll spend the next week thinking about your insurance claim. If only you’d been able to see behind the caravan. If the weather’s…

Sometimes you need both hands. Like when you’re braaiing in the middle of the Kgalagadi after dark. Or when you have to carry your grandchild to the ablution block in the early morning hours before sunrise. Or when you want to be able to see your way when exploring a trail before dawn or even just to keep up with the cowboy or heroine in your Louis L’Amour or Danielle Steel book. That is when a good, solid headlamp comes in handy. We’ve compiled three groups to suit your needs and budget, ranging from R200 up to R2 500. Easy on the wallet TRAILBOSS CREE 3W LED For the kids Outdoor Warehouse’s house brand offers the most affordable unit here, which makes it ideal for heavy-handed kids. There are two…

The recent natural disaster in Mozambique has once again made me realise how powerless man is against the power of nature, especially if you’re in one of the poorest countries in Africa. I admire the courage and heroism of 4x4 vehicle owners and organisations who spontaneously offered their selfless help in this time. It reminds me of when when I farmed there, a year or so ago. My base was a classic old Portuguese farmstead, beautifully restored, on top of a ridge next to the Limpopo flood plain. The panoramic view from here always reminded me of the Serengeti. Come evening, from the farmhouse’s patio you could see Xai-Xai’s lights in the distance across the Limpopo River. And in the mornings, the sun rose in the east across the ridges…

Albert wins a cooler bag worth R220. Whether you’re a camper, fisherman, or sports fan next to a cricket pitch; this cooler bag has room for luch box and a 1,5 ℓ cool drink bottle. The lid also has space for a coffee flask. The interior is lined with PVC, which makes it easy to keep this bag clean and hygenic. The bag has a short strap that reaches over the top and attaches with a Velcro strip, and also a longer shoulder strap if you’re going to carry it over longer distances. It’s an ideal picnic accessory or a padkos bag for a road trip.…

Pretoria Caravans has expanded its caravan stock. Henceforth, this established dealer will also sell Summit Trailers’ off-road caravans. Coincidentally, Summit has just upgraded its Karenga model: where it previously had a fold-out bed, there is now a fixed bed inside. Summit’s Franscois Mulock Houwer says the agreement with Pretoria Caravans is the first step to selling Summit’s products elsewhere than from the factory. “Caravan buyers first visit dealerships with whom they are familiar, and this obviously improves our footprint,” says Franscois. The plan is also to identify a dealer in Cape Town and Durban. Contact 012 329 2259 or 082 450 5915 pretoriacaravans.co.za…

Custom Canopies and Trailers, renowned for its Lion’s Cub and Lion’s Den off-road caravans, has moved its Boschkop shop in Pretoria to the N4 Gateway Industrial Park next to the N4. But that’s not all that’s new. Owner, Jan Venter, says he’s building his very latest caravan – a Lion’s Cub for three people. The Lion’s Cub, aimed at couples, is the most popular of Jan’s caravans. The newcomer gets a single bed in the tail that sits crosswise against the back of the outside kitchen. The basic model comes with a 60 ℓ stainless-steel water tank, a 12 V/220 V battery system, an island sliding bed (also a first for Jan), a 20 ℓ electric or gas geyser, 40 ℓ Snomaster fridge-freezer and a Dometic stove-washbasin combination set. The…

If you loved the Chevrolet Trailblazer and were upset when General Motors withdrew from South Africa, we have interesting news for you: the Trailblazer as we know it was not sold in the USA, a sore point for many Americans, but the Colorado bakkie, or pickup, on which it was based (a Isuzu D-Max counterpart) did quite well there. After pleas from the American public, General Motors finally decided to sell a brand-new Trailblazer in the USA, but it is now considerably smaller than the Trailblazer we had – exactly what envious Americans didn’t ask for. Details about this new Trailblazer are still scarce, but we know it will be built in China and then sold there and in the USA. Judging by America’s apparent obsession with size, the smaller…

The South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal is an evergreen destination and, when you look at how many campers head there annually, it’s clear… this is a place tailor-made for holidays. Whether it’s January or July, you’ll always find many holidaymakers – the large number of campsites you finds in this region bears testament to that. And so we hitched a caravan and visited two popular resorts along the South Coast. TO Strand Resort Bring the family Back in the day, TO Strand belonged to the Transvaal Department of Education and although that’s no longer so, the resort retains a high-school classroom feel in that it’s painfully neat and tidy. It’s a big resort, with no fewer than 137 stands. On arrival, it’s clear that the resort management has matters under control.…

“My wife, Sue, and I ventured about two hours away from home with our double-cab Isuzu 4x4, and we’re always ready to camp with our rooftop tent. We stopped at the Warmwaterberg Spa and Mineral Baths resort, which is right off the iconic R62 near Barrydale. WHY STOP THERE? It appealed to us as we needed refreshment to cool our bodies. The water was tepid yet refreshing since the outside temperature seemed close to boiling point. We also wanted to see the original bath houses that were built in 1886 – the very first development on this site. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE NOW? It’s a far cry from the original facility that used to consist of six separate rooms with bed and bath. Those have been turned into a…

DAY 1 We meet at Namwi Island Camp near the Namibian town of Katima Mulilo. The evening will be spent socialising around the fire and getting to know each other as the sun sets over the Zambezi River. DAY 2 Making an early start after breakfast, we leave for Katima Mulilo in Namibia. After refuelling our vehicles in Katima, we cross the border into Zambia. As the border post procedures here can take a while, we will only be travelling a further 115 km to our overnight stop at Kabula Lodge campsite. Before dinner, we enjoy a sundowner boat cruise on the Zambezi River. DAY 3 Today we visit a well-kept secret of the Zambezi River, the Ngonya Waterfall. It’s not as big as the Vict Falls but wilder and…

Mongolia is one of the last places on the planet where nomadic life is still a living tradition. It is a land of contrasts with scenes of desert, the wide-open steppe and beautiful fresh water lakes. It is also the country with the lowest population density in the world. The majestic and vast emptiness has an appeal that lures travellers to explore and discover this destination, which is also referred to as the “Land of Blue Skies”. It is said to have 250 sunny days each year. The winters are very cold with temperatures dropping to -40 ºC. One of the world’s greatest deserts is the Gobi. It covers large parts of southern Mongolia. Compared to the Sahara and the Namib, the Gobi has lesser sand dunes, but rather large…

Ingredients (enough for 4) oil for braaiing 2 onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 tablespoons chutney 1 stalk lemongrass 1 can (410 g) lentils 1 kg mussel meat (wash the mussels thoroughly) juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 4 fresh bay leaves Here’s how 1 Heat the oil in a flat-bottomed potjie and fry the onion until tender and glossy. Add the garlic, curry, turmeric, chutney and lemongrass and fry with the onion for a minute. Stir in the lentils and mussels. 2 Mix together the eggs and sour cream, season well with salt and pepper, pour over the mussel mixture in the potjie and push the bay leaves into…

You don’t see many bakkie campers on our roads and in our campsites, and it’s actually surprising when you consider how easy it is to get around with them and how little maintenance they need. It generally costs less to insure than a caravan or motorhome, you don’t need to register it and you don’t have to worry about stuff such as licenses and roadworthiness. Palomino’s bakkie campers have been manufactured in the United States since 1968, and it was in the US where Durban native Gregory Renault encountered them. He immediately realised they were ideal for the South African camping community and decided to import them. Gregory, who runs his distribution business in St Francis Bay, recently loaned us the Backpack Edition SS-500 to take camping for a few…

“We own a beach house in Scottburgh on the south-coast of KwaZulu-Natal and enjoy going on vacation down there. But whenever we’d get a bit bored with staying in one place for too long, we’d just hitch our caravan to explore another part of the region. Now that I’m 75 years old, the hassle of a caravan doesn’t appeal to me anymore and that’s when I decided to shop around and found this used 2014 Mercedes-Benz Vito crew van and decided to convert it into a camper. With a sliding door on both sides, I knew the Vito would be perfect for the ideas I had about the conversion. First, while the rear of the cabin would double up as our sleeping quarters, it would still have to retain its…