Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i Go! Drive & Camp

Okay, let me be honest and admit that I’m a little bit fed up with 4x4 tyres for the time being. And specifically mud terrain tyres. Because it’s was barely two weeks ago that we finished with a Drive Out tyre shootout, that I have good reason to believe was another SA first. It was hard graft with a lead-up of a few months and involved four whole days of testing. I have to add that apart from coming up with the idea itself, of everyone involved I probably did the least amount of physical work. It was a proper team effort and I really want to thank everyone involved for their hard work and selfless dedication. As can be expected, the results caused a few surprises here and there…

Seeing the article “Looking for Lions in Mabuasehube” (Drive Out #87) made us reminisce about our special time at Mpayathutlwa Pan Campsite 1 in late May 2014. We arrived for a five-night stay to find lion spoor all over the camp and were very excited as we too had never seen lions in Mabuasehube. Well, the spoor was all we were going to see of the lions, but we were going to be treated to another once in a lifetime experience. On our second night we were sitting around the camp fire facing the pan at around 8pm, when I picked up the spotlight and shone it around the camp. About 5metres in front of us we saw spots, as a young leopard passed between the bushes and the front…

MERCEDES BENZ-BAKKIE A Merc bakkie with French and Japanese blood Mercedes-Benz is aiming for the bakkie market. The mother company, Daimler, will be working together with the Renault-Nissan alliance to build a bakkie that is based on the new Nissan NP300. The Nissan will be launched at roughly the same time, but the Renault-Nissan alliance is also developing a bakkie for Renault which will share components with the other two. So will they all be called Merc-Hardbody Dusters? Not quite. Each manufacturer will put its own mark on it and Merc says their bakkie will meet the specific needs of their clients and target market. Renault’s bakkie will be launched first, with production set to start in 2016. The new Nissan NP300 and the Mercedes bakkie will only start rolling…

When you think about manufacturer’s large sports utility vehicles, like the Range Rover or Mercedes GL, it never looks as if hard-core 4x4 trails are on their minds. Yet manufacturers stuff loads of off-road technology and equipment into them, so it’s about time that someone finds the balance between a luxury vehicle and a capable off-roader. At first glance it looks as if the Infiniti QX80 gets close, but is it there yet? Infini-who? Don't be embarrassed if you thought Infiniti was a Steven Spielberg alien movie or a medical aid plan. This manufacturer has not been in South Africa long and isn't really established yet. Infiniti is the more luxurious section of Nissan, basically what Lexus is for Toyota. But they aren't using Nissan’s gains for their own. Infiniti’s…

KAROO PASSES & POORTS Ride two of Thomas Bain’s engineering marvels and see both sides of the Swartberg Pass: the undulating hills of the Little Karoo and the sun-baked plains of the Great Karoo. TOUR DETAILS Dates: 17 – 21 September 2015; 1 – 5 October 2015 How long is the tour? 5 days, 4 nights Average daily distance: 30 km – 50 km Departure point: Queens Hotel, Oudtshoorn Accommodation: You stay in hotels and guesthouses for two nights, and in special Dryland campsites for the other two nights. Rates: R7 950 per adult (single supplement extra 30 %); R3 975 per child under 12. ITINERARY Day 1: The tour starts at the Queens Hotel in Oudtshoorn. From there we’ll be transferred to the Chandelier Game Lodge for a short…

Energizer® 2-in-1 LED Standing Light Energizer® LED Folding Lantern You never have to fumble in the dark again on a camping trip or overland tour with Energizer® portable lights with Light Fusion technology. Light emitted from several LEDs radiates evenly through hundreds of tiny dots, called Light Fusion Elements, making for excellent lighting in and around your camp site. What’s more, Energizer® lights are safe to use – you don’t have to worry about the health or fire risks that gas or paraffin lanterns pose. TAKE YOUR PICK These two Energizer® portable lights with Light Fusion technology will make life easier on an extended overland tour or even in the case of a flat tyre on your way home after dark. The 2-in-1 LED Standing Light is the ideal torch…

Exchange the Cape’s drizzle and the Highveld’s dry grasslands for the verdant wetlands of the Okavango Delta. Here, where the Okavango River drains into the sands of the arid Kalahari, you’ll watch elephant, zebra and kudu graze peacefully, whilst a lioness, or perhaps a leopard, silently stalks them in the tall grass. This maze of deep lagoons, large lakes and meandering channels attracts great concentrations of wildlife which depends on the perpetual waters of this unique environment. A Unesco heritage site, the Delta is home to rare creatures. June to August is high water season and offers the best opportunities for boating and canoe activities. September and October are hot and dry; this is an excellent time to view the thirsty animals that congregate on the fringe of the Delta.…

This muddy mishap occurred in December last year while I was out driving with a group of guys in their 4x4’s near Witbank. I was in my 90 Defender Pickup and my brother joined us in his Jeep Wrangler. The area was really wet after heavy rain, so there was mud aplenty. I saw this set of tracks and decided to give it a go. Well, the mud was much deeper and thicker than I’d thought, and down I went. The recovery was done by my brother in his Jeep with a quick snatch. In my defence, I have to mention that none of the other 4x4’s could conquer those tracks on that day.…

There are probably very few people who wouldn’t want to show up for this year’s Drive Out Bull Run with a Ford Mustang. Team Blacktang, who found themselves a 1981 T-Top, may find that they have a lot of supporters. But, of course, a Ford this old comes with its own unique story. Where does it come from? We searched long and hard for a car, and finally we came across this 1981 Ford Mustang T-Top. The previous owners maintain that they did a lot of work on the vehicle, but we still had to do plenty in order to get her back on the road. Eventually we bought the Mustang from them for R15 000. The 1981 model is not exactly the iconic Mustang that Steve McQueen set the…

So you’ve decided it’s time to buy a decent VHF radio for your off-roader. But where do you start? Can you buy one off Gumtree, install it and start cracking jokes over the air? Hold your horses! Before you can use any radio, you have to load it with the frequencies you’d like to talk on. And to get those, you have to knock on the right doors. This process used to be a lot easier, when there was an agreement between the Association of All-Wheel Drive Clubs of Southern Africa (AAWDC) and the Off-Road Radio Association, Orra. “All the clubs that were members of the AAWDC used to be members of Orra automatically,” says Tim Inman, radio officer for the Land Cruiser club of South Africa. This meant they…

KEY STATS Engine: 3198 cc five cylinder turbo diesel Power: 147kW@ 3700 r/min Torque: 470 Nm @ 1 500 – 2 750 r/min Top speed: Not available 0-100 km/h: Not available Transmission: 6 speed automatic gearbox, part-time 4x4, low range Suspension: Double wishbones front, solid axle with leaf springs rear Tyres: 265/60/R18 Fuel tank: 80 litres Fuel consumption: 9,3 litre s per 100 km Ground clearance: 237 mm Approach angle: 25,5° Departure angle: 21,8° Wading depth: 800 mm Weight: 2 118 kg Towing capacity: 3 500 kg (braked) Service interval: 15 000 km Warranty: 4 year / 20 000 km Service plan: 5 year / 90 000 km Price: R551 900 Ford has been breathing down Toyota’s neck for quite some time now with regards to bakkie sales. The Ranger…

The Hyundai Terracan is the only Hyundai to date that has a low-range gearbox. If you look at how well it did and how tightly owners hold on to them, you'll be sad that the company didn't have generations following the first. Origin The Terracan only arrived in South Africa in 2003 and was based on the Hyundai Highland concept vehicle that was introduced at the 1999 Seoul Motor Show. Hyundai cleverly tapped into the growing 4x4 station wagon market, making the Terracan a full-blooded 4x4 with off-road capabilities. The dependable technology expected from South Korean vehicles these days, wasn't available then, so Hyundai borrowed some knowledge from Mitsubishi. The chassis of the Terracan is the same as the second generation Pajero. In the minds of many, that is the…

TEST 1: BRAKING – WET TAR It was done according to international ISO standards, measuring braking on wet tar from 80 to 0km/h. Tyre pressures were 2,4 bar. After the initial tests, it was clear that the difference between the various tyres’ stopping distance would be minimal, and between the ten tyres it varied from 37,5 to 42,6 meters. The Dunlops, Hankooks and Goodyears stopping ability was outstanding – less than 2m longer than that of the AT control tyre – while it took more than 40m for the BF’s, Kumho’s, Nankang and Achilles tyres to come to a stop. Even so, statistically there is little difference between the braking performance of the tyres. TEST 2: LAP TIME – WET TRACK Gerotek’s dual purpose track, with sprinklers that continuously cover…

TOUR DATE: 24 – 28 SEPTEMBER 2015 THE PRIZE INCLUDES: • Flights from selected city centres* to George • Use of two Toyota Fortuners to transport you and your family or friends from George Airport to the point of departure and back • All accommodation in hotels, guesthouses and luxury tents • Three meals a day, snacks and supplements • R1 000 per person spending money • Professional guides • Support vehicles with qualified medics and bike mechanics WHAT TO BRING: Just yourself, your bike and your friends! HOW TO ENTER: • Share your favourite Toyota holiday memories with us – whether you were 20 years old and driving a Tazz, or 50 in a Fortuner. Wherever you went, whatever you did, if you did it in a Toyota and…

It’s not hard to see whyWaterval Farm has been declared a private nature reserve.With water flowing from the cliffs all year round, this farm, situated at the feet of the Olifants River Mountains, just 4km outside Porterville, is beautiful.The water here is crystal clear, so clean that you can drink straight from the source. But what if a fellow camper further upstream is doing more than just swimming in the water, I ask the owner Mac Jordaan. He reckons that not even free-flowing campers can ruin the purity of this mountain water. There is a good reason why the hiking route on the farm is called 22 Waterfalls. But we aren’t here just for the water or the walk; we’ve come to experience the 4x4 trailWaterval Farm has to offer.…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Pieter Ehlers Nikon D90 and Nikkor 55-200mm lens. (Settings: f/5, 6, 1/60 s, ISO 800) “Last September, we went for a night drive in the Kruger Park. We saw loads of wildlife, including elephants, steenbok, bush babies and this beautiful civet. It was difficult to capture in the dark because I couldn’t see what was happening on my camera and had to feel around to find the right buttons to press. The civet’s movement, branches and our fellow game-viewers moving around made it a challenging shot. Luckily my wife was managing the spotlight. This, plus my camera’s built-in flash, provided enough light for this great photo opportunity.”…

LA Sport is back in their original store on Steve Biko road 385, Capital Park, Pretoria. Lionel, Annalie and their team were previously in Derdepoort Park, Pumulani, Pretoria. The shop sells all the old and new LA Sport 4x4 products, has its own 4x4 track and even a restaurant. The venue is also available to hire for functions. The team that is with you all the way is (left from the back): Alex Kleingeld, Chris Ntsikelelo, Mitch Viljoen, Thabu Chaucke, Ramon Lewis and Sam Masingi. Left from the front is: Louis van Niekerk, Melissa Lewis, Annalie Lewis, Jolandi de Jader, Tillie Swart and Sara Ndhlovu. Phone LA Sport Pretoria on 012 329 4515.…

Beach driving has been banned on most of South Africa’s beaches, but there are still a few places you can drive next to the waves. Beach driving is also still legal in a number of other African countries. So, whether you’re heading to Sodwana or Mozambique, knowing beach driving etiquette and techniques will serve you well. Know the rules. If you get the opportunity to drive on any beach, acquaint yourself with the the local laws and regulations. It’s a lot easier to check if you need a permit than having to pay a hefty fine or talk yourself out of jail afterwards. Driving skills. Driving on a beach is a lot like driving on dune or desert sand. All the sand driving techniques I discussed in the previous edition…

Since 1950, Pedders have been designing and manufacturing aftermarket suspension systems specifically for the harsh Australian conditions. Pedders products consistently deliver rugged performance across the worst conditions, while complimenting and maintaining the ride quality that modern four-wheel drive vehicles have to offer. This makes TrakRyder suspension systems ideally suited for the African continent. Whether you use your vehicle for daily commuting, off-roading or overland adventures, TrakRyder suspension will improve your ride, comfort and vehicle handling. The TrakRyder kit, available for most current vehicles, includes a set of 4 Pedders TrakRyder shock absorbers, heavy-duty coil springs, leaf springs, as well as all the required suspension bushes. ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE PEDDERS RANGE: Shocks, coil and leaf springs and suspension bushes; shackle and U Bolt kits; alignment kits; steering dampers; adjustable panhard…

Deon van den Berg 2002 Nissan Hardbody 3.0 TD double cab What’s the odometer reading, and how many of those kilometres were racked up off-road? 307 000 km. I’d say about 20 % of that was off road. Why this Nissan? It already had pretty much all the off-road gear I wanted. How many owners has it had so far? I’m the second. How much did it cost? I bought it for R187 000 in 2004, with 75 000km on the odometer. If it were a famous person, who would it be? Daisy de Melker, because she’s rough and rude! Where has it taken you? We’ve been all over Southern Africa – Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. We’ve also been to the Cederberg, Karoo, Kgalagadi and the Northern Cape. Your…

The man we meet in front of the small town’s museum is the personification of a true Weskusser.The southeaster is ingrained on his face, the sun trapped in his tough skin and I’m pretty sure there is sea salt in his veins. I get the feeling that the sandals from which his coarse toes poke out are the closest his feet ever get to wearing shoes. And his shorts are short. I’m sure that I have underwear longer than them. My colleague, Gerrie van Eeden and I, are in Port Nolloth, the starting point of a week-long route along the West Coast. We decided it’s best to travel with two vehicles (me with the long-haul Amarok and Gerrie in a Hilux). And not without good cause because, as we would…

The bar in the Himeville Arms is split into two camps: soccer supporters on the one side and rugby fans on the other. On one TV screen, it’s Orlando Pirates against SuperSport United; and on the other the Sharks are taking on the Chiefs. Most of the bar’s patrons are mesmerised by the scrabbling figures on the screens. Apart from a few locals, the room is filled with 4x4 travellers and adventure motorcyclists, their trouser legs covered in mud. Himeville is the start and end of most trips that include Sani Pass, and in-between the cheers, it’s this famous pass that dominates the conversation. Two young bike riders are sitting opposite me. Eavesdropping, I deduce that they’ve had a tough day. One of them is on the phone and I…

ECHO 4X4 MULTI-PLUG Loads of power Most off-roaders and campers will tell you that you can never have enough electrical sockets in your vehicle. That’s why the clever folks at Echo 4x4 came up with this nifty multi-plug. It has a range of 12V sockets that you can link to your extra battery with a normal Brad Harrison plug and get power to your fridge, lights and anything else. The fitting has a cigarette lighter socket, two Hella sockets and another Brad Harrison socket. And if you need to, you can link a second one to it. It’s made of steel and has a screw thread so that you can bolt it down in your vehicle. You can screw open the box itself to have a look inside. Each circuit…

Over the decades I’ve developed a sort of litmus test to rate my camping experiences. A nice, cosy holiday falls right in the middle, at a balanced pH7. But at the extreme ends of the spectrum are those holidays where camping ceases to be recreational and becomes more of an extreme sport. Camping at music festivals sits at one of those ends on my scale. For a long time I simply refused to attend festivals. I didn’t get it.What was the point of a whole bunch of people descending on a beautiful, peaceful spot, making as much noise as possible and then going home? But Larry is a musician, so I’ve since been to quite a few, and I have to admit listening to music in the mountains can be…