Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i NZ4WD

Kiwis will get the chance to drive away from their local Mercedes-Benz dealership in a brand new X-class ute early in 2018. That was the message from the glitzy global launch of the all-new Nissan-based turbo-diesel double cab model in South Africa in July. There, Mercedes-Benz Vans announced that the new X-Class will launch in Europe in November this year with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to follow early in 2018, as well as Argentina and Brazil at the beginning of 2019. Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia and New Zealand, Diane Tarr, said, “The high level of interest and anticipation in the lead-up to revealing the new X-Class has been a reflection of just how ingrained dual cab utes are in both the Australian and New Zealand culture. “The…

It wasn’t too long ago that camping was all about ‘getting away from it all.’ In recent years this has changed, with an ever-increasing number of electrical accessories and devices becoming the norm for all types of travel. We are seeing the electrical system of vehicles become more complex highlighting the importance of having the right battery charging solution. That’s where Australian company Redarc plays a key role. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Redarc Electronics has over 35 years’ experience in the research design, development and manufacture of a range of products to help you make your next adventure more memorable. For 4X4s Redarc’s flagship state-of-the-art battery management system is The Manager30, a product which is a 240-volt charger, solar regulator, battery isolator, load disconnect controller, and remote battery monitor…

In recent years the ute has become New Zealanders' vehicle of choice for commercial, recreational and family use. Every marque in this competitive sector has improved and redesigned every component of these vehicles and added everything from cup holders to reversing cameras. Nearly every part of the vehicle has been improved, except when it comes to the tailgate. As tailgates get bigger and heavier even seasoned tradies carrying tools and equipment can find opening and closing them difficult, risking dropping or damaging expensive equipment, or their vehicle. With more and more families buying a ute as a daily drive or recreational vehicle, the tailgate needs to be user friendly for all family members as well. Fortunately, Airplex has the answer, the Tailgate Assist with Prolift. This exciting new product revolutionises…

With the huge rise in popularity of SUVs lately, it seems that the definition of what an SUV actually is has become as stretched as the range of vehicles on offer. Increasingly sophisticated electronics and other technologies have seen the ultimate need for a ladder chassis and low-ratio transmissions to actually head off-road decrease. Although that does very much depend on how FAR off the road you want to head, of course. It has also lead to the birth of the “Crossover”, otherwise known as a vehicle that boasts the raised ride height and practicality of a traditional SUV, while also keeping one foot (and, to be completely honest, sometimes both feet) firmly in the car camp by being based on the same platform as a traditional car, as well…

Having grown up in Canterbury and regularly sitting in the back of Series 2 Land Rovers and the original Toyota FJ’s going on family camping and fishing trips to places like Lake Summer, it is fair to say that I caught the 4WD touring bug early in life. So when the retro FJ cruiser was made available in right-hand drive I had to have one (It also helped that we were living in Sydney at the time and my company offered flexibility in what was deemed a work required company car!) So why did I go for the FJ? I wanted a midsised 4WD that was very reliable (think driving across the Australian outback), a very comfortable long distance tourer and one which as well as being user-friendly enough to…

Here at Fully Equipped, we are passionate about our customers’ needs, no matter what their budget. We build our product right here in New Zealand, and what we don’t make ourselves we import from leading suppliers from all over the world. Whatever plans you have for your vehicle we’ve got an innovative accessory solution to suit. Where to start? How about with a Nudge Bar. You can choose between polished or powder coat black to match your ute. It will provide you with protection from all the minor bumps and scrapes that come with working on site and everyday life. Next add Flares, bolt-on or smooth styled depending on your taste, they give your ute that distinct aftermarket look and allow you to add wider off-road wheels if you need…

High Country Journeys specialises in guiding smaller groups of five to seven vehicles from station to station through the high country of the South Island. Trips range from Blenheim to Cardrona with a more personal approach using comfortable farm-stays and lodge style accommodation. It is now run by John Mulholland who took over in May 2015. John and his wife Susan have long family and farming ties to the Maniototo area and live near Ranfurly. John has been involved in the 4WD scene in the south for many years and has been well known through the province as one of the organisers of the local Maniototo Lions Club’s famous 4WD trips that have spanned nearly twenty years. He has been responsible for guiding over three thousand vehicles through the high…

Voting in the 2017 General Election will be important for four-wheeling and that all-important access to our countryside. In my view the current divisive political process along racial lines is unwelcome and generating tensions that are starting to look like a reverse apartheid, as tribal groups are given special treatment in what has been a previously democratic country. There has been no apparent lobbying of parties or candidates by four-wheeling advocacy groups to identify advantage or otherwise, for four wheeling in the future. That’s something that probably could be worthwhile before subsequent elections, while an immediate option might be to ‘party vote’ for one of those parties that have identified intent to minimise restrictions to our coasts, or endorsed recreation and access to public lands. The recently created New Zealand…

At 83 years of age, Allan Gray remains the head engineer for Terrain Tamer 4WD Parts in Melbourne. A well-known and much loved character of the 4WD industry, Allan sports an Abraham Lincoln-esque beard and shows up to work each day in a fresh collared shirt and his spray painted old work boots. With his hair neatly styled and a few cheeky one liners up his sleeve, Allan is ready to do what he does best. Having become a bit of a celebrity in the 4WD community in recent years, after the introduction of the ‘Ask Allan’ DVD segment, Allan started his career working on the Toyota LandCruisers that were first brought into Australia for the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme, and his wealth of knowledge and encyclopaedic mind for 4WDrives…

A clearly frustrated CRC Speedshow boss Ross Prevette wondered on a Facebook post on the eve of this year’s July 22-23 event what he had to do to get even just the one nice cool, crisp, sunny day to draw Auckland’ s notoriously fickle and rain-averse crowds out of the house and to the ASB Showgrounds. Sunday was better, but on Saturday a dull, grey blanket of drizzly rain clung to the Queen City like a limpet. So why was there not a (covered) seat to spare in the grandstand at the Classic Cover Insurance live arena whenever an engine (from a Mad Mike Mazda rotary to a V-twin lawn mower!) roared into life? Because local car, bike, ute, truck (and anything else with an engine) are a resilient –…

Winter is a time when batteries take a hammering, so it’s important to have the right Jumpstarter for the job. A good option is the latest Intelli-start model from Projecta that has just been introduced to New Zealand. Projecta has ‘amped’ up with the release of an all-new, heavy-duty 1500A, 12V jump starter, featuring even greater starting power and cutting edge technology. The 1500A Jumpstarter is ideally suited to frequent trade use in busy workshop environments, where it can provide the user with the benefits of unlimited jump starts through revolutionary ‘Rapid Recharge Technology’ (RRT). It’s also ideal for vehicles with diesel engines. The new 1500A, 12V unit is equipped with a special Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO) battery allowing full day operation without requiring a re-charge, while offering faster re-charging,…

These days every second 4WD ute you see seems to have – at the very least – a set of after-market wheels and tyres; so it is getting harder and harder for manufacturers to make their latest and greatest models stand out from the crowd. Or at least it was until Mitsubishi Motors NZ GM of vehicle sales and marketing Daniel Cook sat down with a small team of fellow company staff members and came up with a plan to focus attention on its Triton line. “The idea,” says Cook, “was to build a show truck for Fieldays. Something – if you like – to attract people to our stand and to inspire them, perhaps, to build their own version.” With a wide range of 2 and 4WD models with…

When looking to personalise or accessorise your ute, Airplex’s ute accessory division has a huge range of practical and stylish accessories. Manufacturing and distributing in New Zealand since 1982, the Airplex range seems to be ever expanding. The latest addition to the range is their appointment as a sales and installation agent for the Terraquip Ironman range of 4x4 accessories. Airplex now supply Ironman full front winch bars, rear bars and other Ironman accessories. These can be ordered on their own or with any of the other Airplex ute accessories. Customers can choose to collect, have goods shipped or take advantage of the Airplex installation service onsite at their comprehensive 4500 sq.m. Auckland factory/warehouse and showroom complex. As the ute market continues to grow and vehicles are being purchased for…

Rugged mountains, towering cliffs, bush-clad hills and spectacular rivers… always highlights of a West Coast adventure. When you’re 4WDing off the beaten track you can add hidden tunnels, tortuous tracks and the occasional rusted vehicle down in a gully. The five-day West Coast Explorer is one of a handful of different South Island trips offered by NZ Adventures owned by Robbie and Connie Crickett. The West Coast outlook is dominated by bush and water, while their High Country Heritage Safari is dominated by more barren landscapes. Both feature great views and substantial drops alongside tight tracks. But most of the time the West Coast disguises its steep drops behind the bush. “If you can see it’s steep in the trees on the uphill side then it’s just as steep on…

After the disappointment of the Mainland Challenge enduro, and thinking the engine had seized on the GT Radial Ford Falcon, imagine my surprise and relief when I started – reluctantly – to take the truck apart and learn how bad the news could be. The engine had pinched up and stopped mid-lap in the enduro – frustrating after such a strong showing in the previous day’s short course heats. Diving underneath the truck, ‘Hello, what’s this? Bolts laying in the bellhousing?’ Turned out the gearbox input shaft housing/ bellhousing bolts had backed out and made contact with the clutch. What a relief. A new clutch, some super-powerful Redline gearbox oil and it was back together. The truck’s going pretty well for its age, thanks to ongoing development and some preventive…

Entries in September’s Polaris NZ 1000 international off-road race are edging close to the record set four years ago. With five weeks to go, the event had attracted 88 entries, just ten short of the record 98 that started the epic two-day high speed endurance race in 2013. The top race car class alone has 20 entries, including multiple ‘1000’ winner Tony McCall in his upgraded Mickey Thompson-backed BSL Terra Chev and Lotto millionaire Trevor Cooper in his Jimco Champion Chev (pictured); likewise the unlimited race truck class is filling fast with entries for the likes of GT Radial-backed Bryan ‘Yoda’ Chang (Ford Falcon turbo), Paul Preston in his Toyota Hilux V8, and Mal Langley in his Donovan Chev powered ‘ProLite Plus’ all wheel drive truck. Though Hayden Paddon had…

OK, it’s not quite the ‘allelectric’ SUV Elon Musk is apparently working on, but heavily-hyped US start-up Bollinger has come up with this, the B1 recreational off-roader. Like some sort of modern-day (albeit proper 4WD) Mini Moke or even VW ‘Thing,’ the B1 is a basic on/off-roader in the vein of the original Series 1 Land Rover, a nominal four-seater planned to be made available in full-cab or semi-convertible body styles. Each axle has its own electric motor boasting over 300Nms of torque per and providing true 4WD traction with the option of 200 or 320km range. Interestingly, the company as it is currently, has no desire to become a manufacturer, instead seeking to partner its design and prototyping nous with an existing car company.…

The Southern Trail Blazers 4WD Club was born in Gore (in Eastern Southland) back in 1980 and is still an active club today. The principles are the same too, four-wheel-drive with a low range gearbox. An ad was put in the local paper saying ‘OFF ROAD CLUB, A meeting of all persons interested in forming above club will be held Wednesday 10 Sept at 8pm.’ Today, our meetings are at the same venue, same time and same second Wednesday of the month. We have approximately 75 members with the majority from Southland however there are members nationwide from past interactions. Club chairman Callum Calder says, “It gets under your skin, you get a taste for what it’s like to be back country with no other people for miles. It’s much…

One look is all it takes to grasp the fact that a small team of staffers at Mitsubishi Motors NZ’ s head office absolutely nailed it with the Huntaway. The overall look is at once tough and uncompromising but without being over-the-top. And bar a winch, the basic spec is spot-on for the sort of dual-purpose, 24/7 use Kiwis are buying turbo-diesel double cab utes for. Starting point From the top, the (currently) one-off Huntaway is based on a top-of-the-line Mitsubishi 4WD VRX 2.4 litre/five-speed automatic transmission turbo diesel double cab ute which comes complete with the company’s premier four-mode Super Select 4WD system, making it one of the only such utes on the market here able to use 4WD on tarseal. To that base has been added a body…

Whether you use your 4x4 for work or for play, ARB will have a product to suit. Their range includes: • Protection equipment - Bullbars (including airbag-compatible), Siderails and Steps, Rear Protection Bars and Towbars. • Old Man Emu suspension. • Airlocker differentials. • Recovery equipment - ARB has a range of quality products including Snatch Straps, D Shackles, Hi Lift Jacks, Exhaust Jacks and Winch Equipment. • Roofracks/Rooftop tents • Snorkels, Air Compressors, Tyre Gauges and Deflators, Bushranger Products, IPF Lights and much more. ARB Products are sold and fully supported throughout New Zealand by the ARB Network. For further information or a free Catalogue phone 0800 ARB 4WD (272 493) or go to www.arb4x4.co.nz.…

Some of my most valuable 4WD experience was gained when working as a young Civil Engineer in Thailand and Indonesia. Surveying 140km of proposed highway across the plains of central Thailand entailed driving across harvested paddy fields, having to work our way over numerous paddy bunds and bogs where the water table was still close to the surface. This taught us very quickly how to tackle such hazards with minimum suspension damage and minimising recoveries out of bogs which could be exhausting work in Thailand’s 40 degree heat. In direct contrast the project in Indonesia was in the mountainous jungle region of West Sumatra, dominated by the 3048m (10,000ft) high mountain Gunung Merapi. We used Series 2 Land Rovers which weren’t noted for their power or reliability. The jungle tracks…

We turned off SH2 at Opaki Kaiparoro Rd, about seven kilometres past Masterton to follow the sealed Opaki Kaiparoro Rd through very attractive, peaceful countryside heading for the settlement of Mauriceville. Mauriceville turned out to be a small and well-presented little place that looked very welcoming. Although not on our route this time, next time I will call in on Mauriceville West, just up the road. A few kilometres further on we turned onto Dryers Rock Rd to get across to SH52 at Dryers Rock. A short run up SH52 took us to Daggs Rd and the turnoff to Bideford. This was the first of our more interesting sections, with Daggs Rd being the start of an unsealed route that climbed over the ranges through a series of valleys before…

It was his last stage on day two and the recently, imported from Europe, awe-inspiring LS powered Ultra 4 buggy of Brent Holden, roared up the steep slippery climb and reared up on the last step at the top and tipped sideways a little and settled there. A short winch over the brow should see a reasonable time but once up the engine was silent and the bonnet up; the V8 had thrown the drive belt. It would be over eight minutes before they had the belt on and back to complete the stage in a time of 11 minutes 35 seconds, but how costly would that delay be to their final overall position? This was the inaugural Tararua winch challenge held at the Turakina property of Dan Cowper and…