Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i NZ4WD

The biggest SUV manufacturer you might not of heard of just arrived in NZ, reports Damien O’Carroll It says a lot about the current record health of car sales in New Zealand that we have seen not one, but three new car brands launch in New Zealand so far this year. Luxury brand Infiniti landed here earlier this year, while VW Audi group’s Spanish brand Seat will be officially launching around the time you read this. But possibly the most significant player to appear in the local market is one you may well not even have heard of, and that is Haval. Why is Haval so significant to the New Zealand market? Well, Haval – a subsidiary of Great Wall – started life in 2002, and is currently the largest…

There are those out there who question the wisdom of Mercedes-Benz building a ute. “Meecedes-Benz is a manufacturer of luxury cars!” they cry, “What do they know about building a tough and rugged workhorse?” And while, on the surface, that argument holds water, you don’t really have to know all that much about the German manufacturer to know that, of all companies, Mercedes knows tough and rugged. Tucked away in its long history of building trucks, vans and buses is a vehicle called the G-Class, more commonly known as the G-Wagen. As the readers of this publication will well know, this is a vehicle celebrated the world over for its supreme abilities and remarkable durability, and it is used by governments, militaries and corporations around the globe in the most…

More is better, right? Back in the day you and your mates might have been happy to head off into the great outdoors with little more than an egg sandwich and change of underwear (if you were lucky). These days though, well, some of us do literally take the kitchen sink with us don’t we? Which is all well and good if you have done your maths and purchased the correct beast for the job... “Eh?” I hear you ask? If it looks like a ‘Tuff Truck’ surely it IS tough. And if it has an advertised Tare mass of on or about 1000kgs isn’t that how much I can carry? First principles Hmm. Looks like we need to go back to first principles here. To do so I will…

It’s a cold frosty morning, and I’m off on a trip around the South Island with my father (John) and a Nissan camper bus (aka Zarra ). With the Suzuki (‘Little Whale’) hitched behind the ‘Whale’ we depart for the trip into Wellington and an overnight stay at the bach. The day’s fine for the short run to Ngaio to disconnect from the ‘Whale’, free to roll, fully packed to the roof in the rear, as John and I head down Ngaio gorge for that all-important booking at Bluebridges freight office. Paperwork done, the ship’s arriving and it’s not long before we are parked on the main deck alongside the ramp watching all the trucks and other vehicles load. The ramp is closed, and it’s all quiet on deck as…

With his Superwinch Talon line very much the de facto local standard at the top and competition end of the winch market, New Zealand importer and distributor Paul Ashman of Traxion Distribution Limited, has now turned his attention to Superwinch’s Tiger Shark range. Created by winch specialist Superwinch as the ‘next-generation’ entry-level winch, Tiger Shark winches feature fully-sealed motors and solenoids, all metal gears steel cut for strength, stainless steel hardware tie bars and fairlead rollers, and an easy-to-use ‘pul and turn’ T-bar designed to prevent accidental freespooling. “Unlike so many, which are just a struggle and grunt, the free spool on this winch is like air, “says Paul, adding; “in a very short space of time sales of the Tiger Shark have grown to make it the largest selling…

Mid-September 24 teams headed to the small settlement of Makikihi, just south of Timaru, in weather that was perfect – but not so for the condition of the stages – a bit of rain a couple of days before any event makes it a bit more challenging. Show and shine of the trucks was held at the Makikihi Country Hotel. We still hadn’t had anyone enter into the Open Class, so we were running with just two classes again, Outlaw with 18 and Clubman with six, and teams from Blenheim, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Balclutha and Queenstown. Night stages From Makikihi they headed to the four night stages, only 10 minutes inland. Some tracks from the previous year were used, but there were also some new tracks. However, I decided…

Kiwitrucks is one of off-road racing’s success stories. With the first years of Kiwitruck drivers emerging into class 7, Challenger and UTV competition, and now winning in those classes, the sport has a huge infusion of fresh blood coming in – and many would say it’s just in time. The numbers up north are, of course, well away from the handful of Kiwitrucks down in the South Island, and I think there are a variety of reasons for that. Perhaps the key one is a message to racing dads – time to follow Jacob Brownlees’ example and spread the excitement. His young boy Jack is going to be as quick as his dad and just LOVES the category and the sport. From the awesome Polaris K class racers up to…

The first two cars in New Zealand were imported into Wellington in 1898 – the same year that Frank Seiberling founded the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. Just under 20 years later, in February 1917, the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company of New Zealand set up its head office on Manners Street in the heart of the country’s capital with Chevrolet and Ford dominating the country’s roads on tyres no wider than four inches. An innovator from the outset, Goodyear pioneered an All Weather Tread diamond pattern tyre that reached New Zealand shores in 1920. It was a ground-breaking product that helped establish a reputation for cutting-edge engineering that has since become the company’s hallmark. Today Goodyear remains at the forefront of tyre technology, enabling safer, more…

Despite having lived in Nelson for 25 years, Maud Valley was unknown to me, likewise my mate Bazza. We were fortunate then, that the organiser of a recent trip there, Colin, is part of a family that has owned land in the area since the 1930s. Maud Valley runs through private land into the Howard Conservation Area between Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoroa north-west corner of Nelson Lakes National Park. A steep-sided Beech forest valley approximately 10km long was worked over during gold mining activities in the early 1930s with the 24 hectare flat reworked again with machinery from 1967 to 1993. There are signs of the old miners’ huts and workings all the way up the valley with machinery relics scattered along the valley floor. Several old miners’ huts…

A winch for the truck is always an attraction. There are many available, all with pros and cons, they cost, and are heavy. Fixed winches usually incur installation costs. Main types are: Electric – fixed to vehicle and ‘wired in’ to the electrics, usually remote control. A 9,000lb rating is OK for casual use. Get a snatch block (pulley) also, and use it. Synthetic rope for heavy use, steel for occasional use. Hand operated – portable, not fixed to vehicle, cheapest. Many versions of ‘Tirfor’ style available. Some effort required! PTO – engine driven via a power take off, usually second-hand. First question – how often are you likely to use it? Many sit front-mounted, exposed to the elements for years ,and get used once. If that’s you – consider…

Kingone is all set for SEMA USA November 2017 and will be exhibiting three more new models of winch to launch into the American and world market. The Orca series of winches come with new styling and incorporate a black livery as seen on the Bull winch series. The Orca also has the new solenoid system that is used with the Bull series. Kingone has obviously seen a demand in the market for a 13,000lbs and an 11,000lbs winch; this range extension gives customers a large choice for a winch to suit their 4x4 or commercial machinery. The team at Phillbrook has decided to bring all the Orca winches to NZ, but in limited configuration. The Orca range on order is as follows: Orca 13 – 13,000lbs 12V and Orca…

Part of the attraction of heading out 4WDing is visiting the remote areas that many other people do not get to travel to. And while “roughing it”might has some appeal, there are times when a bit of comfort can make all the difference. Whether you’re planning on getting lost for a couple of days, or want to head into the less populated parts of the country, you’ll need some warm and convenient shelter. ARB’s Touring range incorporates the Kakadu and Simpson III rooftop tents, a vehicle mounted awning and outdoor shelter, along with a variety of other optional accessories to cater for all of your camping needs. Unfolding in minutes, a rooftop tent provides sleeping quarters off the ground, protected from the elements. Spacious and comfortable, all bedding can remain…

Getting out of the office or away from your busy city life might be just what you need this summer, and Ironman 4x4 has a range of products to make camping and exploring the outdoors that much easier and fun. Why bother looking for a hotel or a camping ground when you can have a rooftop tent attached to your vehicle which only takes a few minutes to set up and needs little more room than your vehicle! The luxury rooftop tent has a number of features including a raised “climate cover” flysheet to control temperature and reduce condensation, a pop up window awning and flyscreen windows, all made from a premium quality waterproof, breathable ripstop material. The rooftop tent floor is made from light weight aluminium and is insulated.…

About 10 years back I was chatting with the driver of a Mercedes tour bus (he insisted it was not a “tour bus” but a “Luxury Coach”). He’d had someone complain about his driving and speed that was likely to get him into a spot of bother. He simply asked the bus for its GPS record for that day, and it cleared him. Now it would have a dash-cam too. That’s the way things are heading. Australia is now using average speed monitors on some highways. Fixed cameras capture details of about three vehicles per second as they pass. Each is photographed front and rear using infrared flash (which we cannot see). I would say the IR would probably preclude night-time colour recognition, but must get good number plate and…

Round 1, Turakina organised by Manawatu 4WD Club, September 24. The arrival of Daylight Saving caused me a lot of angst; how do I make do with a day that only has 23 hours in it now? A very different problem faced Phil and Ella from Manawatu 4WD club on the Saturday when they couldn’t move on the prospective site of the Club Truck Challenge (CTC) on Philip’s farm in Ratana. Luckily for them the club has access to another property close by, and they did a last minute venue change, thanks to both Philip and Nathan, the two different land owners. Thanks to Brendan, Mark, Lee, Nathan, Bruce, Bryce, Phil and Ella for marking out the hazards on Saturday afternoon. They made good use of the natural basin and…

The Tiger Shark has earned its stripes, since release four years ago it’s taken a huge bite out of the world market and now stands as the number one selling winch worldwide. Featuring a 5.2hp motor, three stage planetary gearbox, high tensile steel drum pre-loaded with 10mm dyneema synthetic rope and finished off with stainless steel rollers, tie bar, and free-spool T-bar there’s not a winch in this class that can touch it. October 21st -23rd 2017  Novawinch ‘Battle of the Palace – Teams Event 2017 at Possum Palace, Northland. Open to all competitors who are members of the New Zealand 4WD Association (NZFWDA). Vehicles will have to meet Norwest OHV Club requirements and a minimum requirement of extreme mud tyres. More in depth details are included with the entry…

With competition looming of both key fronts (Euro quality and Chinese bang-for-buck) it would be easy for existing ute market staples like Volkswagen’s 2.0 litre Amarok to be lost in a veritable sand storm of new/better/best hype. Which 1) would be a shame if you’re in the market for a new ute and have both an open mind and a decent budget, and 2) is no doubt why importer VW NZ offered us a mildly specced-up Comfortline model to drive for a week last month. Here at NZ4WD magazine we have always rated the Amarok highly. In fact had it not been for the slightest of baubles on our steep grass test track it could well have beaten Ford Ranger to the Ute of The Year title in 2016. As…

At last it was time to load the FJs and head south. Both had been fitted with Foxwing awnings with zip-in side walls to ensure we had plenty of undercover area in case of rain (we hadn’t heard about Cyclone Cook paying us a visit yet). To make the most of our time we decided on an early start so we could drive to Wellington and catch the 5pm sailing across the ditch the same afternoon. To make the trip to the West Coast more interesting after a supply shop in Picton, we drove through the Molesworth Station and camped at Lake Tennyson next to some crazy bikers who had just driven Honda Cub scooters through Rainbow Station and were heading out the next day via the Molesworth. Those roads…

Ironman 4x4 has totally redesigned and upgraded its range of monster winches, including stronger motors, heavy duty casings, synthetic ropes, competition style solenoids – and they are the only winches on the market with a motor breather. With two in the range, a 9,500lb and a 12,000lb, and with the option of steel or synthetic cable, the company offers a winch to suit your needs. Engine breather The greatest new feature of the Monster range of winches is the fully sealed motor, with a breather that allows the motor to equalise changes in temperature and pressure by means of a remote breather hose which can be placed high in the vehicle away from water. The Ironman Monster winch is the only winch on the market with this feature. Issues tend…

There’s not much point in having a great winch if you don’t have anything to attach it to, but carrying around a large, bulky ground anchor isn’t always practical. That is where the Lan-cor comes in. While traditional anchors are big and cumbersome, when packed in its carry bag the Lan-cor is less than half a metre long, only weighs 9kg, and can easily be stored with the rest of your recovery equipment in your vehicle. But when you need it, it is easily unpacked and assembled into a strong, easy-to-manage anchor that, once set in the ground, is able to withstand enormous pulling loads in most terrain and, amazingly, is at its best in sand! This is not just another auger anchor. The Lan-cor puts a new twist on…

Rhino-Rack has a wide selection of shade-related products ready for the upcoming summer season. The varied shade range that they have takes two forms, the 270 degree swing out, Foxwing range which is available in one of two sizes and also the Sunseeker pull out awning range, again able to be provided in two sizes enabling smaller or larger vehicles to be catered to. An additional awning, the Sunseeker Dome 130 is a little different in that it can be fitted across the rear of a vehicle and features a domed roof, making it suitable for low roof passenger and tall vehicles alike. And then there’s the new Sunseeker Black 32133 product, which is entirely self-contained and rolls out easily from and repacks into its roof rack carried black zip…

Our solo vehicle trip started when we turned off SH1 just north of Bulls, passing straight through Marton and heading into the hills, accompanied by lowering clouds. Our route took us in an arc into the hills then back down towards the coast, ending up in Whanganui, our stop for the night. With a mixture of sealed and easy gravel roads, this was a very pleasant and scenic route that nicely filled in the afternoon, taking about three times as long as the direct route to Whanganui. On a good afternoon there would have been many stops for photographs of the early spring countryside, but unfortunately the clouds were low and heavy, giving gloomy, flat lighting that made good photographs a lost cause. Apart from a few record photos, the…

It was never certain, but Tauranga driver Ben Thomasen successfully defended his NZ 1000 title in atrocious weather that eventually forced an early halt to racing on the second day. The race saw four seasons in a half hour, with bright sunshine, drizzle, sleet, rain and finally snow contributing to subzero conditions for drivers. Qualifying on the Friday was held in relatively mild conditions, though the course was deteriorating progressively and the early runners were able to set the best times. Ben Thomasen was fastest, ahead of fellow UTV racer pairing Carl Ruiterman and Joel Giddy, with Mike Small/Phil Johnston third. Eight of the top ten were UTVs, mainly the modified S class. First of the more traditional race cars was Scott Buckley, fourth overall in his tiny motorcycle-engined BSL.…