Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i NZ4WD

At the top end of the luxury off-road expedition market, where money is not a concern, the sky is the limit, as one discerning West Australian truck buyer has demonstrated with the build of his new Eurocargo ML150 4x4 outback tourer. With owner Roger planning extended travel across Australia and then wanting to ship the vehicle to other continents around the world to continue the journey, he wasn’t prepared to scrimp on luxury or performance. This led him to Iveco and then to specialist bodybuilder, SLRV Expedition Vehicles on the Gold Coast. Already a proven performer in emergency service, military, mining and exploration work, the Eurocargo ML150 4x4 was a logical starting place for the customer, according to SLRV expedition vehicles director, Warwick Boswerger. “The Eurocargo, both as a 4x2…

Narva has introduced a new compact driving light bar it claims is 30 percent brighter than a conventional LED bar. The Explora LED Driving light bar employs Narva’s advanced optic drive technology to produce 2400 Lumens and one Lux of light at 269 metres, making night-time motoring on very dark roads, around the farm or in off-road locations much safer. With an ultra slimline design, the Explora light bar is well suited to a wide range of vehicles including trucks, passenger cars, all-wheel-drives and four-wheel-drives, particularly those without a bull bar or nudge bar fitted because of its unique mounting capabilities. Along with its versatility and bright white light output, the Explora light bar is built to withstand the tough weather conditions and demanding on-and-off-road applications here in New Zealand.…

With the launch of the new-generation Navara NP300 back in 2014, Nissan was the first manufacturer to offer a coil spring rear suspension set up in a ute, something that it was understandably proud of. After all, the coil spring set up could carry and tow as much as a traditional leaf spring one, yet would also offer superior ride and handling. Or so the theory went. As it turned out, however, things didn’t quite add up to that theoretical outcome and the Navara was found wanting when it had a load in the tray or was towing. Which is something utes are expected to do on a regular basis, really. Even the unladen ride quality was well behind the leaf-sprung competition, so something needed to be done. Unfortunately changing…

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 nine kg and can easily be stored with the rest of your recovery equipment in your vehicle, There when you need it 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…

While we have yet to get to the heady state that our cousins across the Tasman currently enjoy, with huge, multi-day 4x4 and outdoor lifestyle shows in all the big cities, the Covi Motorhome Caravan & Outdoor Supershow in Auckland did a very good job this year of filling the void. Key exhibitors in the 4WD space included Aro Brothers, Bivouac Campers, Clark-Global, Explorer Motorhomes and OZtent. Clark-Global is an NZ-based expedition vehicle specialist which had on display one of their Mercedes Unimog-based 4WD motorhomes. The company can provide a complete global overland service from sourcing Unimogs to designing and building the motorhome body and even shipping it to and from anywhere in the world. You can check out what the company offers at www.clark-global.com Explorer Motorhomes, meanwhile, specializes in…

Well, it finally happened. Thirty years living in one house. Arrived home to find it burgled. Never had anything nicked before, even from rag-top Landies or a ‘Cruiser with a tin trunk on its flat-deck. Lucky, I s’pose. Pretty security conscious but not OTT about it. Never had an alarm, just an old siren box out front, I guess it worked for a while! So I’m more SC (security conscious? Ed) now. Is it a sign of the times? Is it worse? I don’t know. Seems to be. Or is it more reported these days? Lots of news of vehicles broken into at trail heads, car parks, on the street, up drives even. Many of them 4WDs, especially those with bling, like winches. Richer pickings They are more likely to…

The big news this month is that another four-cylinder ProLite race truck is joining the class 8 ranks this season. Long-time Challenger ace Campbell Witheford has scored a truck out of Maine in the USA. He originally intended to buy it as a donor truck to fill out a new frame, but when he laid eyes on the Ranger-bodied racer he changed his mind. “I was originally importing it to strip it down and use the parts to build a ProLite as the details of the truck were very vague and the owner was very unhelpful, but the price was right so we put it on the boat and a month later it was here. Once I saw it for myself and found out more information about it, it would…

4WD author Mark Wilson has a mission – to get those big SUVs off the road and on the trail, where they belong. After 20 years of promoting safe 4WD touring through his series of South Island guidebooks, he is now leading convoys of clients along the best tracks from those books. Wilson launched his new venture late in 2016. His 4WD South Explorers Club offers week-long tours that include Nelson beech forest, West Coast mining trails, and vast Central Otago landscapes. Clients drive their own vehicle, with Wilson showing the way at the head of the convoy. A colleague fills the crucial role of “tail-end Charlie”, monitoring the safe progress of the convoy from the rear. Getting the convoy tours under way was a long haul that included a…

News of the imminent arrival on our shores of Lamborghini’s latest twin-turbo V8-enigned 4x4 SUV, the Urus, struck a chord with NZ4WD mag Editor Ross MacKay; who remembered the Italian Supercar maker’s first attempt at an off-road capable model. A quick Google search led him to the company’s own website, where – sure enough – was everything you need to know, plus more besides, about the LM002! To whit: “At the end of the 1970s, an American company, MIT, commissioned Lamborghini to design an off-road capable 4x4 vehicle. “The project failed first time around but was proposed again in 1981 and after several prototypes had been built, Lamborghini presented the LM 002 series model in 1986. This powerful off-roader with the Countach engine was liked by kings, actors and racers…

Kiwis turn up in the most amazing places. Take Rebecca Mayston, a King Country born-and-bred 37-year-old former Aucklander now living and working – as a 4x4 event manager, no less – in Oman. Often described as the ‘Hidden Gem,’ or ‘Best Kept Secret’ of the Middle East, the Sultanate of Oman is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Despite a land area of almost 310,000 sq. km it has a population of just over 4.4 million people. And though it has an extensive coastline bordering both the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman much of its interior is a vast desert plain with mountain ranges along both the north and southeast coast. Though the export of oil and natural gas remains the major source of the Sultanate’s…

Canteen helps young people dealing with cancer get back to living their lives. That means helping with the day-to-day pressures, like making sure our young people can get to appointments, or have enough credit on their phones. But it’s also about building a community around them; connecting them with young people who have come out the other side, peers who are still coping with cancer, or trained counsellors to help unpick more complex emotions. The ultimate goal is to make sure no young person goes through cancer alone – whether it’s their own cancer diagnosis or a family member who’s fighting the disease. We’ve seen first-hand that meeting, talking and sharing experiences means young people are better able to cope with the uncertainties of living with cancer.www.canteen.org.nz…

Ironman 4x4 products have been developed in the harshest proving ground in the world – Australia, and have been the first choice for customers for over 50 years. Sold in more than 120 countries, Ironman 4x4 will deliver the comfort and safety you demand as well as quality and value for money. Ironman 4x4 Monster winches Ironman 4x4 has totally redesigned and upgraded its range of monster winches, including stronger motors, heavy duty casings, synthetic ropes, competition style solenoids and are the only winch on the market with a motor breather. With two in the range, a 9500lb and a 12000lb and with the option of steel or synthetic cable there is a winch to suit your needs. Breathe easy The greatest new feature of the range of winches is…

I always try to take part in these activities since, as well as supporting the club in enhancing our relationship with various councils and other agencies, I am getting the pleasure of visiting areas I don’t often get to, in the company of people for whom the whole 4WD experience is often an adventure. Belmont Hills Sunset Trip The Greater Wellington Regional Council ran two sunset trips this year, with about thirty people on each. The trips were a short ramble through the Belmont Regional Park, which is normally a walkers-only park, before heading to the Belmont trig, hopefully in time for the actual sunset. This year, for the first time, we started at a parking area at the northern end of the park, with the first section being a…

Driving a factory Polaris RZR 1000 XP, Tauranga man Thomasen was closely matched by Joel Giddy in his Yamaha, Nathan Moore in a Polaris and Hayden McKenzie in a CanAm – with another four racers waiting for any of the leading bunch to put a wheel wrong on the fast clay and pumice-based track. The event was the first national-level race day held at the Taranaki Offroad Racing Club’s new short course/stadium venue, a highly developed permanent offroad race track. It also marked another first, with national championship rules now including provision for noise testing. All 60 cars racing at Taranaki passed comfortably, allaying the fears of some drivers. A crowd of more than 1800 turned out to watch the racing. Organisers combined classes to maximise on-course action. Classes 1,…

Recently I attended one of the largest off road events in the Southern Hemisphere but while I was there in my four-wheel-drive (along with many others) the event was a two wheel one in the form of the annual Tussock Buster. Held on the Army training grounds at Waiouru, Tussock Buster is the largest trail bike event in New Zealand and is regarded by many as being the best event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Tussock Buster is a 2.5 day motorcycle trail ride through 63,000 hectares of training grounds and covers 300 kilometres of tracks with over 1500 riders, marshals and helpers out there rain, hail, snow or in the case of this year’s event, mostly sunshine. Most participants camped on the sports field at Waiouru or…

Bespoke US luxury car re-manufacturer Fusion Motor Company has created what for many Land Rover enthusiasts would be the Ultimate Defender 110 – one powered by a high-performance ‘Murica-built LS3 V8! Best known, so far anyway, for their ‘Gone In 60 Seconds’ tribute “Eleanor” Mustang fastback, the company has just finished and started marketing a special Defender 110 equipped with an LS3 Corvette powertrain. “Defenders are some of the most ruggedly distinctive vehicles ever made,” says Fusion President Yoel Wazana. “Still, the original vehicle is unrefined by current standards. Thanks to (the US’s) 25-year import law, Fusion is able to source donor vehicles worldwide and recreate them to the standard that our luxury and exotic-car customers have come to expect.” The company’s builds retain the factory attitude and worthwhile original attributes…

Each year at this time, Jeep and parts partner Mopar join forces to create seven new, custom-built concept vehicles for the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, March 24 – April 1. For the 52nd year, thousands of off-road enthusiasts will head to Moab for the annual Jeep event to participate in a week of technical off-roading on some of the most picturesque trails that the US has to offer. There they will see each concept vehicle equipped with an assortment of production and prototype Jeep Performance Parts developed for Jeep by Mopar. The 2018 Easter Jeep Safari concept vehicle line-up is made up of: Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip The Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip retains a heritage and charm however the wheelbase has been stretched 127mm, and the body has been…

Available for a range of Toyota models, as well as a small number of Nissan and Suzuki vehicles, these gear sets are made in Japan using exclusive Terrain Tamer tooling and include all required gears to offer either an approximate 15 percent increase or reduction in transfer case ratio. This modification of gear ratio allows the driver to adjust the vehicle to suit their desired activities and conditions – a lower ratio for instance, provides more power for tough off-road activities such as rock crawling and steep uphill driving, enables smoother delivery of power to the driveline, reducing the risk of components breaking and allowing the driver to approach these obstacles at a lower speed, but with more torque. A higher ratio on the other hand, lowers engine revs to…

According to Ateco, the RAM 1500 will enable the company to compete in what is the largest segment of the local ute market for the first time. The 1500 will complement the RAM 2500 and 3500 range launched in 2015 and which increased its sales by 80 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year according to official MIA figures. Hemi power Powered by a class-exclusive 5.7L Hemi V8 (petrol) engine, the new RAM 1500 will be a formidable competitor, delivering best in class towing, power, cab size and cargo space with a tub length of up to nearly two metres long. The North American-built RAM 1500 will arrive in Australia as a left-hand drive (LHD) vehicle then be remanufactured to right hand drive (RHD) at a purpose built facility…

Upon reading the Facebook page, then Molly’s story with the registration form, it was a case of making the weekend work. Having been down the Cancer path, my weekend in fact started with a check-up CT scan on the Thursday and appointment with the surgeon, all following up on my operation 18 months ago Currently I’m one of the lucky ones as all is looking good. Sadly Molly was not, and her life ended far too soon. Meet ‘n greet To the fund raiser though. I arrived on site Friday night, set up camp, met a few people and ended up at the local for dinner and more talk Saturday meanwhile started with the sound of a rattle gun from across the school paddock, not long after 7.30 am. Overcast…

When your vehicle’s caught in a torrential downpour on a steep mountain track, stuck in knee deep mud or bogged in an isolated desert in sweltering temperatures, the reliability, performance and durability of your recovery gear is paramount. ARB’s vehicle recovery accessories are engineered and manufactured to the highest standards, making them ideal for recreational use as well as competition. Recovery Straps When the only thing preventing your vehicle from imminent danger is a narrow strip of fabric, nothing but the best will do. ARB’s recovery straps are woven and fabricated to strict quality specifications and tested by a NATAapproved laboratory to ensure optimum performance. A full range of high quality straps are available, each specifically designed to suit its purpose and give you peace of mind during your next…

TDS-Raptor, Bull, Orca... all are model names from the Kingone winch selection you can purchase from any Kingone dealer. The TDS-Raptor The TDS-Raptor is a high speed 9500lbs winch which has been a mainstay on the NZ 4WD scene for the past eight years. Boasting features like the 156.1 gear ratio and 5.2hp motor and dual cone load holding brake, the Raptor is supplied with synthetic rope and wireless remote. Able to be configured to fit onto any winch bar platform the TDS-Raptor has an IP-67 dust and water rating and is backed by importer and distributor Phillbrook Technologies’ great after sales service to its dealers with spare parts available for all models of Kingone winches carried here in New Zealand. Bull Winch Basically designed to challenge the American Jeep…

Last month’s suggestion of a distinct threat to the Coromandel’s Maratoto vehicle tracks on Department of Conservation (DOC) land being shut down because of Kauri dieback, has sadly proved to be a fact, with that area now closed while DOC undertake an investigation to identify if Kauri Dieback has arrived. I’d assume that if it is still unaffected then it will stay closed to minimise potential infection and if there is already evidence of Kauri Dieback, then DOC will keep it closed to avoid the risk of pathogen transfer elsewhere. The latter course of action is probably now pointless given that the disease is already widespread, including Great Barrier Island and deep in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges where no vehicles have driven. Recent studies by Auckland University suggests that other native…