Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i NZ4WD

The power and performance of Recreational Vehicle off-road accessories is dependent on the capacity and reliability of your auxiliary (deep cycle) battery. Power capacity is the amount of energy stored in the battery. The size of this storage capacity is described as the Amp Hour (AH) rating of a battery. Amp Hour refers to the battery’s storage capacity and is defined as the current a fully charged battery will deliver over a 20hr period before the voltage drops to 10.5V at 25 Degrees Celsius. It is uncommon to find an off-road vehicle not loaded with accessories like winches, fridges, or RTs to name just a few. To run the accessories efficiently for the duration intended, a reliable and constant supply of power and correct battery chemistry is essential. This makes…

With me living in Marahau on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park and my partner, Andrea, living in Christchurch, I’m a regular traveller through the Lewis Pass. Every time that I have to make the journey, I dread it, but once I’m in to it, with a good podcast on, the kilometres just seem to roll by. I’ve stopped at the DOC campsite at Marble Hill a few times for lunch but have never spent the night. It’s a really interesting place with a wall built across the Alpine Fault and concrete fireplaces making it possible to have a BBQ or camp fire. The Wall The “Alpine Fault Experimental Wall’ (to give it its full and proper name) was built back in 1964 and runs perpendicular across the…

A bespoke Hilux to take on rival utes the Hilux Mako has what it takes – and more. You might order one because your work or leisure interests take you to a building site or a forest or even the bush. Or you might want one because you simply really like the look. Make no mistake, the Hilux Mako will be an eye-catching, custom-built ute, with outstanding Toyota Genuine accessories and parts, built to order by Toyota’s careful and diligent Thames plant team. Not your average off-the-shelf ute, that’s for sure. “We’ve taken a great truck and added some kiwi-muscle and flair,” says Toyota New Zealand’s Chief Executive, Neeraj Lala,. “ I’ve had lots of direct feedback from customers, and they wanted more power, a better ride and premium interior…

The plan for this year’s Safari was elegantly simple. For several hours one day we would explore the vast Makowhai Station located at the top of the Waitotara Valley. Covering 8,903 hectares (22,000 acres) and with 65 km of track, there is some interesting history and great scenery in this area. The other day would then be spent on tracks through native bush and over farmland in the area with some high points with spectacular views. After the year all of us stoically endured in 2020 thanks to the Coronavirus it was very much a case of case of what could go wrong? The weather, that’s’ what. But I’m getting ahead of myself The night before I was due to leave for this year’s Safari, my tow vehicle/sleeping quarters, aka…

Recreational four wheeling continues to grow in popularity, bringing with it an increasing number of what I will call ‘poor decision-making incidents.’ One example that was reported by the news media in January was about vehicle use in the South Island’s Ashley River riverbed that was recorded on cameras with the attributed deaths of black-billed gulls. As reported by Stuff… “Several rare birds are dead after a group of motorcyclists and four-wheel-drivers rode through a colony of nesting black-billed gulls in North Canterbury. Environment Canterbury (ECan) chairwoman Jenny Hughey said the motorists killed 10 birds in the colony last week while nesting in the Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park. “This is extremely disappointing and unacceptable behaviour, and we are exploring what our enforcement options are.” “Black-billed gulls are the most threatened…

It seems like months ago now (because it is!!) but after another callback, check and request to re-send, we think that these post-lockdown #1 pics by keen 09 calling area 4Wheeler Kelsi Millar deserve a run in Your4s this month. “First weekend of freedom post Covid lockdown and we headed straight for the mud!” said Kelsi. (We had) “Plenty of fun and antics throughout the day, putting the winches to use and swimming in bog holes. No better way to spend a weekend!” Indeed, Kelsi, indeed! YOU ARE NOW ENTERED TO WIN A GRAND PRIZE OF FOUR KUMHO 4X4 TYRES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NZ4WD ANNUAL ISSUE.…

Slowly but surely land access is getting closed on our recreation with many places completely shutting out 4WDs. Even the unformed roads around the country are getting closed or having restrictions placed on them often due to overuse, especially in winter months and abuse from those who don’t give a damn as long as they can have their fun today. Places to go off road are becoming scarce especially closer to the bigger cities as the city boundaries spread out. One such area that has been causing concern over the last couple of years is Hull Road, an unformed road out Waitoki way (nth-west of Auckland. Ed). There were quite a few unformed or “paper roads” in the area that NZ4WD used to use to test new 4WD vehicles on…

An all-new version of New Zealand’s most popular Subaru model – the Outback – is in showrooms now – and Subaru of New Zealand’s Managing Director, Wallis Dumper reckons it is just what your local doctor, dentist or other suitably well-heeled yet independently-minded professional will be looking for in a new car in Aotearoa/NZ in 2021 and beyond. “Outback has outperformed all other Subaru SUV models over the bulk of the last 25 years in New Zealand and we expect the evolution of our largest model will continue this momentum. “Subaru has made a conscious decision to take the Outback considerably upmarket, confirming its status as the flagship in the Subaru range. In fact, this entirely new Outback is fondly referred to as the greatest Outback of all time. It’s…

“Twas the night before Christmas…OK it was a bit earlier than that – the night of Friday November 27, 2020 in fact - yet it sure felt like it as I headed for bed, with the anticipation of being on the road very early, palpable. The annual Moawhango School and Community Scenic 4WD ‘safari’ can do that to a grown man. And, if anything, the sense of excitement this year was even greater than in previous ones, what with the disruptions to our recreation caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. The closest ‘main centre’ to the Moawhango area is Taihape; where I headed first to pick up two of my ‘posse’ or ‘crew.’ We then headed to the check-in point at Mangaohane Station’s woolshed where the last member of the crew…

Earthcruiser Australia has launched its all-rounder and most advanced camper ‘Extreme,’ bringing off-road and remote travelling within your reach. The expedition-grade Extreme model is based on the 79-series Land-Cruiser that you can get in both single and dual cab configuration. Earthcruiser also said that with its sturdy Toyota base and innovative ‘pop-top’ design of the ‘living space at the back’ the Extreme XTR250... ’represented the perfect blend of comfort and off-road prowess allowing it to master all types of roads under all conditions.’ Powertrain Powered by a 4.5-litre turbo diesel V8 engine paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, the 4x4 Earthcruiser Extreme produces 151kW of peak power and 430Nm of peak torque. It can also be specced at time of ordering with a 6 speed automatic transmission. Camper Facilities The…

In the past ‘the Motu’ has been a true safari – pack your camp and carry it with you. This year though there was a major change to that format, vis-a-vis a permanent campsite for the duration. That’s right. No more rush to pack it all, even if wet, this year it was just breakfast and tidy up, pack lunch and check the truck before departing camp. The campsite is still in the paddocks opposite the (Motu) school, with plenty of space to spread out. I arrived early-ish (though I was not the first) and got to pick a spot alongside a pair of pear trees. There was quite a drop in temperature (which was most welcome, mind) on my first night camping ‘on site’ and I was awoken early…

Tow, tow, tow your boat/caravan/horse float/race car/ motorcycle (or even tiny house) trailer gently down the lane ... and chances are you will be doing so in a late model TD DC Ute like Mazda’s all-new BT-50. Now based on Isuzu’s own new D-Max – rather than a Ford Ranger like before – the new BT-50 has already drawn wide praise for its abilities on and off the road. It’s what the new Mazda is like towing which interests us right now though, so look out for our findings in our April 2021 issue.…

Our first run was up Dry River Rd out of Martinborough. This was an easy gravel road that took us up a valley and over a range of low hills before dropping down into vineyard country. We stopped a few times for me to photograph the abstract patterns formed by the posts supporting the vines before we reached Haurangi Rd, where we turned right to head for the end of the road at the top of the Ruakokoputuna River valley. As the valley closed in around us, we were confronted by an unexpected gate and logging signs. Hoping that this was not the end of the road, we carefully read all the signage and discovered that the road was open at the weekends, so we were good to continue. The…

The Club Truck Challenge (CTC) is a series of driving tests that you attempt individually while the others wait for their turn. As such it reminds me of the episodic nature of a comic strip. In fact, that would be a good way to present competitors doing a hazard, if only I had the talent to draw it. Imagine a caricature of someone very keen at the start, changing facial expression as you move though the hazard to happiness at success or disappointment should you fail. Dave and Grace Hintz did the hard work and pegged out the hazards on their farm north of Taihape. The hazards were longer than normal but as Hintzy (or someone, anyway, said recently); “It’s longer but I make it fun.” Too true as he…

Looking for all the world like an extra in a 21st century remake of the War of the Worlds movie, Audi’s AI:TRAIL quattro, is nevertheless a ‘comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track,’ which apparently works and works very well! One of four ‘visionary case studies’ created by Audi to stimulate debate about the ‘cars’ we will be driving in the next 20-50 years, the four-seater AI:TRAIL quattro combines the capacity for automated driving with serious off-road capabilities. The glass surrounding the cabin extends all the way to ground level, providing unrivalled all-round visibility, while what Audi describes as ‘ample’ battery capacity ensures sufficient range even away from dense networks of charging stations. The Audi AI:TRAIL quattro is the fourth entrant in the series of concept cars with…

I was looking online for a 4WD in Australia as I was keen to spend some time exploring the Outback. After a couple of months, I ended up buying online a 2010 Land Rover Defender with 47,000km on the clock for 32,000AUD (at the time the NZ dollar was 95c – 96c to A$1 so it cost me approximately NZ$36,000). I bought it from a couple who had just bought a brand new, double cab Defender, before the model went out of production. They lived in Margaret River in WA and had owned it from when it was brand new. This was in October 2014. After spending a couple of days with them, I headed back to Perth for a few days to get the vehicle set up for my…

To enhance protection, functionality, comfort and styling Toyota has launched several newly introduced and re-designed accessories for the 2021 Hilux range. Toyota globally has invested more than $10 million and thousands of hours in the design, engineering and prototyping of new accessories and components for the 2021 Toyota Hilux. Toyota New Zealand’s General Manager of Conversions and Accessories, Spencer Morris said investment in development ensured the customer got quality and functional components for their vehicles, to suit a wide variety of work and recreation needs. “The new and redesigned accessories for Hilux, not only add functional and cosmetic appeal they are also designed to ensure that the Hilux Toyota Safety Systems (TSS) are unaffected and continue to function as designed,” says Spencer. “Fitting our range of over 300 Toyota Genuine…

All Ironman 4x4 products are carefully designed, engineered and tested in Australia. Products include replacement Bullbars, Side Steps and Rails, Rear Bars and Underbody Protection. Bullbars Every Ironman 4x4 bullbar is carefully crafted from premium grade materials and components to deliver the most comprehensive frontal protection and styling available. Ironman 4x4 bullbars are modelled using 3D vehicle scanning techniques to achieve optimal cosmetic design whilst providing maximum vehicle collision protection. All bars are made from the highest quality SPHC oil and pickled steel (not mild steel) to give maximum strength and rust resistance. The finish on Ironman 4x4 bullbars is top quality using the Akzo Nobel powder coat system, which gives a thicker, smoother and more durable coating. Along with winch and air bag compatibility, Ironman 4x4 bullbars offer affordable…

A friend brought her new 4WD SUV south for its first road trip. Just prior to her return five climbed aboard and headed out for a vineyard lunch. Our meal was impeccable. From my front left perspective so was the SUV. Very pleasant. Our driver had minimal 4WD experience and wanted more so during our return I pronounced ‘Take the next left’ at an appropriate time. Once on a dry shingle riverbed she looked down to the console and confidently pressed the ‘4L’ and ‘Auto’ buttons, which lit up nicely. All good, full marks there. She asked if we should use a more specific TC option such as ‘sand’ but I reckoned auto would probably suffice. It didn’t take long for our pilot to make happy comments and ask questions…

Many moons ago I crossed over to the Dark Side. This was long before things like UTVs were even a fevered dream in some American designer’s sleep. Even class ten had pretty much zero participants. In the south we did our own thing on massive endurance courses. The Dark Side, at the time, was trucks. Everyone was running race cars (buggies) with a strong preference for a VW mechanical base. There were lots of old VWs rusting in wreckers’ yards waiting to donate parts. Then one day I saw a video (which thanks to YouTube I can now share with you here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAJkX99MG8 ) called ‘Rocking and Four Wheeling;’ a Mickey Thompson production on VHS - the dominant video platform of the time, back when DVDs were somebody else’s…

Your 4s Our monthly feature showcases 4WDs doing just about anything except rolling over or burning! We will award a grand prize of a set of four Kumho 4x4 tyres in the NZ4WD Annual issue. This contest is open to all readers who are not professional photographers. IMPORTANT: Photographs must have been taken by the person entering them, or have the photographer’s written permission. Email your digital images and a detailed caption to: editor@NZ4WD.co.nz Send your prints and detailed captions to: Your4s with Kumho, PO Box 65-092, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754. Be sure to include your postal address! Submitting photos The basics: as with any photo, there’s no substitute for an image that’s sharp – in focus and free of camera shake. It should be well-exposed. Size and type The…