Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i NZ4WD

Land Rover has launched a powerful new Defender V8 as part of a range of enhancements to its latest luxury 4x4 model. The new 386kW (525PS)/625Nm Defender V8 and flagship Defender V8 Carpathian Edition provide a unique combination of performance and capability, with bespoke chassis settings that Land Rover claims deliver new levels of driver engagement and agility both on and off-road. The powerful new models build on decades of Land Rover V8 heritage – spanning the original Stage I V8 of the 1970s, North American-spec models from the 1990s and the more recent Defender Works V8 – as the characterful engine joins the latest range of efficient Ingenium petrol, diesel and advanced plug-in hybrid Land Rover powertrains. The V8 petrol engine isn’t the only introduction. There’s also a new…

OK, so you’ve read recently about bespoke Aussie camper van manufacturer Earthcruiser Australia’s latest Toyota Land Cruiser-based build. Well, be prepared to again have any preconceptions you might have about Aussies blown away for a second time in as many months, thanks to the company’s next build project; the new seven-tonne Iveco Daily 4x4-based Expedition Earthcruiser EXP. Built from the get-go to be Euro 6 compliant, the new EXP 4x4 will also be available for the first time with a fluid eight-speed transmission, or a traditional six-speed manual. The new EXP model is part of a range of Iveco Daily cab/chassis options available for customers to configure to their exact specifications for their dream adventure in Australia’s outback, or indeed, worldwide. Powered by Iveco’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine developing 134kW…

First, an admission. Though I organised this tow around high-profile Kiwi drifter Mad Mike Whiddett’s first Drift Force event at Hampton Downs in February, I never made it. So thanks Case L or M or whatever letter of the alphabet you are (still) hiding behind (see From The Editor col) by choosing NOT to follow the same plain, simple Covid-19 guidelines like the rest of us, you forced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her cabinet into Auckland’s fourth Level 3 or higher Lockdown from 6.00am on the very Sunday I should have been towing my old Skyline to and from Hampton Downs for my first drift event of the year. Making matters worse was the fact that the event went ahead – without Aucklanders of course – because the Hampton…

The latest Load Assist Kit in the Boss range has just been released to manufacturing. The new LA-41 kit is for the latest Isuzu D-Max which became available in the New Zealand market around September 2020. With Mazda moving from a Ford platform to an Isuzu platform for its new 2021 BT-50, this new kit will also be the kit for the BT-50 from 2021. We expect to have our first shipment of the new top plates for the LA-41 kit in March, however we have secured a limited supply of pre-production kits available for urgent requirements. First 2021 D-Max kit installed The first of our new LA-41 Load Assist kits for the 2021 Isuzu D-Max RG and Mazda BT-50 have now been installed and are in use. Like most…

With its proximity (just north of) the fabled Pureora Forest Ngaroma was once the home, in fact, of 50-60 people employed in the area until logging ceased in 1975 and the mill closed. Jump forward to February 2021, however, and there was once again an influx of people to Ngaroma but this time for the Te Awamutu Rotary Club 4WD Safari. The annual 4WD safari is held in various regions around the greater Te Awamutu district and this year it was Ngaroma’s turn. The popular annual 4WD Safari has been held since 2001 although it has missed a few years with lack of 4WD experience and manpower and the odd weather bomb washing away sections of the old road. This time around (despite the ever-looming shadow of Covid-19) it all…

If you know one thing about four-wheel-drive vehicles, you’ll know that ‘bits is gonna get busted sooner or later’. If you’ve busted your share of bits over the years you will also know that if there is a Mountshop nearby then it is no big deal . With nigh on 20 years supplying all manner of suspension parts, engine, body and subframe mounts, hoses, couplings, steering rack components, differential and exhaust parts etc., there’s much more to the Mountshop catalogue these days – for the trade or the “I tinker with my toy” Kiwi motorist. Mountshop today is an automotive supplier of excellence, and with branches in Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt and Christchurch, there’s a big yellow Mountshop branch ready to supply all those little bits ‘n…

The Cross Country Vehicle Club of Wellington Incorporated (CCVC) was started 50 years ago in 1971, predating the formation of the NZFWDA by three years. Bob Jeffery put out the initial feelers to start a club and his son and grandson continue to compete in 4WD Trials now. Currently listing 196 ordinary members (without counting associate members) this makes the CCVC the largest 4WD club in NZ. The club’s most notable event is the Deadwood Safari, the name so synonymous with 4 wheeling that it was officially trademarked by the club. The Deadwood was hugely popular with the spectating public and possibly their only contact with the sport. The event and 4WD Trials have evolved a lot, the original Deadwood being run as a trip along the Deadwood Ridge stopping…

The Hikutaia School National 4×4 Trial was the scene for the second round the Lucas Oils-supported 2020/21 series hosted by the Thames Valley 4WD Club in late January. The ground was hard and dry, as to be expected for the northern rally, but featured plenty of mud bogs and action nevertheless for competitors and spectators alike. Neville Mather & Richard Verner won the day in their D Class Nitro Customs buggy, followed by the ever consistent Greg & Chris McDell and Shayne Towers and Tony Hadland in their C Class Tombuilt. Scott and Jarred Biggs finished close behind in 4th & 5th overall. Rhys O’Brien and Clarrie Vazey continued their strong form in C Class once again finishing 2nd in class with their Honda K24 powered buggy, this time improving…

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 ideal submission…

Land Rover Classic is continuing the expedition legacy of the original Defender with a limited production run of adventure-ready Defender Works V8 Trophy vehicles for an exclusive competition at Eastnor Castle later this year. Based on the re-engineered 2012-2016 Defender Works V8 developed by Land Rover Classic the new Works V8 Trophy spec. includes a 297.8kW (405PS)/515Nm 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine, eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and comprehensive uprated suspension, steering and braking packages, specifically tailored for off-road use. Twenty-five examples of the Defender Works V8 Trophy, in a mixture of 90 and 110 Station Wagon body designs, will be exclusively finished in a unique Eastnor Yellow paint colour with matching 16-inch steel wheels. Additional all-terrain kit includes a front winch, multi-point expedition cage, roof rack, underbody protection, A-bar, raised air…

Automotive lighting specialist Narva has made it easy to select the right lighting package with its Explora line up of LED driving lights and light bars. Whilst Narva’s flagship Ultima 215 light is designed for dedicated off-road and transport vehicles in need of immense amounts of light, Tim Paterson, National Sales Manager for Griffiths Equipment, which distributes Narva products here, says that the Explora range will appeal to people whose vehicles spend most of their time on bitumen with the occasional weekend away, wanting powerful lights in a compact design. “Explora lights are designed for easy fitment to any SUV, passenger vehicle, work ute or small car whilst further enhancing the look of the vehicle. “Our 175mm lights have a slim profile that will fit within almost any bull bar,…

G.O.A.T right. You know, sports jock jargon. Think what Tiger Woods is (or rather was) to golf. What Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael were to Supercross. And Valentino Rossi is (still) to MotoGP. You know, It’s short for Greatest Of All Time. That – in a nutshell – is how Subaru here sees the new – sixth-generation – Outback, as its G.O.A.T, or G.O.O.A.T (for Greatest Outback Of All Time). Goats, themselves are well known for inhabiting New Zealand’s adventure type terrain, the natural habitat of the Subaru Outback so, the marketing kind of works. Just go see your Subaru dealer if none of this makes sense. You really need to see the TVC or the clever two stage billboard advertising for it all to really scan. Alternatively, you can…

By law, any trailer/load combinations heavier than 2500kg must be fitted with an in-vehicle brake controller with the ability to operate the trailer’s brakes independently of the vehicle in case of sway events. The Tow-Pro Elite Electric Brake Controller by REDARC offers selectable Proportional or User-controlled trailer braking modes, allowing the user to choose the braking style depending on the road or terrain conditions, vehicle type or driver preference. Proportional Mode can be used when travelling on bitumen and is great when applying the brakes in a progressive manner. This applies the brakes in a smooth manner and avoids skidding. Once you’re off-road, however, you’ll want the User-Controlled mode. The control knob can be dialled up or down to suit the terrain when driving. And because the control knob can…

I first met Paul Taylor and his family, partner Eunice and son Ryan, at the Reefton Motor Camp whilst guiding my first 4x4Explorer Adventures trip in January 2020. They had a really good set up with an immaculate Mazda BT-50 and large caravan. One day, after returning from a trip, I noticed that they had a new vehicle. A Daihatsu Rocky, the same colour as the 4x4Explorer Prado had started out. Purple and silver… Paul had always done a lot of 4WDing but didn’t want to use the BT-50 out on the trails. Ryan, his son, calls it the “Pavement Princess” and had been trying to persuade him to buy something else that he could take out and get dirty. Paul had seen the Rocky on TradeMe before leaving home…

We are truly living in golden times. Where not that long ago, proper, pukka off-road – capable 4WDs were few and far between, today they are amongst our biggest and best sellers. Which is all very well until the thing starts costing you money, right? Oddly enough, one of the best – proven too – ways to avoid really big bills later is to pay some much smaller ones earlier. We’re talking preventative maintenance and in researching this story I found a quote from Repco I Australia suggesting that 4WDs needed servicing more regularly than current factory guidelines dictate. “If you are a veteran hard core off-roader, you likely know all there is to know about servicing and maintaining a 4WD vehicle. However, if you are new to the off-road…

As part of its ever-expanding four-wheel-drive range, CoolDrive Auto Parts has welcomed a new product line – lithium-ion jump starters. Launching with three units – HU6510, HU6511 and HU6512 – these top-quality jump starters are part of the HULK Professional Series brand. All are 12V units, with leading features of each including a LED display, LED flashlight, battery cable socket, input and output charging sockets. Depending on the individual unit’s specifications, the range is capable of charging petrol and diesel powered vehicles, from motorcycles, cars, SUVs and boats, right through to heavy commercial machinery. The HU6510 offers wireless charging, with a battery capacity of 10,400Ah, delivering peak current of 800amp; while the mid-range HU6511 has a battery capacity of 18,000Ah, delivering peak current of 2,000amp. The top-of-line HU6512 has a…

Jamboree, Corroboree, Hunga call it what you want, it’s all just using your four-wheel drive for what it is made for. In saying that, the CCVC’s 50th anniversary proved to be a most successful events of its type run here in recent years with people attending from all three of the Association zones covering the whole country. They were offered three different trips every day, all over the Wellington area and Allah willed that there was minimal mechanical carnage. All except for senior organiser John Vruink who waited to the last hour of the last day for his old Tojo to cry enough; still we couldn’t leave him behind, because had arranged the dinner which we still had to go to! Each day began at base at Harcourts Holiday Park…

The 50th anniversary year of CCVC has been in planning for a couple of years by some dedicated members (Ralph Dobson, Neil Blackie, John Vruink and Penne Pasta) and they hit the ground running with this Jamboree and coming up with a calendar of anniversary events. The programme includes running some major events, the first being this Jamboree for Central Zone and later in May hosting the NZFWDA conference this year in Silverstream. There is also a schedule to re-run some of the old trips that remain popular, although we no longer have access to some Wairarapa properties. The club has run some winter trips to Australia in the past and there was an idea to go to Oz or even South America but as we know overseas travel is…

Christchurch to Auckland and back – a long haul, which a lot of us will do in hope of a race event that makes the effort worthwhile. This time the racing really was exceptional. I had a solo drive up from Christchurch and got to test out the new camper back on the hauler. Was first to arrive and set up and tested the practicalities of camping trackside, which was a revelation. The drive to Auckland was the most relaxed and relaxing I can remember. Being able to just plonk down trackside and be based there was such a difference. Gridding up with 16 other trucks – that’s a record field. We were a split grid, half class eight and half ProLite class eight. There was a bit of a…

If you are a regular reader of NZ4WD you might remember 2020 Your4s readers’ photos competition winner Merv Moodie’s winning portfolio from the December issue – and the Ed’s comments that it was only Merv’s persistence which saw them finally arrive (in all their grunty 17MB each glory) in the office computer’s inbox. Merv is seen here in his hometown of Christchurch collecting his prize – a set of four brand, spanking new Kumho 4x4 tyres – from the boss of NZ importer Blairs Tyres, Andrew Blair. Good on you Merv mate.…

On a wet and windy Saturday morning at the end of October last year over 30 vehicles and 70 club members turned out on Wellington’s South Coast to help clean-up the beach. Days like this one are nothing special for the 4WD club the members belong to, Wellington’s Cross Country Vehicle Club (CCVC). On the contrary, members of the cub spend a lot of time on the South Coast, replanting the dunes and maintaining Capital Kiwi’s traplines through Te Kopahua Reserve as well. Actually , as it turned out, the Saturday, October 31 day did end up being a little bit special as we kicked off with speeches from the NZFWDA’s (and CCVC’s) Grant Purdie National PRO, Wellington Mayor Andy Foster, old mate Rob Goulden (ex-City Councilor) and our kaumatua…

You don’t have to be a fully qualified auto electrician to fit the new Narva Model 37 submersible LED lighting kit to your boat trailer. That’s because the kit that has just been introduced to New Zealand consists of a plug and play harness, so no real electrical skill is needed and no splicing or joining of wires is required, making connections a tool-free operation. Just plug and play. “It’s a very simple task for anyone to perform – a complete ‘plug and play’ solution for boat trailers making installation easier and quicker. Perfect for DIY installation,” says Tim Paterson, national sales manager for Griffiths Equipment, which distributes Narva lighting products throughout New Zealand. Designed from the ground up, the Model 37 trailer lamp has been engineered for use on…

As a quick catch-up, the S-Drive is an electronic pedal plug that plugs in to the accelerator pedal fly-by-wire system and improves response times from the pedal to the engine management computer. These days of course “drive-by-wire” technology, electronic potentiometers and sensors have replaced accelerator cables; instead the sensor at the pedal tells the vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit or computer) how far down the pedal has been pressed and in turn, the ECU sends a signal to the actuator to increase airflow to the engine. Lagging behind Where this becomes an issue is as the voltage ramps up, it ramps up slowly. Unlike old cable setups there is no instant boot mashing your accelerator because vehicle manufacturers tend to tune-in smooth throttle response to minimise strain on the vehicle and driveline. The…

During our most recent weeks of guiding down in Central Otago, I met up, in Wanaka, with a Frenchman called Thomas Vialletet from Mountain Lab Tours, who had bought some Maxtrax from us through www.maxtrax.nz. Thomas is a mountain guide, or as they say in France, Guide de Haute Montaigne. These guys are gods! They have to be able to ski to instructor level, climb on both rock and ice and do ski touring. I lived in France for 20 years and often used to stay in Chamonix, where the French mountain guiding school is located. As with most of the guides that I have met and used in the past, Thomas is extremely capable whilst at the same time remaining extremely modest and friendly. Thomas is not only a…

When it comes to power, performance, and durability you always want to rely on the best. We all know you pimp your off-road vehicles with all the bells and whistles to get the maximum enjoyment and benefit out of them. With that in mind, preparedness for being out and about on the rugged, rough, and unforgiving terrain with your 4WD is key to enjoying your adventures. Having the ability to be always staying connected is not only essential but is vital if you need assistance at any point in time. Two better than one! Having a reliable back up power supply in the form of a dual battery system will give you the assurance of continued and reliable power where and when you need it most. While your SLI (starting,…

Braided brake hoses included in the Bendix Ultimate 4WD Upgrade Kits are now available in a range for individual purchase and offer a number of advantages over the factory fitted hoses fitted to the vehicle. By upgrading a vehicle’s brake hoses, drivers will experience a vastly improved firm brake pedal feel as the new stainless steel braided hoses do not expand under high pressure and can withstand severe damage from stones and obstacles experienced in off-road conditions. The Bendix 4WD brake hoses are available for standard ride height vehicles and also in longer lengths to suit two-inch and four-inch raised suspensions requiring longer length hoses. Fitting the Ultimate 4WD hoses poses no problem as they are designed to fit without any modification. Bendix braided hoses meet SAE J1401 and are…

The Waiotauru Road is an old logging road established by the Odlins Timber Company and used for logging until the 1960s or ‘70s. It’s slowly deteriorated since then until it’s now a reasonably challenging 4WD track requiring total focus and concentration on the drive into the new hut. Leaving the assembly area at Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt there’s a 40-minute drive to the start of the track. Drivers enjoying the trip were Neil (trip leader) and John from CCVC, Colin, Grant and Lloyd from Manukau 4WD Club, David and Jason from Auckland 4WD Club, Hamish from Wairarapa 4WD Club and Mary-Ellen from Taranaki 4WD Club. Partners’ names not recorded, sorry! So, on both days five capable trucks entered the track after airing down about 10.00 am. The trip into…

From Picton it was then a road trip via Blenheim to Westport, with a scenic coffee stop at Lake Rotoiti and a few photo stops along the way. We were booked into the Top10 campsite at Carter’s Beach, just south of Westport, which proved to be a very pleasant location with no formal sites for unpowered tenting, allowing us to secure a piece of grass not too far from the facilities and away from the noisy children’s play area. With a number of other 4WDs around, we soon found that our neighbours were part of a group from one of the lower North Island 4WD clubs, resulting in some good camaraderie in the evenings. Although the trip from Picton had been in beautifully warm, fine weather, the forecast for the…

The 2021 Mickey Thompson New Zealand Stadium Offroad Racing Championship got off to what can only be considered a successful start at the first of its two rounds at the new purpose-built course at Auckland’s Colin Dale Park on Saturday February 13. The championship is a new two-round event on the sport’s calendar, and harks back to the American stadium series created by Mickey Thompson. The opening round and March’s final are the first major title races of the year and national trophies will be awarded after round two on March 6. The organisers gridded up 107 cars across the truck, UTV, youth and race car classes at the first round. In common with the popular speedway events it is modelled after, a champion will be crowned in every class;…

Simple, effective, no-BS communication. We like that. Almost as much as we liked the hi-res .jpg images that arrived in the Ed’s inbox last month from keen Overlander and photographer Astrid Howarth. “These photos were taken by me (Astrid Howarth). This is my partner’s vehicle. We stayed the night at Whitikau Campsite which is in between Opotiki and Motu (and yes) we completed the Otipi Road track.” Cheers for making the effort, Astrid,, and good luck with the Kumho Tyres draw. YOU ARE NOW ENTERED TO WIN A GRAND PRIZE OF FOUR KUMHO 4X4 TYRES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NZ4WD ANNUAL ISSUE.…