Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i SA4x4

There is something unique about driving a Land Rover Defender or Series model, not least of all the ‘Land Rover wave’ shared between owners. This enthusiasm has buoyed the brand through sixty-eight years of production, but it is now time for a collective wave. In January, the last-ever Defender rolled off the Solihull production line in Solihull, ending a rich, chequered and fascinating history of a vehicle that, for many, was the essence of adventure. From the first production model in 1948, much was added to this British take on the Jeep of World War Two, but the basics soldiered on. This was a tough, simple, dedicated off-roading machine with solid axles, a hugely over-engineered ladder-frame chassis and metal in places where others had adopted plastics. Even the latest Heritage…

In a world of seven-year product lifecycles, the Chevrolet Captiva is way past term. So it is late to the surgery considering the 2016 version went under the knife just a year from its 10th birthday in an effort to keep it current and trendy. And, of course, sexier. The 2016 model flaunts a meaner-looking appearance, courtesy of a squared-off jaw line, new slatted grille, LED daytime running lights, new 18-in alloy wheels, twin chrome exhausts and integrated sidesteps. It’s as thorough as most facelifts go. Inside, the new look incudes Chevrolet’s trendy MyLink infotainment system, allied to a 7-inch touch screen. This system allows smartphone users to project some of their phone’s apps and functions onto the display. This system complements a refreshed dashboard and instrument cluster design. Aside…

REINVU500 500w PowerSource inverter with 2.1A USB The 12V, 500w PowerSource Plus with single socket is an ideal leisure accessory and is safe to use on applications listed under RINV300, and on equipment rated up to 500W - such as medium power tools, colour televisions with DVD players and battery chargers. Input is 12V DC, output is 230V AC. It weighs 0.88kg, and is a compact 57x132x214mm. R1295 REINVP1000 1000 WATT 12V PURE SINE INVERTER Provides pure sine wave power which replicates normal mains supply for up to 12 hours of continuous use. Offers low distortion when powering audio and video equipment, and is compatible with portable power tool chargers, video game consoles and other sensitive electronic equipment which may not be compatible with modified sine wave inverters. Provides two…

It won’t surprise me if Hollywood decides to make another Steve-Jobs-type documentary based on the legendary Land Rover. I can just see it now: the opening scene zooms out over a beach. The words “Red Wharf Bay” briefly appear on the screen before the waves wash them away. Two suited figures become visible in the distance as they walk towards our screen. “So, Maurice, whatever will replace this new Jeep of yours once it wears out?” the one figure enquires of the other. “I don’t rightly know. I suppose it should be replaced with something versatile and practical that will be suitable for using on the lands.” “I suppose you’re right. But, there is no option like that aside from the Jeep…” “Well then, I guess we’ll simply have to…

FANCY NAME Merops bullockoides AFRIKAANS Rooikeelbyvreter I have always considered the word “clan” to have a fascinating and somewhat mysterious ring to it, and decided recently to consult the ever-willing info resource of Wikipedia to find out more. According to this portal of wisdom, a clan is a group of people who feel themselves united by actual (or perceived) kinship and descent. The word, says Wiki, is derived from the word clann, meaning children or progeny, but not family, in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word was introduced into English around the year 1425, and clans were apparently common long before other similar forms of community groupings came into being. Members of different clans were often identified by way of a coat…

2016 sees the end of Land Rover Defender production. The Land Rover Defender is the last of a line of very successful vehicles produced . Although Defender is much admired, early model Series Land Rovers, and especially Series 1s, are now much sought after. Compared with the comfort, speed and ease of operation offered by the Defender, Series 1s are carts: uncomfortable, slow, noisy, and sometimes full of trouble… but this is part of their appeal. They are simple, basic machines and can be kept going with limited tools and skill, and Sir Tinley is just such a vehicle. Sir Tinley was built in Birmingham in 1957 as a 107-inch wheelbase Station Wagon, now a rare vehicle. She was used by a farmer in the Natal Midlands; and later by…

Total Power Output = Total Area x Conversion Efficiency x Solar Irradiance. This means that Total Area = Total Power Output / (Solar Irradiance x Conversion Efficiency). Solar Irradiance is defined as the power of the sun’s electromagnetic radiation per unit area, and is measured in watt per square meter (W/m2). At sea level, on a surface at a right angle to the sun’s rays, the Solar Irradiance is generally accepted as 1000W/m2. Solar panels typically have a Conversion Efficiency of 0.17 (17%). In order to supply 1000W, the Total Area = 1000 / (1000 x 0.17) = 5.88m2. Bear in mind that you’ll still need to run this power through a battery and inverter to bring the solar panel’s low voltage, direct current output up to a high voltage…

TRAVIS HANRATTY his picture captures Travis with his beloved Hilux 4L V6 having some serious family 4x4 fun in the Malolotja nature reserve in the Swaziland Highlands. Proving that the messiest activities are the most entertaining activities, the Hilux powered through some epic storms on the Hanratty’s 10-day west-to-east camping trip through the Mountain Kingdom. PETER BUNGE You know you’re cool when you get your wife to take a snapshot of you in your pimped-out 1999 Disco Land Rover Discovery Series II TD5 camper conversion, complete with rear door kitchenette. Peter Bunge and his wife took a trip to the Big Rock 4x4 trail in KZN and captured this gem at a pit stop in the Inanda Valley. ROY WALSH Roy and his mates enjoying the sunset after a heavy…

RICHARD EKSTEEN 2015 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 3.6-LITRE V6 2-DOOR Age: 44 Occupation: Construction site planner Modifications: • 285/70 R17 Cooper STT mud terrain tyres • 17-inch racing Hart Concept Mags • Replacement front 4x4 bumper • Replacement rear 4x4 bumper • 8-ton T-Max winch • LED speaker headlights • LED bar • Jeep JK snorkel • 2.5-inch Tough Dog suspension lift kit • Tail light protectors Future modifications: • Bushwacker flat fender flares Future trip: • Namib dunes (again!) • Would like to organise a “Boesmanland Dakar” I never leave home without: Water! SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO & WIN A FREDLIN HOIST! There’s no point in driving around with your roofrack/rooftop tent if you’re not on holiday. Save fuel (and wear & tear) by installing a Fredlin hoist. This proudly South…

RANGE PRICES Single cab: From R228 900 to R 435 900 Xtra cab: From R333 900 to R470 900 Double cab: From R 377 900 to R593 900 When the previous generation Hilux made its local début more than a decade ago, it literally overshadowed its competition. It was bigger than anything else in its class, and some of its engines were front-runners among their peers as well. And, in an era when most bakkies still adhered to the old-fashioned notion that a dashboard needs to be as square and hard as the load bay itself, the Hilux introduced us to the concept of a relatively car-like interior – easing the pain of long stretches behind the wheel without relinquishing any of the workhorse toughness which made these vehicles so…

CAN’T FUEL YOU… Front Runner’s auxiliary and long-range fuel tanks We know that you might not be convinced alone by the ‘now at a reduced price’ sales pitch, but the fact is that these Front Runner fuel tanks are mostly for the older or run-out models, and the specs haven’t hanged a jot. They are all expertly designed and individually tested to ensure maximum fuel capacity and highest ground clearance. Manufactured from 3CR12 Stainless Steel, the fuel tanks have unbeatable strength and are sprayed with anti-stone-chip paint to ensure lasting quality. Check the website to see if your vehicle is on the list. From R 4 750 For details and suppliers, visit www.FrontRunnerOutfitters.com LIGHTEN UP Ironman 4x4’s LED driving lights Now’s your chance to go and play in the darkest…

South Africa has been bombarded with info on the rhino poaching crisis through both the print and electronic media. Along with many of the other crisis points – from the State of the Nation address to rioting university students – we as South Africans have become immune to the knock-on effects that many of these things will have on our future. The rhino poaching crisis is reaching the tipping point where deaths will exceed births, and then we face the rapid path to extinction of wild, free-roaming rhino. The country is currently divided into three camps when it comes to rhino and the horn as a tradable commodity. Pro-trade pundits believe that opening up strictly controlled international trade will result in the demand being met, and the poaching will decrease…

As it had been previously described to us as a ‘scenic drive’, our biased opinion of the Meadows 4x4 trail was initially set to a fairly low bar. So, we were delighted when our expectations were blown out of the water by one of the best formal 4x4 trails I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring. The majestic working farm, ‘Meadows’, which lies on the picturesque Elands River about 60km east of Port Elizabeth, harvests honey from beehives in the fynbos while also milking a herd of 30 cows. Eight years ago, it was these cows that created the ‘4x4’ trail by finding paths of least resistance while looking for food. The cows explored up and down the mountains, along river beds and dense indigenous forests. The farm’s owner, Donovan…

I have always had a thing for Landys. Since childhood. As they say, it is a Landy thing. Ironically, I also love Cruisers but, for various reasons, including the feel of the Landy, have always stuck with Defenders. Since 2000, I have had 4 Defenders and a Disco. My wife currently drives a Defender 110 Puma, and I have my High-Capacity bakkie, the camper The origin We have a large family. Apart from my wife, Alida, and I, we have four gorgeous kids (Marnus, Eugenie, Ruben and Carissa). Still smallish. Before the kids came, my wife and I used to camp almost every weekend. Our weekdays were filled with business, and weekends were spent rock-climbing and mountain-biking all over the country. We fell in love with Lesotho after we started…

We’d heard a lot about the quality of the Carma Quip self-inflating mattresses, so a two-night camping expedition in Port Elizabeth was the perfect opportunity for SA4x4 to test out this locally made product. A comfortable night or two’s rest was essential – especially now that self-professed girly-girl Kayla Cloete had joined our team. Who better to review the comforts offered by this mattress than someone who enjoys the luxuries in life (a comfortable night’s sleep being one such ‘luxury’)? A wise decision when one considers the alternative of leaving the assessment up to SA4x4’s only other male journo, who was perfectly content to sleep on a rolled-up backpack as a pillow for two nights. After pitching our tents, I pulled the mattress out of its heavy-duty carry bag. I…

• Landy BY VERONICA LAMOND, 2015, STRUIK NATURE • Fender’s day at the harbour BY VERONICA LAMOND, 2015, STRUIK NATURE These two hardcover picture books from Veronica Lamond’s ‘Landybook’ series tell practical stories of Landys at work and play, and are aimed at children between ages two and five. First in the series is Landy, a story about a 1956 Series 1 Land Rover found at the bottom of a farmer’s field, overgrown, miserable and begging to be started again. Jack is the one to open her bonnet and tinker, and when he gets her going, they’re both as pleased as Punch. Who doesn't delight in getting an old Landy up and running again, and which old Landy isn’t happy to be chugging along a familiar farm track, picking up animals needing…

Call it two parts of a perfect storm: the death of the Defender and the imminent tarring of Sani Pass. So, with the storm clouds gathering ever darker, we have joined a fulsome rattle of ancient Land Rovers as they make a final ascent up Sani Pass before it is graded and asphalted. Like the Land Rover brand, the pass is rich in history, so this oily gathering is the perfect send-off to a magnificent stretch of mountain track. Our expedition leader, Kingsley Holgate, has a long-standing relationship with Land Rover (who support his humanitarian efforts) so it was par for the course that along the way we helped a few folk, and even dabbled in a spot of livestock rescue. It’s fitting that we were travelling in Land Rovers,…

The Land Rover was created with one simple purpose – to save the Rover car company, by making a 4x4 to compete against the Willys Jeep. As demand ramped up for the Land Rover, its capabilities beyond the farm were soon recognised. Everyone, from the wealthy country-set who towed horse boxes, to men working the fields, had a Land Rover. Even the Queen had one. By 1949, Land Rover had built an off-road demonstration facility on the farm neighbouring the Solihull factory. Here, on the first public 4x4 course, was where people would cut their low-range teeth. Soon, off-road driving competitions and meetings were being set up amongst owners, and the Land Rover ‘lifestyle’ was born. Beyond using the Land Rover as a leisure vehicle, some of the more adventurous…

‘‘ One can’t help giggling at two grown men driving toy-sized 4x4s and getting progressively more bogged in the pissing rain ” It is an icon, yes, and a capable 4x4 too, but it’s the people behind a product that give it a personality. This last-of-the-last Heritage Edition Defender I am driving is no different. Originally a British interpretation of the Willys Jeep, the first ‘Landy’ sketch was imagined by drawing it into the cold, wet sand of Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, Wales. Given the roughness of Maurice Wilks’ first sketch, the Defender stands today as proof that good design doesn’t need much evolution to be great. I’ve driven to the small farming town of Greyton not far from Cape Town to meet a bunch of chaps who like…

In a world of cheesy, chrome smiles, spray-on mud and the fattening of our cars to match the expanding girths of their owners, the Defender is a welcome breeze of nostalgia. One must keep in mind that the basic architecture of this Defender dates back to 1983, when the first 90s (which reflects their wheelbase in inches) were introduced. Since then, the only significant changes have been in the engine, gearbox and a few minor interior departments, so don’t expect Rolls Royce comfort. What we have here is the ‘new’ Adventure edition. It’s available in white, orange or grey, all with a contrasting black bonnet, unique interior and exterior ‘Adventure’ badging, plus LED headlights, leather seats, diamond-cut alloys and alloy bash plates. Production for the Adventure edition will be limited…

FIND THAT PART… Having problems finding quality replacement parts? Gemini Parts, established in 1983, imports OE-quality replacement parts from Japan, Australia, Europe and the USA. You can have their parts couriered to you from anywhere in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland or Lesotho. Their range includes parts for your 4x4’s engine, gearbox, diff, suspension, electrics and body. Find them at www.geminiparts.co.za or email sales@geminiparts.co.za. POWER TOOL DISCOUNT Bosch Power Tools SA has started the ‘Exchange Campaign 2016’ which will run from March to June this year. Simply hand in any brand of old power tool to a participating dealer and you will receive a 20% discount on one of the following tools: GSR 1080-2-LI and GSR 1800-LI cordless drill/ driver; GSB 1080-2-LI and GSB 1300 impact drill, GBM 320 and…

Over the years, customers having difficulties with their satellite navigation devices have often asked the same questions. Below is Part 2 of the frequently-asked questions that I have received, followed in each case by my answer. 1. My device continually switches off even if connected to a 12V power cable in the car. A firmware update could be required, or the device should be charged from a 220V power source. 2. When I navigate to a point, the distance to the point is incorrect. The initial distance to any point when activated would be as the crow flies (a straight line); only once you have started moving will the device have an idea of which route to follow, and only then will it calculate the true route distance to your…