Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i SA4x4

How often do you travel for a specific reason? To see the elephant in Addo, to watch the wildebeest migration in Zambia, to fish for tiger on the Zambezi…? This year, we promise, we’re going to be doings lots of this sort of thing. Heading out, ticking off some items on our bucket list, and no doubt adding a few more. Read about it here. Because its 2016, a promising new year. Despite the odds, and whatever anyone says about travel becoming too expensive, there are still a great many adventures to be had in the world. Just work it into your budget. My particular pilgrimage is to see a leopard for more than a fleeting second. In years of faffing about in the bush, I’ve never had a proper…

Compact SUVs are trending right now, and research shows 45% buy them for the looks, so Suzuki is right in there with the Vitara: competing against every player from Ford Ecosport to Nissan Juke. It looks all squared-off; and the clamshell bonnet and horizontal grille lines are a bit of a double-take on a shrunken Discovery Sport. Suzuki prefers to trace the evolutionary line back to the 1988 Gen I Vitara, with its boxy shape and emphatic wheel arches. The bigger Grand Vitara came along in 1998, its second gen in 2005, but this is not the successor. Rather, it’s based on the SX4 platform, and is offered in various trim grades with a single 1.6-litre petrol engine. Outputs are a busy 86kW at 6000rpm and 151Nm at 4400 rpm,…

When it comes to choosing an All-Terrain tyre, BF Goodrich has for years been the default choice. Its tough sidewalls, chunky long-lasting tread and performance on gravel, rocks and mud were considered a fair trade-off for not-so-good wet-weather handling on tar. Obviously the compound has been tweaked over the years to improve the latter fault, but now the KO2, just launched in South Africa after nearly a year in the home markets, has gone a few steps further. The Michelin subsidiary is claiming that the KO2, which is partially modelled on the KR2 racing version which has taken so many trophies in the Baja off-road race series, offers 15% more tread life on tar, double the tread life on gravel, and 20% tougher sidewalls. In addition, the claim is 10%…

Toyota's South African-built Dakar Rally bakkies are heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina in yet another quest for glory in this gruelling off-road race. With 13 stages and more than 10 000km of driving through some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable, it's a real accomplishment just to finish, let alone finish well. In this regard, the Hilux racers have done South Africa proud since their first outing in 2011 – victory was often within sight, but the local team just missed the ultimate podium finish up till now. Now, after a team reshuffle and many more months of strenuous development work, the racing team hopes to grab overall victory in the 2016 event. Two of the cars carry familiar contenders: with consistent top-four finishes over the past four years, Giniel…

While important to locals, the region east of the A1 is perennially bypassed by travellers en route to Botswana’s more renowned wildlife and wilderness destinations. Yet this area has the World-Heritage-acclaimed Tswapong Hills, the even wilder Lepokole Hills, and one of southern Africa’s most under-rated game reserves in Tuli. Time for a closer look... Having visited Gonarezhou, we approached from Bulawayo via Plumtree, and the modern infrastructure and relative wealth of Botswana was glaringly apparent as soon as we crossed over from Zimbabwe. Exiting the Ramokgwebana border post onto immaculate roads and light traffic, we made good time to Francistown. After stocking up on food and drink in Botswana’s second largest city, we made our way south, overnighting at Tachila Nature Reserve – a considerably more attractive alternative for breaking…

Day one: Solitaire overnight Assemble at Solitaire by nightfall. Get last-minute supplies and fill your vehicle and jerry cans with fuel. Remember to grab one of the Solitaire Bakery’s famous apple pies! Tonight you’ll all meet-and-greet and have dinner by a campfire. Day 2: Solitaire to Kuiseb River Canyon Leave Solitaire and enter the Namib Naukluft Park, 35km north. This is a restricted area, and where the adventure really begins. General tourists are not allowed in, and only a few selected guides can bring in guests. Cross the Namib plains on the general routes that the early German Schutztruppe travelled on horseback and camel in the 1800s. The route leads from grassy plains to the Kuiseb Canyon in which the camp will be made. Where the desert sand meets the…

FANCY NAME Alcedo cristata AFRIKAANS Kuifkopvisvanger The more you get to know about birds, with their fascinating habits, interesting adaptations and incredible skills, the more you realise how cleverly they were created. If you were to take the colourful little creature in the picture above, which stands only about 14 centimetres high, and carefully remove all its feathers, you’d be left with no more than a few grams of protein in your hand. Yet this tiny bird can do many amazing things that you and I can only dream of. Think about it for a moment. This little bird can fly. It has incredible eyesight and can spot the tiniest speck of food from distances that boggle the mind. It can see a little fish under the surface of the…

The original Dutch name of Zuurberg (Sour Mountain) has been changed to the more acceptable 'Suurberg' through the generations, being so named after the sour grasses which grow there. An important Late Stone Age archaeological site can be found at the Melkhoutboom Cave in the Zuurberg, which has uncovered artefacts dating back some 15 000 years; these have contributed greatly to our overall picture of the life and times of the prehistoric hunter-gatherers. The Zuurberg Pass (not the Bedrogfontein Pass – although it is on the same mountain range), was built in 1850, requiring 250 convicts two years to complete, and was the only road to the north from Port Elizabeth for anyone travelling towards Grahamstown, Somerset East, Colesburg and Kimberley. It was described as “...passable for the heaviest wagons…

Gypsies? We glanced at each other as a backpacker couple in the lodge bar insultingly called us gypsies because we’d refused to take them to Nxai Pan. In fact, we quite like the term and I might have offered to paint the Landy with flowers, add a few shiny brass horseshoes, and put a stuffed cat on the roof. “I see,” I said quietly instead. Mandi gave me a warning look, one of those that only women can do with the narrowed eyes, lowered chin and tightened lips. But I was in too far, now. I wasn’t subtle in telling them, amongst other things, that we did not have an obligation to take them on our planned trip to Nxai Pan simply because we had invested in a vehicle and…

Ironman 4x4 has been represented in southern Africa since 2005 by Suspension Solutions, a Division of the then Autoquip Group of companies. Due to growing demand for the brand over a nine-year period, Ironman 4x4 International elected to establish a company-owned office and distribution warehouse in South Africa. A new joint venture company was established in July 2014 between Brudaco Group (formerly Autoquip Group) and Ironman 4x4 Australia. This company is now known as Ironman 4x4 Africa. Ironman 4x4 is a family-owned Australian business that was established in 1958 by Gunther Jacob, a spring smith. The company’s roots are firmly established in spring manufacture. In the mid-Eighties, attention turned to the burgeoning 4WD industry and Jacob Spring Works (JSW) turned their attention to 4WD suspension manufacture. A comprehensive 4WD suspension…

PLASTIC SAVES THE DAY Having lived in Botswana for the last few years, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to travel fairly often to many of the remote and beautiful places on my doorstep, even if just for a night or two. It was shortly after one of these little trips in my old Hilux KZ-TE that I learnt one of my most valuable overlanding lessons. A friend and I had taken a few days leave for a quick trip to the Moremi Game Reserve. It was a rewarding break with those quiet, peaceful bush nights, near-perfect camping weather and a good variety of game sightings. The relatively-small volume of the annual flood, coupled with the seasons’ unusually low rainfall, meant that the bush was ideal for…

A lively addition to the bakkie wars from mid-2016 will be the thoroughly revamped Triton. Mitsubishi assures us that a host of changes make it more powerful, more comfortable to drive and more durable. It’s been hailed as car-like by the international press. The exterior design is changed, placing less emphasis on the shell-like passenger compartment and giving more old-Colt looks. High-tensile steel added to the bodyshell means the car garnered a 5-Star ANCAP (Australian) safety rating. Top-spec models carry seven airbags, and a full traction control suite (called ASTC), plus trailer sway control. Front suspension is softer, the roll bar thicker for more precise handling, the rear springs longer, and shocks re-tuned for comfort. A big focus has been on improving NVH and placing noise-absorbing materials – adding to…

WATCH IT! MadMan Engine Monitor Sit back, relax and let the MadMan Engine Monitoring System look after your engine's critical parameters while you enjoy the trip. With individual, adjustable alarms to suit your engine, you can easily prevent costly engine failure and over-stressing. The MadMan’s LCD display can be mounted anywhere in your 4x4’s interior. Coolant level detectors R745 Full system R4400 Call Brian on 083 709 8505, or visit www.madman.co.za LIGHT ’ER UP VisionX Vortex 7-inch LED 4x4 headlight Built as a plug-and-play replacement lighting system, the Vortex 7-inch LED light will fit Wranglers, Defenders and Cruisers with a standard 7-inch round fixture. Three lighting modes are available to drivers, including a halo light which is great for grabbing attention, and for use during the day as a safety…

WHERE TO STAY Rather than overnighting in Francistown, Tachila Nature Reserve – located five kilometres south of the city – offers a good camping option for overlanders wanting a quiet, safe place to camp. More details at http://about.me/tachila or tachilanaturereserve@gmail.com A joint venture between Botswana Tourism Organisation and the Moremi village community has produced the stunning Goo-Moremi Resort. This little-known oasis in Eastern Botswana has five large shady campsites – one extra-large stand for groups – each with its own kitchen sink and private ablutions, boasting hot water and flushing toilets. All the campsites are first-class, but Maifala is my favourite. For those in search of more comfort, the six fully furnished, self-catering chalets won’t disappoint. Check out www.goomoremigorge.co.bw or direct enquiries to: info@goo-moremigorge.co.bw or goomoremiresort@gmail.com Situated 25km northeast of Bobonong,…

Since 1951, the Land Cruiser has evolved into what Toyota claim is today the ‘Master of Africa’. During our trip to Namibia, we put the updated 200 VX and GX series to the test. While the VX is the more luxurious of the two, it is the GX derivative that is of most interest to overlanders. The launch of the GX model marks a pivotal point for Toyota-loyal off-road enthusiasts in SA. The basics The Land Cruiser 200 series has always been the daddy of the Cruiser lineup, a spiritual descendant of the 80 and 100 series. The 200 is Toyota’s largest offering, with up to seven seats available in VX configuration. No petrol-powered variants are available in SA; instead, you get the 4.5 1VDFTV V8 diesel engine. This engine…

Snakes are fascinating, beautiful, resourceful and – unfortunately - very misunderstood. The majority of people fear them and show extreme revulsion when snakes are discussed. Most of this reaction is because of sheer ignorance and because of stories, passed down through the generations, in which the truth has become a very grey area. This has led to many myths and legends being created which are simply not true, but which make good stories around the campfire. If one travels and camps in South Africa, or indeed anywhere on the African continent, there is a good chance that one will encounter a snake either crossing the road, or in your campsite. All snakes just want to be left alone and will move off to avoid any confrontations with humans. Yet snakes…

When the beast arrived at my doorstep, I was left agape, possibly mimicking the expression on this Infiniti QX80’s bionic face. In a game of top trumps, nothing much comes close. It’s as long as three men lying flat, as heavy as three Suzuki Jimnys, and uglier than Godzilla himself. The Americans even refer to the Infiniti QX80 as ‘a truck’. But is it really no more than a pumped-up beast in a flashy suit? Is the Infiniti a symbol of a gigantic inferiority complex, or can SA’s largest SUV be put to good use? We took it for a blast to find out. First impressions on the road and it feels like I’ve been time-bombed back to the Nineties. That was an unfortunate era when good music was being…

You pride yourself on the hardcore abilities of your off-roader. Its specification sheet checks all the boxes: a ladder frame chassis with plenty of ground clearance, a torquey engine and manual gearbox, a four-wheel drive system with a low-range transfer case, and a rear differential lock. And yet, every now and again, you've noticed a softroader with mud tyres and a body-lift overcome the same obstacle as your dedicated, specialised machine. How is this even possible, with no diff lock or low-range transfer case in sight? The answer lies in their electronic control systems, for modern softroaders rely heavily on computer wizardry to keep them going. They can cope with cross-axle situations even with their usual lack of suspension flex, and they sometimes dangle a wheel in the air, yet…

A few months ago, I wrote an article about what to do if your GPS device is not receiving good satellite signal, or receiving no signal at all. As a follow-up to this, I thought that I should cover another area where problems sometimes occur – when you are not finding an address on your device. There could be a number of reasons for this… The first thing I would do is to check that the mapping for your region is loaded and enabled (ticked). This would be found under “Settings” and “Mapping” (My Maps). In our region, you would normally use the Southern African mapset. If you were to go on holiday overseas, you would have to use a different mapset for the region in which you find yourself.…

The BMW X1 was always a bit of an oddity in BMW's line-up, straddling the line between tall station wagon and compact SUV. Still, the somewhat ungainly first-generation car was quite successful, finding more than 730 000 buyers in just 6 years, and now there's an new one to continue this story. Its predecessor was based on a RWD platform, but the new X1 shares its FWD-based platform with the latest Minis and 2-Series minivan. The new layout gives rather different (and more attractive) proportions: shorter in wheelbase and length, but wider and taller than before. However, FWD packaging is more space-efficient, releasing a lot more space in both cabin and luggage compartment. The folding rear seat is split 40/20/40 for flexible loading, and the seating position gives good outward…

The VW T2 and T3 vans have a long and noble tradition of overlanding in Africa. Over 280 000 of them were sold since VW started building the T2 at Uitenhage, stopping only in 2002 with the last T3. They’re as much a part of our tradition as Ouma Rusks and David Kramer, though he was apparently too busy to usher in the new T6 version with a bit of song-and-dance. Pity. For all the talk of bold horizontal lines and VW DNA grille, it’s still a smartly-finished bread bin equipped with LED lights on the corners, majoring on interior space and practicality, with lots of seating combos and the option of taking them all out to create a small dance hall. Upgraded interiors, better connectivity and more range-wide safety…

Alongside the updated Land Cruiser 200, is the inevitable update to its swanky Lexus sibling, the LX, in which every aspect has been scaled up a notch or two. Scale is a scary thing when it comes to things of this size, hence a trapezoidal grille designed for filter-feeding lesser road users, like Polo Vivos. That scary visage includes dramatic triple cylinder LED headlights and L-pattern daytime running lights. New tail lamps, 20-inch wheels and integrated running boards are part of the Lexus exterior package, while inside the main event is a gigantic 12.3-inch multimedia screen, lashings of leather and piano-black trim, plus a vast array of safety and convenience equipment (10 airbags, blind-spot monitoring, TPM, you get the picture). 4WD ability is taken care of by the standard Toyota…

ALL-IN-ONE RECOVERY KIT Keep it all in one place with the Howling Moon recovery kit that includes a 9m snatch strap (MVM 2000kg), a 5m pull strap (MVM 3500kg), two bow shackles (MVM 3250kg) and a pair of leather gloves – all in one recovery bag. Kit includes a factory repair warranty. *MVM = Maximum Vehicle Mass • Snatch strap - 8000kg • Pull strap – 14 000kg • Bow shackle- 13 000kg R1395 KINETIC RECOVERY STRAPS When a simple tug isn’t enough, use momentum and the elastic effect of kinetic straps to get your mates out of a sticky situation. Manufactured from high tenacity Polyamide material, the Howling Moon kinetic straps stretch up to 25% beyond their original length under load. • R495- 9m strap (8000kg breaking strength, 2000kg…

Researchers in the quest for life on other planets are no stranger to the Namib. The logic is that if it can survive here, it can survive on Mars, too. A world of bone-dry river beds, fields of quartz crystal and sparkling mica dunes may sound Martian, but it’s right on our doorstep. As I stand looking around in the middle of Namibia’s convection oven, the hot wind dries my skin and blasts the parched earth like a giant hairdryer. Get stuck under this blue sky, and you won’t last much more than a day. Charred 4x4 carcasses, beaten by the deep sand and heat, provide a stark reminder of where we are. Luckily, we are here with Uri Adventures, about to put the new Land Cruiser 200 Series through…

After kitting out a Hilux Legend 45 with all manner of Ironman 4x4 accessories, we took the vehicle for a shake-down in the way that many South Africans do: a quick weekend trip to Kruger National Park. It’s the go-to choice for rich and diverse wildlife sightings, as it offers safe campsites with a range of facilities, manicured roads, and a relatively short travel time from Johannesburg. So, a small team of four people and two Toyotas headed out of the Big Smoke midmorning on a recent Friday, just before a Rugby World Cup final which pitted SA against the arch-enemy All Blacks. In the Hilux were Kobus Benadie of Halfway Toyota and Angus Boswell of SA4x4; in the FJ, Ironman director Mic van Zyl and Anton Willemse of SA4x4.…

“You’ll never get a booking this late in the year,” I was told, quite frankly, by a colleague at work. And he was absolutely right. I’m sure you would agree that Addo Elephant National Park is not the worst of places to see in the New Year, and I was now determined to fit it in, since other holiday plans had fallen through. My wife and I had seen an opportunity to squeeze in six or seven days at Addo between our Christmas commitments in Cape Town and the time that I unfortunately needed to be back at work, but it was already October when I had these thoughts! So, after a rather optimistic call to SANParks, proving my colleague right, I hunted for, and eventually found, suitable accommodation just…

WINNER DYLAN WATKINS This is Dylan’s story, and he’s sticking to it: “Travelling up to Epupa Falls from Ehomba in Northern Namibia in a convoy of two, we decided to take a lesser-known track, or, shall I say, a semi-dry tributary. This was snapped after my overloaded Defender 90 TD5 sank in a soft spot. I suppose getting stuck is also part of the fun.” FARHAAN & KHAIRUNNISA KHAN The Khan’s have spent nine months on the road since leaving Joburg in March 2015, travelling through East Africa, the Middle East, and now Asia in their trusty 2009 76 Series Land Cruiser. The tally is 15 countries so far, and extremes from mid-40 degree heat in Sudan to snow in Iran. This photo was taken in the Svaneti Region in…

KOBUS PIETERSEN TOYOTA HILUX D-4D 4X4 Age: 61 Occupation: HR Manager Modifications: OME suspension, TJM bull bar, Front Runner back bumper, Alu-Cab canopy with kitchen, Front Runner drawer system, 80-litre water tank, 270-degree awning, additional 80-litre diesel tank, Front Runner safe, 29Mhz radio, Tireguard, Cooper STT Maxx tyres, 60-litre Engel fridge, Thomas tyre compressor, dual-battery system, slide-in table, Howling Moon roof top tent, Alu-Cab wood box on roof rack, Front Runner roofrack. Future modification: Winch. Dream vehicle: Land Cruiser 4.2 Troopie – the only thing you see right through Africa. Most memorable trip: Cape to Cairo. Planned trip: South America. I never leave home without: a Toyota, my wife, Paarl water and Karoo chops. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO & WIN A FREDLIN HOIST! There’s no point in driving around with your…