Table of contents for April 2017 in SA4x4

RAMBLINGS & RUMBLINGS A friend of mine once told me explicitly that there really is only one thing in life that matters, and it’s not religion, having kids, being wise or any other typical convention. It’s just to have fun. His view was that, as we get older, we become progressively more boring, and we must fight this downward spiral tooth and nail by cramming as much fun into our short lives as possible. I liked what this guy said, and though I haven’t seen him in over 10 years, I live by this mantra as much as I can. My Discovery epitomises this style of living and I know it makes no sense, but who cares? It’s my life. During the past weekend, while however, looking at the old…

What you’re looking at here, says Land Rover, is your own personal butler. A vehicle that not only takes you from A to B, but also learns about you as an individual; servicing your needs, but never intruding, just like a good butler. This is all thanks to a brand new, extremely high-tech infotainment system that allows for a minimalist, almost button-free, interior. The Velar, which has been confirmed for South Africa, fills a gap between the Range Rover Sport and smaller Evoque, in both price and size. This new design shaves about 50mm off the length and width of the RR Sport, creating a more nimble, city friendly machine. By size then, the Velar will go head-to-head with the likes of the Porsche Macan, BMW X4, Mercedes GLC, or…

Built between 1970 and 1996, the illustrious 26-year production run of the original Range Rover has cemented its place in history. In fact, the Range Rover was so revolutionary in its design that it was once proudly on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris; an example of ‘exemplary industrial design’. These days, vehicles are getting more complicated with each successive generation. For that reason, both Land Rover and Jaguar have launched ‘Classic’ divisions in order to re-live their respective glory days. For the 4x4 set, that means a 1978 Range Rover, rebuilt as a brand-new vehicle, just as it was back in the day. Each Bahama Gold Rangie comes with the original 3528cc V8 petrol, fed through a Zenith-Stromberg 175CD carburettor. A maximum of 98kW is available at 5000rpm…

The picture above may be a tad confusing, as the bird is an immature specimen not yet showing its typical adult plumage. The bee caught in its bill, however, brings two questions to mind. Firstly, how does this tiny bird manage to catch risky stinging insects without getting stung? And secondly, shouldn’t one feel sorry for the poor little bee? Honeybees are incredible insects. The more you learn about them, the more they impress. One of the numerous fascinating facts is that a honeybee is the only insect on the planet which produces food that is eaten by man. And that’s not just any ordinary food source, as the benefits of honey go far beyond its great taste. It’s a great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy…

I recently discovered that ziplining is a lot more entertaining when a member of your group is afraid of heights. In this case, that one person was a fellow-journalist who had our party of eight in stitches with his nervous antics as we “zipped” along cables high above the Groot Letaba River in the Limpopo Province. We were in an area known as Magoebaskloof on a Chevrolet-hosted Trailblazer Adventure for motoring journos and their spouses. Also known as “The Land of the Silver Mist” because it is shrouded regularly in a soft mist, Magoebaskloof is a mountainous region that forms the very north-eastern tip of the Drakensberg range. My wife Tracy and I attended from East London. Part of the package included an adventure activity, which is how we found…

The factory fitment of 19-inch (and above) wheels on many of today’s crop of premium SUVs and 4x4s is not going to fit well with a lifetime of hard 4x4 use. These massive rims fill the wheel arches, and are shod with low-profile tyres which are great for prancing about the city and make for stable cornering at speed (and a crashy ride) - but they don’t handle bumpy gravel, and a rocky trail represents a very real puncture threat. You need compliance (from a tyre with a higher profile), and you might well want more grip (from a wider tyre). But if you want to change your tyre, you will most probably have to change the wheels supplied by the manufacturer. There is a staggering choice of designs, sizes,…

Dean Pitt For a 17-year-old vehicle, Dean’s TD5 Discovery 2 certainly looks good, seen here near Suurvlakte in the Western Cape. Sean Shreve From mid-July to October 2014, Sean and an old school friend took an epic trip that brought their trusty 3.3-litre V6 Nissan Hardbody from the Makgadigadi to the Kgalagadi, Erindi and beyond. The total fuel bill racked up was almost R18k, but for the 75-day trip of a lifetime, it was worth every penny, says Sean. Here the Nissan crosses a river near Third Bridge on the way to Xananaka in Moremi. Jako Gey van Pittius Taken at the bottom of Sani Pass, Jako’s Ranger is fully kitted with TJM S4000 Suspension, TJM Bumper, OffGrid winch, snorkel, canopy and roof rack. No guesses as to where Jako…

Age: 51 Occupation: Aviation Engineer Modifications: Dual battery system, solar system with self-built 220v inverter, Stofpad rock sliders, Onca front bumper, winch, snorkel, LED spotlight and headlights, removable 55-litre diesel tank with self-installed electric pump. The roof rack is fitted with a Hi-lift jack, spade, fire extinguisher and gas-bottle holder. Our sand tracks always go along, and have helped a lot. Future modifications: Ironman 4x4 rooftop tent, drawer system. Dream vehicle: New 2.8-GD-6 Toyota Hilux. Most memorable trip: Botswana in Dec 2016 (though we had some bad luck when we drowned the engine). Planned trip: Botswana again, to finish what we did not complete. I never leave home without: My family.…

JUMPING IN THE DEEP END As someone who enjoys 4x4 and camping, it didn’t take me very long to think about joining my mates on an adventure when invited. A weekend away in the Cederberg Mountains, doing some 4x4ing, camping and chilling with mates by a campfire, was exactly what I needed as a relaxing weekend away. I took my Suzuki Jimny with me and we made our way to the Boegoeberg 4x4 camp. Some adventure, a sprinkle of starry night skies, and the smell of burning wood featured in my daydreams the whole way there. Little did I know that I was about to test myself and my vehicle far beyond what I had imagined. Upon arrival, we made camp - which, by the way, was beautiful. Ladies I…

Launched in 2012 as an alternative to mainstream one-ton pickups, the BT-50 hoped to tempt ‘lifestyle’ buyers. The philosophy was that car-like styling would attract people who work in the city and do lifestyle activities on the weekend (like dirt biking, cycling, camping, etc), and need a do-it all vehicle with style and capability. Unfortunately, the plan didn’t quite work out; and, despite extremely capable underpinnings, the radical Kodo design put many punters off. For this facelift, Mazda has introduced a much more subdued face to the BT-50, with new headlights and a front end that’s said to exude a more powerful presence. The interior has also seen a few notable updates, including a reversing camera integrated into the rear-view mirror, Bluetooth-controlled sound, a multifunction steering wheel, and cruise control.…

Having languished largely unchanged for the past few years, the Amarok was due for an update. And, as of June this year, anyone with one of those ‘Only milk and juice come in 2 litres’ stickers on their bakkie will get a rude awakening, as the new V6 Amarok blows past. Initially confirmed with a sizeable 150kW output, VW recently announced that by its SA launch in June this year, a 165kW version would also be available – with 550Nm available from only 1500rpm, making it perfect for towing and off-road use. The engines are the same units as found in the Touareg SUV, although here tuned for more durability and better fuel consumption with only one turbo, as opposed to the Touareg’s two. Transmitted to the ground through an…

PACKED RACK Off Grid 3-way roof rack Adding an extra slot to the outer frame of the Off Grid roof rack has added more versatility to this locally developed product. It enables the fitment of a range of additional accessories – from gas bottle holders, to recovery track brackets and the ever-popular bottle opener. As ever, the rack features a fully welded construction and longitudinal load slats with a carrying capacity of 250kg. Double Cabs – from R6995 SUV & Single Cab canopies – from R9500 www.safaricentre.co.za LIGHT MY FIRE Mystical fire novelty sachets For those who like to brighten up their camping experience, there’s a new way to add some pizazz to the pedestrian old wood-burning camp fire. Just throw up to three sachets of Mystical fire over the…

Driving through water is very hazardous for any vehicle, whether you have a snorkel or not. The first thing you learn on any 4x4 training course is to walk any hazard before attempting it, especially water hazards. But in the wild setting of the Okavango Delta, that could be detrimental to your health as hippos and crocs are lurking in the water. At this specific crossing the water was about 30m wide and crystal clear. After walking as far in as we dared, it seemed fine to cross. What we didn’t account for was hippo behaviour. Hippos can’t swim, but walk on the bottom of rivers leaving trenches in the river bed about a metre wide and 20cm deep. As the Pajero went through it dove nose-first into one of…

Time has not been kind to the traces of the Anglo-Boer War battlefields that remain just off the N1 axis that bisects South Africa below Kimberley, but our saving grace turned out to be the prior research we had done, some canny map-reading and the grace to admit defeat and ask a local when our own abilities found us short of our objectives – which was quite often. The irony of one of our premier in-car sources of research, The Great Boer War by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was not lost on us as we used our best detective work to recreate the battle scenes from the meagre evidence left behind on the battlefields. Even though our first overnight stopover at the quirky Witput Country Lodge…

One of the greatest pleasures in life is parking and setting up camp in the bush, or in a campsite in natural surroundings where you can feel at one with nature. The sights we see become memories for ever, and being in close proximity to wildlife only adds to the enjoyment. Having the odd warthog mooching around the camp, as common as they may be, is an amusing event. Of course, some encounters with animals are memorable for other reasons. Stumbling across an elephant in the bush can be a very challenging and frightening experience. It begs the question: “How should one react if confronted by an aggressive animal?” Elephants It is only when you get up close that you fully appreciate just how big these land giants are, and…

Drawer systems are a great invention because, as every overlander knows, packing and unpacking is such an integral part of travelling. Adding a shelf midway helps to separate items that would otherwise have to be moved about. The drawers make for two secure and contained packing zones for items that need to be used frequently; you always know where they are going to be – even after a pummelling on a long corrugated road. And the space on the side? That’s where you stash the fixed items and things you will not need to get to every day, like battery boxes, water tanks, and some recovery gear. There are lots of examples of drawer systems out there. DIY types are inclined to build their own versions using plywood, aluminium square…

Auxiliary batteries are used to operate appliances while you are away from mains 240V power, without running the risk of compromising your vehicle’s main starting battery. People have been using and charging auxiliary batteries in their cars and caravans with varying degrees of success for over a century. For most of us, the days are long gone when all we needed from our auxiliary battery was a small amount of power for a bit of lighting, and maybe a radio. These days, we expect much more. We like to run lights, TVs, DVDs, pumps, fridges, and winches, charge camera batteries and mobile phones, and even power microwaves. The fact is that some of us like all the luxuries of home when we go ‘camping’. So, over the years, our demands…

This trail listing is designed to be an easy reference guide to trails in and around South Africa and southern Africa. All trails have been rated by their owners according to the grading system alongside. We recommend you phone the trail operator to check conditions as weather and other factors can easily change a trail’s difficulty rating. COOPER TIRES SOUTH AFRICA wants to promote your trail, and has offered to pick up the advertising costs. So, if you are a trail operator, this is a great chance to get 4x4 owners driving your route. To include your trail in this listing, or to update or amend any details, simply send all the required information to editor@SA4x4.co.za, or phone SA4x4 (021 702 4200). In addition, if you think a trail…

For her fun story on dealing with blokes and their egos, and to encourage her to do more 4x4 trails in the future, the 4x4 Princess wins a camping hamper worth R1240 from Ironman 4x4. Perfect for a dinky vehicle like the Jimny is the 1.5-litre silicone kettle which collapses down to just 65mm and features a 304 grade stainless steel base and rim. For helping to deal with post-trail trauma, the prize includes two silicone ice cube trays which each make 32 easy-to-pop-out ice blocks.…

If the standard 463kW, 1000Nm twin turbo 6l V12 Mercedes G-Wagen was too pedestrian for your tastes, Maybach has come to the party with what they call the ‘Landaulet’. With only 99 models to be built in left-hand drive only, this extremely limited-edition Maybach marks the brand’s first foray into the off-road market. Next to Mercedes’ other special-edition G-Classes – the 6x6 and the 4x4², the Landaulet is not only by far the most powerful, but also the most luxurious. For extra legroom in the rear, this bush limo has been stretched by 578mm over a standard G-Class, with fully-reclining seats akin to those in a private jet. Rear passengers also get a glass partition between them and their chauffeur --this can be electronically raised, as well as turned from…

To bring SA’s Outlander up to speed with what the rest of the world has already had since last year, it’s received a few tweaks. Most obvious is the new ‘Dynamic Shield’ front-end design, boasting swathes of chrome and new LED headlights. The rear end also has new taillights, but to less dramatic effect. On the inside, you’ll see the same spacious seven-seat cabin as before, but now with a premium Rockford Fosgate 710W sound system, as well as a nine-inch drop-down screen for the second and third rows that connect to wireless headphones. Mechanically, the Outlander remains unchanged, apart from a new six-step CVT transmission; it retains its 2.4-litre 123kW/222Nm four-pot petrol engine. Power is sent to all four wheels through Mitsubishi’s S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) 4WD system…

My first article about an overland trip was supposed to be about the bush, the animals and the family around a campfire. Although all of this was amazing and memorable, I learnt a couple of lessons on my recent trip to the Okavango Delta in Botswana that could help future overlanders. It was very early that Saturday morning when we took to the roads on our way to Botswana. For me, this was a dream come true - for years my folks would return from their bush trips and share their adventures with us, and I’d always said, “One day…” Well, on that early Saturday morning, my day came. Dijara is a small campsite just outside Mababe village, about 150km north-east of Maun. It is, basically, right on the doorstep…

“If wildlife has a value and is bringing in hard currency, this is a motivating factor for communities and authorities to conserve them” What is sustainable utilisation? The standard definition is this: The use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations. How often have we heard the phrase, “If it pays, it stays?” No longer do we have the luxury of the “Out of Africa” type of existence that was so popular in colonial times when wide open spaces were synonymous with vast herds of wildlife that roamed across the plains. Back then, the term “Big Five” was coined…

“ I’d like to say that there’s no shame in being pulled out by a Fiat ” I’m sorely embarrassed to say that, since having bought my new-to-me ’96 Disco last month, I hadn’t aimed it at any serious off-road obstacles. As cool as I thought I was when driving over kerbs at the mall, I needed to drive through some scratchy bushes in an attempt to scrape away some of the British Racing Green paint-job. Having thoroughly explored most of the Cederberg’s 4x4 trails, I thought we’d covered the area, but Boegoeberg had somehow escaped my radar. The 4x4 trails Situated on the upper eastern side of the Cederberg, or ‘Engelsman se Berg’, the working farm of Lambertshoek harvests buchu and rooibos that grow high up in the mountains…

Back in 1991, brothers Lee and Len Nel found themselves in a situation fairly common to 4x4 enthusiasts. Standard vehicles weren’t suited to extreme off-road and overlanding, yet, back then, the market for accessories was still relatively small. The brothers started manufacturing their own parts using skills learned in the mining and fabrication industry to get them ahead of the game. It didn’t take long before competitors stood up and took note, and Onca 4X4 was born in 2003. Today, Onca not only manufacture their own premium products in South Africa, but import some of the best componentry that the USA has on offer. Though Onca have several show cars, the Hilux has always been a bread-and-butter product in the 4x4 industry, so there was plenty of incentive to build…

WHICH BATTERY? CRANKING BATTERIES Are typical automotive use Can supply large current Can accept large charge current (can be charged quickly) Do not like to be discharged deeply (life is shortened) DEEP-CYCLE BATTERIES Are more suited to deep discharging (more cycles) Cannot supply very high current (not suited to winching); made for low current draw over a long period Cannot be charged as quickly Should not be discharged more than about 50% (not below 50% state of charge) HIGH-CYCLE BATTERIES Are typically used for standby applications (UPS) Can supply more current than deep cycle Can be recharged more quickly than deep cycle Should not be discharged more than about 25% (not below 75% of charge) Withstand deep discharging (up to 50% capacity) better than cranking batteries Answer & WIN! A…

ALU-CAB TEAMS UP WITH 4x4 MEGAWORLD To keep pricing competitive, extend distribution and further improve quality, Alu-Cab and 4x4 MegaWorld have struck a deal. From now on, all Alu-Cab products can be bought from 4x4 MegaWorld directly. What this means for Alu-Cab is a wider distribution network and higher sales of their core products, hopefully bringing down cost to the consumer. Alu-Cab will be focusing less attention on big custom-builds that, although technically exciting, take up a lot of time and resources. Thanks to a larger distribution network, ALu-Cab customers will have easier access to accessories and canopy repairs. Buyers of Ford’s Ranger will also be happy to know that Alu-Cab canopies have been confirmed as a Ford-approved accessory. www.alu-cab.co.za www.4x4megaworld.co.za IRONMAN 4X4 TO KIT NEW NAVARA Nissan South Africa has…