Table of contents for May 2017 in SA4x4

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the launch of Nissan’s replacement for the Navara, which also takes over where the Hardbody left off. The main hype is that it now features rear coil springs, just like many SUVs before it - including the Range Rover from the early Eighties, the Defender, and some awkward segment-mates like the Ssang Yyong Musso pick-up. So, it’s not game-changing in the strictest sense, but it is a huge nod to the multiple roles that double-cab pickups must perform: active lifestyle duties taking various toys off the tar, ferrying heavy goods and garden refuse, and a host of in-town commuting tasks where the driver expects a cosseting, car-like ride and a bunch of car-like amenities. The new Navara is perfectly pitched to this…

BENT ON POWER FlexoPower Kalahari-158 kit Used by the SANDF, Botswana and Namibian Defence Force – and most recently the US military – FlexoPower provides nearly indestructible flexible solar panels for a variety of applications. Thanks to the panels’ flexible nature, packing is easy and the result is compact – perfect for overland travel. The panels are also affected less by partial shading than other solar collectors, and the amorphous silicon triple junction absorbs more sunlight than other technology on the market, even in low light. Another boon for campers is that if one portion of the panel is damaged, it will still produce power, whereas a regular glass panel will be destroyed. A standard 158W FlexoPower panel weighs only 6kg and will produce up to 40% of its rated…

Let’s go with full disclosure here. Many of my mates think I cycled most of this year’s #TransCape MTB Stage Race. Nooit. The thing is, every hour you spend cranking, you end up not shooting - and covering the race was what we were paid for, after all. So, the riding side of things is therefore generally reserved for sections of the route you cannot get to in a vehicle, or where vehicles are not permitted. Sure, there are some parts of the trail that are just too good to miss out on a mountain bike, except if you find out that you have a Volvo XC90 as the media car. This changed everything, but it also chucked a bit of a spanner in the works, because my co-driver Pistol…

An RLD canopy + roof rack worth R25 000 Answer a simple question about this month’s Game Watch column and stand to win an RLD stainless steel gullwing double-cab canopy and roof rack with built-in wind deflector worth R25 000! CANOPY FEATURES Stainless-steel construction Canopy weight 75kg Gullwing side doors Rated to carry 500kg 100% dust- and water-proof Can be powder-coated to all base colours Supplied with a slotted RLD roof rack + built-in wind deflector QUESTION: When does a female leopard force her cubs to leave her protective custody? Email your answer to: editor@sa4x4.co.za, using the tagline RLD#2. Remember to include your name, delivery address and a contact number. COMPETITION RULES Selection is at random from all emails received with the correct answer to either (or both) the first…

After getting the shivers again from too much city time, the Cederberg began calling my name this month. A spot of web-trawling and phoning-about soon offered up a solution to the blues: just two-and-a-bit hours from Cape town is Koningskop, which would match my needs – a good campsite and a trail that wouldn’t damage a shiny new test car. While camping, I usually avoid human contact like one should avoid cheap Indian food, but on this particular long weekend the site was packed. There are 50 grassy, mostly shaded sites, though, so it wasn’t a problem... and the little kids running around reminded me of the good old days. There’s a big dam right opposite a restaurant (open only in busy season) where you can do a spot of…

After its must anticipated launch last year, the Hilux has been selling like hotcakes, and we were adamant that, for the money, the base SRX 2.4 was pick of the bunch. Unfortunately, at launch, the SRX came with steel wheels and a ‘narrow body’ style without flared wheel arches, making it look like a work truck. The other marques jumped at the chance to leverage more volumes in this sector, so Toyota quickly plugged the perceived price/value gap. The 2017 update has remedied these woes and added 55mm to the body width through flared wheel arches, just like its 2.8-litre ‘Raider’ sibling. Alloy wheels have also been taken from the Raider, along with the shared 265/65 R17 rubber, and anyone who does serious off-roading will not miss the chrome that’s…

A compressor fridge is a great thing to have, but they are bulky, need to be plugged in or to run off a dual-battery system, and they don’t much like to be thrown about – so you can’t haul them out of your truck, into the boat filled with beer and/or bait, and back again filled with fish. Best not... And especially not when you are planning a short trip, rather than a fully-geared cross-country exploration. Way back, when Land Rovers still came in square shapes, and Jeeps had CJ prefixes, all you needed was one of those polystyrene cooler boxes filled with dry ice, and a strict regime of keeping it closed except for the single transfer of that day’s provisions to a smaller cool box. That’s changed with…

Age: 57 Occupation: Tour Operator/Guide Modifications: Roof rack, jerry cans/holder, gas bottle holder, spade, high lift jack. Future modifications: Snorkel, replacement bumpers. Dream vehicle: Land Rover Defender TD5, fully equipped. Most memorable trip: The Malopeni 4x4 trail in Kruger Park. Planned trip: More 4x4 trails in SA National Parks. I never leave home without: My family, enough water and diesel.…

BETRAYAL BY LAND ROVER I have a dear friend with whom I have driven many, many gravel roads and twee spoor in Africa. From the very beginning, he drove a Land Rover. He has always driven a Land Rover. Brand loyal to a fault, his very identity was somehow inexorably woven into that of the hardy and sometimes temperamental vehicle he drove to exotic destinations People often talk about “old so-and-so… you know, man, the guy with the Land Rover”! I remember his old Series III with the V8 motor that was once driven to the Ngorongoro Crater, Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, back in 1991 – with a young wife and ten-month-old baby son. Those trips were as much about getting the Landy to its destination and back, as…

They say that men never grow up, their toys just get bigger. Case in point: the Tonka Hilux. Built to celebrate seven decades of Tonka Toys, the Aussies have kitted Toyota’s latest Hilux Revo double cab with 35-inch tyres, a 150mm lift, bullbar, composite tailgate, storage boxes, high-lift jack, shovel, a fire extinguisher and alloy bash plates. Adding even more clearance, a set of portal axles makes conquering the biggest sandpit or rock garden a breeze. Under the hood, things remain standard with the stock 2.8-litre mill pushing 130kW and 450Nm.…

The Namib Desert has always held a certain mystique, its siren call luring many people - from yesterday’s diamond miners, to today’s adventurous 4x4 owner. It’s a must-do destination on any seasoned traveller’s list, if huge dunes, desolate spaces and the wrecked evidence of centuries of sea trade get you ready to pack bags. But I am one who has travelled the Namib Desert extensively, and have gone from Luderitz all the way to the Kunene River mouth numerous times; so I had to wonder, after a phone call from legendary Namib Desert guide Volker Janhke, what could possibly be different about his latest shipwreck tour. However, as there are more than 486 known shipwrecks along the treacherous Skeleton Coast, from Oranjemund in the south to the Kunene River mouth…

Our MD, Carl Rogers, wanted to put together a touring vehicle that could handle the bush with a couple of passengers in comfort and ease, without breaking the bank. His personal preference was for a wagon rather than a double-cab pickup, and having perused the used-car market for a while, he decided on the Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8 LTZ. Class-leading torque figures, a solid features list and the fact that it is not high on the car-thief shopping list make the Trailblazer a great buy as a prospective 4WD bush truck. The vehicle is not a daily driver, so Carl was able to set it up with the focus on its being a tourer. Vehicles being set up for touring and off-road work, that also have to double as daily drivers,…

It all started in 1990, when a South African engineering company tendered for a World Health Organisation (WHO) project. The tender called for the development and production of solar-powered medical vaccine refrigerators (as part of a rollout project for large parts of Africa), and National Luna answered the call. At the time, National Luna was manufacturing borehole pumps and 12V fluorescent lights, but it jumped at the opportunity. National Luna’s prototype 12V fridge was the only unit to pass the WHO’s stringent specifications; however, the vaccination project was scrapped for political reasons, and National Luna was left with a portable fridge project worth R3 000 000. (A total of R3 million had been invested in the development of the prototype refrigeration unit, a figure equivalent to around R10 million today).…

Cameron Muller Having never seen snow before, Cameron’s girlfriend was in for a treat when they explored the spectacular Drakensberg in July 2016. Apart from a set of Cooper AT3 tyres which come highly recommended, the 2009 Fortuner is bone stock. Jimmy Milne Deep blue sky and baking rocks are all part of the landscape on the 4x4 route between Matjiesrivier and Eselbank; a perfect spot for a snap of Jimmy’s 2014 Toyota Fortuner 3.0 D-4D while he was driving from Ceres to Wupperthal. Leon van Assenderp The iSimangaliso Wetlands in KZN is a great place for exploring in a 4x4, and Lean and Berdine van Assenderp have the classic vehicle for this: a 1974 Land Rover Series III. Deon Botes Deon and his wife Carika decided it was time…

LOVE, HATE & FRUSTRATION When people say that Land Rovers are tinkerer’s trucks, it’s true; and one needs to realise that any 20-year-old vehicle will have its foibles. As frustrated as this truck has made me at times, I’ve come to realise it’s not a get-in-and-go Yaris. It’s not a first car for your sweet daughter, and it’s certainly not faultless; but ‘Troll’ is my first 4x4 and, as much as it makes me smile, it’s also led me to a new dialect. In fact, words I’ve never heard anyone say before have come spitting out my face in frustration at the old girl – how rude of me. In a way, that makes me a linguistic pioneer, and also a useless mechanic. Now, before I get hate mail and…

HUMVEE SPEC Mile Marker winch range Local company Aftermarket Sales (AMS) has been appointed as sole importers/distributors of the US-made Mile Marker winch range. The hydraulic range, which is specified by the US military for its Humvee and other tactical vehicles used around the world, uses the OEM power steering pump as its power source. This avoids any potential for battery drain. These units have to perform for years without service or adjustment under all conditions, and withstand any type of abuse. The built-in governor on the hydraulic units ensures it is impossible to overload the power steering pump. The Mile Marker electric winch range offers great value, superb performance for pound, and long life as these units are sealed to IP68 spec. Get more technical data from the website,…

It is interesting to note the complete dissimilarity between the English and Afrikaans names for this bird. The Afrikaans name seems, in a way, to make a bit more sense. Look at the bird. The orange throat is very visible and equally descriptive. Admittedly the kalkoentjie (small turkey) part is not so glaringly obvious and one wonders where that comes from. However you are never going to miss a turkey when it crosses your path, and neither should you miss this striking and brightly-coloured little bird when you stumble across it. The English name, on the other hand, clearly refers to the unusually long claw on the hind toe, but (given the fact that they spend much of their lives foraging in grassy surrounds) you’d have to wonder how visible…

We are living in an age where kids are growing up far too fast - they are pressured into becoming more responsible and to act like adults way too early. One needs to take a leaf out of nature’s book and look at how important the initial stages of life are for animals, in order for them to learn how to play and to enjoy the world while under the protection of the adults. It has been said that the first seven years of a child’s life are the formative years, and that their future behaviour is shaped by this stage. I am saddened when I see families driving in a game reserve where the only one focused on the bush is the father who is driving. Meanwhile, his wife…

They often say “It is the little things which can do us the most harm”, and this is especially true when it comes to ticks. Ticks are external parasites which latch onto their host and suck blood. As if blood-sucking wasn’t enough, they can also act as vectors (transmitters) of some very nasty diseases. Ticks are classified as Arachnids (relatives of spiders, scorpions, mites) as they have eight legs and two parts to the body; and they are further divided into soft ticks (Argasidae) and hard ticks (Ixodidae). Soft ticks have a tough leathery skin and several nymphal stages during their development. Hard ticks have a ‘hard’ skin. In males of the latter type, this covers the entire upper surface, while in the females, the nymphs and larvae it covers…

14 – 18 June Lesotho Mountain Kingdom Cost: R5900 per person sharing Includes: Lodge Accommodation, Breakfast & Dinner Distance covered: 1500km The mighty Maletsunyane Falls is one of the highest single dropping falls in Africa, creating a haze of smoke as the water plummets 186m down into a spectacular gorge. This is how Semonkong, The Place of Smoke, got its name. We will explore the Maluti Mountains and discover the gem that is Semonkong Lodge, built on the banks of the Maletsunyane River, which offers just the right balance between civilisation and rustic elegance. After our 2 nights at Semonkong Lodge, we head west to the picturesque Malealea Lodge where we will spend the next 2 days exploring the 4x4 tracks in the area. Normally at this time of year…