Table of contents for February 2019 in SA4x4

So here we all are again, kicking off a new year full of promise and expectation. Of course the wags have come out with plenty of then-and-now jokes, one of the better ones being, “may the worst experience of 2019 match the best of 2018”. Eina. That was a tough year for the economy, for business in general, and for national pride. We have some of the best landscapes in the world, plenty of natural resources, motivated people… and total disasters when it comes to things like unemployment and the politics of the last decade. But our brief is enjoyment. Leisure. Talking up the myriad ways to escape the daily grind, and in particular by travelling to new (and even old and well-known) destinations. Places where you can get into…

We woke up to a blissful campsite on the Nyika Plateau in northern Malawi, knowing that our schedule for the day was, as usual, a shambles. When we’ve driven for up to 12 hours the day before, charting a route will always come second best to meal-times or sleep. As we studied our map in the morning sun, we realised that there were two options: either backtrack 250km through Malawi to reach the Lundazi border into Zambia, or take the ‘short cut’ through the tiny Katumbi immigration facility border, just 64km away on the gravel track. The GPS working on Tracks4Africa said that this would be a terrible idea, as did Google Maps. Obviously, we did the sensible thing: ignored the maps, and winged it. We were on a mission.…

In a survival situation, there are many plants which can be used for medicinal purposes. The key is not only being able to correctly identify the plant, but knowing exactly how to extract those components which give it its medicinal properties. Fortunately, the methods which we use to prepare them can easily be carried out in the bush. Many modern drugs that we pick up from the pharmacist were originally derived from plants. In fact, hundreds of plants have been identified as having medicinal properties, and there could be thousands more; so, when it comes to medicinal properties, we are touching only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Modern drugs are often purified refinements of plant derivatives – plus whatever else the boffins in white coats do to make them…

4X4 KUNGWINI ACADEMY TRACKS AND TRAILS GP • GRADE 1-4 • SELF • GuIDE • Bronkhorstspruit, 12 km • GPS: S 25°51.972’ E 28°42.033’ 40 km from Pta, Jhb Eastern tip of Magalies berg. Basic academy instructed obstacles. Excellent for training. More than 30 4WD obstacles. 21 km scenic eco & birding trails. Various shaded Picnic spots. Lapa & Boma for training & social. Camping in shaded area. Neat ablutions. Total Distance: 1,4 - 21km Best Time: All year Min Vehicles: 1 Max Vehicles: 40 Low-Rangw: Yes Ground Clearence: Yes info@4x4kungwini.co.za • Hugo: 082 494 0950 • Johan (4x4 Instrukteur): 083 277 4648 www.4x4kungwini.co.za • f: 4x4kungwini RUST DE WINTER 4X4 BUNDU TRAIL MP • GRADE 3-5 • GuIDE • Pretoria, 100km A tough two-day 4x4 guided trail…

Occupation: Retired Modifications: Suspension lift of 50mm done by myself. 30mm spacers added to the standard Toyota mags. Fitted 265/75 R16 BF Goodrich KO2 tyres for extra ground clearance. I installed the snorkel myself. I also installed a Chipbox chip together with the pedal box. I then fabricated and fitted my own aluminium roofrack to accommodate a 100-litre water tank and 2 x 80 Watt solar panels. The drawer system is also self-built; and in the load bin I installed a dual battery system, of which one 105 A/h battery is charged by the solar panels via a solar controller. I also fitted special rails on the canopy to carry our Tentco family roof-top tent. I slightly modified the rear bench seat back-rest to provide additional storage, whilst still retaining…

SERVICE WITHOUT LIMITS My wife and I (Marietjie and Charl Theart) are Honorary Rangers from the Boland Region, which is affiliated to SANParks. We Boland region HRs have been allocated the unique opportunity, with six other HR regions, to be involved by hosting a monthly bush camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. To get the camps started, 12 of our HRs went up to the KTFP in July and have now been to the park four times in the past five months to finalise everything. In July 2018 I had an upgraded full suspension lift kit fitted to my Ford Ranger T6. This was done by Johann Viljoen from 1st Alignment Centre in Stikland. In November, the Boland HRs hosted our first true Wilderness Camp with eight guests who we…

The BMW X5 is one of the cars of our time – a massive status symbol and an imposing presence on any road, in any country. Since its introduction in 1999, it has shaped and defined the SUV segment, and the fourth generation is no different. At the launch in George, we were treated to both models on offer in SA: the grounded, exceptionally-capable xDrive30d, and the almighty, quad-turbocharged M50d. There are no plans for a petrol variant at present, but after driving the M50d, it seems that there’s no need for one at all. The soundtrack produced by the 3.0-litre, 294kW power plant belies its choice of fuel, while the M50d absolutely rockets from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds, hitting a claimed top speed of 250km/h. Even with these…

MERCEDES-AMG G 63 The meneer The Gelandewagen is undoubtedly one of the world’s most distinguishable vehicles, catching the eye both on and off the road. Merc has upped the ante with the new G 63, ushering in more changes than ever before while sticking to its guns with superb performance and off-road innovation. The second-generation G 63 is now powered by the M177 engine, which features two twin-scroll turbochargers and churns out 430kW of power and a massive 850Nm of torque @ 2500-3500rpm. The powerplant is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, all told enabling a 0-100km/h time of just 4.5s – insanely quick for a vehicle of this size! Despite the biblical performance figures, it still manages a ‘relatively’ mild fuel consumption of 13.1l/100km thanks to a clever cylinder…

OUR VEHICLE TOYOTA HILUX 2.8 GD-6 4X4 RAIDER 6AT For the most part, when considering outright 4x4 ability, most double-cab bakkies are pretty similar. It stands to reason, as they have similar dimensions, overhangs and outputs. However, when it comes to reliability, one brand stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Hilux may not be the quickest, or even the most luxurious; but if you’re after something to trust, it’s the Hilux that tops the list. It was for this reason that we kitted out a Hilux for our Inland Waterways Expedition. It took an absolute beating, but survived perfectly intact. In the main article, I’ve described some of the roads we traversed, and although most equipped 4x4 vehicles would handle these roads, I’m not so sure that they…

The dry season in Hwange National Park reached its height in late September. My partner Ashley and I huddled in our Pajero, trying to keep warm in the chilly midnight air on the bank of Mandavu Dam. The water shimmered silver under the full moon as night-owl storks stalked the shallows. Sudden splashing alerted us to the thirsty arrival of an elephant herd on the far bank. I strained through binoculars to count the drinking adults and playful young – a herd of 23. Scanning back to our side of the dam, I found four huge bulls right next to us, drinking silently. I marked both groups on my clipboard, thankful for the action which helped to keep me awake. I felt a little jealous of my partner’s sister, Claire,…

Turbochargers are components that are critical to the reliable operation of correct emission production and under-bonnet thermal management of an engine. The turbocharger, although situated outside the engine, is fed the same oil that the engine relies on, and from the very same engine’s oil pump. The oil is fed through an oil feed line, which is the main “artery” feeding the life blood to the turbocharger. When an engine fails, the entire engine is disassembled and checked for the cause of failure. This failure mechanism is resolved, or the part replaced, and the engine is reassembled. Most engine rebuilds involve a new oil pump, which is the main cause of many engine failures besides wear – of rings, valve seats, valve stem seals, etc. However, because it is situated…

Jesus Castro Jesus and his 1996 Land Rover Discovery 1 recently ventured out into the wilds of Botswana. Not a bad way to wind down to the end of the year, hey? Francois Aucamp It looks like Francois’ 1997 Pajero V6 needs a serious wash, but that’s a good thing in our line of adventure. He took this pic on the dirt road behind Bulshoek Dam in the Western Cape during the 2018 Mystery Rally! Angus Dalrymple-Hay There’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a Jimny go where many other cars simply can’t. Soft sand? Not a problem for this little tyke. Carol Preat Season’s greetings from Carol, a Rubicon and a Defender 130 pick-up, all the way from Swaziland. This pic was sent to us as a stunning panorama.…

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 African product solves the problem of where to store your roofrack/ rooftop tent, canopy, or even a sports car hardtop: up and out of the way! The Fredlin hoist fastens securely to your garage roof or carport, is easily installed and can be operated by one person. TO ENTER One Fredlin hoist will be given away every month to the lucky reader featured in Me & My 4x4. Simply send a photograph – 1MB or larger – and the answers to the categories shown above, to editor@sa4x4.co.za. Vehicle and driver must be featured together in an off-road setting. (No driveway…

Whether you’re a weekend camper, holiday adventurer or hard-core overlander who stays out for months at a time, your sleeping solutions will vary widely. Ground tents, roof-top tents or interior sleeping accommodations all have their pros and cons. In this column, we discuss some of the issues faced by campers and how to deal with them. Interior camping I remember a horrific story my father told of a French family that he knew who were camping in Zaire (now the DRC) on a Cape to Europe trip. The parents slept in a roof-top tent, and the two kids below in the Land Rover. Needless to say, they were attacked in the middle of the night and the parents were helpless, as men with machetes stood at the base of the…

Okay, so you’re probably wondering why we’re featuring the X-Class yet again, and that’s fair, given that it’s dominated motor magazine pages of late. Part of the reason is the massive hype generated by ‘the first of a new kind’ – a truly premium bakkie from a truly premium manufacturer. But to be honest, we just have to tell you what it’s like to drive the V6! The big boss of the X-Class line-up is here, and it’s powered by a proper Mercedes-Benz drivetrain, consisting of a 3.0-litre, 190kW, turbocharged V6 paired with a smooth-as-all-heck 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission. From the inception of the X-Class concept, this has been the vision, and it’s a pity that consumers had to meet the X220d and X250d first. Now that the V6 is…

LOCKED TIGHT Is your camping setup truly complete without some solid ammo boxes? Roadque stocks both low and high-lid variants, made from tough plastic with locking clips that’ll keep precious cargo in, and prying paws out! From R229.99 012 804 1967 info@roadque.co.za www.roadque.co.za HYGIENE HAMPER We know that you love your Porta-Pottis and cassette loos, but they can only love you back if they’re sparkling clean. You don’t want to be caught with your pants down out in the bush! That’s why this combo deal is so great. It includes Cassette Tank Cleaner, Aqua Kem Blue, Aqua Rinse Plus, and Aqua Rinse Spray – everything you’ll ever need to keep that bowl rear-end ready. R499 bundle per 011 230 5200 thuledirect@thrsa.co.za www.thule.com CREATURE COMFORTS Carma Quip has expanded its mattress…

In our second desert encounter with the Cooper Dust Series, competitors who’d come from all over the country, and in all sorts of vehicles, lined up on November 30 for the grand finale of 2018’s seven-region event to test their mettle against the elements. Deep within SA’s rural heartland, the venue chosen for the final – Vanwyksvlei – lies in a region called the Dorsland, accessible only by gravel road. Surrounded by many kilometres of apparently featureless Karoo desert and mud flats, the area is barren and dry, just as organiser Gerrie van Eeden likes it. This middle-of-nowhere town may once have been a vibrant community with its own cricket academy, but today it lies almost dormant, with only a few local sheep farms and a co-op providing work for…

At a recent media event to showcase the new Haval H9, the PR team did a sterling job in comparing it to a Prado and other similar-sized SUVs. But what is Haval, and do they have any right to compare their Chinese trucks to our favourite brands? Well, as you may have noticed, there has been a massive influx of Haval SUVs on our roads – ranging from the smallest H1 and H2 crossovers to the H6, H6c, and finally to the largest and most expensive Chinese SUV in SA, the H9. A sub-brand of Great Wall Motors (GWM), Haval sells more than double of what our entire car industry sells in SA every year, in China alone, at over a million units annually. Needless to say, GWM/Haval is a…

More and more 4x4 owners are opting to fit clever auxiliary battery charging systems, many of them able to handle inputs from solar panels. So, the wiring in the back of many vehicles is getting pretty complex. The new systems can do a lot more, but the problem is that there are no properly-set standards or protocols for the wiring. This is not a problem for the owner of the vehicle, who most likely knows what goes where, and which plug fits into which receptacle. But then, along comes Oom Fanie’s enthusiastic but slightly ill-informed son in Grade 8, who tampers with the system. Said son decides to plug in the solar panel where the fridge output should be, while you are having a quiet kip under a thorn bush…

KENNIS OPENS NEW 4X4 OUTLET Kennis Caravans & Motorhomes has been an industry favourite for more than half a century, and has ridden countless highs and lows throughout that time. Founded in 1967, the business has grown into one of the top three caravan dealerships in the country, also housing a LeisureWorld outlet and an all-new overlanding fitment centre called 4x4@Kennis. The dealership has survived several tumultuous times in the industry, including a recent misfire as a Safari Centre branch, but the wheel has well and truly been re-invented, culminating in a new focus on the 4x4 market. To this end, Kennis Caravans is one of the founding members of LeisureWorld SA, the largest supplier and manufacturer of caravan spares, accessories and camping equipment in the country, and a new…