Table of contents for April 2020 in SA4x4

So there I was thinking Coronavirus had something to do with Toyota, and the way the Corona mutated into the Corolla which has to date sold 44 million units. Placed end-to-end, they would go around the world five times. Like a virus. And then there were grumblings about the effect some Mexican beer brands have on your health. But I really smelt a rat when the gossip channels on social media mentioned that John Travolta had been feeling a bit miff and suspected the Coronavirus but, when he visited his doctor, he was assured it was only a bout of Saturday Night Fever. Ja boet, it’s coming for you, one way or another. All those medical types are trying to cover up, saying the common cold is more deadly. If…

Mention the word jack and what usually comes to mind, in the 4x4 context, is the hydraulic bottle jack or scissor jack that your vehicle is supplied with from the factory. However, when it comes to vehicle recoveries, the standard jack is very limited. If your vehicle is fitted with a lifted aftermarket suspension, that standard jack will simply not be able to lift the wheel off the ground if you have a puncture or some other wheel/tyre issue. It does not have enough travel. Quite frankly, even with standard tyres and suspension, a typical OE bottle jack is short on travel – just look at the images on this page using the OE jack to change the wheel of a (stock standard) 200 Series Land Cruiser. You will typically…

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by puzzles. Both those that you solve on paper, and those that involve fitting pieces together to create the complete picture. Perhaps this is why I am so drawn to the greatest jigsaw puzzle of them all – nature. Everything in nature is interconnected, and even though some pieces might take us longer to slot into place than others, eventually the sum of the parts equals the whole. So often when we are out in the bush, in our haste to see as much as we can, we just look at the individual pieces. Whilst these are undoubtedly interesting, we sell ourselves short of a truly memorable experience if we do not pause for a minute to look around…

At the recent Cape Town launch of the new Isuzu D-MAX automatic extended and double cab range, we spent two days getting to know what has become a durable and capable stalwart in the bakkie and double cab segment of the market. With the introduction of four new 250 automatics in their mid-range D-MAX 250 LE and D-MAX 250 Hi-Rider models, Isuzu has added a much-needed element to their lineup, giving the public more buying scope. The capability of the Isuzu range has always been a drawcard for the brand – just ask any farmer, contractor or brand loyal private buyer – but an auto in the 250 line-up makes sense when crawling over the mealie fields, hammering about town to deliver goods, or taking a leisurely game drive. It…

We’ve all cooked a Sunday roast in tin foil (more correctly aluminium foil), but there are of course myriad other uses we can put it to. In my opinion, it is almost up there with the likes of duct tape and zip ties, so a roll is always in my camping and survival kits. Vessel for boiling water Purification of water is obviously important to make it safe to drink. The easiest way of doing this is to boil it. But what happens if you don’t have a suitable container? Well, you can fashion one from a length of tin foil. Just form it into a bowl or rectangular shape. If you put this directly on hot coals, it will boil the water but will fall to pieces when you…

I wager there isn’t a place in Africa where SA4x4’s blue Isuzu D-Max could feel more at home than at Bennie and Selma Nel’s Matjievlei Guest Farm up near Calitzdorp. Why, you might ask? Because Bennie Nel – the fifth generation to farm this land, high up in the foothills of the towering Swartberg Mountains – is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the brand. If you include his adult son’s Isuzus, there are 10 in the family – with five bakkies and a truck still permanently on the farm. 30 years ago, they played a big part in helping Bennie establish sections of the fantastic Bojaankop 4x4 routes on the farm. Of course, just like everything else on the farm the trail is steeped in history. When I tell you that…

When it comes to keeping things cool, you don’t want to make too many compromises. The beers must stay cold, the meat must stay fresh. You don’t want to open up your cooler box after a day out in the heat and be greeted by a rising stink. You do want to maintain many degrees Celsius difference between outside and inside temperatures – for as long as possible. And if you haven’t got one of those thermoelectric units, or a proper 12V compressor fridge, then you are in ice territory. More than likely, your strategy will include a combination of ice bags, frozen plastic water bottles, meat hauled in from the deep freeze, and those blue plastic ice bricks. Apart from putting cold stuff into the cooler when you hit…

FOLLOW THE CRUMBS If Hansel and Gretel had driven into the forest in a Ford pick-up or SUV equipped with SatNav Breadcrumbs Technology, the story could’ve ended quite differently. Now available in the Ranger Raptor, as part of the SYNC 3 infotainment system, Ford’s cutting edge ‘breadcrumb’ tech drops a virtual pin every second, allowing drivers to easily retrace their tracks on the return leg of a trip. This feature is especially valuable when travelling off-road in areas with no discernible roads or landmarks, and eliminates the stress of getting lost in remote locations. TO THE EXTREME World-renowned Land Rover adventurer, Kingsley Holgate, recently lent a helping hand to long-time expedition partner and mountain bike extraordinaire, Mike Nixon, in a torturous high-altitude training regime through Lesotho and parts of South…

RUBBER MEETS THE RULER While the subject ‘which 4x4 is the best’ is likely to stimulate lively debate, the arguments around the best tyres to fit your 4x4 comes a close second. The recent articles, correspondence, and updates in SA4x4 regarding the comparative tyre tests that you conducted is evidence of this. I would like to contribute to this further by adding a rather simplistic analysis of the debate. What I have done is compile a correlation table based on the data provided by SA4x4. The purpose of this is to determine if certain specifications or criteria have a strong relationship, either positive or negative, to other criteria provided in the data. • In my correlation table, as an example, there appears to be a significant negative relationship (Point #1)…

STEP ON IT Let’s face it, unless you are an American basketball player, it’s a challenge to reach the roofrack of your 4x4 SUV or bakkie. The same goes for when you want to tie on a kayak or SUP or even just wash the middle of your tall rig’s roof. Well, this simple foldable footstep available from Opposite Lock stores countrywide has changed all that. It simply clips onto your car’s door lock striker catch, so you no longer need to balance on the wheels or the door sills. The SUV Doorstep is a patented Australian tool made from aircraft grade 6016-aluminium that weighs just 320 grams. It can support up to 230 kg, more than ample for an adult and anything you want to lift onto the roof…

PEUGEOT LANDTREK A one-tonner from 2021 Remember the 404, which was famously dubbed ‘The Lion of Africa’ all over this continent? Well, Peugeot’s back in the one-tonner bakkie segment from 2021 in SA with a modern entrant based on the Kaicene F70 built by the company’s Chinese joint-venture partner Changan Automobile. Initially slated only for Latin American and sub-Saharan markets (leaving Europe off the cards for now), the newly minted Peugeot Landtrek has all the touch points required to be a strong competitor, including three bodystyles (single-, chassis-and double-cab) and a 1.0 to 1.25 ton load capacity. The loadbins are large; the double-cab’s measuring 1.63m long and 1.6m wide with 500mm high sides. Bold exterior styling includes a prominent grille, LED headlights, alloy wheels and decent 4x4 fundamentals including up…

Much has changed since 1970. My friends, Willie and Siegfried (see Part 1), have long passed away. The road from Buitepos to Maun has been tarred and what took us more than three days can now be done in about five hours. However, at age 78 my wanderlust is still alive and kicking and revisiting Botswana and its places of great memories were long overdue. Over the past 10 years, I have undertaken great journeys through southern Africa accompanied by an old friend from Germany, who visited me every second year, and a good portion of off-roading was always part of the experience. The previous trip took us through Namibia with Etosha, Khowarib, Epupa Falls, the Van Zyl’s Pass, Kaokoveld, Damaraland, Divorce Pass, Rhino Camp, and more, on the menu.…

LOCATION: • PROVINCE: Cape Province – Klein Karoo • GPS: S33 28” 24’ E21 37” 37’ • NEAREST TOWN: Calitzdorp, 11km • DIRECTIONS: From Calitzdorp take the R62 to Ladismith, after 5km take the Matjiesvlei turnoff to the right. 4km further, turn left and travel the last 2km to the farm. From Cape Town take the R62 to Ladismith. Continue on the R62 for 40km in the direction of Calitzdorp and turn left to Matjiesvlei. Travel 4km and turn left, continue for the last 2km to the farm. • NEAREST FUEL AND PROVISIONS: Calitzdorp TRAIL DETAILS: • OPENING TIMES: All year-round. But the best times are March/April/May and September/ October – this is when the weather is not too hot or cold. The aloes flower in June/July and, in a…

Johan le Roux Sitting pretty on the pans of the Tankwa Karoo National Park, Johan’s 4.0-litre V6 Prado 120 is kitted out with an Ironman4x4 bullbar and suspension, combined with a Front Runner roof rack to carry the ammo boxes. Michael Coutinho What a view of Third Lake at Kosi Bay! Michael and his wife stopped there for lunch in their Pajero 3.2, which is kitted out with (among other extras) a self-built drawer system, Snomaster 66-litre fridge and Front Runner roof rack. Alex Rochard Alex’s Hilux Black Edition showing some serious wheel articulation at Honingklip’s 4x4 trail. Alex runs BF Goodrich tyres on Black Rhino wheels, and fitted Tough Dog adjustable suspension. Other features include a Rhino4x4 front bumper and bash plate, De Graaf 76mm exhaust, Safari snorkel and…

KARL GOTTE 2006 Toyota Prado 4.0 VX petrol, 290 000km Occupation: Banker and general dogsbody Modifications: TJM Gold lift kit, Stofpad bash plate, Ironman 4x4 front bumper, Ironman snorkel, Lynx rear bumper, Viper stainless steel exhaust, Big Country roof rack, Ostrich awning, Cooper STT Maxx larger tyres (265/70 R17), 60-litre water tank mounted on roof rack, DIY 8-litre water tank under rear bumper, Maxtrax recovery tracks, Stofpad rock sliders, high-lift jack, solar panel and regulator, recovery kit, Bosvark radio and aerial, and LED light bar and compressor. I have done various DIY modifications, including a 220V and 12V charging system with additional 220V and 12V outlets, various work lights and LED strips on the roof rack, dual-battery system under the bonnet, rear door drop-down table, drawer system with fridge slide,…

The subject of off-road driving skills has been the basis of numerous books and endless debates the world over. Everyone has an opinion – some more valid than others. I don’t believe it’s possible to train off-road driving skills from the pages of a magazine alone. As with any practical skill, only experience creates ‘unconscious competence’. For this reason, a hands-on training course through a professional service provider is a highly recommended foundation for the extended journey of becoming a competent off-road driver. That said, it is possible to learn and apply certain basic theoretical concepts which, when combined with experience, will assist in improving your skill. Great off-road ability is a combination of a variety of learned proficiencies. The first is to understand your vehicle, and the various technological…

The Garmin Nüvi 500 has grown up and we now have the Overlander. Before I start with this review I should state that I have never been paid for any of my reviews of satellite navigation devices and I have written on this subject for SA4x4 (and a few other outdoor magazines) since September 2004. The point being that I am completely impartial in my views. The Overlander is a bigger satellite navigation device with more modern features. In September 2019 Garmin announced this new satellite navigator, the latest in their street navigators/outdoor/4x4 range. I did a paper review at the time, but have now had a chance to do a practical evaluation. The device is a multipurpose street navigator similar to the Garmin Drive devices and the older Nüvi…

Mention the Hunter’s Road in the wet season and people immediately say that it shouldn’t be done, and anyone who attempts it is looking for trouble. Social media channels are rife with disaster stories. But we at SA4x4 don’t shy away from these challenges, and plan to prove the nay-sayers wrong – this time in a Nissan Navara Stealth. It’s a great base vehicle, for sure, but we do have concerns about its Toyo A25 Open Country highway-terrain tyres. A more aggressive set of all-terrains would have eased our concerns, but the timing has been very tight. Our guide on this tour, Riaan Jooste from Complete4x4, is keeping quiet, though it’s clear he would have preferred the Navara to also be protected by underbody plates, a proper bull bar, and…

People had their doubts about us being able to drive on Hunter’s Road in a standard Navara Stealth, a special edition with an array of visual upgrades to distinguish it from the standard LE-spec double cab. Amazingly, even with highway-terrain tyres, the Navara demolished any obstacle in its path. A proper low-range gearbox and bucketloads of torque from its 2.3-litre turbodiesel made crawling through deep mud a breeze. At no point on- or off-road did we find the vehicle lacking for power. The heavy-duty, five-link coil rear suspension (as opposed to the traditional rear leaf suspension) offers exceptional ride comfort, absorbing the bumps across a wide range of terrains. It also offers superior handling and cornering ability on gravel and tar. After taking a drive in all the vehicles in…

The idea of an Africa trip was born between four friends from Knysna sometime after high school. All four worked abroad for several years, saving enough funds before coming together to make the trip happen. Jon-Jon Abelheim worked as an English teacher in Vietnam, Harry Maarsingh as an engineer in Saudi-Arabia, Mitchell Sohn on the superyachts in the USA and Mediterranean, and Tuscan Hayward in construction in Niger. The question then became what would be the appropriate vehicle. We wanted something we could fit bunk beds into. Pure chance and a number of beers brought Jon-Jon into conversation with a Forward Control owner in Knysna. The next day he searched Gumtree classifieds and found Agnes (now named after my late grandmother), a 1969 Land Rover Forward Control 2b. Because she…

It seems that every other day a new soft-roader is launched and it’s pretty much the same story: striking looks and plenty of gadgets, but basically a ruse. When you get down to it, they are station wagons in off-roader frocks falsely claiming off-road capability. Most of them are okay for gravel roads, but what if you want to take on a few Grade 2 and 3 trails, or get safely through a full day’s off-roading in sandy conditions? Say hello to the Compass Trailhawk, Jeep’s attempt at setting themselves apart from the rest of the soft-roader fraternity. It’s one of the few vehicles in the compact SUV segment which has a very low first gear which substitutes for low-range. To that is added Jeep’s Selec-Terrain™ system, and decent approach…

DESERT AIR JACK Email an image of your 4x4 in an overland location (or post it on Instagram), and be eligible for the Readers’ Rides prize. The prize is a heavy-duty Desert Air Jack which retails at R2 581, at any one of the 27 4x4 Mega World stores throughout South Africa. This lightweight and versatile air jack, made from PVC, requires no specialised mounting points, can lift up to three tons in almost any conditions from mud to sand, and can be inflated using either a compressor or exhaust pressure. For more 4x4 Mega World products, phone 011 454 2558 or go to www.4x4megaworld.co.za HOW TO ENTER: Email your Readers’ Rides entry to editor@sa4x4.co.za. Or post them on our Instagram page using the tagline #SA4x4Readersrides. We prefer hi-res images…

There’s no point in driving around with your roof rack/ 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 roof rack/ 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.…