Table of contents for March 2020 in SA4x4

There are quite a few people out there who would question the wisdom of most 4x4 adventures. They are sure to ask what motivates the desire to travel for days on bumpy gravel roads and, after hours of inhaling dust, to set up a flimsy tent on a windswept open area rampant with wild animals – then scrabble around in the back of the vehicle for food and sleeping goods, while making a fire to cook on. What’s wrong, they tend to say, with manicured tarred roads, hotels with comfortable beds, and kitchens staffed by competent chefs? We head out, I reckon, to reclaim a sense of adventure, to check out new places, and find some calm in the bush that you can’t in town traffic. A 4x4 journey is…

In today’s day and age, with access to all the information we have ever wanted at the click of a button, it is scary to see how uninformed people really are. As a result of this, we often hear about how things go horribly wrong when it comes to recoveries. Which brings us to shackles. These are a key element in the recovery bag, and there are a few types available. For our purposes, they are typically a piece of cast metal or strong nylon rope used to attach a recovery strap to a point on the vehicle. As with the straps, there is always a right and wrong application. Shackle types D-shackle: These are NOT to be used for any form of recovery. D shackles are only used for…

Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are the most widespread of the African monkeys; occurring from the Ethiopian Rift Valley, highlands east of the Rift, and southern Somalia, through the eastern lowlands of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia (east of the Luangwa Valley), Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and all nine provinces in South Africa. Like the Impala (Aepyceros melampus) of a previous article, vervets are often overlooked because they are so ubiquitous. Yet they are fascinating animals and certainly worthy of a second look. The origin of the name ‘vervet’ is unclear; perhaps a shortening of two French words ‘vert grivet’ meaning ‘a green grivet’ (Gove 1993). Grivet, origin unknown. Whilst the etymology of their name may be uncertain, their grizzly, silver-grey coat (which sometimes takes on a greenish tint – hence…

It’s hard to argue against a brand new, top-spec double cab with all the latest bells and whistles for the same price as a five-year-old Hilux with 100 000km on the clock. That’s precisely where Mahindra fits into the picture. This company, which now has 67 local dealers and an assembly facility in Durban, is pushing hard into the sub-Saharan market with a range of utility vehicles that offer extreme value. Surprisingly, at this price range, they are also producing high-quality products that are a joy to drive. We did a thorough test of the manual (S10) version of the Pik Up (SA4x4 November 2018) and it came away with a positive review. And now, this beast from the East is offered as the S11, with a six-speed Aisin-Warner automatic…

A very important distinction needs to be made between the offroader and the overland traveller; often the two are thought to be the same. An offroader uses his vehicle, usually highly modified and not his daily driver, for recreational purposes and perhaps the odd holiday where he will venture into the realm of the overlander for a while. His priority is to test the limitations and endurance of both himself and his vehicle either in designated 4x4 areas or on a round trip to an adventure destination where he will rely on the vehicle to take him to remote places over difficult terrain. The offroader has nerves of steel. The overlander’s objective is adventure travel over vastly changing terrain while testing his own courage and resourcefulness and the vehicle’s endurance…

Call it the Mountain Kingdom, or the Switzerland of Africa. These are all well-earned nicknames for Lesotho, as its dramatic peaks and remote highlands are difficult to traverse on foot, let alone by wheeled transport. So it’s no surprise Lesotho offers some of southern Africa’s most impressive off-roading trails. The still untarred Sani Pass is perhaps the best known. But tucked away high in the Maseru district is Baboon’s Pass, another of Lesotho’s especially demanding ‘roads’. It’s known as a car breaker for good reason. (Just ask Anton Willemse, who drove it and reported on his experience in our June 2019 issue. – Ed) This 26-kilometre pass has gained notoriety for pushing both driver and 4x4 to the limit. Nevertheless, in a series of events that can only be described…

I’m out solo, exploring an isolated gravel track in Uganda when the stunning Lake Albert comes into view over the crest of a hill. I strategically park the Jeep to get the best photo possible and walk away with camera in hand. As I climb the rock bank for a photo, I see the Jeep move. Almost before I can react it has travelled an entire Jeep length and is picking up speed fast. I desperately scramble after it, hoping without reason there is a way I can fling myself into the driver’s seat to stop it. Seeing the inevitable I keep clear, utterly helpless. Within three or four lengths it hurtles out of control into the ditch on the left before striking the rock wall, very hard. The tyre…

Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) are an essential piece of kit when travelling and they are becoming more common on new vehicles. But what if you want to fit a pressure monitor to your older 4x4 that has taken you all over the world? The problem is the aftermarket systems with internal sensors require your tyres to be removed to insert the sensor inside each wheel. These systems generally require a power source as well. Steelmate Automotive has the answer to this problem with their TP-S9, a four-wheel wireless and solar-powered TPMS. It features external screw-on sensors and a wireless solar-powered colour display. The display provides a continuous readout of the pressures of each tyre and both a visual and audible warning for low or high pressure and temperature. All…

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.…

LIVE WITH THE FUNNIES As an avid reader of SA4x4, I sometimes wonder at how nit-picky some people can be. I refer to the article in the Forum of the February edition, titled “Bakkie Oversights” on page 6. One sometimes has mishaps that you cannot avoid. For argument’s sake, someone will have endless problems with a specific vehicle and the next owner will drive it till the wheels literally fall off and never have an issue. Anthony Stokes complains about vehicle wiring. I’ve had my share of funnies in vehicles as well. My wife drives a 2009 Audi A3 Cabriolet, which had a fault come up that indicated a globe was not working. Checking all the fuses showed nothing amiss. I found a reverse light was not working, but even…

We all love the sound of an old Rover V8 or the scream of a four-litre Lexus-powered Cruiser blasting up a dune. These large capacity eight-cylinder drinkers sure are good to hear and even better to drive – if you’re not paying the fuel bill. Nowadays, modern petrol engines have lost much of their aural tone and character, but despite being half the size they make the same power as V8s of 20 years ago. The case for diesel engines is the same, with downsizing taking effect and cylinder counts dropping. To keep power up but fuel consumption down manufacturers are using turbos. It’s an established trend, we know this, but why has this proved to be the engineering solution? The simple answer is thermal efficiency; the percentage of energy…

LIGHT ON A ROLL Halo, the world leader in specialised LED strip lighting, has the perfect solution for lighting up the great outdoors. This handy lighting comes in 220V AC or 12V DC, and in lengths of 2.5m, 5m, and 10m. Individual lengths can be joined together when necessary for extra illumination. A big plus is that it’s on a handy, wind-up reel – great for longevity and stowage. Halo LED strips can be used in aquatic applications (swimming pools, boating, marine, jetties, aquariums, fish ponds) and around your Designed to operate in the challenging mining environment, they are now available to the general public. R1 693 (2.5m) | R2 813 (5m) | R4 792 011 314 7711 | www.vermontsales.co.za BRAAI AND VY This highly portable fold-up ‘laptop’ braai from…

The Bell family has been overlanding the planet continuously since 2012 in a Land Rover Defender 130, known affectionately as Mafuta. We have home-schooled our children (Keelan, 20 and Jessica, 15), have written three books about our journey and international overland travel and are determined to explore the planet by whatever means possible, immersing ourselves into the cultures, languages, and countries we visit. This journey is the greatest challenge we have ever faced. We live hand-to-mouth and invest every cent we earn in this dream of overlanding the planet – until old age stops us in our tracks. We do not live by a schedule and travel spontaneously, going where the road takes us with only a distant destination as a geographic goal. Since 2010, and over 250 000 kilometers,…

The French eat them in great numbers but few other people are quite as adventurous. What am I talking about eating? Snails, of course. I have written a few articles extolling the virtues of bush tucker because it’s plentiful and easy to find. But not everyone may be motivated enough to eat crickets, locusts, and other creepy crawlies. However, slugs and snails are a bit different, because they more resemble limpets or whelks. So if you have a liking for seafood, you won’t find them too unpalatable. Slugs (which are essentially snails without their shells) and snails are a rich source of nutrients, for they are high in both protein and minerals. Also, because they are easy to source (in most locations) and prepare, they make one of the best…

When it comes to overland exploration, there are several ways to go about it. You can go the lightweight route with a bakkie and a tent, you could tow an equipped off-road trailer, or you could opt to travel in your home-on-wheels. The Dreamcatcher is very much the latter option. Built to endure extended touring periods in the Siberian and Russian winter, where temperatures routinely drop below minus 40 degrees Celsius, this lavishly-equipped motorhome is the ultimate ‘money is no object’ expression of luxury overlanding. The beast can comfortably sleep four absolutely anywhere on earth. The owners who commissioned this build are very well travelled but are yet to include Siberia and Russia in their travel log. Exploring these territories during winter is going to be a huge challenge, though…

Neill Vannett A Forester is not your conventional overlanding vehicle, but Neill’s Scooby is fitted with a 1-inch lift kit, BF Goodrich AT tyres, Gorilla mud flaps, upgraded aluminium radiator and a sump guard. A Front Runner roof rack carries a second spare wheel, gazebo, and recovery tracks. This photo was shot at Mirabib campsite in Namibia. Gavin Paton Gavin’s 1989 Suzuki Escudo (known as Vitara in SA) is pretty much stock, but he says this little 4x4 goes anywhere and can climb any hill. This image was snapped at Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana. Pieter Vos Pieter’s Pajero Sport, seen here at the Protea 4x4 training facility near Krugersdorp, is fitted with a snorkel, roof bars, and an aftermarket front bumper with an LED light bar. Pieter Botha Pieter’s…

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 200 Tech and colour update The venerable and legendary 200 Series has received a few extra tech features for the 2020 range. The top-spec VX-R derivative receives a 14-speaker JBL sound system and rear-seat entertainment featuring 11.6-inch screens. Six exterior colours are now available, including a metallic Sparking Black replacing the glossy ‘Attitude Black’. Midnight Blue and Sunset Dune have been discontinued while customers can option either Black or Beige interior trim. Each Land Cruiser 200 is sold with a 9-service/90 000km service plan, with intervals set at 10 000km or 12 months. A 3-year/100 000km warranty is included. Pricing is as follows: Land Cruiser 200 4.5D V8 GX-R (R1 086 200), higher VX-R (R1 510 100). JIMNY KITS Little B likes the mud It seems everyone…

I now live in England but African blood runs through my veins. In nearly 20 years as a 4x4 journalist, I have attended over 10 Defender Trophy events. They are always held in southern Africa, and, as the name suggests, they are for Defenders only. Last year Englishman Phillip Young did do it in a Toyota Land Cruiser, but only because he could not get his Defender through customs in time after shipping it over from the UK for the event! As I exit the OR Tambo arrivals hall in Johannesburg I walk straight into the welcoming hot Highveld air. After a few minutes of waiting, the mother of all Defender 130s appears – it’s the Front Runner demo model. It might just be the most-accessorised Defender I’ve ever seen.…

The Bells are a South African family who kicked normality in the crotch and set off in their Defender to explore the planet overland. These books are their story. • We Will Be Free - Overlanding from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro, selling up and setting off to circumnavigate South America. • Overlanding the Americas – La Lucha! (The Fight) – From Ecuador to Alaska, the highs and lows, financial ruin and rebirth through dedication. • Travel the Planet Overland – Written to inspire! This book shares the secrets of how anyone, sufficiently motivated, can overland the world. From vehicle preparation to travel hacks, our most popular book yet! Coming soon: Overlanding Europe and West Africa. To purchase your books visit www.a2aexpedition.com.…

Travelling and exploring what lies beyond the horizon has been in my DNA for as long as I can remember. These adventures have taken me to many wild and wonderful places on the four continents where I have worked and lived. Off-roading was an early attraction, as it provided the tool for conquering the great outdoors but I had to wait until 1975 when I could afford my own 4x4 – a 40 Series Toyota Land Cruiser, which I bought ‘out of the box’ when in the Americas. I’ve often been asked which trip among my many travels across the globe was ‘the most memorable’. This had to be a crossing of the Kalahari in 1970, in a halftonner Toyota Corona bakkie that had no place driving on the roads…

With a brand new Amarok co-developed with Ford on the horizon for 2022, or thereabouts, VW is rolling out a few special editions based on the existing technology. It’s a sure way to ensure consumer appeal against some of the contemporary rivals who are now into the next phase of their development cycle. That said, getting acquainted with the Amarok Dark Label Special Edition underlined that the Amarok is still a top-notch product with arguably the best build quality and most impressive attention to detail of any bakkie in the sector. The tried and tested 132kW BiTDI engine works best with the slick-shifting 8-speed automatic, returning almost unbelievable fuel consumption of 7.4l/100km on our 100km test route, which included a mild off-road foray at Grabouw 4x4. This was a largely…

ALEX KIOILOS 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 VX 4.7-litre V8 petrol Occupation: Engineering machinery valuer Modifications: Mechanicals are stock, but the Cruiser has been fitted with full Pedders suspension and shocks, with Ratel front and rear bumper with two spare wheel holders. Other mods include a snorkel and 17-inch wheels with Cooper ST Maxx tyres. Overlanding-type additions include an 80-litre built-in water tank with 12V pump, 60-litre auxiliary fuel tank, and gull-wing panels in place of the rear windows. Up top, a Bundu Top hard-shell tent has been fitted, with a wood basket in front. Interior changes include a complete roll-out storage system, along with a 66-litre Snomaster and 50-litre Waeco fridge. Two additional 100a/h batteries are onboard, charged via a C-Tek charging system and the option of a 330W…