Table of contents for March 2018 in SA4x4

Land Rover owners are an insiders’ club that famously shares a “wave”. It’s a way to say that you have a common enthusiasm for a brand, and to share the highs and (perhaps) a few niggles that come with owning a ‘do it all’ off-roader. So, it’s understandable that many owners have responded to a letter in our January issue that accused Land Rover of abandoning its roots as the builder of “The Best 4x4xFar” in favour of high-tech shopping trolleys... or words to that effect. The Forum pages in this issue carry more letters of nostalgia for those tough but crude Series Landys, and their Defender and Discovery successors. The main thread is that SA4x4 readers still want a back-to-basics vehicle. The Defender II, they say, must be strong,…

AIRBAG OUT OF ACTION We were unlucky enough to be in a head-on collision with a vehicle on the wrong side of the road on the Zuurberg Mountain pass on 31 December 2017. We were lucky and came out with no apparent injuries. We were almost at a stop when the other vehicle collided with us at between 30 to 60km/h. We were in a 1999 Toyota Prado which had a reinforced nudge bar (10mm stainless steel plate) which reduced the damage to the vehicle considerably. The other vehicle – a Ford Kuga – was worse for wear and its airbags deployed. Ours did not. Why is this? A few questions: Would that be due to the nudge bar, because the speed was too low for deployment, because our vehicle…

 As humans seek ever more urgently for ways to go faster, operate more efficiently, and work with greater resourcefulness, we are slowly coming to realise that many of the problems we are grappling with have already been solved. Nature has billions of years of research and development invested in her designs, so it seems only logical that we (Homo sapiens), with a mere 200 000 years of knowledge and skill to our name, should look to her for direction. The discipline of biomimicry (from Greek bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning imitation) seeks to create solutions to human challenges by emulating ideas and designs found in the natural world. I have chosen only two rather disparate examples to share here - my choice inspired by the fact that these are…

JEEP CHEROKEE NIP AND TUCK  A facelifted Cherokee is due mid-2018 with a host of upgrades to keep it relevant – including updated styling, a modernised interior and a new engine. The styling tweaks include changes to the front facia, bonnet, LED headlamps, running lights and fog lights. Satin chrome and piano-black high gloss finishes will now accentuate areas of the interior. 7-or 8.4-inch touch screens are available with pinch-and-zoom tech like a smartphone, and feature Apple Car Play and Android Auto. An all-new 2.0-litre direct injection turbo petrol engine joins the lethargic 2.4-litre Pentastar and thirsty but potent 4.0-litre V6 engines in the line-up, while 4x4 capability has not been sacrificed. Three 4x4 systems are available, including Jeep Active Drive I or II, as well as Jeep’s Active Drive…

More than ever before, the Hilux deserves its acronym of two positively agreeable words, in the same year that it celebrates 50 years in South Africa. The Hi-Lux is now truly a luxurious SUV. It may not be aesthetically agreeable to everyone, but is definitely a very tough vehicle, with a proper “bak” to go. This was probably the best long-distance drive I have ever experienced in a Hilux. Okay, it was carrying a perfect load of camping equipment, fuel, water and tinned food. It was stable and at the same time comfortable over rough terrain, and its dynamic behaviour on fast sand tracks, open gravel or when dodging potholes on the tar was admirable. During the more mundane types of driving, like cruising on a good tar road, it…

Being an ardent nature lover with a greater than average love for birds, I find it to be quite a paradox within myself that there are certain bird species I actually dislike. I respect their right to life, and I am often fascinated by their specific skills and even their good looks, but deep down I dislike some of the things they do, and often I wish that they would go away. It helps if they are exotic, because then I think that other people also wish them away; but it creates total turmoil within me when they are endemic, and when they become a nuisance mainly because of us humans and our ever-growing occupation of available land. One such bird that I love to hate is the European Starling.…

The road-holding ability of the Sprinter is brilliant: at 120km/h, it is a rock-solid drive with its permanent AWD. When overtaking big trucks and other vehicles in 5th gear, the Sprinter is (as its name suggests) a sprinter. The big mirrors give a good view of what is happening behind you. The driving position was more comfortable than in a lot of 4x4s I had driven before. The six-speed manual gearbox is very easy to operate, and the clutch is not tiring. The view out of the Sprinter is superb for game-viewing: that extra height helps one to see what other 4x4s cannot see. The aircon kept us cool and fresh, even when outside temperatures were well above 40 degrees. Operating the 4x4 system is simple: In a straight line,…

Winching can be traced back to the Greeks around 600 BC, when many people were required to operate the first simple pulleys. The Romans invented multiple pulleys and capstans used mainly in construction, which made lifting by humans and animals much easier. However, by the 21st Century, the principles used in these devices had evolved to modern winches which use 12V, 24V, 220V and hydraulic power sources. What is a winch? A winch consists of four major parts: the drum, motor, gear train and brake. Variations come in the type of power supply and the use of either steel cable or synthetic line. All of this is packaged in a compact casing that, in the 4x4 application, is mounted to a vehicle able to handle the power draw needed to…

River crossings are an inevitable challenge. Handled correctly, they can be made without incident, but they can also go wrong fast. Avoid deep crossings if possible, and always approach them with respect. We’ve had our fair share of mishaps - from a blown engine in a V10 Touareg, to a partially submerged Land Rover pulled out by a three-wheeled digger. Step 1 – Assess the situation By ‘assess’, we mean make sure that you won’t drown your vehicle or get washed downstream. A very rough rule of thumb is that standard 4x4s shouldn’t ford deeper than tyre height, because many manufacturers locate the air intake at the top of the wheel arch. You can wade deeper than this without a snorkel by creating a bow wave in front of the…

LIGHT WORK Hella’s ValueFit Rechargeable LED Work Light blasts out up to 720 lumens of 6000K light, illuminating your campsite or workspace with no cables at all. The lithium battery takes just two-and-a-half hours to be fully charged, and lasts for up to nine hours on the lowest brightness setting. The brightness and strobe feature are easily controlled with the nifty power button. Price on request 041 996 5700 HASA@hella.com  www.hella.co.za STEP UP Thule’s Single Step Manual 550 makes climbing in and out of your caravan or motorhome a cinch, and folds away for secure storage while you are on the move. The anodised aluminium structure can handle a static load of up to 200kg, and features rounded corners that glow in the dark. R2627 011 230 5200…

FRONT RUNNER KIT Slimline II Roof Rack (R7150) The fitment of a roof rack was a big plus on this adventure, allowing us to mount a rooftop tent on the Hilux and a variety of gear on the Fortuner – including a table, awning, potjie holder, jerry cans, and a spade. There are many more options. Most often wood was carried on top of the roof rack, keeping it out of the vehicle interior, along with other bulky, usually dirty items like our groundsheets. The clever modular engineering of these racks means they are assembled from stock parts to fit many vehicles. This allows for some flex in line with that of the vehicle in rough terrain. This is unlike solid welded units which can shear after repeated cross-axles, or,…

It’s early. I lie in bed, listening to the hum of Jozi’s traffic in the distance. Yesterday, at the same time, I was hearing a lion’s roar reverberating across the plains – which already seems like another world. In truth, the distance separating these two experiences is a mere four hours... But let me start at the beginning. I received an invite from Chris Anagnostellis (CEO of An African Anthology) to visit Impodimo Lodge, which borders on Madikwe Game Reserve in the far North West. This coincided with a review I was due to write on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Chris thought I should make a weekend of it and include a visit to the Cradle Boutique hotel near Lanseria, as well as a hot-air-balloon ride with Air Ventures. Brilliant…

When I’m out in the bush and a storm is brewing, I am reminded of a friend who was struck by a bolt of lightning, and his eardrums burst. I suppose he was one of the fortunate ones, because he survived. In South Africa, an average of 260 people are killed each year by lightning-strikes, and many more are injured, but survive. So, how do you avoid being hit by a bolt of lightning? Before we start, let’s dispel a myth. Firstly, you need to understand that nothing ‘attracts’ lightning. So, being outdoors and wielding a knife will not necessarily increase your risk of being zapped by a bolt of lightning. The location of the thunderstorm overhead is what determines where lightning hits the ground. A bolt of lightning is…

From the moment I saw the Donkerpoort 4x4 website, I suspected that this 19km track would provide some challenges. And, when I saw farm-owner Ernie Griessel’s customised Toyota Legend 45 3.0 D-4D Hilux, I felt that these suspicions had been confirmed. It was game on. What concerned me more than the bakkie’s ability, or my own, was my brief rather to err on the side of caution with the long-term Mazda BT-50 4x4 ‘camper’, and if I was in doubt about a particular section, rather to leave it out. Trouble is, you never really know how difficult a section is until you’re in it. Besides, after what I’d already been through with this vehicle, I was confident that it could take on all but a Grade 5. I hoped I…

Adie Heim This gorgeous image was taken in Khutse, Botswana, and features Adie’s trusty 2.8i Defender, nicknamed “Akbar”. It’s fitted with a rooftop tent and just about everything else one could ever need for an overlanding adventure. George Saaiman The Karoo can offer up some incredible sunsets, and George managed to capture his Hilux basking in the fading Tankwa glow. His bakkie is geared-up for any obstacle, boasting an array of aftermarket overland improvements. Mike Adams Mike’s 2010 Amarok is surrounded by evidence of a devastating December veld fire that tore through an area of the Koue Bokkeveld near Ceres. This pic was snapped on his way to Baliesgat. Serron Wilson We always appreciate some creativity from our entrants, and this portrait proves that beauty is, in fact, in the…

The Broject is a vehicle modification project with a twist. It’s the brainchild of three ‘Bros’ – Andrew Rogers, Michael Simpson and Graham Lindemann – who stumped up for a mid-nineties Jeep Cherokee XJ halfway through 2017 and made a bunch of trendy Broject T-shirts. But, here’s the twist: every customer who buys a T-shirt (or a soft shackle) gets one vote towards deciding what mods will be made, and is entered into a competition to win the Jeep. Throughout 2018, sponsors will provide all the upgrades, and the winner will be decided by a lucky draw at the end of the year. UPDATES The first Broject milestone of 100 T-shirts sold has given the team enough of a voting base to start getting input from the community. The result…

SA4x4’s Giant All-Terrain Tyre Test Nelus Bantjes (Sweeper at Safari 4x4, Bloemfontein): Interesting that in 2014 the older Grabber also came out tops. Different pattern, test crew and vehicle. It says something about the manufacturer and tyre quality. Johann Groenewald (Co-owner at Tracks4Africa): The article does not mention what vehicles and load conditions were used in the test, but from the pictures it seems to be unloaded pickups. (The website at this stage carries a short summary. The February 2018 print version carries this detail in FULL. We used Ford Ranger FX4 double cabs, unloaded for some tests, with a trailer for the traction tests. – Ed) These are hardly the type of conditions I expose tyres to when travelling. On the contrary my vehicle is always fully loaded and…

When fitting an off-road tyre, it’s important to remember that fitting a wide tyre with a low profile on large rims will not benefit your vehicle off road. It’s much better to have a tyre with a tall profile on smaller rims with a narrower width section. Narrow and tall tyres allow you to deflate more in off-road situations like sand or mud, which lengthens your footprint to improve braking, traction and stability. Very wide, low-profile tyres are easier to de-bead at low pressures, but are extremely difficult to put back on the bead of the wheel. They also increase rolling resistance. Drastically increasing the tyre size will require either an increase in power from the engine, or a shorter diff ratio to compensate for the bigger circumference of the…

Under the disapproving frown of a leaden-faced sky, our hesitant reconnaissance of the world’s saltiest cemetery was like the final act of a slow gunslinger. Knowing the outcome, we ran away. (In reality, we prayed for gripping wheels, all the way on our retreat from the lonely island to a man at a gate who could not stop laughing.) It was a close call, all this trying to relive the past on one of the planet’s largest salt pan complexes. But, more about that later. For now, we’ll continue from where we left off on our “Wild Botswana” trip – having visited Lake Xau, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Lake Ngami. Now, four truly magnificent destinations and a good sprinkling of adventure awaited us. First, we headed north-west to…

We camped on all 17 nights, but did not need to pay for three nights of “wild camping”. It was easier, and cheaper, to book and pay in Botswana for entry and camping at the Wildlife offices in Letlhakane and Maun, and at the Xomae office in Maun. Of all the sites, the worst mosquito nest by far was in our first and last campsite, in South Africa. Our top three designated Botswana campsites were Okavango Swamp Stop, Sitatunga and Nxai Pan NP South Camp. Costs outlined below are per person per night: Molalatau (south of Lephalale, Limpopo) R150 www.molalatau.co.za Tuuthebe (north of Lethlakane, near tar road) R110 www.tuuthebe.com CKGR Kori R40 dwnp@gov.bw Motopi R330 www.bigfoottours.co.bw Sitatunga (south of Maun) R160 www.deltarain.com/sitatunga-camp-2/ Gcwihaba R200* (see “Expensive Caves”) www.botswanatourism.co.bw Okavango Swamp…

This piece of equipment proved to be a lifesaver in many ways. The original mandate was to keep it handy and charged, in case of a drained vehicle battery requiring a boost to start. However, during stopovers, we needed all the extra charging capacity we could muster because of the heavy amperage demand from the 60-litre fridge, and the need to charge batteries in photographic equipment. To overcome this problem, the solar panels were mounted to the roof rack to charge the battery pack during daylight hours, and the vehicle battery supplied power to the fridge when we were driving. During all stop-overs, the battery pack was immediately brought into play, as 220 volt supplies were seldom available during our expedition. There are two parts to this vital off-grid accessory:…

We’ve all been there: in the camping store, accessories department, or fitment centre. Our eyes roam over countless shiny new parts while our imaginations run wild. We try to convince ourselves that these material items don’t make us happier... but that’d be lying to our true greedy selves. Unfortunately, as much as our minds race and hearts skip a beat, our wallets most often stay sullen. So, where does it end? Well, it ends here, with the Teraflex Jeep. What Pierre Smit and the guys from SA Procurement/All Off-Road have done is to build what in their minds is the ultimate toy – a full-sized Tonka fitted only with the best. SA Procurement is a logistics and procurement company which, in this case, has imported the parts for the All…

Attitude, rather than expensive gear, is one of the fundamentals of overland travel. That, you can’t buy. But once you have the vehicle and that elusive wanderlust, then a handful of additional kit helps make overland travel easier and safer. Some people keep this additional kit light and simple, while others go the whole nine yards. What is essential in making your rig and yourself expedition-ready differs according to the people and to the vehicles they drive. However, there are certain essentials that you simply can’t do without. For this Top 10, we spoke to a handful of industry experts who helped us compile a must-have list that runs in no particular order. TYRES Possibly the most overlooked part of a 4x4 is a good set of tyres. The last…

The winner of this month’s Reader’s Rides prize gets a recovery kit sponsored by LA Sport. Worth R2600, the kit includes an 8000kg kinetic snatch rope, kinetic snatch strap, a 5000kg winch extension strap, two 3.5 ton shackles, leather gloves and a kit bag. For more LA Sport accessories, phone 012 808 9951/2 or go to www.lasport.co.za HOW TO ENTER: Email your Readers Rides entry to editor@sa4x4.co.za. Only hi-res images (1MB or larger) will be considered – no cellphone pics. Please provide a description of the vehicle and the place. Remember to include your Name, Delivery Address and a Contact Number.…

DENILLE DE KOCK LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 1 Age: 35 Occupation: Director of Alco Cape Modifications: Burnco front bumper, rear bumper, bash plate, rock sliders and skid plate. Chev 5.3-litre LM7 Vortec motor with 214kW and 450Nm. Ashcroft front air locker. Ashcroft CVs and side shafts. ARB rear air locker. Custom prop shafts. Sound system with two amps and two 12-inch subs by Electronics Inc. VHF radio and 29 Meg radio. Dual-battery system. Future modifications: Whatever breaks, I will upgrade, but I am done for now. Dream vehicle: I am living the dream! Most memorable trip/s: West Coast from Brand se Baai to Kleinzee. Planned trip: Baviaanskloof. I never leave home without: My wife and kids, GPS, recovery kit and toolbox.…