Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Go! Drive & Camp

Once I came across a motoring programme on TV where an expert on shock absorbers was saying how “irresponsible” some motorists are because they don’t change their shock absorbers every 40 000 km. I suddenly realised that I am one of those, as I’d driven 90 000 km with my original set of shocks. I decided then and there to change the shock absorbers on my sedan. Shortly afterwards, I went to fetch my car one night after work. I was full of expectation, but after a few kilometres I realised that nothing felt different. I wiggled and pulled the steering wheel around a bit and took a few sharp corners, but I couldn’t detect a difference in the vehicle’s ride quality. The next day I went back to the…

I have met a few Scandinavian people over the years and two things have always struck me. They are generally quite meticulous, and pretty handy behind the wheel of a race car on ice. So it was with much curiosity that I noted how badly the new Toyota Hilux performed against its direct competitors in a recent “moose test” on YouTube. The test was done by a leading Swedish motoring magazine, Teknikens Värld, who’ve been doing these tests for years. The subsequent social media meltdown and scathing voices from owners of competing brands was both immediate and brutal. Unlike the Fortuner “roll-over” fiasco some years ago, I haven’t heard anything about the new Hilux having an innate tendency to roll over. This, of course, begs the question: How accurate was…

1 HAND PROTECTION Even if you’ve got tougher hands than Kiewiet from Kakamas who catches porcupines barehanded, it’s smart to wear gloves when you’re using the high-lift jack. Not only will it help keep your hands clean, but if your finger gets stuck in one of the moving parts of the high-lift jack, chances are better that you’ll just have a blue nail, instead of a missing finger. 2 CHIN UP (AND AWAY) If you’re using the lever to pump the jack up and down, always stand with your head and jaw far away from the arc that the lever moves in. If you are lifting a vehicle, the force is concentrated in the downward-motion of the lever. If you are lowering your vehicle again, the force is concentrated in…

“When last did you hear of an automatic gearbox packing up?” IT MAKES OFF-ROADING EASIER Whether you’ll admit it or not, it’s almost too easy to off-road with an automatic vehicle. All you have to do is control the brakes, accelerator and the steering. The other advantage is that someone with little or no off-road experience can get behind the wheel of a 4x4 and manage to drive it with some instruction. Say, for example, that you injure your ankle in camp, would your wife or children be able to drive your manual 4x4? Another plus of automatics is that, in some cases, a vehicle can get away with having no low range. One thinks of the excellent 8-speed gearbox of the Volkswagen Amarok in particular. The automatic gearboxes in…

MAKE YOUR BUCKET LIST LONGER OUR ULTIMATE 4X4 TRIPS COLLECTION BY: MARIËLLE RENSSEN PUBLISHER: MAPSTUDIO PRICE: R295 The story of how Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz’s 4x4 adventures started is told regularly. A good friend of Hirsh, Keith Titly, convinced him to buy a 4x4 so that the group could explore gravel roads in Southern Africa together. And after many thousands of kilometres, their love for fresh air finally produced a 4x4-travelguide, compiled by Mariëlle. One of the great things about Our Ultimate 4x4 Trips Collection is that it almost reads like a series of adventure travel articles. Mariëlle writes in first person about each of the 22 routes that she and her travel companions travelled. That way, she places the reader with her in her Landy as she describes…

JACQUES LOURENS HOT TOPIC , P. 20 A special thanks goes to the paramedic Jacques Lourens for approaching Drive Out with tons of information for this month’s Hot Topic on overcoming medical emergencies in the bush. Your generosity might save a life, Jacques. What is your earliest travel memory? Going down to the coast near Sedgefield over December holidays, where we stayed at Trail’s End on the Swartvlei Lake. The best place you’ve ever visited? One of my most unique experiences was a week on a houseboat on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. We caught tigerfish and watched game from the river. That was real Africa. What is your number one travel tip? Based on my experiences as a medic, I’d say preparing for a medical emergency and having a plan in…

In reaction to Drive Out’s post on the 5 most important modifications to your 4x4, Paul Henry from Cape Town wrote: The 70 Series Cruiser with the 4.2 diesel engine is the best vehicle for Africa. Parts are available almost anywhere and it’s not fussy about what diesel you pour in. Remember, in Africa you get lots of paraffin in the diesel. Forget about winches and bull bars. You’ll use the winch mostly to recover other people in any way. Rather invest in a roof rack. Jerrycans work just as well as an extra fuel tank, and you don’t want to travel with diesel inside your vehicle. Spotlights are also a good purchase. I travel a lot and I’ve been in Namibia, Botswana (10 times), Zambia (5 times), Malawi (3…

MARCH REACH FOR A DREAM 4X4 FUN DAY Where: Base 4, 25 km from Centurion When: 11 March Why you should go: This event is not only crammed with 4x4 action, but is also a great family get together. There will be a 4x4 challenge with a short wheelbase, long wheelbase and ladies division, team challenges, a host of activities for children and overnight camping. Cost: R350 per vehicle. More information: marketingpta@reachforadream.org.za or 012 346 0811/0373. CLOCOLAN PLAASKULTUURFEES Where: Clocolan, Free State When: 24 and 25 March Why you should go: The activities, demonstrations and exhibitions at this festival will take you back in time with things like ploughing competitions, vintage tractors, sheep shearing and boeresport. Clocolan is close to the Lesotho border and some of the best 4x4 trails…

ANYSBERG It is very lekker here, but it’s not a place where everyone can live. For our lifestyle, however, it works very well and we are both very happy.” GAMKASKLOOF Most people who come here had heard or read somewhere about Die Hel and when they come to have a look it is actually a paradise. Many say: If Die Hel looks like this, I’ll go live there any time!” We often go to Mossel Bay and get perspective in town. Sometimes your life feels boring, but then you realise that’s it’s the same for city people – they’re just somewhere else. You can live anywhere with the right attitude.”…

DAY 1 We meet in the town of Letlhakane and refuel. Then we head out into the bush and onto the vast, flat expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pans where we spend our first night on Kubu Island. DAY 2 Early birds and keen photographers will relish watching the sun rise over the pans while enjoying coffee and rusks. After breakfast we hike around the island with its fascinating rock formations and baobabs while the logistics team strikes camp. Then it’s time to head north to our overnight camp outside Maun. DAY 3 We spend the morning in Maun for shopping and fuel. There’s an opportunity for an hour-long flight over the delta (not included in the tour price). Then we depart for our next overnight stop on the banks of…

Most bull bars and rear bumpers have built-in jacking points with a round slot. You need an ADAPTER that fits over the high-lift jack’s lifting end and into the round slot. PRICE: R359 (for a T-Max adapter); R440 (Hi-Lift adapter) CONTACT: 4x4 Megaworld 011 454 2875 (Gauteng) 021 511 3311 (Cape Town) www.4x4megaworld.co.za; Safari Centre Cape Town 021 595 3910 There is a way to use it without a special bumper or fitting a high-lift jack point. The LIFT MATE/JACK BUDDY is a product that you can use to connect the jack directly to the wheel, and thus lift the vehicle. It has two hooks that connect to the rim. This is then fastened to a support plate that is connected to the point of the jack and so lifts…

If you perhaps have an older 4x4 that doesn’t have HDC or DAC – or you haven’t activated these features on your vehicle, please keep the following in mind when you come across steep descents: Shift your vehicle back to first gear, low range and not “D”. Keep your foot on the brake pedal and begin the descent as slowly as possible. You can always ease off the brake if you’re going too slowly, but if you have picked up too much speed, it’s almost impossible to slow down again. Another trick you can easily learn is to drive an automatic vehicle with both feet, so that you press the brake with your left foot and the accelerator with your right foot, just like racing drivers. In such a way…

I’ve always believed that every meal should be accompanied by a big bowl of good salad. But to write about salad is actually difficult for me, because even here I don’t believe in adding bells and whistles. Even just a few salad leaves and a proper French vinaigrette count as a delicious salad in my book. And when all the salad has been eaten and bowl is almost empty, you enjoy the leftover sauce with a nice piece of soft, fresh bread. In fact, I believe the salad dressing is the most important part of a salad, and I’m not referring to the thick, unhealthy bottles of sauce bought off a store shelf. That’s why I always have a jar of homemade salad dressing in my fridge. I’ll tell you…

WHERE: Oudtshoorn WHEN: 8 to 15 April Like previous years Drive Out will once again host a day trip at the Klein-Karoo National Arts Festival. On 9 April you can bring your vehicle and explore the region with Mpafa Travel and Bhejane 4x4 Adventures. The Swartbergkronkels day trip is suitable for 4x2 vehicles with good ground clearance. The route follows the southern slopes of the Swartberg Mountains from Calitzdorp via the Groenfontein road and on to the tar road near the Cango Caves. It costs R280 per adult and R100 for children under 16. The price includes a picnic lunch and bottled water. The meeting point is at the Bella de Karoo farm stall on the R62, about 28 km west of Oudtshoorn. It is a day trip from 08:30…

WegSleep, a sister publication of Drive Out, is at the forefront of innovation in the local caravan and camping industry. Their latest product, in partnership with CaraSure, offers real value for money: insurance for your caravan and off-road trailer! Drive Out readers can get the insurance product WegSleep SleepSeker at a special rate. The insurance covers caravans, off-road trailers and motor-homes. There are two packages available: SleepSeker Prestige SleepSeker coverSleepSeker contents (worth R30 000)SleepWeg roadside assistance SleepSeker Ekono SleepSeker cover SleepWeg roadside assistance Benefits . SleepSeker cover: Comprehensive cover for your vehicle, including accidental damage, malicious damage, storm damage, theft, hijacking and fire. . SleepSeker contents: Cover for your valuables worth R30 000 in total is included in the Prestige package. You also have the option…

A high-lift jack is probably the most useful, multi-purpose piece of equipment that you can take with on a 4x4 excursion. But it can also be dangerous. Broken jaws, snapped wrists, chopped fingers and blue toenails are just a few of the injuries you can get if you aren’t extremely careful when using a high-lift jack. But it’s not all bad news. You can use it for more than just changing a tyre. This month we’ll show you how to use a high-lift jack properly – and also what you shouldn’t be using it for. VERSATILE IMPACT PLAYER Just like Bobby Skinstad, who could come from the bench and play for the Bokke as an eighth man, flank, or even help out as a lock, a high-lift jack can be…

WILD COOLERS BOMB-PROOF BEER BOX Warm beer is one thing, but losing an entire holiday’s meat to a broken cool box is no fun. These cool boxes by Wild Coolers are built to take almost any knock that a 4x4 trip can throw at them. Available in 40, 60 and 80 liters, they’re made of a tough polyethylene, which the manufacturer says won’t go brittle or decolour for more than 20 years. The walls are 50 mm thick with a 75 mm lid for added strength and great insulation. On the sides you’ll find army-style polyester roping for easy grip and carrying. And the units won’t slide around on any decent floor surface thanks to their ‘eagle-claw’ feet. We also like the anchor latches (practically unbreakable and will never pop…

The internet has done many things for mankind, and somewhere near the top of that list stands the venerable community forum. Social media is full of these: dozens of shared-interest groups in which novices seek advice, and self-proclaimed experts jump at any chance to… well, jump on a soapbox. Forums can be an invaluable source of information and facts, but they’re also full of uninformed opinions, subjective perceptions, and just plain bad advice. The way I see it, there are three opinions frequently found on forums or social-media groups: 1 An opinion based on (or substantiated by) fact 2 An opinion based on experience, and 3 An opinion based on assumptions. HERE ARE A FEW MADE-UP EXAMPLES: “Cooper offers better value for money than BF Goodrich.” That’s an opinion that…

Wildlife photographers are probably some of the only South Africans who secretly hoped that the thunderstorms continue to stay away during the past two drought-stricken years, at least during game drives. BECAUSE YOU CAN’T GET GOOD SHOTS WHEN IT RAINS, RIGHT? 1 EMBRACE THE CLOUDS As a photographer, I always smile when the weather forecast predicts overcast conditions for the days when I shoot. Yes, I miss those early morning and late afternoon golden colours, but have you ever stopped to consider the advantages of not having bright sunlight? Firstly, you don’t have to worry about high contrast in your images. This is a very common problem in most game reserves and parks, where dense foliage casts dark shadows on parts of the animals below or between it. Take the…