Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Go! Drive & Camp

There aren’t many campsites in St Francis Bay, but now a brand-new one has opened its gates to holidaymakers. Waterberry Park used to be called the St Francis Bay Caravan Park, a caravan park that went under several years ago. According to one of the new owners, David Glanvill, the piece of ground was overgrown with pine trees when he and his partner, Gary Gilbert, bought the caravan park, so they overhauled it from the ground up. David is a horticulturist and you can tell – not just in the neat gardens but also by the layout of the resort. There are four camping sections, including caravan stands, tent stands, campsites for motorhomes and luxury stands. The latter section is bigger than the rest and you have your own paving…

If you travel overseas regularly, you’ll have seen vehicles that you won’t find here. Take as an example the Cadillac XT4, Lincoln Nautilus and Toyota 4Runner, all SUVs in the US that aren’t sold locally. But there are vehicles built in right-hand steering markets such as Japan, Australia and England that we would also like to have. Here are six popular new SUVs that we unfortunately won’t get. 2019 FORD EDGE The Edge is a medium-sized SUV built in Canada since 2006 and sold in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. A facelifted version has just been unveiled and it now boasts a droolworthy 2,7 ℓ EcoBoost dual-turbo V6 engine. The Edge is branded in Australia and New Zealand as the Ford Endura where it…

Caravan-mover manufacturer Ewiks celebrates its tenth birthday this year. And today these movers are no longer a luxury, but essential says Erik Warburg, owner of Ewiks. (We agree – nobody’s getting any younger and a caravan is heavy. If you’ve ever tried to move a double-axle caravan on your own by hand, you’ll know it’s an almost impossible task. – Ed) Erik is a mechanical engineer who designed the Ewiks mover himself. He says it is strange to him that caravan manufacturers don’t include movers as standard on their larger caravans. The Ewiks mover works with a remote control that lets you move your caravan without a single drop of sweat. The system has an electric motor at each wheel and uses the power of the 12 V…

You’d be insane to take a Lamborghini Urus into the bush, but if you purchase the new official off-road package, you could consider it. This package consists of underbody protection, a steel exhaust system, metal trim on the bumpers and a lift kit. The ground clearance of the upgraded Urus is now 248 mm, 35 mm higher than a standard Urus, and has approach and departure angles of 27,9 ° and 28,3 ° respectively. There are also two extra drive modes, Terra and Sabbia (Italian for “earth” and “sand”), so that the Urus can adapt to rough terrain. The Urus is powered by a V8 twin-turbo engine that generates 850 Nm and 478 kW. Its top speed is 305 km/h and it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3,6 s. Theoretically,…

1 UNIONDALE POORT PASS Coordinates S33.67712 E23.14710 Summit 873 m Distance 7,3 km Drive time 10 minutes Nearest town Uniondale, 3 km 2 PRINCE ALFRED PASS Coordinates S33.84582 E23.18436 Summit 1 023 m Distance 68 km Drive time 3 hours Nearest town Knysna, 30 km 3 KOM-SE-PAD PASS Coordinates S33.96236 E23.05387 Summit 487 m Distance 46 km Drive time 1 hour Nearest town Knysna, 18 km 4 PHANTOM PASS Coordinates S34.00865 E23.00706 Summit 191 m Distance 7.5 km Drive time 10 minutes Nearest town Knysna, 9 km 5 HOMTINI PASS Coordinates S33.94051 E22.90577 Summit 234 m Distance 13 km Drive time 30 minutes Nearest town Sedgefield, 32 km 6 KARATARA PASS Coordinates S33.92461 E22.84877 Summit 230 m Distance 4,8 km Drive time 7 minutes Nearest town Sedgefield, 25 km 7…

There are numerous accommodation options along the route, but these are the three spots where we pitched a tent: Uniondale Caravan Park You’ll find 17 stands, of which eight have power points. The stands encircle an ablution block and poplar trees provide shade. The place is run down, but it’s safe, clean and everything works. Do bring earplugs, because dogs in a nearby neighbourhood bark throughout night. Contact 082 774 0004 (Ken Dodds) Price R100 per tent and R20 p.p.p.n. Gamkaberg Nature Reserve This nature reserve in the Klein Karoo doesn’t offer stands for caravans, but there are two small concrete slabs on which you can pitch a tent. Each campsite has garden furniture, a braai, a three-prong power outlet and a shelter for shade. The ablution facilities are spotless,…

South Africans really are spoilt for choice when it comes to planning a camping weekend. Every province or region has its own unique landscape, climate and character, and everyone have their own favourite campsite, a place with that “something” that differentiates itself from others and beckons you back time and again. Some are fun, some ultra-luxurious while others boast heavenly nature and silence. Some people, however, look for a little bit of everything… a little silence, something to keep the kids occupied and neat ablution facilities in a place that is more bush than resort. Koro-Koro Safari Lodge, about 20 km west of Bela-Bela, is such a place. It is also one of just a handful of resorts where you can choose from three different types of campsites. The camp…

ISUZU MU-X 3.0 4X4 The mu-X is Isuzu’s only sports utility vehicle on our roads and follows in the footsteps of the old Frontier. This model was known in Japan as the Isuzu MU, or Mysterious Utility. What big eyes you have… Yes, the mu-X is a big car – it feels as if it belongs in the company of a Toyota Prado. Inside, the mu-X is surprisingly spacious, especially in the rear. It’s even got two extra seats Today, you get to choose between two models. Both have a 3 ℓ diesel engine and automatic gearbox. It’s just the drive train that sets them apart – a 4x4, like our test vehicle, and a 4x2, which costs R62 000 less. in the loading space. The spare wheel is a…

When talking about older caravan models, there are three shortcomings. Firstly, they’re too tall to fit into a standard garage; secondly, there’s always the possibility of wood rot; and lastly, the indoor kitchen doesn’t appeal to everyone. This is where Stealth approaches things differently with its Evolution XR6 road caravan because it fits in your garage, has no wood in the panels and its exterior kitchen has more than one unique feature. The caravan’s panels have a high-density polystyrene core with fibreglass outer skins, and the galvanised duplex steel chassis is three times stronger than an ordinary steel chassis. We hitch the Evolution and go camping for a weekend to try one out of the newest caravans on our roads. Food prep The door and outside kitchen are on the…

If you’re a smartphone user, there’s a good chance that you’ve dropped the thing while doing something as simple as crossing the road, or perhaps a toddler decided to skate with it across the bathroom tiles, or maybe it was engulfed by the soft sand of a 4x4 trail while you were digging your off-roader out of the powder. Heaven forbid it slides out of your shirt pocket and into the toilet bowl... We’ve assembled four of the toughest phones on the market right now. To make your choice easier, they’re all IP68 rated and at the upper end of the market. IP68 – what’s it to you? “We’ve assembled four of the toughest phones on the market right now. To make your choice easier, they’re all IP68 rated.” IP…

1869 In Ireland, Mary Ward falls from the passenger seat of her cousin’s steam-powered car and ends up under the wheels. She’s the first person to be killed by a car. 1891 American John William Lambert loses control of his car and runs into a hitching post – this is the first recorded collision. Fortunately, his injuries are minor. 1896 A demonstration car hits Bridget Driscoll in London, England, at about 7 km/h. She is the first pedestrian to be killed by a car. 1899 Englishman Edwin Sewell falls from his moving Daimler automobile and becomes the first driver to die because of his own vehicle. 1922 The American Duesenburg Model A is the first car to get hydraulic brakes – the automotive industry’s first safety device. 1930 Henry Ford…

The Hoefer group, a US caravan manufacturer with a factory in Swaziland, has just announced that GC Caravans in Witbank will be its local dealership. For the foreseeable future, says the CEO of Hoefer, Charles Hoefer, his caravans will be available solely at this dealership, where Michael Hammond and Neil Volschenk are the helm. Michael and Neil have been designing a super-luxury caravan – the Azzero Premium All Terrain caravan – with Charles for the past year. The Azzero, which will be equally at home on tar and dirt roads, will be one of the longer caravans on the market and is 7,57 m long, 2,4 m wide and 2,6 m high. The anticipated tare weight is 1 200 kg, which, according to Charles, includes the two fridges (193 ℓ…

For the Gauteng caravan and motorhome dealer Kennis Caravans & Motorhomes, 2019 is already turning out to be a busy year. Managing director, Allan Vos, says since he discontinued the business relationship with Campworld, Kennis is now a LeisureWorld dealer – and also an approved Echo4x4 dealership since January. What’s more, they recently established a 4x4 fitment centre. For this, Allan took Morné Claassens on board. Morné has a long track record in the 4x4 world and was previously a partner in a fitment centre for 10 years. The facility at Kennis is known as 4x4@Kennis, and according to Morné, they support all brands when it comes to accessories – from roof racks, 12 V fridge/freezers and dual-battery systems to bullbars, air suspension and snorkels. Kennis has been doing business…

“Only a nitpicker would find deficiencies in the Haval H9.” HAVAL H9 Baoding is the capital of Hebei Province in China and according to a 2010 census, it is home to more than 11 million people. This is where Haval operates from, in the GWM headquarters on 2266 Chaoyang Street. Across the road from the head office is the enormous “Number 3” plant that dominates the Nanshi Qu industrial neighbourhood. We don’t know what goes on under its 190 000m2 roof, but we imagine it’s a mix of hyper modernity and manual labour – the same mix you’ll find in the Haval H9. The Haval H9 is striking when viewed from a distance. And if you walk a little closer, you’ll notice that Haval borrowed a few elements from other…

Subaru South Africa loaned us a 2019 Forester 2.0i-S ES. At first glance, the new Forester looks exactly like the previous model, but there are genuine differences. We like the improved X-mode that now completely turns off the traction control and works like a diff lock. The Forester performed well, but at the end of our journey, at Moodies Pass just outside Grootvadersbosch, the Forester finally got a flat tyre, after all those gravel passes! We share our driving impression in an upcoming issue.…

“The van Tonders usually camp in Elands Bay for three or four weeks during the summer holiday, but this holiday was a particularly sentimental one as it was the first time in eight years that two of their three children didn’t join them. Towards the end of their stay, their youngest daughter boarded a flight from Cape Town to California. After saying goodbye, Jaco and Lizl decided not to return home via the N1 but to take an extended vacation by stopping at Die Dam, Jongensfontein, Victoria Bay and Buffalo Bay, before finally pointing their 2016 Toyota Prado and 2007 Jurgens Classique toward home. What’s the route you took to get there, and how long did it take you? We packed up early and left Buffalo Bay at 9 am,…

Length 5,276 m Width 2,4 m Height 2,1 m Ceiling height inside 1,91 m Tare weight 1 050 kg Payload 450 kg GVM 1 500 kg (1,6 t-axies) Price R285 000 Plus There’s no wood in the panels, and the fibreglass finish means minimal maintenance. The screen around the stove works well. The caravan has ample open space for two people. With all the cupboards above and along the island bed, plus the drawers under the bed, there is more than enough storage space. The nose cone’s door is big and you can easily reach into the entire space. Minus The worktop has an edge that could collect dirt and crumbs. The front corner steadies work well, provided you’re on a level stand. The crockery drawer is slightly cramped. The…

You’ve booked a stand at that exclusive campsite a year in advance, but now that it’s around the corner it seems you’re in for inclement weather. Here’s how to make the most out of your holiday even when others might think you’re crazy for going anyway. The lay of the land Maybe you weren’t paying attention during Grade 6 geography lessons or weren’t particularly interested. Either way, there’s an element of common sense that applies when it comes to where you pitch your tent or park your caravan. For example, you can’t complain about there being a lack of grass on your stand when yours is the one that has shade all day. Some knowledge of what the weather patterns are like before you actually go and pitch camp won’t…

A dream come true TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 4500 EFI It broke his heart to see the vehicle of his dreams slip out of his grasp when Ewald Spies ’ father, Johan, sold his Land Cruiser to an acquaintance in Worcester five years ago. At the time, Johan was the third owner and according to Ewald, kept the Land Cruiser in pristine condition and so clean you could eat off the engine. But, at the time, Ewald couldn’t afford to buy it and Johan let it go. “A year ago, a mate who was balancing the wheels on my Prado told me about a guy who had visited the shop the previous day and was looking to swop his Cruiser for a Prado. Would you believe it was my dad’s old…

Many years ago, in the Upington area, there was a guy who regularly used an expression my family found so funny that we still use it when things don’t quite go according to plan. When he – who has now shuffled off this mortal coil –struggled to get something right, he always said “it’s tedious”. But when something went wrong completely, he would sigh heavily and then exclaim, “Oh yes, so it bloody well goes!” Little did I know this very expression would come in useful on a recent holiday at Storms River Mouth. I find Storms River Mouth to be one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. The caravan park is almost on the Indian Ocean. The view of the sea is unobstructed, and it is never…

The Chinese manufacturer JMC has just launched its latest Vigus bakkie. We’re going to get it for a test drive soon, but here’s what we know about it so far: it’s a second-generation bakkie (the first Vigus was launched here in 2014) built in China and sold in Africa, Australia, Asia and South America. Prices start at R201 880 for a single cab and the double cab costs R282 880, making it the cheapest double cab in South Africa. And then there’s a 4x4 version that costs R348 990 – still not punishing your wallet too harshly. The Vigus is powered by a 2,4 l turbo diesel, which generates 290 Nm of torque, and a 2,4 l petrol engine.…

Dolphin Trailers was founded about 20 years ago, but lost momentum over the years until the company finally closed its doors. Now, however, new owners Deeven and Leshani Pather gave it new life when they bought Dolphin Trailers’ original fibreglass moulds and tooling in May 2018. Dolphin Trailers make three trailers: the Dolphin Lite weighing a mere 120 kg, the streamlined Dolphin Sport, and the Dolphin Trailer-Boat. It’s the latter that attracts the most attention, as it gives double service as a trailer and an 8-foot dinghy. Remove the lid, attach an outboard motor and you’re ready for the fishing waters! You don’t need a skipper license for this flat-bottomed dinghy and the vessel has a SAMSA category R buoyancy certificate for freshwater use. The trailer-boat comes standard with a…

Hyundai and Kia have announced they will be installing solar panels on certain models. The first generation of these panels will be relatively ordinary and attached to the roof of cars with hybrid propulsion. The next generation will be semitransparent and found on hybrids and cars with internal combustion engines. The third generation of solar panels will be integrated on the roof and bonnet of all Hyundai and Kia cars and be almost indistinguishable from regular body panels. The purpose of the solar panels is to recharge the vehicle’s battery and provide a charge to electrical systems while the vehicle is turned off. It’s a system that’s long been used by the off-road community, but Hyundai’s goal is to make it standard equipment and part of a vehicle’s structure.…

A common question heard on any 4x4 forum, the question usually goes something like this: “So, I’m in the market for a new set of tyres and I can’t decide between mud-terrains or all-terrains. I really like the look of a MT, but I’m worried about road noise, fuel consumption and wet-tar performance. What should I do?” Of course, no one can answer this question for you, but the answer may be… “neither”. If you consider the terrain designation of most mud-terrains, you’ll find they hover around the 80-20 mark, that’s to say they’re designed for 80% off-road use and 20% on-road. In the case of all-terrains, that ratio swings the other way into a typical 70-30 split, where the tyre is designed primarily for 70% on-road use and 30%…

The Western Cape’s mountains teem with mountain passes, and nowhere in South Africa is the concentration as high as in the Cape Fold Mountains between Heidelberg and Uniondale. The route starts in the Klein Karoo, runs south to the Garden Route and back to the Karoo plains, then leads west over the Langeberg to the edge of the Overberg. The purpose of this trip is to see how many mountain passes – preferably dirt roads – you can drive with a standard SUV in two days without paying for a permit and without repairing a punctured tyre. The objective is demanding but achievable. Of course, if you want to take this route a little easier, you’re free to tackle it in smaller sections. From arid to the verdant Uniondale is…

The Lekoa Lodge is on the farm Wolwefontein, about an hour and a half’s drive south of Johannesburg. When you visit this lodge, it’s likely because you’re attending a family member’s wedding or a business conference. This is an attractive establishment with verdant lawns, a rock pool and neat thatched chalets. Lekoa Lodge doesn’t market itself as a 4x4 destination, but one of the activities offered is indeed an off-road track – so feel free to bring your rig if you’re invited to a cousin’s wedding but can’t see yourself waiting all day long in your chalet while Justine from the beauty parlour pretties up the bride. The route is unmarked and the reception staff provides no map. When you ask about the trail, the people behind the counter look…

Henri and Jeannie’s oldest son, Hanri (11), learnt about the history of Mapungubwe in the first quarter of grade 6, including the story of the famous golden rhino found in a royal tomb in the 1930s. So when the Venters decided in March last year to visit three of Sanparks’ northern reserves with Hanri and his brother, Johan (10), Mapungubwe was also part of their travel plans. They had to see this rhino statue for themselves. Followed by a couple of days in the Kruger, of course, says Jeannie. See you at the airport “We tour with our Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Raider and our Bush Lapa Vlooi off-road trailer. Our friends, Jacques and Christa Hill, from the hamlet Botha on the shores of the Breede River are to…

More than 1 600 people died on South Africa’s public roads between 1 December 2018 and 8 January 2019 according to the AA. During the course of just one Christmas holiday, there were about 400 more road deaths in our country than Australia’s annual figure. It seems as though neither the Minister of Transport’s promises nor the Arrive Alive campaign could make our country’s roads safer. A reader, Nigel Amschwand, made a suggestion in a letter that, going forward, we give the crash-test rating in the specification list of our car reviews. Good idea, Nigel, but let’s first talk about the different kinds of crash-test authorities and the types of crash tests. What is NCAP? The very first New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) was established in the USA in 1979.…

Up and away When you swap your attorney’s office forhillariousthe KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, you may find more than just sea and sand, as John Christie of Pietermaritzburg found out.  “I took this photo around Christmas on Pennington Beach. It was hazy and I was taking pics while my son Andrew and my grandson Luke Bok tried to get the kite in the air. In this photo, the kite flies out of Luke’s hands. The bright colours of the kite against the grey environment are what makes this so striking for me.”   The bright colours of the kite are what makes this photo stand out rather than just being an ordinary pic. In fact, the kite looks even brighter against the background and an environment filled with monotone shades of…

“I’ve been camping with my 1970 Roamer Rand Vagabond caravan for about five years, after picking it up for R10 000. But I realised that the extra-large original hinges were not only very difficult to handle but somewhat dangerous as well, so I decided to make them a little smaller, and raise the walls by 500 mm. I replaced the three-quarter bed with a king-size one and lined the raw fibreglass walls with plywood. The modifications added about another R10 000 to the Vagabond’s overall cost. Making the improvements has been a wonderful experience and I have many other plans. With a bit more money, I would probably have a new tent made, with larger windows throughout, and then also add beefier tyres so we can venture off the beaten…