Innehållsförteckning för July 2016 från Go! Drive & Camp

Northern Namibia has started calling to us, thanks to all the commentary from Drive Out readers about their adventures over the past few years. We have built up an archive from articles that cover South Africa, and go right up to the furthest point on the continent. Because where could you get a better idea of what a trip entails than from a fellow-traveller’s actual experience? As Johan Pretorius wrote in the March issue (Drive Out #98) about his return to northern Namibia after 10 years, we too are going back to Namibia a decade later. And I know that Namibia is also going to leave its mark on us. We have criss-crossed Africa on camping expeditions and have always prioritised adrenalin experiences. Those unknown challenges that you can’t describe…

Things are happening at Mercedes-Benz. Not only is the company launching a string of new vehicles, it’s also revamped its model nomenclature. You’ll find a crossover or SUV for its A, B, C, E and S Class – with a matching model name. The SUV of the C class, for example, is the GLC, while the E class’s dirt road cousin is now called the GLE (previously known as the ML). Merc’s seven-seater SUV, the GL, has also received a facelift and a new name – GLS – and we attended the SA launch near the Kruger Park. Appearance The GLS is big – 5,13 m long, almost 2 m wide and 1,85 m tall, with a wheelbase of just over 3 m. The new model gets a bigger badge…

Johann Viljoen from Bellville has been in the motoring industry for so long that he's better known as “Johann Tyres,” a nickname that was earned with many years’ experience in the tyre industry. “I worked for Goodyear for years before I started my own business, 1st Alignment Centre, twelve years ago. Now we’ve also opened 1st Outdoor, specifically for 4x4 accessories,” says Johann. So what does a man who can assemble a 4x4 bolt-by-bolt drive on tour? “I have a 2002 model Toyota Land Cruiser 100 GX with 218 000 km on the clock,” says Johann. Most of those kilometres were clocked on tours, because this Cruiser is exclusively for the open road and is always trip-ready. “You can get in this car right now and drive to Cairo,” says…

AI-AIS/ RICHTERSVELD TRANSFRONTIER PARK The Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park lies across the border between South Africa and Namibia. It’s the first park you’ll reach if you approach the country from the south, and it is home to a part of the Fish River Canyon. Where should I drive? Make sure you pay a visit to the Ai-Ais Hot Springs on the southern side of the canyon. You’ll also find a filling station and a restaurant here. How are the roads? The area gets as little as 50 mm of rain some years, so prepare yourself for dusty dirt roads. It’s pretty flat, however, and the road condition is good. Where can I stay? There are a bunch of campsites on the South African side of the park, and you can stay…

THE QUESTION I was on the verge of buying an LED light bar for my Jeep’s roof rack, but then I heard stories that some imports were flickering, automatically dimming and, in some cases, totally shutting down. What are your thoughts on the LED light bar fad? Should I follow the trend or look at buying a normal set of spotlights for my Jeep’s front bumper? THE ANSWER You’re absolutely right. Many of these lights do offer unbelievable lumen output - not just figuratively, but also in the literal sense. It’s a matter of RAW Lumens versus Effective Lumens, where the one is a theoretical measurement and the other a genuine output. Unfortunately, many light manufacturers quote the RAW Lumen figure of their product, as this is always higher than…

“So he jumped out with his fire extinguisher, leaving his family in a vehicle with flames underneath it!” “The next moment, the vehicle behind him started to see burning grass falling out as he drove.” Deep in the Namib Desert lies the remains of a Toyota Prado. It caught fire up there some years ago, along with another Prado that has since been removed. If you have ever been on Live the Journey’s Faces of the Namib tour, or followed a thread on 4x4 forums about vehicles unexpectedly catching fire, you have probably heard of these two vehicles. They are an unsettling reminder of a danger many people who enjoy overlanding have heard of, or (much worse) have experienced themselves – the danger of grass under a hot vehicle. “There’s…

FORD IN AMERICA Ford Ranger is going places The Ford Ranger is not for sale in America because the Blue Oval has, until now, preferred to concentrate on their big pickups such as the F150 and F250. But unlike other companies, Toyota kept on playing in the previously humble segment for medium-sized pickups with their Tacoma (which is slightly bigger than a Hilux). This strategy worked spectacularly well for them, and they sold 180 000 Tacomas there last year alone. Even GM joined the party with their Chev Colorado/ GMC Canyon (it’s also sold there with the 2.8 turbo-diesel that we have here in the Trailblazer) of which 100 000 were also sold last year. So it came as no surprise that Ford recently announced an investment of millions of…

You won’t be blamed for thinking someone made a typo on the new Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine spec sheet. But its stats on power output and economy are the result of clever engineering, not mistakes on a keyboard. First impression From outside, you don’t notice much difference between the hybrid T8, the flagship XC90, and the rest of the range. The most notable is probably the absence of fog lights on the nose. They had to make space for some of the components for the electrical motor’s system in the engine bay. Interior Like the exterior, the interior is familiar. The most notable difference is a shiny new gear lever – a hand-made crystal knob individually crafted for every T8 by Swedish crystal company Orrefors. The rest of the…

“We make good time to a viewpoint, where the landscape that stretches out before us is dyed in shades of pastel.” The smell of death permeates the air. It’s emanating from seal and bird carcasses that lie rotting between pieces of kelp and driftwood. The beach is stained in specks of white: the bleached bones of land and sea creatures. A tempestuous south-easterly wind and the frigid Atlantic Ocean complete the ominous picture. It’s a place of utmost isolation where few beings survive, whether you were born here or immigrated. And when I consider the skeletons around me, it looks like many of the newcomers end up never leaving the Skeleton Coast. Northward bound on the salt road Early on a Monday morning I meet my tour group at a…

Believe it or not, but although I’ve lived in the Western Cape for almost a decade, I’d never driven the Montagu or Prince Alfred passes before this trip. Shameful, I know. I’ve driven past them many, many times, but somehow there was always a cat, a girlfriend or a looming deadline that meant I had to drive right on. And like most South Africans who’ve read Dalene Matthee’s classic novel, Circles in a forest, I always wonder about the lead character Saul Barnard’s mystical forest world when I drive past the forests of Knysna. So when the opportunity came up to drive some passes around George and Knysna, and do a unique tour deep into the Diepwalle Forest near Knysna, my hand was first up in the air. But I’m…

We were finally on our way to Namibia after a nice early getaway from Centurion. My wife Chantéle and I, as well as our children, Anushka and Anke, were in our Jeep Wrangler 3.6 Unlimited, which was towing a Jurgens Safari Xcell bush caravan. The Visser family, Hennie, Natasja, Ruan and Kaylin, joined us, driving with their Jeep Wrangler 3.6 Unlimited, towing a Bushlapa Miskruier. We didn’t want to take meat across the border, and were hoping that we could find some at the Spar in Karasburg. But it was a Sunday afternoon before 1 pm and the town was dead. The Shoprite U Save was still open, and there was plenty of stock here – as long as you were interested in frozen chicken. There wasn’t a sliver of…

SEAT SAINT SUV SEAT CUSHION Easy Rider Seat Saint recently introduced a new version of their uber-comfortable car/bakkie gel seat cushion. This one’s slightly wider and flatter and, as the name suggests, aimed at SUVs. But it works perfectly in my Navara, so it ought to work in any modern 4x4. Although it has a lower profile than that of the car/bakkie seat, it’s still very comfy. A clever anchor loop and rubber strips underneath the cushion make sure that it doesn’t slide all over the place. Unfortunately you’ll still need to stop now and then, even if it’s just to fill up the tank and take a leak. PRICE: R1 050 CONTACT: MOTOWEB.CO.ZA ESCAPE GEAR TRAVEL BAG Handy hand luggage Finding tough, practical luggage is not an easy task.…

PUT SWAZILAND ON YOUR LIST! Swaziland surprised us! We arrived at Ndlovu Camp in the Hlane National Park on a Saturday afternoon in perfect summer weather and found accommodation in a spacious rondavel. While we sat down to a buffet, we saw a few hippos in the waterhole across from the restaurant. The paraffin lamps that are lit in the evenings create the most wonderful atmosphere inside the camp. It’s actually so romantic without electricity and we sat outside and chatted until late in the evening. On Sunday we went to go and explore the town of Symonyane, and we were surprised to come across a shopping centre and a golf course. We found good meat there for our Sunday afternoon braai. On our hour-long game drive we saw two…

THE BACKGROUND “The poor man’s Prado” and other similar terms have been used throughout the years to mock the Fortuner. But it was both a term of endearment and a term of respect, because only a fool could deny how popular and successful it was. It single-handedly started its own segment in South Africa – that of an SUV, based on a bakkie chassis. Yes, Nissan did try it years before with the Sani, but it was a conversion and not really a proper mass model. The Fortuner did have a few shortcomings, though. The design of the rear suspension meant that it could get tail-happy on a corrugated dirt road. In a certain sense, it was the victim of its own success: So many were sold to people who…

20 Bucket list items in Namibia TOAST COETZER TRAVEL EDITOR, GO! HAUCHABFONTEIN The swimming pool at Hauchabfontein is a miracle. As you walk closer to it, across the dry, arid earth, you wonder, “what the hell?” When you actually reach the pool it looks like someone has intentionally built it with rocks and cement. The pool is deep, about 15 m or so, and it's cold and clean (as long as you're not bothered by water plants). The river – the Tsauchab – is the same one that runs all the way to Sossusvlei in years of flooding. Here at Hauchabfontein it dams up into the perfect swimming spot. You can camp here, but you can also just come for a swim in the pool (R30 p.p.). It’s…

We all enjoy our home comforts while camping, but often there aren’t any 220V power outlets around, especially in the middle of the Central Kalahari or deep in the dunes of the Namib. That leaves you powering your fridge and camping lights from your vehicle’s cranking battery, but then you run the risk of draining the battery overnight, leaving you marooned at the camp site until some kind soul with jumper leads can get you going again. All this can be avoided with an easy solution: a dual-battery system. INDISPENSABLE DUAL-BATTERY FACTS: 1 There are two primary battery types, defined by their intended use. These are starter and deep-cycle batteries. Both types deliver their power in different ways, making them suitable for different applications. 2 Starter batteries, like the one…

HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to be inside the world of Dalene Mat-thee’s stories, populated with phantom elephants, giant yellowwoods and lush ferns, here’s your chance. SANParks has awarded Bhejane 4x4 Adventures the exclusive rights to do day trips into the inner sanctum of the Knysna Forest. On this trip you’ll experience the indigenous yellowwoods, stinkwoods, ferns, bushbuck, blue duikers and Knysna turacos. Maybe you’ll even see an elephant. This isn’t merely a drive-and-sightseeing trip. You will also learn more about the forest’s fauna and flora, Italian settlers who hoped to make their fortune in the silk trade, woodcutters and lost travellers. We all meet at Harkerville, about halfway between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna just off the N2. Here, the Bhejane crew…

My friends and I often go play with our 4x4s in the Mogol River near Ellisras (Lephalale), as there is some nice clean water and sand. During one of these excursions a good friend of mine, Pieter van Wyk, joined us (luckily!) in his Land Cruiser 4 500 EFI bakkie. There are two bridges over the Mogol. I’m not sure how far apart they are, but it’s quite a distance. We tried to drive from one bridge to the other on this day when I underestimated a hump in the riverbed. And just like that, I got the Jeep stuck on its belly on that very hump. Pieter tried to recover me from the front with a kinetic rope, but then got himself stuck too! Luckily we had a winch.…