Innehållsförteckning för Go! Drive and Camp_Camping Guide från Go! Drive & Camp

START IN GOOD TIME There are a few things that you need to address beforehand. If official documents are lacking or an uncommon spare part needs to be ordered from the big city, you’re not going to get things sorted during a single lunch break. Get the paperwork sorted Make sure that both your medical aid and insurance cover is in order. You don’t want to be stranded next to desert highway with a wrecked car and a broken arm, and then have to debate an operator in some call centre. Fatten the piggy Ensure that there is sufficient funds in your bank account so that your debit orders can be paid and your electricity and water won’t be cut off during your time away from home. Before you head…

The market for second hand caravans is positively booming. Have a look at websites such as Gumtree and Carfind – they’re filled to the brim with offers. But you can’t always be sure what you’re letting yourself in for when you buy a caravan from a complete stranger. We chatted to Pretoria-woonwaens, as well as workshop manager Lourens Matthysen, who pointed out what you should look out for when you buy a second hand caravan. 1 Appearances matter Pay attention to the general condition of the caravan exterior. The outer layer of most caravans is made of aluminium – this easily picks up scratches and can even dent if the caravan is knocked by a branch. But don’t be putt off if the caravan has an unsightly scratch. Most caravans’…

HOLIDAYMAKERS SUFFER In Discovery’s study the behaviour of motorists travelling long distances during the holidays is compared to that of those commuting in cities daily. It seems drivers travelling during holidays are more impatient, because speed infringements increase by 26% during this time. More people also tend to drive at night during this time, because this number also increases by 5,5%. According to an official report titled “Snapshot of the Road Traffic Management in South Africa”, which documented accidents in 2011, more than 60% of all fatal accidents occurred over weekends. This is a dreary picture, but from these statistics you can learn some lessons to make travelling safer. PLAN CAREFULLY Be careful on a Friday. According to Discovery’s research there’s 15% more traffic on the roads on a Friday.…

Start by adjusting the car’s ordinary rear-view mirrors before you hit the road, so that you can clearly see what’s happening behind you. (Don’t adjust the mirrors while driving.) Adjust all three rear-view mirrors – the ones on the right and left side as well as the one in the middle – so that you have the widest possible view to the back and still limit the blind spots to a mimimum. Adjust the side mirrors so that you can barely see the coachwork. If you can see quite a bit of the caravan (or yourself!) in the side mirrors, they’re angled too far inward, creating huge blind spots on both sides of your car. The entire rear window must be visible in the inside rear-view mirror.…

What’s to be done if that kudu remains defiant, regardless of how hard you are braking and hooting? Either you are going to hit it or you will have to swerve. Surely all of us know that the slower you drive, the more control you have over your towing combination... but Francois and Marèt demonstrates empirically with a simple calculation how a slower towing speed can make an observable difference when a driver suddenly has to reduce the speed of his towing combination in order to swerve. For the purpose of this exercise, let’s assume that you’re driving a double-cab bakkie with a tare weight of 1 900 kg, luggage that weighs 300 kg, two occupants weighing 100 kg each, and a halffilled fuel tank of 40 kg (this comes…

If you own a caravan, it’s not merely a case of hitch, tow and light a fire. Just like your car, it also also needs a bit of tender loving care from time to time. So when it gets a breather in the winter, you should make sure that it sleeps safely and soundly. If your caravan, bush trailer or trailer has spent a few months with a roof over its head, some things might suddenly not work so well anymore. Now you have two options: you either cough up a lot of money for a service, or you can do it yourself. A caravan or trailer that isn’t properly maintained can end up costing you a lot of money. Thankfully it is easy – and relatively cheap – to…

Just like your car, your caravan needs maintenance, even if you don’t spend hours in peak traffic with it every day. And you can actually do a lot of the work yourself. Every car owner knows the drill, because it happens every 10 000 km or 20 000 km – or 30 000 km, for some lucky ones! First, you have to call your boss and explain why you’re going to be late for work today... Then you have to ask a buddy or a family member to give you a lift from the mechanic’s workshop to your office. Then the same buddy or family member has to pick you up from work again, so that you can go an fetch your car. And after all of that, you have…

It’s not the end of the road if your caravan picks up wood rot – it can be repaired. You can fix small small patches of rot yourself, but if it’s spread over a large area of wood, you’ll need to call in the pros. The problem usually starts at joints, mostly when water leaks past rubber seals and aluminium strips in your caravan’s roof and windows. Sun, wind and rain causes the rubber to harden, which means that eventually, it won’t seal properly anymore and water and moisture can seep through. Rusty screws under seals create tiny gaps for moisture to creep into panels and frames. Handles are also a problem area, especially when the plastic starts to wear away. Remember, the outer hull of your caravan is made of aluminium,…

Take the correct tools along and you can avoid spending lots of money or getting the skin scraped off your knuckles. THE BASICS If you get stuck along the way without certain basics, you’re going to regret it. When the sparks start flying You don’t need an appy with a soldering iron for all repairs. You can do many of these jobs yourself, right there at your stand. 1 SCREWDRIVERS Got a screw loose? Trying to undo a screw with a key or a coin will just raise your blood pressure. Pack a collection of screwdrivers – flat as well as Phillips; large and small – or get one of those sets with a single handle and shaft into which a tip of every kind can be fitted. go! Drive…

As with everything in life, camping requires some admin that you need to get done before starting on your journey. Fortunately, it’s not higher grade stuff – but if you skimp on it, you may run into problems. Tare. The mass of a vehicle without cargo (the weight licence fees are based on). GVM. The gross vehicle mass is the maximum that a vehicle may weigh – including its load, fuel, passengers and anything else that it transports. You’ll usually find the GVM indicated on a plate on the A-frame of your caravan or trailer. GCM. The gross combination mass is the sum of the weight of the vehicle and whatever it is towing – that is, the legal combined mass. Vehicle and caravan weight. Legally, the GVM of your…

THE BRAKES A trailer weighing less than 750 kg when fully loaded is not required to have brakes, but if the GVM is between 750 kg and 3 500 kg, your trailer must have run-in brakes. This implies that the trailer you use to dispose of garden refuse on Saturdays doesn’t have to be equipped with brakes of its own, but your caravan or off-road trailer must have overrun brakes. When a towed vehicle weighs more than 3,5 tons, it must be equipped with service brakes. And if you absolutely must tow a ski boat and trailer behind the caravan (not recommended) and the combined weight of these two exceeds 3,5 tons, then both the trailer and the caravan must have service brakes. THE GUARANTEE Vehicle manufacturers often provide their…

A long road trip is so much better if you depart to your destination prepared. Here is a quick refresher course where we recap road signs, the golden rules of the road, GPSes, tyres and the age old problem of how much weight you’re allowed to place on a tow bar... But there are a few lesser known signs, rules and information signs. If you know how to read these signs, it’ll save you lots of money and prevent damage – and spare you from a few family fights along the way. IT’S A MILESTONE! Signs indicating distance and direction have come a long way. Just more than 2 000 years ago the Romans placed round stone pillars next to the road to show travellers how far from Rome they…

What is the difference in towing capacity between a diesel and petrol engine? What is the best gear to tow in, how do you prevent trailer sway, do you know how to properly set your car’s rear-view mirrors, and what is a safe towing speed? Everybody knows that when you say “Break a leg,” you don’t mean it literally. And every caravanner knows that the more torque your vehicle produces, the better its towing capability will be. If you want to know exactly how hot or cold it is outside, you use a thermometer, so if you want to know how much torque your vehicle can generate, you have to know how many Newton meters it delivers. Newton meter is a standard unit used to measure torque. The formula states…

There are those who brag about the way they let fly while towing a caravan, but if you’re towing too fast and things go wrong, there will be hell to pay. It’s inconvenient to lumber along to your holiday destination. You want your camp set up by early afternoon, but when towing a vehicle it is undeniably more dangerous to drive at 120 km/h, especially when the road has bends, when you try to avoid a pothole or when you need to brake sharply. The momentum of a caravan, which in this case pushes your car from behind, or may even pull it to one side, can have disastrous results. Geoff Elske, former general manager of the AA, reckons that the safest towing speed is 90-100 km/h. This may perhaps…

1 Charge it. Batteries aren’t cheap and need to be looked after. Charge them regularly and keep it charged, even in winter or at other times when you’re not using your caravan. They should preferably be charged once a month, for 24-48 hours. 2 Testing, testing. Now test the fridge, lights and other electrical appliances in the caravan. If the battery doesn’t immediately have enough have enough life in it, wait until it’s fully charged, then test these again. 3 Power trip. Check the electrical control systems, ensure they’re in working order, and ensure they’re able to recharge the batteries. Test all the switches. If the lights don’t work, there could be a problem with the bulb, the wiring or the connections. Check that the inside and outside lights work. 4 And another test.…

Your caravan needs regular checkups and services – top to bottom and front to back, says Johannes. “How often you use it will determine when you’ll need to have it serviced. If you’ve already been to the Kgalagadi twice, as well as once through the Kruger National Park, its high time for a service. Some guys even service their caravans after every trip to the Kruger.” According to Johannes, caravanners see the biggest issues around brake systems and wheel bearings that haven’t been taken care of or serviced properly. Another big issue is tyres that are too old, even though they still look new. “If the drum brakes don’t look good anymore, the brake pad has to be replaced and the drum sanded clean. I’d estimate about half of the…

A tent is like married life: If you give it love and attention, everything’s plain sailing, but if you neglect it, you’ll sleep outside. Caravan tents are still made of canvas – just like they were twenty years ago. However, today’s material is vastly different from what was used yesteryear. Current tent canvas can last a lifetime, but the lifetime of your tent depends on the manner in which you maintain it. BEWARE OF SOAP The canvas material is sealed in the factory as soon as it’s woven. The material is plunged into a container with a waxy sealant and a special agent to protect it against mildew. The sealant is therefore not merely on the material, but absorbed into the fabric. Domestic soap and cleaning agents are chiefly made…

Camping can be fun – as long as you know your way around things like electricity and how to get your DStv dish up and running. And of course it also helps if you’ve packed everything you need for your holiday, like a fully kitted out tool box. The national guidelines for standards in campsites, SANS 10092:2004, has stirred up a lot of debate and campsites will be hard pressed to comply with some of its prescriptions. However, one issue most people agree on is electrical outlets. Melanie van der Westhuizen, a reader from Kempton Park, encountered a power outlet at a popular resort in the north of the country where the Volt-reading at their stand was 420 V (instead of 220 V). They used it... and their caravan’s wires…

When you hit the road to go camping, safety isn’t on the forefront of your mind. But just like everywhere else, campsites may be riddled with danger – from insects to gas canisters, the sun and the swimming pool. Be informed and be prepared! We all go camping to escape the trials and tribulations of the daily grind and to simply savour a few days with our loved ones and experience some of the most beautiful parts of our country. And yes, even though you are chuffed with your new offroad-caravan, you should realise that it’s not your most precious possession. That honour (we hope) belongs to your family. But how do you protect them – especially your children – when you go camping? We asked our readers, certain holiday…

Fire extinguishers are like refuse collection trucks: You don’t pay them much attention until they’re not around and you’re knee deep in it. It’s common knowledge that there is an inverse relationship between how long it takes to tease a damp piece of wood into flames and how quickly things can catch alight by accident around the campsite. This is not the time to wonder where you packed the fire extinguisher. And when you do get your hands on it, it had better work, because no one will be laughing if your caravan goes up in flames while you’re trying to figure out how to get foam out of the extinguisher. The National Road Traffic Act is clear when it comes to fire extinguishers and caravans: A caravan or trailer…

Go Drive & Camp is at the forefront of innovation in the local caravan and camping industry and their latest product, offered in partnership with CaraSure, offers real value for money: insurance for your caravan or your offroad trailer! Readers can get the insurance product SleepSeker at a special rate. The insurance covers caravans, off-road trailers and motorhomes. There are two packages available: SleepSeker Prestige • SleepSeker cover • SleepSeker 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 to…

If your driver’s licence harkens back to a time when it still had pride of place in your ID book, you’re allowed to tow a caravan without any additional paperwork – your old Code 08 driver’s licence was converted to an EB driver’s licence. And if you obtained your licence after 1998 (when the newer card system was implemented) and you tow nothing bigger than a small luggage trailer on the open road, or use it to get rid of garden refuse, you can also relax. The Code B driver’s license is quite sufficient. However, if you currently only have a Code Bdriver’s licence and you want to tow a caravan or off-road trailer, actually, anything with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) exceeding 750 kg, you should make an appointment at…

SEPARATE POLICY OR PART OF HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE? Decide whether you’d prefer to have stand-alone insurance for your caravan, or if you want to include it with your homeowner’s insurance. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will cover your caravan against theft or damage, but you’ll have to specify and insure the contents separately. The same applies to a tent. If you insure your caravan or trailer seperately, the premium does not increase if you, for example, lodge a claim against your homeowner’s insurance. If your caravan’s insurance is part of your homeowner’s or car insurance, the cost will also be indirectly increased whenever the premium is adjusted upwards owing to inflation or a claim. Caravans fall into a low-risk category, because they’re used less often than cars. So the separate premiums are…

Poor road surfaces or crosswinds are often blamed when a caravan starts to swerve uncontrolably, but they’re not the only culprits. Other factors within your control also play a role. Even if you’ve checked everything a hundred times before and even if you’ve been towing since the days when petrol still cost R2 per litre, there is no harm in following these steps again. HITCH A MATCH The most important factor is probably your towing combination: What are you towing and what are you towing it with? The GVM (total mass of the loaded caravan) must be less than the tare of the towing vehicle (it’s mass without being loaded). The wheelbase of the towing vehicle is likewise a consideration. Vehicles with longer wheelbases are invariably more stable when they’re…

If the screw clamp op your caravan’s jockey wheel doesn’t want to turn forwards or backwards, or the wheel doesn’t want to stay in place when your caravan is hitched, then the screw thread is kaput. This is how you replace it. GET THIS • 1 steel bolt (14 x 250 mm) • tap • an angle grinder • a sturdy vice grip on your work bench • a piece of iron pipe • an electrical drill (optional) • licence plate screws (optional) DO THIS 1 Engage your caravan or trailer’s handbrake and rest the A-frame on a hydraulic jack. (You can also fasten the caravan to your tow bar.) The important thing is simply that it doesn’t rest on the jockey wheel. 2 Turn the handle on the jockey…

Apart from spare bulbs, split pins, wheel bearings and fuses, it’s wise to take an extra electrical plug with you on holiday, since these plugs do break. If you’re lucky, it’s only the cover, but sometimes, you need to replace the whole thing. The slit is at 4 , while 1 is always at the top. The contact points at the back of the plug are also numbered this way. Unfortunately, not all 7-wire cables are the same. The colours might differ. Here is a general guideline. 1 yellow for left indicator 2 blue for power to fridge or to charge battery from vehicle 3 white (sometimes pink) for earth 4 green (sometimes purple) for right taillight 5 brown for taillights (in older caravans, the taillight on the right*) 6 red…

Double flooring. Pitch your tent on a groundsheet, even if the tent is fitted with a PVC floor. In this way, you won’t get any mud or dirt on the tent floor that can soil your tent when you pack it up again after your stay. Plan B. If you don’t have an extra piece of canvas or a groundsheet, pitch the tent on a clean surface, like paving or grass. Also avoid stepping on the canvas section when folding it away. Forget about high-pressure cleaning equipment. Never use high-pressure equipment to clean your tent. It spells disaster for the tent’s material. A bird in hand. Birds perch and make nests in trees, so tents pitched in the shade are often bespattered with youknow- what. Trees such as thorn trees…

Is your first-aid kit filled to the brim with unnecessary meds, or do you still need a few essentials? 1 PLASTERS Kiss it better... If you want a cut or a scratch to heal quickly, just cover it with a Band-Aid. It not only prevents infections, but also keeps the wound moist, which facilitates the growth of new cells. Plasters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. go! Drive & Camp says Consider a pack of SpongeBob SquarePants or the Little Mermaid themed plasters as well – this will help your little one keep her arm still. 2 GAUZE COTTON First apply an undercoat Gauze cotton is loosely woven with small holes, which prevents if from clinging to open wounds like ordinary finely woven material would. Cut out a square…