Innehållsförteckning för October 2018 från Go! Drive & Camp

The production line of the Jurgens Ci plant in Ga-Rankuwa has been mute since July and, according to a highly placed source at the manufacturer, there are currently no people building caravans there. go! Drive & Camp approached Jurgens Ci’s owner, Paul Kyriacou, for comment but he wouldn’t discuss the state of affairs at the factory. “My response can only follow once I’ve concluded what I’m busy with right now.” He denied rumours that his staff hadn’t been paid in months and said all salaries were up to date. Jurgens is the largest caravan manufacturer in South Africa and supplies around 30 Campworld dealers throughout the country. These dealers, however, have been struggling for a long time to add to their new caravan stocks. Arnold Prosch, a Campworld dealer and…

Caravan Fitment Centre’s workshop in Mayville, Pretoria, has changed address. They are now sharing premises with the caravan dealership Pretoria Caravans & Campworld in Gezina. Caravan Fitment Center has entered into an agreement with this dealer to take over repairs and caravan services among others. Pretoria Caravans & Campworld keeps its own workshop where they provide pre-delivery services and maintain warranty guarantees. Caravan Fitment Centre has been doing business for 20 years and, in addition to specialist repair work on caravans and trailers, they also import Enduro caravan movers. Contact 082 575 1924 of 087 160 0374 info@caravanfitmentcentre.co.za  caravanfitmentcentre.co.za…

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is launching an electronic service that will allow you to make appointments for learner-license and driving-license tests. With this system, applicants will be able to choose which date and time they want. The hope is that it will not only eliminate queues at the testing centres, but also corruption. The system can also be used to renew existing licenses. “We found that some corrupt traffic authorities interfere with appointment dates for their own profit. We’re going to tackle this corruption and improve service to the public,” says Simon Zwane, spokesman for the RTMC. The corporation survived its own corruption scandal in 2012 after the agency’s liabilities exceeded its assets because R200 million e-Natis money belonging to the national revenue fund was used illegally by…

The Sondela Reserve near Bela-Bela recently teemed with Land Cruisers. Just like last year, Marius Opperman of Trio Events invited Toyota Land Cruiser owners to see if they could beat 2017’s convoy record of 415. They unfortunately missed the record by two vehicles, but improved the African record for most static Land Cruisers on one site. This year’s 491 is 57 vehicles more than last year. Overall, the FJ attracted the most attention. The owners of N1 4x4 Pretoria arrived with the oldest model, a FJ25 from 1959. Filly Prinsloo of Agulhas drove the furthest distance in his FJ: 1 801 km. Nobody could beat Pieter Banninga’s kilometres in his FJ45. With 2 600 000 km on the clock, Pieter has travelled around the world more than 64 times, a…

Let’s just say upfront that the EcoSport does not have all-wheel drive, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this simply isn’t the vehicle for you. What Ford’s baby SUV does have in its favour is a very good traction-control system and favourable ground clearance for when the going gets rough. We were surprised by how well it fared in a remote reserve, hopping over rocks that would have lesser vehicles balancing between their axles. They couldn’t plan this though It’s long past dark when the convoy ambles along on the very rough gravel road as we penetrate deeper into KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands and closer to our lodging for the night at Zingela Safari and River Company. Truth be told, none of us, bar the Ford staffers guiding us and bringing…

Zimbabwe is often in the news for the wrong reason, but this country has recently had a major political upheaval and, slowly but surely, there’s more light at the end of the tunnel. Regardless of politics, it remains a unique country that’s incredibly rich in natural beauty, with residents still welcoming visitors with open arms. Just think: this is a country that lies between two of southern Africa’s largest rivers: the Limpopo to the south and the Zambesi to the north. You’ll certainly know of the Victoria Falls. And then there are 10 more national parks as well as at least 10 other smaller national conservation areas that include spectacular caves, awesome lakes and beautiful botanical gardens. And, if you’re an animal lover, pack your bags as Zimbabwe’s game reserves…

Nose weight 54 kg Length 4 383 mm Width 1 830 mm Height 1 460 mm Axle width 1 580 mm Tare weight (basic camper) 630 kg Load capacity 870 kg GVM 1 500 kg Price R203 534 as tested. The basic camper costs R135 016. Various options for equipment are available. Plus You do not need a ladder to get into bed. The solid floor gives the spacious tent a luxurious feel. There’s lots of storage space. The kitchen has a very practical layout. Having LED lights that attach with magnetic strips and can be moved around is a great idea. Minus You should preferably be two people to pitch and take down the tent. In the open position, the storage door of the cupboard pushes against one of…

First of all, you’re going to have to check your existing driver’s licence code. If you don’t know where this is, it’s right in the middle of your card alongside the word “code”. If you’re under the age of 40, the chances are high that when you passed it was for a Code B licence, which enables you to drive a light motor vehicle legally and tow a trailer with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) not exceeding 750 kg. But most caravans have a GVM higher than that, and an EB licence means that you are legally allowed tow an articulated vehicle or a rigid vehicle and trailer up to a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 3 500 kg, which would be the added-up maximum of most SUVs and bakkies…

The bigger the better TOYOTA HILUX 2.8 GD6 DC 4X4 AT After about two months using its predecessor to tow his Jurgens Elegance, Ben Ras from Rustenburg decided to upgrade to a brand-new Toyota Hilux. “There was very little wrong with my previous 2010 Hilux 3.0 D-4D, except that the Elegance felt a little too heavy for it on the tow bar, and the Toyota felt like it needed a little more power to tow a caravan of that size with ease. For me, there’s no alternative to Toyota so I replaced the D-4D with a 2016 Hilux 2.8 GD6, brand new for R550 00 two years ago – though, had my pockets been deep enough then, I would definitely have opted for a Land Cruiser. Otherwise, the problem was…

“I’ve been riding motorcycles for more than 30 years – specifically, Honda’s luxurious Gold Wing models for 25 of those. I also design and build trikes that use the Gold Wing as a base. With other custom builds already under my belt, my creative side started itching to do something really challenging. An Internet image of an Australian-built custom trike really caught my eye, and I decided then and there to try and replicate it as much as possible. I started the process in January 2017, using the resources of my company in Kempton Park, EM Truck Bodies. Knowing that I would be towing a caravan, in this case a 2017 Sherpa Rambler that weighs about 900 kg, I used mostly steel in the trike’s construction so that it would…

The company Pro Auto Rubber now offers a rubber sealing kit for your Ford Ranger T6 Series load bin. The seal is part of a DIY kit consisting of the following items: a rubber seal, screws, adhesive tape and 3M alcohol cloths. Together with a bin lid or tonneau cover, you can seal the bin so your camping equipment is dust free. Pro Auto Rubber also sells load-bin and floor mats for your Ranger’s interior. A rubber sealing kit costs R1 150 and is available at your nearest Pro Auto Rubber branch in Boksburg, Cape Town, Durban, George and Pinetown. Contact 011 823 5541 stephan@proautorubber.co.za  (tell them go! Drive & Camp sent you.) proautorubber.co.za…

Here’s a piece of good news for readers in Bloemfontein: Jacky Smith, who has more than 30 years of experience in the caravan trade, has now opened her own dealership, Bloemwa, in the Free State capital. At Bloemwa, the off-road caravan manufacturer Echo4x4 gets its second space on a Free State display floor. These campers were previously available only at Outdoor Junction in Bothaville. Jacky has also teamed up with Sherpa Leisure and obtained the rights to sell these popular caravans in the Free State. Apart from all the new caravans, Bloemwa also has a camp shop with basic caravan spare parts and camping gear. a service centre is also set up to work on all the makes. To complete the picture, Bloemwa sells second-hand caravans, too. Address 24B Faan…

If you’re one of those 4x4 drivers who prefers to drive through knee-deep water rather than over a bridge, it’s a good idea to consider a breather kit. Ironman’s twin-filtered one keeps the water out of the differential while you can happily lead your vehicle into the water. The kit comes with an oil-resistant pipe (10 m) with a manifold for two couplings. At the manifold, each of the two pipes has its own filter to keep dust out of the system. Apart from the differential, the kit also fits onto gearboxes (that includes a transfer gearbox) and winches. Price R995. Contact 011 634 7770 sales@ironman4x4.co.za ironman4x4.co.za…

As we mentioned in go! Drive & Camp # 13, the Hilux Dakar version gave us a taster for how the rest of the Hilux range will be looking. Toyota’s bakkie has a new bumper, headlights and grille. It also inherits the Dakar version’s pitch-black interior finish. Fourteen single-cabin models are available with prices ranging from R253 200 (2.0 VVTi 5MT) to R525 800 (2.8 GD-6 4x4 RAIDER 6AT). There are also six Xtra-cab models (R386 700-R555 300) and 13 double cabs starting at R385 100 and ending at R663 800 for the V6 RAIDER 4x4 flagship model. In an interesting twist, Toyota decided to bring back the so-called “chassis cab”. You can now buy a Hilux without its load bin. This is especially good news for towing services, furniture…

A car that doesn’t want to start on a cold morning or a faulty aircon are minor irritations. But a vehicle that is not properly maintained is more than a frustration – it is a danger on the road. Auto Care & Diagnostics (or ACD for short), can help you with the following: AIR CONDITIONING Air conditioning systems in vehicles run out of gas or stop working as a result of broken components. At selected ACD workshops, our trained technicians offer air conditioning repair services as well as re-gassing of air conditioning units, for a wide variety of automotive air conditioning systems. AUTO ELECTRICAL ACD offers auto electrical repair and maintenance at selected workshops around the country. A dead battery, starter or alternator could all be symptoms that your vehicle’s…

DAY 1 We meet in the town of Lethlekane where we refuel and supply everyone with two-way radios. Then its off into the bush and onto the vast, flat expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pans for our first night on Kubu Island. DAY 2 After breakfast and an informative meander around the island, we head north on a two-spoor track along the edge of the empty salt pans, having a picnic lunch along the way. Our destination: a campsite outside Maun. DAY 3 While restocking and refueling in Maun, there will be an opportunity, for those who choose to do so, to take a one-hour scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. This flight, however, is not an included activity. We then head west and north to our next campsite. DAY 4…

“You’d think the 3,6 l engine has a large appetite but, with its 6 km/l while towing a caravan weighing a tonne, you can’t really complain.” What does the book say? Fuel 95-octane Petrol Engine 3,63 ℓ Cylinders 6 (boxer engine) Power 191 kW @ 6 000 rpm Torque 350 Nm @ 4 400 rpm Transmission Six-speed (CVT) Drive chain All wheel Tare 1 698 kg GVM 2 130 kg GCM 3 930 kg Wading depth Not available Towing ability for trailer with overrun brakes Up to 1 800 kg Measurements 4 815 mm (l); 1 840 mm (w); 1 675 mm (h) Wheelbase 2 745 mm Track width 1 570 mm (front); 1 580 mm (rear) Ground clearance 213 mm Fuel tank 60 ℓ Price (new) R617 000 Price…

You may as well stick your head in a beehive rather than talk about which manufacturer’s tyres are the best. Never mind what kind of tyre is the best. Let’s avoid all that tricky stuff and focus on some interesting facts: from the kind of tyres your vehicle needs to what the 10-year-old Johnny Dunlop once got for Christmas... Which wheels? Road tyres can be divided into four subcategories: summer tyres (1) are what you typically get in South Africa because of our moderate climate. Winter tyres (2) are popular in the northern hemisphere including Canada and the countries in northern Europe where it snows even in their low-lying regions. All-season tyres (3) look similar to winter tyres, but they make less noise on tar and often have a longer…

What initially was just a visit to Namibia in 2016 led Chris Erasmus from Kempton Park to start an enterprise that manufactures teardrop trailers. Chris built three camper trailers for their small tour group to visit the south of Namibia. Four weeks and 7 000 km later, Chris, an aeronautical designer, decided to tackle a new challenge. Road-Tripper Adventure Trailers saw the light and, today, the manufacturer is building four different versions of the ever-popular teardrop design. The four models range from a typical teardrop camper trailer to one that you can tow into the bundus with your 4x4. Prices range from R57 000 to R75 000 and, except for the biggest model, the XL Limited Edition that’s 60 cm longer than the rest, Chris uses the same chassis. The…

Sherpa Leisure has added a luggage trailer to its range. One of Sherpa’s major features is the full fiberglass body, which is also a hallmark of the new Fibertrail trailer. The trailer has a loading bin with a lid typical of a luggage trailer, and a separate nose cone. The spare wheel fits into its own hatch under the floor of the trailer. This hatch has a plug in case there is water in the trailer you need to get rid of – when you wash the inside, for example. Sherpa’s owner, Neville de Meillon, says he adapted the FiberTrail’s design to fit the size of a Hyundai i20. “There’s a big demand for this type of trailer, especially because it is constructed of fiberglass. This is especially true for…

Conqueror, one of the largest off-road caravan manufacturers in the country, has exported its first UEV-490 caravan to Canada after a year of negotiations. The caravan manufacturer has already been exporting to countries such as Australia and the USA (Conqueror’s largest export markets) as well as Saudi Arabia and parts of Europe for a long time. Because every country has its own towing regulations, caravans cannot be exported from here without being amended. America and Canada, for example, require specific electrical brakes. These brakes are installed, mounted at the Heidelberg factory on the Conqueror caravans and then the caravan is exported. The UEV-490 is known locally as the Commander and is the largest production off-road camper built by Conqueror. If things go to plan, the rest of Conqueror’s model range…

“The more dynamic design, hypermodern lights and big wheels help turn the Touareg into a most attractive vehicle.” There was a time where the Volkswagen Touareg prided itself on its off-road capabilities, and a souped-up version won three consecutive Dakar Rally-titles from 2009 to 2011. But, in the parking lots at malls, the less glamorous Touareg was the ugly duckling among expensive SUVs, including BMW’s X5, the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz’s GLE. This year, the situation changed radically. The third-generation Touareg sacrificed some off-road prowess for certain comforts – think ride quality, comfort and luxurious fittings. Not only is it now the most advanced (and most expensive!) Volkswagen ever, but it doesn’t have to take a single step back when facing off against other expensive SUVs. The exterior The new…

It’s great when a tiny SUV impresses by performing almost as well a full-fledged off-road vehicle. Isn’t that why we cheer for the underdog at World Cups? Like the Suzuki Jimny, Fiat Panda owners also have tales of how theirs outperformed a Jeep, but are these Davidand-Goliath stories credible or just big talk? We took the Fiat Panda Cross to the Honingklip 4x4 Trail (a proper grade 3 to 5) outside Hermanus in the Cape to see how it would fare in the mountains. Inside and out Like some mongrels, the Panda’s exterior is so ugly it’s cute, and the inside beautiful. The instrument panel glows cheerfully with blinking orange-red lights and smooth buttons just looking for a hug. Even the grumpiest curmudgeon won’t be able to repress a smile…

Subaru became a household name in the 1990s as a result of its success in rallies back then. The manufacturer is equally famous for its iconic boxer engines, although they don’t own this technology that dates back to the 19th century. a boxer engine is the so-called “flat engine” with the pistons moving in a horizontal line as well as in opposite directions. Equally iconic vehicles, such as the Volkswagen Beetle, Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 911 came out with a boxer engine. One of the major advantages of this type of engine is the low gravitational point compared to conventional engines, which improves road handling. That’s all good and well, but you don’t want to drive at 140 km/h on a narrow dirt road through a pine plantation, while the…

When off-road trailers arrived years ago, they all looked roughly the same: a trailer with a roof tent on top. But, as demand for them grows, more and more manufacturers and brand-new designs have been making their appearance. MJ and Elmien Fitchet, owners of GT Campers, aren’t newcomers to the camper market. They have six years of experience in the industry and their trailers – the Libra and its little brother, the Spider – are two of the newer designs. These trailers have a unique feature, a first for the local market: the lid transforms into the tent floor. MJ says they’ve been using different kinds of camping equipment for many years on their travels. But they dreamt of towing a camper that’s simple, convenient and strong. So they built…

It helps to be prepared in the event of a power outage at home. Whether load-shedding has cut off the electricity supply to your home and you don’t have matches and candles handy, or if you’ve just lost your car keys in a 10-man tent, or even if you just want to find out what just brushed up against the side of your caravan. Having a torch at the ready definitely comes in handy. ZARTEK RECHARGEABLE LED SPOTLIGHT Game time More of a spotlight than an actual torch, the Zartek rechargeable LED unit features a pistol-grip style so you can easily point it in the direction you want. It also has a detachable red lens for viewing animals, and two brightness settings with a strobe function. There are two separate…

Although most of the scribes of the automotive industry would like to think of themselves as somewhere between Joe Public’s ability behind the wheel and the upper echelons of motorsport such as World Rally Cross, Formula 1 or Dakar, I’m going to throw a spanner in the works by saying that the vast majority of us are certainly not God’s gift to driving – especially when surfaces other than tar come into play. Yes, many motoring journalists model themselves after a hero of theirs. You know, Michael Schumacher or Sarel van der Merwe. But that only serves us so far, because most motoring journalists are limited to the blacktop – that’s tarmac to the layman. Of course, 10 years ago I didn’t know this. For me, this was the industry…