Innehållsförteckning för June 2020 från Go! Drive & Camp

Echoes of above Samsung A3 When the opportunity presents itself, she seeks out the peacefulness of the Eastern Free State, says Jolanda Grobler from Kriel. “My mother, Stienie Grobler, and I went on a three-day trip in March and popped in at the Kiara Lodge between Clarens and Golden Gate. We decided to explore the place and walked to their dam. It was late afternoon and I captured this beautiful scene in front of us.” It is certainly a beautiful scene, and the water is like a mirror on such a wind-free day. The photo doesn’t have a specific focal point, but all the finer detail is captured on the centre horizontal line. The blue-grey clouds don’t make the picture any more interesting, and the same goes for a third…

Mobi Lodge launched its new flagship model, the Continental. The Continental was born after a two-year development period, which included input from Mobi Lodge owners around the world. The current Mobi Lodge models, the Custom, Expedition, Deluxe and Ultimate, differ simply in their levels of luxury. But the Continental boasts a whole new floor plan and various improvements specifically aimed at the export market. But, says Leon Ras, the Continental will, of course, also be available locally. The model has already exceeded all expectations after its local launch in April. Many existing Mobi Lodge owners have placed orders to upgrade to the Continental. One of the biggest changes is a new 133 ℓ 12 V eye-level fridge/freezer that now stands in a cabinet across the entrance door (where the safe…

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) reports that new vehicle sales began to decline in March this year. As an example BMW’s sales for March 2020 fell by a third compared to March 2019. Manufacturers including Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Suzuki had relatively steady sales, but Honda took a hard hit, with only 267 vehicles sold compared to 1 150 in March 2019. It was also the worst month for Volkswagen since December 2017, with sales of only 2 775. But far worse was to come in April, as you could well imagine. Registration of new passenger vehicles in April 2020 fell by a staggering 99,6 % compared to April 2019. Ford managed to sell 304 vehicles – mostly Ranger bakkies – and Toyota was runner-up with…

The Kunene estuary, at the very top of Namibia’s infamous Skeleton Coast, is a destination that usually appears somewhere on every offroader’s top 10 list. It has all the hallmarks of a proper 4x4 destination: it’s extremely far from society; the road there is challenging; and the scenery is something you can’t really even describe. The Kunene forms the northern border of Namibia and the Skeleton Coast National Park, and although you can visit the southern part of the park any day, the northern stretch of coastline to the estuary is closed to the public. You do still have the opportunity to tick this destination on your list, however, as a handful of people are allowed here with an approved tour operator in this 350 km concession area every year.…

Where does the West Coast begin and end? It’s impossible to find a conclusive answer to this question, but we propose that a distinction can be made between the entire western coast – with a lower-case w – starting at the Orange River Mouth and reaching all the way to the Cape, and the smaller geographic region between Yzerfontein and Doring Bay called the West Coast (capitalised). But is this the final word on the subject? A fisherman from Velddrif will be in hysterics if a hipster from Cape Town claimed to be a native of the west coast. Most people from Elands Bay won’t even acknowledge Saldanha as part of the West Coast, while Port Nolloth’s lighthouse keeper says unequivocally that he is a born-and-bred west coast local, even…

“Back when I bought our very first caravan, we immediately went camping at Weesgerus. Since then, we’ve camped there every year over the Easter weekend. I always book our spot for the next year before we leave, in fact. WHAT’S THE CAMPSITE ALL ABOUT? There are more than 100 stands laid out in groups of 16 in circles with ablution facilities in the middle. You get a concrete braai and a grid, a power point, a tap and plenty of shade trees on your stand. There’s not much grass around and the resort is busy paving a section of each stand. You’re in the Bushveld and you feel really close to Mother Nature, because the impala and guinea fowl walk unhurriedly among the stands and you also see loads of…

FISHING RESORT DWESA NATURE RESERVE A FISH A DAY The campsite is laid out in the shape of a clover leaf in the thick bush near the sea. The stands also have a lovely lawn. The group of campsites on the left of the campsite, laid out in a row next to each other, gives you the most privacy. Towards the middle, stands are in a circle (next to an open patch of grass). From these stands, a suspension bridge runs across a stream to the other camping section on a grassy plain with trees all around. Some of these stands are in the open and the rest all under the trees. The bathrooms are next to the middle stands and a short walk from the other stands. So, if…

When Citroën announced its return to South Africa late last year, it did so with a revised line-up that they hoped would appeal to trends followed by the buying public in recent times, with a B-segment hatchback and two small SUVs. The range-topping C5 Aircross, based on Peugeot’s 5008, carries much of the company’s hopes in a segment that’s still growing in popularity and commands a healthy section of the market. The badge is derived from the C5 sedan that we last saw doing battle against other large family sedans –a vehicle that came with all the bells and whistles. This is a good omen because the compact SUV market is also hotly contested right now, and this model represents the best the brand has to offer. Left-field looks The…

You would be surprised at just how much you’ll miss a table if you don’t have one while exploring the great outdoors. We’ve put together a list of some of the various types of tables that’ll make your next trip a little more special. TRIPLE THREAT Oztent Bi-Fold Alumium Table Aussie brand Oztent’s entry here is quite an innovative one, folding not in half like some of the competition, but into three sections that you can carry like a briefcase when you’re setting up or taking down. And that despite being a full-size table of 1 200 mm long and 600 mm wide. The dark grey and black finish is also easy on the eye. Price R1 398.75 from 4x4 Mega World. Drive & Camp says Despite a sturdy stainless-steel…

The good and bad about Namibia At the beginning of October 2019, my wife, Marianne, and I passed through the Alexander Bay/Oranjemund border post for an extended Namibian tour. We drive a Ford Ranger and tow a Skipper Oyster caravan. The border crossing was effortless and we were through within 15 minutes. Our first overnight stop was Shark Island and we travelled via Rosh Pinah to Lüderitz. The road is now tarred all the way and you don’t need a permit like in the old days. The scenery is still spectacular but different due to mining activities in some sections of this area that has removed the topsoil to find diamonds. We took a beating with the wind on Shark Island, but we accepted it as part of the experience.…

Despite enormous financial losses due to the national lockdown, vehicle manufacturers in South Africa voluntarily joined the fight to help get us through the COVID-19 pandemic. Nissan South Africa provided 12 vehicles to the University of the Witwatersrand so that health workers could visit the communities of Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Winterveldt, Hammanskraal and a number of others north of Gauteng to test for the virus. Ford gave a monetary contribution to the Gift of the Givers Foundation and produced 57 000 plastic face shields in its Silverton plant, all donated to essential service providers. Ford and its subcontractors hope to provide half-a-million face shields in an effort to slow the spread of the virus until an effective vaccine is found. Peugeot-Citroën South Africa, as well as Ford, made several vehicles available…

If you’re interested in an Armadillo caravan these days, you no longer have to drive all the way to a dealer. Simply visit their website and explore all four of their models by taking a virtual tour. Jason Collie of Xtreme Outdoor, the Armadillo manufacturer, says customers have such a huge choice of off-road caravans and trailers that it can get slightly overwhelming. Many off-road trailers – from different manufacturers – have basic similarities and therefore buyers need time to decide what they like. That’s where Armadillo’s 3D tour comes in: customers can view each model in their own time – and over and over again – from corner to corner. On the website, visitors see the four Armadillo models parked in a row. You can then zoom in and…

Ex-South African Elon Musk recently received a $600 million stock jackpot (approximately R11,2 billion). Financial news site Forbes reports that the shares were awarded to Musk by Tesla’s board for having facilitated a 100% srock rebound since a low-point in March 2020. The investment bank Morgan Stanley asked 25 leading clients whether to invest in Toyota, General Motors or Tesla and found that 56% of these investors would rather support ‘innovative’ companies such as Tesla, compared to only 20% of those top investors who were willing to invest their money into Toyota, while 24% choose General Motors. The majority of investors said it was ‘extremely unlikely’ that traditional vehicle manufacturers could ‘recoup their capital input costs’ by continuing to develop internal combustion engines. So, Elon was able to achieve the…

“I drove a 2013 Mazda BT-50 3,2 4x4 for three years before trading it in with 105 000 km on the clock. Where the economy allows, I try to drive a vehicle that still has an active warranty and service plan. I knew that I’d get another double cab, because these vehicles are great for towing and have lots of space to pack extra camping gear. That being said, it would also have to have a powerful engine to lug that extra load around. After shopping around and considering the likes of a brand-new Nissan Navara 2.3 (it seems not to be an attractive option for thieves), I eventually settled on a used 2015 Ford Ranger 3,2 TDCI 4x4 double cab for R385 000. This was three years ago and…

You’ve just bought your first caravan and you’re ready to hitch it to your vehicle and hit the road. Your first towing experience can be intimidating, especially as you don’t know exactly what to expect. “Remember you’re on holiday. Take it easy and you’ll get there safely. – Leroy Venter” The good news is that the more you tow and the  more confidence you gain, the better you get at it. It is simply one of those things in life you just have to do for the first time. We asked our Facebook friends to share the wisdom they’ve gained after years of towing, and everyone seems to agree that rookies will cope a lot better if they apply these five tips. 1 Get your papers in order First off,…

One of the strongest shapes in engineering is the equilateral triangle. A runner-up in terms of rigidity is the right-angled triangle. Think back to school maths and you’ll remember Pythagoras. “In any right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.” What Pythagoras says in terms of camping is that if a tent pole is 1,8 m long, you need to plant the tent peg 1,8 m from the base of the pole to create the strongest anchor point. You never expected to use the Pythagorean theorem to pitch a tent, did you? This, however, solves only one problem of pitching a tent, as a tent consists not only of rigid metal poles but also…

Bobo Campers, one of the largest local motorhome rental agencies, had to suspend business because of the COVID-19 restrictions. But Tim Bouwers, who runs the company, has turned that challenge into a helping hand. Camper Rescue, a new division of Bobo, is registered as an essential service. The company can now use its fleet to help slow down the pandemic. Tim explains that their motorhomes can be used as transport vehicles and serve as temporary accommodation for healthcare workers: they have bathrooms, kitchens and sleeping spaces, after all. Bobo has already made available 12 of their units in Namibia to the health authority free of charge, so that staff do not have to commute daily. Bobo has three models available to rent (with space for two to six people to…

There is currently an oversupply of fuel as a result of last year’s oil-production race between Russia and Saudi Arabia (to raise the largest reserve so as to outbid the other’s oil prices), along with the unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The feud between the two oil-producing nations, meanwhile, is something of the past, and Russia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to scale down production. “The irony is that this has come at a time where motorists and businesses are severely limited as to how they can use their vehicles,” said a statement by the South Africa’s Automobile Association (AA). The AA foresees that fuel prices are likely to fall further over the next few months, but that it will rise again over time as the world economy recovers…

TOYOTA FORTUNER EPIC The Toyota Fortuner has been a top seller among South Africans since 2004 and therefore needs no introduction. Originally developed in Taiwan, Toyota Australia took over with the second-generation Fortuner in 2015. Toyota South Africa has recently updated the Fortuner’s exterior to create this latest version, the Toyota Fortuner Epic. What do we have here? The Epic is available in two finishes: Epic and Epic Black. Both versions use Toyota’s trusty 2.8 GD-6 engine, which has been on our roads for a number of years. As you can probably guess, the Black suffix indicates a higher spec level, while the regular Epic doesn’t differ that much from the standard Fortuner. The Fortuner Epic range can be further divided into four models: two rear-wheel drive 2.8s (Epic and…

When you take into account its bad roads, steep passes, shallow bridges and deep water crossings, you’ll understand why you’re not allowed in the wilderness area of the Baviaanskloof in a regular sedan. A recent visit from a group of Cape Town friends, however, posed no such problems. Two of them, Christo Muller and Pierre Wepener, each drove a Fortuner; Jan van der Westhuizen had his Subaru Forester; and Barry van der Berg did the trip in a Kia Sorento. Barry was the only one who was somewhat concerned about the trip, mainly because his Kia isn’t exactly famous for its ground clearance. Plus, he’d heard that a recent flood in the area had caused great damage to the Baviaans. The guys driving Fortuners simply smiled and reassured Barry that…

You can’t miss a GT Camper off-road trailer: that lid on the hull that flips open and turns into the tent’s floor is truly unique – and because the tent folds back up inside the trailer, the trailer has a low profile that is about the same as the height of your bakkie’s load bin. They suffer virtually no wind resistance and are not only easier to tow, but are also lighter on fuel. And, what’s more, there’s plenty of room on top of the trailer’s lid for camping gear or the kids’ bikes without it sticking out too far above your vehicle’s roof. The first model this Pretoria manufacturer made was the Libra, and the Spider is the smaller version. At first glance, the two look identical, and they…

If you think you can simply jog into a wholesaler, grab the first tent you fancy and join experienced campers on equal footing, you may be in for a rude awakening. We’ve bent our fair share of tent pegs over the years and so we emptied out our tent peg bag to see if we had the correct equipment. We reflect on the hard lessons we’ve learnt about where not to pitch a tent, and we share wisdom acquired from seasoned campers on how best to pitch your home away from home. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SPOT So, now you know which tent pegs you’ll need, but do you know what campsites to avoid? Caravan parks have already done most of the thinking and marked out suitable stands, but if you’re…

More than once during our commute, my wife used to say that she would so love to stay home for only one day so she can get on top of things. Most of us could identify – we are all familiar with this hamster wheel of life that seems to be turning faster and faster. And then the COVID-19 pandemic brought the wheel to a sudden stop. After weeks at home, my wife’s day off turned into a prison sentence. It’s at times like these that you realise what a large part of your life is dedicated to driving. Our family uses an average of four tanks of fuel per month. The Honda has, however, been patiently waiting in the driveway for almost four weeks now. The first tank for…