Innehållsförteckning för July 2020 från Go! Drive & Camp

Here in SA, we may not be that familiar with names including Basoglu, Saly, Erba and Pino, but these Turkish caravan manufacturers are preparing for a boom in the market following the worldwide effects of the pandemic. According to the Indian TV channel World is One News, caravans are selling like hot cakes in Turkey, so much so that sales have increased by 50% when compared to March’s numbers. Export of caravans to countries such as Norway and South Korea also increased by 60%. It seems as though the Turks have had enough of sitting at home. They’ll be flooding nearby campsites while the ban on international and local flights remain in place.…

The Namkwa 4x4 Eco Trail extends from Pofadder in Bushmanland to the top of Brandkaros in the Richtersveld. Should you want to explore every corner of the trail, you could easily spend five days on it. But, if – like us – you only follow the main route, you can see the highlights in three days. You need a proper four-wheel drive vehicle with off-road tyres to master this route. While it’s not necessary to have next level off-roading experience, you do need to take care as there are a few obstacles that will catch inattentive drivers off guard. You could tow an off-road trailer, sure, but an off-road caravan won’t fare well here. There are also some obstacles that will stymie a large 4x4 motorhome. This route is a…

Other than a chalet, a caravan is surely the most comfortable way to camp, but even an off-road caravan or trailer isn’t always the easiest thing to tow through inhospitable terrain. A tent would then be the better choice, but it can be a hassle to pitch a tent at the end of every driving day and take it down again come morning while on your way to your final destination. And, if it rained the night before, you’ll have to wrestle that damp and muddy tent back into its bag. A rooftop tent allows you to drive challenging 4x4 trails that you wouldn’t be able conquer if you were towing a trailer. Plus, you don’t have to struggle with pegs and poles because a rooftop tent pops open in…

Most campers only pull their caravans out a few times a year, but when you’re forced to forfeit a couple of camping trips due to a global pandemic, you may need to revisit exactly how to put your trailer into storage safely. We spoke to industry experts who helped shed some light on how you keep your precious leisure vehicle in relatively good nick, whether you’re an old hand with years of camping experience or a newbie. Like a glove Although the first prize would always be for your caravan or off-road trailer to be garaged, everyone’s parking arrangements differ. Some might be able to park theirs in a dedicated spot in a garage or under a carport and then there are a few that probably stand exposed in the…

Explore Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the great rivers of the Zambezi Region (the old Caprivi Strip), and mighty Victoria Falls, while our experts make sure you’re safe, well fed and comfortable at all times. This self-drive tour is one of the most popular on the Bhejane itinerary, for good reason: It allows you to have a true African adventure at a reasonable price, and you don’t need any technical off-road driving skills. Travel from the vast Makgadikgadi Pans around the Okavango Delta and up the Panhandle, pausing at the mysterious Tsodilo Hills, which is a world-renowned rock art site. You’ll travel east through the Caprivi in Namibia, and back to Kasane in Botswana via the ever-impressive Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The tour ends with a cruise on the Chobe River, where…

Ican’t remember the first time I went camping. I don’t come from a family of campers and we typically went on holiday in a rented house in some seaside town. My dad has always been a hiker, though, and every now and then he would take my brother and I – plus a friend or two – to an overnight trail in the Cederberg. I still remember packing: tightly rolled-up clothes, a tiny cooking set and gas stove, the A-frame tent with its musty smell (thanks to many years on a garage shelf) and the mess trays and cutlery kits my dad still had for some or other reason 20 years after the end of his army days. Everything had to be small and compact. We walked up and down…

Mist was hanging over Secunda when we got up at 7:00. Another miserable lockdown day, I thought as I looked out the window. The mist made me even more morbid. Hopefully the sun would come out soon. Shortly before the lockdown, we spent a month at the Dube Reserve with my brother André and sister, Elna Janse van Vuuren, who came all the way from the Netherlands. It was lovely in the reserve and a special experience for Elna. She couldn’t believe that you could stand a mere 10 metres from a giraffe. The month flew by, of course, and we got back home in time for Elna to make arrangements so she could get home before lockdown. Our planned holiday at the sea in the Cape had to be…

We give you monthly updates about the contribution the automotive industry is making to fight the coronavirus. Ford moved 85 employees from the production floor at its Silverton plant in Pretoria to manufacture face masks. They’ve already packaged and shipped an impressive 190 000 masks to where they’re most needed. Ford also joined the Red Cross and made two Ranger bakkies available to that organisation. Toyota South Africa has produced 23 000 face masks to date, giving them to Toyota employees in KZN as well as donating to that province’s health sector. A total of 900 masks were delivered to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital in Umlazi in May this year and about 10 000 went to other hospitals and clinics. Haval South Africa partnered with Boxer Stores in Alexandria, Mpumalanga, and…

A facelifted Mini Countryman has arrived in Europe and should come to South Africa by the end of the year. The newcomer boasts a new grille, lights and alloy wheels. If rumours are to be believed, Mini will stop using diesel engines, but we don’t know whether this will apply to South Africa as well. Hyundai has launched a Limited Edition version of its Venue in Korea. These limited editions of the Venue are already on their way to South Africa, and although there has been no official statement from Hyundai South Africa, we know the exterior will boast new colours. VW has finally confirmed that its next bakkie will be based on the Ford Ranger. The company released a sketch in March that looks significantly different to Ford’s vehicle,…

There are so many small things that goes into a build like this that are easy for people to overlook 2008 TOYOTA FORTUNER 3.0 D-4D After years of using and getting to know his Fortuner as a towing vehicle for the Extreme 4X4 Challenge events, and a couple of months contemplating a 4x4 conversion, the time was finally right for Ludwig to put the pieces together. “I originally purchased the Fortuner in 2014 as a runabout for my then wife. This is the pre-facelifted model range, and as it was a code 2, I only paid about R116 000 for it. I then spent another R29 000 on repairs and a fresh coat of paint. At the beginning of 2019, my ex had a fender bender with the Fortuner, and…

You may already know the basic history of the jerrycan: that the Germans invented this famous container during World War II, and that ‘Jerry’ was British slang for a German soldier. But the whole story is even more interesting… Back in the day, oil and fuel were sold to the public in square tin cans (shown top left here), the kind that co-ops and wholesalers still use today to hold cooking oil and paraffin. But during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, supported by Nazi Germany, they discovered that the soldered seams of these tin cans were prone to bursting open when treated roughly by careless soldiers. Another kind of fuel container, one that resembled a sort of triangular briefcase (second from the top), was designed in 1928 by Vinzenz…

As with other businesses, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit caravan manufacturers hard, but Conqueror’s Philip de Vries says he believes the local caravan market should recover quickly. Before level 3 went into effect, Conqueror was only allowed to have half its factory staff on site to keep production going. And, because of the curfew, they couldn’t even consider working shifts for increased production. The good news is that the vast majority of local caravan manufacturers – including Conqueror – were able to retain all their staff. Lockdown discontinued all exports. It’s a big blow to a manufacturer like Conqueror, who exports to Australia, America and Europe. They didn’t stop the production of export caravans and Philip says they also had to handle local orders as he had…

Volkswagen South Africa reports that its plant at Uitenhage is back at full production. Volkswagen started increasing the number of workers in the factory ever since 4 May – under the strict supervision of health inspectors. However, employees who don’t have to be physically present at the plant still work from home if possible. Workers on the plant floor must wear a mask at all times, and 20 tonnes of hand sanitiser has been procured for employees. Nissan’s Rosslyn plant reopened its doors on 1 June, and welcomed Gauteng premier David Makhura and his delegation shortly before that date to the plant to demonstrate Nissan’s safety measures. “We are extremely happy that we have passed all COVID-19 inspections and we look forward to welcoming our employees back to work,” said…

When the clock struck midnight on Thursday, 26 March, it signalled an end to all camping plans for the foreseeable future. This was when lockdown came into effect as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic: staying at home would be our fate. As we know, Easter and the December holidays are the busiest times on the camping calendar. But this year, resorts lost all their bookings at a time when they are usually crowded. Gatherings were also prohibited, something that affects thousands of campers. One such event that had to be cancelled was the annual President’s rally of the South African Caravan Association (SACA) which always takes place during this period. But members were reluctant to cancel it completely, and the association decided that even if they could no…

In this era of YouTube, tablets and smartphones, nature still provides the best entertainment, especially for youngsters. And what’s more fun than a camping weekend outside the big city? A weekend with hordes of mates, a giant lawn and enough swimming space for everyone. For Capetonians, Altydwater is such a place. Should you ever want to go on one of those mega camping weekends where everyone you know – kids and dogs included – then head to Rawsonville for a weekend of fun, togetherness and swimming. Do make arrangements in advance with the owners if you want to take Rex and Chappies with you. As the name suggests, they’ve always got water. The campsite is located on Groot Eiland, the Smith family’s vineyard on the banks of the Smalblaar River.…

For the past 15 years, Grové and his wife, Marguerite, have been visiting the Kgalagadi at least two or three times annually to experience and enjoy everything this special place has to offer. On these trips they always stay in Nossob, even though they often make the wrong early morning decision when choosing whether to drive north or south. Grové says it has happened so often that the big cats are spotted in the north while they drove south… and vice versa. This year, they decided to add the Nossob 4x4 Eco Trail to their itinerary as you don’t get to choose a direction to take on this route. They made the booking 11 months in advance, as soon as the bookings opened, and the rest of their stay in…

Back in 2016 we headed to the mountains around Knysna on the local launch of the all-wheel-drive Vitara Allgrip. Three years later, Suzuki released the turbocharged Vitara and we shared our first impressions of the vehicle in October 2019. We were impressed by the Vitara Allgrip’s ability on dirt roads but we never claimed it offered a spirited drive. The Vitara Turbo, however, was certainly more fun to drive, although dirt-road driving at the local launch was limited. Suzuki took the opportunity to revamp the interior with the Vitara Turbo’s arrival. The touchscreen has the same menu software that made its debut in the Suzuki Jimny in 2019. The air-con buttons have been modernised and an attractive analogue clock now sits between the two middle air vents. We hopped behind…

Two items omitted from this list are actually the most important: good judgment and know-how. You must possess good judgment on where not to drive, and then you need know-how to get yourself unstuck after ignoring your own good judgement. Know-how will stand you in better stead than any 4x4 gadget, so it’s good to receive training at a 4x4 academy, or join a 4x4 club or forum where experienced members will impart their off-road know-how to you. But even experts with perfect judgment will pack recovery gear. We asked our Facebook friends to share their preferred rescue tools when overlanding or simply playing in the pit of doom. “Don’t drive where you could get into trouble.”– Leonor Gerrits 1 The planking fad Traction boards (or sand tracks) should be…

Is there anything more disappointing than getting comfortable with a big piece of biltong in your camping chair, only to realise you didn’t bring your favourite biltong knife to get through the sinew? Don’t get caught out there with nothing but a butter knife or resorting to having to use a utensil from the generic set in your camper. Here are a few options to help you make sure you always have the real deal at hand. 1 LEATHERMAN SKELETOOL KBX Beer with your biltong? Tim Leatherman’s famous line of multitools is a household name, and the aluminium-bodied Skeletool is all about ease of use. The 66 mm stainless steel blade is a combination of a straight and a serrated edge, and there’s a removable clip so you can wear…