Innehållsförteckning för April - May 2021 från Go! Drive & Camp

We had planned to go camping in the Garden Route during the December holidays, and our children, Ruan and Nadia Pieterse, with their little one, Ava, would also have joined. They came to visit us in Durbanville all the way from Pretoria, but they also wanted to go to sea. Unfortunately, the Garden Route was identified as a COVID-19 hotspot at the time. We therefore decided to cancel our arrangements. But we still wanted to be close to the ocean and decided on the West Coast. We decided on the northern section where you can camp ‘wild’, far away from others. Of course, we had to take everything with us: water, ice, solar power… and that’s okay, our off-road caravan is equipped with a solar panel. Our plan was to…

You published our letter in the October-November 2020 issue about our road trip from Scotland to South Africa. (Ken and his wife, Lorraine, were already well on their way by then – at that time they’d been on the road for 445 days and were in Kenya, with 31 041 km behind them. – Ed) We arrived in Cape Town in December. That was after 18 months (552 days), 32 countries and 48,018 km. We plan to tour more and have already taken our camping trailer to a workshop so that they can improve the ground clearance. It will also help with the ball height so that we do not have to use a drop plate – this almost turns into a plow when you are towing on bad roads.…

OPEL CROSSLAND The Opel Crossland has just had a facelift and now boasts a new front end called the Opel Visor. The Opel Visor is an opaque plastic panel that replaces the standard grille. Behind this screen, there’s space for sensors and cameras and, in some Opels, even the headlights. The Opel Crossland’s price ranges from R324 900 for the 1.2 Crossland Edition (60 kW) with a five-speed manual transmission to R399 900 for the 1.2 Crossland Elegance (81 kW) with its six-speed automatic transmission. PEUGEOT 2008 A new Peugeot 2008 was recently launched, and according to this manufacturer, the 2008 will “turn a remarkable new leaf in the history of Peugeot sports utility vehicles”. The 2008 will get a 1,2 ℓ three-cylinder petrol engine and will be available in…

The Vitara Brezza, Suzuki South Africa assures us, isn’t replacing the standard Vitara. The Brezza has the same wheelbase as the Vitara (2 500 mm), but the body is 180 mm shorter and 15 mm wider, and it has better ground clearance (198 mm vs 185 mm) than its regular Vitara stablemate. The Brezza is also reminiscent of the Suzuki SX4, especially its S-Cross version, but Suzuki says the Brezza is unique and does not share its platform with any other car. What do we have here? The Vitara Brezza is a subcompact crossover vehicle, not to be confused with a compact SUV, such as the Vitara or an off-roader like the Jimny. It’s rather a peer to the SX4 S-Cross, which is not sold in South Africa. The Brezza…

It almost feels as if this part of the world stood at the front of the queue when the earth was formed. The Bushveld is endowed with not only beautiful scenery, but it is also one of the most mineral-rich environments in the world, with platinum at the top of the list. Out here, summer is your friend. In Thabazimbi, for example, you wear T-shirts and shorts for most of the year, because the mercury usually hovers around 30 ºC. The winter months are moderate – frost is an unusual sight, and when the rain stays away for a while, the veld turns to gold. This area is also known for its large wild camps, game reserves and farms, of course. Two of those are Thabaledi and Doorndraai – here…

Your trip starts in the village of Hopetown in the Upper Karoo, about 600 km southwest of Johannesburg if you took the N12 highway here. Hopetown was originally one of the northern frontier towns of the Cape Colony, where things weren’t going well during the middle of the nineteenth century. Around 14 000 Afrikaner farmers left the colony during the Great Trek, the decline of British Empire began with the loss of the North American colonies and to top it all the Suez Canal was completed, which meant far fewer ships visited the Cape of Good Hope. Just when the colony seemed doomed to failure, Africa’s first diamond, the 21-carat “Eureka”, was discovered in 1866 by one Fanie Jacobs right here in Hopetown. For the next century, Africa, but particularly…

Sign up at the Bonniedale Holiday Farm’s farmstead where the owners, Nico and Danette Hesterman, will give you a route map and explain what awaits you. Now retrace your tracks for 1,7 km, then turn left at the signpost for Goliatsberg. You have arrived at the start of the Bonniedale 4x4 Trail. A twin-track winds up a slope – you’ll need to engage low-range gears as well as traction control as there’s a mix of stone steps and loose gravel to navigate. Up you go to Goliatsberg’s lookout point (S33.89218 E21.84895), about 700 m above sea level. In years gone by, you could choose whether you wanted to follow a tough obstacle route deeper into the gorge or take an easier way down the mountain to the next lookout point.…

After six years driving a Hyundai ix35 2.0 manual, Ryan started to look around for an upgrade, but eventually returned to the Korean stable and bought an updated compact SUV. “Two years ago, I was shopping around for a double cab, with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and Volkswagen Amarok both on my radar. The Land Rover Discovery is out of my grasp for now. My main priorities were safety, space, power, warranty (Hyundai is particularly good with theirs), versatility and repair costs outside of a warranty plan. This 2017 Tucson 2.0 automatic, at the time being used as a demo, had the right blend of everything I was looking for, with lots of options ticked off that made the asking price of R350 000 well worth overlooking its rivals. All…

Yes! The 2.5 DI-D is reliable, and thanks to its poor resale value, you can get a great bakkie for little money. It’s not a pretty vehicle, but if you’re a practical person like me, you’ll look beyond its odd appearance and see a practical and capable rig – and that’s most important consideration in my opinion. My Triton’s weak point may be is its looks, but I must confess I’ve gotten so used to it that I don’t even find it ugly anymore. Its best trait? It’s ugly enough that nobody will want steal it! It’s not just another boring white Hilux. It’s something different, and therefore it is special to me.…

Sooner or later during your ownership of a bakkie intended for leisure purposes, you’re going to consider a canopy. Maybe you want the dogs to be safe during trips to the beach or perhaps you need to transport some gear for your kid’s sports team. But if you’re fond of the great outdoors, and your bakkie doubles as a base while you’re on holiday, you’ll want to invest in a canopy to make your camping and overlanding excursions a little easier. We were lucky to have recently experienced a fully loaded canopy from one of the brands below for a full year on a long-term test vehicle. But, because our current long termer is an SUV, we miss the drawers, fridge/freezer, table and dust-proof ruggedness of our old canopy. Here’s…

Environmentally conscious campers the world over will be glad to know that they don’t have to resort to the gas-guzzling and ostentatious busses and trucks that others who claim to love nature drive to get to these beautiful spots. While most motorhomes are mammoths, German firm Elektro Frosch (it literally translates to electric frog) builds a little tuk-tuk that doubles as a mobile home. But it’s a mere 247 cm long and weighs just 240 kg. Basically, it’s a three-wheeled moped. Many of us will fondly remember Abdul Rasbanja, the Leon Schuster character, for driving something similar on his many pranks around the Republic in the 1980s. But this little tuk-tuk isn’t for antagonising residents of Boksburg. It’ll do little to upset just about anyone, let alone the wildlife of…

Thank you so much for your Drive & Camp magazine. I love camping because I grew up in this way. My husband, Garth did too. We used to go camping with our sons, James and Stephen, but these days we’ve had to get used to camping alone again. We started out camping in tents, then towed a Zippa caravan, then again in tents, and nowadays we hitch a Sprite Scout, which we really enjoy camping in. The other day I came across an old newspaper dating back to 1964. This is the September 12 issue of the Evening Post, and two caravan-related snippets of information in particular caught my eye. One was a competition for the ‘ideal family’ where the first prize, sponsored by Philips, was a Ford Zephyr Six…

“Janah gets the focal point spot on, because your eye is immediately drawn to the creature’s face, and more specifically, its eye” Double vision “This chameleon was busy crossing the road. We shared a special moment when he stopped for a second and looked at me with that black eye of his. This photo is prettier than the full-body one I also took. Here the focal point is his face. The beautiful patterns and colours contribute to the photo.” There’s just something comical about a chameleon – especially those eyes, because they can look in almost any direction. On top of that, Janah catches the guy where he is slightly exposed in the open. And then Janah gets the focal point spot on, because your eye is immediately drawn to…

Due to a miscommunication we incorrectly reported on a 4x4 trail between Gans Bay and L’Agulhas (“The littlest Cape kill zone”) in the December 2020-January 2021 issue. Do note that entry fees are required for the Uilkraalsmond nature reserve. The reserve only has one manned entrance and exit point. No beach driving is allowed. No night fishing is allowed. Quoin Point Nature Reserve is closed to the public and Die Dam holiday resort is a municipal resort and not a part of the Agulhas National Park.…

The Ranger FX4 is based on the 2 ℓ single-turbo XLT double cab and is available in 4x2 and 4x4 versions. Ford says its special versions of the Ranger XLT offer unmatched fuel economy, a sleek new look and a host of electronic features, including the FordPass Connect making its first appearance in the FX4 (from now, it will come standard in all new Ranger XL, XLS, XLT, Wildtrak and Raptor models). What do we have here? “Following the success of the Ford Ranger Thunder, it’s clear that there is demand among South African buyers for exclusive, value-added derivatives that offer a premium level of style and features, particularly in the growing leisure-oriented pickup segment,” says Neale Hill, MD of Ford SA. “The FX4 broadens our Ranger line-up, which is…

The Loskop Dam wall, which was built by hand between 1934 and 1938, then raised another 9 m to 54 m between 1974 and 1980, holds an impressive 348 million cubic litres of water. The resort, under the Forever banner, lies on the dam wall’s eastern side. It is a large resort, rich in indigenous varieties of trees: red ivory, common hook-thorn, rooibos, buffalo thorn, coral and splendid acacia, to name but a few. The trees are marked with name plates. Set a challenge for the young ones to see who can find the most tree species. LOSKOP’S 252 STANDS are spread over almost 50 000 m2 – close to five rugby fields – and you will cover about 400 m if you walk the length of the campsite. Once…

Camping flows through the veins of the Kaalsens – for a long time they did so in a 1995 model Sprite Sport. But then, one Easter weekend a couple of years back, Johann decided enough was enough when he saw his teenage children, Diaan and Simoné, spending most of their time in the tent, busy on their phones. Because Johann also has a motorcycle, he decided that he and his wife Jereline would tour with the bike in future and leave the children at home – that’s what the kids wanted, after all. The caravan was therefore no longer needed, and so they sold it… but a year later Johann realised they should never have let the caravan go. Regret, as they say, comes too late and they needed to…

I bought my 2009 Mitsubishi Triton in September 2020 for a paltry R80 000. The original owner had to emigrate to the Netherlands and was therefore in a hurry to get rid of his assets. I knew I’d make a profit if I then sold the pickup onwards. At the time, I owned a 2011 model Isuzu KB300 D-Teq 4x4 and before that a Mitsubishi Colt that I really liked. The plan hadn’t been to trade in my Isuzu for a Triton, but after driving around in it for a while, I found it to be a really good ride. The Triton definitely drives easier than my Isuzu, because it’s not as heavy and its turning circle is smaller. I was up for a change and so the Isuzu had…

“The four-wheel-drive system, though, kept the Pajero Sport on course at full gallop and we never felt unsafe” One of the reasons why this type of vehicle is so popular has to do with affordability, but also because they use common parts that any bakkie mechanic can replace. And like its competitors, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has seven seats for when you have to cart an entire indoor hockey team with enough space for the goalie’s kit, too. What’s new? The 2021 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport doesn’t appear dramatically different from the 2017 model. The spotlights on the front bumper have been completely redesigned and moved higher up to the mudguard panel, the grille now has three slats compared to the previous two, and the headlights are narrower. At the back,…

Experienced campers might want to skip this page because you no doubt alrady know the drill, but if this is the first time you’re reading our magazine, the following tips might be helpfull. We’ve made our share of mistakes over the years, and we’re here to tell you about them so you don’t have to. The right roof over your head Don’t let the numbers fool you. A six-person tent isn’t practical for six campers. Tent manufacturers literally mean exactly how many people, given a few exceptions for unusually large individuals, can squeeze inside a tent. Divide this number by two so it’s at least a little more comfortable. If it’s just you and your significant other, we suggest a four-person tent. A family of four? An eight-person tent will…

BLACK MAMBA (DENDROASPIS POLYLEPIS) Black mambas are actually brown in colour. They get their name from the blue-black of the inside of their mouths, displayed when threatened. Black mambas live in the savannas and rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa. They are Africa’s longest venomous snake, reaching up to 4,2 metres in length, although 2,4 metres is more the average. They are also among the fastest snakes in the world, reaching speeds of up to 20 km per hour. Due to its nervous and aggressive nature the black mamba is widely considered the world’s deadliest snake go . ! Drive & Camp April-May 2021 | 115…

In the past decade, there has been a shift from off-road trailers to off-road caravans. Previously, off-road trailers dominated 80% of the market, but over time, off-road caravans enjoyed a period of prosperity, and currently they take up a 60% share of the market. Brand-new off-road trailers have become more of a rarity. And this is where All Out Off Road, part of the All Out Group, steps up with its new Ostro. The name refers to the southerly wind in the Mediterranean Sea. The interior The layout is still a typical off-road trailer, with a nose cone, the kitchen to the left of the trailer and a tent on top. The Ostro has 15” tyres, with its chassis and body made of steel. The big difference with traditional designs…

R639 995 Mitsubishi Triton 2.4 Xtreme Adventurous wheel-arch protectors and all kinds of 4x4-like gadgets create an intense look. R710 100 Toyota Hilux 2.8 Legend This legend is the most expensive among its competitors, and it’s not even Toyota’s flagship model. R721 400 Nissan Navara 2.3 Stealth Nothing stealthy about the abundant stickers and yellow-painted strips that has everyone noticing this one.…

“We love the South Coast and camped at the Untu Palms caravan park for the first time in December 2019. I was with my wife, Juanita, and our two daughters, Tamika (15) and Tamzen (13), and we enjoyed it so much that I recently tried to book a stand there again for this year’s December holiday. The resort is clearly more popular than I thought, because they told me they were already fully booked for the holidays. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CAMPSITE? We were very impressed with the place. There are three types of stands – 18 regular ones all sharing the same ablution facilities, 24 luxury stands with private bathroom and kitchen facilities, and eight hyper-luxury stands, which are similar to the luxury ones but with a bit…

FISHING RESORT @97WELTINA CARAVAN PARK ANGLING ON THE VAAL Around 22 years ago, this was an open piece of land, says Gerbie Brits as she tells us about their new campsite, the @97Weltina Caravan Park. Gerbie and her husband, Willie, bought the 1,6 ha on the Vaal Dam back then with the intention to create their own getaway. By 2011, they had turned it into their full-time home, and in December last year opened the campsite. The campsite is oriented toward families, says Gerbie. As you enter the caravan park, the ablution block is on the left of the road. The reception and pool are to the right, and the stands are up ahead in the direction of the water. Gerbie designed the bathrooms – they’re new and neat and…

This is the third in a series of articles focusing on older vehicles and specifically how they compare nowadays with when they were new. In this issue, we place the Mitsubishi Triton of Pieter Hoepfner, a resident of Bellville in the Cape, under the microscope, and we invite you to show your own vehicle for some honest critique. As with Pieter’s Triton, we will pay for the dyno test and scour the archives for your vehicle’s original specifications. Send your contribution to cyril.klopper@media24.com…

Fibreglass caravans for couples are popular in South Africa, and a whole host of manufacturers cater to this need: Sherpa Leisure, Tojem and Panther Custom Caravans to mention some. And they all know, if you want to stand out, you need to make your mark. Now Badger has also entered the local market, and they’re introducing a number of new elements you don’t see anywhere else in the caravan world. The most striking of these is how the bed folds out from the body. Almost the entire roof folds away from the body along with the right panel, almost as if you’re cupping your hand. This unit then becomes the bed, with a tent over it. The interior is therefore instantly doubled in size, so you can turn that into…

“We as members of the 4x4 community have a responsibility to nature” Man and machine have been almost everywhere on Earth – and you know that wherever he went, he left tracks behind. This is why we cannot justify any new tracks through the veld when there’s already a road nearby. The term ‘off-road’ is misleading, because one should never leave a trail. By simply blundering through pristine veld, you’re harming nature, and this is not something a conscientious 4x4 driver wants to be guilty of. The brandy brigade has unwittingly – or maybe even deliberately – destroyed the environment to such an extent that the Department of Environmental Affairs banned all of us from driving on beaches in 2007. What’s more, a number of nature reserves have since closed…

Danny le Roux is a big, strong bloke with many talents. Among other things, he breeds parrots and various types of chickens, plus extraordinary saltwater fish that he keeps in various large tanks. These aquariums were custom built for him and he is an expert on water quality and the biology of his fish. Yes, Danny is proud of his parrots, chickens and fish, but there is something else Danny is proud of – and this you’ll discover at our caravan club’s regional gatherings. Danny is a man who likes to braai using real wood, and he is particularly proud of his braai skills. He does, however, have a weak spot – and this was revealed when he joined SAWA Southwestern Cape: Danny struggles to master a good braaibroodjie. He…