Innehållsförteckning för DIY Guide 2023 från Go! Drive & Camp

ED'S LETTER Calling all DIYers! Camping involves taking care of your caravan just as much as relaxing by the braai fire. Somewhere along the line, you'll have to check the brakes or perhaps reconnect the wires of the light plug. Perhaps you'll need to replace a window or it could be time for new gas struts for your caravan's pop-up roof. This guide is for campers who are itching to get their hands dirty. But maintenance doesn't start when replacing worn-out tyres or checking the coupler. Prevention is always better than cure, which is why we also include tips ranging from how to store your caravan properly to the dilemma of wood rot. Your towing vehicle is equally important, and we also look at the condition of your battery, for…

KEEP AN EYE ON DIY Guide Around the campfire and on Internet forums, caravanners have all sorts of opinions on the right way to do it. Many say the only place you should consider is under a roof, between four walls and behind a closed door. Some even go so far as building a tiled caravan garage outside their homes. Others say under a shaded carport is just fine. Then there are various opinions on the pop-up roof – one group of campers say it has to be open while you're not using the caravan, while others are adamant that it should be closed. Another point of debate is whether the caravan can be stored on its own wheels or if they should be removed. A couple of years ago we…

KEEP AN EYE ON DIY Guide Maintaining your towing vehicle involves taking care of all its components, not only the usual items that are replaced during your annual service. An often-forgotten piece of the puzzle is your battery, probably because it's one of those units that only really needs replacing every few years or so. DRIVE WHEN YOU CAN It sounds so ridiculously obvious that it can't be true, but it is. Too keep your battery in a decent state of charge, you'll need to start your car every few days and have the engine running for 10 to 15 minutes. This is the first line of defence for the battery, but it's unnatural for a car to be running while stationary in your garage (imagine the fumes) or on your…

BUY SECOND HAND DIY Guide That 1988 Sprite Sport on Gumtree feels like it's practically yours. You've managed to convince your better half that a cute second-hand caravan is exactly what you need now that the kids have departed the nest. And at a modest R31 900, it's more than worth the cost… perhaps you could even haggle the seller down by a thousand rand or so. Goodbye four-man dome tent! The ad doesn't say much about the caravan's condition, but you simply have to trust everything is okay, because with your youngest starting university, there's not much spare cash for major repairs. Perhaps you'll just replace the curtains and purchase new bedding and crockery. Nothing more than that. A few years back we chatted to Joos Knipe of JK Caravans in…

Service the tow coupler of your caravan at least once a year. It is even better to inspect it closely before and after a holiday. When you do perform the service on your own, ensure that you refit and tighten everything properly so that you are not left with a number of loose spare components that actually perform some or other vital purpose. You are going to find it virtually impossible to explain to the assessor of your insurance company why your caravan suddenly decided to follow another route to the sea… KNOW YOUR ENEMY Things always run more smoothly when one first reads the instructions. Before starting to undo screws/bolts/nuts in a tearing rush, causing your van to overtake you halfway through Du Toit's Kloof Pass on your next…

ALL HANDS ON DECK DIY Guide Acaravan's Perspex windows can start to crack due to age or wear and tear, especially around the latches screwed to them. Here's a step-by-step method to replace them. It's so easy, anyone that can handle a power drill and a screwdriver can do it. STEP 1 Take it off The windows of your caravan that can open and close have hinges attached to two aluminium strips that run at the top of the window. One strip is attached to the caravan, the other to the window. The window slides into the strip attached to the caravan, almost like your side tent slides into those grooves on the edges of the caravan's hull, but with enough play that it will move when you open the window.…

IN A NUTSHELL DIY Guide If your caravan, off-road 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: cough up a lot of money for a service, or 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 service and maintain it yourself. The secret lies in a good checklist. If you work your way through such a list, chances are slim that you'll forget something. And even if you don't service your caravan yourself, you can still use the list to check if the guys at Corner Servicing do a good…

KEEP AN EYE ON DIY Guide Caravan tents are still made of canvas – just like they were a decade or two 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 to remove grease, so if you use them to wash your tent, you run the risk of…

KEEP AN EYE ON DIY Guide Replacing tyres is never a pleasant exercise, and it always feels as though it costs too much money. And while we understand that you're going to look for the best value for money, it's not always a good idea to put Honest Eddie's bargain tyres of the week on your vehicle. There are a number of elements to consider. LET MANUFACTURERS GUIDE YOU A good starting point is to see how manufacturers decide on the tyres they fit to vehicles fresh from the factory. Clive Cox, former development manager at the then Jurgens Ci, recommended that when it's time to buy new tyres for your caravan, you stick as closely as possible to the specifications of the tyres with which the caravan was released. And…

ALL HANDS ON DECK DIY Guide Service the brakes of your caravan at least once a year. If you don't go camping all that often, a service every 18 months will suffice. It is quite easy to check the brake shoes by yourself. Worn caravan brakes produce no warning sound like those of cars, so there is no warning of impending disaster. Even if your caravan has been serviced recently, it still provides peace of mind if you check the brakes before a long camping holiday. Should replacement be required, not even someone who is all thumbs won't struggle too much to get it right. YOU NEED • A can of Q20 • Brake shoes Tools • Jack • Wheel spanner • Small hammer • Flat screwdriver • Water pump pliers…

ALL HANDS ON DECK DIY Guide In most caravans a gas strut is a common piece of equipment. Some keep the nose cone open, others lift the bed base while others help you to open the roof-top tent. And then there are gas struts that help you open the pop-up roof on your caravan and keep it in place. As with most other consumable parts on your caravan, the gas struts are going to need some attention at one point or another. Gas struts are actually cylindrical capsules with about 100 bar of pressure inside. That's about 50 times more than your car tyres. But the struts can lose their oomph after a while. So when the pop-up roof suddenly doesn't pop anymore, it's most probably because the struts are past…

ALL FIRED UP DIY Guide Abraham Lincoln famously said “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Not only was good old Abe honest, he was pretty wise too. The rarest of politicians indeed. We're not going to get into specifics about how to split logs and chop smaller pieces for your fire, but we're confident that whatever you're packing could probably do with a spruce up. Have a look to see whether you have any of these tools lying around in the garage or shed. YOU'LL NEED • A blunt rusty axe, or hatchet – something that needs loving care. • Vinegar – to break down the rust particles on the surface. • Kitchen sponge with a scourer –…

HACKS OR NOT? DIY Guide By now, most of you will have found a list on one of the popular social media platforms that supposedly has all the answers for your camping questions. There are camping hacks aplenty on the web, but some are more effective than others. We tried some of the more popular ones ourselves so that you can make an informed choice before you cut up anything. PRE-MADE BREAKFAST What is it? Instead of lugging around a fragile tray of eggs, why not just reuse the cold drink or water bottles that have a pull spout? These could even come with your plastic sauce bottles. Does it work? Well everyone must agree to scrambled eggs first. You can easily fit 18 eggs in a 500 ml bottle, plus some…

Take a shower. Check the shower system and all the taps and make sure they work properly. Also test that the geyser works. on, off, in… Check for cracks in the plastic over indicator and brake lights. Water works. Check if the water pump works. Open the taps to see if the water flows. Check if there are any leaks at the pump, taps or pipes. Testing, testing. Now test the fridge, lights and other electrical appliances in the caravan. If the battery doesn't immediately have enough life in it, wait until it's fully charged, then test these again. Charge it. Batteries aren't cheap and need to be looked after. Charge them regularly and keep them charged, even in winter or at other times when you're not using your caravan.…

A bird in hand. Birds perch and make nests in trees, so tents pitched in the shade are often bespattered with you-knowwhat. Trees such as thorn trees can also soil tents with their gum. 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. Beware of rust. Keep your tent pegs separate from the tent itself. They can cause damage to the canvas and even leave rust stains. Cook on the other side. Never prepare food near or immediately next to the tent. Oil splattering from the food will leave spots on the canvas. PRO TIP Stay off the concrete. Don't store your tent…

KEEP AN EYE ON DIY Guide The problem usually starts at joints, mostly when water leaks past rubber seals and aluminium strips in your caravan's roof and windows. The elements 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 panels of your caravan – most commonly those on an older road caravan – is usually made of aluminium, and the inside of plywood with a plastic coating. Therefore, the panels are waterproof, so once the moisture gets trapped inside, it stays in the wood. The more the…

ALL HANDS ON DECK DIY Guide One tends to forget about the wheel bearings of one's caravan simply because they are not large, conspicuous components. Yet when they fail, you are in a pretty mess. The culprit is usually the lubricant or, as Uncle Tom's mechanic dictionary calls it, plain grease. Bearings often come up with nasty surprises precisely when you can least afford it. The trouble normally starts while you are towing your caravan (at maximum safe towing speed for your setup) somewhere between nothing and nowhere – to the South Coast. This is when the bearing disintegrates and the caravan wheel suddenly comes offat a tangent. It is a frightful affair when this happens! The caravan's axle is usually severely damaged. The wheel may even bash a hole in…

ALL FIRED UP DIY Guide We all jump in line to eat the food once it's made, but you don't ever see people queue to wash up the trusty old number 3 potjie once everyone'shad their fill. The last time we opened one of ours before this assignment, we were so disgusted that I simply dropped the lid on it again. It doesn't even have to be a potjie, because Drive & Camp’s editor Schalk Jonker's griddle pan had a layer of rust that had penetrated the seasoning slightly and after his numerous attempts to scrub it off, it still boasted orange pockmarks on the surface. Bar extreme neglect, dropping your pot from the top of your overlanding rig onto a hard surface or pouring cold water onto the hot cookware, your…