Innehållsförteckning för November 2021 från NZ4WD

Regular columnist Scott Fellers took this pic from the trig on the top of Mount Studholme in the South Island. Getting to the 1086 m trig involves a drive up through the DoC managed Mount Studholme/Kaiwarua block in the southern part of the Hunter Hills, 15 km northwest of Waimate. The block is popular with hunters and covers an area of about 4945 hectares. There is mixed broadleaf and podocarp forest on the eastern flanks of the mountain which gives way to tussock at higher altitudes.…

Roof tents. Perfect for classic Kiwi summer trips on or off-road. They offer comfort, convenience and camping fun. Most rooftop tents seen in New Zealand camp grounds and in the wild are soft shell, but there’s a new breed of hardshell tents around this summer. Intents Outdoors is the exclusive NZ importer of Orson Outdoors roof tents and Wildland Desert Cruiser tents. Soft-shell tents are those bulky squares with a soft PVC cover. Most are a similar design that folds out to double in size, supported by a ladder on one side. They usually cost less than hard-shell tents but take longer to set-up and pack away. Orson A2 soft-shell series tents are surprisingly roomy inside, with a footprint measuring 2.4 x 1.4m. They offer optimised headroom and have a…

Something old, something new. Toyota’s Land Cruiser – like rival the Land Rover – is an off-road legend. It has been around since – well – almost forever. In the days when four-wheel drives first blossomed out into the private sector, the ‘shorty’ FJ40 had a cult following. The long wheelbase ‘Cruiser arrived in the late 1960s to broaden the range and add family appeal but things really took off with the debut of the 60 series in 1980. While it retained the rugged off-road characteristics of previous Land Cruisers, the 60 was designed to better compete in the emerging sport utility vehicle market. The 60 was given a variety of creature comforts like air conditioning, a rear heater and upgraded interior. The J60 became the go-to Toyota wagon –…

Hard-core off-roaders might want to look away, this one is just for fun. This tiny 1986 Honda City has popped up a couple of times on Trade Me, and it’s like any number of other unregistered, unwarrantable fun buggies hidden in barns and sheds throughout rural New Zealand: a knobby-tired, moderately capable thing that can only be used away from public roads. With the back sheared off to create a pickup, and with a home-made rack to carry a couple of pretty gnarly mountainbikes, it’s a low-cost paddock-basher and bush tracker that evokes both the hee-haw of the Beverly Hillbillies and a little gritty bit of Mad Max. That rear-end chop is savvy marketing. The seller reckons it was done in part because “utes are the biggest selling type of…

Creating a 4WD that works and plays hard is a matter of considering what it will be tasked with and then looking at how to fit it out for its expected role. Whether the vehicle is new or has already done some work, any 4WD can be upgraded to improve its capability. Think about how to carry the gear needed for work or play. Hauling tools and toys is a big part of why Kiwis love to buy 4WDs. Consider how to carry that gear safely and securely. Many modern trucks and SUVs are rated for quite huge loads – up to 750 kg on-board or 3500 kg towed. But add basic off-road kit – snatch straps, digging tools, a hi lift jack, sand or mud channels, a tent and…

This is what an SUV or ute is designed to do: carrying trade tools, mobile service gear, a packed-up campsite for a weekend away or towing a trailer or caravan. Making the most of the excellent towing capacity of a double-cab ute or SUV, load-assist airbags will smooth out ride quality, improve stability and restore ride height to its unladen specification. Northland farmer Neil White and wife Margaret regularly use their ‘fifth wheel’-equipped Holden Colorado to tow an 8.3-metre Sunliner caravan. They were looking for a suspension upgrade to improve stability and had been told it wasn’t possible to fit airbags due to the bracing required for the fifth-wheel coupling. “I made a phone call to Paul at Boss Air Suspension and when we passed through Auckland he came out…

I really liked the Opening Shot in the September issue of NZ4WD by Richard Soult. The ink black sky in the high country is stunning, and the photos in his “Last of the Summer Wine” article were a reminder that I have been into most of these places and really enjoyed the experience. It prompted me to dig into my photo library to see what I had, particularly for the Pylon Track. I was fortunate to be able to drive through this track as part of the High Country Journeys 4WD tour from Blenheim to Cardrona in February 2020. A great track through an absolutely stunning piece of country. This is a 30km track which runs from Black Forest Station through to the Benmore Dam. It is a private road,…

With a growing interest from members of my 4WD club in touring trips, Ashley, my normal touring companion, decided to run a touring trip into the Mangahao dams for the club. Although this was a trip well suited to the shorter winter days, reports of slips and road closures in the weeks leading up to the trip caused a bit of anxiety. However all went well, with a period of fine weather and a final check with the appropriate authorities confirming the road was open. The day of the trip was fine and cool at our meeting point at the Shannon railway station. With its surrounding gardens and fields, this was a very pleasant and social place to relax with a coffee and pie from the local café before starting…

I am writing this article sitting on my little 8.5m yacht in Auckland, where I have been for the last five weeks... I travelled up from the South Island to attend Fieldays at Mystery Creek and to set-up a dealership network for Maxtrax and Bushman fridges, for which I am the exclusive New Zealand importer. I guess that we all knew that Covid was going to “escape” at some stage, but I was pretty surprised with how quickly it happened, and found myself stuck in Auckland without even the possibility to take the boat out for a sail. It’s fair to say that I’ve had plenty of time on my own to reflect, and reading former editor Ross Mackay’s last “message from the editor” in the September edition got me…

‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett has always loved motorsport on the ragged edge. If anyone embodies the term ‘adrenalin junkie’ it’s this guy. A mad keen motocross rider from his early years, he aspired to ride freestyle motocross (FMX) and was recruited for the Crusty Demons tours. Everyone who rides FMX knows that crashes and broken bones come with the territory. But it took one crash off his motocross bike during the 2002 X-Air games in Auckland to convince Whiddett four-wheels might be good. That catastrophic crash that saw him rushed to hospital with four smashed vertebrae. Doctors told him he would be paralysed, but the next day he felt faint tingling in his toes and feet – it was the start of a recovery he calls a ‘miracle’, one that tested…

Our monthly feature showcases 4WDs doing just about anything except rolling over or burning! We will award a grand prize of a set of four Kumho 4x4 tyres in the NZ4WD Annual issue. This contest is open to all readers who are not professional photographers. IMPORTANT: Photographs must have been taken by the person entering them, or have the photographer’s written permission. Email your digital images and a detailed caption to: editor@NZ4WD.co.nz Send your prints and detailed captions to: Y our4s with Kumho, PO Box 65-092, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754. Be sure to include your postal address! Submitting photos The basics: as with any photo, there’s no substitute for an image that’s sharp – in focus and free of camera shake. It should be well-exposed. Size and type The ideal…

It’s almost that time of year. If ever we have all earned a break and some fun with family and friends this is the year. Personally, I think the coming holiday season will see some day-tripping, some mountainbiking, and generally some enjoyment of this special place we live in. That might mean a trip down to our ‘prepperhaven’ at Horopito, a bit of spadework on the driveway and some planning of the lodge we’re going to build as a weekend escape. If I’m lucky I’ll ride or even walk the Old Coach Road into Ohakune for an espresso and one of that village’s legendary chocolate eclairs. It’s been a heck of a year. One of the notable late-year trends of 2021 has been our resilience and our willingness as a…

Ford’s Escape range of SUVs will focus increasingly on hybrid and plug-in hybrid going into the coming year, with the company confirming the arrival of pure hybrid versions in New Zealand for the second quarter of 2022. Current Escape hybrids have been available in other markets since 2020. In the US, the Escape hybrid competes against hybrid versions of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Ford brought the Escape hybrid back after a long hiatus as part of the model’s redesign. Confirmed for New Zealand in September, the self-charging full hybrid Escape will switch automatically between pure-electric and petrol-electric power. It will be the first Ford SUV to attain a claimed 1,000km range on one fuel fill. The ST-Line and ST-Line X Hybrid are available with Ford’s intelligent all-wheel-drive transmission…

Anyone who remembers the MG of old is permitted a sharp intake of breath. The new MG is New Zealand’s market leader in electric vehicles and one of the leading models is indeed an SUV. Nationally, the electric vehicle sales wave continues to build, with MG topping New Zealand electric (EV) and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) sales statistics for the third quarter of 2021. The Motor Industry Association’s figures as at August show 575 new MG models sold. The electric vehicle wave continues to build, with MG topping New Zealand electric (EV) and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) sales statistics for the third quarter of 2021. The Motor Industry Association’s figures as at August show 575 new MG models sold. MG offers the HS Plug-In Hybrid and ZS full battery EV. The electric…

It’s well known that double cab utes and SUVs are the vehicles that best suit the Kiwi lifestyle. New or pre-loved, they are expected to work and play as hard as their owners. When looking to make their rides even more enjoyable and capable, there’s one change many owners are turning to: optimising their engines for more power, more torque and improved fuel economy. Jason Crene of Superchips says the ideal can be reached safely and without harming reliability. Because manufacturers produce vehicles for all markets and all conditions, they configure engine management systems at a benchmark that takes into account variability in environment, fuel quality and other conditions. A vehicle sold in Europe must also be able to deal with heat in Africa and cold in Alaska, with high…

Consider it a ticket to adventure, focussed on a couple or a couple of mates. Ignore the rear seat, make use of the very handy insert tub that sits atop the seats when folded down. Throw a couple of ‘tanker’ roll bags of gear and a tent on the roof. Pop a chilly bin in the tub for essentials like beer or wine (for after the drive), fruit and of course chocolate – or actual food if really necessary. Pack up on a Thursday and get out of town Friday afternoon after work. Post lockdown, after Delta, just get away for the weekend and switch off your phones as you go. Suzuki’s Jimny Safari is the perfect weapon for adventure weekend on or off the road. Have a look under…

There’s an enormous range of components and accessories available to make carrying loads in the back of an SUV or utility easier and safer. Products include deck liners, ute boxes, rear sliding drawers, canopies and a range of deck-mounted tool boxes. For tradies, for families, for work and for weekends, these are the ways to make a vehicle fit for all purposes. Deck liners Deck liners are available for late model double cabs including the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT50, Mitsubishi Triton, Holden Colorado and Isuzu D-Max . The liners are made of three mm thick extruded polyethylene which is UV stable and gives high impact resistance, as well as protection from most common chemicals including oil, petrol, paint and battery acid. The liners are compatible with…

As New Zealand emerges from the latest Covid lockdown and summer draws closer, 4WD owners are making plans to head out for summer holidays. They may also be crossing their fingers hoping they will be allowed out of ‘Covid jail’ to do so. None of that situation, though, justifies crossing of fingers when it comes to the mechanical fitness of the vehicle to do the heavy hauling it will be asked to do. With the caravan and boating season upon us there are some must – do checks to ensure any towing vehicle is in tip-top shape before its next road trip. These tips also apply to any 4WDs towing heavy loads such as tradesmen’s trailers or ‘toy hauler’ tandems. While many tow vehicles do a decent job straight from…

Kevin’s clever tool stowage Regular NZ4WD contributor Kevin Isemonger gets around the backblocks and often needs access to terrain-smoothing and scrub-adjusting tools. In true Kiwi spirit he has found a way to sort out tool stowage on his hard-working Land Rover Discovery. Adapting ideas from similar racks, he used steel bar and threaded rod and his trusty Mig welder to build a no-rattle rack hung off the spare wheel. “I took my spare wheel mount off and welded a bracket in the back with three threaded rods bolted to that plate. The mount is held on by Discovery Wheel nuts, so the same wheel brace fits to remove the outer mounting plate as well as the spare tyre.” – KI No puffers, thanks Another from the late 20th century. Looking…

We’re used to being told that we’re crazy. First, because we like to drive our old 1993 Pajero into far-away places, preferably up steep mountains or across rivers or through narrow canyons. And then when the information hits that we bring our two-year-old on these adventures, we get called super crazy, sometimes accompanied with funny facial expressions. But if you’re reading this, you probably don’t think we’re crazy – well maybe for having a kid sure, but once you have them, you bring them along, right? Our wee man Jack isn’t even the only kid in our adventuresome crew. So, how does it work? How does one go 4WDing and camping with the little ones along? Start ‘em young Jack’s first off-road trip was at 10 days old, though we…

This year’s RFC Tiger Trail was held in the height of the northern hemisphere summer at Bolshoy Kamen, 106km from Vladivostok. Competitors ran in three classes: R1 (prototype)R2 (modified production) and R3 (standard). In the Russian events the Suzuki Vitara and Jimny are popular for their light weight, excellent approach and departure angles and reliable drivetrain. There are also a handful of Mistubishi Pajeros, Jeeps and Toyota Land Cruisers, along with one or two Lada Nivas. One of the Jimny drivers is also the tallest competitor in any RFC championship: Dannill Soloviev is 2.12m tall. This year he finished sixth in the R2 class. Like other RFC events, the competitive sections are organised in special stages and performance is measured by points for each section. The event, which ran from…

With so little actual racing going on, I’ve been having a wee chuckle at how it all was a couple of years ago. Recent arrivals in the sport may not be aware of how far we have come, and how ‘interesting’ things were last century. Few will recall that the south had its own very strong scene before the current national championship was set up, in fact big endurance races like Omarama used to drag ‘northies’ down on a regular basis. Off-road racing legend Mike Parkes brought his V8 Holden Rodeo down a few times to hammer up into the hills and back. Won his class and – though it was rear-wheel drive only – took second in the 4WD class too. There was a permanent race track at Ruapuna…

Ineos made a name for itself picking up elderly Land Rovers and refurbishing them to customer specs. Now it has confirmed that its bespoke Grenadier 4X4 is coming to New Zealand and will tackle established off-roaders like Land Rover’s Defender and the Toyota Land Cruiser head on. Designed as a tough but sophisticated alternative to luxury four-wheel drives, the Grenadier claps back against perceptions that modern 4WDs have gone soft. It is a prime rival for the likes of the new Defender and Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70 Series and has been confirmed for New Zealand release in July 2022.  Local pricing is likely to start at $93,500, just above the cheapest Defender, though the Defender range quickly gallops past the $100,000 benchmark once higher spec versions are chosen, and the…

The roll-out of the Government’s ‘ute tax’ may have been pushed back to 1 April, but Mitsubishi was not waiting around. Going into the final quarter of 2021, Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand announced it had been prioritised for delivery of 5,000 2022 model Triton utes before 1 January. That number is on top of around 3,800 already sold in the year to September. Daniel Cook, MMNZ Chief Operating Officer, says more than half of all Triton customers work in infrastructure, trade or agriculture. The unprecedented additional shipment enabled the company to sidestep materials shortages and even supply chain issues as well as the coming price rises associated with the government’s new tax. For 2022, he says, the Triton has a higher level of technology and safety than ever. Safety is…

Crew, tools, toys and more – the Ram pickup range has few peers when it comes to moving our stuff. It was the 6.75-litre Cummings turbo-diesel straight six – complete with is outrageous 1000+Nm peak torque output and class-leading braked towing capacity of close to 7000kg – that was the first cab off rank it’s the petrol-fuelled 5.7-litre Hemi V8-powered 1500 line which has accounted for the lion’s share of sales. Not bad sales numbers too: 7,000 or more across Australia and New Zealand. Helpfully there are a number of different versions from the basic Ram 1500 Express (available in two different cab size/deck length combinations, Quad and Crew), through the slightly more off-road orientated Warlock to an upspecced Laramie and finally the subject of this test, the Limited. The…

It’s got a sunroof! Furthermore, this new kid on the block for Mazda NZ has a well thought out mix of suede and leather making up the seats – heated by the way and excellently side bolstered for ‘spirited’ driving – with some very well-defined rear passenger accommodations. We are also going to mention the very familiar and well thought out interior control placement with its various knobs and touchscreen buttons which we sincerely hope Mazda retains when the CX5 goes through its next major facelift. OK Mazda, we could probably stand to see a Mazda CX-30 treatment on the buttons but please don’t fall into the trap of the silly slider controls seen on so many Euros. They’re not great, they’re not safe, and your buttons and knobs are…

Owners of many modern four-wheel drives looking for power security when off grid and out in the backblocks have a challenge. The complexity of many such utes and SUVs means a dual battery set-up can be hard to fit. Redarc has responded with the GoBlock, a ruggedised mobile battery management and portable power system. Anthony Kittel, managing director, says the GoBlock taps into growing demand for portable and off-grid rechargeable power. It is built tough for off-road use and optimised to be charged while driving. It can be used in 4WD, marine and outdoor recreational vehicle applications that require remote vehicle and solar rechargeable. Featuring lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery cells, the unit features an AC charger, DC charger, MPPT solar regulator, battery monitor and the lithium battery itself, all…

All four-wheel drive enthusiasts love to get out and away into the real New Zealand. There is no single solution for the varying needs of 4WD owners and the different driving conditions they encounter. Ironman 4×4 offers a wide selection of matched components and an integrated range of suspension kits, designs evolved over 50 years of suspension experience. There are optional components to enhance suspension performance and to correct suspension geometry after a change in ride height – most commonly a ‘lift kit’. Such components include greasable spring shackles and pins, steering dampers, caster correction kits, trim packers and complete suspension arms. Coil springs Ironman 4x4 produces a wide range of coil springs to suit a range of load ratings, all designed to maintain optimum ride height. Both progressive rate…

My primary form of income for over 10 years has been compliance inspections of the Government-backed Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) rollout. This encompasses the fibre optic builds in every city and town, nearly 200 cellphone towers installed by the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) and hundreds of tiny Wi-Fi sites on hill tops and ridges built by Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP). I’ve driven most of the streets in every Kiwi town and driven up (or climbed) vast areas of ridge lines and hilltops in some of the most remote parts of the country. In the South Island, I hire SUVs to do the load carrying, but in the North Island I drive a 1994 Land Rover Discovery 300Tdi auto that I have set-up to meet my requirements. I could afford to…

I’ve been researching hydrogen (H2) power for vehicles. It’s new tech so they are rare. But that’s very much to do with infrastructure, as in an almost complete lack of. It’s coming slowly. Today’s EVs are ahead by about ten years in practicable terms. At present they have merits but many countries will struggle to match electricity demand in years to come. The only H2 powered serial production vehicle right now is Toyota’s Mirai of which they’ve sold around 11,000 since 2014. H2 tech company Hyperion has developed an H2 powered supercar for production that claims 0-100kmh in 2.2 secs, 1600km range and top speed of 350km/h! Will wait and see on that one. OK, relax, get your heart rate down before we proceed... First, let’s check out the acronyms:…

Postponed in 2020 and delayed by the pandemic in 2021, Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India is back. The RFC was born in Malaysia. A world renowned extreme off-road motorsport competition event, it has even had New Zealand competitors over the years, most notably rally driver Will Orr of the Bay of Plenty. Today RFC events are held in 21 countries. The Indian event has a cult following in the local community. This year, the event was pushed back from the usual peak monsoon July-end dates due to the pandemic and lockdown and ran in late August-early September when the monsoon had finished. That’s not to say there was no rain. This year RFC India was contested by 21 teams. The competitors tackled 26 special stages or challenges and the event followed…

Rush hour at the beach Off-roader Paul Sutton sent in this cool pic of his four-footed mate Maggie in the dunes at ‘spot X’ on Ninty-Mile Beach. His fishing camp is on the west coast of the North Island, up where the sands turn golden and silky. That Land Cruiser and dedicated fishing trailer in the background have been completely outfitted by Paul, who runs Reefrite Engineering and likes to sneak away for the occasional ‘me’ day hauling in trophy snapper. As they say, a bad day fishing is (often) better than a good day working. Paul gets to have both. We salute him. Classic southern off-road touring Scott Fellers, mates and family took a quick break from touring on the Poulter River Track to take in the serene views…

Another month and Auckland is still in lockdown – but so are Hamilton, Raglan and now Kawhia, which is getting a bit close to home, and putting us back into level 3 lockdown. At least I have benefitted from level 2 and been able to catch up with a friend and enjoy a trip down country; even it was only an overnighter. Other than that it has been country life as usual. Like many, I am looking forward to getting out onto the tracks and exploring new places, but meantime there is maintenance on vehicles, various repairs to undertake and projects to complete. Unfortunately I seem to have too many vehicles seeking my attention and too many projects on the go. I had the Range Rover booked in for a…