Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

This is a funny old time of the year for us in the magazine business. For starters, I’m writing this column on November the sixth; what’s more, this month the team has had to work through two deadlines: one for this issue and the other for our Great Outdoors Guide. So, it’s a little difficult to access the Christmas spirit right now! But it doesn’t take too much to put myself into the right frame of mind. All I have to do is think about the Festive season ahead, and what my partner and I have planned. There’s a quick jaunt to Gauteng to meet up with friends and family, a short stay in the Cederberg after New Year, and two weeks in between... which are, as yet, a blank…

When you tow, you place an abnormal load on your vehicle’s rear suspension - especially when travelling those long, heavily-corrugated gravel roads. The tow vehicle can also suffer a malady known as pitching, which is akin to having someone jump up and down on the rear of the vehicle. This action makes the ride tiring and uncomfortable, and is stressful on a long journey. What’s more, if suspension travel is restricted by the towing and/or load in the vehicle itself, there’s a possibility of the vehicle’s suspension bottoming out. This means that the chassis hits the rubber bump stops when you drive over a hole or bump, which then sends shock waves to the vehicle’s occupants and can cause a loss of control. Another problem associated with sagging rear suspension…

Growing up, I was surrounded by Toyotas. Which is why I was excited to find an article on a Toyota in this month’s back issue of Caravan & Outdoor Life from May 1963. It’s the predecessor of the Toyota Hilux and it goes by a somewhat less familiar name: the Toyopet Stout RK45. Like the Hilux, this sturdy 4x4 was ideal for towing - even back in 1963; and the writer of the article talks about the unusual combination of using a Japanese-made Stout to tow a Gypsey III B caravan. Unusual, indeed. Often, when one thinks of the Japanese, one thinks efficiency, organisation and innovation. And the idea of a gypsy brings words like nomadic, singing, bohemian and fortune-telling to mind... Almost complete opposites. However, it seems that opposites…

STABILIZER FOR CR-V? I tow my ‘97 Jurgens Fleetline L with my ‘09 Honda CR-V 2.4-litre 4WD AT. The factory-fitted towbar doesn’t allow for the fitment of the stabiliser, although I have seen a U-bolt type that attaches to the towbar hook. Should I consider using a stabiliser? The vehicle has Traction Control and Stability Assist and I’m concerned that the two functions will oppose each other. Freek Niewoudt Godfrey Castle: Why do you feel you need a stabiliser? If it’s for peace of mind, or you have a particular problem that a stabiliser might suppress, then fit a stabiliser unit - the one that clamps to your gooseneck tow bracket. Those old Jurgens were good for towing, but the brake cables were inclined to stretch. The caravans…

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE In September, we set off on a long-anticipated fortnight’s trip to Botswana and Zambia with our friends, the Buchan family. We were on the N3 near Van Reenen and barely 200 kilometres into the journey when the right wheel came off my Conqueror Comfort trailer, and headed into oncoming traffic. I was able to recover the wheel, luckily, and found that all six studs had completely sheared off. A possible cause was that the wheel nuts had worked their way loose despite my ‘tightening’ them with a standard wheel spanner before departure. Fortunately, the axle seemed unharmed, despite having run on the hub for about 100 metres. Thanks to the assistance of Jabu, a tow-truck driver who kindly drove into Harrismith to source some replacement studs and…

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FREE TEXT AD Besides the description of the item you want to sell, your email must contain your name, contact number and the province in which you reside. Then, simply email all this information to classifieds@caravansa.co.za. If you wish to display an image with your ad, your text is limited to 40 words, and such an ad will cost you R456 - email the address above for more details on how to go about placing such an ad. We reserve the right to withhold any ad, or to edit the text supplied to fit the space available. Free text ads are published on a first-come-first-served basis, and must be resubmitted every month that your item remains unsold. MOTORHOMES 2007 Travel Star 2.5L diesel. 45 000 km;…

GREAT FESTIVE OFFER AT CORIAN’S Corian’s Pennington Caravan Resort is located some 75 kilometres from Durban on KZN’s South Coast. This popular resort is just 90 metres away from a lovely beach with rock pools and swimming areas, and is lush with indigenous trees and well-trimmed hedges which provide both shade and privacy. The owners have recently finished a refurbishment of their ablution blocks and word is that they’re top class. To celebrate their recent upgrades, Corian’s Pennington Caravan Resort is offering a special deal for a limited time. Book 14 days during this festive season and you’ll get three extra days free! During your stay, you’ll enjoy Christmas lunch, a New Year’s Eve party, a Santa Claus surprise, crab hunting, volley ball, a table-tennis tournament, pool competitions, swimming pool…

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR SUP Stand Up Paddling is one of the fastest-growing water sports worldwide - and it’s a great way to explore local dams, lakes and estuaries. Inflatable SUPs fit into a backpack when deflated, thus overcoming one disadvantage of this pastime: the size of the board. Red Paddle Co offers everything you need to go paddling, all in one package. 10’ 6 package - R13 800 For more information, contact info@redpaddle.co.za, 021 425 1019, or visit their website: www.redpaddle.co.za ON TRACK Don’t let your gear roll around! Keep it securely in place with the new aluminium track mount from Camp World. This adjustable anchor point track set has a 680 kg breaking strain, and its 305 mm adjustable anchor-points allow you a span of different mounting points…

Beginning with our March issue this year, we’ve been running a Readers’ Choice Awards for South African resorts. This initiative has been proudly sponsored by Cara-Sure, SA’s favourite leisure vehicle insurance companion. We had two reasons for running this competition. For starters, we wanted to find out which resorts were top of your list. And secondly, we wanted to recognise those resorts for their efforts. Our publication criteria were by no means scientific, or quantitative. We asked you to submit details of the resort, when you visited it, and why you thought it was. And we suggested that you include any images that you your stay. We decided (rightly or wrongly) that a submission which ticked all these boxes would carry more weight than an email which merely detailed the…

MOTHER NATURE’S FACT FILE - ANIMALS OF ASIA PANDA BEARS The giant panda is a black-and-white bear known as the“big bear cat”. This bear is native to south central China. It is easily recognised by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over its ears, and across its round body. Although it may weigh up to 160 kg, the giant panda’s diet consists almost entirely of bamboo. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they might be given honey, eggs, fish, oranges or bananas. How much do giant pandas weigh at birth? TIGERS The tiger is the largest of the cat species. A tiger’s body can stretch up to 3.38 metres…