Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

What a relief The Fiamma Bi-Pot is a simple, strong, self-contained fresh water flush portable toilet. The scratch-resistant tank is built from one piece for extra strength. For easy cleaning, the full unit can be completely dismantled (including valve) for thorough cleaning. It has a sturdy handle for easy transportation. The Bi-Pot has no drainpipe, and with the large waste cap it is easy to empty. No clogging! Available in three height sizes. Price: R1396.64 (30cm) R1460.13 (34cm) R1523.61 (39cm) Available at Motorhome-World stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.motorhome-world.co.za. Clean as new Riptech canvas cleaner was developed specifically for ripstop canvas. The cleaning solution from Hayford Traders is designed for spot cleaning tough stains such as oil or grease. The cleaner does not damage the coating nor reduce any…

As usual, the innovations drew the biggest crowds. The dominating trend looked to be “comfort”and“connectivity”, with progressive networking making it possible to have digital fill-level indicators for water tanks and such, as well as to have the ability to control the heating, air-conditioning and hot water supply centrally – even by smart phone. Of course, there was also hall after hall of dazzling motorhomes such as Volkswagen’s iconic Kombi, as well as of tents, caravans and accessories. Daniel Onggowinarso, CEO of the Caravaning Industrie Verband e.V. (CIVD), said:“Van conversions and partially-integrated motorhomes are particularly popular as entry-level models because they are also good for everyday use.” He added that, as more and more people choose to holiday in a leisure vehicle, optimal comfort and an uncomplicated holiday experience are paramount.…

The words of the iconic Paul Seeger song song kept running through my head. ‘Where have all the flowers gone?’ I was heading out from the Ouskip Caravan Park in Melkbosstrand onto the R27 West Coast Road. With me was Jos and Elsabé Joubert from Abba Safari Campers. They had driven all the way from Pretoria with two of their state-of-the-art campers. I was sweating, though. It had been a dry winter, there had been almost no sightings of the usual August/September flowers… “Are we going to see any flowers at all?” I wondered as we headed north. We only had a couple of days to find them. POSTBERG FLOWER RESERVE We found ‘em! Literally just up the road from Melkbosstrand in the West Coast National Park. There’s a section…

There are some semi-desert environments that really speak to your soul. For me, it’s the Kalahari. The Karoo and the Gariep River region of the Northern Cape are also mind-expanding wildernesses, but the miracle of red desert sands supporting park-like trees, long waving grasses and wild animals of all kinds, makes it my favourite. My travelling partner, David Lowe, and I arrived at Leeupan Guest Farm late in the afternoon, after having wrestled with around 200km of dirt track that we’d accessed from the N14. As we were in the Mazda BT-50 on long-term loan to Caravan & Outdoor Life, the vagaries of this road’s rutted surface (sometimes thickly covered in sand) were enjoyable, and a good test for the bakkie. We were glad when the owner arrived at the…

In December 2015, my wife and I went camping with her brother and the family at Trekoskraal, between Vredenburg and Paternoster. My brother-in-law had two fold-out caravans (both 1974 models) that he had restored. Right there and then, my wife decided that we should also get an old caravan and restore it. The thought stayed in the back of my mind until around May 2016, when a friend of mine wanted to get rid of his old motorbike trailer. I bought it from him, with the intention of building an American-style teardrop mini caravan. But, after watching a lot of YouTube videos, it seemed to me that you lose too much space with that type of design. So, in June 2016, I started on my own plan, and worked only…

Everything you need in an off-road trailer, for less than R100 000 – and that includes the 6-sleeper tent, fridge, 2-plate gas hob, gas bottle, spare wheel, water tanks, and more! Bermac Trailers have been producing high-quality family campers since the turn of the century. The Trail Camper comes on a hot dipped galvanized chassis, with a 5 leaf spring assembly on a 1 ton axle. It is completely rust-proof, as the bodywork is covered in aluminium. Ready to go off-road? The trailer has 250mm ground clearance to the underside of the axle, to tackle rough terrain. All doors are sealed with rubber seals, to keep the inside dust-free. The Trail Camper weighs 480kg fully fitted with standard equipment (as sold), making it not only easy to manoeuvre and tow,…

Winning letter SEE YOU ON THE SOUTH COAST I am an avid reader of Caravan & Outdoor Life and have been since about 1987. I thoroughly enjoy Richard van Ryneveld’s articles, and can’t wait for each next edition to read more. I grew up in Scottburgh and Park Rynie, and I love the South Coast. Now I live in Durban, and I caravan regularly down that way. In the latest magazine on the Hibiscus Coast, you started off at Fairhills Caravan Park. I have not been there, but have read about it elsewhere and had reports from friends. It must have been at the time that Richard was preparing the article and had the Skipper in tow, that one of our “Trekkers”members happened to be there with the Skipper people…

BUSH LAPA 1000 Bush Lapa Offroad Caravans is a fast-growing company – in seven years they have produced over a 1000 units. The Bush Lapa caravan range now consists of seven varieties: Rooimier,Vlooi, Kewer, Boskriek, Miskruier, Baobab and Ratel; as well as a camper for single- and double-cab bakkies, called the Bosluis. The latest milestone unit is a Baobab, and to celebrate the massive achievement, Bush Lapa has again kitted out the caravan in a unique look (as they do with every 100th unit). While previous limited editions have had only the outside of the caravans specially designed, number 1000’s interior has also been given a special look. The stunning exterior grey-and-yellow print was created by graphic designer Hannah Williams, on request from the caravan’s lucky owners. Bush Lapa originally…

HERE WE GO We headed out early, and stopped for breakfast just on the other side of Sir Lowry’s Pass in Grabouw. We like to take the back roads, so from Grabouw we turned onto the R321 through the ravines and on to Vyeboom and Villiersdorp. It’s dry in the Cape, and the Theewaterskloof Dam looks like Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert. We were making our way to the R60 (which, after Montagu, becomes the R62) on the other side of Worcester, but first we stopped at the Aan de Doorns wine cellar to stock up with some Muscadel. The R62 is one of our favourite roads because the view is beautiful along the mountains, and the Klein Karoo is just as spectacular. But we hadn’t reckoned on all the…

Initially introduced in 2016 as a limited production model with a run of 700, units the X-Rider sold out so quickly that Isuzu decided to make this a permanent model in the KB range. Its now a bit more expensive than when first introduced, but for those wanting more ‘pizzazz’ in a bakkie – and especially all those Isuzu fans – this combination promises a whole new adventure with the brand. For the young at heart, maybe it’s that Maronello red body colour, and because of this it gets the impression that this should be one gutsy bakkie, especially when cruising along the N1 with an elbow out the window to far off destinations! And if the red is too ‘in your face’, then you have an alternative subdued choice…

DO YOU HAVE A TECHNICAL QUERY, TIP OR ADVICE? CLINIC@CARAVANSA.CO.ZA Godfrey: The first thing I need to tell you is that it’s not all bad news! We may have opened a can of worms for towing all cars long distance, because it may be something applicable to the Suzuki Jimny only. According to the Jimny handbook, page 7-6 specifically states: “Do not tow your vehicle with the rear wheels directly on the ground (and the transmission in neutral). If you do, the transmission will be damaged fatally.” After discussions with technical colleagues, I believe that this might have something to do with lubrication of the transmission: that the propshaft is turning in the gearbox but there is no lubrication to the bearings. The handbook then says: “If you tow…

Last month's WINNER Congratulations to this month’s winner, Errol van der Riet, who correctly identified the image as the Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl. WC. The Afrikaans Language Monument, probably better known only as Die Taalmonument, was erected on Paarl rock to commemorate the semi-centenary of Afrikaans as an official language, separate from Dutch. The architect, Jan van Wijk, designed the Taalmonument to give recognition to the diverse origins of Afrikaans, the roots of which can be traced back to three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa. The original design had only a number of tall obelisk-style columns, but today there is also a conference facility, a coffee shop, an exhibition area, a book shop and offices. HISTORY The idea of building a monument to Afrikaans was announced on 14…

I recently went on a trip to the South Coast (see Caravan & Outdoor Life issue 666), but before my solo travels got underway, I joined a gathering of Skipper Tent Trailer owners. I collected a Skipper Oyster from the Kerkhof family at their factory in Park Rynie, before heading down to Fairhills Caravan Park near Margate. There were 29 Skippers which were meeting at the resort, situated only a kilometre-and-a-bit from the Ramsgate beach and lagoon. It was a superb venue for the get-together. The park is situated in the rolling hills of the semi-tropical coastal forest that is typically found in this part of the southern KZN coast. There is a large central camping area in a small valley at the bottom of the property, and the other…

First let me congratulate you on a very fine magazine. Can’t wait to get my hands on it monthly, and read it cover to back. Well done! I want to share some advice on a letter that I came upon in the SA4X4 magazine: it’s the January 2017 Edition on page 10, where Godfrey gave the advice that you can’t legally tow a Suzuki Jimny on an A-Frame. At the time, as a proud owner of a Mercedes Avalon motorhome, we towed a Jimny on an A-frame, so we started phoning around for a solution. We came upon a person by the name of Waldo, the owner of Atlantic Trailers in Klerksdorp, North West. (Waldo’s contact number: 071 863 9542, or 078 783 6784). He listened to my concerns, and…

Slow-cooked waterblommetjie potjie Ingredients • 2kg lamb (neck and rib)• 1.5kg waterblommetjies• 1.5kg baby potatoes• 2 onions• 4 cloves garlic• 4 anchovies• 3 pieces preserved lemon• 2 chillies• nutmeg• gremolata: garlic, lemon, parsley• ½ bottle white wine• Basmati rice Method Asparagus 1. Place the potjie over hot coals and add a generous glug of olive oil. When hot, fry the meat in small batches. Make sure that they are nicely browned before removing. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. 2. Chop onions and fry in the potjie. When they start to brown, remove the potjie from the coals and cover with lid. Allow onions to steam for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Place potjie back on medium-heat coals. Add chopped garlic, chillies, preserved lemon and chillies. Stir through. 4. Add the browned meat, and stir again. Add a few grinds of…