Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i Caravan and Outdoor Life

PRIVATE HIRE? Although there might be others in the same boat, or should I say caravan, I am a pensioner and can't afford to buy a small caravan or rent a commercial motorhome. My wife and I, as a sort of grand finale, would like to tour this country with a motorhome, which will avoid us having to tow a trailer, but it did occur to me that there might be many folk out there with caravans etc. that are not in use and they might be prepared to rent them out to get a return on their investment. The idea I have is to seek someone willing to hire out a VW Villeria (Autovilla?) or something like that, in good condition, for a month or two at a reasonable…

JURGENS PENTA Jurgens Campworld’s new Penta is going to turn heads, and particularly the heads of current Penta owners who are going to sit upright in their camping chairs before rushing off to their nearest dealer to talk upgrade! The new Penta has been a long time in the making, so much so that one could not really tell the difference between a recent model and one that is decades old. For those dyed in the wool Jurgens owners – excitement. Speaking to Jurgen Adler, the team leader at Jurgens, he says everything on the new Penta is totally new, nothing has been carried over from the previous model, except maybe the fire extinguisher, Jockey wheel, and, of course, the name. So, starting at the top: the pop-top roof profile…

Those of us who enjoy caravanning and feel the call of the open road will know the importance of getting out of the city and into the country. But, are we getting to our destinations cheaply? How good are the aerodynamics of our caravans and does this make a major difference to our fuel consumption? The short answer is yes. Increased aerodynamic drag can sometimes contribute to a doubling of the tow vehicle’s consumption in some cases. Caravan purchasers in general tend to concentrate more on the cosmetics of the caravan rather than improved fuel efficiency through the inclusion of good aerodynamics. Reducing the drag on a caravan will improve efficiency, reduce tyre wear as well as strain on the tow vehicle’s engine. Typically a caravan is used as a…

The new, rather aggressively-styled front, in my opinion, forgoes the traditional, commercial ‘bakkie’ look and replaces it with one that perhaps smacks of a combination of steroids and testosterone, coupled with an Italian sports car. The Triton from the front looks rippled and muscular, promising a styling that is different and sporty. Apart from its looks, there is one aspect I really liked and waited with baited breath to see if my wife noticed. She is normally critical of anything that does not have a three-pointed star on the bonnet. After our third outing I had to break my silence and ask,“What do you think of the ride? Are you comfortable?” “Yes, why?”she replied, and that was good enough – no complaints. Rides like a car For a double cab…

CARAVAN BECAME DETACHED I read Hugo Auret’s letter in the September 2019 issue and was somewhat surprised at your reply to his camp trailer that became detached from his car. Hugo offered sound advice:“Please check that the coupler has engaged and is locked onto the ball joint”and ended with, “towing a trailer or caravan at excessive speed is dangerous to you, your family, and other road users.” Why was no acknowledgment given to Hugo? As for safe towing speeds, I agree that 90km/h is a safe towing speed (my imported German caravan’s manual specifies that under no circumstances may the speed of 100km/h be exceeded). Then Hugo offered information he obtained from a ‘reputable’ caravan chassis manufacturer who suggested the,“safety chain must be designed to snap to prevent the caravan…

Peri-Peri Prawns Kalahari style Prawns in the bush? Are you nuts? It is a very appetising snack or a great meal. As much as we love our succulent lamb chops, course-ground boerewors, and Picanto rump steak strip starters, a change of menu now and again is always good. We need to have a balanced intake of nutrients, proteins, and vegetables after all. Chicken and fish are not veggies, but they are kind of close. When we detox we make Portobello Mushroom Risotto, but add some pancetta and lots of Parmasan – just for the love of it. Served as a starter or snack, +-200g per person. Serve with a slice of ciabatta or Portuguese roll, there’s plenty of sauce to soak the bread. Served as a main, +-500g per person.…

In October 2019 it will be one year since Profibre launched their first Stealth model caravan to their dealer network. Speaking to Garry Coady, Stealth Caravans Managing Director, we asked if it has been a year he had enjoyed, particularly as a new manufacturer and, more importantly, one that cements his decision to enter the caravanning market. He replied,“Building caravans is not new to us, we built a fibreglass body on behalf of a well-known, heavy duty off-road caravan manufacturer long before circumstance prompted us to go it on our own. We now have four models in the range and are still full of great ideas. It has not been an easy year with a somewhat depressed market that did not yield our expected growth, nonetheless we have continued to…

One of the bonuses of visiting Eagle Falls Country Lodge was the road we took to get there. The scenic and engaging dirt track from Dysseldorp (off the N12 between Oudtshoorn and De Rust) is one I’ve done many times on my adventure motorbike, but I wanted to show my better half, Annette, this cross-section of pristine mountainous countryside. Yet, if long rambles on dirt tracks are not your thing, or suitable for your rig, don’t despair, there is a much shorter and less bumpy way to get there off the N9, about 45km west of Uniondale. But however you get there, I urge you to give this well-cared for and well thought out resort a try. It’s that special. Of course, we were fortunate enough to have the whole…

The roadside display of dislodged number plates on the dust road to Tamboti Vreugde is evidence of the road corrugations, but the trip is a quick one from the tarred road, lasting mere minutes before you arrive at the entrance to the resort. The campsites are grassed and beautifully maintained and the rustic chalets are adorned with fittings made from wood that is indigenous to the area. There is a large function area and a beautiful chapel that seats 160 people that is available for weddings and special events. The chapel is straight out of a fairytale. The sounds of the bush prevail at Tamboti Vreugde, only interrupted by the occasional splash of a camper jumping into the pool. There is a small shop on the premises where necessities such…

Back when we first looked at the WOF Iridium all-electric motorhome, at the CMT show in January, it was all locked up and appeared incomplete inside. Fast forward to the 2019 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon this month, and not only was the Iridium entry door flung wide open, but it wore an updated spec sheet hot off the press. The zero-emissions vacation-mobile inches its way toward practicality with 33% more estimated driving range per charge. We promised that the Dethleffs Globevan e.Hybrid wouldn't be the only plug-in motorhome we'd see at the 2019 Caravan Salon, and that's because the updated WOF Iridium was on our radar before the show. We were happy to see it with the completed interior it lacked during its CMT world premiere, and the higher range figure…

Caravan Cove Resort KwaZulu-Natal December 2019 Special: New camping bookings only. 2 people – R480 per night (minimum 10 nights). Dogs allowed – R100 per dog per night. T’s and C’s apply. Use reference“SLH50D”when booking! T: 039 976 1215 E: caravancove@scottburgh.co.za W: www.caravancove.co.za Richards Bay Caravan Park KwaZulu-Natal Pensioners: R1 212 for 2 people for 2 weeks. Or 2 people for 1 month just R2 385. Low Season: Book 4 nights, pay for 3. Mid Season: Book 8 nights, pay for 7. T: 035 753 1971 E: info@richardsbaycaravanpark.co.za W: www.richardsbaycaravanpark.co.za Paradise Holiday Resort KwaZulu-Natal Campsites, chalets and log cabins: Stay 5 nights, pay for 3. Stay 10 nights, pay for 7. Pensioner 30% off daily rates, excluding December. T: 039 313 0655 E: paradise@megadial.com W: www.paradiseholidayresort.co.za Bosveld Oase North West…

Super stable This Corner Steady from LeisureWorld is made from galvanised steel and is capable of holding weights of up to 1 250kg. Use four at a time, and that’s a whopping 5 000kg! Each unit has a reach of 48.75cm, supplying excellent support in critical areas. Contact for price Available from all LeisureWorld dealers. For more information, visit www.leisureworldsa.co.za. Recovery essential Tough rigs require tougher tools, and that’s why you should always carry a Mac-Afric high lift jack. Adendorff stocks 48”and 60”versions of the heavy-duty steel units, featuring a ratcheting action that speeds up any job. Sometimes there’s just no school like old school, right? From R795 For more information, contact 0861 23 36 36, email info@adendorff.co.za, or visit www.adendorff.co.za. Ice cold The National Luna NL12 Ice Maker is…

In the October issue I shared my story of camping at the Gooderson Natal Spa on the Bivane River, near Paulpietersburg. I was now heading to another campsite, the Bivane Dam on that self-same river. If able to fly like a Martial eagle or an African eagle found in this area, it would have been a mere 15-odd kilometre journey. A fact I should know by now is: how two places in close proximity to each other can be so different, so much so that they almost feel like they are in different countries. Bivane Dam, all 700 hectares of water, is enclosed on either side by steep mountain slopes and gathers its life-giving water from a catchment area of 1 600 square kilometres. But these figures cannot give you…

COST XHR 594: R325 000 SLEEPS: 4 GVM: 1 600kg (optional 1 800kg) MINIMUM TOWCAR: Tare 1 600kg (optional 1 800kg) The H in the new Stealth XHR’s name stands for hybrid, possibly the first time this word is being used among caravan manufacturers in South Africa, and this certainly sets the mind racing. If you have a thought process such as mine, you may have to cross your fingers and hope to be forgiven for illogical thinking… For we know‘hybrid’ in the case of motor vehicles relates to a combination of fossil fuel and electricity for engine power, but in a caravan? Does hybrid mean it’s got a battery-powered drive system on the wheels, beds that make themselves, or an ingenious way to connect to the towcar by itself?…

South Africa and its surrounding countries offer some of the most picturesque and scenic out-of-the-way places, but often to get to these less travelled places you need to negotiate roads that are either gravel, rocky, or sandy in their makeup. If these types of destinations, away from the madding crowd, are what you seek in holidays, then you’ll definitely need to consider a caravan or trailer that is built tough with 4X4 capabilities to get you there. WHAT DO 4X4 CARAVANS & TRAILERS OFFER? Typically, 4X4 caravans and trailers are built to the same high off-road specifications as the 4X4 vehicle that tows them, allowing the caravan to be towed into usually inaccessible areas only negotiated by 4X4 vehicles. The benefit of an off-road caravan or trailer is that it…

With the protective and loving care shown within herds, we can learn a lot from the African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) who deserve the name of ‘gentle giants’. There are many myths attached to elephants, one of them being that they get drunk on marula fruit. However, this is not true as the fruit is not chewed and passes through the body within 24 hours, therefore has no time to ferment and become intoxicating. They are the largest land mammal, and the record for the biggest ever found was from Angola, in 1956. This male weighed about 12 000kg and had a shoulder height of 4.2 metres, that's one metre taller than the average male African elephant. From nose to tail they have to be the most remarkable mammal, and it…

I must get back I feel I owe an apology to John Masefield for this bungle refrain. In his poem Sea Fever he muses,“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky.” I tend to mutter this mantra every time I visit the West Coast. The West Coast has been my drug of choice since the early 70s. Like the diamonds hidden beneath its sands and waters you need time to let this mystical place start revealing its treasures. Many think that the West Coast is just about fishing boats, snoek, bokkems, kreef and mussels, calamari, and octopus. It very much is, in the sense that the icy cold plankton rich Benguela current that moves up from Antarctic is the reason for this rich…