Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Go! Drive & Camp

There’s a new campsite just 30 km outside Pretoria, on the Moloto Road. Ruah Park opened its gates to campers last year, and the last phase for completion started in August. Ruah Park – the name is from a Hebrew word meaning “breath of life” – sits on a patch of land that’s just over 30 ha, and the 38 stands are set in a small gorge surrounded by ridges. A natural spring bubbles from the ground and also runs through the property. When you arrive at the office, you will first find the Blesbok camp (the newest stands), followed by the Nyala camp, which is laid out on terraces parallel to the spring. You’ll spot some buck here – yes, including a nyala that visits the campsite. Each stand…

The learner’s licence test for the B and EB driver’s licence is the same test, but oddly enough you have to take it again if you have a B licence and want to upgrade to EB. The government is doing something about this problem. The Government Gazette of 20 April 2018 (No. 41586 27) had a notice published to amend Regulation 104 of the Road Traffic Act, the purpose of which is if you have already written an learner’s test in a certain driving licence code (such as code B for light vehicles ), you don’t need to take the test again if you apply for a next driver’s licence in the same code (in this case EB). According to road traffic and transport consultant, Alta Swanepoel, this is a…

Lexus drew a line in the sand way back when it launched its first vehicle, the LS sedan, 31 years ago. The LS400 immediately took the fight to established luxury brands BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and the USA’s own premium marques like Cadillac, with quality, reliability and generally being way ahead of its time in terms of technological innovations. Nine years later, the RX was born, the first truly luxurious SUV from the land of the rising sun. It then went on to become a hybrid pioneer with the second-generation model. And now, the fourth version of the RX has had a nip and tuck on some of its lines, received a host of tech upgrades, and there’s a new model variant to boot. What exactly is new? There are significant…

Toyota South Africa delivered seven Land Cruisers to the Flamingo Lodge. The vehicles came from Gauteng, through the Oshikango border post in Namibia to Lubango in Angola and were taken from there to Namibe. Afterward, they were returned to Gauteng, a journey of more than 5 000 km. Eight journalists, including Cyril, flew from South Africa via Namibia into Angola. Toyota South Africa paid for the flights and accommodation. The purpose of the trip was to launch the new Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Namib (see go! Drive & Camp #29), although Cyril drove the Doodsakker in a Cruiser 200. Cyril explored Ilha dos Tigres with a Cruiser 79 Namib. The vehicle was taken there by raft and returned in the same manner along with five other journalists. The raft started…

The Spookspruit 4x4 trail lies between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Balfour in Mpumalanga and is a place where you can test your skill and your off-roader’s ability to the absolute limit. Johan and Elsie Havenga, who runs Spookspruit 4x4, used to work as course officials at the popular Bridgestone Challenge events for seven years. So, it’s no surprise that their 4x4 playground in the Highveld is a highly technical route. But you’re not only put to the test here. As it is a guided tour with Johan taking the reins, you can also learn a range of new and advanced skills to make you a better off-road driver. He guides you through every obstacle and shows you the best lines for your skill set and your truck’s capability. He clearly…

New and improved 2017 TOYOTA HILUX 4x4 RAIDER DC and BUSH LAPA VLOOI There’s a reason that Chris has been purchasing Toyota vehicles for the past 40 years, and it’s not that he’s biased, being a scientist and all… “ I used to drive a Fortuner 3.0 D-4D 4x4 for two years before I upgraded, eventually seeing that the old turbodiesel motor was not as refined and economical as the new engine. I also didn’t have as much space to pack all the equipment needed for my off-road adventures. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d buy another Toyota and I considered no other brands before making my purchase – especially because my dream vehicle would be a Prado. I settled for this used Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x4…

FISHING RESORT BASS LAKE LUXE CAMPING There aren’t many campsites where you get greeted with a drink as would happen in a luxury hotel. At the Bass Lake lodge, your camp is barely pitched before the staff approach with a tray bearing a glass of juice for everyone. Get ready for a wonderful visit, because there is no shortage of hospitality here. “Camp” and “luxury” aren’t often used in one sentence, but resorts increasingly focus on the comfort of campers, especially north of Pretoria. It’s clear that Leon and Meléne van den Heever, the owners of Bass Lake, have made this approach part of their management style. CAMP LAYOUT The 34 neatly demarcated stands are laid out on either side of two “main streets” and each has a neat curb…

Thanks to technological advances over the last few decades, today’s vehicles are more economical, safer and much stronger than before. The Audi Q3 is a perfect example. Half a century ago, Audi’s most similar sized petrol engine – the 1,5 ℓ in the 1972 model Audi 60 – produced 114 Nm. Nowadays, the Q3’s 1,4 ℓ petrol engine kicks in with more than twice that much power, which of course means you tow with a smile. Three Q3 models are available, all with the same petrol engine (1 395 cc) that gives 250 Nm and 110 kW. And all three models have the same smooth automatic transmission. The price of the cheapest and the most expensive model differs by around R34 000, and if you fork out an additional R10…

ALVA BUTANE OVEN Just like home It looks like a microwave oven but isn’t. This is the real deal: a pukka little oven, though you’re limited by the size of oven dish that fits in it. At least you won’t miss out on that chicken Veronique dish for Christmas lunch. It uses a 220 g gas cylinder that you’ll need to purchase separately. Price R2 695 from Camp & Climb. Drive & Camp says It comes with a handy carry bag, because while it’s not particularly heavy (9 kg), it is cumbersome to lug around on a hike. WONDERBAG Innovative Time magazine honoured the Wonderbag company in 2018 in its top 50 Genius Companies in the World – a massive honour for the KwaZulu-Natal operation. It was on our Christmas…

This is real service! I think many of us are slow to unpack a caravan so that it can be serviced. That’s why I’ve been using the services of a mobile workshop for several years – they come to service my caravan at my home. I am strict about these services and I replace the tyres every fourth year like clockwork, even though the tread still looks good. Recently, I again arranged for a mechanic to come to my house to service my caravan. It was definitely time, because something sounded suspicious around the caravan’s coupler. After the mechanic postponed the appointment a number of times, I got annoyed and browsed through the September issue of Drive & Camp. That’s when I saw an advertisement for Wessel McMaster of Caravan…

Drama in the air With enough patience behind the camera lens, you can be rewarded with a winning photo – just look at this one Vanessa Kruger of Polokwane took of a black-backed jackal. “I took a series of photos of a black-backed jackal at the Cubitje Quap waterhole just north of Nossob in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. I’d been watching him all morning, he tried repeatedly to capture prey next to the waterhole. Every attempt had him approach the water from the right, and then waiting for the doves to settle down. Then he’d suddenly dive into the sky in the direction of the birds – he seemed to know the birds would take off. The jackal perservered and eventually succeeded.” Most of the 11 frames Vanessa sent to…

The owners of the well-known Dibiki resort in Hartenbos have breathed new life into the Takkieskloof Resort in Riversdale. Oosie and Martie Pretorius successfully tendered to operate Takkieskloof as a holiday resort and signed a 30-year contract with the Hessequa municipality to upgrade the resort and operate it as the Dibiki Riversdale Resort. Previously there were 16 stands with private bathrooms, but they’ve now given the facilities a whole new and fresh look. Each bathroom has a sink, shower, toilet and basin. They’re still renovating the communal bathrooms, and the plan is to have them ready for the 12 general sites early this year. Business looks promising for Dibiki Riversdal, as the campsite was fully booked for December and January. The couple’s children, Wietz, Hanno and Mart-Mariè, are also involved…

Tesla, Inc recently unveiled its electric Cybertruck. Unlike other Tesla vehicles with flattering curves, the Cybertruck is all angles. The peculiar styling has divided public opinion: on the one hand, there are the Tesla fanboys who rave about its appearance, and on the other, the haters who ridicule it. To us is appears as if Tesla’s boss, Elon Musk, tasked a three year-old to design the Cybertruck using nothing but crayons and a ruler. Inside, there are zero buttons on the dash and they are all replaced by a single touchscreen that – quite democratically – is placed halfway between the driver and the front passenger. Also, it doesn’t seem as if Elon understands what the purpose of a bakkie is. Those flat panels on the hull will deform over…

Let’s get one thing straight: the Doodsakker in Angola is a dangerous destination. Even experienced adventurers, like Johan Badenhorst’s Voetspore team, got into trouble when they got caught out by a high tide. So we strongly advise against taking on the Doodsakker by yourself, but we do encourage you to one day go up to Angola with friends and tackle this bull by the horns. Here’s what we experienced on the Doodsakker. “DOODSAKKER” is an Afrikaans military term for a type of ambush in which an enemy is allowed to advance right up to concealed troops before being fired on from all sides – also known as a kill zone. The first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you voluntarily want to enter this ambush, and then whether…

Slanghoek is centrally located between Ceres, Wellington and Worcester, and you camp here among vineyards and fruit trees. The stands are on lush green lawns, under shady trees and next to a stream where the strands of weeping willows quietly sway back and forth in the rippling water. At night, you hear frogs croaking. There are plenty of birds and insects, too, so pack your guide books, insect repellent and hiking boots, because you’re going to love camping here and exploring this stunning part of South Africa. The resort is just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town. After the Huguenot Tunnel, turn off the N1 onto the R101 to Rawsonville. Shortly after that, you turn left again at the signpost to the Slanghoek Valley, and for the next 10…

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. Fire-lighting made easy What is it? A carboard tray that holds 18 eggs should do the trick. Wood is the preferred fuel of choice for many an avid camper but when you’re in a pinch, placing briquettes in the individual egg holders will work just as well. Does it work? We recommend using the instant lighting briquette variety, otherwise you’ll light the four corners of…

Where has the trail gone? I wonder as the dry riverbed I’m driving in ends against a black wattle thicket. Wait a minute… ah, up ahead it takes a sharp left, over the river’s embankment. I frown when I see how high the embankment is. The Isuzu mu-X I’m driving isn’t really designed for such obstacles. I’m in the Eastern Cape, scouting for an interesting back road from Gauteng to the Addo Elephant Park. When I was planning my trip, the Katberg Pass seemed like a good candidate and my wife told me about the nearby Devil’s Bellows Pass she had tackled 13 years prior with a VW CitiGolf. Back then, we were newly wed and she worked for Nature Conservation. She had to drive the Devil’s Bellows to take…

Gauteng caravan manufacturer Echo4x4 has purchased a building in Okavango Park in Bellville to set up a Cape Town “mini-headquarters”. They’d been renting another premises in Belville up to the end of 2019. The new building has an undercover space of 1 600 m². Echo4x4 owner, Willie Grobler, says the new store offers a variety of services to Echo customers. The idea – just like at the Centurion headquarters in Gauteng – is to have a lifestyle centre for Capetonians. Of course, all of Echo’s caravans will be available here, but the store will also have a fitting section where some of the new caravans will be assembled. Echo will no longer have to transport pre-built ones from Centurion to the Western Cape. Gavin Peterson is the head of merchandising…

Jos Joubert of Abba Campers is known for his minibus-to-motorhome conversions, and now he includes the Renault Trafic Van in his lineup. Jos builds each model according to the specific needs of his customers, which means no two models are necessarily the same. Jos transforms the Renault, for example, into a five-person motorhome sleeping four adults and one child. In this version, the roof at the front is like a pop-up caravan roof. As the roof lifts, it forms a surface for the “upper” bed; two adults can sleep here (the bed is 2 m long). Downstairs, the benches fold for the next two people, and the front seats swivel to form a bed for a child. Jos can equip the Renault with everything that opens and closes – from…

Of all the major vehicle manufacturers, Ford has until recently shown the least amount of interest in electric vehicles. Yes, there have been a few electric Fords, but they were compliant cars built to appease shareholders and dodge anti-pollution taxes rather than to truly embrace the technology. Henry Ford was notorious for disliking battery-powered vehicles. He built only one electrical prototype because his close friend Thomas Edison needed someone to buy his batteries. Edison’s battery, by the way, was a dud and couldn’t propel electric vehicles efficiently. Ford’s current boss, Jim Hackett, however, experienced a Damascene conversion and ordered the company to take a serious look at electric vehicles. This change of heart is probably not born from any real concern for Mother Earth, though. It more likely stems from…

Even in this day and age, the Skeleton Coast is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. It’s a strip of coastline where man pits himself against nature and survives only with careful planning. Many ships, people, animals and even business plans have been given a last resting place here. But with smart technology and better vehicles, it is becoming far easier to visit this bucket-list destination. People have hiked to the Kunene mouth on the border between Namibia and Angola, others have cycled there, and some guys from Centurion came here in a Hilux during the school holidays to show the kids what it looks like. But one thing probably nobody has yet attempted is to tow off-road trailers here. This is exactly what a team towing Conqueror…

“ Our group of hiking buddies had just completed the Swellendam Trail in the Marloth Nature Reserve and decided to rest our weary feet at Umshanti – a private campsite between Swellendam and Suurbraak. It’s about 250 km from Cape Town, and most of the route is tarred. You only hit dirt at the entrance to the campsite. WHAT IS IT LIKE? What more could you ask for with those mountains and a mass of water? The campsite is dotted with lovely shade trees that keep you cool in the Overberg summer, and each stand has its own braai facilities, shade netting and wooden table and chairs made by the owner, Kosie van Zyl, himself. The campsite supplies electricity to the three stands, and enough firewood that you don’t have…

When we took delivery of the Isuzu D-Max in October 2018, we wrote that we were looking to give it a nickname, but motoring journalists rarely get sentimental over vehicles and for the greater part of the year, we simply referred to the D-Max as, well, “the D-Max”. But sometimes when we spent several days in the D-Max and relied on it for a good article, its name was “Big Blue”. It may be an obvious nickname, but we nevertheless used it with affection. It wasn’t until the end of its testing period at Drive & Camp that Schalk came up with “Ou Grote” (Ol’ Big Guy). This name comes from deaf Afrikaans rugby commentator Zandberg Jansen who concluded his weekly show with the salutation “Nag, ou grote” and sometimes…

“It is clear that the manufacturer had planned properly and long considered meeting the requirements of campers” Stealth’s caravans made an impression as soon as it opened shop a year ago. It is clear that the manufacturer had planned properly and long considered meeting the requirements of campers. This range of road caravans, for example, has no wood in the panels and fits into a standard garage. Any manufacturer, however, needs to keep his eyes peeled for other elements to improve, and it’s gratifying to see how Stealth is constantly making adjustments to keep track with the market. Just look at the XR594: this caravan has enough space for four people and it now boasts many clever new features. At every corner The caravan’s front and rear corner steadies differ…

Rhinoman started out as a specialised metal manufacturer making parts for state-owned enterprises, including Denel. However, the three founding members, Ferdie and Johan van der Merwe and Ferdie “Pottie” Potgieter, started looking at other sources of income during 2014. The three partners first considered constructing off-road trailers, and Ferdie van der Merwe loaded the hull of a prototype trailer on the back of his bakkie and travelled through Namibia. On his return to Rosslyn, Ferdie was so pleased with the hull of the planned off-road trailer that he convinced his partners that they should definitely be building aluminium canopies for bakkies. Rhinoman recently joined the Motus Group and builds aluminium canopies for the lifestyle market plus galvanised-steel canopies for the commercial market. 1 The foundation South African aluminium forge Hulamin…

Suzuki’s legendary little rockhopper has been around for 50 years in various guises under numerous model codes and has undoubtedly become a cult classic, with the latest fourth generation model proving to be every bit as popular as its predecessors. The Jimny’s credentials off the beaten track leave little to be desired, with its go-anywhere ability approaching giant-slaying proportions when you compare it to much larger 4x4 vehicles that have conquered Africa. It’s no surprise when you consider the low mass, proper low-range gearing, decent ground clearance and aggressive approach and departure angles. You’d think that the little Japanese rock-crawler’s appearance Stateside would raise an eyebrow or two, because the Jimny isn’t available in the US. That didn’t detract show goers and members of the motoring media, however, who were…