LANDROVING IN KZN

September 2006

Hidden Valley August 2006. My Series 111S

Flashing  its underside again.

High Stakes, Cato Ridge August 2006.

Ryan Goswell testing his Range Rover on his 1^st outing with the vehicle. Range Rover’s can also lift a wheel.

Hidden Valley August 2006. Ryan van Wijngaard Series 11A proving that the older vehicle’s are as capable as the newer ones.

WELCOME TO THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS 

Remember it’s your club and you will get out of it what you want to. You have purchased THE BEST 4 x 4 x FAR and now its time to use it. See you at the next club event.

Charles and Carol Kays                                      Wilmington, NC, USA                 1994 Range Rover

Mark and Linda Lederle                                      Pietermaritzburg                        1971 Series 11A LWB
                                                                                                                        1976 Series 111 LWB
                                                                                                                        1979 Series 111 LWB

Shane Donkin                                                    Windermere                               Defender 110 Tdi                       

Wade and Sarai Donkin                                      Cowies Hill                                2002 Range Rover

Ken Tuckey                                                       Richards Bay                             Discovery

Wendy Winnard                                                 Umhlanga Rocks                       Freelander

Future Events

TRAIL GRADING All our events from now on will have a Trail Grading according to the 5 grades below.

1.        Complete novice soft dirt road trail, no low range required. Suitable for all Land Rovers including the Freelander.

2.       Limited low range required but suitable for the novice driver. Suitable for all Land Rovers with certain trails not suitable for the Freelander.

3.       Low range and limited off road knowledge required. Suitable for all Land Rovers except the Freelander.

4.       A low range technical trail suitable for the experienced. The inexperienced will be able to do the trail, as assistance will be available from the more experienced members. Suitable for all Land Rovers except the Freelander.

5.       Extremely technical, suitable for the experienced only with the possibility of vehicle damage. Only suitable for "Series" Land Rovers.  Ha Ha

THE BROADLEAZE ADVENTURE involves all in the vehicle. Its not a vehicle breaking trail, but one suitable for all Land Rovers. A short trail with hidden clue’s and riddles, along with a few special tasks.  Camp over on Saturday or just come for the main trail on Sunday.

EVENTS SCHEDULE.    

• For the campers arrive on Saturday from 12h30 onwards. Camping is rustic, with only a portable toilet on site, which means bring all. Braai fires will be provided for Saturday evening for a BYO braai.
• The main event will start at 08h00 for 09h00 on Sunday.  Sunday lunch is a  Spit Braai provided by the LROC KZN. PLEASE contact George before 13 October if you will be at the Spit Braai. We need to know the number of people for catering purposes. Bring your own chairs, tables, plates etc and drinks. 

 DIRECTIONS TO BROADLEAZE.  From Durban take the N3 to PMB. Turn off the N3 at the Market Street off ramp. Go past the Market entrance and turn left into CB Downs road. At the next robot turn left into Murray Road. Continue up Murray Road to the top of the hill. The entrance to BROADLEAZE is at 200 Murray road on the right after the Water Reservoir. Follow the LROC signs to the Camp area.

TRANSKEI TRIP 27^TH DECEMBER 2006 – 6^TH JANUARY 2007.

We are planning a trip up the Transkei Coast, keeping as close to the coast as possible.  There are a lot of tracks, shipwrecks, good fishing spots etc on “tracks 4 Africa” and we will be using a GPS to navigate all the way to the great Kei River which we will cross th Ferry. We will be travelling for approximately 3 hours per day between campsites.  The balance of the day will be spent exploring, fishing, swimming etc.  Camping will be very rustic so bring all.  For more information contact Gary on 031-2666503 or cell 0721186599.

TECHNICAL SATURDAYS. Comment required if you think that it’s a good idea .

 Are you building up an old Series Land Rover, or fitting a diesel engine, removing the gearbox, replacing a broken diff, fitting power steering , fitting a new head , what ever etc etc. Do you need help, either moral or physical ?? Many of us have worked on our Land Rovers and wished that another set of hands was available.

The proposal is to invite interested members along to your garage to offer assistance. You have a job to be done on a Saturday and we come along and offer assistance. In fact other members can learn from the experience as well.

Give George a call if you think that it will work.

Lesotho Snow August 2006 

HOW WE DIDN’T MAKE IT TO KRUGER PARK – AUGUST 2006        BETTY GORDON

I start making lists, shopping and packing a week before a caravan trip, making sure there are enough baked beans, packets of instant pasta, dehydrated potato and other essentials available in the cupboard. Stocking up the caravan with dishwash, toilet paper, mosquito coils and insect spray and checking the First Aid box for runny tummy, constipation, headaches, gout and muscle sprains is just routine. Sorting out books at the library becomes the highlight of my preparations and the last hour of packing is given up to ramming in as many clothes as my two little cubicles will hold.

 It becomes incumbent upon me to paint a background of the Land Rover Saga.  After our 22 year old V8 Station-wagon caught fire in November 2005 its electrical system was completely renewed and we sold it with great sadness somewhat relieved by the great Land Roving couple who bought it. “Exactly like we were when we were forty”, we said.

The rapport between us was instant and they understood how bereaved we were feeling and kindly gave us “Visiting Rights”. We purchased a 7 year old Discovery TD5 and revelled in the armchair-like drive and actually being able to talk to one another.  Initially there were some problems: the repaired Starter shattered to pieces at a friend’s house some 60 Km away;  it overheated midway between Durban and Ifafa and had to be towed to Durban for a new Water Hose; it became reluctant to start first thing and we bought a New King Sized Battery; and other wearisome problems. “It’s always like this when you take over a second hand vehicle”, says Ken.  Meantime he was having to top up the water almost every time he drove it and our local spares shop had to order new supplies of coolant – such a pretty shade of blue.

 Sunday 13^th August and off we go. Just beside the Pavilion Shopping Mall in Westville the engine suddenly overheated radically.  After it had cooled sufficiently to add more coolant we got it into the Pavilion Carpark from where we were rescued yet again by Stephen and Ronnie and boys.  It was downhill to their home in Cowies Hill and Stephen drove it, complete with caravan, to their home.  Ken’s theory  about the disappearing water was that the radiator cap was not fitting well and he had replaced it with a new one.  Stephen examined the new one and thought it was possibly not a standard part. It was decided for Ken to go back to Ifafa and get the original cap, which turned out to be identical to the new cap.

 Monday morning first thing we pitched up at Land Rover’s Workshop door and told our sad tale. “ It sounds very much like either a cylinder head gasket or a cracked head” we were told and diagnosis would take a couple of days. Like a visit to the Doctor it seemed that the (very badly worn) water hose was replaced as a first measure but further more intensive treatment would be needed if that didn’t work. Standing up in the Executive Office with windows overlooking the workshop below I watched our Disco in the surgery with protective covers draped over bonnet and two Specialists probing into its interior.  It didn’t help to be told by the CEO that we should have kept our V8 Station-wagon. I could have told him that. The Disco doesn’t have anywhere flat outside to put your thermos flask!

 Meantime Veronica was working that day at Kemtek and Ken and I had no wheels. Land Rover lent us a courtesy car, a VW Polo, to enable us to get home to Ifafa and fetch our own Citi Golf. We set off in the Polo. The driver’s window was open and we couldn’t find the switch to close it electronically. We drove round the block in order to return to Land Rover and ask how to close it and were almost there when I spied the handle on the door!  Back to Ifafa, a quick cup of coffee and off again with both cars for the return 100 Km journey to Pinetown. Off with the Golf to Stephen and Ronnie’s place to retrieve what items we thought necessary from the caravan (mainly the library books and our life-preserving daily medications) and off to Ifafa again to await the cylinder head diagnosis.

 Spare a thought for the Security Officer in charge of the boom at Club Marina: Sunday morning early the Discovery exits, towing a caravan. Later in the morning Veronica’s Freelander enters with Ken and two young men inside. Freelander exits. Monday morning a Polo enters with Ken and myself inside. An hour later the Polo exits driven by Ken followed by myself driving the Golf. In the afternoon the Golf again appears this time with both Ken and Betty inside.  Probably all ascribed to our weird Westernised culture and if you stop to think about it that may not be far from the truth!

 When the news was broken to us (as gently as possible by Stephen) it was the worst possible. The cylinder head was cracked and the engine damaged. It meant a new or reconditioned engine and the best possible time factor was at least three weeks. Kruger Park personnel were very helpful and we were able to postpone our (fully paid for) trip until October. When we get the Discovery again it will need 5000 Km of slow driving before it is made to tow. 

 Meantime all I seem to be doing is getting out, packing, retrieving and putting away and sighing for the days when all a person had to worry about was feeding a horse. It would be desirable to finish the saga on a funny note to leave you all with a chuckle but for the life of me right now I can’t seem to come up with one!!

 "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they
wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're
going to feel all day. "
~Frank Sinatra

Land Rover Defender 130 - Bette the South African Red Bull Events Vehicle

The Vehicle  Land Rover Defender 130 TD5 
· Colour: Matt black with tinted windows 
· Top Speed: 120Km/h 
· Cruising Speed: 100Km 
· Weight: +-3 tons 
· Engine size: 2.5L Diesel 
· Height: 1.9m 
· Transmission & Drivetrain: Permanent 4x4, 
· 5 speed manual, low range, centre diff lock

Vehicle Modifications 

· Gull Wing door 
· Tyres: 35 inch Mud Terrain BF Goodrich
· Suspension: Old Man Emu

The rear seats were removed to make way for the sound system equipment box storing the turntables, mixers and CDJs. This box carries two heavy duty sliding trays. The normal Land Rover door behind driver has been converted to a gull wing door which pivots up on two hydraulic arms. The sliding trays pull out from here for a quick and easy set-up.

Sound Equipment 

Consists of: · Crown K2 Amplifier · 2 x PS10 Nexo speakers · 18 inch Subwoofer · 4 Vestax DJ Turntables · 2 Vestax CDJs · 3 Vestax Mixers · 1 Berhinger 16 channel mixing desk · 1 cordless Shure Mic

 Visual Equipment 

External projection system: A 30000 Lumen Projector and rear projection screen which slides out from the rear of the vehicle. A Playstation or a laptop can be connected to this projector.

· An internal flip-down LCD Screen has been installed on the passenger side of the vehicle. This has been designed so the passenger can play Playstation or watch DVD's whilst driving or at an event. There is also a surround sound system installed to provide maximum pleasure when enjoying the system. 

Additional Features

Electrical Power Supply -Onboard Battery System 

· 16 x 12V Batteries 
· 2 x Inverters (12V - 220V) 
· Full System running - 12 hours usage 
· Half System running - 30 hours usage 
· 8-10 hours recharge time if the full system has been running for 10 hours. 
· The whole system is run by a UPS. With the press of a button the power supply is turned on. There is a voltage meter to inform the driver of the current battery voltage. 

Loading Ability 

The back load box holds space for the Nexo PS10s, 2 turntables in flight cases plus any extra luggage the driver and passengers may have.

Last Modified : 25/09/2006 08:31