News - SA 4x4

Adolf Waidelich

There are few people who touch our lives only briefly but still leave a lasting impression. Far-sighted entrepreneur and avid adventurer, Adolf Waidelich, who died tragically by suicide in November 2017, was one of those people. His passing left a legacy which can be measured by the impact he made on the lives of others. He was very practical engineer who, with his comprehensive range of innovative equipment and accessories designed and made for off -road travellers, contributed materially to making dreams of travelling to far-flung parts of Africa a reality for thousands of people. But Adolf was also a…

Company Profile

Company Profile: RATAU Hard Canopies

Born out of a deep love for engineering and thousands of kilometres’ worth of off-road experience, RATAU Hard Canopies has emerged as one of Mpumalanga’s premier vehicle metalwork manufacturers. Operating out of Middelburg, the company is directed by Quereshini Naidoo, Gerhard Holtshauzen and Herman Brümmer. They manage a team of 10 multi-skilled workshop staff, as well as four administrators who handle everything from sales to marketing. Where did it all begin? Several years ago, says Naidoo, the company’s founders, mechanical engineers and avid 4×4 enthusiasts, decided to turn their hobby of designing and custom-making canopies for their own vehicles into…

Enter SA4x4’s Instagram photo competition

Do you have a magic shot in your photo collection that captures the essence of overland travel? SA4x4 is keen to promote adventure travel the world over, and to share those amazing memories with all our readers. Trawl your image banks and share those moments in time on SA4x4’s Facebook or Instagram pages, along with your name and a short description of what you are seeing and where. Action, wildlife, landscapes – we want to see it all! Tag @SA4x4 on Instagram and SA4x4 magazine on Facebook, and use the hashtag #SA4x4OverlandImages to enter. If Instagram is too 21st Century, email your…

LROC De Wildt Human Rights Day Trail

The Land Rover Owners Club of Southern Africa is returning to De Wildt 4×4 in Hartebeestpoort for some more family-friendly, four-wheel-drive fun. The trail is suitable for all Land Rovers, including soft-roaders like the Evoque and Freelander, but there will be plenty of tough obstacles for the more experienced drivers seeking more of a thrill. The day starts with an early driver briefing, after which the group will take on the trail. Afterwards, proud owners can discuss the day’s triumphs and mishaps over some tasty braaivleis and a cold one at the facility’s lapas and picnic areas. Places are limited,…

Land Cruiser Prado

More of the same: Toyota Prado

Toyota’s Prado is a strong, capable, bodyon- frame mid-size SUV with all the trimmings, for families who don’t want or need the immense Land Cruiser 200 Series in their driveway. The fourth-generation J150 has now come in for a mid-life refresh that has ushered in plenty of neat upgrades and changes, but not the one every previous Prado owner has been hoping for. In other markets, for some time, it’s been gifted the 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel allied to a sixspeed automatic transmission; but here, a combination of factors including the low quality of fuel in Africa, the cost or time…

Rock Solid Industries

Back in 2007, Mike Voss, founder and Managing Director of Rock Solid Industries (RSI), had just started a fledgling business spraying bakkie bed linings. The bed lining business was successful, but somewhat dead-end, and Mike needed more of a challenge. The mining industry was first port of call and RSI began building roll-over protection systems for mine bakkies. RSI is blazing the way when it comes to canopy technology and the latest innovations in roof racksUnfortunately for Mike, the auto industry also got in on the act, and when the T6 Ranger was released with an NCAP rating that met…

Elephant Charge 2017

Ten Years Ten Reasons To Charge! Sarah Davies #1 THIS YEAR IS NUMERO TEN – one of the most epic, audacious and thrill-seeking events going, the Elephant Charge in Zambia is a 4×4 motorsport challenge and has reached its tenth anniversary. You do NOT want to miss this year’s show! The 2017 Fuchs Elephant Charge will take place at a secret location in the Zambian bush on Saturday 14 October 2017. Are you rrrrrrready?! #2 EC PUTS THE FUN INTO FUNDRAISING – since 2008, the Elephant Charge teams have supported 17 wildlife conservation projects with grants totaling $647,991. This year…

Fresh rubber: Grabber AT3

General Tire has updated its popular all-terrain and mud terrain offering

Over the years, we’ve travelled countless thousands of kilometres on various sets of General Grabber all-terrain tyres, from the sharp rocks of the Tankwa Karoo to slippery mud deep in the Transkei, as well as on long gravel and sand stretches crisscrossing Botswana and Namibia. This left us with a high opinion of the previous-generation offerings, and especially of the AT version which proved extremely puncture-resistant on our travels. Now, General Tire, an American brand that is a subsidiary of Continental, has released redesigned versions of its all-terrain and mud-terrain offerings – respectively the Grabber AT3 and Grabber X3 –…

Fortuner 4x4

Fortuner 4×4 now in 2.4 guise

A Fortuner that combined the frugal and cost efficient 2.4 GD-6 engine with a 4×4 drivetrain was a model sorely lacking when the latest range was launched. Thankfully, Toyota South Africa has answered our prayers. The 2.4 GD-6 4×4 6AT will use the same 110kW/400Nm mill as found elsewhere in the range, mated to a 6-speed automatic box and low-range transfer case. More good news? At R506 000, it’s R118 100 cheaper than the 2.8-litre auto 4×4.

Beeld Show: Show and Tell

By Andrew Middleton A selection of the top overlanding and camping items that caught our attention at the recent Beeld Show BENT ON POWER FlexoPower Kalahari-158 kit Used by the SANDF, Botswana and Namibian Defence Force – and most recently the US military – FlexoPower provides nearly indestructible flexible solar panels for a variety of applications. Thanks to the panels’ flexible nature, packing is easy and the result is compact – perfect for overland travel. The panels are also affected less by partial shading than other solar collectors, and the amorphous silicon triple junction absorbs more sunlight than other…

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