A Guy, A Chick and 2 Bullies

Saturday morning dawned dark and dreary with a steady drizzle soaking the landscape. Cycling wasn’t going to happen judging from the stream of sms messages from the usual group. So Tina and I decided to go caravan shopping since she hadn’t seen any of the models and I had only seen a ten year old Explorer. A quick check on the website for the addresses, all being behind the “Boerewors Curtain” (strange that – how unusual), so we bundled the bullies into the car headed out toward the north. The first stop was Safari Center in Goodwood where we would get a chance to check out the Conqueror Commander.

There she was, in the flesh. The caravan was set up in the showroom along with awning and shower/privy tent – sale price was R 180k for the basic set up. The real problem was that is was so dark inside, I could hardly make out any details. Maybe the young salesman was trying to hide something but made no attempt to illuminate the interior even when I mentioned it a second time. My first impression was that the Commander was solidly built and well thought out. Or so I thought. While we were checking out one of the smaller models, we struck up a conversation with Steve and Linda, overland enthusiasts and co-incidentally owners of an older model of the Commander. Steve was kind enough to share his first hand experiences of the caravan. Next thing I knew, we were both crouching under the rear inspecting the independent suspension and some other details of the chassis. We got to chatting about the sleeping arrangements and it was only then that I noticed that there were some odd intrusions around the saloon double bed and Steve also mentioned that he had to sleep diagonally on the pop-out bunk due to his height(about 6’2″) . Steve finally confessed that in his opinion the Jurgens Explorer was more refined and probably better appointed and in reality he would opt for the Commander if he had to choose again. He and Linda also mentioned that they had looked at two other models that may be of interest to us, the Echo 4×4 (which they had seen at Marine World in Paarden Eiland)  and the Imagine.

That was exactly what Tina and I decided to do, go check out the competition. So we thanked Steve and Linda(sorry we didn’t get their surname or contact details as it would be great to pick their brains some more) and headed off to our next stop. Leisure Land in Bellville, the agents for the Jurgens Exoplorer. We were met by the enthusiastic salesman who showed us around the Explorer and patiently answered all of our questions. I could tell from the outset that although the caravan was far more refined and luxurious that what we had just seen, it definitely had a less than robust demeanor. The chassis seemed sold enough but the body work and interior fittings seemed flimsy(probably why my friends 10 year old van looked so tiered.)  Tina was definitely more keen on the Explorer than the Commander and I could see why. The interior was definitely much more luxurious, the bed better appointed and with more storage. Another plus was access to the kitchen and fridge from inside the caravan for when the weather was really rough. The sales man offered us a 15K discount on the R230k price tag without us even asking.

Echo 4x4 kavango

We hit the N1 South and headed towards the city and our next encounter. The Echo 4×4. My first impression of the Echo Namib was “too small”. Tina’s first impression was “yippee, inside shower and loo”.  Fortunately Stephan of Waterworld in Paarden Eiland arrived just in time and gave us a rundown of the pros and cons. The best news was that there was a larger 4 berth model called the Kavango. Now we’re talking. On closer inspection, I realized that the Echo was streets ahead of both the previous contenders; although not as luxurious as the Explorer, definitely well appointed and as solidly built as the Commander. The fiberglass monocoque  construction meant less loose and rattling panels and clever seaqls around all the doors, windows and other opening means less dust infiltration. Both characteristics  very appealing, especially since we plan to spend a lot of time off the beaten track and probably thousands of kilometers on dirt roads. We made arrangements with Stephan, the helpful proprietor of Water World, to see the Kovango as soon as one could be located. I think this could be the one…

It’s amazing what you discovering when you start researching in detail. And the amount of information you gather by chatting to other like mind folks who generously share their experiences. So, with he sun now shining down on Cape Town, we headed back home to give the bullies a walk and to collate all the new information gathered and gained. Next stop – Imagine. Can’t wait.

Have just had a look at the respective websites for both the Jurgens Explorer and the Conqueror Commander off road caravans. I must say, they both look very impressive and more than capable of doing the job. I have also found some interesting reading matter on the 4X4 Community Forum.

Now it’s down to the details where the devil lives and then

to visit the respective manufacturers to get a first hand look at the vehicles. Having never seen either of these caravans before my first encounter with the Explorer that happened by a chance meeting with a cycling friend. I bumped into him at the entrance of the Miller’s Point caravan park near Cape Point while we were both on a solo ride. He was popping in to visit some friend who were spending the weekend there – staying in their Explorer. Coincidence. Me thinks not. Although the van was ten years old and well used, the build quality was evident. Besides some cracked plastic bits here and there, a well worn carpet and a replaced jockey wheel,  everything looked serviceable. It was also great to chat to the owner and his wife, getting their respective views on the pros and cons as experienced over the years and many trips they have enjoyed. The pros definitely outweighing the cons.

So the main theme flowing from the 4X4 community discussion seems to be about suspension and details on the build materials. The Commander has indipendant suspension (not sure how important that is for our purposes) and that the Explorer has more wood and fiberglass in the construction (see previous comments about cracked plastic bits). But the consensus seems to be that both will do the job equally well, although the Explorer was rated as a more luxurious option… more like my style for our road trip. Planning to spend a year on the road does require some creature comforts.

Now it’s time to check out the goods. Will be setting up some apointments with sellers and agents.

Just been doing some searching and came across an alternative. Caravan! The conquere Comander made in Gauteng. Some interesting reading relating to build quality and features on 4×4 community forum. More to follow.

The discussion has recently turned to accommodation on the road and what sort of living arrangements would work best? Well, considering the fact we will be traveling with “the bullies” and also planning to stop over at selected spots for an extended periods, the debate is raging between a camper van or caravan. Neither Tina or myself have any experience with either of these modes of mobile home so we cannot speak from experience.We have however spent many a memorable holiday camping at various spots around the country from coastal to bush locations, so the thought of camping is not an affront to the senses. From a pragmatic point of view, the idea of a caravan makes sense in that we will be able to set up camp and then have our vehicle free for day excursions and the odd shopping trip into town/village/nearest shops. That way we won’t have the schlep of having to detach the tents from a campervan.On the other hand, the idea of towing a caravan, especially over some of the passes we are planning to include in our itinerary does send waves of trepidation down my spine. That makes the campervan sound so much more appealing, having the dogs in the vehicle with us and also the luxury of some of these modern campers is very appealing(me showing off my softer side).But when the rubber hits the road, the caravan idea seems to be street ahead. So the hunt is on. Having decided that the caravan idea would work best, it’s now a process of deciding which make and model. I recently started looking at the Jurgens off road model called the explorer. The appeal here is that it has god ground clearance in the eventuality of having to travel to some difficult to reach spot, and also cruising along the many dirt roads to off the beaten track must visit locations.So there it is then. A Jurgens Explorer: http://www.jurgenssafari.co.za/models/xplorer.html More to follow…