Overland with Kids

Something we hadn’t really thought of before but has become more apparent the closer we get to our summer trip in a few days time:
If your considering towing something as large as we are with the caravan - even smaller like a trailer  - it adds to ferry costs and fuel, will probably slow you down, get [...]

Following has been updated to our main page re: Jurgens Xplorer and Off Road Caravans
Training
Again on the advice of Loftus from his June 2009 newsletter where he offers training specific to off road caravans, we reckon familiarity with the following advisable to know:
Emergency chassis repairs - how to splint a broken chassis, Emergency suspension repairs, [...]

The following has also been updated to our main page re: Jurgens Xplorer and Off Road Caravans:
Canvas Roof Surround
We’ve been advised that the canvas for the Jurgens is made by Howling Moon. Trek Overland are the only distributors of Howling Moon here in the UK. We ordered and paid for a replacement last August 2008 [...]

We’ve set up a new page dedicated to the Jurgens and Off Road Caravan (see page on left hand side).  As we build experience /find out more information, it’ll be easier to keep this up-to-date, rather than having to keep digging through old posts for reminders.
Canvas Roof Surround
Latest news is that we are waiting for a [...]

For anyone wanting to know more about our “Gypsy” caravan capability, a chap call Rob Thijssen kindly sent us this youtube link which shows the ‘off road’ Jurgens Xplorer caravan, that we have, being taken through it’s paces is SA. In addition, anyone wanting to see more detail about the caravan, please see our previous posts. We [...]

Gypsy Caravan
Our Jurgens Xplorer duly arrived last week and is holding up well under the British weather. We are really pleased with it though the roof canvas is in a really shabby state of repair (still waterproof though) and could really do with being replaced. It has been raining heavily here these past few days [...]

The following represents the view point of Loftus at Ingonyama Rentals in SA during July 2008 who has all 3 caravan brands as part of his rental fleet (both old and new). All have been rigorously used and tested in the SA terrains that these vans were inevitably built for.  Unsure what year/model/spec of each [...]

The following information has been taken from SA forums and websites we have been researching regarding the Xplorer.
Second-hand market
From what we have seen, there is an excellent market in South Africa for off road caravan/camper/van. Second hand versions in SA are currently circa anything between £5K -£7.5K upwards (the 3 main contenders being- B’rakhah, Commander [...]

We have just become the proud owners of a South African Off Road 1999 Jurgens Xplorer Camper. Following a B’rakhah Ingonyama (eBay) listing withdrawal disappointment and a Conqueror Commander ’seen in the flesh’ by Andrew at Billing, a kind acquaintance (Tony - thank you!), from Landyzone forum miraculously found this item on eBay  - being advertised as an ‘off road caravan’ - and put [...]