Overland with Kids

There is virtually no market in the UK or Europe (except Netherlands) for off-road caravans that we know of.  Off-road caravans are primarily manufactured in South Africa and designed for the bush. Australia and New Zealand have a market also.

Paul Maisey from Perth, Australia provided us the following information re: Australian market during May 2009 based on the Jurgens:

“The Jurgens has been around for a while over here - since about 2000 I think, but the 2nd hand market is quite small. I live in Perth (Western Australia) and have only seen a couple advertised on this side of Oz since I started looking mid last year, and not many more in the east. Unfortunately, I just missed out on a 2004 Xplorer today - I was about 3 hours too late and the guy had sold it to a South African living locally. It sold for about $22,500 AUD, about £11,000 GBP on current exchange rates. New, the latest model, which they call the Stargazer over here, sells for $48,000 (£24,000), which is a premium over the cost in South Africa. A company in Melbourne is importing them in component form and assembling and selling them to the local market”.

We initailly looked into importing a similar 2004 2nd version from SA ourselves and reckon this would have come in at around £11,000 (let’s say £7,000 for the van then import duty and tax etc.) but not too sure as this was mid-2008, so worth checking.

In the end however, we bought what is probably a third-hand South African Jurgens Xplorer Camper / Caravan (1999 model) during August 2008 for our trip (the photos featured belong to the previous owner). 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 for us - being advertised and put us on the trail. We didn’t waste time and contacted the seller immediately, had a look and virtually purchased on the spot.  After much debate about roof tents (we almost bought a 2.4 x 2.4 Howling Moon) and trailers etc. the Xplorer answers all our sleeping and overlanding requirements. Since buying, we are still happy with our choice (though we waver about it’s weight along with the pulling power of our Defender which can be quite stressful for it) and managed to do a shakedown trip during Summer 2009 to road-test it - click here and scroll to end of page to see caravan issues, observations and conclusions reports. The roof is in very tatty in condition and prone to leaks (we have since sourced and had made a replacement canvas surround, direct from SA which we are now arranging to have fitted and we will also deal with sealing the leaks in fibre roof). We have also replaced the main hitch to something more modern and new spare tyres. Electrics and gas need some attention but we intend to strip the caravan of gas bottles, water and fridge - leaving as light as possible and using only for sleeping (and electricity whenever we can hook up - though we do have a means attached to Land Rover but this isn’t working properly as yet).  Inside while fine is really dated looking - not a girlie or attractive caravan by any means but more than perfectly functional for an overland trip such as ours. It’s not in any serious dis-repair but, given it’s age, should something happen to it while on the road, we won’t be too precious about it.  Primarily, we just want it for high ground clearance and sleeping in but other bonuses include water (40L), electric, cooking, fridge, lighting, jeery cans etc. (listed in more detail toward the end of this page).

Because no UK market - unless, buying/importing from South Africa - there tends to be no help really forthcoming else a bit sketchy.

Anyway, for us, it is really important that the children have the best sleeping arrangements we can offer for such a long-haul trip along with quick set-up for those inpromptu stops. We can also detatch the caravan on-site and go sight-seeing with just the vehicle if we like. So hopefully, flexibility, no backaches and no lengthy daily tent packup required (as per a roof tent scenario).

Though it will have it’s downsides - speed of travel, towing and the trials and tribulations of travelling with a caravan permantly attached to our behind.

Jurgens are the original off road manufacturers of the three main contenders for off-road caravans (B’rakhah, Commander and Xplorer) in South Africa. Loftus (see more about Loftus below) kindly provided this information to us comparison-of-3-off-road-caravans-july-2008 last year, based on his excellent knowledge and experience.

Such was the seriousness of our decision in opting for an off-road caravan, that we made enquiries within the South African market itself for an equivalent one second hand for import to the UK. We came across Loftus at www.ingonyamarentals.co.za who was really helpful but in the end, just at the time we were making our enquiries) we found one as mentioned in the UK. Our model is 1999 and VERY dated but you can buy new (for latest SA specifications and information see www.jurgenssafari.co.za and www.jurgenssafari.co.za/4.xplorer.html or www.aartkok.nl  and www.aartkok.nl/docs/xplorer2.pdf in the Netherlands).

Loftus at Ingonyama advised they have all 3 manufacturers on their fleet which they update and renew from time to time hence have second-hand versions available for sale, so a good option for anyone if considering.  Loftus has a wealth of experience having tested all three caravan models which he uses daily on his fleet as part of his business. So, if your ever in the market for one of these, please contact him.  Indication of prices he provided us at the time (July ‘08) are as follows:

“We are probably the place to source an used Brakhah off-road caravan. At the moment we have 3 used units for sale of which 2 are 2005 models whilst one model is a 2004 model. Selling price is R120,000.00 each [the 2004 model is R110,000.00] including awnings, fridge, hot water geyser, 2 double beds, shower cubicle. All you would need is your own LPG gas bottles and crockery & cutlery & pots and pans. These units are scarce but very popular. We have the Xplorer, the Commander as well as the Brakhah off-road caravans in our rental fleet and of the 3 the Brakhah is the most economical in respect of maintenance. Our land line number is +27 +12-3479824.”

Pictures show camper in original state at seller’s property (and almost a year down the line we have not performed a singe modification as yet, really due to not knowing where to start with it - though we are trying to make in-roads with it now beginning with at least a service engineer to come and have a look - at minimum we need to get wheels, bearings and boiler checked).  First impressions, observations and information we have found as follows:

• Excellent queen-sized bed. Changes to two single beds/bench seats during day
• Additional double bed in the nose of the vehicle which sits over kitchenette and folds back when not in use - ideal size for children
• Kitchenette contains 2 burner gas grill, 65ltr freezer (not working but think may be treatable), sink with hot/cold water and storage unit - all cleverly slides out to external of vehicle for use.
• Dual Electric and Gas Boiler (gas boiler not working but electric yes)
• Concertina roof provides 16″ additional head height which folds down when travelling (still waterproof but fabric really badly stained internally and externally and has tears which have been sealed using duck tape (lets the camper down) - needs attention)
• Portable shower, sink and portaloo
• Fills the gap between camper, caravan and trailer
• Has high ground clearance and off-road capability (designed for the bush in SA)
• Electric Hook-up and 240 mains
• 12V lights inside and out
• 2 x 20L water containers in nose of vehicle in storage area (newer models store larger amount in the rear rather than the front facing heavy nose which we have)
• 2 x large Gas bottles
• 2 x 5 Gallon Jerry Cans strapped to rear with combination locks
• Spare wheel
• Wheels are 1″ smaller than Land Rover which is a shame as initially we thought we could interchange spare wheels between both but that idea is now out the window
• Locker and Linen Storage and a small wardrobe
• There is no table as not introduced until later models - but we reckon we can improvise this minor detail ourselves
• Good size for us and fits neatly behind CSW - no additional mirrors needed
• Extremely heavy  but very robust - tows really nicely on sealed roads that we almost forget that it’s there. We have yet to test on unsealed and up hills and narrow passes etc.
• Needs a beast of a car to two it - only a large car can tow e.g. Pajero, Defender CSW etc (off road caravans generally have a heavy duty chassis and stronger suspension) - but as before, a dream to tow - due to weight and low centre of gravity. Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is 1800kg (2T) with a tare weight of 1080kg (1T)
• Units and decor - very dated, drab and unglamorous - but all really clean. Don’t forget that’s just our model. The newer models are much more modern and clever with weight distribution and space. Essentially a boy’s toy in need of a feminine touch - which we think could manage at some stage if really pushed to do so.
• We’ve been told, sand is it’s biggest enemy
• Large open awning and ground sheet (excellent condition - looks unused)
• Small enclosed awning (excellent condition - unchecked)

Immediate benefits we can see in it’s current state:

• Ready to use - just need to add pots and pans and food and bedding and go.
• Comfortable sleeping and reasonable storage arrangements
• Loo and water facilities with enclosure in public places - e.g. while driving/no privacy
• No painful unpacking at the end of a day’s driving
• As dated, not going to stick out like a sore thumb for potential theft (in fact, we’ll end up looking embarrassed alongside nice, smart, shiny spaceship motorhomes). And if it does get broken into or stolen , we can live with that
• Gas bottles, water, spare diesal, bedding, cooking facilities and fridge can all be carried externally to the Land Rover vehicle (huge relief in terms of weight load here)
• We don’t have to pack up (vehicle) if we want to go sight-seeing for the day (we can leave camper in situ on site)
• If we fit a table - great area for study and eating for the children when stationary
• Means we can use 2nd row reclining seats in the CSW properly for the children while travelling - added comfort
• Higher ground clearance and defence bars -making it easier to navigate obstacles and rougher terrain. Think it has a wade capability also
• Overrun brakes

Overall, not glam but functional -  a real boy’s toy in our view.

Maintenance

Advice from Loftus: “Going through sand, dust, mud and water place immense strain on your 4×4 or caravan of trailer and we suggest that after cleaning it thoroughly to check the under carriage for damage. Jack up the wheels and turn it to see if there is any damage to the braking system or drums or bearings. Clean and re-grease it. It is always good to service your off-road trailer/caravan after a trip (esp.) into the bush. Off-road caravans and off-road trailers do take a huge amount of hammering, shocks and vibrations causing pop rivets, bolts and nuts etc. to come loose. Wheel bearings, shock absorbers and braking systems need to be checked, serviced and replaced where necessary - we replace dampers [on the coupler] at least once a year and shock absorbers at least every 18 months. Wheel bearing replacement depends on the terrain travelled, but you need to have them checked on every major service.

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 but still waiting (June 2009)! we finally decided to cancel and obtain a refund. This was on Trek Overland finally telling us they couldn’t deliver. Throughout this episode we had to continually chase them over the months firstly by email and then phone, were told it was due to a shipping container issue, then asked finally for the model/year during June this year as they can’t actually order without knowing this and ultimately that it is now in fact Howling Moon’s fault. We received nothing but feeble excuses and bad communications from Trek Overland. Disgusted in fact at the way they dealt with us and we could go into far more detail but we don’t feel they’re worth it. Hence this complaint. We also experienced a similar situation with them when trying to obtain a 2.4 x 2.4m roof tent from them previously. Again, following a huge wait and again very bad communications (us chasing them again), we eventually obtained a refund for this also (hence the caravan option, hopefully a bonus in the end) . A complete waste of almost 2-years effort with them. Very disappointed. Not sure if this is normal practice or just us but we are not happy bunnies and won’t be using them again. Think we’ve exhausted the benefit of the doubt here.  We are now exploring other avenues and will keep you updated. Meantime looks like we’ll have to make do with a tatty caravan for our shake-down trip this summer - but we’ll live with it (might be a good thing).

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, How to build an emergency welder using car batteries if required, How to replace caravan/trailer wheel bearings and greasing techniques, How to adjust brakes and handbrakes, How to do tyre repairs, a look at tools and emergency tools as well as spares, A look at electrics - especially replacing trailer plugs, Common breakdowns.

We wish we could fly to South Africa or bring Loftus to the UK to show us!

Agan from the bible of Loftus:

Fire Extinguishers

“Fire extinguishers ….

When you buy a new caravan you will find that it comes equipped with a fire extinguisher, usually a 1-1.5kg unit. Having a fire extinguisher in your caravan or trailer was always a worry or concern soother for “just in case of a fire”

Have you ever used or tested it to find out its effectiveness?

How often do you check these fire extinguishers to see that their gauges are in order and that it has not passed its expiry date? We normally take our units for a check up every 12 months.

Well normally you would only “test” a fire extinguisher in a crisis situation where there is a fire, but we recently had to put 5-6 of these units to a test when we tried to contain a fire.

To us having one of these fire extinguishers in our car or on our trailers were a comforting thought, until now: what we have experienced was that they are only effective to contain a small fire [and mostly in a limited space]. These units gave us a blast of powdery substance for only about 15 seconds and it could only cover an area of about 1 square metre. For one square metre these units were effective and then it ran of gas [figuratively spoken] or “powder”.

To contain a veld fire on an Erf we came up with the following: the same water container we use on our 4×4 safari trips to purify water is used with our 12volt tyre inflator and switched it on only when we needed water. This may not be the ideal fire extinguisher for veld fires, but in an emergency this will work. See photo below. As an alternative to create more water pressure we use our this unit with our Karcher pressure spray and to give 220volt for the Karcher we put our 2.5kva generator on our bakkie. A veldfire usually starts very fast so you need to keep equipment like this ready at all times.

If you have a better idea of building a fast emergency “fire extinguisher” please let us know”.

and talking:

Gas geyser for caravans/trailers

 ”In the past we have had certain manufacturers who thought they can bully us with gag court orders to prevent us from saying something negative about their products whilst other regarded it as positive criticism and used our comments to improve their products.

Two of the major problems consumers with off-road caravans or off-road trailers has is their geyser system and their fridges.

Geysers may become explosive if you fail to service your geyser properly.

We do not believe placing a geyser right in the nose cone is a bright idea,  we believe it is dangerous. Just think of the following scenario: your wife and/or kids are laying on of the bed of the fold out bed-tent of a caravan (newer models) and you decide to take a shower - the next moment the build up of combustion and gas in the geyser causes a major explosion blowing away the nose cone of the caravan as well as a portion of the bed above it.

All the dust and debris that are kicked up by the tow vehicle accumulates directly into the vent of the geyser and builds up in the gas supply chamber of the geyser. Even the geyser that is installed on the side of the caravan will pick up debris and substances that can cause an explosion. Installing “filters” at the vent will not solve the problem as it will let through smaller substances with more powerful combustion ability. Sometimes you will find insects and spiders making nests inside the geyser with can result in the same calamity.

When you bring your caravan to Ngonyama for a service we take care to clean out the substances from the geysers similar to the geyser above”.

Meanwhile, our main priority is to try and get the caravan at the very least serviced which, is proving to be easier said than done. 

More information to follows as we get more familiar and experienced.