Kit-out, fit-out, FORK-OUT

 

 

As the grassy, cattle strewn slopes of Harrismith recede into our review mirror, it’s hard to believe that we are heading back to Joburg!

 

This time however, we’re just about fully kitted out and the plan is to meet Bug’s folks to begin the first leg of our journey. At this point, we are feeling significantly less wealthy but infinitely more wise.

 

It’s been 6 weeks since we arrived in South Africa to begin the vehicle fit-out; a process that we imagined might take us 2 to 3 weeks at most.

 

In our naivety, we believed that after choosing a fitment centre, we would drop off our dearly beloved (Robinson), enjoy some quality retail therapy in Outdoor Warehouse, buy up all our camping gear (and some gadgets for Dave!) and be ready to hit the road a few days later.

 

Upon arriving in Joburg, however, we discovered the wide and scary world that is the 4×4 industry and the million decisions that we’d be required to make: like would we go for Ctek or National Luna? Deep cycle or high cycle? Cooper vs BF Goodrich? Big Country or FrontRunner? Ammo boxes or soft packs? Howling Moon vs Alucab? Elaborate shower systems or a builder’s bucket on the fire??

 

We very quickly descended into a state of overanalysis paralysis!

 

We resolved to just stop. Crack open a bottle of wine. Simplify our lives and just come up with a list of essentials that we would need to survive and perhaps even thrive for a year through Africa…

 

• Suspension (Old Manu Emu is our preferred)
• 6 good tyres (we chose Cooper Discoverer)
• Roof rack (we have a 2^nd hand Outback rack)
• Long range fuel tank (capable of doing at least 1000kms between fuel stops)
• Fridge/freezer (we opted for National Luna, double-door, 72litre)
• At least 2 batteries with a good battery management system (Ctek vs. National Luna)…prepare yourself for hours of dilemma and deliberation (The jury is still out as to which system is best)
• Storage – drawer systems are best for accessibility and space saving (we chose FrontRunner for their ammo boxes and lightweight frame)
• Water tank (take as much water as you can. We were limited to 1 x 60litre and 1 x 20litre due to our space constraints)
• Tent. Consider roofrack space vs. ease of erection (of the tent of course!) We chose Howling Moon’s Lunar pop-up but we have had to sacrifice packing space on the roof. We have also thrown in a small 2-man hiking tent in the event that we are not with our vehicle (ie. Trekking or camping on an island)
• Awning (we chose the 270° SwingAwn from Howling Moon)
• Gas cylinder (5kg) and fuel jerry can (metal) fitted to the exterior of the vehicle
• Solar panels to supplement the battery when the vehicle is not running (we chose 2 x 80W panels to meet a standard power requirement ie. Fridge/freezer and charging of laptop, mobile phones and cameras. No hairdryers ;( …sniff, sniff.
• Solar regulator and invertor (pure sine wave is needed for Apple computers)
• High-lift jack (finding a spot to mount this was a challenge)
• Shovel
• GPS (we opted for the handheld Garmin Map64S loaded Tracks 4 Africa routes and we have a Garmin Drive GPS mounted on the windscreen)

 

Optional extras:

• Spot Lights (we were keen on a LED light bar but were warned that light bars are considered illegal in Namibia. You are permitted to have 6 forward-facing lights, but officials consider each individual LED bulb within the light bar to be a forward-facing light.
• Shower – there are many elaborate shower systems out there, but we have chosen to go old-school and use a metal bucket on the fire (sponge-bath style)

 

 

Here are 5 things that we learned during our own fit-out process:

 

1. NOT EVERYONE CAN GROW A BEARD

 

Nuff said.

 

2. BE WILLING TO SPEND TIME TO SAVE MONEY

 

Flexibility is your friend. Having no fixed end-date for our trip meant that we were able to spend time visiting each and every supplier and equipment retailer without feeling “antsy” that we were eating into our trip time. We saved a lot of money by ‘shopping around’ and we feel that the solution we now have is the best possible one for us. So avoid making too many bookings for the first leg of your journey and be sure to give yourself ample leeway when embarking on your vehicle fit-out.

 

 

3. NOT ALL SUPPLIERS ARE CREATED EQUAL

 

Never was this more apparent to us, than during our fit-out process. Having to visit numerous suppliers, offering competing products and services in quick succession, afforded us the opportunity to compare them all with relative objectivity.

 

A combination of poor customer service, out-of-stock products and an unapologetic sales team led to an altogether underwhelming customer experience at FrontRunner, which surprised us. On the flip side, we were lucky enough to meet some super star suppliers who generously offered us their time and expertise and whose products/services ticked all the boxes!

 

Our top picks:

 

Who: Eugene

What: tyres, wheel balancing & alignment and everything in between! We dubbed Eugene our “4×4 father” as (realising how clueless we were) he very quickly became our mentor. He gave us oodles of his precious time and was a wealth of information. In short, if Eugene can’t do it, he knows an expert who can!

Where: Supa Quick, Edenvale, (Johannesburg)

Website: www.supaquick.com/edenvale

 

Who: Allan

What: Tools

Instead of selling us a full toolkit, Allan spent an hour with Dave, underneath our vehicle, checking each and every nut, bolt and fitting and compiling a list of only what was necessary for us, saving us money and more importantly, space.

Where: Reliable Bolt, Edenvale, (Johannesburg)

Website: www.reliablebolt.co.za

 

Who: Jacque Fernihough

What: Solar panels, regulator, invertor

We visited Jacque at his home/work premises in a peaceful and picturesque part of Midrand. He spent the better part of an hour with us, understanding our requirements and explaining how a portable solar system would work, never once pushing his product to us.

Where: Bush Power, Midrand (Johannesburg)

Website: www.bushpower.co.za

 

Who: Kobus

What: Portable fridge and dual battery system

Where: National Luna, Edenvale, (Johannesburg)

Website: www.nationalluna.com

 

Who: Tino Bianco

What: Sourcing products, installation and wiring

Tino offered to do the installation at the house, so that Dave could watch and learn

Where: G4 Outdoor (Johannesburg)

Website: www.g4outdoor.co.za

 

Who: Dave Fraser

What: Swing awning, Lunar roof-top tent and accessories

Where: Howling Moon, New Germany (Durban)

Website: www.howlingmoon.co.za

 

Who: Trevor

What: Solar panels installation and wiring

Where: Allied Auto Electrical C.C, North Coast Rd (Durban)

Telephone: +27 31 564 3960

 

 

4. THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ‘BOOTS ON THE GROUND’

Although we spent hours googling, posting questions on just about every 4×4 forum and emailing friends (and strangers) who’d done this before, it was only when we arrived in Joburg and began visiting each supplier, that we realised how much more there was to consider and how important it was to see all the options before deciding what would work best for us. There is no one “silver bullet” solution and your requirements will differ greatly from someone else’s.

 

 

5. SPACE vs. SAVINGS

Packing for an entire year and all possible climatic conditions is no easy undertaking. Where do we pack hiking boots and down jackets that we may only use in 4 month’s time? Masks, snorkels and fins for the odd spot of snorkeling along the coast? And, do you buy the big bottle of shampoo (because it’s cheaper and you want to save every penny) or do you choose a small travel size bottle, economizing on space but not necessarily on money?! Our conclusion: space is at a premium. You will need every little nook and cranny possible. Go for small/compact/less!

 

So now, as we make final preparations for our first leg to Namibia, there is no turning back and only time will tell if the kit and equipment we have is fit for purpose. We will keep you posted…

 

Till then, you can find our updates on instagram (@zonke_ena_mush) and Facebook (zonke ena mush).

 

If you would like more information on prices (as of Feb/March 2018) please feel free to email us directly at buganddave@gmail.com

 

Our favorite spot in Joburg – thanks to our “4×4 father”, Eugene

 

Allan (at Reliable Bolt) spent an hour with Dave, underneath our vehicle, checking each and every nut, bolt and fitting – compiling a list of only what tools would be necessary for us.

 

 

Tino & Eddie (from G4 Outdoor). Installation & wiring at the house

 

Lunar tent being installed at Howling Moon (Durban)

 

The team from Howling Moon

 

Bug doing “blue jobs” while Dave was back in Zimbabwe for his passport/visas

 

Trevor and his team at Allied Auto Electrical (Durban) installing and connecting our solar panels

 

Recon of expenses

 

Car blogging

Zonke ena mush!