Healthy Sleep

Passes Trip 2018: Passes of the Eastern Cape

Official 4x4 Action Group Events
For Club Members Only
User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#46

Post by Mad Manny »

The Tyre Naaier Tale:

Chapter One:
So, we did the tour, I covered 2176km from door to door.
On the first pass (Lundrean's Nek), I smacked a small bridge wall hidden behind a tuft of long grass whilst tryingto speak the leisurely convoy up.
My wheel alignment was knocked out so that my steering was at 45* & the VSC was flashing because the wheels were pointing in different directions.
It also cause the tire to slowly lose pressure.
The next morning, in Rhodes, we woke to find the wheel was flat.
We pumped it & headed out, but it continued losing pressure slowly over the rest of the trip.

Rabiddog had tyre trouble the on the 2nd day, his new Hankook 265/65/17 tyre got a sidewall cut.

Fortunately Paul#25 found a tyre place open in the metropolis of Maclear & Rabiddog & I got sorted - well I had my alignment poorly done, Fearless ran straight but the steering was still a little skew.

I completed the tour, checking & inflating that tyre occasionally, it lost about 0.2bar a day.
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#47

Post by Mad Manny »

The Tyre Naaier Tale:

Chapter Two:
So a week after the tour I decide to sort the tyre out.
I do a tyre Tread Depth test & the front right is now my most worn tire - obviously the 9 passes & under-inflation took it's toll.

So I pop down to Jody's Tyre (or whatever it's called this month) & tell them to swop spare & front right.
I pop next door to Roccomammas for a small overpriced burger with frozen onion to test my teeth sensativity.

Half an hour I return & the guy is struggling to remove the spare. So I point out the lock & walk off.
Ten minutes later he is still struggling & I go look. He can't get the lock off. I decide to try & get under Fearless.
Only the first 10mm of the key goes in the cylinder lock.
This started a 45 minute struggle - me & the guy struggled, sprayed Q20 up the lock, banged it with the wheel spanner & tried & tried to get the key all the way in. I had the keyhole well sealed with layers of insulation tape, but the mud & muck just gets in the top.
In fact I think the tape just stopped the muck falling all the way through.

We even put it on the Wheel Alignment lift so we could stand & using Q20 & the compressor we finally got the key in, but couldn't get the lock off.

Finally we gave up & I decided to take it to Tyrone at AutoVenture (AV).
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#48

Post by Mad Manny »

The Tyre Naaier Tale:

Chapter Three:

I pop off to check on my guys at a Fairlands site & then to AV just around the corner.
At AV we get it on the lift, use the Pneumatic socket to vibrate it until parts fall out, but we still cant turn the key.
Tyrone is adamant I've handed him the wrong key.

So I go home & check, I find the spare key, but it's the same. I decide to try it & Walaa! the lock comes off.
Clearly forcing the key into the clogged cylinder damaged it.

I swop the wheels in the fading light.

The next morning I get to the yard & my one driver is changing a flat tyre.
I load up his flat & later I pop past Jody's, get the Wheel alignment sorted & leave the two wheels with them to fix.

Next week I'm fitting a new locking system that uses a lock nut (like on a wheel) I've had troble with these key'ed cylinder locks before.

But I shudder to think what would have happened had I needed the spare on the 10 Passes Tour...
:roll: :shock: :?
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
KurtG
Location: London
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 13 times
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:52 pm

#49

Post by KurtG »

So was the passes tour any good?
Flex is overrated

User avatar
Martin de Jager
Location: Ekurhuleni
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 103 times
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:29 pm

#50

Post by Martin de Jager »

Kurt, see nobody replied so I believe it must have been a shit tour,
2011 Toyota Prado 3.0 VX,
2013 Suzuki Jimny, Brutus, (larger than life),
2023 Toyota Starlet xr auto,
2019 Invader Duo.

User avatar
Paul#25
Location: Ekurhuleni
Has thanked: 230 times
Been thanked: 202 times
Posts: 1368
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2018 4:01 pm

#51

Post by Paul#25 »

KurtG wrote:
Sun May 13, 2018 9:43 pm
So was the passes tour any good?
It was a whole lot better than just good.
With me being a complete novice to the 4x4 world it was a fantastic learning experience on how it should be done. Learning the capabilities of the vehicle and how to handle different situations and terrain happened throughout the tour with the guidance from the "old hands" of the group.
I'll do my best to get on any future tours like this to continue my off-road education amongst a great group of people. By the next time I'll have sorted out the suspension problems that slowed us down this time.
Thanks to everyone who was involved in making this tour so memorable.
The humble person makes room for progress; the arrogant person believes they’re already there.
2004 Disco 2 Td5

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#52

Post by Mad Manny »

OK, here is the long awaited & much anticipated Trip Report from the Great Mad Manny:

The way down: The Waffen Yoyo
I, wisely, left just after 12:00 on Thursday, I had Georg The German, from inside Germany out, following me.
Georg drives like a box - the one minute he is right up your bum & then he immediately & suddenly falls so far back then just as he is falling out of sight he storms up like a Nazi into Poland, he did this, for nearly 600km.
A German Ubersturms Waffen Yoyo.

At Ventersburg RynoB joined our little convoy, soon Ryno got to experience the Waffen Yoyo.
But Ryno, being in a DeutschePlatzenVWagen, could not see that it was Georg the German doing the Waffen Yoyo bit & blamed me!

We arrived at Ernies' Farm Donkerpoort, around 18;30.

A lekker catch up & kuier.

Ernie gave us skaap Stert starters & lamb for a main dish. With lamb at over R200/kg at Wollies I think I ate R188 worth of lamb!

"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
KurtG
Location: London
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 13 times
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:52 pm

#53

Post by KurtG »

Is that it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Flex is overrated

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#54

Post by Mad Manny »

Day One: Lundean's Late
The plan was for everyone (all 9 Vehicles & 15 of us) to meet at Nell's Restaurant in Zastron at 12:00 SHARP!!!.
We woke early and Ernie insisted we pop out to go see Gariep Dam in full flood.
So we popped down & had a lekker walk on the dam wall (well Ernie & I did, Ryno walked halfway & Georg the German stood their complaining about Gout).

We then went back to Donkerpoort. We need to leave chop chop, but then Ernie's bitch, Coco went AWOL.
Finally we got the dog, locked him up & left. Ernie was delivering a trailer load of sheep to a mate near Zastron.
We discussed the Marines Code "Leave no man behind" but then we realised we aren't Marines, so we drove off & left Ernie to follow.

Zastron, we arrived after filling up, at 12:01 Andreas & Ally were waiting, I asked why he hadn't gone in & he said "There's a sign saying "CLOSED FOR PRIVATE FUNCTION".
For a second I thought Ernie hadn't booked, but then it occured to me WE were the function :lol: .
Andreas had overnighted in Brandfort like Winnie used to.

Within 15 minutes everyone had arrived having driven direct from GP, everyone except Victor (SAXJ) who trundled in latein his little Jimny with side mounted Jerry Cans which looked like Saddle Bags on a short wide read pony...

A good lunch, costing R2400.00 which was kindly & generously paid for by the 4x4 Action Group - The Greatest 4x4 Club on Earth (it helps that I'm the treasurer). :D

We left before 14:00, as was required & then all drove to the dirt road, we stopped to deflate. And this is where it all started to go wrong: unbeknownst to me, we needed to keep a steady pace in order to get to Rhodes by nightfall, but being unaware of this we all took a nice pleasant drive. Stunning & interesting views, we drove next to a babbling river, driving through peaceful villages enjoying our Voetspore Light adventure.

Darkness started to fall before we'd crested Lundeans & my efforts to speed the snail convoy up only served to irritate me.

On the way down, trying to pull from the front I hit a rock & knocked my Wheel Alignment out (See the Tyre Sew'er tale posted earlier).

We finally got to Rhodes, checked in & started a braai...
Pass One Done.
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#55

Post by Mad Manny »

Day Two: Naudes,Elands, Pots & Basters...

07:00 day two everyone was lined up outside engines running.
We'd do Naude's Nek, Eland's Pass, the Pot Rivier Pass, go through Maclear & sort wheels & tyres, re-group in Ugie & then do the Dr LAPA Munnik Pass.
No one calls it the Dr Lapa Munnik pass (which it was named in 1978 by Lapa hisself, because in the 1870's Adam Tass (the Baster) took his people over there & the pass is roughly on the route the Baster walked.
I prefer Bastervoet.

Beautiful views, rolling hills, green countrysides, like a rough Switzerland.

Other than Wheel & Tyre issues we noticed another shortcoming - Martin in a 1979 Fortuner (Roll Over Edition) was in front.
Behind him was Paul in one of the last Disco II's & then it was me in the all Conquering Fearless.
Martin & I were pushing the pace, 60+ on those rutted winding roads - but Paul could not keep up.

We stopped & I decided to walk up to Paul & give him a choice - Drive or Die!

Paul protested saying he is struggling to keep the Disco on the road & he'll put it in a ditch if the has to try keep up with the pair of Thundering Fortuners.

I calmed down, realised that no one would die that day & we pressed on, I then noticed that Paul's suspension is shot.

Paul had broken one of the Ten Commandments of 4x4'ing
###
We returned to Rhodes in the late Afternoon, Andreas & Martin planned the next days routre pouring over a map spread out on the dining room table.
We burnt the town's entire stock of wood that Andreas had bought...

Day Two another four passes done. Five down - Five to go...
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#56

Post by Mad Manny »

Day Three: Sunday Bloody Sunday!

We left Rhodes, tempretures had dropped. We climbed up - it was very 'Picture s skew' (Kurt) - with the signs placed by Tiffendal keeping us amused.
"No cell phone signal from here to the top".
"Please use lowest Gear" etc.

We got to Tiffendale - it was a Ghost Town - with an icy & strong wind blowing. After a coffee sponsored by his highness, Mad Manny (watachap!) we headed off to mount Ben McDhui...
This was the first pass where you needed a decent 4x4, LR & TC or lockers.
The front guys struggled on the first part, it was cold, wet & very windy.
One or two considered turning back - but I wasn't going to allow that.

We eventually got to the summit, the problem with that last climb is, if anything goes wrong, you will roll for an hour & finally settle in a dam miles below.

Ben McDhui is the highest Pass in South Africa (Sani is higher, but...)

The wind was so strong on the top it was difficult to open the car door...

We then headed back down, through Tiffendal & did the Tiffendal/Tenahead Contour Road, the highest Contour Road in SA.
We got stuck behind a Ranger, but he eventually realised he was holding us up & pulled over.
Ernnie got nailed here - we went through about 6 farm gates & Ernie had to close them! :lol:

Some great sights along the way - like a Bearded Eagle circling overhead.

We did a pit stop at the Tennahead Hotel - must be awesome there in winter.

Then Carlisle Pass, the wind was so strong I jumped in the air & landed a foot behind...

Somewhere along the line we did Pitseng Pass - but I can't recall where.

We then hit tar & drove into Matatielle. The nicest digs of the trip.

We had a meeting to discuss dinner oprtions. The B&B said we were too late for dinner there.
In town there were three options; Steers, Debonnairs & KFC.
We agreed Take Outs were the way.
The meeting ended.
Andreas then told someone he was going to braai.
They agreed & Budda-Bing, Budda-Bang - we braai'ed - dunno why we had a meeting.
That was actually a very nice evening...
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#57

Post by Mad Manny »

Day Four: Passport Control & the Canola Crises...

Monday 30 April, we left Matatielle & headed to Lesotho. A long bad road with corrugations... many, many, many miles of corrugations, but, different but stunning Vistas to take in.
We eventually got to the SA/Lesotho Border Post.
The nicest, neatest, most well kep Police Station/Border Post I've ever seen.

Here we had a problem: My Passport had expired 3 years earlier. My new one arrived on the day we left JHB.

So, I gathered everyone's passports & handed them & the drivers licenses to the official & completed the vehicle list for her.
Shacking up the pace worked & she never checked the dates. I got stamped on Exit.

We then started the rather tough Ongeluk's Nek pass, it was tough & slow going. But still - the wonderful sights.


Then... a Godsend! :shock: Dianne came on the Radio & simply said "Martin, ons moet NOU Stop!"
I thought Ryno was having a toilet emergency, but he got out his VW Amarok V6 3,0 8 speed Automatic 4-Motion & stood around casually.
I walked up & asked what was wrong.
"My 8 speed Deutsche Gearbox has overheated".
Well, I fell around laughing.
Then I posted pic's on every WhatsApp Group I had.
Lucky for Ryno I have no FB access on my phone...
:lol:

Anyhoo, after I stopped laughing, the Gearbox had cooled & we continued.
It turns out Ryno hadn't locked it in gear so it was hunting 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, all the time...

We got to the top. Saw the ruins of what was once the Lesotho Border post.
Drove a bit further, consulted our maps, realised we'd done the pass & more, so we turned round & headed back.

I managed to get my Passport stamped again & we took that bad road back.

Then we drove towards the Underberg - beautiful country side.
Went through the Underberg CBD to Himeville.

Our digs in Himeville were another story - some stayed in the Himeville Arms which was OK, but the rest went to a house called Sani View which was NOT as advertised.

There is a long story attached to this ending with the booking agent in tearsas I told her off. But that's a fireside story.

We then had a big dinner at the Himeville Arms.
The food was very good.

Andreas appointed Himself 'Strafdop Meister" & I was severely victimised & unfairly treated.
I think I had 6 or 7 Tequila's & a few OBS's... about a quarter of all the drinks! :oops:
Luckily Andreas paid! :lol:


So that was Lundean's Nek, Naude's Nek, Elands Pass, Pot Rivier Pass, Bastervoet, Carlisle, Ben McDhui, Tennahead, Pitseng & Ongeluks Nek - TEN passes DONE!!!
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#58

Post by Mad Manny »

Day Five: May Day! May Day!

On May Day we all went our separate ways:
I headed back to JHB, using the Mooi River Toll Plaza as I reasoned the recent violence & burning of 26 trucks would mean people would avod it & traffic would be quieter - I was right.

Ryno also headed home as did Georg the German & Rabiddog.
Ernie had to go round Lesotho via Zastron to fetch his trailer.

But others did Sani - I'll let them report on that.

Conclusion:
It was a wonderful trip.
Stunning views and great, big sky, beautiful vista's.
All the drivers and vehicles performed well.
Paul is in trouble for taking a vehicle that was not fit for purpose on the trip.
But he did very, very well.

Martin organised the trip. He had input beforehand from Kurt & Andreas gave routing advise on the tour.
But it was Martin's thing & he did an outstanding job.
Especially when you consider that it sold out very fast & arrangement time was limited.
Well done Martin. You did a fantastic job.

The rest of group, Martin's wife Ester, Paul & Susan, Rabiddog & Sue Ann, Georg & Halen, RynoB (B for Boil) & Dianne, Ernie, that swine Andreas & his lovely wife Ally & Victor SAXJ were just great.
Everyone had their shit togetrher,, were well organised, friendly helpful, pleasant, entertaining & funny.

Criticisms? Just that the club needs to formulate a Radio Policy - but there's a Thread addressing that.

The future: Well in 2019 Andreas & TM will be arranging the Passes Trip. It will be the same but different & will include other passes!


"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Mad Manny
Location: Johannesburg
Has thanked: 439 times
Been thanked: 882 times
Posts: 6423
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:31 am

#59

Post by Mad Manny »

KurtG wrote:
Tue May 15, 2018 6:37 pm
Is that it?
Yes...
"No one ever got stuck - in mid air!"

2010 Fortuner D-4D 4x4 'Fearless'
2006 Conqueror Conquest 'Gearless'

User avatar
Martin de Jager
Location: Ekurhuleni
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 103 times
Posts: 1012
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:29 pm

#60

Post by Martin de Jager »

Martin's Fortuner ran like a clock, did not miss a beat, many a time I had to wait for the elders, half alive, and Fearless to catch up, eish Manny you take us to a near climax and then nothing,
you forgot to add you drank the most straf doppe for a reason, held up the tour the most, only one who could not drive, and did not follow Andre, laebestek big secret, and cruched his eggs time and time again, had to get wheel alignment reset, was always late, need I continue,
He and Ernie, was virtually on a one way conversation, from talking shit to every damn agricultural product on the market. the man is a wizz. historian but he lacks skill.
attached photo proof, that day we waited 15 minutes,
Attachments
DSC_0103.JPG
2011 Toyota Prado 3.0 VX,
2013 Suzuki Jimny, Brutus, (larger than life),
2023 Toyota Starlet xr auto,
2019 Invader Duo.

Post Reply