OUTLANDISH OVERLANDER

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Everyone was surprised when we arrived in Cape Town with the new idea of upgrading to more of a overlander type of camper. We caught up with friends and family, and even helped my brother-outlaw to drive a vehicle all the way back up to Jo-burg, combining it with a day visit to the SBK.

We’ve kinda got out of the whole biking scene but it was good fun watching top class international racing at Kyalami.
And then it was back to searching for a truck, a caravan and the meaning of life. Eventually we bought a cool old Merc 1113 diesel 6 ton truck from a guy in Wellington. It came with a solid steel frame structure on the back which was ideal for building a deck right on top. I think it was the frame and the fact that the hydraulic brakes go tshshshsshshsh which sold Theo. High clearance and power steering were big plus points. Unfortunately we are still not 4x4 but we’re happier by far. We took off 2 x back tyres for easier negotiating in the sand and hopefully now we’ll be able to travel gravel roads more comfortably and maybe even a spot of sand if need be. Will let you know how that goes - we have a spade.

We bought a 2nd hand caravan and with help and a forklift it’s now on top of the flatbed and securely welded in place. Or so the guy at the truck place has promised us. If you see a caravan flying off the back of a truck on the way to Namibia then he got it wrong. Theo is working on our new el fresco bush shower. The water container will be secured on the top deck and heated by the sun so sunny days will be good for showering but grey skies could lead to brain freeze. The new toilet is higher than the old so you don’t have to squat with your knees around your ears.

There’s enough space outside on the truck for storage boxes since the caravan living space is a bit smaller than the old bus. The cab is higher so we’ll have a better view than before but the engine is no longer between us so we don’t have to scream at each other but the rags which are wedged in nooks and crannies lead me to believe it might be colder than the bus.

The height of the structure was too high so Theo spent some time with the angle grinder to shorten the whole thing by half a meter. The top deck is bolted down and he has finished loads of other fiddly bits like bolting down boxes, connecting extra lights etc. We’ve had a swivel arm thingie bolted onto the back and will lift the bike with a block and tackle. (not yet tested - will let you know how that goes. In the meantime the bike is at the shop for new headers since the old one rusted away. The bike has seriously deteriorated over the last year from spending too much time parked on the back rusting away. Will need to do something about that.

We spent some time in Struisbaai with Theo’s parents while he got his code 10 drivers license for the truck. We drove up to Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape to register the truck since it’s about R4 000 cheaper in the Eastern Cape than here.

In between all this, the soccer started. What a vibe! It was fantastic watching everyone come together as a nation. The “gees” was alive as everyone waved their flags! Funny how suddenly people struck up conversations with whoever stood behind then in queues and people waved at each other as they blew their vuvuzelas at the robots. It felt good. Imagine if it could last forever. Yeah ok and then there’d be world peace and no starving people - too good to be true. But still………. just imagine.

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