Silly season again... I'm off on an awsome adventure.... Future camping plans

Tyres...

I mentioned that this is a "shakedown trip", and, if I enjoy it, then I'm going to get into this full time.

However, Long-term, I'm not so shure that my Landy is the right vehicle for travelling long distances on remote back roads, one reason is, although it is in reasonable nick with only 212 000, on the clock... Not smoking, Everything works...... Dual transmittion cooler's.... Self-levelling suspension changed for coil springs... Centre silencer removed.....  It's reliable and so on, but it is 20 years old, and has an auto box, which I really don't like.

I have a railway sleeper lying against the curb in my driveway that still has a cut-off rail bolt protruding from it and one thing and another I hit it on the sidewall of my tyre and I burst the tyre. - shot - moertoe....

So I swopped out with the spare so that I would have 4 BF's on the floor, but the spare became the problem, so I put on one of my 4 spare road-profiles, just so that I would have a spare. 

In the meantime I had 4 BF G's and a road profile as a spare, clearly not acceptable for this trip and I had to make decisions..

Here was my tyre status, planning for this trip: -

I examined my tyres (the BF G's) and the DOT code was 08/09 That means they where made in September 2008 (IE 11 years old).  (good practice is change tyres after 5 years)

They had less than 50 % tread left. They have been hard used, some of the edge lugs had small bits missing.

They where also showing signs of tread seperation from the sidewall, (micro-cracking) so clearly not in a good state to go on this type of adventure.

However I was definately not keen to spend R3500 x 5 = R17500 + alignment + balancing to replace the 5 tyres with BFG's when there is a good probibility that I might decide to get a different vehicle!

In shopping round I got to these Chinese "Langevators" for R7250 for the 5 tyres including balancing & alignment, which considering, is quite a sweet deal....  Because I may get another vehicle (I don't know that yet) Tyre life is not my prime concern.

The tread patten is also all-terrein I estimate 60/40.... 60%  road profile 40 % rough road rofile (much the same as the BFG's)..

Of course the risk is these tyres are unknown, but from what little I'm able to pick up, they seem to be OK... (remember I posted that (so I'm told) Jurgens are fitting them as OE .... And nobody seems to be complaining?

I also spoke to the people who are fitting them onto their fleet of gas-bottle vehicles, and they seem happy... that's about all I could find out...

So there it is... I'll just have to give it a shot..... EXCITING!

If long term, I decide to stick with the Landy, I've actually lost nothing, I've got 5 new tyres If I don't I would have got much less for it fitted with my spare road-profile tyres...

It all depends on how they perform, and my future decision regards my vehicle...

OK so to the "other post".... I've got a night-shift work injury to go and deal with, I'll get back to that later....

Cheers chaps....

Just to daa to my confusion...

https://youtu.be/sFGBA_1…

Ek beoog om binne die eerste week te ry, daar’s nog ditsies en daaitjies wat moet by.

Op die stadium is water my grootse problem, allhoewel ek n 65L water-tenk boe op die dak-rak het, ek wil nie soveel gewig so hoog he as ek die passe  aanpak..

Ek het 2 x 25L plastic water houers gekoop, en dink om hulle agter op die bed te sit, en in die aand (as ek nou padlanks kamp) so op die bestuurder’s se sitplek bere....

Dis Bloemhof – Oranja – Lady Grey

Ek beplan om by Orania om te gaan, dus dink ek so 3 dae om in die omgewing van die passé  te kom... Dis alles teerpad, miskien maak ek my RTT tenk vol en tap af as hier by Lady-Grey aankom.

Daarna het ek sewe dae om al die 10 passe aan te pak.... Alles hangende van die weer af, want ek ry alleen.

Die passé kan tussen 3 en 1 per dag gedoen word, dus, die keer, as moeder natuur omgekrap is kan ek wag vir dinge te settle

So paar jaar terug to ek die ding probeer, dit was Bastervoet pas wat nie reg vir allen ry, en ek het die expedisie laat vaar want ek was by Umtentwenie plek gehad, maar as U nie binne 24H joou plek intrek word dit gekanseleer.... nou ja, die keer het ek nie sulke tyds beraaming nie.

Dan Skat ek so 3 dae om “the missing Third” tussen Underberg en Escourt onder die belt te kry ....

Alles so 13 dae

BE JEALOUS.....

Hi Len, you are 100 % correct, and I'm not actually relying on what Jurgens is doing..... In more the consequence of what Jurgens are doing, IE it's what you chaps are NOT doing that had influence on my decision..

Non of you fellas brought any factual complaints to the table when I posted the question, so  either you fellas are happy with junk, or the tyres are actually OK.... I like to believe the former.......

Just a point.... Jurgens are not MAKING the tyres now are they? Just like the couplings....They don't actually MAKE them either, The couplings are surpurb.....

I also scooted around on a couple of 4x4 forums as well, and although I had some anicdotal information, nothing factual.

I tried to make further enquiries at Thomson tyres / Super-quick / and Lombard Tyres who where the guys who helped me when I was inventing my "inflate-a-flat" device... (with whick I can re-seat the bead of a stripped off tyre without having to resort to petrol / aerosol ETC) but all I got was "buy our brand".... So they had an axe to grind...

Anicdotal info is useless...... I won't do that, I've always used: My uncle who lives in put-sonder-n-put will only use..... pointless....

Apart from a discussion with the gas bottle supply company (to which I alluded) which was believably favorable, In the time I had to make my decision, I could not find any FACTUAL NEGETAVE comments

So THAT's more what I based my decision on..... Price and lack of negative factual input.

(Still got to get back to that "Jurgens" debate)..... Right now I've got another boereworse to fry, see next post.

Thanks to our wonderfully competent regering (and all it's dysfunctional octopus like tenticals in local government) I woke up to "no water".......Again)....

But we are used to that, so we keep a couple of 25L containers of water with taps,  outside under the entertainment af-dak....

But it's drizzeling (been doing that for 3 days now... wonderful)... so, at 04:15 this morning I had no inclination to go outside and get water... Think that's quite understandable...

So I was reminded of my army days, (remember them? 1 waterbottle per day? 7 days out on patrol? and washed up with what I had in my kettle, which was luckily, just above the element..... Let's be generous and say 750ml

SO...... I think that I'm over-thinking my water problem for the 10 passes challange ...

I'm thinking I actually don't NEED so much on board water, most of which I use to shower with...

During the actual p10 passes gedeelte of my trip, for the most part, I'm sure I can get away with "basin-bathing"  (including shaving) in +- 2L of water..... 2L per basin bath..... +- 10L per shower....... that a big saving = much less weight......

So, If I tank up for the 3 odd days prior, just keep 25L on board while actually navigating the 10 passes, then tank up afterwards...... I think I'm OK....

10 passes challange planning... The plans of mice and men....... (who penned that)?

This is getting Ridiculous.... On the verge of depatrure.....

3 steps back 1 step forwards.....First the Landy and it's

popped transmission pipe.got that fixed....

Now it's 2 steps sideways............ Me.....Developed Encrusting toothache on Monday night.... Tuesday I had 2h of surgery to remove 2 wisdom teeth on the same side.... PHOCKIT....

Now I've got stitches, eating what I can drink, and got medication that makes me feel like shit....

Stitches can only come out on Tuesday.... Buggering up my travel plans.....

I'm ready to chuck the whole thing in the dustbin...

NE! With stitches all over in my mouth I have to drink what I eat... scrambled eggs and Proneutro.... And sluk-sluk on cold coffee PHOCKIT....

Vasbyt.... And tomorrow's the end of year braai.....