29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Planning a get together (GTG), trip or competition?
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Alex Roux
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Alex Roux »

Okay, ek sal maar die ys breek....

Awesome trip, maar ook met geweldige teleurstellings en frustrasies.

In kort, ons het almal baie geleer, insluitend die slim ouens.

Vroeg in die trip het ek 'n band velroor waarvoor my TPMS te laat begin waarsku het. Band het gebars op 110 km/h. Met 300kg+ op die dak, weet ek nie wat ek reg gedoen het nie, maar kar het na vele slaloms tot stilstand gekom, sonder om om te val, en aankomende verkeer is vermy. Graham het gese enige ander fabrikaat sou om geval het. Let wel, dit is 'n Patrol met 2" suspension lift, 2" body lift, en geen voorste stabiliser nie.

My ECU het later by Kwai (noord oos van Maun) nat geword en ek moes getou word deur Michael vir die beste deel van die trip (anti-kloks rondom die Okavango delta). As ons besef het ons gaan 160+ diep modder gate moet deur (die natste siesoen in Bots in 'n lang tyd), sou ek (en Michael) nooit daavoor ingestem het nie, en eerder maar 'n lift gekry het tot by die eerste sein suid in Maun se rigting), koordinate gegee het, en gewag het by Kwai vir TuffStuff om ons te kom haal. Die touery deur die modder het almal se senuwees gekou. Was nie kekker om sonder kragstuur, en sonder behoorlike remme getou te word vir 3 dae deur bos en modder nie.

In totaal het 3 voertuie clutch probleme gehad. Twee moes later gesleep word. Die modder in die Okavango maak 'n "grinding paste" wat jou clutch vreet as dit nie goed verseel is nie. Duur les daardie, maar ons het hom geleer.

Piet se enjin het olie druk verloor. Ons weet nog nie hoekom nie, maar moes later ook stop om die enjn te red.

Uit die 10 Patrols was dus 4 gesleep in Saronga in. Dit was nie mooi prentjie nie. Maar dit is wat dit is. Ons kan nie dit ontken nie.

Almal (maar almal) se rem skoene was klaar na die Okavango deel van die trip.
Saam met nuwe ecu en computer, het Graham ook 'n hele paar stelle remskoene laat invlieg Maun toe. Sy eie, Tommie s'n en later ook Philip se skoene vervang op die pad. Teen hierdie tyd het ons al opgesplit oppad huis toe.

Rolf se voertuig was getou tot by die grens deur Philip. en is op flatbed daarna.
Piet se kar was getou tot by die huis deur Errol
Dirk se gesin is terug gevlieg deur Tuffstuff en sy kar is nog oppad op flat bed (hulle wag nog vir ander karre wat ook verdrink het in Bots om saam te ry).
My kar (nadat Tuffstuff dit gesleep het vanaf Shakawe tot by Maun - nog 8 lang ure), kon Graham uiteindelik weer aan die gang kry. Maar eers nadat ons 600 km gery het (Ghanzi toe en terug) om sleutel chip te gaan haal wat nodig was om met ECU te kan gesels. My sleutel chip was ook deurmekaar na die natword van die ECU. So ons kon darem huis toe ry.

Wat 'n storie....
Skilpad, Shortie, Toro & Masewa
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JJoubert
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by JJoubert »

Shoe, jammer om te hoor van die voertuig probleme. Hoop nie die voertuie het groot skade nie.

Dit nie lekker as sulke goed gebeur nie, maar dit is trips soos die waar almal mekaar help wat lank onthou word!

Dit klink nogsteeds na 'n belewenis. Kan nie wag vir die foto's nie.

Groete
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Oetie »

Glad nie lekker om te lees van al die probleme nie, nog minder om dit fisies te ervaar....

Toe ek sien dat Tuffstuff Patrols moet gaan haal in Botswana, het ek afgelei dit was deel van die toer. Het vir Thinus ook gese dat ek dink wat se harde werk dit is om die stuur wiel in sand vas te hou sonder krag as jy gesleep word nie....

Sterkte met al die herstelwerk! Ek sien uit om die foto's te sien en nog meer te lees van elkeen se ervaringe!

:bravo:
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Rudolph
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Rudolph »

Liewe aarde hierdie gaan 'n groot storie wees om te volg. Sien uit daarna en al die foto's.

Sterkte aan almal met die herstelwerk en net bly almal is veilig tuis!!
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Wilkie »

Prentjies sal nog kom....maar daar is n beeld wat ek in my kop het en geen foto kan beskryf wat ek gesien het nie......

Wel dit is groen PATROL van kleur en agter die stuurwiel is so maar mannetjie wat met waffles gevoer word en links voor sit die mooie dame met n smile en bos hoed op (groen boshoed).maar die PATROL se enjin kap is onder die water en die uitlaat pyp blaas swart bolle rook onder die water uit ..maar die groen monster kom hoor..... ooooo daar is nog n swaar "gelaaide" Patrol op sy gat vas (Alex se skilpad) met n tou ,en toe ontplof daai groen monster se grill en alles voor onder die water uit en die Turbo skreeu net vir nog fuel en al wat ek sien is daai PATROL grill van Michael se kar .
Ek wens ek kon dit omskep in n video...maar Michael het respek vir jou en daai Groen monster.. :bravo: :bravo:
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Pieter B »

Dit klink of die woord "epic" hierdie trip kan opsom
graham1
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by graham1 »

Shoo, are we sure this was a patrol club trip and not the Land Rover club?
I’m joking I’m joking. Don’t shoot!!

By the sounds of things so far it seems this could be one of the most epic trips to have ever occured. Can’t wait for the pics and more stories
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Peter Connan
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Peter Connan »

Jip. All of us have driven through mud before. But none of us for miles and miles.
The moral of the story is that all of us (guide included) were un-prepared for the wet conditions, the mud and the rain, and we started falling behind shcedule right from the start.

Also, in mitigation I would like to point out that the cars which's clutches failed both have over 400k km on the clock, and nobody knows if those clutches had been replaced before. Mine was the third, but was successfully repaired by simply shoving 2l of coke and then later a hose pipe into the bell-housing and washing the mud out. My hand-brake went from being correctly adjusted to not even reaching the drum in the space of two days.

I would also like to point out that, by the time we got to Seronga, the guide's hilux's clutch was not sounding too fresh either, and although it made it home, I understand the clutch release bearing is being replaced. And in terms of mud, the guide has the best of it, as he drives through relatively clean water, with every following vehicle getting more mud...

I do however ask for patience with the photos, as editing must take second place to getting my car back on the road.
Mag ons ons kenniskry met lekkerkry aanhoukry.
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Kagiso II »

Janee - Silinda Spilway is NIE 'n grap in reenseisoen nie.
Respek vir julle wat hom aangepak an klaargemaak het
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Alex Roux
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Re: 29 March - 09 April 2018 Botswana Explorer's Route

Post by Alex Roux »

Some pictures of the pan that ended up being a shallow lake instead.
WetPan Silhoette5.JPG
WetPan Silhoette1.JPG
WetPan Silhoette Paul&Ruan 1.JPG
WetPan Silhoette Paul&Ruan 1.JPG (64.31 KiB) Viewed 7658 times
Camp WetPan 14.JPG
Camp WetPan 9.JPG
Skilpad, Shortie, Toro & Masewa
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