4x4 July 2018

4x4

NEWS • PRODUCTS • TRAIL GUIDES • WORKSHOP • CALENDAR • OFF-ROAD SCENE DRIVEN: Isuzu’s workready D-Max Huntsman

THE UK’S ONLY 4X4 AND PICK- UP MAGAZINE

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Trail Guides: • NE Wales • Peak District • Hampshire • Cotswolds Every month – unique route books on Britain’s rights of way

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July 2018

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2-3 Contents July AK NEEDS SUBS OFFER INTO AND PAGE.indd 2

28/05/2018 22:22

90 12 ISSUES OF 4X4 – FOR JUST £12!

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News 10 12 14 14

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Rolls-Royce Cullinan Another top brand enters the SUV market Kia Sportage Facelift time for a sales phenomenon Porsche Cayenne Performance hybrid joins third-gen model line Range Rover Velar New engine option added to range

Tested / First Drives 15 16 18 28

Range Rover Sport SVR Now with more power than ever Volkswagen Touareg First drive of the all-new Mk3 model Toyota Hilux Active Base-spec model makes a case for itself Isuzu D-Max Huntsman Off-road option pack is simply brilliant

Every Month 4 6 26 112

Alan Kidd The pick-up aftermarket needs to cater for everyone Gallery Utes old and news, doing their thing all around the world Products A bumper crop of the newest and best kit for your truck Next Month Coming up in 4x4 magazine

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Features 36 40 44 50 58

Early modded L200 Back in the days when pick-ups were rare Defender 130 Is the longest Landy simply too big?

80-Series Double-Cab Stunning six-wheeled Land Cruiser ute Ardent Ranger Latest Ranger built to work off-road every day Hidden Peru Exploring the wilds in a fleet of Hiluxes

Our 4x4s 66 70 74

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Skoda Kodiaq How we got overtaken by a man on a bicycle…

Land Rover 90 A summer’s evening on the lanes. So civilised…

SsangYong Korando Adios to the budget SUV that did so well

Off-Road Scene 78 80 80 84 85

World LR Day Land Rover says happy 70th birthday to itself Jeepey Jamboree New venue for the Yorkshire Jeep bash Portugal Fire regs prompt warnings for 4x4 visitors L200 Gathering There’s a mega weekend coming up in Wales Odyssey Challenge Rolls and breakages aplenty as things get intense

Off-Road Calendar 79 85 88

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UK Convoy Tours Tag-along runs on public rights of way Pay-and-Play Events Go in as hard as you want Overland Travel Long-range adventures in your 4x4

Green Lane Guides 94 98 102 106

South Gloucs A quaint but tricky day out in the Cotswolds NE Wales Monster lanes in the mountains NE Hampshire Bucolic rights of way topped off by a mighty ford Derbyshire Dales Glorious going on the edge of the Peaks

36 ‘Owning a vehicle like this is always a compromise between off-road ability and keeping it comfortable’ 4x4 2-3 Contents July AK NEEDS SUBS OFFER INTO AND PAGE.indd 3

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Alan Kidd Editor

I

seem to be going on about pick-up trucks pretty much non-stop at the moment. But that’s alright, because m ust reflecting what an increasing number of UK off-roaders are thinking about. And because I like going on about pick-up trucks.

Obviously, the vast majority of pickups are bought by people who re not going to modify them for off-roading. ost are likely to t some sort of load bay cover, though, and that’s why there s a thriving industry making importing and supplying such things. If the demand’s there, someone’s going to come along to satisfy it. hich is where we need the market for off-road accessories to start going.

Obviously, there currently is one, and it’s very good ut when you look at the way the aftermarket works in ritain there s a division between and over lots of options, and everyone can afford it) and the rest limited choice mainly imported and typically big-ticket). hen u ukis were all the rage a few years ago, they became pretty much the only brand ever to buck that trend. But in terms of sheer numbers, nothing else in the off-road market has come close to matching the popularity achieved by the Samurai,Vitara and later the Jimny – and even then they were still nowhere near and over There have of course been UK-based producers of off-road equipment for Jeeps, and ruisers and so on and the same is the case for pick-ups. But by and large, if you want to modify a double cab old or new you need to do it using very expensive imported kit. Just compare the cost of tting heavy duty bumpers on a ord anger or oyota Hilux to that of doing the same thing on a Defender; in enough cases, even in today’s loony-tune market, it’ll cost more than the bloke with the or spent to buy his entire vehicle.

Obviously, the pick-up market has been thriving for long enough now that even if you can t afford a new one a double cab is likely to be among your most affordable routes into off-roading. To modify it, however you ll either need to be able to

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The market for pick-up accessories is still too polarised do your own fabricating or have deeper pockets than is normal for people who go about in old trucks.

I’ve spoken to companies that used to specialise in bespoke fabrications for pickup owners hey d build you two bumpers and a set of rock sliders, and the going rate was about a grand ot surprisingly the forums were all over them you d certainly assume business was brisk ut ve spoken to a couple of these guys and they told me they gave it up because the amount of work and material costs that went into earning those thousand pounds meant it simply wasn t worth doing or the pick up market to reach its full potential as an off-roading phenomenon, we need the supply of accessories to nd a middle ground. In the main, if you see a modi ed double cab it will be either the result of someone spending megabucks or of someone creating a horrendous lash-up in their back yard.

I’m absolutely not saying there aren’t any really good DIY creations out there – some of them have featured in these pages down the years but overall the market is polarised f it can grow from the top down and the bottom up it can become far bigger than anyone has yet predicted – but a readily available source of good but modestly priced accessories is essential before this happens. he rst x modi ed a and over cost peanuts to build he next was a eep herokee and getting it to the point where it was as good as a standard off road probably cost ick up accessories will never be as cheap as those for Defenders – but the closer they come, the more double cabs we ll see showing the world what they can really do

el Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www totaloffroad co uk www x i com Online Shop: www toronline co uk Facebook: www facebook com totaloffroad www facebook com x ag Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor George Dove Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors ike rott ary oskill aul ooe an enn ip Evans artin ong Photographers Harry Hamm ic eel teve aylor ichard Hair awel rackowiak Group Advertising Manager Ian Argent Tel: Advertising Manager olin shworth Tel: Advertising Sales Manager eter opley Tel: Advertising Production Sarah Kidd Tel: Subscriptions Manager atherine artin Subscriptions Assistants Emma Emery ay unnicliffe bi

utton

Publisher and Head of Marketing Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4 incorporating Total Off-Road or renew your subscription call urrent prices for issues issues Europe irmail urface irmail Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advert in 4x4, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts Where a photo credit includes the note ‘CC BY 2.0’ or similar, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence: details at www.creativecommons.org 4x4 is published by ssignment edia td epton House retby usiness ark shby oad retby erbyshire E

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4x4 22/05/2018 14:53

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GALLERY In pictures: 4x4s and off-road action from around the world. This month, as it’s a pick-up special issue, utes of all kinds doing what they do best

Above: A quintessentially Australian sight, this – a big, wide, dry landscape, with a gorgeous looking long-wheelbase 40-Series flatbed in the middle of it. Kind of makes you want to jack it all in and go off to work on a sheep station…

Toyota Landcruiser J40, by dave.see @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Left: A beaten-up old ute and a dried-up lake bed in California… what’s not to love about this? Not sure if it’s a true beater or a carefully created rat-looker, but either way we’re jealous. Though the combination of Chevy badging and right-hand drive says it’s a truck with a tale to tell about how it got to be there The Ute, by Mitch Barrie @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Below left: We’re not saying that this is what the taxi service looks like at Santa Pekoa International Airport on Vanuatu. But it does seem to be quite a popular way of getting about – when you struggle to count the number of people sat in the back of a Hilux, you know it’s well loaded…

Pick Up Ute, by Michael Coghlan @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Below: And again. Half a dozen up, here. But, hi-vis, though. Cos, you, know, safety first

Hi Viz Workers Heading Home, by Michael Coghlan @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Above: Safe to say the Holden Crewman is less familiar to us than the Toyota Hilux. But if you’re an Australian ute-spotter, apparently this is a hilarious case of a truck with a split personality. We’re just wondering whether that back door is designed for keeping people out or in…

Holden Crewman ute tray/caged canopy on Toyota Hilux 4X4 cre cab, by High ay Patrol mages @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Top right: If you want to explore the wastes of the Al Badayer Desert in the UAE, it definitely helps if you like sand. Having the keys to a tidy looking Ford Ranger helps, too, though if it was us we’d probably feel a little more confident with some sort of visible recovery point somewhere…

Atop the

unes, by abih l- houry @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Above right: Holden is synonymous with the Australian motor industry, but this example of one of the company’s early pick-ups is a bit out of the ordinary. Pretty sure that paint scheme wasn’t a factory option, for example… though if it was, it would be totally worth it Holden Ute, Silverton, by Chris ithall @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Right: This picture of a Mazda B-Series was taken in August 2009 in the Dominican Republic, so the dust should be reaching you any time now Mazda B2000 Turbo, by Carlos Jose @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Below: Bit of an odd one for the world of 4x4s, but interesting nonetheless in that it shows the early days of utes in Australia – this was taken in March 1938, more than a decade before the first Land over was unveiled to the world Cars parked outside Longreach ail ay Station, Capricorn High ay, Longreach, by ueensland State Archives @ flickr. com

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GALLERY

Above: Now, that’s what you call a proper truck.

Photographed in Hawaii, where things have been getting a bit hairy just recently – and while even the F-450 might not be any match for a volcano, a rugged great beast of a thing like this is just what you want when the going gets gnarly

200 ord -4 0 4 4 Super Cab latbed, by CC-BY-Car mages @ flickr. com, CC BY-SA 2.0

Right: Spotted in New Zealand, this appears to be part of the way between a ute, a van and a station wagon. Though mainly, it looks like what would happen if you brought Mad Max to life in the real world Holden Belmont 4W CC BY 2.0

Panel Van H , by iley @ flickr.com,

Below left: Another use for a flatbed Land Cruiser, as if they weren’t already capable of doing everything you can think of. We won’t comment on the issues raised here – save to say that in 4x4s-and-fracking news, one of the biggest fracking licence holders in the K is N S – part of the same group of companies that’s developing its own successor to the Land over efender Western Australia Ute Muster, by Lock the ate Alliance @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Below right: And there we are, yet another use for a pick-up that you probably hadn’t thought of before. And finally a visit to dear old Blighty, too. While elsewhere we have them doing everything from conquering the Outback to campaigning for the environment, welcome to Birmingham – where they’re engaged in the far more serious business of promoting beer Bud Light - St Martin s S uare, Bullring Birmingham, by lliott Bro n @ flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

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4x4 NEWS

OFF-ROAD MARKET E THE ROLLS-ROYCE ER Super-luxury Cullinan unveiled • 563bhp, 627lbf.ft 6.75-litre V12 •

A

fter three years of rumours and camouflaged prototypes, RollsRoyce has at last revealed its entrant into the SUV sector.

Built on the same ‘Architecture of Luxury’ platform as the latest Phantom, the Cullinan comes with plenty of plush furnishings and pampering technology to go with the all-wheel drive that enforces the Effortless Everywhere slogan Rolls coined for it. s has been clear since the rst prototype broke cover, the front end is unmistakably Roller. The grille lights and bonnet ornament are textbook. The rear is tricky to digest as there s no design language

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for a Rolls-Royce of this shape, but the Cullinan incorporates the hips and tail lights of its siblings into a tidy rear end with a two part tailgate reverantially titled ‘The Clasp’. es the tailgate has a name. Press the button on the key fob, or get your butler to do so, and it opens to reveal a 560-litre boot which is separated from the rear seats by a pane of glass When it detects someone reaching for its door handles the

Cullinan drops by 40mm to ensure they can embark smoothly. It then

read usts itself back to usual height upon ignition

4x4 29/05/2018 15:44

4x4 NEWS

T ENTERS ERA

Estimated price from £200,000

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“4X4MA Needless to say, the interior has wooden inserts, leather upholstery, champagne flute holders and everything else you’d expect in a Rolls-Royce. Rear Pavilion seating (like stadium seating but with polo), in both four and ve seat variants places passengers in the back higher up to enjoy the views and make the most of the massive panoramic sunroof, and almost every surface of the interior is heated – seats, armrests, door sills and even the lower C-pillar.

In four-seat variants with individual seating, the two rear seats are separated by a central console that houses champagne flutes olls oyce whisky glasses and a refrigerator. The latter can be replaced in the lounge set-up by a third seat. Good Lord, a Rolls without a fridge.

Even more out of character for the marque is the fact that the seats can fold flat in a number of con gurations he boot floor can then be raised to the same level, resulting in a 2245mm load length and storage of up to 1886 litres.

The driver gets a 7x3” heads-up display, and the infotainment is the rst touch screen system to be installed by the marque. That isn’t the only new addition.

Unsurprisingly, the Cullinan is the rst olls to feature an off road mode and hill descent control, while the air suspension can be raised and lowered. Presumably, the development of these features was when the vehicle was, in Rolls’ own words, ‘tested to destruction’.

Powering the 2.6-tonne luxury SUV is a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol unit, redeveloped to produce 563bhp and, most importantly, 627lbf.ft of torque at just 1600rpm.

Ideal for off-roading, and also for gliding along at a top speed of 155mph. Under the circumstances, 18.8mpg on the combined cycle

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sounds like quite an achievement, though 341g/km of CO2 is only ever going to get the taxman salivating like a hungry alligator.

Suspension-wise, the Cullinan has a double-wishbone arrangement at the front and a ve link set up at the rear. Electronic sensors adjust the springs and shock absorbers to aid wheels short of traction by pushing them down into the ground, and at full height the Cullinan has a wading depth of 540mm. As well as four-wheel drive, the vehicle also boasts four-wheel steer.

To avoid sir or madam getting covered in mud after an off-road appointment, the front and rear doors wrap under the body to eliminate the threat of soiling occupants as they alight. Driver aids of another kind include adaptive cruise control, panoramic view cameras, collision assistance and alertness monitoring. Wi-Fi is also standard on the Cullinan, as is Helicopter View. This may or may not mean a view of your own private helicopter.

Possibly the least surprising news is that the Rolls-Royce SUV is big. From nose to tail it measures 5.34m, and it stands 1.83m tall and 2.16m wide, with a wheelbase marginally shy of 3.3m (coming on for 129”). This results in a 13-metre turning circle, so maybe don’t use it for RTVs. It won’t be cheap either, duh, with prices expected to rival the Bentley Bentayga at more than £200,000 before you start sending that upwards by adding options.

The Cullinan enters the luxury sector at a digni ed stroll Whether it gets Rolls-Royce customers on to the green lanes of Mayfair remains to be seen – but no doubt it won’t be long before one has been abandoned in a Middle Eastern desert after its trillionaire owner has got it stuck and gone off to buy another.

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4x4 NEWS

FACELIFT IMMINENT FOR KIA SPORTAGE

New diesel options include mild-hybrid system • Revised interior, new tech and safety equipment • On sale this summer, prices TBA

K

ia’s massiveselling Sportage SUV is set for a mid-life facelift later this year, with refreshed styling and a range of new technologies.

These bring the vehicle into line with future emissions standards around the world, as well as offering a new twist, inside and out, to a design that is now three years old.

Leading the way for the revised model is a new EcoDynamics+ mild hybrid system in which a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is supplemented by motors powered by a 48-volt battery. This features a starter-generator unit which kicks in under acceleration to help lower the effort needed by the engine itself, as well as aiding ef ciency under light loads by extending engine-off time. Kia says the system can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4%.

Elsewhere in the Sportage range, a new 1.6 CRDi engine will replace the current 1.7-litre unit. Kia says this is the cleanest diesel it has ever made; it will be available in 115 and 136bhp form, with the latter offering the option of four-wheel drive and automatic transmission.

Styling-wise, the Sportage gains the usual revised bumpers and light clusters at both ends as well as new designs of 16”, 17” and 19” alloy wheel here are ve new paint colours to choose from, too, as well as optional chrome trims and metallic skid plates, while GT-Line models get their own grille, LED fog

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lamps, dual-tailpipe rear valance and various other styling details.

Inside, you get a new steering wheel and revised instrument cluster. There’s a new design of black-and-grey two-tone upholstery, too, which is made from leather and offered with the option of red highlights on GT models, and you get a choice of 7.0” or frameless 8.0” infotainment modules. An Around View Monitor is adopted to aid parking, and other safety kit includes Driver Attention Warning and Smart Cruise Control with Stop&Go. With the Sportage accounting for more than a third of all Kia sales in the UK last year, and a quarter of the company’s total European volume, it

could be argued that these updates are a case of xing what ain t broke But they’re more an insight into what Kia has in store over the next few years with the orean out t planning to launch ve new hybrids ve plug in hybrids ve battery electric vehicles and a new fuel-cell model by 2025, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The iceberg in question will arrive on British shores during the third quarter of 2018. Which means that while UK pricing and speci cations are yet to be announced, you’re not going to have to wait very long. In the meantime, if you fancy a raging deal on the current Sportage, now would be a very good time to act.

4x4 29/05/2018 15:45

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4x4 NEWS

456BHP HYBRID FOR CAYENNE RANGE

P

orsche is continuing its charge towards electri cation with the latest Cayenne E-Hybrid.

The third generation of Stuttgart’s full-size performance SUV comes with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired with an electric motor – producing a combined output of 456bhp and 516lbf.ft. That’s a 7bhp increase in petrol power and an extra 43% from the new battery over the

vehicle’s predecessor. This gives a top speed of 157mph and a 5.0-second sprint to 62mph.

A boost system from the 918 pyder oins the influx of power and facilitates the electric motors’ functionality in all the Cayenne’s driving modes Economy gures have improved, too, with fuel consumption dropping to 69.2mpg and emissions to 72g/km.

The battery pack, whose capacity has been increased from 10.8kWh

to k h is fluid cooled and located beneath the floor a prerequisite for a low centre of gravity. It can be charged to full capacity from a 230-volt connection in 7 hours and 48 minutes, though with the optional 7.2kW on-board charger it will be possible to fully replenish the battery in 2 hours 20 minutes. Charging can be managed via the Porsche Connect app, as can the air conditioning and heating when the power is off.

A traction control system comes as standard, as does active suspension management. Chassis control is optional, as is a trailer connection – which comes with a load rating of 3.5-tonnes. he E Hybrid is the rst orsche to feature a heads-up display and also comes with adaptive cruise, massaging seats and a heated windscreen. Pricing starts at £67,128 and the order books are open now.

New engine and safety tech for Range Rover Velar The Range Rover Velar now packs a broader arsenal than ever, thanks to the addition of a new engine and more safety tech. The new unit is the 3.0-litre V6 D275 diesel, whose 271bhp and 461lbf.ft fills the gap nicely between the existing D240 and D300 power units.

Other developments see steering assist join the adaptive cruise control, culminating in best-ever lane-keeping abilities as standard equipment. Further safety tech has been added across the board includes emergency braking, a rear camera, parking sensors and driver condition monitoring.

Some of the petrol-engined Velars have received slight changes too, with the P250 and P300 models now boasting an 82-litre fuel tank – a growth of 19-litres. Particulate filters will also feature in petrol Velars.

These updates to the Velar range will come into play on 2019 model-year vehicles. Prices will start at £44,735 with the new D275 costing from £49,740.

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4x4 29/05/2018 15:45

4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Range Rover Sport SVR

R

e nement is a big part of what makes a ange over what it is he port has always played up to that but the model has made a virtue of being if not unre ned then certainly unrestrained ts monstrous shove and trademark boorish exhaust note leave you in no doubt as to the sort of people to whom it s trying to appeal or the new year the gains yet more power with bhp backed up by lbf ft op speed is mph and it ll leap from in seconds et it s also more of a luxury than ever albeit a very showy one he vehicle we tested had rims special paint and loads of carbon bre on top of its in your face body kit and of course if you don t see it coming with that thundering exhaust you ll certainly hear it s it appreciably different to drive than last year s model o t remains a big loud handful whose willingness to erupt forward when provoked makes it endlessly entertaining but less than relaxing eedless to say it gathers pace more or less instantaneously but on the way into corners it feels like you re having to harness a large tall heavy weight t doesn t think much of big pot holes either e ll acknowledge here that we only had a short drive of the which barely gave us time to get used to it which we re con dent we would on a longer session However immediately afterwards we drove the same route in a entley entayga which by comparison felt like a hot hatch erhaps that s the difference another makes though at prices like these that sort of money is probably irrelevant Either way various racing drivers have demonstrated that the is incredibly capable through corners ut to everyday punters like us it s a beguiling speed machine and look at me device rather than an easily accessible driving tool

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4x4 NEWS FIRST DRIVE Volkswagen Touareg

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e were big fans of the Touareg when the rst gen model came out a decade and a half ago nd we were right to be because since then olkswagen has shifted about a million of the things uring that time the original model complete with its worship worthy litre diesel engine has been replaced by the second gen vehicle which was a bit less of an off roader and therefore to be honest a bit more relevant to a lot of people nd now we have the third which is a little longer wider and lower a good bit lighter and a whole lot higher tech than ever t ll still tow kg and olkswagen insists that it s still an off roader there s a position on the drive mode dial to prove it and you can raise the air suspension way up to give you the ground clearance you need but the standard low range transfer case and available front and rear locking diffs of the original are a long way off s if to prove the point took us to the ustrian lps for the driving launch of the vehicle an area

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rich in beautiful looking unsurfaced tracks then sent us off on a driving route which included some fantastic mountain passes but stuck resolutely to tarmac ell we weren t going to let that stop us ome of those trails had verboten signs warning us off but enough of them were open for us to be able to tell you something about the new ouareg s abilities off road ur rst observation would be that tyres don t think ever so much of it nd neither

did the standard auto box which needed uite a lot of winding up before it would get the vehicle moving on steep hills ut with traction control shouldering the burden you can wrestle the ouareg over relatively angry terrain so long as you don t mind leaving the boot in when your instincts are calling for nesse hose big wide tyres aren t what you d want in mud but we found they were surprisingly effective at digging down into soft gravelly terrain e struggled on the way

across axle twisters however with the traction control coming in early and leaving us with all four wheels banging on and off he air suspension might be able to deliver ground clearance by the bucketload but it s not so good when it comes to articulation and without this the ouareg will always be relying on traction aids the moment the ground becomes uneven when it was defeated it was by wheels losing ground pressure Hill descent control is obviously going to have a big part to play in

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4x4 NEWS making the vehicle usable off-road – and it’s very effective, with barely an instant of hesitation before it comes in when the sensors ask for it. A couple of days previously, we’d had some alarming moments on board our long-term Skoda Kodiaq when moving away on steep hills, but nothing of the sort happened in the Touareg. For gravel track work (as in, almost every bit of off-roading people do in the real world it s very con dent even when those gravel tracks are steep the way the Alps can be.

Changes to the Touareg’s bodywork mean approach and departure angles aren’t quite as good as they used to be, however.

Not that you’d ever really have used one for extreme off-roading, but it goes to highlight the fact that more than ever, the road is now its natural habitat.

And it’s a habitat in which the new Touareg thrives. It’s very smooth around town, with next to no noise from its engine, and it cruises like a dream on the motorway. It’s aided here by an adaptive cruise control system which, as well as running radar on vehicles ahead of you, reads road signs and even uses sat-nav data to slow down when necessary on the way into corners. The results are mainly very good; it got on the brakes once for a lorry that was slowing down in a slip-road next to

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us, which wasn’t brilliant, but overall it does what it’s meant to.

Smoothness on the motorway, and manoeuvrability elsewhere, are aided by the latest generation of four-wheel steering technology. This turns the back wheels by up to ve degrees, counter to the fronts at up to about 27mph and with them thereafter, the effect being to aid agility in sharp turns and stability in high speed lane changes ou nd yourself trying to detect it in action and of course you can’t – but it it feels like a limo on the motorway and a hatchback on a B-road, that’s what’s happening.

In each case, the power comes from a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine tuned for 286bhp. There’s also going to be a 231bhp version of the same engine, though this wasn’t available on the launch, and later this year the range will be boosted by a 340bhp V6 petrol unit.

A 421bhp 4.0-litre diesel will come next spring, and there’ll also be a 367bhp plug-in hybrid along at a later date.

So there’s going to be plenty to get excited about if you like power.

And if you like processor power, there already is. Inside the cabin, the big news is Volkswagen’s Innovision Cockpit, which combines two screens to create a more or less full-width virtual facia. This controls just about everything in the vehicle – you still have buttons for the

headlamps and fog lamps, electric seat controls, drive mode selector and air suspension height adjust, but that’s about it. Don’t expect to learn it all quickly – there are loads and loads of functions, some of them ridiculously complicated, but give it the patience it deserves and it’ll give you a great deal of control over your vehicle. e didn t nd the screen hard to reach or operate, while is more than can be said for some tabletstyle systems. Apparently, this was on purpose – VW’s people told us that the edges above and below the main screen were designed to be usable as rests for the ball of your hand while you’re operating it. Such a little thing, and such a big thing at the same time.

The Innovision Cockpit isn’t standard on all models, and it’s not likely to be cheap, but whatever it costs it’ll be worth every penny – especially if you want to be able to sell your Touareg on again after its time with you is up. We can’t pretend to have come close to getting to grips fully with what it can do, but its usability is clear and the graphics are sublime, especially the sat-nav display that’s based on aerial images from Google.

Something else we pretty much fell in love with, and again it’s not standard on all models, was the massage function in the front seats. High-end vehicles have been

offering this for around twenty years, but nothing we’ve ever experienced has come close to the Touareg’s. It has to be felt to be believed – and it wouldn’t mind betting that there’ll be buyers for whom it’s what seals the deal.

Even when your seat’s not playing your lumbar area like a zither, you’ll nd it classy comfy and extremely spacious. There’s plenty of room in all directions up front, even on models with a pan roof, and the back seats don’t short-change you for legroom – though adults are likely to feel quite enclosed in the back and for luggage carrying, the rear seats fold down to lock into place several degrees away from flat t s a good big boot with the seats up, though.

The Touareg is Volkswagen’s flagship vehicle and this third gen model shows how seriously the company takes its SUV range.

There’s no end of technology here, in a superb premium 4x4 that’s at once a family wagon, a towing hero and an executive express.

It’s a sure-footed off-tarmac motor, too, just so long as you choose your off-roading carefully and don’t ask too much of it. That’s likely to sound like us damning it with faint praise, but in truth it’s just realistic – and the fact is that among its peers, the Touareg remains one of the best-equipped vehicles for walking the SUV walk.

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4X4 FACTFILE

TOYOTA HILUX ACTIVE ON TEST Hilux Double-Cab Active

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retty much everything that’s written about double-cabs now concentrates on the high-spec versions that have come to dominate the market. Which is fair enough, because they dominate the market for a reason – almost all the sensational growth we’ve seen in the pick-up sector has come from lifestyle models.

But if the people currently buying high-spec trucks in their thousands eventually wander off to nd another fad or more likely are driven away by a future Whitehall tax grab), there’ll be a core of customers that still remains. These are, of course, the ones who buy pick-ups for their original purpose as working tools.

There are manufacturers out there which have just about abandoned the work truck market, or at the very least treat it as a distraction from the serious business of selling pick-ups with big alloys and lashings of leather. Toyota is not among them.

Of course, the Hilux is available with all that stuff – in fact, it was one of the rst trucks in the to offer blinged-up options. But it has always kept in touch with its roots – and the current model, despite being more like than ever

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oyota s own claim that can still be had in no-nonsense form.

That’s what we’re looking at here.

The Active model has 17” steel wheels, a black front bumper, fabric seats and a manual gearbox. It’s not all pared back to the bone, though – air-con is standard, as are steering wheel controls and an infotainment system operated through a large tablet-style display attached to the upper dash. There’s plenty of safety kit, too, along with a refrigerated glovebox and, everyone else please take note, a locking rear diff.

The engine is the same 2.4-litre, bhp diesel unit that you ll nd in the rest of the range. Not very sexy compared to some of the other units on the market, but good and strong – a bit of kit whose businesslike nature means it’s very well suited to the vehicle itself.

Inside, it’s all hard plastics as you’d expect. The dash is even quite scratchy to the touch, and it’s not what you’d call pretty, but it feels dense and incredibly stout and there s a no lls appeal to its appearance – it’s kind of like a good pair of boots in this respect, and if you have a need for such a thing you’ll know how comforting that is.

Build quality in the cabin is absolutely rock solid, with next to no trim groans and a floor console

that feels like part of the chassis.

The dash design is clear and simple; there aren’t many switches, but those there are have a good, clear layout. The highlight here is certainly the media screen, which stands out both for its size and for the rather unsatisfactory way it’s mounted on the dash, not in it, making it look like an aftermarket add-on.

The system controls phone and stereo functions, with hassle-free pairing for calling and music alike.

It’s only mono, though, and the interface isn’t the clearest.

Elsewhere inside, a doubleglovebox and enormous cubby combine with decent door pockets, a big console bin and more cup holders than you’d believe possible to make the Hilux one of the best vehicles around for oddment stowage. The seat fabric is tough and grippy, the seats themselves are comfortable and the driving position is excellent, with a commanding all-round view and plenty of room in every direction.

You can even see what you’re doing when you look back over your shoulder – though this is just as well, as reversing aids are only optional on this model.

In the back, knee room is adequate when sitting behind a tall driver. It’s not the very best in this

respect, but it’s certainly a long way from being the worst. Head and elbow room are rather limited, however, but it still manages not to feel claustrophobic.

In the very back, once again it’s made for work. The model we tested had a stout plastic bedliner and four lashing rings, but as ever there’s a pretty much limitless range of options for keeping your cargo secure. The tailgate isn’t on gas struts, however, which we heartily recommend you not to nd out the hard way.

On the move, the big differences between this Hilux and others we’ve tested are its manual gearbox and higher pro le tyres he latter have the effect you’d expect – it rides with plenty of cushioning, taking all the harshness out of the many bumps that come through when running unladen. In corners, it s de nitely not a hot hatch but it handles the way a truck should, with a la y wafty con dence you ll uickly nd yourself warming to The gearbox, too, is that of a truck, not a car. It feels quite mechanical, with a long throw that means you won’t be snicking it from gate to gate, but once you’re used to it which again won t take long there’s a positivity and precision that makes it a pleasure to operate.

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Cabin is built for work but not without its creature comforts – including a large media screen which, despite looking a bit aftermarket, works well

On the way through the gears, the engine pulls as strongly as you’d expect from something with 295lbf.ft at its back from down at 1600rpm. It labours if you try to let it settle in too high a ratio, though – we found that at a steady 40mph, anything above fourth gear was too much.

Up at a higher speed, the engine settles well to a quiet cruise at steady motorway speeds. In this way, it’s less anxious to drive than

the auto – it’s not sprightly when you put your foot down, but there’s none of the moaning you get from the self-shifter when it’s trying to wind itself up at this kind of pace.

The Hilux we tested would cost £23,057 without the VAT, or £27,540 on the road with everything taken care of (including £545 for the surprisingly good looking grey metallic paint). We’ve no reason to doubt the of cial gure of mpg but most of all

this is likely to be among the best vehicles on the entire market at holding on to its value.

That’s assuming you don’t beat it to smithereens, of course, the way traditional pick-up users so often do. That’s a clear difference between people who buy work trucks especially for fleets and those who choose a high-spec

truck as their company car. All the same, the Hilux has long since had a reputation for being able to take an almost absurd amount of abuse – and of all the pick-ups on the market, it would still be a brave man who’d bet against Toyota’s ability to build a truck that can do exactly what you want of it in the world of work.

VERDICT

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Toyota Hilux Double-Cab Active Every bit as robust and down-to-earth as an entry-level Hilux ought to be Whatever else happens to the rest of the pickup market, this is the kind of Hilux that’ll still be getting bought by local authorities and utility companies. Dispensing with the frills makes it a rock-solid proposition for work, but the kit list still includes a few pleasing essentials like air-con and a rear locker. It’s not the most jaw-dropping of performers, but in the real world it’s still the truck you’d most willingly trust with your life.

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DRIVEN

ISUZU D-MAX 1.9 HUNTSMAN

Optional package for Utah model is designed for sport shooters and countrymen –but also becomes a compelling version of the D-Max for off-road use DRIVEN D-Max 1.9 Huntsman manual

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t’s normal for pick-up buyers to accessorise their vehicles, and the aftermarket catering for those wanting to do so is enormous. Loadspace covers in particular are a common sight on trucks – but whether you’ve bought yours for work or play, surfboard

toting or off-road action, long-range expeditions or being seen around town, bringing it home from the dealer is normally followed pretty much straight away by an extensive spell of shopping around.

As always, the manufacturers offer their own ranges of approved

accessories to try and get as much of the aftermarket to themselves.

But Isuzu has gone a step further, by offering an accessory pack for the D-Max which aims to give its target audience all the additional kit they need to tailor the truck to their outdoors lifestyle.

hat audience is a very speci c one peci c but big he ax Huntsman is designed speci cally for the professional, dedicated huntsman and countryman,’ to whom it ‘provides everything you

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Aeroklas Commercial hard-top is a sound, no-nonsense unit fitted with roof bars and, with dog-carrying in mind, a ventilation system. nside it, a earmate drawer set-up provides excellent flexibility for carrying all manner of items and still leaves enough room on top to load bulky items need to enjoy the hunt.’ Apart from some animals to go after, obviously – but joking apart, this is one of the most comprehensive and purposeful sets of accessories we’ve ever seen offered as part of a dealer t package To start with the most obvious items, you get an Aeroklas commercial canopy with roof rails and vent (if you are indeed a huntsman, or indeed woman, you’ll be using it to carry dogs). Under this is a Gearmate aluminium drawer system, complete with lockable gun boxes, and below that is an under-rail bedliner.

The cab itself also has roof rails, in black, and this theme is continued around the vehicle – all the bits that would normally be chromed are instead nished in a dark aptor coating. This could be construed as a form of inverse bling – though Isuzu says it’s there for a purpose, that being to prevent animals from being alerted to your presence by light glinting off your grille, door mirrors and so on.

If you know the countryside and its ways, you’ll be far better placed than us to say whether there’s any truth in that amouflage though (or ‘how not to be seen,’ if you remember the good old days of Monty Python), which is why you can only get the Huntsman in grey, black or dark green. Anyway, what we do know about here is off-roading, and the package also includes the best set of underbody guards we’ve ever seen on a dealersupplied 4x4.

We’re used to ‘protection’ on factory vehicles being no more than plastic splash guards. But these are

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heavy-duty aluminium jobs, and they stretch all the way back from behind the front bumper to below the transmission, as well as beneath the rear diff. Perch the vehicle’s whole weight on one and, while it might not prevent you from getting stuck, it will keep the component above it healthy.

Further items on the list include a high-clearance tow bar with 13-pin electrics, a tailgate damper and a set of premium interior mats

for both rows of seats. All of which count as good, sensible bits of kit chosen to do a job rather than flashing it up From our point of view, the opposite has to be said about the wheels and tyres tted to the vehicle. We don’t have any qualms at all over the Pirelli Scorpion which is a perfectly all terrain but s on black alloys look to us like they’re preoccupied with style rather than substance.

To be fair, the combination does knock your eyes out – but the D-Max is also available on 16” rubber lower down the range and, if that size of rims can make it round a truck’s brakes, we wouldn’t go an inch bigger. he inchers tted on utility versions of the D-Max stand 29.5” tall, while the Huntsman’s Pirellis push that to 30”. That’s still on the original ride height as standard, however you can also opt for the

Above: . -litre turbo-diesel is the smallest in the pick-up sector but has plenty of strength. t’s not the quietest, however – though this model, is noticeably more refined than more basic versions of the vehicle pposite: Body details that would normally be chromed are instead finished in black with a scratch-resistant aptor coating. This contributes to the Huntsman’s distinctive appearance – and, says suzu, helps prevent reflections from startling the wildlife you’re out to bag

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Huntsman is based on the Utah model, meaning it has a good general level of equipment without being ultimately plush. The seat leather is nowhere near as impressive to look at as in the range-topping Blade model, and it’s very shiny and slippery – which, combined with a lack of lateral support in the seats themselves, means you tend to slide around in corners and on side slopes. As always with the D-Max, it’s very spacious in all directions Huntsman Plus pack – which adds an excellent Pedders suspension kit comprising springs, shocks, bushes and rear anti-roll bar, lifting the vehicle by about 1.5” (35-40mm, of cially hus e uipped you could certainly see 265/75R16s sliding nicely in beneath its arches, and in the real world of off-road driving in the UK a set of mud-terrains in this size is all you should ever need.

So that’s one thing we’d change about the Huntsman.

But by our reckoning, the package gives you more than seven grand’s worth of e uipment for £5995 plus the inevitable hat s at su u s own genuine accessory prices, of course, but it’s a useful saving on those – especially if you add the Pedders suspension, which lists at almost a grand and a half more

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but only bumps up the package cost by £1000 plus the dreaded.

CABIN AND PRACTICALITY he Huntsman is based on the tah model, which is second from top in the everyday ax range his

means you get a small but neatly integrated touch-screen multimedia system, sat-nav, heated leather seats and so on, though it’s noticeably less plush and glamorous inside than the range-topping Blade model. No bad thing in a work truck, you might say – it’s a bit plain to look at but functionally ticks every box, and it’s put together to a very high standard.

We’re not fans of the leather on the seats though t s very shiny and slippery – and the seats themselves are low on lateral support, both in their bases and their backs, meaning you nd yourself sliding sideways all too easily on the way through corners or on side-angles off-road.

We would, absolutely, be investing in a set of tted waterproof covers – no bad idea anyway in a high-spec

Above: Space in the cabin is excellent, with plenty of room in the driver’s seat – and, in the back, legroom that’s among the best in the business Left: Twin gloveboxes and a lidded dash-top tray are among the array of stowage spaces that make for good everyday practicality. The heavy-0duty waterproof floor mats included in the Huntsman pack are absolutely exceptional

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vehicle that’s intended for use in wet and dirty environments, but we doubt they’d ever come off except for washing. he floor mats on the other hand, are sensational. Their rubberised facing is tough and grippy, and their velcro-backed edges are shaped to protect every last scrap of carpeting in the vehicle tted properly they cover it up completely. At £261 if you buy them separately through an Isuzu dealer, we can’t recommend them highly enough.

Elsewhere, it’s generally familiar D-Max fare. This means a good driving position with a ne view ahead, and an excellent combination of head, leg and elbow room – especially in the back, where you can stretch out as well as in almost any other double-cab currently on the market.

In-cab practicality is strong, too, with an excellent double glovebox and a useful tray under the steering column, as well as a lidded bin on top of the dash. The cubby is a decent size, too, though the door pockets are on the small side; overall, however, oddment stowage is well above average.

In the back, meanwhile, the rear seat bases are rear-hinged. They fold as good as vertical, leaving a

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surprisingly big and usable space for carrying cargo. It’s not hidden like the boot of a station wagon, and nor it is as easy to access – but, in terms of the sheer volume it offers, the difference from simply chucking stuff on top of the rear bench is remarkable.

So too is the difference between the open back of an unimproved pick-up and highly evolved set-up you have here. If you want to pile it high with endless loads of sand or rubble, it won’t suit you at all, but for carrying equipment it’s spot-on.

Beneath the canopy, the Gearmate drawer system is superbly tted and works a treat There are two main drawers, one of them sectioned off; we won’t pretend to know what purpose this serves in the world of hunting, but if you’re going off-road it’s perfect for storing your ropes, shackles, snatch blocks and, in the second drawer, a full-length high-lift jack. To either side of these drawers are gun cabinets, which we didn t manage to nd an alternative use for, but the space left on top is still extremely practical – we managed to t a fridge free er in it for the obligatory tip run, which, considering the amount taken out of the loadspace height by the drawers, we found very impressive.

Overall, the Huntsman is a particularly good example of how effectively a pick-up can be tailored to a task he modi cations made to it are designed for a very speci c purpose and while it s a different one to ours, it lends itself near-perfectly to being used as an off-road adventure wagon.

DRIVING The Huntsman we drove was equipped with the standard sixspeed manual gearbox, which suits the D-Max’s 1.9-litre diesel engine well enough. There’s loads of torque available, and you don’t need to go stirring the ratios to nd it though that’s a better thing than it probably ought to be, because changing gear is rather imprecise and, while not obstructive, certainly not slick either ou nd yourself operating it with the sort of slow, cautious precision that becomes second nature soon after you’ve bought your rst and over Defender.

One criticism we’ve had of the D-Max since it went over to the 1.9-litre engine last year has been that it’s very noisy. As it happened, though, we drove the Huntsman immediately following on from a

base-spec model, and the difference was very clear – while it’s the same engine and drivetrain, the more premium version was noticeably more re ned You’d expect the biggest difference to be in its dynamics, however ifting a vehicle by without doing something to its ride and handling takes some doing – but it there was a difference there, it was too subtle for us to spot.

We’ve had plenty of experience of Pedders kit, having had the company’s suspension on an old and ruiser we used to run and we hold it in the highest regard – and once again, it performs admirably on the Huntsman. The vehicle’s weight is well controlled over sharp bumps and broken surfaces, and you can chuck it around in corners without feeling as if it’s going to get unruly.

Off-road, we have to be honest and say that on the terrain we drove the irellis did a pretty good job of rebutting out concerns about their low pro le hey had plenty of grip – so much so, in fact, that we found the transmission starting to wind up during manoeuvring on wet and grubby ground, which takes some doing.

There was no sign of them showing any inclination to go sideways,

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either – and on the sort of ground that twists the axles, despite the lack of locking diffs in the D-Max’s repertoire it never broke away.

With so much tractability available at such low engine speeds, it’s very sure-footed indeed.

As an off-road package, while it’s very very good it’s still not complete. It seems odd that with all that heavy-duty metalwork underneath, the Huntsman still has fragile bumpers – we’d be budgeting for a visit to the aftermarket here, and of course the one at the front

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would need to be wearing a winch.

The side steps, too, don’t look like the kind you can lay into with a high-lift jack.

The big question, if you’re after a D-Max with off-roading in its sights, is whether you’d go for this or the AT35. Without having driven both on the same ground, we wouldn’t want to make a de nitive udgement however for real-world British off-roading, particularly on green lanes where width is always and issue, it’s easy to make a case for the Huntsman.

VERDICT

The model tested is the Huntsman Plus, which adds a +1.5” Pedders suspension kit to the standard list of equipment included in the package. All Huntsman models get an excellent suite of heavy-duty aluminium underbody protection plates as standard, including guards for the front axle, sump, transmission and rear diff

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Isuzu D-Max 1.9 Huntsman Right on the money as a truck to address a very specific set of needs The Huntsman is expensive by the standards of options packs, but it’s a comprehensive and well conceived way of tailoring a standard-model double-cab into a ehicle with a specific purpose.

Our instinct is that for typical British off-roading needs, it’s the best truck we’ve yet seen – certainly, it’s our favourite out of all the versions we e dri en of the current D- ax.

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QUITE CLEARLY, IT JUST WORKS

£199

ISUZU D-MAX EIGER FROM ONLY † PER MONTH +20% VAT

INITIAL RENTAL £1,790.91 +VAT

BUSINESS CONTRACT HIRE 23 MONTHLY RENTALS OF £198.99 +VAT. EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGE OF 9.75p PER MILE AND RETURN CONDITIONS APPLY. PROVIDED BY ISUZU CONTRACT HIRE.

CALL 03303 335126 OR VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK TO BOOK A TEST DRIVE #Over 40 MPG figure applies to manual transmission models. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel figures for the Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Urban 30.4 - 38.7 (9.3 - 7.3). Extra Urban 40.9 - 50.4 (6.9 - 5.6).

Combined 36.2 - 45.6 (7.8 - 6.2). CO2 emissions 163 - 205g/km. For full details please contact your local Isuzu dealer or visit isuzu.co.uk †Important Information. Business users only. Rental amounts shown are for an Isuzu Eiger Double Cab Commercial Vehicle On The Road with manual transmission, excluding special paint finish.

Contract based on 8,000 miles per annum, non-maintained. Vehicle must be returned in a good condition to avoid further charges. Provided by Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Isuzu Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB. Excludes motability and fleet sales, not available in conjunction with any other offers (including the Work Pack offer) or with BASC or NFU member discounts. Available until 30th June 2018. Finance options available at participating dealers only, subject to status. *3.5 tonne towing applies to all 4x4 models. **125,000 miles/5 year (whichever comes first) warranty applies to all new Isuzu D-Max models. Terms and conditions apply. Visit isuzu.co.uk

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OFFICIAL PARTNER

29/03/2018 14:51

PRODUCTS

BUILT IN AFRICA TO TAKE ON THE WORLD: BUSHTECH’S ALUMINIUM CANOPIES BROUGHT TO BRITAIN BY APB BUSHTECH’S ALUMINIUM CANOPIES, which the company says are ‘built in Africa to take on the world,’ are available in the UK to fit a wide range of pickups. The company says its focus is to ‘deliver a superior product to the 4x4, outdoor leisure and commercial sectors, while offering the best customer service and knowledgeable advice.’

Brought to the UK by APB Ltd, the canopies are currently available for the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi L200 (late models), Nissan Navara, Toyota Hi-Lux, Volkswagen Amarok and Land Rover Defender 110 and 130.

‘Africa will either make you or break you,’ says Bushtech.

‘As avid overlanding enthusiasts, we understand the importance of having a product you can trust to work for years to come. After more than 25 years in the 4x4 and motor vehicle industry, we saw a gap in the market to create a one-of-a-kind, customisable aluminium canopy that is easy to use for everyday activities and fully kitted out for overland trips, without compromising space and functionality.’

The company claims a level of strength for its canopies that it says is unbeatable. As if to prove the point, it’s released a rather eye-opening video in which a Land Cruiser on a four-poster is lowered on to one of them – whose flip-up side and end doors all still open perfectly even with this much weight trying to distort the unit.

The roof part of the canopy’s design has been weight tested to 2.5 tonnes, thanks in part to a custom suspension base rubber which has been specifically designed to cope with heavy loads and chassis movement and to dampen vibrations. A strong UV-stabilised, powder-coated frame and doors are standard features on all canopies, and the doors have a reinforced bracing to prevent flexing. Despite weighing only 70kg, Bushtech says the canopy can also act as a roll bar, providing an element of safety if your vehicle goes over and shrugging off tree hits on tight off-road trails without sustaining the damage you’d expect a moulded unit to suffer.

Another kind of strength comes in the units’ ability to keep dust and water where they belong. The canopies are equipped with a pressure equalising vent to neutralise any negative pressure in the rear of the load box, helping to keep dust out, and the door hinges are seamless and continuous – preventing water and dust from entering when they are opened.

As well as being built to cope with Africa, Bushtech’s canopies are designed to do whatever you want of them, whether that means installing false floors or mounting up a roof tent. APB has a wide range of tables, side cupboard and other accessories available which clip easily into position, allowing you to instal and remove items quickly and without the need for any drilling. Perfect for use by electricians, plumbers and farmers as well as for outdoor activities such as camping, off-roading and overlanding. ‘In minutes,’ says Bushtech, ‘you can go from an empty canopy to a canopy full of all your gear.’

As well as the canopies, APB offers a wide range of Bushtech accessories including shelves and cupboards, roof rails, dust guards and jerry can holders.

Prices for these items vary, as they do for the canopies themselves – but they compare well with the other options on the market. Check them out at www.expedition-equipment.com.

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PRODUCTS

AUSSIE - BUILT L200 SUSPENSION ENHANCEMENTS FROM TJM

THE CURRENT MITSUBISHI L200 is now a very well established part of the pick-up scenery in the UK. And it’s been available in Australia for even longer – so it’s no surprise that that nation’s mighty 4x4 aftermarket has an equally well established range of accessories to make it better than ever.

The kit we’re looking at here is from TJM – a company which, having been doing this kind of stuff since back in 1973, is a pretty substantial deal itself.

Available in the UK through TJM’s importer, XS4x4, the Series 4000 suspension kit will in the company’s own words ‘immediately transform

your vehicle’s ride handling, load carrying and towing capabilities.’ It lifts the L200 by 30mm (just over an inch), which TJM says is as far as the angles on the CV joints can be taken without compromising durability.

The kit is available with standard and heavy-duty front springs, and four different rear options to suit different models and load

requirements. You also get a choice of shock absorber options, again to suit the sort of loads you expect to be carrying.

The kits also include lower polyurethane bump stops to maintain the original degree of front suspension rebound travel, and TJM recommends fitting a centre bearing lowering kit to prevent vibration under load.

The kits come with a threeyear, 100,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty, and TJM says they should take about four hours to fit. To find out more, visit xs4x4.parts.

AND THEY’VE MADE A SNORKEL TO SUIT THE NEW L200, TOO… TJM’S NEW RANGE of offroad kit for the latest-generation Mitsubishi L200 also includes a tailored version of the company’s Airtec snorkel. Made in the company’s home nation of Australia, this is moulded in high-strength polyethylene and mounted to the truck using stainless steel fixings.

It’s not just a case of getting your intake as high as possible, either. The Airtec design is, in TJM’s own words, ‘engineered to supply the correct volume of air or better to the engine.’ Its intake will separate out rain or moisture in the air before drawing it into

the engine, too, as well as minimising the amount of dust drawn into the filter.

In addition, TJM says its Airtec snorkels are colour-fast and, no small matter, easy to instal. The brand is exclusive to the company, and comes to the UK courtesy of XS4x4 – whose website you’ll find at xs4x4.parts.

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2mm steel; 4mm and 6mm Aluminium underbody protection

Road Legal LED Driving and Fog lights

6 piston front brake upgrades regain braking confidence, thicker pads, no fade, less manitanence

A wheeled jack you can use anywhere

no longer fight your jack over every stone or cable tie a jack you CAN USE outside the garage

Untitled-7 1

16/04/2018 12:35

PRODUCTS

TONNEAU COVER AND ROLL BAR COMBINATION FROM TRUCKMAN PICK-UPS CAN BE BOTH STYLISH AND PRACTICAL, but sometimes there is a bit of a conflict between the two. Having a load bed

is pretty handy but then it’s also a bit handy for anyone to stick their hands in and ‘borrow’ tools, body parts or whatever else you have in there.

Auto Styling Truckman have a stylish answer to a practical problem, and they’ve added a unique twist too.

They’ve launched the first aluminium

RLG Tyres

TM

Tyres cheap. Not cheap tyres!!

tonneau cover that has a roll bar on it.

The Upstone tonneau cover can even be fitted without any drilling, and can feature a stylish roll bar on the top near the cab.

Of course, for total security, you want the cover to lock on to the tailgate, and they offer a locking system with the cover. It just needs four holes drilled in the tailgate and there you are, all safe and secure. The system even reduces fuel consumption as it lowers drag over the load bed.

The roll bar doesn’t get in the way of the tonneau cover hinging up, and blends in nicely. The Upstone tonneau cover comes in silver or black aluminium. The combination will fit every Double Cab and Extra Cab model from the major manufacturers, so if you want to find out more then check out www.truckman.co.uk

Market Leading Exterior & Interior Protection

OFFICIAL STOCKIST Rhino Linings provides the highest level of corrosion, impact and abrasion resistance for your truck bed, truck grille guards, bumpers and truck rocker panels.

Farmers, contractors, outdoorsmen and YOU can count on Rhino Linings® products to protect your investment.

• • • • • •

Excellent slip resistance Good impact resistance Excellent abrasion resistance Excellent corrosion resistance Good chemical resistance Reduces noise from vibration and impact

£499 PLUS VAT

Price includes all the preparation work prior to full application of the Rhino Protective coating to your truck bed.*

M a in s u p p lie r o f a n d a l l m a j o r 4x4 t y r e s

Additional cost items can be sprayed such as Bumpers, Wheel Arches, Side Steps & Sills etc.

CALL US TODAY TO GET YOUR TRUCK BOOKED IN FOR RHINO PROTECTIVE COATINGS!

Paintseal Direct (01283) 703777

Groundcare • Car • ATV • Tubes • Mobile Tyre Fitting Puncture Equipment & Repairs • Four Wheel Alignment

Waterside Way, Nottingham NG2 4DP www.paintsealdirect.com | enquiries@paintsealdirect.com @paintsealdirect

@paintseal

Durrants Farm, Rushlake Green, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 9QB

Workshop: 01435 830664 Mobile: 07710 372672 Email: chris@rlgtyres.co.uk

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

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www.rhino-linings.co.uk *Excludes any rust or dent removal

4x4 29/05/2018 15:54

PRODUCTS

LAZER LAMPS LAUNCHES INTEGRATED GRILLE KIT FOR VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK

THE VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK recently became the most powerful pick-up on the market. With power comes pace, obviously – and the quicker you’re going somewhere, the better you need to be able to see where it is.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Amarok’s standard headlamps. But there’s also absolutely nothing wrong with bunging in a load more light on

top, which is why the LED market is probably even more buoyant than the pick-up market itself. And the pick-up market is currently more buoyant than Clive Buoyant of Buoyanthampton wearing a buoyancy suit to celebrate national buoyancy day.

Anyway. Lazer Lamps has just launched a bespoke LED grille integration kit for the Amarok, allowing its owners to see, and be seen, at the sort of distance JRR Tolkein used to write books about.

The kit mounts two of Lazer’s well known Triple-R 750 high performance LED spotlights in the Amarok’s grille, adding road presence and, of course, visibility.

Available for all versions of the

Amarok from 2011-on, including post-facelift V6 models, it comes with xings and brackets that are fully weather and chemical resistant.

Fitting the lights is simplicity itself, as they mount directly to the

Amarok’s standard grille. The LEDs themselves are E mark certi ed and therefore fully road-legal, and you can nd out anything else you need to know by paying a visit to lazerlamps.com.

BRITPART CAGE FOR DEFENDER 110 DOUBLE-CAB Britpart’s range of roll protection for the Land Rover Defender includes this six-point external cage for the 110 Double-Cab. This particular structure is designed specifically for Puma models built between 2007 and 2015, and features bolt-on mounting. Made by cage specialist Safety Devices, it’s constructed from CDS steel tube and finished as standard in black powder coat. Shop around for prices – we’ve seen it at under £1200 plus VAT – or visit www.britpart.com to find your nearest dealer.

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PRODUCTS

ON AND OFF - ROAD PERFORMANCE ON OFFER FROM GENERAL GRABBER AT3

WITH EVERYDAY CAR-BODS, the single item that has the biggest effect on a vehicle’s capabilities is often overlooked.

Yep, the tyres.

But that doesn’t happen in the 4x4 world.

Us lot are more than aware that even the best vehicle is useless without grip. We know that to make the most of the ability our pride and joy has built into it, we need the right tyres on all four corners. o some people that means tting rubber that can rip lumps out of concrete o others it means tting rubber that won t get lumps ripped out of it by… well anything good all-terrain tyre will be civilised and dependable on the road, sure-footed off-road, incredibly hard-wearing and capable of shrugging off the sort of damage that comes with being put to work on a 4x4 pick-up. hese are all things you can expect from the eneral rabber his very highly regarded all-terrain has a tread design that offers off-road grip thanks to edges that interlock with loose surfaces and an open tread shoulder that facilitates effective self-cleaning to maintain traction in mud. rotecting the main body of the tyre from rocks large sidewall lugs offer peace of mind eflection ribs divert obstacles away from the tyre to prevent punctures and a rim protection rib shields the wheel bead area from kerbing damage and off-road hazards.

Made from a robust compound, the reinforced blocks of the tread design make it durable and stable under stress – as do strong steel belts that run along the edges of the carcase. Undeviating block geometry provides a smoother ride and even tyre wear over time, and helps the tyre maintain a level of comfort on the road. ith a wide range of si es from to the eneral rabber offers durability and grip to almost all the x and pick up market or more details on the check out www general tire co uk

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WHAT’S THAT COMING OVER THE HILL? IT’S A DAVANTI.

DAVANTI TYRES WILL BE UNVEILING ITS NEW ALLTERRAIN TYRE - TERRATOURA - AT THE 4X4 & PICKUP SHOW, STONELEIGH PARK IN COVENTRY ON JUNE 15 & 16.

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF AT STAND 2A19.

TO FIND A DAVANTI DEALER IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE VISIT WWW.DAVANTI-TYRES.COM

PRODUCTS

GREASABLE SHACKLE KITS FOR PICK- UPS SUPERPRO HAS LAUNCHED a new range of greasable leaf-spring shackle kits for pick-ups. These are designed with the same philosophy the company has always followed – to enhance the performance of suspension components while also making them last longer.

Despite the fanfares surrounding the latest Nissan Navara, most pickups still have leaf springs at the rear.

These cope well with heavy loads and, with no need for strut turrets, provide greater load area space.

When the suspension moves, or weight is applied, the leaf springs start to ‘flatten’ and consequently the distance between the front and rear mounting points increases.

This is achieved by the use of a rear shackle mounting that pivots backwards to compensate for the extended length of the spring.

The bushes and shackles play a key role in controlling the spring as it extends and contracts. If the bush is not compliant or shackle movement is restricted by corroded pins, performance is affected. This reduces ride quality and increases the wear rate of the components, including the spring itself.

If the bush allows too much axial movement, the laden spring will twist. This puts excessive strain on the front mounting bolts, the rear shackle pins and the spring-retaining U-bolts. The consequent impact on the rear suspension can be

significant, especially if the vehicle is regularly used on uneven terrain.

To overcome this, SuperPro has developed a range of kits designed to increase component life while maintaining ride and stability, especially when heavily loaded.

The SuperPro kits, which promise easy installation, comprise all the components required to upgrade your truck’s rear spring mounts – anodised high-grade steel shackles and pins, steel tubes and a set of SuperPro polyurethane bushes.

The pins for the front and rear mountings have a grease nipple at one end, enabling them to be lubricated. This reduces the likelihood of any corrosion and

subsequent restriction of movement that can occur with the standard items. All the parts contained in the kit are available separately.

SuperPro bushes are made from a unique blend of polyurethane that promises to enhance the performance of suspension systems and provide drivers with more feel with no increase in noise, vibration or harshness. They are designed to directly replace OE rubber bushes and, together with the shackles, make a significant difference to the operational performance of a vehicle’s leaf springs – meaning greater longevity and better stability when heavily laden, towing a trailer or traversing uneven terrain.

Applications for the kits are: • Isuzu Rodeo: 2003-2008 • Isuzu D-Max: 2007-on • Toyota Hilux: 1995-on • Mitsubishi L200: 1996 -on • Nissan Navara: 1997-on • Ford Ranger: 2006-on • Mazda BT Series: 2006-on • Toyota Land Cruiser: 1976-on If you’ve picked up this magazine in time, why not head to Stoneleigh Park on 15-16 June for the 4x4 and Pick-up Show, where SuperPro says it will launch a ground-breaking performance suspension programme designed specifically for pick ups.

If you can’t make it, you can still find out more by visiting to www. superproeurope.com.

DEPLOYABLE SIDE STEPS FOR NAVARA Terrafirma has introduced these deployable side steps for the current-model Nissan Navara. Almost completely hidden when stowed, they deploy automatically when the door is opened – providing a perfectly positioned step up into the cabin. Close the door and they automatically retract back into the stowed position, meaning the vehicle retains its breakover angle with no vulnerable hardware hanging down beneath the sills. Terrafirma promises ‘amazing quality and unbelievably good value’ for the steps, which it’s currently selling for £499.99 including VAT. To find out for yourself, pay a visit to www. terrafirma4x4store.co.uk.

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 

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     



   











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 

         

                  

   

   



WORK AND c in t e d ys efore odiďŹ ed pic ps ec e co on si t fe pioneerin ent si sts ere t rnin t eir or tr c s into off ro d toys WORDS: GARY NOSKILL PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR

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PLEASURE

t’s easy for hardcore off-road enthusiasts to be cynical about the double-cab phenomenon. They might be among the most capable 4x4s you can buy these days, but pick-ups are still big, long, heavy lumps with way too much metal hanging off their rear end – and to make matters worse, their manufacturers still insist on portraying them as lifestyle wagons for the sort of supremely presented surf dudes and mountain bikers who don’t exist in real life.

As hardcore off-road enthusiasts go, however, Chris Abel is one of Britain’s leading men. In an era when purpose-built challenge specials were taking over at the top of the extreme winching scene, he commissioned a best-of-everything vehicle in which he became one of the most competitive drivers in the country.

But long before that vehicle was ever thought of, Chris’ weapon of choice was a Mitsubishi L200. In many ways, it was the classic example of a work-and-play motor – Chris used it in his ob as a site manager for a construction rm meaning it was often to be seen carrying a mini digger – but at the weekend, he would hitch up a trailer and set off across the country to enduro bike events ater too it went on to tow his rst challenge truck.

But what made the vehicle interesting was what Chris did with it when he wasn’t working or biking. It was good at both those things – but with a few modi cations it wasn t half bad off road either. hese modi cations included a ld an Emu suspension lift and a set of 265x75R16 oodrich ud errain tyres tted using 30mm spacers. Despite the truck’s day job, the Emu kit was specced in the softer of two available rates, giving it a smoother ride and

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Above: Old Man Emu provided a +2� suspension lift made up of standard-duty springs and long-travel shocks Right, below: The front bumper is a heavy-duty ARB unit mounted with a Warn 9.5XP winch. Note also the steel steering guard mounted below it

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more supple handling off-road. ‘They give a good amount of articulation,’ Chris told us, ‘and the rear wheels follow the surface with ease.’

Of course, the vehicle is never going to have the same amount of travel as a purposebuilt off-roader of the Defender ilk. Bearing in mind its limitations, however, the Emu set-up worked well. Indeed, Chris used to own a 90: ‘This is a far better everyday car, because it’s a lot more comfortable than the Land Rover. It’s also much more capable in the mud than people think. Owning a vehicle like this is always a compromise between having the level of off-road ability you crave and keeping things comfortable on the road. To be fair, the balance on this vehicle is probably tilted towards the latter. The important thing is to remember where its limits are, and try not to overreach them.’

Watching Chris behind the wheel, there was no sign of shyness about taking on terrain the average L200 driver might be expected to baulk at. But he certainly wasn’t gung-ho about it – when you need your truck for work on Monday morning, you need to temper your ambition with a healthy dose of common sense.

Many seasoned off-roaders will tell you that having to look after your vehicle this way, while

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it might feel like a bit of a bore at the time, is actually a very good way of learning how to protect yourself. Having a truck you’re willing to drive absolutely anywhere without regard to the damage it might suffer is great fun, but it doesn’t exactly teach you much about reading the terrain defensively.

When you cover around 43,000 miles a year in your off-road toy, not breaking it means still being able to do your job. And not breaking it means making it harder to break. A heavy-duty ARB bumper is very hard indeed to break, and being home to a Warn 9.5XP makes it a better ally than ever on your off-road adventures.

Juicing your winch from an Optima Yellow-Top and uprated alternator is a sure sign of someone who sees their vehicle as more than just a status symbol, too.

The original alternator was replaced after one too many drownings in deep water, which may come as a surprise given what we were saying about looking after your vehicle. Chris told us he once had water three quarters of the way up his door which is de nitely not recommended for a long and healthy life, but the engine and drivetrain are at least protected by a Safari snorkel and raised axle and gearbox breathers.

Talking of the engine, Chris decided to go in search of extra power and get it chipped.

His rst attempt was with an aftermarket component which caused the engine to smoke, so he replaced it with itsubishi s own dealer t product – which gave the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel unit an extra 30bhp, making it that much nicer to drive on the motorway, off-road and in front of a trailer.

Which reminds us of the do-it-all nature of hris truck t s a modi ed off road toy but it s also a daily drive, a tow barge and a tool of work – and it’s pretty good at everything. Chris told us he was thinking of using a body lift to allow bigger tyres, and that he’d do a ring-and-pinion swap in the diffs to keep the gearing right at the same time, but as it is you’re looking at an L200 which blazed an off-road trail many years before modi ed double cabs became a common sight in the UK. Even now, hardcore off-road fans can still be a bit cynical about pick-ups. But these days, more and more of them are coming round to the charms of the L200 and others like it. And Chris Abel was one of the visionaries who, many years before the downfall of the Defender, showed them it could be done.

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F

our-door pick-ups seem to have been growing exponentially in popularity for as long as anyone can remember. But there was a time, before the Isuzu-built auxhall rava became the rst apanese double cab of cially offered in the when the market consisted only of personal imports and one solitary, seldom-seen version of the Land Rover Defender. his rst appeared in badged as the and over ike the and it was named

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after its wheelbase, and also like them it was available with a choice of body types he didn’t get a double-cab option until more than a decade later but the was offering it from well before the arrival of Tdi engines and, with them a change of name to efender By then, it was already a hit with utility companies and armed forces alike. Its ability to transport crews and equipment into the back of beyond was pretty much unmatched, except perhaps by much bigger vehicles with running

costs to match and the flexibility it offered its customers was enormous. any s and s are still in service with the sort of operators who need what they alone can offer ut ust as the is more popular than the with off road enthusiasts the longest Landy is seldom seen on green lanes or at playday sites. That wheelbase makes it a handful to manoeuvre at the best of times – it’s not quite longer than a but it s many times less convenient to pilot through the woods.

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A LONG STORY

Back in the day, the only way of driving away from a main dealership aboard a four-door pick-up was by shelling out for a Land Rover 127. Many local authorities and utility companies did t t t o even with the passage of time, not many enthusiasts have taken them on as they’ve passed into private hands.

Those that do, however, tend to be very happy with their choice…

WORDS: GARY NOSKILL PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR

One thing you do notice of people who own 127s or 130s, however, is that they tend to absolutely love them. And when you cast doubt upon their choice’s off-road ability, you’re likely to get an answer which is full of praise for what their vehicles can do.

People like Mark Townsend, for example, who bought his 127 from a friend and set about modifying it for life as an off-road training vehicle. t was registered in putting it in the rst year of production – but, by the time he was

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nished with it boasted a level of spec much more in keeping with a later hen ark opened his off road training centre he decided he wanted a vehicle that could accommodate ve people in forward facing seats while also providing a separate storage area for muddy e uipment ith no ouble ab on the market at the time there was only one vehicle that was up to the ob looked all over the place he told us and found it really tough to source a decent one hey command a premium if they re in good order so was determined to spend my money wisely s it turned out that meant putting much of it towards replacement parts and heavy duty mods to help his chosen andy cope with the relentless off road life it now had ahead of it he engine and gearbox for example gave way to the di and combination that became standard following the move to the efender name ut that was ust the beginning t the back all s and s were tted with a alisbury rear axle ut up front ark complemented this with a heavy duty spline unit which having come from a engined proved straightforward to t eing an early one the alisbury axle left olihull with drum brakes ark told us he was forever clearing muck out of them after off

road sessions and also that he was planning to replace them with discs which remains a common thing to do on old andies ess common is tting ddle brakes but he reckoned that with discs on board this would make it a lot easier to slew the vehicle around the place while lining it up to t through narrow gaps between the trees in the woodland where his training centre was based nother mod to help get over the vehicle s length was to t custom built front and rear propshafts made from steel tube with a uarter inch wall thickness he propshaft at the rear is the rst thing to hit the ground he explains o it s worth spending the time and money to make sure it is strong enough to take a few knocks He took a similar approach with the steering bars replacing them with heavy duty units to be able to cope with impacts on the ground though of course efender owners of all wheelbases have been doing this since time immemorial he wheels and tyres getting turned by the steering bars were ompomotive alloys wrapped in x eneral rabber ud errains ark chose these as a compromise between the need for traction in the woods and civility on the road where he commented that the was always a popular sight when he picked his kids up from nursery…

Helping as many people see it as possible and making room for those big tyres was a ronman suspension lift combining extended springs with spacers for improved flexibility and a greatly enhanced ride height ith the extra ground clearance the vehicle has ust as good a ramp over angle as a he told us t makes a real difference to its performance off road ther mods were as they say built not bought though they were bought by other people as ark used to sell them hese included the underbody guards and the cage over the rear load bay as well as the front bumper which was home to a ilemarker H winch ther modi cations included a snorkel and raised axle and transmission breathers as well as auxiliary lighting and an aluminium roof rack nside meanwhile you d nd a power inverter and a litre onboard fridge handy for keeping all those off roading students refreshed here was still more on the cards when we photographed the such as locking diffs rock sliders four link suspension and a full exo cage ut already this was a of a very high standard indeed uch of the work may have gone into addressing the limitations its wheelbase created but with that done it became a very good advert for thinking outside the and box

‘I looked all over the place, and found it really tough to source a decent one. They command a premium if they’re in good order, so I was determined to spend my money wisely.’

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HIT FOR 6

I

n the world of off-roaders, vehicles with more than four wheels are about as specialised as it gets. There are factorybuilt trucks and ATVs, and mega-money conversions ful lling high end professional needs – but if you want a pick-up truck, 99 times out of 100 four wheels will do.

Still, it’s nice to ogle other people’s great engineering. And engineering doesn’t come much greater than did on the mighty 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser.

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These days, any 80-Series is a cause for celebration. But did you ever see one as striking as this one?

It was built ten or so years ago by Adam Johnson, a Kentish farmer whose family had at the time owned nine of the things. ‘And,’ he says, ‘every one has impressed us.’

Talking of families, this Cruiser came to Adam via his dad, who passed it on when it was about ten years old. Adam says his father didn’t believe he would have the courage to chop up a vehicle

that was still worth around £10,000 at the time, but this wasn’t just a job done on a whim. In fact, Adam had already produced a prototype by the time the 80-Series came in to his possession, which taught him a lot about the job. used a lot of and ruiser parts on the rst six-wheeler I built,’ he says. ‘That vehicle lasted for about ten years, so I knew it was worth taking the trouble to build another.’

As you’ll have guessed from the number of Land Cruisers he’s had, Adam is a man who

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Some would say the 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser is the best car ever made. And with a DIY pick-up conversion, not to mention an extra back axle, you can turn one into a pretty great truck, too WORDS: GARY NOSKILL PICTURES: STEVE TAYLOR

appreciates reliability. Which is why he was never tempted to use a lesser model as his base truck. ‘The car is predominantly used for towing my trailer,’ he says. ‘So I can’t afford for it to let me down. In my experience, Toyotas rarely miss a beat.’

Having stripped out the Land Cruiser’s interior ready for re tting later dam started by using an angle grinder to cut off the rear of its body, slicing through the back window openings and down in line with the wheelarches. He then

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Above: There’s a massive extension to the back of the chassis, but the drivetrain stops at the second axle – you can just about see the nose of the third diff in the top left of this picture Above right: Since he had to fabricate new suspension mounts anyway, Adam went the whole hog and converted the vehicle to air suspension. If you hadn’t already worked it out, this was much more than your average DIY job…

Right: The third axle is located using short upper and long lower trailing links, with a panhard rod to take care of lateral movement

Below: Like all self-respecting off-roaders, the Land Cruiser has a winch. It’s not there for self-recovery, though – located under the bed, it’s much more likely to be seen in use while manoeuvring a trailer than trying to make it down a green lane

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made a neater cut just behind the back doors, on to which point he would subsequently re-attach the rear section.

While he was involved in the job of cutting the vehicle about, Adam removed the back section of the chassis, taking it off from just behind the rear wheels. He then fabricated and tted a two metre extension yes two metres enabling him to install the additional axle and creating suf cient room for the aluminium dropside load-bed – which, by the way, is also the result of his own handiwork. he extra axle was taken from an eries Land Cruiser in a breaker’s yard, which was by far the easiest option in terms of getting the dimensions of the build correct. Obviously the axle itself was designed to take drive but dam was happy to keep this vehicle as a x which made it a little easier to t Easier but not easy egulations on six wheel vehicles insist that the handbrake operates 50/50 on both rear axles hus dam had to insert a splitter in the cable of the original, sending braking force to both axles instead of what was now the one in the middle. hy didn t dam want six wheel drive A major factor was his desire to retain the original transmission set-up: ‘I think the Toyota gearbox and transfer case are brilliant pieces of equipment, so I didn’t think it was worth losing them.’ Given that the vehicle was built for hard work not extreme off road play that makes

sense – even if the great engineering would have been greater still in x form s it is the extra axle re uired plenty of good quality workshop action in terms of suspension.

And it got more than just the basics, too. The eries was coil sprung as standard but since Adam was going to have to fabricate mounts for locating the third axle anyway he decided it would be worth the extra effort to convert the vehicle to air springs. his meant replacing the existing coil sprung bracketry from the axles and chassis so it was a long, hard process. But Adam was very happy with the results – which allow the system to be aired up or down at the touch of a button to trim the vehicle for anything from legal-limit trailer towing to taking it easy with family and friends.

One of the great advantages of the arrangement is that it functions as a form of compensating rear suspension, which means it operates in similar fashion to the set-ups on large six wheeler lorries he air bags for the two rear axles are oined together meaning that when the middle axle goes over a bump the air transfers to the one behind it – allowing greater ease of movement for both of them. The result is a much smoother ride, as well as considerably improved towing performance.

We’ve already mentioned that the dropside pick-up bed body was Adam’s own work. He used aluminium side panels from a Nissan

Cabstar, cutting them down to size to suit their new application and building them into a frame that looks good enough to have come out of the factory. Oh, and it’s a tipper – and, surely, one of the only home made examples of the breed there can be in existence t s a fairly well equipped workshop,’ he says of the unit in his farm, ‘which encouraged me to be ambitious in what I took on.’ I’ll say.

The rear bed provides plenty of room for grubby farm equipment, which was the point of building the thing in the rst place he and Cruiser was in lovely condition inside when I got it,’ says Adam, ‘and it seemed a shame to dirty it by carting around grease guns and the like. I can now keep all that stuff in the rear, which keeps the inside nice and tidy.’ omething else that s nice and tidy is the paint job, which is one thing Adam didn’t do himself.

Paying the pros wasn’t a cheap option, but having saved so much by doing all the work elsewhere in the project he felt able to justify the cost. ‘When you’ve put this much effort into a project,’ he says, ‘you want to ensure it looks alright.’

That could be a comment on the Land ruiser s proportions rather than its nish but as it turns out the original wheelbase still looks pretty much spot on with another axle behind it even enough of another axle to take the vehicle’s overall length up to 5.5 metres. It drives spot-on, too – Adam says that despite its bulk, the vehicle is not unwieldy, and the standard

Not many DIY jobs start off with a full running prototype. But that’s what this is – it uses the same principles as the Cruiser, and a good many of the same parts, but if you were being picky you could say it looks just a trifle less elegant…

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Above left: Even though it’s not driven, the third axle still had to be handbraked to keep the DVLA happy. Hence this cable splitter, which sends equal effort to both sets of back wheels Above right: The extensions Adam put on the chassis are visible here, with the tipping rear bed tilted out of the way.

When you think that the Land Cruiser’s original wheelbase between the front two axles hasn’t changed, you start to realise just how much more metal was added 4.2-litre turbo-diesel engine hauls it around as admirably as ever. It’s as good as ever on the motorway, too, aided by unapologetically roadbiased tyres.

These are a reminder that we’re looking at a work tool here not someone s off road flight of fancy. The rear winch is another – it’s very much there for towing work rather than self-recovery.

Having kept a tally on the workshop wall, Adam reckons it took 630 hours to do all the work involved in the project. This includes unforeseen contingencies to chopping an 80-Series down the middle, like the need for

a new floorpan and fuel ller both of which turned out to be nightmare jobs.

However big the favours your mate with the garage on the corner does you, 630 hours isn’t going to come cheap. At the sort of labour rates we hear all too often now, you’d be better off going to a main dealer and ordering a brand new Land Cruiser. But then, you wouldn’t get a completely unique six-wheeled double-cab that does its job like no other – and, if you’ve got the tools and the skills, you wouldn’t get the immense satisfaction of having created something like this yourself.

That’s no small matter – especially when, after about 30,000 miles’ hard work on the farm and with an 18-foot trailer hooked up to it, Adam’s creation hadn’t registered a single problem.

Has the lack of six-wheel drive hindered it?

In a word, no. Being an 80-Series, the two driven axles both have locking diffs in them – which means that when push comes to shove, Adam can guarantee drive to four of its six wheels, whereas your average 6x6 with open axle diffs can only muster three.

That can help when you’re trying to get a heavy trailer moving off the muddy eld you went and left it parked on – but again, though, this Land Cruiser isn’t meant to be an extreme off-roader.

What it is, is the double-cab concept taken further than you’re ever likely to have seen before.

Not many people have a need for a truck like this – but if nothing else, it’s a cracking bit of engineering to ogle.

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MILNER EST. 1981

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L ON G RA

Off-road training centre and overland tour leader Ardent Adventures recently bought and specced up a new vehicle. And having progressed from Land Rovers into Jeep Wranglers, its latest chariot is a very nicely prepped Ford Ranger WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: MIKE TROTT 50 | JULY 2018

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few years ago, this would have been a story about a Land Rover Defender. If it wasn’t, it would have been a story about a Toyota Hilux. But this is 2018, and that means only one thing – it’s a story about a Ford Ranger. een off roaders with their nger on the pulse have long since been noticing a sway in popularity from Defenders to the more and more popular pick-up truck. And as time has gone on, the Ranger has come to be the most popular of these among Britain’s 4x4 users.

There’s an obvious reason. The few more conventional off-road options that are still in production have tended to be expensive. That’s not to say new pick-ups are available for it’ll-buffout money, but they’re less dear for what you get – and of course, they come with extremely attractive tax breaks if you buy one through your business and/or run it as a company car.

That points to another plus point for the Ranger. It’s not the cheapest on the market, but for what you get it s de nitely not the priciest Ford dealers tend to be particularly competitive with their discounts, too, so the price on the screen is often several grand more than what you actually pay.

There’s also the small matter of the Ranger being very, very good. The best, many would say – including us, if last year’s triumph in our PickUp of the Year Awards was anything to go by.

Anyway, the Ranger’s stock is high, of that there can be no doubt.

And with that, the accessory market has grown too. Pick-ups were once a bit of a weird world for people who wanted to be different – but if you’re starting out in the 4x4 business now, chances are you’ll give Land Rovers a swerve altogether and try to make your mark in the world of either Jeeps or Rangers.

A good example is the Ranger seen here, which is run by Ardent Adventures. The company specialises in leading 4x4 tours to exotic destinations that’ll still be part of Europe this time next year, and it has a parallel business called Ardent Off-Road which kits out vehicles for its customers speci c re uirements

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The last thing you want with an off-roader is not enough ground clearance, but then the last thing you want with an expedition truck is to make it an undrivable, unreliable handful. A +2” suspension kit strikes a very good balance between staying stock and going too far – and this one is from Old Man Emu, which is among the most respected names in the business

Above: A body-coloured Rhino Bumper looks discreet while providing plenty of strength up front. Something else it provides is a home for a Warn Zeon 10s and a pair of WLD Comp Scene LEDs, and looking after the underneath is a set of heavy-duty bash guards from Rival In its own case, Ardent needed to ready its Ranger for the rigours of regular overland trips to the Alps and beyond, including the dust and sand of Morocco. So robustness and reliability gured large in the list of musts t needed to be very capable too but at the same time it didn’t want to be over the top to the degree where it could put punters off. If you turn up

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to a clay pigeon shoot and the guy in charge is toting an AK47, you’re probably going to do a swift runner.

Although Ardent is largely pulling out of the UK laning business, which used to be its bread and butter in the days when it was known by its old name of orkshire x pecialists the Ranger will still be doing a few local runs every

year too nd the company also has a training centre for off-road driving tuition - so between all that, its vehicles need to be able to cope with ritish damp and mud as well as editerranean dust and rocks. Basically, they need to be able to do everything.

How do you spec a pick-up so it’s ready to do everything? Here’s how Ardent specced theirs.

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DISCOVER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED WITH OUR TOUR OF THE BALKANS Unique landscapes and off-road tracks 5 countries and 4 capitals July 13th to 29th

Hassle Free We organise everything for you | All accommodation included | Lead by qualified 4x4 instructors for details of this and our other destinations go to www.ardentoffroad.com (Formerly Yorkshire 4x4 Treks)

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WHAT MUD WAS MADE FOR.

THE ALL-NEW XV. It looks great clean, but that

doesn’t matter. What matters is that its always-on Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system can handle all weather and any terrain. Which is also why it’s not clean.

(BETTER where it MATTERS) Find out more at subaru.co.uk SUBARU XV RANGE Fuel consumption in MPG (l/100km): Urban 32.5-35.8; Extra Urban 48.7-50.4; Combined 40.9-44.1. CO2 Emissions 155-145g/km.

MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

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The 3.2 TDCi engine is the biggest available anywhere in the UK pick-up market (grey-import vehicles aside, obviously) and its 197bhp and 347lbf.ft are more than enough.

But what’s better than more than enough?

More than more than enough, of course – hence the TDI Tuning kit which boosts it to 260bhp and 412lbf.ft while also improving fuel efficiency

Below: ARB’s Summit rear bumper provides massive strength while maintaining a discreetly factory-style look – complete with parking sensors. It won’t fold up like an OE job if you sit it on a rock, though, and ARB is also responsible for the towing hardpoint that’s likely to be many an Ardent customer’s best friend

With the 3.2 TDCi power unit, the company’s Ranger is the most powerful offered by Ford, boasting 197bhp and 347lbf.ft as stock. But, a uning kit has been tted that boosts these gures to bhp and lbf ft while also promising to improve fuel ef ciency The vehicle is a Limited spec model, which came complete with two-zone air conditioning and heated seats – not things you tend to use both of at the same time. In addition, a Cobra adio has been tted because as with everything else in life, on overland trips of any size communication is key.

To improve the Ranger’s off-road capabilities, a +2” Old Man Emu suspension kit has been tted in place of the standard springs and dampers. The stock wheels are tyres are gone, too – steel wheels wrapped in General Grabber X3 rubber now provide for all the vehicle’s traction needs.

There’ll always be a time when they don’t manage, though. Or, more likely, when a customer runs out of intelligence. For these times, a wirelessly controlled Warn Zeon 10s winch sits on a Rhino front bumper.

At the other end, the stock bumper has been fetched off in favour of a heavy-duty Summit

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Above: Treds recovery tracks look like a colourful evolution of the good old-fashioned waffle. The anger carries three of the things, mounted on the side of the all-steel S Smart Canopy that also plays home to a ames Baroud roof tent. nderneath, a earmate drawer system keeps camping and off-road equipment organised while still leaving plenty of space up top. Both sides have top-hinged panels, as does the back – whose honeycomb ribbing is a useful place to mount pioneer tools like a machete Below: Ardent is one of the increasing number of vehicle operators turning to eneral for their traction needs. The anger wears one of the smartest mud-terrains around in the shape of the rabber , which at 0 stands just over . in height job from ARB, and in between the Ranger’s bodywork has been beefed up with 35mm wheelarch extensions. Underneath, meanwhile, it’s all looked after by Rival aluminium plating, and a Safari Snorkel provides the other kind of

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protection should a wading incident develop into, simply, an incident.

We’re getting into the sort of off-roading where ropes and so on are needed here, which of course means carrying equipment. For this

purpose, the Ranger wears a body-coloured RSI Smart Canopy – a steel, structure that’s light in weight but good and strong.

The canopy has blank gullwing side panels that open on gas struts, and a rear window with mesh

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reinforcement. On top of it is a roof rack upon which a James Baroud tent is mounted. eneath it the truck bed has been tted with a Gearmate drawer set for more organised storage of everything from camping pans to rst aid kits or help in sticky situations there is a set of Treds 4WD recovery tracks for onthe-spot grip mounted to the passenger’s side of the canopy.

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e ve not mentioned E lights yet but needless to say the rdent truck has got some They’re WLD jobs, in the shape of a 20” bar and a couple of omp cene spots on the front grille seful if not essential when you re still on the trails and night closes in but for the ob this vehicle does they also come in handy for illuminating the camp sight when the day s trails are done.

It’s not an extreme truck, this, and it’s not meant to be t was built with the aim of being able to do everything well whether it s leading the way over the mountains of alicia or teaching a newbie what engine braking does back home in orkshire nd that s exactly what it is hether the conditions are cold and wet or hot and sticky, neither the truck nor those aboard it are ever going to break a sweat.

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IN SEARCH OF THE CLOUD WARRIORS

The mountains and jungles of Peru are home to countless stunning relics from the days of the Incas – as well as many wonders of the natural world. Peru Safari’s new Kuelap tour includes no end of extraordinary off-road driving alongside destinations which include one of the world’s highest waterfalls and the soaring jungle citadel that was once the home of the Chachapoya people – the mythical ‘Cloud Warriors’ of the Andes WORDS: GEORGE DOVE PICTURES: SUPPLIED BY PERU SAFARI

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n the ever-growing world of overland travel, Peru has long been a popular destination. In particular, of course travellers will head into the Andes and make for the world-famous Machu Picchu. The Incan fortress is spectacular and worthy of all the attention it gets – but Peru has much more to offer.

In a country scattered with artefacts and sites from the Incan Empire, there are numerous gems that have only recently been discovered.

The latest itinerary created by Peru Safari, which

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specialises in 4x4 travel in this wonderful nation, looks to uncover one of these – namely the fortress of the Cloud Warriors in the jungle-clad mountains of Kuelap.

With a starting point in the capital, Lima, the reconnaissance team set off to the north and into the coastal desert via the town of Huaral.

Cutting inland at Aspero, where a 4500-year-old mummy was recently discovered, the company’s off-road prepped Hiluxes climbed upwards on the steep tracks of the Huayhuash mountains,

edging further into the high Andes range as the afternoon progressed. he rst stop off point in the expedition was the family-run Hotel Nogales. In the tiny village of Chiquian, looking out over the Andes, the traditional architecture of the hotel sits among vibrant greenery. Stopping in Chiquian isn’t just for the views, though – it’s tactical. With years of experience of the mountain range, the team knew that the road ahead would be a dif cult one – it’s important not to try and head too far

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Before the Spanish Conquistadores arrived to smash up South America’s ancient cultures and steal their land, Kuelap was home to as many as 3000 people. Nestled high in the mountains, its walls contain countless small buildings – many of which remain remarkably intact today. One reason for this is that it lay undisturbed for centuries – less than forty years ago, it still took around two months to reach from the nerest road into the mountains to quickly and risk getting stranded in the Cordillera Blanca.

Pushing north after a single night’s stay in Chiquian, the expedition breached the National Park of Huascaran. Then, after a few hours’ driving through the mountainous park and lunch at a rural, traditional local eatery, it was time to do something rare in South America.

The peaks of the Cordillera Blanca mountains sit 6300 metres above sea level, and around 1000 metres below that the Pastoruri Glacier sits in their shadow. Glaciers are uncommon in the South American tropics, and the four-kilometre

crossing is a beautifully bizarre section of a breathtaking journey.

On the other side of the glacier, the climbing continued throughout the afternoon, all the way up to Llanganuco Mountain Lodge (honestly, this is not in Wales) for a well-earned rest – and a well deserved Pisco Sour, which went down a treat on the terrace! Looking back from here over the glacial peaks and the thousands of metres climbed. Mount Huascaran dominates the Andean skyline. The nearest town of Huaraz, meanwhile, sits a long, long way below your soaring vantage point.

Llanganuco Mountain Lodge is ideally placed for hiking in the Andes. Only a stone’s throw away is Keushu, with its ruins and even a lake to take a dip in. It is also home to the Patagonia Gigas, the world’s largest hummingbird. Before pushing on with scouting the route to Kuelap, the Hiluxes explored a shorter, local trail with an ideal picnic spot beside the turquoise lagoon with spectacular glacial views.

There is a path which, depending on the weather conditions, leads to one of the earliest pre-Columbian sites in existence – Chavin de Huantar. The Chavin culture spanned from

The Gocta Falls weren’t discovered until 2002. Now, you can do this (below) with the 771-metre cataract in the background. Reason enough to visit properly before it gets any more established on the tourist trail

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‘Canyon del Pato is single track and unpaved, so the driving is tough. Steep rocky walls cover almost all of the 45km track, which takes you through 35 different tunnels in the jagged rock face’ 900BC until around 200BC and got its name from the site at which most of its artefacts were found t was the rst ma or religious culture in the ndes and despite floods and earth uakes the twelve-metre Lanzón deep inside the temple still stands. The Lanzón is the principal statue of the central deity in Chavin religion and is reached via an eerie labyrinth beneath the Old Temple. Face to face, the huge growling mouth and inverted eyes are imposing and impressive in e ual measure ack at the lodge a tough day exploring the local area and its landscape was nished off by a log re and a couple of drinks ame ones given that the following day s drive was expected to be one of the toughest of the whole trip. he ma ority of anyon del ato is single track and unpaved so the driving is tough teep

rocky walls cover almost all of the km track which takes you through different tunnels in the agged rock face The drive is undeniably a challenge, but it is one of the most rewarding x experiences in all of eru here aren t any barriers paved roads or abundant wildlife along the dramatic mountain pass – but there are snow-capped mountains set on brilliant blue skies and the crystalline clear io anta river runs below ooking back on the day s success from the friendly and welcoming Mama Wasi Hotel in Huamachuco, the long day of driving had been tough – but every effort was worth it.

Nearby are the ruins of Marcahuamachuco – 1600-year-old pre-Incan archaeological site which is believed to have been the centre of political, religious and military happenings well before the

Incan Empire. Construction began in 800 AD and lasted years the site is referred to as the achu icchu of the north which ought to tell you something about how impressive it is.

Early the next morning the Hiluxes began the trek to a location that is pivotal in the history of eru a amarca was the setting for the nal days of the ncan Empire as paniard rancisco i arro began his con uest he colonial architecture of a amarca boasts a beautiful cathedral and delicate churches of an Francisco, Belén and Recoleta. The city’s rich cultural history is dotted around the la a de rmas eru afari s base here which is the ideal starting point from which to go and learn about a amarca after a good night s sleep he next day was spent exploring the streets and learning how in i arro began his

Left: If you go down to Darkest Peru tonight…

Right: Around Laguna de las Momais, caverns in the rock face were used thousands of years ago as tombs. The mummies still sit today where they were laid to rest in millenia past

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Right: Kentitambo means 'Hummingbird Hotel' – and the wooden-built lodge attracts the birds in huge numbers ruthless decimation of the Incan Empire at the Battle of Cajamarca. Following that, it was time to get back behind the wheel – and head into the Amazonas region.

This is a relatively undiscovered area, packed full of both natural and ancient archaeological wonders. The Laguna de los Condores (Lagoon of the Condors), also known as the Laguna de las Momias (Lagoon of the Mummies), is an enormous lagoon surrounded by towering rock faces whose history was unknown until fairly recently. It gained these names as those who rst discovered it often saw the large birds habituating the area, and also because several mummies were found around the site.

In the jagged rock faces are a number of tombs in which mummi ed bodies have rested for thousands of years. As you sit beside the lake,

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the water, rock faces and wildlife make a truly unique setting.

From here, it isn’t far to Kentitambo Lodge, a hotel based in a former hummingbird observatory. The name means ‘Hummingbird Inn’ in the local Quechua language – and, made from ecologically-sourced timber with plenty of feeders, it blends into the cloud forest and attracts the tiny birds in numbers. Relaxing on the terrace of the room, overlooking the hotel’s museum and pond, is the perfect way to wind down and prepare for the main event – the destination after which this expedition is named.

Kuelap remains remote and, largely, unknown.

Less than forty years ago, it still took two months to reach from the nearest road.

Stone walls run tall around the perimeter of Kuelap fortress, which stands 3000 metres up

on the mountain top, enclosed by cloud forests of air plants, orchids and beautiful jungle foliage. uilt by the hachapoya people the forti ed jungle citadel was home to the ‘Cloud Warriors’ of Peru. Hundreds of ruins lay inside the walls, serving as a reminder of a rich culture now lost to history.

One of the biggest stone monuments in the New World, Kuelap had a population of up to 3000 people between the 6th and 16th centuries.

Despite the notion that the Chachapoyas were conquered by the Incas during the 15th Century, it seems that Kuelap and the Cloud Warriors outlived this. It wasn’t until the Spanish conquistadors swept across Latin America in the 16th Century that their culture buckled. The site was then abandoned completely, until the outside world rediscovered the ruins in 1843.

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The Peruvian government has now installed cable cars to allow simpler travel to the historic site – but you don’t need those when you’ve got Hiluxes, and the trucks managed the steep drive up without issue.

Kuelap is simply magical. The scale of the walls and the ruins are other-worldly, and the site is dif cult to leave he tiredness is de nitely worth it for the privilege of simply standing among it and taking it all in. Very little is known about those who lived here – imagining how it must have been in its heyday, you can’t help but try to work it out yourself.

Gocta Andes Lodge is very different to the stone forms the Cloud Warriors made, but it certainly is a treat. Waking up to a view that was designed to take in the falling water at Gocta, which at 771 metres is one of the world’s highest cataracts, is sensational. All of the lodge’s balconies and terraces look out to this, and the view can also be enjoyed from gardens – or pools which merge into the landscape 1800 metres above sea level.

The lodge also serves as the starting point for hikes to Gocta falls, and there is an option to travel there on horseback. En route, there are plentiful hummingbirds and butterflies and you might see the occasional toucan or monkey, too.

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Very few have been to these falls, which were only discovered in 2002. But those who do are in for a treat – the sheer height of this natural wonder is truly breathtaking. he nal three days of the recce headed back to Lima via more sites of cultural and historical signi cance irst came the abandoned city of Chan-Chan, ancient home of the Chimu people, which conveniently is within walking distance of Gocta. Then, further down the Pan-American highway, the last location before returning to Lima was Caral. Here, the remote Hotel Empedrada Lodge is a tranquil oasis overlooking the archaeological Caral complex whose remains created a stunning silhouette in the sunset to end the last night of the trip.

Strolling around Caral the next morning, it was clearer than ever that Peru has more to offer than just Machu Picchu. The great fortress is truly one of the honeypot destinations in world

travel – but while you’d never suggest giving it a miss, you’ve not truly discovered Peru until you’ve delved deeper into what it has to offer.

Customers on Peru Safari’s Kuelap expedition are going to delve into largely unchartered territory – both for themselves, and, indeed for modern man.

Peru Safari has its office in the UK but specialises exclusively in overland expeditions aboard Toyota 4x4s in Peru. The company’s website is at www. perusafari.com, and it can be contacted via 01744 889819 or 07522 776160

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OUR 4X4S: SKODA KODIAQ

Life’s not a Race…

We’ve got a Skoda Kodiaq Scout on long-term test because it’s enhanced for off-roading. But it’s turning out to be a pretty outstanding companion on tarmac, too – whether we’re having f n on ro ds or to er tin inner city tr ffic s

S

ince it arrived in the 4x4 car park, our Kodiaq Scout has been proving itself in the world of day-to-day work, school runs and so on. Last month, it also proved itself on a surprisingly joyous crosscountry mission on a day which also included blasts in a Range Rover Sport SVR, Bentley Bentayga V8 and Porsche Macan Turbo, so it’s fair to say that thus far, we’re pretty taken with it.

What we haven’t done yet, however, is take it off-road. Which, for a vehicle with an Off-Road button, seems like an oversight. So, not being given to oversights but de nitely being given to going green laning), we headed north into Yorkshire to put the Kodiaq through its paces.

There’s a more extensive story to be told another time, but for now we’ve got some off-road driving impressions to relate.

The kind of off-roading the Scout is made for doesn’t involve axle-deep mud and ruts, obviously, but it’s way ahead of your typical crossover or soft-roader at this kind of stuff.

Along with the drive

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Skoda doesn’t include an exo cage in the options list for the Kodiaq… mode dial, that Off-Road button trims the electronic drivetrain and chassis settings best to suit rough terrain, and if the terrain in question gets too rough there’s a set of underbody guards to protect the delicate and expensive bits. There aren’t any clever tricks to lift it further clear of the ground, but given that these tend to come with a huge price tag and the promise of maintenance nightmares in years to come, that’s no bad thing.

This does mean being careful where you drive.

Of course, every single one of us with half a brain will always be careful where we drive, but in the absence of any means of self-recovery (we thought about carrying a high-lift and a set of ground anchors, but some might call this out of keeping…) we were ultra-cautious about asking too much of the vehicle’s ground clearance. The last thing you want is to get beached when a small hump in the ground comes up to give your gearbox an unexpected cuddle, after all – we’ve been there, many years ago, and came away sad-

der, wiser and a great deal muddier.

It’s fair to say that when you’re doing this kind of off-roading, you’re always slightly on edge, looking out for hazards that could take you by surprise.

Not that that was going to be a problem in a couple of places, where the ground had been hammered by rainfall erosion and discretion was very de nitely the better part of valour – in one case, we’d have expected to rip something out from

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OUR 4X4S: SKODA KODIAQ

Ever been overtaken by a pushbike before? It’s not a race, of course, but he won. By a long way. underneath the Kodiaq, and while we’d have expected it to cope with the ground itself in the second, it would have tilted the vehicle over until it was leaning close enough up to the side of the wash out that if we got it wrong we d have inflicted major body damage. Skoda doesn’t include a full exo cage in the options list for the Kodiaq (no, not even the more off-roady Scout model), so we turned back instead.

This was an interesting job, as the wash-out came at the bottom of a lengthy hill whose gradient and unevenness between them made it one for some proper concentration. We found that while the Scout’s hill descent control works well once it’s settled down, when you initially come off the clutch it lets the vehicle’s speed build alarmingly quickly before kicking in. After that, so long as there’s grip available you’ll make good, sure-footed progress down far steeper hills than you’re ever likely to want to try in a vehicle like this.

So, having found somewhere to turn round we’re now on the way back up. It’s uneven, and quite steep in places, to the point where

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we’re lifting wheels, so it’s fair to say that the Scout is working for its living now. When the wheels do lighten up, however, there’s nothing in the way of spin, so the traction control is de nitely doing its thing very effectively and it’s happening fast enough to be imperceptible in action. First gear, and the engine’s torque, are both deep enough in their own ways for all this to happen without any need for slip, too. We came away feeling that the Scout could scale usefully steeper hills, which is obviously going to be the next challenge.

In the meantime, an altogether gentler lane with an apparent proclivity for holding surface water provided us with an entirely new experience. Surface water is of course not to be treated as an opportunity to be silly, at least not when you’re driving on a right of way you share with other people. So we were pootling along happily, letting the Kodiaq’s torque do its thing while the 19” tyres splashed their way through the endless puddles, when one of the other people in question put in an appearance.

Ever been overtaken by a pushbike before?

This guy appeared behind us on an absolute mission and by the time we were about halfway through the series of puddles, he was right on our shoulder. It’s not a race, of course, but we’re pretty sure that’s how he was treating it. And he won, by a long way.

We were hoping to have our faith in the internal combustion engine assuaged around the next corner by nding him hori ontal on the ground and gasping for air. And sure enough, we did catch him up about miles away while we were getting ready to back away from that dirty great wash out and he came walt ing past without a care in the world.

Whatever. No, of course we’re not feeling sore about it. Not us. Not at all. It’s not as if we were trying to outpace a mountain biker, what sort of muppet would need to do that with a bhp engine on their side nd anyway we d like to see him overtaking us while carrying seven people. There’s a time and a place for everything, and as far as we’re concerned it’s been Kodiaq o’clock ever since our Scout rst arrived

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29/05/2018 16:26

Setting suns

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ne of the great things about summer is going green laning when the day’s work is done. Unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere like Coniston or Rhayader, this tends not to mean spending your evenings tackling hardcore rock crawls, but there’s always been a wonderfully civilised pleasure to be taken from simply trundling around the countryside in the golden light of a setting sun.

Certainly, the lanes where I live are not what you’d call challenging. Unless you like the challenge of trying to keep your mouth shut about large

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Have 90, will lane. Summer brings the opportunity for civilised evenings exploring the countryside by the light of the setting sun. And discovering things like obstructions, locked tes nd y tipped ste blocks of concrete being placed illegally across public rights of way by scabrous landowners who need to be tarred and feathered, stripped of their worldly assets then boiled alive in their own blood.

It’s not a challenge I’m very good at.

Anyway, aside from the criminally obstructed lanes (and, happily, the local authority has taken steps to reopen some of them), we’ve got a decent variety of typical farm tracks round here. Meat and drink to a truck like our 90, but I wouldn’t have chosen anything else for a bit of byway action.

One obvious reason for this is that if things were to go wrong, there’s a winch on the front.

And truth to tell, a couple of the lanes were a lot rougher than when I last drove them, albeit still nowhere near what it would take to pull the 90’s Britpart DB9000 into action. Another is that while tooling around in brand new test cars is a monster perk of this job, the manufacturers tend to like it when they come back without scratches all over them. Which knocks most lanes on the head, especially at this time of year.

Case in point. As I write this, the vehicle parked outside in the 4x4 car park is a Mercedes-Benz

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Stuff you don’t want to be seeing when you’re driving a shiny SUV… and stuff you don’t want to be seeing full stop. The joy of driving something like the 90, which came to us pre-dented, is that pushing through undergrowth doesn’t faze you in the slightest. There’s no joy whatsoever in fly-tipping, however, except presumably for the low-life scrotes who make a criminal living by doing it. With the cost of waste disposal going up all the time, this is probably going to become an increasingly common sight on green lanes E350d All-Terrain. It’s actually far more at home off-road than you’d ever imagine, as it happens, but still pretty much the diametrical opposite of a modded Defender. Driving it up to where I keep the 90 stored, it was like being driven by a chauffeur – so smooth, so quiet, so effortless.

The day when cars do all the driving for us is still

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some way off but the feeling of unruffled calm you get behind the wheel of this £60,000 crossover estate is very similar to what ngers crossed) that will be like.

So I parked the Merc up, opened the door of the 90 and was greeted by that wonderful smell you get when you step into one. You know that

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‘new car smell’ people talk about, the one that lying salesmen say the crummy shed they’re trying to flog still has t s not that t s the m not a car-so-get-used-to-it smell Defenders have. It’s not what you’d call pleasant, but you know it and if you’re a Defender owner, it’s what makes your truck feel like home.

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OUR 4X4S: PROJECT OFF-ROAD 90 The same goes for the cramped driving position, the shaking and rattling, the din from the engine… hen you rst get on board after driving something else, the culture shock gets you right in the face every time ut after a few miles you nd yourself wondering why on earth you’d ever want to drive anything else anyway.

My colleague Mike Trott made a very good point about the in these pages a couple of years ago, after driving one of the last ones off the line. He compared it to an old-school sports car not like for like obviously but similar in that whereas modern motors do so much of the fun stuff for you, with a Defender (or an old Healey, pit re etc you really need to drive it.

And he’s right. Every gearchange, every steering input… you’re always planning ahead, always ready to react. You’re in charge. It’s not relaxing (as if it ever could be with all that noise from the engine but it sure is absorbing Talking of the engine, as we’ve discussed in previous issues it s been chipped e re not sure who by the vehicle was originally prepped by wisted but we re aware that that company s chip has been replaced somewhere down the line. It also has a bigger intercooler and exhaust and it certainly sounds purposeful but is it any more powerful or torquier than a standard TD5?

The date with the rollers I mentioned in a previous issue is still on. I don’t think it feels any stronger than standard, and if anything it’s worse at the bottom end t hesitates at times when you’re pulling away from standstill, which can be tremendous fun at busy unctions and there s a deep vibration through the drivetrain as you gain speed at around the mph mark Having established last month that there s nothing

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wrong with the propshafts and UJs, the most obvious likely source of shakes was ruled out. It feels like it needs a tune-up – not a look-at-all-thatpower affair ust an old-fashioned get-it-runningright ob Either that or it s ust a efender being a efender but d like to think I’ve been in enough of them to know the difference. hat s one of the delights of buying a vehicle someone else has modi ed even someone you know well. There are mysteries to unravel, which depending on how you look at it is part of the fun or a good reason to give it a swerve. e did at least get to the bottom of one mystery, which is why the central locking stopped working. There’s a kill switch on the front of the battery box and as an added safety measure thought it would be a good idea to take the handle with me when leaving the truck alone.

Needless to say, the central locking turned out to be downstream of the isolator and since the key barrel has long since stopped working cos mud the only way of securing the vehicle is by pressing the button on the fob r climbing in and out via the back door obviously which has the added bonus of making you look effortlessly graceful

aking of graceful fly tipping really is not that. But I’m seeing more and more of it in the countryside at the moment, and sure enough one of the lanes we went down had been blighted by a pile of random rubbish really do hope it s ust my imagination and it s not on the rise but many local authorities have put their prices up for disposing of trade waste, and started changing for collecting bulky domestic stuff where once it would have been free hile understand the need for this (without getting into politics, there’s only so much wealth in the world and since the very rich are constantly getting richer than ever, the rest of us need to gure out how to cope while fear for what it will mean n a happier note the local authority in this particular area has helpfully put its hand in its pocket to erect not one but two signs on the run-up to a small river crossing which sternly

30/05/2018 10:40

warn that it is a DEEP FORD and unsuitable for motor vehicles. To be fair, I’ve been there once before, in the middle of winter, when my old Land Cruiser’s front wheels were starting to get tugged by the current while the rears were still on dry land, but this time it was just a nice little wade with a good, gravelly bottom. A highlight of a very short lane, but well worth it nonetheless. And on we went.

Further on, I encountered something I’ve never seen on a lane before. You know how it’s illegal to lock gates or obstruct a right of way? Well, here was a gate with one of those electric rams to open and close it remotely, and an intercom linking to the farmhouse. That’s what I call brave – as a laner, you’d need to have some neck to press the buzzer and ask to be let through, because you know what’s likely to be coming. But as a landowner, you’re asking for a hacked-off local club to come along at 45-minute intervals all through the night just to make a point. Given what I’ve ust been saying about fly tipping and what we all know about rural crime, I have every sympathy with farmers and am always comfortable with being waved down and checked out, but a road’s a road and this didn’t look to me like a very smart way of dealing with it.

Not being in the mood for an argument (this was meant to be an evening of civilised enjoyment,

remember), I turned round, noting the video camera trained upon me and resolving to let the local authority (them again) know about the situation the following morning. Because local authorities always take action on stuff like that, obviously, but still – as I said above, this one does have form for getting rid of obstructions.

With the sun now on its way down, and an actual physical OS Landranger map still lying open on the passenger’s seat (told you I was on an old-fashioned sort of vibe), I pointed the 90 in a loosely homeward direction via a few other lanes that didn’t qualify as too much of a detour. I’m really not into doing it after dark – I know some people love night-time laning, but I’m in it for the views and I like to be able to see what I’m doing.

Oh, and once when I did go out at night, back when I lived in Kent, I arrived home to discover my roof rack was gone. Ahem. o that s one thing won t be tting on the any time soon. I know I want to do something with this truck, but I’m still not sure what it is. For now, though, it’s going to be a case of keeping it the way it is while generally making it better at what it does. Because for green laning of any level, it’s bang-on – and even if it’s not civilised like a sixty-grand Merc, you really have to drive it. And the more I do, the more I realise how much I’ve been missing that.

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30/05/2017 09:49 30/05/2018 10:40

OUR 4X4S: SSANGYONG KORANDO

A fond farewell

After its heroics during the depths of winter, our SsangYong or ndo is on its y o e i e for fin verdict fro t e different drivers it s d in its ti e it s of o were sorry to see it go

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ime’s up for our Korando, and to be frank about it we’re sad to see the back of SsangYong’s aged-but-honest little SUV. It isn’t a game changer, but it’s dependable, charming and doesn’t really do anything wrong.

During its time with us, the Korando went through various pairs of hands. Everyone who spent time with it remarked that while initially, it feels old compared to most of the slick, shiny

metal that passes through the 4x4 car park, it was easy to get used to – and, once you had done so, became a trusted companion on the road.

To drive, the Korando is effortless, even slick, with light steering and a host of driver aids to make life smoother. The automatic settings for the headlights and wipers haven’t needed to be overruled under our stewardship, and other gadgets like the front and rear parking sensors and hill-start assist simply do their job with no questions asked. The cruise control systems you get on budget vehicles, particularly those dating from almost a

decade ago, can be rather witless, but once again the Korando’s just gets on with it.

Fuel economy isn’t the 2.2-litre diesel engine’s strongest suit the of cial gure is mpg but while we could wring out the drops by taking it easy we found the high thirties to be a more realistic return in everyday driving. You don’t need to cane it, though – with 295lbf.ft to go with its bhp it s plenty strong though it can feel a little bullish low down.

This isn’t helped by the manual gearbox. Noone singled it out for praise, and one of our team went so far as to call it clunky, with tight gates that required an exaggerated shifting action and led to an element of frustration in crawling traf c The ratios are well chosen, though, to let you hustle the Korando up to speed and cruise with

Heated seats and steering wheel were very welcome during the winter – and with the lock button pressed, the transmission delivered assured fourwheel drive

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It’s good that you get a media screen at all at this money, and the Korando’s has all the usual functions. It’s not the snappiest system in operation, however – and when it turns into a reversing camera, the picture is very last-generation enough in reserve for downshifts on the motorway to be a rare requirement. A good illustration is what happens when slower traf c forces you to cancel the cruise control and drop down to say mph hen the road clears again rather than working the pedals you can ust press the resume button and with the stick still in top it ll gather the speed back up without hesitation n long motorway trips though what you really want to know is whether the stereo is any good hich it is once again without being in any way cutting edge but the intuitive touch screen infotainment system is simple and effective with the ability to hook up your phone via Bluetooth.

The sat-nav is some way short of the latest technology though hile the routes it comes up with do on the whole make sense the directions and accompanying graphics are somewhat slow f you re using the system on a route you know and you simply want to nd the uickest way that s not a problem. But we used it on a long-haul trip on unknown roads that began before dawn and things weren t as easy he system knew where it was going but on dark unfamiliar roads didn t always tell us to turn until we were right on the unction sometimes even past it erhaps it was merely that we were still in a wan-eyed early morning dwam but it was certainly frustrating at the time.

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till with heated leather seats an e ually kitted out steering wheel and a tidy dash the orando is not a bad place to be ts seating is comfortable and easily ad ustable and there s plenty of space both in the front and back riends in the six footer club had no ualms as there s plenty of space behind the privacy glass and enough room for three to share the bench in comfort nusually for something equipped with four-wheel drive the rear floor is totally flat and can therefore offer itself as an extension of the boot in the case of a particularly si eable shop he boot itself is big enough but isn t massive as the spare wheel sits beneath it and leaves it a little shallow so the rear footwell did get used a couple of times hile nimble steering helps the orando glide around town centres and car parks it also comes in useful when green laning ver mud rocky patches or in water the steering didn t offer much feel but remained light throughout and kept us in control he orando gripped well over changing terrain too with the x button pressed and the centre diff locked up ts suspension struck a balance between comfort and flexibility too t feels more like a soft rm set up rather than forti ed soft springs f that makes no sense you re comfortable for the ma ority of the time but harsher obstacles off road or even steeper speed bumps and potholes get ampli ed

n the whole life with the orando is grand t s got plenty of charm and that helps gloss over some of its flaws t s endearing because it s different in a carpark it doesn t blend right in with the other school runners but it isn t ostentatious either here s more to it than the subtly rugged styling too t has as many gadgets as you re likely to need and after a long day it s actually comforting to drive home in. here are niggles yes which never really went away he mini toot when you double lock it the fact that the reversing camera may as well be black and white and even the handbrake which doesn t look as it it s ever moved from the left hand-drive version. ut then it plays the card that all sang ongs hold value for money orando like the one we had costs nd that s a tremendous amount of x for your money es there are more modern options on the market. But to get hold of the same equipment and capability at that money your options will be thin and more than likely second hand t brings a ve year unlimited mileage warranty to the game too it might be getting towards the end of its lifespan but during its time with us the orando demonstrated that for longer than people might realise there s been more to sang ong that ust letting you get hold of a new car at a knock down price

25/05/2018 22:17

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SOLIHULL CELEBRATES SEVENTY YEARS ON WORLD LAND ROVER DAY IN CASE YOU’VE BEEN living on Mars and hadn’t heard about it, Land Rover celebrated its 70th birthday on 30 April.

To commemorate the occasion, people from all around the globe took part in the festivities for what was somewhat grandly but also accurately dubbed World Land Rover Day. Seventy years to the day after the original prototype Land-Rover (note the hyphen) was revealed at the Amsterdam Motor Show, an event was held at the modernday company’s Classics division in Coventry. It brought together a number of important names in the Land Rover brand, showcased the vehicles that carry the marque and nished with a flourish with a live special broadcast.

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Among the special guests was Phil Bashall – General Manager of the revered Dunsfold Collection, who knows as well as anyone just how special the Land Rover brand is good person then to reflect on standout moments from the last seventy years.

‘The 50th anniversary always stands out, because of the launch of a few new models,’ he said. ‘The 5050 challenge, where a gold 110 did 50 countries in 50 days, was special.

The 50th anniversary year was also the launch of Freelander, and the special anniversary models. Such a lot happened. So 50 always hits me as a key year.’

In previous milestone years, rallies have been organised to celebrate Land Rover and its history. But while there was no rally

this time around, there certainly was a comprehensive convoy of prototype and production vehicles from every era – including the present, as represented by the latest Works V8 Defender.

The line-up highlighted a number of things. It showed the broad variety of vehicles that have been produced by a brand which is often, incorrectly, seen as being fairly onedimensional – as well as highlighting the level of innovation that has led to its incredible growth.

‘Seeing these here now, it’s absolute heaven,’ continued Phil Bashall. ‘Okay, some of the vehicles are just standard everyday Land Rovers, but just muddled in there you see a complete icon – a totally rare vehicle. It’s just eye-watering eye candy!’

In a time when the brand sits as a newly formed market superpower, it is sometimes accused by purists of having forgotten its roots. But the innovation that helped Land Rover become what it was back then is the same innovation that makes it what it is today.

Even though Land Rover is focused on the future, the company is still very strongly invested in its past – as proven by the existence of the Classics department. ‘They’re saving themselves rather than relying on people like us,’ said Bashall. ‘I mean, the whole facility here is mind-blowing. And what they’re doing is superb.

‘Just in this little area here… what have we got ve hundred odd cars? If you wanted to impress anybody, anywhere, just bring them

27/05/2018 21:01

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in here. It’s the world’s biggest unseen museum!’

And it is a great museum. It houses real gems that would raise the hairs on the neck of any motoring enthusiast, be they 4x4 fans or not. The collection is truly special, as it holds the best known and most iconic Landies alongside those that helped them become the icons they are.

After the parade and a tour of the factory came the broadcast.

Hosted by Quentin Willson, the programme commissioned by Land Rover delved into every aspect of the brand, covering the storied past, name-dropped some famous friends and then looked to the future. It was pure hagiography, of course – but on this day of all days, perhaps Land Rover could be allowed to indulge in a little bragging as it reminded the world of what it is that makes the Green Oval so special.

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Land Rover Experience Scotland is getting in on the 70th Anniversary act with an open day on 23 June. Held at its centres at Butterstone Loch and Dunkeld Park, Perthshire, this promising hands-on celebration of all that’s good about vehicles bearing the iconic green oval.

Guests will get the chance to experience trails curated by Land Rover, testing their own vehicles up in the hills and forests surrounding the sites with routes for drivers with various levels of experience.

There will be a host of other activities throughout the day, too, including vehicle tennis, an obstacle course for drivers to test themselves instead of their Landies, and a host of stands showcasing various Land Rover clubs.

With Land Rovers of all shapes and sizes expected at the event, and the opportunity for punters to use them in the sort of terrain they thrive in, it promises to be an authentic, hands-on celebration of the brand that has won so many admirers over the last seventy years.

Tickets for the event are priced at £75 per car. To book your place, pay a visit to www.highlandoffroad.co.uk.

4x4 8pp Scene July AWAITING L200 PICS.indd 79

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JEEPEY JAMBOREE MOVES TO NEW VENUE AFTER TEN YEARS AT TONG

JEEPEY HAS ANNOUNCED that after ten years at Parkwood 4x4 (aka Tong), its annual Jamboree will this year move to a new venue in Yorkshire. The event, due to be held over the weekend of 29 June to 1 July, will take place at Carlton Towers, a 25-acre country estate just north of the junction of the M62 and M18.

As before, the Jamboree will support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity, with a target this year of breaking the £15,000 barrier for total funds raised over the years. Facilities on offer will include camping, toilets and refreshments, including a beer tent and hog roast, and there’ll be driver and winch training provided

by Carlton Towers’ resident 4x4 specialist Ardent Off-Road.

‘We want to make this the main event for owners of Jeeps across the UK,’ says Jeepey. ‘The one event not to miss! Previous Jeepey Jamborees have attracted over seventy Jeeps including the original Willys MB, early CJ7s, Wranglers, Cherokees and, in recent years, the very capable Renegade.’ All vehicles do, however, need to be road-legal, with tax and MOT – and, naturally, they have to be Jeeps!

Day passes for the off-road course are priced at £35 per vehicle, or £60 for the whole weekend, if you book in advance, or £40 per day on the gate. Additional

vehicles are free if left in the designated parking areas, while it’s £5 to enter the Show-and-Shine.

Camping, too, is priced at £5 a night, however there’s no accommodation available in Carlton Towers itself as the venue is hosting a wedding that weekend. Training sessions are also apt to cost extra.

‘Parkwood will always remain close to our hearts,’ commented Jeepey organiser Mike Bonner.

‘But we feel the uniqueness of our Jamboree charity event has been diluted by the other Jeep clubs

organising their own events at the same venue.

‘I would like to put on record our thanks to Parkwood and the management team for their support over the last ten years. This has helped us to raise over £13,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.’

Jeepey as a club will continue to attend Parkwood’s own driving days, so members needn’t fear losing their x of ong action n the meantime you can nd out more about the Jamboree by visiting club. jeepey.com.

Fresh warnings for 4x4 drivers visiting Portugal this summer LAST SUMMER people were killed by wild res in ortugal t the time our correspondent eter eaver reported that this was leading to greater restrictions on x access with extremely heavy nes for breaking the rules on in particular wild camping and the use of res for cooking Now, Peter has been back in touch with an update on the situation. ’The Portuguese authorities have reviewed and condidedably strengthened the regulations relating to re prevention he says which includes restricting off road access especially in forested areas. This year we can expect greater enforcement action, with the penalties for infringement increased signi cantly ‘Before committing to travel and accommodation costs, readers considering an offroad trip through Portugal should view the Safe Communities Portugal website at www. safecommunitiesportugal.com and click on Civil Protection for the latest information, which is available in English. Furthermore, they should note that the end of what is termed the ritical ire eriod in ortugal is no longer a xed date t can be amended at short notice if conditions dictate – as happened in the autumn of last year where it was extended to mid-October owing to the lack of rainfall.

‘This all sounds very restrictive, but the prime purpose is to keep the local population safe and prevent further disasters.’

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OFF-ROAD SCENE

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WELSH GATHERING AIMS TO BE BRITAIN’S BIGGEST OFF-ROAD EVENT FOR L200 OWNERS

GOT A MITSUBISHI L200?

Then you need to know about the L200 Big Camp Weekend 2018, organised by L200 Owners UK and scheduled to take place at Pay and Play 4x4 North Wales’ Cyfannedd Woods site on 25-26 August.

While the site contains plenty of serious off-road terrain, the club is keen to stress that the event is for absolutely anybody with an L200.

‘This is intended to be a social occasion for all L200 owners,’ it says, ‘whether you have a standard or modi ed truck he site is a

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600-acre forestry location with lots of green lane style trails and tracks for you to explore, including plenty of places you can go in totally standard vehicles.

‘Please don’t be put off thinking you won’t be able to do anything in your standard truck. We will have some more experienced volunteer drivers who will be happy to take groups around and show you how to get the most out of your L200, so it really is a chance for you to try things out safely without the risk of damaging

anything. And for the more adventurous, there are lots of deep muddy tracks for you to explore and get stuck in!’

The event is a club weekend and nothing more, with trading strictly forbidden t s de nitely going to be a case of everyone mucking in, too – there’s going to be a barbecue on the Saturday night, and everyone is asked to bring along food, BBQ equipment, gazebos and what have you. The same goes for things like generators rst aid e uipment and re extinguishers Camping will be accommodated in several large elds and there ll be basic facilities to go with it. If you want a proper campsite, there’s one a couple of miles away, and if enough people show an interest in it there’s also the option of staying in a nearby hostel.

Prices for the event will be a pleasingly modest £30 for the day and £5 a night per person for camping. These prices might come down if the attendance is high enough, however. ‘We have space for unlimited numbers,’ say the organisers. ‘So we would really like to encourage as many people as possible to come along and make this the biggest L200 meeting possible!’

Want to be part of it? You’ll need two things rst an and second, to be a member of the L200 Owners or L200 Owners Club groups on Facebook.

Assuming you’ve already ticked the rst box the second shouldn t be too much of a chore. And you won’t get a lot more action for your money at any other off-road event, whatever you drive.

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ROLLS AND BREAKAGES APLENTY AT ROUND 2 OF ODYSSEY CHALLENGE

Words: Pip Evans Pics: Pawel Frackowiak

ROUND 2 OF THE ODYSSEY Batteries Winch Challenge Series was due to be held at Barnwell, near Oundle. But this site forms part of the oodplain for the river ene and heavy rains in the run up to the event had left most of it under water.

The decision to relocate was left until just a week before the event in the hope that the ground would have enough time to dry out. But it just wasn’t to be. hat s why after a lot of frantic phone calls, the competitors found themselves heading back to eekley oods which was still fresh from hosting Round 1.

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ortunately eekley oods is a huge site. Thus the punches for Round 2 were able to be set up in a totally different area meaning the event was nothing like ound 1. Good news, as once again there was a bumper turnout. he event was sponsored by Hybrid x which is run by uncan mith a driver who regularly commands the top step of the podium at challenge events all over the He knows a thing or two about x s especially at the extreme end of things though the iggleswade based company can do everything from servicing a family car to supplying all the kit you need

or even building a full spec bespoke challenge truck. ound had been a wet slippery affair but eekley oods steep banks dry out uickly and this time there was plenty of grip for

the trucks huge knobbly tyres This brings with it a whole different driving style hen winching in the wet, a truck will tend to slip and slide: introduce a bit of grip, and the sliding stops but the momentum

4x4 27/05/2018 21:02

OFF-ROAD SCENE

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OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

Pay-and-play events 9-10 June

1 July

Burnham Off-Roaders

Muddy Bottom

Tring, Hertfordshire

Minstead, Hampshire

10 June

Picadilly Wood Bolney,West Sussex

4x4 Without a Club

Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

17 June

doesn’t, thus causing a higher likelihood of going over. And sure enough, there were rolls aplenty at Round 2.

Over the years in which the Odyssey series has been running, the abilities of challenge trucks and their crews have advanced considerably. As a result, setting out courses which test their abilities gets ever tougher. For this one, the organisers used up six full rolls of cordon tape (that’s three kilometres of the stuff) in order to make access to the punches nigh on impossible for all but the most capable of competitors. As per ound all fty punches were set out in a very tight area, thus making it a superb spectator spectacle with thrills and spills aplenty.

As usual, the extreme nature of the sport leads to many breakages.

Driving and winching skill matter, f course, but ultimately it’s the better prepared and maintained trucks that tend to win the prizes.

Having said that, Stu McClurg’s truck is very well prepared – but his season has de nitely not got off to the best of starts. He has

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swapped his axles to hugely strong Dana 60s for this campaign, and these worked well – but instead he had transfer case issues, which forced an early retirement.

Mathew Kimbley blew a CV joint, but fellow competitor Steve Grant lent him a spare to get him back in the game. He then needed to replace a fuel lift pump (who on earth carries this stuff as spares?), but an overheating engine followed by a blown hose forced his retirement. Zac Dambrauskas also had to retire with an overheating problem, but in his case this was caused when a roll pushed the vehicle’s fan through its radiator.

Chris Booth, meanwhile, arrived on site missing a winchman! Sam Webster gamely stepped up to the plate, however Chris’ woes continued with a broken CV plus further niggles with his auto box – which had already forced his retirement from Round 1.

Ironically, for once sponsor Duncan Smith wasn’t leading the eld with electrical issues causing him delays. Dean Gallagher also

8 July 4x4 Without a Club Harbour Hill,West Berkshire

Devil’s Pit Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Avalanche Adventure Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

Parkwood 4x4

Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Slindon Safari

Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

15 July

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

23 June Kirton Off Road Centre Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

24 June Cowm Leisure Whitworth, Lancashire

Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Protrax Yarwell, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

Tong, Bradford Fontwell,West Sussex

Explore Off Road Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Hilll N Ditch Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Muddy Bottom Minstead, Hampshire

Mud Monsters East Grinstead,West Sussex Whaddon 4x4 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

21-22 July Burnham Off Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire

22 July Frickley 4x4 Frickley, South Yorkshire

Protrax Yarwell, Northamptonshire

Slindon Safari Fontwell,West Sussex

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reported a broken CV and some winch issues, which forced an early exit for him.

About 90% of challenge trucks these days are caged specials with only a passing resemblance to what would once have been a road going vehicle. However James Mathews, a newcomer to Odyssey events, had entered a full-bodied Land Rover 90, putting him at a disadvantage from the start.

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The vehicle’s weight alone was a handicap. He broke something in the rear axle which left him with one wheel drive, then broke his rear winch – but valiantly struggled on all day. His gargantuan efforts were reported to organisers by several marshals.

There was no planned ‘Spirit of the Event’ award but Hybrid 4x4 and a representative from Damar Webbing Solutions gathered a few

things together to give an award to James and his winchman Colin Worsley in recognition of their efforts on the day.

Despite the many breakdowns, a handful of competitors actually managed a day free of rolls and faults. Tom Hirons and Tom Wilson were the rst of only two teams to ll one punch card and get on to a second, giving them top spot in Class 3 on 9432 points.

Matt Bain and David Burton were the only other team to get on to a second card, and they too had a fault-free day to end up second on 7754 points. Third went to Steve Grant with Joe Hood, who were not far behind on 7188.

In Class 2, Ben Mark and Chris utcliffe managed their rst roll in eight years of competing in the Odyssey series. The incident caused a broken a spigot in their cooling system’s header tank but, using a drill borrowed from a fellow competitor, they managed to x it and record yet another class win with 5478 points. Siobhan Cook with Ed Cobley put in a solid, controlled performance to take second spot on 3991 points, keeping it steady so as not to put any stress on their truck – an approach which netted Siobhan her highest podium position so far. 3rd place went to Johnny and Tracey Johnson on 3105 points.

Class 1 honours went to Zac Dambrauskas and Marc Johnson their rst win secured in spite of an early retirement when the aforementioned roll destroyed their radiator. They netted 3356 points.

Second went to Hugh Gascoyne and Brad Johnstone on 2586, closely followed by Mathew Kimbley with David Minne in 3rd place on 2491.

Duncan’s wife Sam was on hand to give out all the Hybrid 4x4 goodie packs at the end of the event, which several competitors said was one of the toughest yet in the history of the Odyssey series. A series which now has its own Facebook page – where you can keep up to date with what’s happening in what must now be the UK’s pre-eminent championship for extreme off-roaders.

4x4 27/05/2018 21:02

OVERLOADING IS COMMON

YOUR INSURANCE COULD BE INVALID IF YOU’RE OVERLOADED

– What would your thoughts be if you were told your vehicle, trailer and everything carried on it and in it were not insured?

Scary thought isn’t it, but of all the vehicles stopped and checked by DVSA (2015-2016), over 80% were found to be overloaded and/or exceeding the driver’s licence entitlement.

When was the last time you checked your vehicle weights?

If you knew there was an inexpensive option to avoid your overloading problems, would you be interested?

For over 20 years, SvTech have covered GVW rerating on vehicles, from small sub 3.5t vehicles all the way up to 150t Special Types vehicles.

SvTech can uprate the GVW of most 4x4’s and in some cases also increase the towing allowances. e.g. Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max – GVW increase to 3500kg + GTW of 3500kg (7000kg combined) A GVW uprate can increase your payload allowance thus reducing the size and number of vehicles involved for transporting your goods.

Try using SvTech’s free Load Distribution Analysis program to check your weights. www.svtech.co.uk/lda

GVW AND TOWING ALLOWANCES AFFECTED

HAVE YOU WEIGHED YOUR VEHICLE? DO IT NOW BEFORE THE DVSA DO!

WE CAN HELP. WE ARE THE UK’S LEADING RE-RATING SPECIALIST SVTECH LTD Chandler House, Talbot Road, Leyland Lancs. PR25 2ZF www.svtech.co.uk webenquiries@svtech.co.uk

01772 621800

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Overland Travel

OFF-ROAD CALENDAR

10-16 June

22 July

2-15 September

3-16 October

Landtreks East Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

Atlas Overland Morocco

Trailmasters Morocco Draa Valley

15 June

22-28 July

8-16 September

11 October

Peru Safari Peru

Landtreks Pyrenees

UK Landrover Events Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

16 June

27 July – 10 August

8-29 September

14 October –1 Nov

Compass Adventures Corsica

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Protrax Iceland

Protrax Morocco

25 June – 7 July

30 July – 5 August

9-15 September

25 Oct – 7 Nov

Landtreks Pyrenees

Landtreks Pyrenees

Landtreks Pyrenees

Trailmasters Morocco Atlantic Sahara

29 June – 15 July

2-16 August

15-26 September

27 October

Atlas Overland Sacndinavia

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Onelife Adventure Bulgaria

Peru Safari Peru

5-19 July

4-18 August

16-29 September

28 October –15 Nov

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Italian Alps

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

Protrax Morocco

13-27 July

16-27 August

16-30 September

15 November

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Onelife Adventure Spain

Atlas Overland Morocco

Peru Safari Peru

14 July

18-29 August

17 September

17 Nov – 2 Dec

Compass Adventures Corsica

Landtreks Portugal

Peru Safari Peru

Onelife Adventure Morocco

14-29 July

24 August – 4 Sept

24-30 September

3 December

Onelife Adventure Iceland

Trailmasters Morocco

Landtreks Pyrenees

Peru Safari Peru

17 July – 31 August

25 August

1-14 October

April 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Compass Adventures Corsica

Atlas Overland Morocco

Venture 4x4 Iceland

19 July – 2 August

25 Aug – 8 Sept

2-7 October

19 April – 3 May 2019

Venture 4x4 Iceland

Atlas Overland Portugal

Landtreks Pyrenees

Trailmasters Morocco Marrakesh Classic

88 | JULY 2018

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28/07/2017 14:34

EVERY MONTH IN 4x4

7004

GREEN LANE G Step-by-step routes on Britain’s unsurfaced rights of way • Four a

USING THESE GUIDES Our routes use a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced roads. The tracks we use are public rights of way, either Byways Open to ll raf c or nclassi ed ounty Roads, all of them commonly referred to as green lanes.

NAVIGATION We’ve tried to keep our notes as clear as possible. It may be that they sound confusing at rst but when you’re out on the trails with the junctions coming and going, they should all make sense.

We try to include instructions only where you need them. That means junctions at which you have to make a turning or don’t have right of way. So just stay on the main road/track or take the most straight-ahead option unless we tell you otherwise. ur notes include six gure grid references ou ll nd a guide to using these inany OS map. Our aim is for you to be able to do the route without maps, but we do recommend having them.

SAFETY We’ve included notes with each route on how suitable it is, and areas where you need to take care. These are just guidelines, however. We’ll warn you of any ha ards or dif cult sections but the nature of any green lane can change quickly. Wet weather can make a huge difference to the

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conditions, and what’s wide open in winter can be tightly enclosed and scratchy in summer. The responsibility is yours!

The routes are designed to be safe to drive in a solo vehicle, and most are suitable for standard 4x4s on road tyres. We do recommend travelling in tandem wherever possible, however (though long convoys should be avoided as they can make life hard for other users). The risk of getting stuck can be greater than it appears – and if you break down, having help at hand can make the difference between it being inconvenient and dangerous.

Where our notes mention the routes’ suitability for soft-roaders, we’re referring to vehicles like the reelander and rail rossovers and car-derived vehicles are excellent on smoother tracks but will ground out too easily to be of real use for green laning.

RESPONSIBILITY Irresponsible driving is a massive problem on green lanes. In particular, you must always stay on the right of way. Never drive off it to ‘play’ on the verges or surrounding land, even if you can see that someone else has; it’s both illegal and tremendously damaging, both to the land and to 4x4 drivers’ reputation.

The fact that you can see where it’s happened shows how much harm it does. It’s no excuse to say you’re just following where another driver has already been.

Most green laners have taken to confronting anyone they see behaving like this, or videoing them and passing the evidence to the police, which shows how much anger there is towards the criminal element. If you want to ‘play,’ go to a playday site.

Elsewhere, simple common sense and courtesy should be your watchword. The do-and-don’t list below should always be in your mind, but keep your speed down, be ready to pull over for others and make it your aim to show the world that 4x4 drivers aren’t the hooligans they think we are.

ANTIS Anti-4x4 bigotry is less common than you’d think. By and large, it’s limited to organisations who want the countryside all to themselves.

These organisations are beyond being reasoned with, but it’s rare to encounter real hostility even from their rank and le members If you’re friendly towards the people the vast majority will respond in kind. There are always bad apples, but no more so than anywhere else.

Likewise, most local residents will accept your presence if you’re driving sensibly. What suspicion you do encounter is likely to be from people worried that you’re there to steal from them, so be ready to offer some reassurance.

This is particularly true if yours is a standard-looking Japanese vehicle.

It only takes one vandal to tarnish a person’s view of all 4x4

drivers, and once the damage is done it tends to be permanent.

But if enough of us resolve to be ambassadors for the hobby we love, it might make a difference to the way we’re perceived by society in general.

DO’S & DON’TS • Keep your speed right down • Pull over to let walkers, bikers and horse riders pass • Don’t travel in large convoys: split into smaller groups to avoid hassling others • Leave gates as you found them • Don’t drop litter • Don’t go back to drive the fun bits, such as mud or fords, again • Scrupulously obey all closure and voluntary restraint notices • Don’t cause a noise nuisance, particularly after dark • Ensure you have a right to be there. We research our routes very carefully, but the status of any lane can change without notice • Be prepared to turn back if the route is blocked, even illegally • f you nd an illegal obstruction notify the local authority • If someone challenges you, be rm but polite tay calm and don t get into a slagging match • Stick absolutely scrupulously to the right of way • You have as much of a right to be there as everyone else. Which of course means they have as much right as you • Harrassing a legitimate right of way user is a criminal offence. Just so’s you know…

4x4 25/05/2018 22:11

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E GUIDES

our a month, helping you explore the whole country in your 4x4

THIS MONTH 94

South Gloucestershire

98

North-East Wales

Avening to Winstone

Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog to Llansilin

102 North-East Hampshire

Southrope to North Warnborough

104 Derbyshire Dales

Great Hucklow to Hartington

4x4 14pp Lane Guides July.indd 93

23.0 miles

3-4 hours

22.2 miles

3-4 hours

12.8 miles

1-2 hours

45.9 miles

4-5 hours JULY 2018 | 93

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE A mixture of gently unulating and sharply steep landscapes criss-crossed by lanes which are at times quite uneven and potentially very scratchy

ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Avening to Winstone 23.0 miles; 3-4 hours Landranger 162 (Gloucester and Forest of Dean) Landranger 163 (Cheltenham and Cirencester)

This route includes some very easy farm tracks, but it also uses a number of old woodland byways which can be very scratchy – and, in places, prone to getting rutted.There are some steep hills, too, including one leading up to a road junction that’s completely blind, as well as a right of way which could turn into a river after a lot of rain. All-terrain tyres are preferable, and good sense is essential in wet conditions, • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 92

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1

28/07/2017 0.0 ST 880 980 Start in Avening, outside the Bell pub on the corner of High Street and New Inn Lane. Zero your trip with the pub to your right and set off up the hill. At 0.2 miles, as the main road swings hard right and back on itself, turn left then immediately right on to a much smaller road, keeping the Queen Matilda pub to your left

2

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0.5 ST 887 976 Turn left on to the track. Follow it round to the left in front of the farm buildings at 0.6 miles, then at 0.7 turn as hard right as possible on to another track. At 1.3 miles, turn left at the T-junction with the road

3

1.75 Turn left at the T-junction for Cherington then stick to the main road through the village at 2.65 miles. Turn left for Hazelton and Rodmarton at 3.65 miles

4

4.65 ST 930 975 Follow the road as it swings hard right then, as it swings immediately hard left again, turn left on to the track. It’s quite enclosed in places, and can get lumpy underfoot. At 5.45 miles, continue over the crossroads on to the track ahead

5

6.05 ST 940 996 Turn left at the T-junction with the road (it’s on a corner, so you’re going more or less straight on), then after maybe 50 yards take the track in front of you as the road swings hard left.

Be warned – it’ll get scratchy further ahead. At 7.55 miles, take the left fork as you approach the T-junction then turn right, taking extreme care as visibility is terrible and it’s a fast A-road

6

7.6 SO 946 019 Turn left on a track shortly after the end of Step 5. Turn right at the T-junction with the road at 8.05 miles, then left at the staggered crossroads at 8.15 for Edgeworth and Bisley

7

8.95 SO 939 033 As the road starts to swing right, turn left on to a track. It’s immediately after the ‘single track road’ sign on the left, opposite a big house.

In wet conditions, this lane could be a stream bed; there’s a ford at 9.15 and a rutted section at 9.45, but treat the whole thing with caution

8 9

4x4 14pp Lane Guides July.indd 95

9.55 Turn right on the track over the bridge. This becomes a road at 9.65 as you climb a steep hill and swing left past a house – watch out for kids here. At 9.95, turn left at the T-junction 10.15 Turn left at the T-junction with a house and track directly in front of you, following the sign for Oakridge Lynch, Bisley and Stroud. Turn right for Bisley and Stroud at the crossroads at 10.85 miles, then right again for Cheltenham, Birdlip and Stroud at the T-junction at 11.85

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SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Left: The lane at Step 4 gets enclosed pretty quickly. It’s mainly soft stuff – but there’s some proper scratching too Centre: The woodland track at Step 7 is lovely, but at times it might turn into a stream bed Right: The tracks between Steps 11 and 13 take you through a very well kept estate. Even here, however, you can find yourself rubbing up against scratchy vegetation in places

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28/07/2017 12.25 Bear gently right in the village, to the right of the war memorial opposite the Stirrup Cup pub. At 13.25 miles, carry on straight ahead at the crossroads – this is at the top of a very steep hill with next to no visibility in any direction. Turn right at the T-junction at 13.35, then turn square right at 13.65

14:34

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13.95 SO 920 078 As the road swings left, turn right on to a track. Dead slow past the houses at 14.85, then at 15.15 follow the main track round to the right

1 2

15.25 Carry straight on after the cattle grid shortly after the house, ignoring the track on the left. At 15.35 miles, as the track you’re on starts to swing right at the top of the hill, turn left over your shoulder just after another cattle grid

1 3

15.85 Join the larger track at the top of the hill, swinging round to the right as you do so. Ignore the various small tracks to the left and right on the way through the woods, then at 16.55 miles turn left at the crossroads for Miserden and hiteway t take the rst of the roads to the right, back over your shoulder for Winstone

1 4

19.05 SO 949 080 As the road swings left at the bottom of the valley, turn half-right through the gate on to the track up the hill. Follow the obvious main track with the stony surface

1 5

19.2 Follow the main track round to the left where it forks, ignoring the one ahead. Shortly after this, the track splits again; this time fork right, heading up the hill. After the stone gateposts at the track becomes a eld road

1 6

19.65 At the crossroads, carry on across the road and take the track ahead. This one gets scratchy in places. Turn left, very sharply back over your shoulder, at the T-junction at 20.25 miles – don’t wreck the grass by cutting the corner. After the last house on the left at 20.3, the road turns into a track

1 7

20.6 At the crossroads with another track, carry on straight ahead – not on to the big farm track to the left of the trees, but on to the tighter track within the tree line. The track becomes a road as you pass the houses on the left at 21.1 miles, then at 21.2 turn right at the T-junction

1 8

21.6 SO 956 095 Just after coming into Winstone, as the road swings hard right, take the road ahead – it quickly turns into a track. Turn right at the crossroads at 22.55, then at 23.0 turn left and arrive at the Highwayman pub for the end of the route

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NORTH-EAST WALES A satisfying combination of classic Welsh laning with some less well known rights of way

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0.0 SJ 157 328 28/07/2017 Start at the crossroads in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, with the Hand Inn in front of you to the right. Zero your trip at the give way sign and turn left for Glyn Ceiriog, then at 0.1, as the main road swings right, take the narrow road ahead up the hill

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0.55 SJ 167 335 Follow the track ahead as a road comes in from the right. Stick to the main track, which gets very uneven at about 0.75 miles

3

2.95 Extreme caution: there’s a series of off-camber rock steps leaning you towards a dangerous drop-off to the left. Keep your speed right down.

Continue ahead when you meet the road at 3.05, then at 3.2 turn right at the T-junction. At 5.65, turn right at another T-junction – it’s blind, and very tight indeed back over your shoulder

4

7.05 SJ 195 354 Fork gently left on the small road immediately before the sign ahead for Llanarmon. Stay on the road after the bridge at 7.25, then after the house at 7.4 it becomes a track. Ignore the rst track out to the left at miles then take the second one shortly after it.

5

8.45 Turn left at the T-junction with a track then instantly left again at another T-junction, this time with a road. Turn right for Sellatyn at 9.25

6

10.2 SJ 219 351 Turn left at the crossroads with a track. The surface changes to tarmac at about 10.5 miles, then at 11.1 turn right at the T-junction. Caution here – it’s a steep drop down to the road, and it’s blind on your right

7

13.1 Just after the buildings on your right, turn sharply right over your shoulder

8 ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog to Llansilin 22.2 miles; 3-4 hours Landranger 125 (Bala and Lake Vyrnwy) Landranger 126 (Shrewsbury and Oswestry)

Much of this route is quite tame, but here and there you’ll encounter bits of driving which are tricky and technical – and in one case especially dangerous if you come at it too fast. Low box is very highly recommended, and good ground clearance is necessary, but gnarly tread is less important than a tall tyre. Avoid these lanes in icy or foggy weather, and be aware that on one in particular, there are locals who very much wish it wasn’t a right of way for motor vehicles.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 92

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14.85 SJ 219 351 Turn left at the crossroads with a track. After the gate at 15.1 miles, follow the track as it hugs the fence line to your left, then at 15.65 turn left and immediately right to cross the road and continue on the track dead ahead. Follow the main track through the gate at 15.8

9

16.7 Turn left at the crossroads with another track ou might have to wade through a flood just before this – there’s no need to skirt round it because the surface under the water is rm The track becomes a road at 18.05 miles

9

18.45 Turn right at the T-junction with the main road and follow it to Llansilin. Towards the far end of the village, at 22.2 miles, arrive at the Wynnstay Inn for the end of the route

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NORTH-EAST HAMPSHIRE You’re never far from habitation in this part of England, but there are still plenty of quiet rural backwaters to explore

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ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Southrope to North Warnborough 12.8 miles; 1-2 hours Landranger 185 (Winchester and Basingstoke) Landranger 186 (Aldershot and Guildford)

1

0.0 SU 671 447 28/07/2017 Start outside the Fur and Feathers, just off the A339 in Southrope. Zero your trip with the pub to your left and set off north, then at 0.5 turn right at the crossroads for Upton Grey

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1.55 SU 685 464 Turn left on the track opposite the big house – it’s immediately before a warning sign for pedestrians on the left. Turn left at the road junction at 1.95, which means going straight ahead

None of the tracks on this route should trouble a competent 4x4, though some are likely to be scratchy – and one has a history of low-level harassment in the form of illegal signs and makeshift obstructions. n every case, the most li ely traffic you’ll encounter will be a ricultural however this chan es when you et to the ford at the end of the route, which is an a very popular area with wal ers and, in hot weather, is li ely to have ids playin in it.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 92

3

2.95 Straight on at the junction that’s shaped like a crossroads. At 3.25 miles, turn right as the road swings left

4

3.95 SU 682 500 Turn right on a track next to a house whose drive meets the road at the same point. It’s well hidden by trees as you approach. Emerge from to run alongside the eld edge at then stay to the left of the hedge where the track splits at

5

4.85 Turn right at the sort-of crossroads in the clearing, then follow the track straight ahead at 5.2 and 5.7 miles, ignoring others out to the right – after the latter, it becomes narrower. Turn left at the T-junction with the road at 5.95, then left again for S. Warnborough and Odiham at 6.95

6

8.2 SU 712 497 As the road starts to swing right, turn left on to a track. It gets overgrown in the summer.

Continue across the road at 8.6 and on to another track – visibility is terrible as you emerge

7

9.2 Turn tightly back over your shoulder to the right at a ve ways unction of lanes he track becomes a road at 10.1 miles, then turn right at a very gently angled T-junction at 10.3

8 9

10.9 Turn right for N. Warnborough and Odiham.

At 11.5 miles, turn left at the T-junction, again for N. Warnborough and Odiham, then take it very gently through the village 11.9 SU 730 515 Turn left at a crossroads, opposite Burlingham Grange on the right. At 12.2 miles, you’ll come to a big, wide ford – it’s very, very popular with walkers, and in good weather you’ll likely encounter kids playing in it. There’s another, shorter but deeper ford straight afterwards; follow the road round to the right as you exit, then take the left fork at 12.6 miles followed almost immediately by another left at the T-junction among the houses

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12.6 Turn left then take the second exit at the roundabout and follow the dead-end road to the Derby Inn at 12.8 miles for the end of the route

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DERBYSHIRE DALES Mainly easy, non-damaging rights of way amid the beautiful landscapes on the southern edge of the Peak District

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ROUTE GUIDE ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

1

0.0 SK 177 778 28/07/2017 Start outside the Queen Anne pub in Great Hucklow. Zero your trip with the pub on your right and set off heading east, then at 0.05 miles turn right immediately after the little chapel on the right. Turn left for Foolow and Eyam at the crossroads at 0.35 miles, then at 1.45 turn right opposite the Bull’s Head Inn

Great Hucklow to Hartington 45.9 miles; 4-5 hours andranger uxton and atlock

Mainly wide, stony tracks with plenty of traction for all. A few uneven bits but in the main, any 4x4 should tackle it with ease – though on larger, shinier vehicles mild scratching may be a concern here and there.

You’re bound to meet other users, particularly walkers, and there’s one long section of road liaison halfway through. As always, be particularly wary of other traffic and assume it’ll be oin way too fast.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 92

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1.95 SK 195 761 Turn left on to the track immediately before the junction with a major road. It’s narrow in places. You’re back on tarmac at about 3.15 miles

3

3.35 Turn sharply right over your shoulder at the T-junction. At 3.5, turn left on to Hawkhill Road

4

3.65 SK 216 768 Turn left on the no-through road as the main one swings right. It turns into a track at 3.8 miles and twists its way up the hill. When you reach the T-junction with the road at 4.05, turn left

5

4.55 SK 209 777 As the road swings hard left, turn right on a track. This one’s very popular with dog walkers. Turn right, back over your shoulder, at the T-junction with the road at 5.45, then turn left at the T-junction in the village at 6.75. Follow to the T-junction at 7.05 miles and turn right

6

7.45 Turn left at the T-junction with the A623. At the major roundabout at 10.95 miles in Baslow, take the rst exit on the for hester eld Stay on the A619 over another roundabout then nally turn right for eeley opposite the house on the left at miles it s the rst proper junction after the Premier Inn on the right

7

16.45 Turn right at the T-junction for Beeley and Darley Dale. At 17.95 miles, turn left at the T-junction then at 18.55, turn sharply right over your shoulder for Rowsley

8 9

19.05 SK 295 666 Turn right at the crossroads on to the track.

At 19.5 miles, turn left at another crossroads, this time on to a road 21.25 SK 287 680 As the road swings left, turn right on to the track. Follow it round to the left at 21.6 miles, then at about 22.5 it turns into a road. Follow to 22.95 then turn right at the T-junction, crossing the bridge and entering the hatsworth Estate

1 0

23.45 SK 251 700 Start slowing and signalling when you see the village church and gatehouse, then turn left across the cattle grid through the blue gates. At about 23.85 miles, continue straight ahead as the road gives way to a track, then at 24.55 turn left at the T-junction with the road

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DERBYSHIRE DALES

Left: The lane at Step 5 is good at collecting surface water. It’s also good at collecting walkers, so watch out Centre: The signs in Edensor village are very posh and polite, but no less wrong for it Right: Fork left round the side of the house at Step 18 – it looks for all the world like a driveway. Obviously, it’s your responsibility to keep your speed to a crawl and make no more noise than you can help

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28/07/2017 25.35 SK 225 697 Turn right on to the track between the trees on the outside of a sharp hairpin in the road. Turn right at the T-junction with another track at 25.55, then left at the T-junction with a road at 25.65 and follow it into Bakewell

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26.75 Turn left at the roundabout on the A6 for Matlock. Follow this out of town then turn right at 28.95 miles on the B5056 for Ashbourne.

Fork left over the river as the main road starts to swing right at 29.9, then at 31.1 fork left for Birchover. Follow into the village and turn right at 31.85 miles on Uppertown Lane

1 3

32.15 SK 239 617 As you pass between the farm buildings, turn left on to a track with an unsuitable for motors sign t s well de ned but can be wet in places, and there’s a section with a big drop-off to the right. Turn right at the T-junction with the road at 33.4 miles, then again at another T-junction at 33.85

1 4

34.1 Turn right on a larger road at the T-junction in the hamlet. Follow it through Wensley and into Winster, then at 36.85 turn right on West Bank. When you reach the angled T-junction at 37.15, turn left then immediately right again

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38.45 Turn left at the crossroads for Aldwark.

Continue ahead across the main road at 38.75 miles, taking care as you do so and looking out for overtaking traf c coming your way at break neck speed on the wrong side of the road

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39.45 SK 216 580 As the road swings hard left, turn right on to the track. At 40.7 miles, continue ahead over the road and on to another track. Turn left at the T-junction with the road at 41.15, then after a couple of hundred yards take the rst proper road on the left

1 7

42.1 SK 193 577 Turn right on the track opposite a road on the left. Take the track ahead at 42.55, ignoring the fork to the left, then follow it to the road junction at 44.0 miles. Take the road ahead here – extreme caution is necessary, as it’s a dog-leg right on the way across a fast main road

1 8

44.9 SK 147 595 Turn right at the T-junction then, more or less still on the same corner, fork left around the side of the house on to a track – it’ll look like a driveway at rst ollow the track ahead at 45.1 miles, ignoring the one off to the left

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45.9 Turn right at the T-junction with the road and follow into Hartington village for the end of the route

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