THE FIAT UNO TOUR CAR NEWSLETTER
©Johan du Toit
MARCH 2019
Issue No: 5
FEEDBACK FROM NEWSLETTER No: 4.............. Once again, I'm real pleased with the comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the trip report and many guessed right! Someone wrote: “Hey, you never went anywhere, that was a good report from a previous tour! But on the other hand, the hubcaps on your car looked different to the original trip.... So I'm confused!” Ok, that was a good comment and I'm a hobby photographer! All photographers have the latest software to edit photos and YES, the photos in the newsletter was edited... such as the hubcaps! And on closer look, the tow bar as well! The video of the tour had a lot of content that I covered in my newsletters and is still very relevant! TOUR PLANNING
Route map from Ladismith to Noordoewer. On all my previous tours, I rested at home and went for the border as a overnight drive... Nothing like driving the quite roads with a full moon night! There is a very nice campsite at Hardeveld Lodge.
This time of the year I start planning for my “Long Tour”. Usually long tour is in March, but this year I decided to go in April. During March of this year I need to go to Cape Town and have to stay over in CT. I will use this opportunity to cover a short tour. LONG TOUR: ORANGE RIVER NAMIBIA In 2017 I did a few days at Bushwacked camp, South Afican side and after returning from Luderitz, a few days Namibian side. The shortest route from Ladismith to Noordower is via the N7 route. I'm still not sure if I'll do only Namibia side or Bushwacked again. It is just awesome places but all depends on the best rate.
I have stayed there before coming back from Namibia. That is in fact my idea to stay over on the return trip but may work for the up-run as well. It all depends on the timing... and driver fatigue! With my tour car, stealth is also a option!
THE FIAT UNO TOUR CAR NEWSLETTER
©Johan du Toit
MARCH 2019
Issue No: 5
THE TOUR BUDGET Part of planning a tour is working out the tour budget. From experience My budget planning formulas worked quite well! The Petrol budget.... On average a safe formula is R1 for every kilometer. With this tour, my destination is about 850 kilo's. The return trip another 850 kilo's. I can now safely calculate my petrol cost as R1700.
Photo: Hardeveld Lodge Bitterfontein on the N7. The objective of the tour is photo opportunities at the Orange River. I suppose most people go there for some river adventure but that's my interest.
Remember, the petrol cost is irrelevant to the amount of tour days... meaning if I stay 4 days or 14 days, the petrol cost is covered. Camping Cost.... On average I work a campsite at R100 per night for 1 person. With my tour car, I can on the major route do 3 nights “Stealth” camping at safe places. While on the photo shoot I can add two more stealth camping options at river farms with the permission of property owners to obtain night shots for the gallery collection. Should I make the tour 10 nights out, 5 of those can be “free” and 5 nights at R100 p/n total a camping budget of R500.
River Camp Namibian side 2017 Motorcycle Tour. The river forms the SA/ Namibian border with the Richtersveld on the South African side. The river makes for awesome photos around every corner! My goal would be to capture the different river scenes for a gallery collection.
Food cost... Many people make the mistake to calculate for meals. On a tour you eat the same food as when at home! Effectively, when you calculate for food, you chase up your tour budget! What you can do is to calculate for extras as far as food. At home you may have 1 BBQ at home whereas on tour you might BBQ 4 times a week. Remember when leaving home I have my food container packed for 10 days. On a tour I like to eat at restaurants on route or at campsites. My proven formula to calculate for food extras is R100 per tour day. Meaning... R1000. ADDING UP THE TOUR COST... 10 NIGHTS OUT. Petrol................. R 1700 Camping...............R 500 Food....................R 1000
Photo from my 2017 Gallery collection.
ESTIMATED TOUR TOTAL...... R 3200 (Minimum)
THE FIAT UNO TOUR CAR NEWSLETTER
©Johan du Toit
EMERGENCY FUND. Should you calculate your tour on the absolute minimum, you might have a disaster tour! Any car might brake down... To mention something simple, you can loose a tyre and to replace that... R350... and then fitment cost whatever. You may have to book into an expensive campsite due to driver fatigue! My formula is to round off the Tour fund. In this case I budget for R 5000 meaning should I stay with the estimated minimum of R 3200, the EMERGENCY FUND is R 1800. The idea is to travel and tour with discipline and the objective would be to return home with as much of that R1800 as possible. BORDER CROSSING. On my previous write-ups about my motorcycle tours, I covered the preparation phase of a Namibian tour. It is essential to have a passport! I do a vehicle clearance here at home to make things easier! Its not as simple as that! On crossing a border you have know what counters to visit.
MARCH 2019
Issue No: 5
meat-board counter and should you have any... It may be confiscated! Then you clear at the SAP counter with vehicle registration. N the South African side, a little counter “form” are stamped as you go along. Finally you'll exit through a SAP road block. Enter Namibia. This is very important! Skipping one little step can turn your tour into a disaster! First counter, visit immigration and stamp into Namibia. Your tour VISA will be stamped into your passport. Immigration will also enter the vehicle detail to the system. You have to supply the contact detail of someone by name and telephone number of your destination! The next counter in customs and you need to declare again! Again take note... of meat products and alcohol. Very important... Go to the Namibian Road fund counter and pay your road-fund fee. This is the Namibian “toll -road” use, if I can call it that! Don't loose that little slip! I usually stick that into my car window above my car licence disk! Namibia have many road blocks and if unable to produce that slip, I can promise a heavy fine! The final step of entering Namibia is another Police road block! To EXIT Namibia back to South Africa, All the same steps in “reverse”. VEHICLE CLEARANCE. I always have my car pre-cleared before leaving home. The clearance can be done at your local Police station.
The old Vioolsdrif border post.... Today there are new buildings both South African and Namibia side! Exit South Africa. On arrival at the border, you go to Immigration first. You will stamp out of South Africa. Visit the Customs counter and declare... “Nothing to declare” and make sure you have no meat items. Those needs to be declared at the
Memories... Exit Angola back to Namibia!
THE FIAT UNO TOUR CAR NEWSLETTER
©Johan du Toit
MARCH 2019
Issue No: 5
TRIP REPORT FOR MARCH.
TOURING FRIENDS.
This month I had to go to Stilbaai to collect a “Lappies kombers” for my mom that a lady made for her.
This month in Touring Friends I want to introduce Louis that have very neat Tour combinations!
I spend most of my day at the ladies house. I asked them after taking night photos if I could just “stealth” in their driveway... At first the lady offered a spare bedroom... until they saw my car! As I would return real late, they were happy that I can sleep in the driveway.
Louis also a Landrover fan and as all of you know, a Landrover, stand alone makes for a awesome tour vehicle! The second addition to Louis tour setup is a neat 4x4 Camp trailer with rooftop tent! Finally he just have all the comforts of home with caravan camping! I took these photos of Louis camping trip in the neat small campsite at Le Roux's B&B in Ladismith.
I went to the river front, close to the house and took some photos. The following morning, after coffee came back home. VIDEO WITH THIS ISSUE. The video for this issue will all be about preparing my car for the April tour and “Stealth Camping”. You have to watch that video if you intend to stealth on tour! I have made a few changes to my window covers and will explain that all. Do not even attempt to stealth camp if your car is not prepared!
My questions... Louis answers... “On my wish list is also the Richtersveld, Baviaanskloof, and whatever budget campsites possible! I'm also a pensioner with a small budget! Once I get settled in as a new resident to Ladismith, we can talk and go camping! I was real pleased to have met Louis and really look forward to a short trip somewhere close! Happy Camping... Till my next newsletter in April! Photo's and content... ©Johan du Toit