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A comprehensive guide for campers, caravanners and off-road trailer owners

FROM YOUR HOME TO THE CAMPSITE

R55,00 ( VAT included) Namibia N$57,50

WEIGHT SPECS Tare, GVM and GCM TOW safely and CAMP carefree
SERVICE and fix your own caravan HOW TO get the correct driver’s licence
HOW IT WORKS From engines to surge brakes

Keep it handy
When we published the WegSleep Kamp-
gids for the first time in 2012, we knew it
would hit the spot with campers and car-
avanners. It sold like hot cakes and it even
won us a prestigious Pica award. It was a
no-brainer then to also make it available in
English a short while later.
Last year we published a revised version
of the Kampgids, and again it proved to be
very popular. And with the recent launch
of go! Drive & Camp, we thought it would
only be fitting to once again give our
English readers this handy and reworked
guide to camping and caravanning.
The lion’s share of the information you
hold in your hands is new and updated.
We’re also focussing on some caravan-
ning issues that has been in the spotlight
recently – like which driver’s licence you
need to legally tow your Penta and the
confusion and uncertainty over tare, GVM,
GCM, and how much you’re allowed to
load in your caravan.
But please don’t see this as a rule book.
It is also nothing like your maths text book
in school. This is a practical and easy-to-
read guide for you to use as a reference to
make your camping experience safer and
even more magical.
By the time you’re through reading it,
you will know all there is to know about
the towing capabilities of petrol and diesel
engines, how to service and maintain your
caravan and what you need to pack in case
of emergencies. You will definitely also be
up to speed with all of the applicable rules
and regulations of the road while you’re
towing.
The great part is that you don’t have to
memorise all the information. Keep this
guide in your cubby hole or somewhere
in your caravan and take it out when you
can’t remember exactly how to go about
servicing your caravan’s brakes or which
colour wire is the right one for the left
indicator. Or just give it a read when you’re
relaxing under your rally tent.
Safe travels.
EDITOR
CAMP GUIDE
2017
EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITOR SCHALK JONKER  schalk.jonker@media24.com
JOURNALISTS LEON BOTHA leon.botha@media24.com
CYRIL KLOPPER cyril.klopper@media24.com 
KYLE KOCK   kyle.kock@media24.com
DESIGNERS DOMINIC WIENAND  dominic.wienand@media24.com
OWEN WILLOUGHBY  owen.willoughby@media24.com
TRANSLATOR RIEKIE HUMAN
HEAD OF DIGITAL ZIGI EKRON zigi.ekron@wegsleep.co.za
HEAD OF MEDIA24 PRINT MEDIA ISHMET DAVIDSON
HEAD OF LIFESTYLE RAJ LALBAHADUR
GENERAL MANAGER: SPORT AND LEISURE
LOUISE MENY-GIBERT
PUBLISHER NERISA COETZEE
FINANCIAL MANAGER MUNEEB ADAMS
CIRCULATION MANAGER RIAAN WEYERS
riaan.weyers@media24.com
ADVERTISING SALES
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER:
TRAVEL AND MOTORING DANIE NELL
 danie.nell@media24.com
JEANINE KRUGER  082 342 2299
 jeanine.kruger@media24.com
LIZEL PAUW  082 876 8189  lizel.kok@media24.com
NICK FITZELL  071 430 6311  nick.fitzell@media24.com
SANETHA MEINTJIES  084 416 5797
 sanetha.meintjies@media24.com
SHARLENE SMITH  083 583 1604  sharlene.smith@media24.com
THEA THOMAS  078 450 7771  tthomas@media24.com
ADVERT PRODUCTION TEAM JADE CUPIDO, PAIGE VILJOEN,
COPY EDITOR BRIGITTE BLANCKENBERG
PRODUCTION KERRY NASH and GERDA ENGELBRECHT
MARKETING LISE COETSEE  lise.coetsee@media24.com
SHOP QUERIES KELYN DONOUGH
 kelyn.donough@media24.com
CONTACT US
DONVÉ MYBURGH  021 443 9830
 donve.myburgh@media24.com
CAPE TOWN
POSTAL ADDRESS go! Drive & Camp, PO Box 740, Cape Town 8000
STREET ADDRESS 4th floor, Absa Building,
c.o. Adderley and Riebeek Street, Cape Town 8001
JOHANNESBURG
POSTAL ADDRESS go Drive & Camp, PO Box 785266, Sandton 2146
STREET ADDRESS 6 Kikuyu Street, Sunninghill 2191
Printed by PRINTING
A division of Novus Holdings
Paarl Media Cape,
Tel. 021 550 2440 VERSPREIDING
All rights reserved. ON THE DOT
© Copyright go! Drive & Camp. All rights reserved. Partial or total
reproduction without the written permission of the editor is
strictly prohibited.
WegSleep Kampgids 2016 3
 CAMP GUIDE 2017
1 THE PAPER WORK
A weighty matter This is what you need to know about tare, GVM and GCM...................................................................6
Driver’s licence, please... Get your Code EB driver’s licence ....................................................................................................7
Get the correct driver’s licence! No, you can’t tow with a Code C1 ...................................................................................10
Let’s get technical Understand how your caravan’s brakes work and remember those triangles..........................12
Are you sure you’re ensured? Prepare for worst-case scenarios.........................................................................................13
Don’t forget Ensure everything’s squared away at home before you hit the road........................................................14
Across the border You need more than a passport if you plan to travel beyond our border...................................15
The Consumer Protection Act Make double sure before you buy.....................................................................................16
Kick those tyres first... Here are the risks when you’re buying a secondhand caravan...............................................18

2 BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD

Understanding road signs When to stop and when to yield...............................................................................................20
Do you know these golden rules? Motorists, cyclists and caravanners all use the same rule book......................22
Keep your eyes on the road The nut behind the wheel is the primary cause of collisions.......................................24
Towing weight and driver’s licences Know the weight of your towing combination................................................26
Time for new tyres Your caravan’s tyre need care too..............................................................................................................28
Stay on course... Understand the lingo of your GPS.................................................................................................................36

3 ON THE OPEN ROAD

Let’s torque it through Diesel engines love towing.................................................................................................................34
Change of gear First gear is for pulling away, but should you tow in fifth?.....................................................................36
Towing 101 Load your caravan correctly and half the battle is won..................................................................................38
Rear-view mirrors They give you eyes in the back of your head.........................................................................................40
Towing speed Leave your inner Sarel van der Merwe at home when you hitch a caravan.......................................42
Can you tow and dodge? It’s no joke when you have to suddenly swerve with a caravan.......................................43
Carefree towing Speed, tyre pressure, stabilisers – everything plays a part...................................................................45

4 DO IT YOURSELF
Service it yourself How to care for your caravan’s chassis, brakes, coupling and body..............................................46
Screw it on right You can fix a broken screw clamp on your caravan’s jockey wheel yourself.................................48
Keep on truckin’ Everything you need to know about your caravan’s coupler..............................................................49
Servicing brake pads Learn how to replace brake pads.........................................................................................................51
A caravan needs TLC, too Your caravan requires more than just cold water and soap...............................................54
Replace windows A caravan window is not cheap: save money and replace it yourself............................................58
Strut your stuff! Those gas struts on your pop-up roof won’t last forever.......................................................................60
Canvas care Look after your tent, and it will look after you...................................................................................................62
How to stop wood rot Moisture is part and parcel of camping. It is also a nuisance...................................................63

5 GOOD TO KNOW
According to the rules... Electricity supply at a campsite is not to be taken lightly.....................................................64
Dish it up! Using a wire coat hanger to get reception for your TV is a thing of the past.............................................66
MacGyver’s dream! A toolbox needs more than just some pliers and a length of wire..............................................68

6 SAFETY
For safety’s sake Follow these pointers to keep your loved ones safe in a campsite...................................................72
Mom, I’ve got a boo-boo Everything you need for those everyday injuries...................................................................74
Gas police It seems basic, but the gas regulator does a very important job...................................................................78
A necessary fire-arm Where there’s smoke there’s fire. Keep your extinguisher close................................................80

4 go! Drive & Camp Camp Guide 2017