Mini Trip Report - Short River Trip

[Crips]

Where to begin is always the hard part of writing a trip report...
Well I think so...
This is my first one!

Excusse the rambling but I tried to do it as complete as possible.
I will do a summary of everything at the end, cost km etc.

15 July 2011
Me and Swambo is at home, she had a half day leave and I left the office @ 15:00.
She is busy bakeing a cake for her dad's birthday and very adamant that it will be done any second now and then we can leave to go to her parents place.
The cake is a flop, Swambo is not very impressed with the oven, obviously it's the ovens fault!
We get all our stuff together and is on our way to head out the door.
It’s a few minutes before 16:00
My phone rings and I see its Incrediblebob, but he's on the river trip isn't he?
We only have a quick chat as the signal is really bad, he says that Fluffy's right rear airbag on the suspension is leaking badly and the fear he won’t make it back to Durban on Sunday.
He asks me to post on the forum and ask if there is anyone close by that can assist them.

I ask Swambo to pack up the laptop while I post on the forum asking for help.

That night I had numerous calls and sms's from guys trying to find someone that can assist.

16 July 2011
I'm still sleeping and my phone rings, it's about 8:30.
It's Disco Smiley that phones me, he says he has a set of air bellows with valve-body for Fluffy.
I tell him I'll phone him back if we need it, he sent me a sms the previous night as well with a offer of airbags.
I didn't know it was him so I thought that equals 2 sets, stupid maths!
Apocalypse also gets hold of me and he says someone he knows has a set as well, he sends me the guy’s details.
I get hold of Richard in Tzaneen that has a garage and he might be able to assist on Monday,
he has no spares and can only try to patch the air bellow.
That Fluffy has tried already so no good....
If Fluffy says an air suspension can't be repaired then I believe him, he's the expert!

I logged into the forum to ask if there is anyone going to Tzaneen or close buy that can drop off the spares.
Looks like there is no one and we need someone to take it...
In the movie Robots, Bigweld says "Anyone can shine no matter what they are made off" or something to that effect.
Apocalypse and Dirk offers to donate funds for fuel.
Apocalypse donates R600
So what else would I do the weekend?
I decide to go.

I tell Swambo we are leaving for the river trip we need to take spares for Fluffy's car, it takes her a moment to adjust to the new turn of events.
She starts packing and getting the clothes and toiletries together.
I get out the camping stuff.
I phone DiscoSmiley and he said he will phone me as soon as he is on his way home so I can collect the set from him.
I phoned the number I got from Apocalypse, guess who it is? Estee!
Myself and Estee agrees to meet at the Allandale off-ramp on the N1 at 13:00

I and Swambo is busy packing like crazy and making sure we have water, food etc.
DiscoSmiley phones me is on his way home, I get into Swambo's Cherry QQ to go to Alberton.
The highway is a nightmare, on my way back from DiscoSmiley I use the back roads.
Estee lets me know that he will be bit late, about 13:30.
Me and Swambo pack everything and go to the closest garage to fill-up the Defender and the Jerrycan for in case.
There are about 10 cars in front of us in a queue for fuel.
My dad phones and says I must go to another garage that has only Diesel left so there is no queue.
We decide to go to the Shop first to get a few snacks and bottle water for the trip.
I phone Estee as its already 13:30, I tell him I'm going to be late, he says he's going to be late as well, we agree on 15:00pm.
After that we fill up, R800 to fill the Landy and the Jerrycan, Wow!
Now by this time I could not get hold of Incrediblebob since last night, he has no signal!
I meet Estee @ Allandale off-ramp, what a nice chap!

Me and Swambo (we) head off on the N1 towards Polokwane (Pietersburg)
We stop at the Engen garage just before the Kranskop Plaza, I get through to Incrediblebob and tell him I'm on my way.
He goes silent and wants to know if I'm serious, I tell him to tell Fluffy not to worry about paying me for fuel, it's sponsored.
He goes silent again for a while and does not know what to say, he said the the 4x4community is the best and he can’t believe it!
We agree that I will phone him when I'm in Polokwane and then get directions from there.

Few hours later...
We are in Polokwane, myself and Incrediblebob agreed to meet in Tzaneen, it's getting dark.
The traffic is bad going past the new stadium, some big soccer game...

We got close to Tzaneen, through Magoebaskloof in the dark.
I phoned Incrediblebob, they are about 89km from Tzaneen.
We decide that we will meet somewhere between Tzaneen and wherever he is, we start driving on the R71 towards Phalaborwa.
Eventually we meet up at Gravelotte.
Incrediblebob in his Disco and Fluffy with StephenB in his Disco3.
StephenB is heading home.
I add another R400 of diesel, got R300 from Fluffy. The Jerrycan is still in the back full of diesel.
We head off on the R71 through Gravelotte, I'm following Incrediblebob.
Few km later we turn off on a gravel road, after traveling for a few km Incrediblebob pull's over, he is engaging CDL.
I engage CDL on the Defender as well as the crooked smile on his face makes me think something’s up...
He pulls away, we follow him, travelling at about 80km/h not able to see anything except dust and two red lights of his Disco.
If the lights brake I brake, if they go left I go left.
We travelled for about 45min and reached a village, Fluffy said we are close now.
The village was very quiet, it looked deserted.
Just outside the village we followed a narrow overgrown track, on the bank of the river we engaged LOW Range and down we went into the river bed.
It was full moon so we could see long stretch off soft sand.
The tyres was still fully inflated and no time to deflate, we wanted to get to camp.
Few hundred meters down in the river bed we found the camp, almost 600km later and about 6hours later...

We pulled up the slope to the "island" where everybody camped
Well only got up the second time with the tyres still fully inflated.
Started unpacking and pitching the tent.
Kim came to welcome us and made us some coffee.
There was a great spirit in the camp.

We pitched the tent, inflated the bed and Swambo made the bed while I had a cold one with Incrediblebob.
We sat a while and chatted, crawled into bed at about 23:30
What a day...

[castos]

Nice one Crips. Jis that was some drive, and nogal in a poprivut karretjie.

[petermoffat]

Repsect Crips, was helluva entertaining to watch this unfold, and you're a certified Good Oke for helping out like that!

[BansheeZA]

this is a really awesome trip report..... keep up the good work!!!!!!!

[Crips]

I added the last bit of the saturday to my first post.

[Madota]

More More More!!!!!!!!

[Crips]

Part 2

17 July 2011
We got up at 7:30 I think...
Was great sleeping next to the river in the middle of nowhere, totally worth the drive!
We had coffee and started packing up slowly.
Oom Gert called everybody together and we did the handover of the airsuspension to Fluffy.
Included in the box from Estee were a letter to Fluffy and a notice saying "Did I mention that I hate Airsuspension?"
We had some instant oats and a juice and finished packing up.
We all got together on the river bed and drove towards the village.
At the village we took a group photo and headed home, well so we thought...

Once out of the Village there is a crossroad, everybody turned right, well so we thought.
After about 45min Incrediblebob phoned me, something sound off in his voice when I answered.
His Disco's left back wheel came off while driving on the dirt road towards the R71.
He skid about 100m before he came to a stop, luckily he had the CDL locked so he could get the Disco to a halt.
He went straight over the crossroad and everybody went to the right.
I pulled over and flagged to other guys that was behind me, for the life of me I can’t remember their names but they were a great bunch.
I got Incrediblebob's gps co-ordinates and one of the guys put it in his GPS and we were off to find Incrediblebob!
Almost 1 and half hours later we found incrediblebob next to the road and his Disco on 3 wheels.
The two 4x4's that was flagged down earlier (RangeRover Classic & Colt) had the most component guys on board, they were awesome in sorting out Incrediblebob’s Disco
They quickly got Incrediblebob's back wheel on again so he can drive slowly to the main road.
I headed out up-front to keep an eye out for the flatbed from TuffStuff.
At the main road I emptied the Jerrycan into the Defenders tank.
After about half an hour Incrediblebob and the other guys accompanying him arrived.
We said our goodbye's to them as they still had to drive to Springs!
While waiting for the Flatbed myself, Swambo and Incrediblebob started unpacking his Disco.
The Flatbed arived and the Disco was taken away to a Panelbeater in Tzaneen, we don't know if the insurance will repair or write it off.

We then had to make space in the Defender for all Incrediblebob's stuff, and man does he have stuff!
Luckly in the end we got everything loaded and we were off to Tzaneen.
The plan was then to drop Incrediblebob off somewhere save in Tzaneen with the stuff he needs for the competition he is going to in Moz.
The rest of the stuff he will collect from me when he gets back.
Once in Tzaneen we parked at the Wheelbarrow, the Lady was very friendly and gave Incrediblebob a place to put his stuff going with him,
someone from Nelspruit was on their way to get him.
We had "Lunner" (Lunch & Dinner) with Incrediblebob and then headed off home at 16:00
We only stopped once close to Pretoria for R150 of Diesel to make sure we reach home.
Almost 6 hours later we got home, the tollgates where bad, at the one tollgate we stood for 30min and almost 4km to get to the front.
The road was bad at night and the taxi's and trucks even worse, but we made it.

We travelled a total of 1150km and used R1350 on Diesel, spent R217.60 on 8 Tollgates.

Will I do it again?
You bet!

Pic's to follow...

[Crips]

Some pic's

[Crips]

Some more

[Crips]

And more...

[Crips]

more

[Crips]

Incrediblebob's Disco
There is a lot more damage but it's hard to see from the pic's...

[Fabfender]

Incrediblebob's Disco
There is a lot more damage but it's hard to see from the pic's...

I just got the quote for Incrediblebobs vehicle from the repairers, R 69k to repair.

[AboutAfrica]

Really great write up. Looks like you guys had quite a mission, thanks for sharing.

[Apocalypse]

Nice one Crips!!!

Is that a Hazardous materials sticker on the side of the box

Is that Irony or a wicked sense of humour?

A hell of a weekend for you!!!

I was sitting wishing I was closer and could go the whole time.

I'm not even going to tell you what I had to do while you were having such fun...

[Apocalypse]

new 4x4community advertisment in the making here...

Set of used airsprings dug up from a shallowgrave in unknown person's back yard - Free

Hazmat box for effect - Free

Couple of notes saying "I told you so" - free

Fuel etc - R1 600

Look on Fluffy's face - PRICELESS

[Dirk]

That photo is now saved for later use

[johannes14]

Well Done Crips Nice report aswell Now i know whom to hire incase i ever need to do a trip report

[Die Skim]

Baie nice Crips! Ek haal my hoed af vir jou!

[Mad Manny]

Apocalypse and Dirk offer to donate funds for fuel.
Apocalypse donates R600
So what else would I do the weekend?
I decide to go.

Sounds generous, but in reality it's just the money he saved over the last 2 weeks from not smoking...