Leaving Hogsback on a Flatbed

Thursday 3rd January 2013

After packing up the campsite and preparing to leave Hogsback for Grahamstown, I decided to spray down the wheel arches to get rid of the mud that we had collected on our arrival. When I got round to the left rear wheel, I was unable to get my hands between the wheel and the body work to move the caked mud. Oh no. What now! It looked like the suspension had completely collapsed. I tried to peer underneath but the van wheels had settled into the soft lawn making it impossible to see the extent of the problem. I finally resorted to taking photos with my iPhone so that I could as least see what the problem was. After checking several pics, it looked the leaf springs had collapsed and the bump stop had been compressed completely.  We weren’t going anywhere.

I called John Lawrence from Vista and explaining the situation. He said it sounded like a warranty claim and he would contact them immediately. Being the first week of January I reckoned that most service providers would be closed and we were destined to spend a few more days on the Hogsback. Well, was I surprised when my phone rang 10 minutes later. The AA call center operator asked a bunch of questions to establish where we were located, and then explained that a recovery vehicle would be dispatched to collect the van. Not long after that, the phone rang again. It was the dispatch operator telling me that Ben Thompson’s Breakdown Services was on their way from King Williams Town. Wow. What efficiency.

I unpacked the dogs crate and made a temporary camp and prepared to wait for recovery vehicle. A chap by the name of Dean called some time later informing me that he was on his way. In the mean time, I had sent some pics to John so that the Fiat technicians could establish exactly what the problem was. John assured me that someone from Fiat in East London would call with a prognosis and give us an idea of how long it would take to repair. Three hours later and neither the recovery truck or the phone call from Fiat had materialized. I was getting a bit irritated. I called John back and let off a bit of steam. Fortunately he is a very calm person and let me rant a bit. He got onto Fiat and within a few minutes I had a call from Denise, the customer relations manager. Progress of sorts.

Ben Thompson’s Breakdown truck finally arrived at 2.45 driven by Dean, the proverbial Cool Hand Luke. Dean wanted to get the van down to the road but I was concerned that the bodywork was already resting on the tire and might cause more damage. He eventually agreed and drove his rig up the steep drive and onto the lawn. The front wheel dropped into a hole and Dean spun the wheels to no avail. The recovery truck was stuck. I began to visualize having to get another vehicle to recover the recovery truck. The fun had begun. All the while, Tina was dreaming up all sorts of disasters that may befall us including having to go back ‘home’ with our tails between our legs. Not a chance! I had to keep reassuring her that things were not even close to a disaster. At least we were within easy distance of help and not in some back water in the middle of nowhere. Imagine that!

Dean finally managed to get the front wheel freed from the hole without causing too much damage to the manicured lawn. Let the loading begin. The challenge was the enormous overhang at the rear of the campervan. We hunted around for wood blocks that could be packed under the rear wheels giving sufficient lift for the rear to clear the ground. Our home was slowly winched onto the lowered metal platform inch by inch.

It was nerve wracking to say the least, the four tonne vehicle was attached to the winching cable by a steel bolt screwed into a socket in the front. It sure didn’t look like it would take the strain being placed on it. But Cool Hand Dean calmly went about his business, obviously used to handling such heavy loads. He pack and re-packed the wooden blocks under the rear wheels as the van inched it’s was up the angled flatbed. My job was to sit in the can with foot hovering over break pedal in case something gave way. Thank goodness the lawn was soft and giving as the rear bodywork scraped along the ground, groaning at the strain. Dean had been telling us horror stories of his brother taking his Fiat Ducato bus in for repairs and having to wait two months for parts to be delivered. Were we destined to spend the next few weeks stuck in the Windy City?

With the van finally loaded and secured by heavy chains and thick canvas straps, and looking very out of place a meter and a half above the road, it looked the like the Shuttle piggybacking on a 747 Jumbo. We began our 12-kilometer crawling decent from high on the Hogsback, down the steep winding forest road to the lush valley bellow, we following in out trusty Suzuku Vitara aka Zook. Because of the overhanging trees and narrow road, the lumbering flatbed truck was forced to travel straddling the center line.

Imagine the on-coming vehicles coming face to face with that. Realising that we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, we decided to go on ahead to King Williams Town to get some lunch. We finally bid Dean and our mobile home farewell at the main road junction, not wanting to experience any mishap that me befall campervan. It really was a sad sight; our home on a truck.

As we got closer to Buffalo City, aka East London, Tina and I were imagining how tedious it was going to be spending days or, heaven forbid, possibly months in this dump. Everyone we had spoken to about this Border settlement had nothing but sad stories to tell. As the Zook swung off the highway, there in front of us was an oasis. The Hemmingway shopping center; WOOLIES, CLICKS, PICK N PAY, WIMPY, DOLCE COFFE SHOP. Retail therapy heaven. Yihaaaa.

Things were looking up. Our stay in EL was going to be just fine. It was well passed 7PM by the time we pulled up at the Fiat workshop in Vincent, warmly greeted by Abongile, the night watch security guard. Since the cost of accommodation was prohibitive and beyond our budget, we had decided to spend the first few nights camping at the Fiat workshop. Although the area looked a bit industrial, there was a Spar, Nandos and video shop in the vicinity. With the water tank topped up and the van hooked into the power supply provided by the workshop staff, it was off to Nandos for dinner.

I’ve slept in a few unusual places in my life, but waking up in a used car lot was a new experience for me. When the workshop staff arrived for work at 7am ish, we had already fed and walked the pooches, had breakfast and packed up the van in preparation for the work that needed to be done. A knock on the door at just after 7 was from Shaun, the workshop manager. We discussed the details of what needed to be done. New leaf springs were to be manufactured at Vista’s cost. Replacement bump stoppers to be ordered from the Fiat factory. Shaun seemed to think that the job wouldn’t take longer than a few days and we should be done by Monday after noon. It was Friday morning and the prospect of spending another three nights in car park wasn’t a fun one to contemplate.

There was nothing else to do but go out for the day. Dogs and bags packed, we headed for the legendry Gonubie. But first the much anticipated retail therapy. After a much needed coffee, we ransacked as many shops we could find, filling up the larder and getting some much needed supplies. Back on the N2 highway, destination Gonubie. It turned out to be a pleasant little seaside settlement with an impressive 500m long boardwalk that wound it’s around the bay and onto the beach. A sign saying NO DOGS ALLOWED put paid to that option.

So it was off in the opposite direction and a long walk to the deserted beach on the other side of town. The dogs didn’t mind and enjoyed a great romp along the wet sand. Gypsey even got her feet wet. After a yummy lunch and a few drinks, it was time to head back to our home in the car park. But first a visit to Love Dogs to pick up some Dog Matters BARF food for the dogs.

We were greeted by a beaming Shaun and his mechanics gathered around the van when we arrived back at the workshop. “Job done”! They had managed to source leaf springs from a local supplier who just happened to have the correct size, although it needed to be cut to size. These had been fitted which allowed the bump stopper to return to the correct shape. We could move on. What a great birthday present. After thanking the Fiat team, and the Zook hooked up, we were on our way. Next stop Makouvlei.