New contender for the throne

Saturday morning dawned dark and dreary with a steady drizzle soaking the landscape. Cycling wasn’t going to happen, judging from the stream of sms messages from the usual group. So Tina and I decided to go caravan shopping since she hadn’t seen any of the models and I had only seen a ten year old Explorer. A quick check on the website for the addresses, all being behind the “Boerewors Curtain” (strange that – how unusual), so we bundled the bullies into the car and headed out toward the north. The first stop was Safari Center in Goodwood where we would get a chance to check out the Conqueror Commander.

There she was, in the flesh. The caravan was set up in the showroom along with awning and shower/privy tent – sale price was R 180k for the basic set up. The real problem was that it was so dark inside, I could hardly make out any details. Maybe the young salesman was trying to hide something, but made no attempt to illuminate the interior even when I mentioned it a second time. My first impression was that the Commander was solidly built and well thought out, or so I thought. While we were checking out one of the smaller models, we struck up  conversation with Steve and Linda, overland enthusiasts and co-incidentally owners of an older model of the Commander. Steve was kind enough to share his first hand experiences of the caravan. Next thing I knew, we were both crouching under the rear inspecting the independent suspension and some other details of the chassis. We got to chatting about the sleeping arrangements and it was only then that I noticed that there were some odd intrusions around the saloon double bed and Steve also mentioned that he had to sleep diagonally on the pop-out bunk due to his height (about 6’2″) . Steve finally confessed that, in his opinion, the Jurgens Explorer was more refined and probably better appointed and in reality, he would opt for the Commander if he had to choose again. He and Linda also mentioned that they had looked at two other models that may be of interest to us, the Echo 4×4 (which they had seen at Marine World in Paarden Eiland)  and the Imagine.

That was exactly what Tina and I decided to do, go check out the competition. So we thanked Steve and Linda (sorry we didn’t get their surname or contact details as it would be great to pick their brains some more) and headed off to our next stop, Leisure Land in Bellville, the agents for the Jurgens Explorer. We were met by an enthusiastic salesman, who showed us around the Explorer and patiently answered all of our questions. I could tell from the outset, that although the caravan was far more refined and luxurious than what we had just seen, it definitely had a ‘less than’ robust demeanor. The chassis seemed solid enough, but the body work and interior fittings seemed flimsy (probably why my friends’ 10 year old van looked so tired.)  Tina was definitely more keen on the Explorer than the Commander and I could see why. The interior was definitely much more luxurious, the bed better appointed and with more storage. Another plus was access to the kitchen and fridge from inside the caravan for when the weather was really rough. The sales man offered us a 15K discount on the R230k price tag without us even asking.

We hit the N1 South and headed towards the city and our next encounter, the Echo 4×4.  My first impression of the Echo Namib was “too small”. Tina’s first impression was “yippee, inside shower and loo”.  Fortunately Stephen of Waterworld in Paarden Eiland arrived just in time and gave us a rundown of the pros and cons. The best news was that there was a larger 4 berth model called the Kavango, now we’re talking. On closer inspection, I realized that the Echo was streets ahead of both the previous contenders; although not as luxurious as the Explorer, definitely well appointed and as solidly built as the Commander. The fiberglass monocoque  construction meant less loose and rattling panels and clever seals around all the doors, windows and other opening meant less dust infiltration. Both characteristics  very appealing, especially since we planned to spend a lot of time off the beaten track and probably thousands of kilometers on dirt roads. We made arrangements with Stephen, the helpful proprietor of Water World, to see the Kavango as soon as one could be located. I think this could be the one…

It’s amazing what you discover when you start researching in detail, and the amount of information you gather by chatting to other like mind folks, who generously share their experiences.  So, with  the sun now shining down on Cape Town, we headed back home to give the bullies a walk and to coallate all the new information gathered and gained. Next stop – Imagine. Can’t wait.