First Time Towing

When the time finally came to fetch our new caravan, I was totally unprepared for the fact that I would be the one doing the towing.

A day of shouting for runners on the side of the road during the Comrades Marathon, whilst having the odd beer, meant that legally my husband was not going to be able drive. The plan was originally to leave Botha's Hill for Westville after the runners had passed through and fetch the caravan on our way home. This deviation from the plan of hubby driving had my palms sweating and my leg doing an uncontrollable double-bounce. I put my brave girl 'I can do anything' face on and tried to act nonchalant about the task ahead of me.

Arriving in Westville, we did a final transfer of knowledge between past and present owners and I began the process of reversing the car up a narrow driveway to line up the tow ball and hitch. With a bit of guidance from the seller and my husband, I managed to get the alignment close enough for them to push the caravan the last few inches. Jockey wheel now safely stowed away, I began the drive home to Ballito. Within 15m I encountered my first serious hill start and quietly thanked myself for buying an automatic a few weeks prior. Giving it gas, my Chev pulled the caravan up the hill like an oxen pulling a wagon and we were away.  Coming to my first stop street was a lesson that when towing, you need to brake well ahead or run the risk of not being able to stop in time.

Driving at a respectable and responsible old lady speed of between 70 and 80km/h (I was too terrified to drive any faster), I started to get a feel for towing and loosened my vice-like grip on the steering wheel, allowing the blood to flow back through my white-knuckled fingers.

Arriving in Ballito I felt a sense of accomplishment, I had towed something for the first time in my life and it had been uneventful. This caravan was already making us push boundaries and I liked it.

Reversing it into the driveway was slightly more challenging than just driving straight down the freeway. After approximately 10 attempts with my brother-in-law directing me, I finally had the Commander parked and ready to be inspected at our leisure.

The Conqueror Commander

We purchased a 2009 Conqueror Commander from a regretful seller in Westville in Kzn. He had modified the caravan to include the outside cupboard the newer models had, which in my opinion is an absolutely necessary modification to make.

The Conqueror Commander sleeps four. Two in a fold out double bed above the nose cone and two in a queen size bed that can also be split into two singles or a dining room table and two benches on either side.

Internal packing space is adequate for our family of four, although I can imagine you would need to be ruthless on longer trips.

The base board of the fold out double bed is actually a large trestle table, which is incredibly useful for breakfasts and dinners.

It has a pull out kitchen on rails that includes a 90l National Lunar fridge, a two plate gas stove and a bracket that pops up to hold two plastic basins with a hot and cold tap fed from the 130l tank stored towards the back of the caravan on the underside. The Commander comes with cutlery, plates, mugs and glasses for 6 people.

Power is operated by two deep cycle batteries that run the LED lighting and fridge. An extension cord plugs you into shore power, allowing you to run the exterior plugs for toasters and kettles if required. In my opinion the only thing missing is an interior plug for charging cell phones and running hair dryers. Yes, I take my hair dryer camping.

It has an add-a-room tent that consists of an awning with easy to install Velcro sides to enclose the area. Vital for camping in wet or cold weather.

The inside dining table can be clipped onto the kitchen area below the outside cupboard. This provides a decent amount of counter space for food prep.

On the other side is an add-on bathroom tent/privy tent that is the full length of the caravan. The shower is installed on the exterior of the caravan in a little cupboard that conceals it when not in use. There is also a pull out metal basin with hot and cold running water.

What struck me most about this caravan is how strongly constructed it is. Almost everything is made out of metal. It makes for heavy towing with the base weight being nearly 2 tonnes. Loaded with gear, bike racks and water means you need an excellent towing vehicle capable of pulling the weight.

It takes us approximately 45 mins from unhitching the caravan to cracking open our first ice cold beer from the fridge.

The Conqueror Commander can follow your 4x4 almost anywhere. It's rugged and built to last. We have noticed that weight distribution is everything and if too heavily laden at the back it can sway, which makes for unpleasant driving. We haven't attempted driving with all our gear and the water tanks yet. When we do, I will share our experience.

We haven't had to test the batteries lifespan yet either. I will dedicate a post to testing this shortly as I am currently reviewing the options available to recharge those batteries when camping off the grid.

Honey I Bought an Off-road Caravan

I am a dreamer. I dream about travelling Africa. I dream about visiting startlingly beautiful and wild places.

I read books about people who have actually done it, people who have lived out my dreams in all their glory in tiny black print.

I am the mother of two amazingly bright, headstrong and sweet children, who have grown up taking short adventures to every weekend spot within a 3 hour radius from Ballito in Kzn.

I am the wife of an incredibly patient man, a man who listens to my dreams about trekking through the dust of Africa - even though he is a self-professed lover of 5 star hotels and really prefers the beach to the bush.

I talk incessantly about our retirement and the expeditions we can take in 20 years time when we are 60 and have the money and time to expand our border crossings beyond Mozambique and Swaziland.

Not too long ago the realisation hit home that 20 years is an awfully long time to wait before we begin to live that life. 20 years can bring about all new challenges and ever changing dynamics that have a funny way of derailing even the best laid plans. And what about the children? They will be 27 and 33 and long past adventuring with their parents.

This was the defining moment that I decided we needed to buy an off-road caravan. This would without doubt be the solution to the expense of traveling and would be one of the most exciting ways to travel together as a family.

With that thought firmly rooted in my mind, I threw caution to the wind and began the task of looking for the most perfect off-road caravan for our family. 

Why a caravan and not something like an Ossewa or Rooftop tent you ask? Well, simply put, the thought of having to pack up camp every time we want to use the car just didn't appeal to me.

I started researching online and making a shortlist of my must haves. In short we needed a 4 sleeper caravan with all the necessary equipment to support us on whatever journey we chose to make, be it camping at a family seaside resort or travelling to the Namib desert. I wanted us to be totally self sufficient if required, yet also be comfortable on longer stays. My must haves included 4x4 capabilities, off the grid power, an onboard fridge and stove, a kitchen/living area add-on tent room, a shower, water storage, hot water geyser (gas & electric) and a washing up area.

After hunting weeks for what seemed like an impossible achievement with our limited budget I had found it...The Conqueror Commander.