Namibia
in a V8 and a Tdi - Stephan Theron
We, two families and two '96 Land Rover
Defenders, spent 3 weeks of July
touring Namibia. One Defender is a 3.5l V8 Petrol and the other a Tdi
Diesel. Both vehicles had roof racks loaded to the height of a low lid
ammo
box and roof top tent. The average petrol consumption, over the 7000 km,
was
19.2 for the petrol V8 and 13.6 l/100km for the diesel Tdi. For the 950 km
section between fuel at Opuwo and Sesfontein we carried a total of 200l of
petrol and 140l of diesel. The only car problems we experienced were a
number of tire punctures that we quickly fixed with a plug - without even
removing the wheel.
"Van Zyl's pass must be negotiated from east to west, thus
downhill." We,
however, encountered 2 vehicles coming up the pass, towing TRAILERS! Thus
it
can be done - but you will cause damage to the track and reversing when
you
encounter somebody coming down , can be tricky.
Our biggest disappointment was the camping at Epupa falls. Everybody
recommended Epupa and we expected it to be the highlight of the trip. We
did
not, however, find the unspoiled wilderness we expected. Instead, razor
wire, a NOISY generator and water pump awaited us.
At Sesriem (Sossusvlei) everybody arriving without booking is allowed to
camp on the open field outside the main camping area, after paying the
full
camping fee. This was great, but the BP Garage has a massive generator
running 24 hours a day!
Booking for camping beforehand seems to be a waste of time. We went to a
lot
of trouble to book camping at Etosha and Ai-Ais. The booking office seems
always to be fully booked, but when you arrive there is a lot of space.
At Etosha and Ai-Ais a daily entrance fee is charged, in addition to the
camping fee. This fee must be paid every day and thus queuing at the
office
became part of our daily routine.
All B and C number roads traveled were in an excellent condition. Namibian
roads in general are better than South African roads.
You can expect long delays at the border the day after the schools close.
We
had to queue for 2 hours! (The normal delay is only in the order of
minutes.)
Disappointments:
* Camping at Epupa falls. (Overcrowding, noise from generator and
razor wire)
* Generator at Sesriem.
* Track in Marienfluss extremely corrugated.
* Van Zyl's pass was easily negotiated after replacing rocks dislodged
by the vehicles coming up.
Must see:
* Spitskoppe. Must be the best un-developed camping area.
* Purros, Hoarusib river.
* Sossusvlei area.
* Epupa falls.
* Swakopmund town.
Must take:
* Tire repair kit and pump.
* Shade cloth for a groundsheet.
* Warm clothes. The temperature does drop below freezing in the south.
*
* Maps used :
* Namibian 4x4 Routes, detailed maps and GPS coordinates by Jan
Joubert. Expensive, but it has excellent, hand drawn maps.
* Namibia Roads Authority map (2002 update), Available at shops in
Namibia. (R20)
* AA (Automobile Association) Map.
* Shell map of Kaokoland.
Notes on fuel consumption:
* Highest consumption was in deep soft sand, when the tires were not
deflated, from Sesfontein to Kamanjab via the Hoanib river.
* From Swakopmund to Kamanjab very strong head winds and fast driving
increased consumption.
* During the return journey to Cape Town consumption also increased
due to high speed.
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Comparison of V8 and Tdi Land Rover Defender Petrol/Diesel consumption (Both 1996 models)
Namibia Kaokoland Trip July 2002
Petrol 3.5l V8 Diesel Tdi
Town l/100km l/100km Comments
1 Springbok 18.5 - Tar 100km/h
2 Aus 18.8 12.5 Good gravel road
3 Betta 18.8 - Good gravel road
4 Solitaire 16.6 12.0 Good gravel road
5 Swakopmund 17.0 12.4 Good gravel road
6 Kamanjab 21.1 15.6 Strong wind, 4th gear 100km/h.
7 Opuwo 18.0 12.8 Good gravel road
Kaokoland section of 955 km
8 Sesfontein 20.7 12.2 Van Zyl, some 4x4. 80l Petrol and 20l diesel in Jerry cans.
9 Kamanjab 24.6 - Sand in river. High range 2nd and 3rd.
10 Halali 16.9 14.2 Tar and good gravel roads.
11 Otjiwarongo 18.1 - Tar, 120 km/h
12 Usakos 19.1 12.5 Tar, 120 km/h
13 Solitaire 18.1 - Good gravel road
14 Mariental 21.3 14.9 Good gravel road
15 Keetmanshoop 20.8 16.4 Tar, 120 to 130 km/h
16 Noordoewer 17.7 14.2 Tar, 100 km/h
17 Klawer 19.7 - Tar, 120 to 130 km/h
Average 19.2 13.6 liter/100km
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