Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Eventually I was very impressed by it. It has no low range - only an 8 speed gearbox.
I think its got 132kw and 420nm with only 1900kgs curb weight so power to weight was pretty good and I think the acceleration and light weight over the sand were good combination making it very effective eventually.

Chris,
Thank you for a lovely Suidwes Trip report.
Read the report while listening to the following clip and you would be a different person.



Hope we all can share this experience at least once in live.
Thank you Chris
Bruin Beer

Chris Skinner wrote:One thing I've learned over the years and now confirmed again this trip - tyres are generally a lot more resilient than you think.
I have no pain going as low as 1.5 to 1.2 bar on dirt roads with bad corrugations - did it again in places in Nam and Bots over 100's of km in a day - it makes the ride much more comfortable and I believe the reduced shaking and vibration on the vehicle saves shocks and other wear and tear. After this trip, total 5500kms, with driving the desert 5 days at around 0.7 bar there are absolutely no signs of undue damage or wear or tear on the tyres.
Don't do this if you have Cooper ST3's though - see my report!

Great report Chris.

I think you mean the Cooper A/T 3's which come in both light duty and light truck.

Of course the tyre suppliers go and put the light duty on Cruisers and Patrols as they are cheaper, the fitment centre gets more business and then the poor customer lands up stuck in the Namib.

Great trip report chris. Just feel like going...

Maybe I missed it. But what was you awnser to your qeustion. RTT or ground tent? Your recomendation for the next guy on tens?

I used the RTT as my friend used my ground tent.
It was my first time out with an RTT and I was actually quite impressed, but there are some downsides as well as distinct positives.
Positives
1. Quick erect and dismantle - practice makes perfect, first couple of times until I got the hang of it took some time to open and close. Eventually I could do both ways in under 5 minutes
2. We closed it up with duvet inside so when opened bed was practically made. Pillows kept in the car.
3. For me it was actually very convenient and we did not really stay anywhere in a camp where we needed to establish a slightly more permanent base camp to return to, as it was mainly 1 nighters, and where we did stay 3 nights there was permanent structure available on our camp site anyway.
4. No large heavy tents, poles etc to lug around and take up place in/on the vehicle

Negatives
1. Although quick to set-up and take down it does add to the frustrations and some extra work load when you planned returning to same site for another night anyway.
2. Very wind vulnerable if all flaps, fly sheets etc not very secure - but I suppose any tent has that problem. I eventually removed the fly-sheet and only problem then could be some extra damp due to the dew in early morning which should be taken into consideration for any tent as well I suppose.
3. Fuel consumption and wind resistance - I recon it added at least 10% to my fuel bill of R14000!
4. Very dusty and its grimy work to take cover off and put on again just before hitting the road on a long drive – use a hand broom to brush excess dust off before you remove the cover.
5. Going for a pee at 3am – climbing in and out is disruptive and noisy… and a little risky especially for the fairer sex.
Conclusion – It depends on the nature of your trip and your preferences – the RTT will stay as part of my kit and I will decide on a case by case basis whether to use it or not. Maybe one better solution is the new clamshell type RTT’s, I think some of the negatives are reduced somewhat, but they are very expensive! I have the extra bottom room fro the tent but did not bother using it... not really necessary in my view.
OTHER TIPS
1. I used an elastic net fitted close to the ceiling in the rear section of the vehicle to put pillows and soft things like hats jackets etc - works great as they are then not cluttering everything up and getting dirty
2. Beware the finger-nut type screw-in fittings on the C-Tec charger (D250 - DC charger)) - the negative one worked loose as it bumbed/vibrated on another box (right next to a plastic fuel can!), this caused a bad connection and poor charging of battery from the alternator and eventually build up of heat actually melted the whole plastic surround of the screw - definitely a potential fire hazard! I made a few quick adjustments to the tie downs and also slightly over tightened the screws with help of pliers. I propose judicious use of appropriate fuses when setting up your electrics

The tyres that delaminated - Yes, it was the Cooper Discoverer AT'3
Not sure if they were standard fit on this vehicle or not... these are not really appropriate for Patrols, but warn any buddies with the lighter 4x4 and SUV's to be careful.

Those are the small car ones ......or 2x4 frot tuna ones ....they are not selling them anymore sales man saw them coming

Thanx for the feedback Chris.
Those tyres are a scary thought.

Finally got around to reading your report Chris. Fascinating stuff!

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Thanks Peter - looking forward to your next chapters as well