Well ,about 10 kms before Middelpos ,I started to loose steering.(steering wheel is turning,not the wheels)luckily I was doing less than 50km/h.( Was not a great feeling ,u turn and the bakkie went straight )We stopped and then checked.removed the wheel and discovered the steering Bolt on the steering arm snapped during the trip.
This must have been the previous days ride.checked again and discovered there was only one bolt attached to the diff.In other words ,when I bought the hilux 12 years ago,the 3 bolts was already snapped off.This happened about 5.30pm and lucky enough we stopped and got cellphone coverage.move a meter away from the bakkie and no coverage.Only way now is to send my buddy to Middelpos to go seek help.I repeatedly phone Trevor from hammelhoek,as we booked for the Saturday and sunday evening.Call only went to voicemail.Leftmessages hoping for some reply.Later my buddy foned from Middelpos to say he is at the police station and they assisting us in getting someone to help us.The bloke in Middelpos who normally assist is out of town.Later again got a call from him and the only rescue now is from calvinia from Koos Louw ( Calvina Motors).Well after a tow-in fee agreed upon ,Koos was on his way from calvinia to the rescue.Estimated time of arrival by us 20:30pm.
While waiting for Koos we decided to make supper and lekka coffee
eventually Koos arrived and the bakkie was loaded onto double axle trailer:
Hoping all is well we where towed to Calvinia Motors.estimated arrival time.12h00am in Calvinia. From the word Go Koos said this vehicle is "Donners Heavy" skat so 2 ton swaar.My hilux weight is more than the trailer combined with the Isuzi V6 towing us,Myself and my daughter ,sitting on my lap was driving with Koos in the towing vehicle.My wife had to tightfit in the red Hilux.
We where pulling just over 60km/h.we could feel that the hilux is heavy.By this time Koos reduced speed to less than 60km/hr.
So Just about 10km pass Middelpos ,the trailer started slightly to snake,Koos tries to rectify it,then it gets worse trying to counter and eventually he had to apply brakes slightly.With an instant move the trailer jacked knife.All I could see was darkness flashing me by and the vehicle came to a halt,facing the opposite direction.applied first gear and the trailer tears away from the towing vehicle.Well hearts in our stomach and my little one jumped out immediately out the vehicle to her mom.
on investigation Koos discovered that the axial leave spring snapped on the trailer by the weight of the hilux and moved the axle a little bit forward. A little later the Middelpos police arrived to come check on us.Koos strapped the leave spring together and we crept our way to Calvinia.I gave a sigh of relief when we hit the tar road to Calvinia,The bakkie was towed into the workshop and we scouted for accommodation.all closed ,eventually we booked in at Calvinia Hotel.
no ways can I afford a platkar.lol
which brings you about 10kms before sunderland:
)we then head our way to Verlaatenkloof campsite,about 15kms from Sutherland at the foot of Verlaatenkloof pass:
one has on a trip is what makes it so much fun and great memories 