Landroving 124

minimum two, ideally three times. point must be mounted directly to
You need to also be able to identify the chassis using high tensile bolts
solid recovery points on both (min grade 8.8) with a minimum
vehicles and know how to connect diameter of 12mm (M12), but ideally
the equipment to them. DO NOT M16 such as those used on pin-type
use tow balls or lashing eyes! tow hitches. These tow hitches allow
Another very important point is to you to fasten the strap’s loop directly
ensure that the ropes or straps used onto the pin eliminating the use of a
are always rated less than the bow shackle. Welded recovery points are
shackle’s WLL x 4. You can check this not advisable unless they have been
by multiplying the shackle’s WLL by load tested. The forces at play in
4 and then compare it to the breaking using kinetic ropes/straps are
strength printed on the tag of the extreme and require equipment that
rope or strap. The reason for this is is correctly rated – do not under-
that the bow shackle must never be estimate the massive loads acting on
the weakest point in a recovery equipment and vehicle parts!
system.... it can be lethal if it breaks
loose! Shackles – Shackles are used to
connect recovery equipment to
BASIC RECOVERY EQUIPMENT vehicle recovery points – never use
Here are some items you should have shackles to connect two pieces of
in your recovery kit: recovery equiment/straps together –
Gloves – This is an essential item to there are other techniques for this. A
make sure you keep your hands flying shackle connected to a kinetic
protected at all times. Don’t buy strap can induce serious damage,
cheap rubber gardening gloves, you injury or even death! The correct
also don’t need fancy welding gloves, shackle to use is
called a bow shackle.
but simple kid D-shackles are used
leather gloves that for straight line
cover the wrist pulling or lifting only
and don’t cost a and most do not have
fortune are good the WLL stamped on
enough for the 51
job.
Recovery points – for recoveries
using kinetic ropes or straps rated
recovery points are an absolute
necessity for safety. The recovery

them. Do not use them for recovery kinetic strap – this stores energy in
conditions where shackles are often the strap which is then released and
pulling at angles. And lastly, don’t transferred to the stranded vehicle.
forget to turn the pin half a turn back If all goes well the stranded vehicle
to prevent it from locking tight is extracted quickly and easily from
during the recovery process. the obstacle. Two types are available
Bridal – Is normally used to connect to buy: a flat strap and a pleated rope.
two recovery points to the kinetic
rope/strap – it distributes the load A rope has the advantage that it can
evenly between two points on the be used over and over several times,
vehicle thereby reducing stress on whereas a strap is easier to keep clean
them. You would normally feed the and takes up less storage space. After
bridal through the loop of the rope/ use the strap must be left to contract
strap and then tie each end to the to it’s original length before rolling
vehicle’s recovery point using a it up for packing away. The strap
shackle. has a limited lifetime and should be
measured regularly to check that it
By spreading the load between two has not reached it’s useful life which
recovery points and two shackles, the could be about 20 pulls and/or when
safety of the system is significantly it has lengthened to more than 25%
increased during the recovery of it’s original length. It then can
operation. only be used as a pull strap. Another
Kinetic rope/strap – A kinetic rope/ important point to remember during
strap has the ability to store energy snatch recoveries is that the recovery
derived from linear motion and vehicle must always be at least equal
transfers this into energy to extract a to or more than the stranded vehicle’s
stranded vehicle – much like a weight!
rubber band stores and releases Pull strap – The pull strap has
energy when stretched and released. virtually no stretch designed into
The recovery vehicle moves forward, it and will probably be the most
away from the stranded vehicle, commonly used recovery equipment
thereby inducing stretch into the in your kit. It is normally 5m or 10m

52

in length and rated anything from prevents the broken object from
10 to 20 tons. In most recovery flying towards one of the vehicles
situations the pull strap is used to or a bystander. However the safety
simply pull another vehicle to a point lanyard must be used correctly for it
where it can regain it’s own traction. to be effective.
Therefore it’s Tree-trunk protector – A tree trunk
worth trying to protector is normally used only in
first recover the conjunction with a winch where a
stranded vehicle tree is used as a fixed anchor and
using a pull does exactly what it says – ‘protects
strap before you the tree trunk’.
haul out the The tree trunk
kinetic strap/ protector is
rope. But remember you cannot normally made
perform a kinetic type recovery using from the same
a pull strap – something will break! material as a
Always take up the slack first and pull strap, but is significantly wider.
slowly pull out the stuck vehicle – Spade – The cheapest yet often
a big factor being the amount of most overlooked item to recover
traction the recovery vehicle has. Pull your vehicle – a simple spade. They
straps can be joined to lengthen the come in several shapes and sizes,
distance between the vehicles. but an essential item when it comes
Safety Lanyard – The use of a safety to removing sand or mud from a
lanyard is becoming more and more vehicle’s wheels or chassis. Often just
popular these days and is becoming 10 mintues of ‘spade-work’ will help
a must have in your recovery kit. It the recovery exericse end up being a
simply connects the ‘danger’ points whole lot easier.
(normally used with shackles), to
The above-mentioned equipment will
another fixed meet 90% of your recovery needs if
point on the you do not have an expensive winch
vehicle and mounted on your vehicle – and even
only works quality equipment will cost you a
when a third of the price of a winch.
recovery point
or shackle 53
breaks loose
and the
lanyard thus

The LROC has a fully stocked regalia 3. Advanced (For winching
trailer and all the above-mentioned recovery) – Intermediate kit +
equipment is available for sale at R580=R3475 (excluding Snatch
excellent prices. The LROC Training block & Tree protector)
Sub-Committee recommends the As per Intermediate kit but
following kits should you wish to including:
start building yours up and your • 2xSafety lanyards
finances are limited: • 2xSafety Blankets
The basic kit, which we would • 2xbow shackles
recommend is as follows: • Snatch block (not sold in
1. Basic (For basic recovery) – trailer)
• Tree protector (not sold in
R1505 trailer)
• Recovery Bag
• Leather Gloves Please enquire at [email protected]
• 10m rated pull strap (14t) for more details or to have
• 2xbow shackles customised kits made up for you.
• Bridle It is further highly recommended by
the LROC Committee that members
For more advanced recovery we attend the free training offered by the
recommend: club so that they are correctly trained
2. Intermediate (For snatch in understanding the equipment and
how to apply the techniques in
strap recovery) – Basic kit + practice in the safest way possible.
R1390=R2895 Happy Landroving!
As per Basic kit but including:
• 2xSafety Lanyards
• Kinetic strap rated to vehicle
• 2xbow shackles

54

55

The French ‘Disconnection’

French Synchro

By Martin Smithson

The French Pyrenees are so beautiful still very slow. I was extra cautious as
- most of the time! They happened to I didn’t want to blow the new Turner
be along our chosen route from the gas flow head also especially installed
UK through France, Tunisia, Algeria, for this trip.
Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon, then I thoroughly recommend the
onward via Malawi, Zambia and Turner head. It gives appreciable
Zimbabwe to South Africa. The improvements in performance and
three of us, Bron [‘Paps’], Richard economy. Above all it enables the
[‘Fixer’] and myself, in two Land use of both leaded and unleaded fuel.
Rovers; my 2.25 SeriesIII Light- Not that I have any computed results
weight - ‘Boudie’ (named after the to quote, just pure gut feeling based
Roman slayer Boadicea) and my on past and present experience, and
Disco -300tdi known as Taska (one of the science of ‘wallet watching’!
Boudicca’s daughters). ‘Fixer’ and I spent time at the side of
We were refused entry to a quaint the road lying under Boudie trying to
village café where the local diners get at the gearbox. All we achieved
who were chomping their Sunday was to get very oily, which of course
‘dejeuner’ shouted an anti-Brit is ‘par for the course’ as every Land
“ferme” as we entered. At least Rover has oil underneath. As the
I knew that ferme meant closed! saying goes - “if there’s no oil under a
However, it didn’t dampen the Land Rover then there’s none in it”.
enthusiasm we felt for the area and
in particular the mountain passes we
were driving.

That enthusiasm was dented a little Underneath Boudie
when driving up a pass over the So where do you find a Land Rover
Midi Pyrenees. I was unable to shift garage in France during the holiday
Boudie into any gear other than first
or second. Fortunately I had fitted
a second hand Fairey overdrive just
before leaving the UK which gave a
little more momentum in those two
gears. Needless to say, progress was

56

month of August? Paps called up moving or breaking was the most
an uncle who happens to live in the likely cause. Sadly they were
South of France. He told us of such unable to do anything for us until
an establishment in the town of they reopened after the holidays.
Rodez some 60ks away.
‘Ethel’, the GPS, was brought into Rodez crew
action, set for Rodez and off we went Fernand and Carlos were keeping an
again, albeit very slowly. Along the eye on the place during the holiday.
way we came across a garage in a It wasn’t all bad news as we found a
little village where we met four great campsite just outside Rodez.
wonderful French guys in the A good time was had exploring the
workshop. They were extremely area, visiting its cafés and sites. The
friendly and helpful, even as far as wines, dining and people will long be
calling the Rodez garage to explain remembered.
our plight. For their camaraderie and
willingness they gain one Boudie resting in Rodez
of my Camel Trophies. I On 31st August, when everyone was
do wish I had kept a note back from their holidays, Carlos set
of their names. to work on Boudie. Indeed it was
We had planned to be through found, as suspected, to be a broken
France a month earlier. Sadly that synchro. Top marks to
was not to be. Our departure was parts supplier ‘Allmakes’ –
delayed owing to an accident and ill-
health of a planned fourth member 57
of the team, whose doctor advised
him not to travel.
Eventually we got to Rodez and
found the Land Rover garage. We
were pleasantly surprised at being
made to feel most welcome by the
manager Fernand and engineer
Carlos. Whilst they did explain
about the holiday, they kindly
booked us into the nearby Hotel
Bastide for the night and took Boudie
in to assess the situation.
We suspected a synchro spring

a new part arrived overnight from Rodez. Land Rover should be proud
the UK and fitted immediately. The of you.
service was most impressive. Rue du Pôle Automobile, 12850
Onet le Château, France
Carlos and Fernand at work on Boudies’ +33 5 65 42 20 12
gearbox This PTI I recorded as a
‘Synchro’ & Champagne PTI
When all was finished Fernand made Driving off we all felt grateful to be
out the invoice. He once more on our way. The delay
looked it over and decided it dictated we change to a later ferry
was just too much, so after a from Genoa to Tunis. The rest of
few telephone calls, he tore it the journey through France, Monaco
up and charged a much- and Italy went without any serious
reduced amount. Thanks go to impediment.
you Fernand, Carlos and Land
French Disconnection - Monaco
Rover for a giving us
a great ‘Land Rover Millau Bridge
Experience’.
The experience was rounded
off in the garage by joining
with all the staff for a drink of
champagne. We thought at
first the party was in our
honour; but no, we had just
latched on to a leaving party
for one of the office staff.
Whatever, it was a great
‘send-off ’ and a fine way of
enjoying a ‘PTI’!!
Thank you again Land Rover

58

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Boudie most happily completed a planned around Rodez. The cafes,
part lap of the Monaco GP circuit. the coffee avec petite pain au
Although her lap time wasn’t chocolate et tarte au pomme, along
nearly good enough to qualify she with the views and ambiance, made
thoroughly enjoyed the experience! it all worthwhile. It almost had us
We gathered many pleasant looking forward to more PTI’s in that
memories and found many great lovely region of France – but that was
French campsites along the way. not to be.
An additional PTI was experienced Double Trophies all round on this
and recorded as ‘frustration’ – added occasion of Land Rover Experience.
to the French holidays and the ferry Land Rover, their agents and various
delay. The breakdown, by itself, parts’ suppliers keep us going ‘4x4 by
under normal circumstances would Far’
merely have been a ‘hiccup’. It was a
bonus to have spent more time than

60

Reflections on an LROC evening out
By Arthur Smith

The LROC social materials which
evening was held were shipped
at the Ga Rough from England
Restaurant and during the 1800’s
Wine Cellar in really help to
Centurion. The set the mood in
building itself each room, most
has a very of which still
interesting have the original
history and in modern times a very chandeliers which were painstakingly
interesting location. The building was restored to their former splendour.
an old farm house or “Herehuis” built One would think that turning a
in the early 1800’s by the Erasmus house into a restaurant
family who settled on Brakfontein would result in the interior of the
farm. Both the “Waenhuis” and house becoming a large dining hall,
“Voortrekkershuis” still stand on the but this is not the case. Each of the
property to this day. The location rooms has been renovated and
has also been declared a historical converted into a private dining room.
site. The “Herehuis” was built around The front of the house has also been
1895 and has remained largely given a large outdoor entertainment
unchanged from its original form area for young and old with an
until 2007, 2008 when the building activity area for kids.
was restored to resemble what it once If you are like me, you will know the
was. The “Herehuis” is now the throat-tightening feeling of parking
restaurant section where people can your precious car outside and
sit and enjoy the unprotected; but Ga Rough is nestled
monument. You do almost get the in the middle of a secure estate with
feeling of what it would have been very strict entry and exit rules.
like to live in such a house during Now I am not known for my
simpler times. The restored Douglas- knowledge of wine flavours and
fir wood floors, which is said to have aromas. Actually, all I know is if it’s in
been brought to South Africa from a bottle it’s good and if it’s in a card-
the Americas on Spanish ships in the board box it’s not so good but good
eighteenth century, is something to enough that you can buy 5 liters of it
see and most of the other building
61

at a time (I’ll admit at this point that Chantal had the stuffed chicken
both taste pretty much the same to which is not normally the kind of
me). I have it on good authority that dish I would pick, but the aroma and
the wines available at Ga Rough are look of it did leave me questioning
a selection of great wines including my decision. Unfortunately, I could
wines that are good enough for not sample all the deserts the menu
royalty. Personally, I prefer the wine had to offer either and eventually I
that has the ropes around the bottle chose the Malva pudding with ice
and I too was not disappointed. The cream. I don’t often select this option
bar has something for everyone’s at a restaurant as most often it
taste. resembles something made in a
The menu was really interesting in far-off country under sub-contract
that it gave the perception that the from a failed pastry chef, but in
chef prepared foods that one would this case, it was Malva pudding like
expect on an episode of Master Chef, Ouma used to make. Syrup all the
but the delivery had some South way through, sweet, soft, hot and
African flair. I ordered the chicken sticky. What impressed me very
curry and was expecting an much was the good service. As we
upmarket plate of rice and curry. walked out it was clear that they had
However, the plate was adorned with closed kitchen for the night but
a tidy serving of white rice with the instead of the waiters standing
usual colourful garnish on top and around and counting tips, the staff
the rich creamy chicken curry was waited patiently for us to conclude
presented in a miniature Falkirk our evening but still willing to serve
potjie. Though I did not sample some the last glass of “grape juice” or
of the other dishes ordered they did maybe an extra helping of desert.
look amazing. Thanks to great company (most of

whom we hadn’t
met before) and
a really fantastic
venue, Chantal and
I experienced a
fantastic evening
out at what was
essentially our first
LROC event as
members.

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