It’s the time of the year when you inevitably start planning your year end activities.
If an adventurous road trip is on your radar, it’s vital to have a reliable SUV, Bakkie or a vehicle that can handle the hammering.
Our car-buying experts put together these tips to help your preparations.

Buying a suitable 4×4
Although you won’t necessarily need to stray too deep into the wild to find your adventure, you’re bound to be tempted to take a quick look down a rutted track to see what secrets it might yield.
With this in mind, it’s worth getting a decent 4×4…not just for the extra ground clearance, but for the fact that it’ll handle the rough stuff should the track get worse the further you go…as it invariably will!
Buying Second Hand
When checking a second-hand vehicle, the first thing to do is assess the seller. If the person is shifty, doesn’t look you in the eye, gives a limp handshake or seems vague about important questions, it’s best to walk away.
Similarly, if something appears too good to be true, it probably is. Choosing a 4×4 which will get you through 10,000 kilometres of the harshest terrain on earth is something you don’t want to rush.
First off, find out about the history of the vehicle. Why is it being sold? How long has the seller owned it? What did he use it for? Get as much information as you can about what parts have been replaced during its lifetime before you even turn the key.

Close Inspection
If you’re satisfied that everything seems legit at this stage, get out your fine-tooth comb and check the following:
TYRE. Each tyre should be nail and patch-free, with deep tread and no signs of the rubber cracking or perishing on the tread blocks or sidewalls. Also, check the spare tyre. If you need an extra spare, factor this into your budget (to drive in some areas of the bush, for example, you’re required to have two spares).
BODY. Make sure there’s no rust on structural areas (chassis rails, subframe, sills). And while you’re underneath, check the chassis is dent-free – a big impact with a rock at some point may well have damaged other parts like the engine, gearbox or driveshaft.
DRIVESHAFT. The prop-shaft which runs from the front to rear diff housing should rotate free and true. Check for signs of recent lubrication at either end – a failure of these U-joints (due to a lack of oil) can cause the shaft to snap, pole-vaulting the vehicle into a lengthways flip at 100 kmh quicker than you’d know what was happening.
CV JOINTS. Check the CV (constant velocity) joints, the rubber boots betwed the driveshafts and the wheels. Make sure they’re not split or leaking grease. On the test drive, turn the wheel to full lock and do slow circles in both directions – there should be no clicks.
EXHAUST. The exhaust pipe should be hung high and tight on rubber bushes which aren’t cracking. When you turn the engine on, check for recently applied putty or blowing sounds caused by small holes; if you do hear blowing, the exhaust pipe is on borrowed time
GEARBOX and diff housings These need to be leak free, and move without crunches, grinds and knocks. It’s always worth changing the gearbox fluid before your trip anyway, as who knows when it was last done. On the test drive, try all the gears (including reverse) – make sure each gear change is slick, with no trouble engaging. Likewise with the high/low ratio gearbox, check each setting works without hesitations or problems.
For full four-wheel drive you may need to manually lock the hubs on the front wheels; without these engaged you’ll still only be spinning the rears. Some manufacturers have auto-locking hubs, some don’t, so do your research on this before testing the vehicle.
Bear in mind that the car should always be run in two-wheel drive mode until you physically need fourwheel drive due to lack of traction (and then only at low speeds, usually).
SUSPENSION. Bounce each corner firmly -the shock absorbers should level the car on each corner after a couple of bounces. If it continues to bounce and bounce you’ll need to replace the shocks. If the shocks seem okay but the car has done a lot of off-road driving, it’s worth checking them in case any are weeping. While you’re looking under the wheel-arches, make sure the springs aren’t cracked or even snapped (it does happen).
Physical Inspection
We left off inspecting the suspension of the car which included checking the shock absorbers have enough bounce and life in them and the springs are in good condition.
Moving onto the Brakes.
BRAKES. Check the pads and discs have plenty of life left in them. On the test drive, check that the calipers aren’t sticking to the discs. If the car has ABS brakes, check them by trying to lock up the brakes on the test drive; if the car skids (rather than quickly juddering to a stop), the ABS isn’t working.
ENGINE. Get as much history as you can about the engine, including previous service intervals and dates when parts were replaced. All engines require regular oil and filter changes, and periodically bigger jobs need to be done, such as the cam belt being changed. Check to see that these have been done, and if so, when. Cross-reference the change dates to the mileage, and compare it to what the manufacturer-suggested mileage is for each part. If you snap an ageing cam belt it will destroy your valves and could potentially damage your pistons, requiring an expensive rebuild; so if a cam belt change is overdue, get it done. If there’s no record of when it was changed, take off the plastic cover and see if there’s any printed writing still visible on the back of the belt – if it’s faded and gone, it’s time for a change.
Also, check for patches of oil or coolant on the ground, underneath the engine; if you see any, try to figure out which part of the engine the drips are coming from. If there’s oil dripping from the oil filter it’ll probably just be a cheap 0-ring leaking…but leaky gaskets are another matter. When you turn on a petrol engine it should catch instantly – if it takes longer to start you may have a tiring battery, alternator, starter motor or ignition system.
Diesel engines need a few seconds for the glow plugs to warm up before firing up; the requisite light on the dash should extinguish within a few seconds of turning the key a click. Once the engine is idling, listen out for whistles, knocks, taps or clunks. The engine should idle at about 750rpm (plus or minus 50rpm).

Accessories
Okay, so you’ve got yourself a set of wheels. Now you just need to gather up a few additional items and you’ll be ready to hit the road.
ROOF RACK. If the car doesn’t have a roof rack, it’s a good idea to fit one. With a roof rack you can carry all sorts of stuff:
• Spare jerry cans of fuel, which will extend your mileage range between filling stations by hundreds of kilometres.
• Water containers – you’ll need plenty of water for drinking…and you may need it to replenish the cooling system of an overheating engine after a split hose or busted radiator.
• An extra spare tyre.
• Lockable roof box – these provide useful external storage for a tent, wetties, tools and so on.
• Roof spotlights – these beauties will considerably improve your night vision and help spot highway obstacles.
• CB radio and giant antenna Can be expensive, but if you plan to go deep into the bush it could be a lifesaver.
• Fine plastic mesh Wrap some plastic mesh over the middle section of the roo bars to protect your radiator from flying stone chips kicked up by passing trucks. The mesh will also intercept insects – you’d be surprised how quickly a radiator can get clogged with squished bugs, leading to overheating
• 12v tyre compressor. Allows you to deflate your tyres (if you plan to drive on sand), and inflate them again afterwards…all from the cigarette lighter socket. (Check the socket actually works before setting off!)
• Tent. Bring one which zips up fully. And watch out for spiders / scorpions in your boots come morning.
• Gas stove. Boils the water for the coffee needed to cope with those long sessions behind the wheel. And for hot meals of course.
• Cooking utensils. Plates, cups, cutlery, pans, matches…
• Mobile phone charger. You can buy chargers which plug into the cigarette lighter socket.
• Tool kit. Get a decent one. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ as the saying goes.
Well done, you’re all set for the adventure of your life! Happy trekkin.
And if it’s time for you to upgrade your current vehicle to gear up for the adventure, why don’t you submit your vehicle details for a super-quick cash valuation?
It takes 2 minutes, and you will find our offers and service to be excellent, often better than trading in at a dealership!