After Piet Botha’s retirement as a cattle farmer, he had a real hunger for an extended trip. Raised in Botswana, he certainly had the bush in his veins, and wanted to conquer some new territory. There was one proviso – the journey would not be without the luxuries one feels entitled to on other side of fifty.
Barbara and I were looking for a trailer that was strong, robust and dust-proof. We decided to invest in the Conqueror Comfort trailer with the same track width as my 4×4 vehicle. The trailer came with a fridge, geyser, water tank, gas stove and a braai. These camp must-haves met our needs, and we were ready to go.
Our first trip started at a game reserve. We stayed in a camp called Tsende, where the only facility was an ablution block. Thereafter we travelled through the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park into Botswana, past Maun, Third Bridge and Savuti until we reached Kasane.
It was all pure pleasure for us. At times the trip was challenging because of all the sand, but one learns quickly. We soon realised we were exactly where we wanted to be, and thoroughly enjoyed being deep in the bush where few people entered and nature remained almost intact. It was amazing, waking up to the sound of wild animals.
During one of our trips with the trailer, we realised that with the amount of touring we were planning to do, a caravan would be more suitable for us. Again we decided on a Conqueror because of the quality and durability the products offered.
The Conqueror Commander 4×4 caravan caught my eye. The layout is good and it assembles easily. If you pack carefully, it is possible to arrive at a camp, just lift the roof of the caravan, have a good night’s rest and continue your journey the next morning. For a longer stay, you can assemble the roof tent in a few minutes, pull out the fridge, open the grocery container and light a fire. After all, this is what life in the bush is all about!
What makes the Commander special for us is that it comes standard with an easy to use gas and 220V 15l geyser with 150 litres of water on tap. Warm water is available in your kitchen for the dishes as well as in the shower tent and the bathroom basin.
The kitchen has a fridge, cutlery drawers and a quick-igniting stainless steel two-plate stove, and the grocery container.
Again we travelled through Botswana, via Maun, Third Bridge and Savuti to Kasane, this time with our new Conqueror Commander in tow. We got stuck once on a bad road that should have been closed, but fortunately we received assistance and were soon on our way. It was a good lesson. We realised we needed more experience so that we were prepared for such incidents when there might be no help available.
Our next trip was to the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, leaving our caravan behind and sleeping in tents. This was a good trip, but we missed the luxuries of our caravan.
Next came a tour with Isabonella Adventures and Conqueror Connection. Only Conqueror trailers and caravans were used.
We spent five days in the Namib Desert, where the sand and dunes offered quite an experience. This is where the Commander came into its own right, with its independent suspension creating good ground clearance, stability and more wheel travel than any other similar product in the market.
In my opinion, this is the one trip you should not miss in your lifetime. The December issue of Leisure Wheels contained a detailed account of the adventure.
At times I was worried about the extra weight of my caravan, but the dunes taught me that, with the necessary experience, it is possible to drive anywhere with a trailer or caravan, without complications.
The only problem I have to deal with at times is Tannie Barbara reminding me: “Hurry! The bush is waiting.”
For more information, visit: http://www.conqueror.co.za