The Mud Life - 26 - May 2021

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 26 - May 2021

ALL NEW D-MAX CUPRA ATECA LAND ROVER DEFENDER SUZUKI SWIFT TOWING TRAINING

Goods'n'Gear Laning Life Reader's Rides Winch Training

A Day out with Land Rover pages 32-41

Important information Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Mud Life magazine are accurate, we accept no responsibility for errors or omissions, nor the consequence of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advertisements in The Mud Life magazine, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers and owners take reasonable care to ensure advertiser’s probity, but will not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of responding to adverts.

Copyright All images and material on these pages are protected by copyright © Damian Turner. All rights reserved. None of the images or material within this magazine may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose that is not expressly authorised by Damian Turner or Karen Lee Turner.

IN THIS ISSUE TURNER'S TORQUE NEWS

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LANING LIFE 14-21 DIRECTORIES 22-25 SUZUKI SWIFT SZ5 ALLGRIP 26-33 NEW ISUZU D-MAX 34-51 CUPRA ATECA 52-60 GOODS & GEAR 62-77 LAND ROVER DAY OUT 78-89 WINCH TRAINING 91-95 SIMON SAYS 96-97 OUR GARAGE 98-99 READER'S RIDES 100-105 A PADDLE ON PADARN 107-109 RETRO SNAPS 110-111

DAMIAN TURNER Editor-in-Chief, Writer, Photographer & Reviewer

KAREN LEE TURNER (A.K.A. The Muddy Madam)

Creative Director, Layout Designer, Reviewer. & Writer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

BACK ISSUES 112-113

FACEBOOK - TheMudLifeMag INSTAGRAM - themudlifemag TWITTER - themudlifemag WEBSITE - www.themudlife.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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turner's torque We have our freedom back, yay!

FREEDOM!

Not all of it, obviously, but some of it, and I know a lot of you lovely readers have been taking full advantage, either ‘laning, camping, or both!

Still, the complaints have been rolling in (did they ever stop?), and 4x4 and bike owners have been criticised for outright vandalism.

Recently I was on a green lane taking photos of the Lexus UX press car, then it happened, I was approached by an angry middle-aged bloke with a dog who proceeded to shout at me.

“You lot are ruining the 'effing' countryside and should be banned!”

A little bemused, I pondered for a moment on how to react, I mean, I was in a bloomin' Lexus for crying out loud!

I smiled, and in my calmest of counselling voices, I replied, “It’s a shame that you only see the actions of the few and don’t realise that the majority of us genuine 'green laners' have bucket-loads of respect for the countryside.

It’s a bit like you walkers who drop litter, and walk across farmer’s fields destroying crops and livelihoods. A bit like saying that all football supporters are hooligans. A bit like saying all builders dump their waste in parks or back streets at midnight. A bit like saying dog owners never pick up after their dogs have fouled.

At this point, judging by the look of his face, I thought he was going to have a full-on nuclear meltdown, but to his credit he shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Fair enough.” and for the next few minutes we put the world to rights!

He turned out to be a nice bloke.

“I always pick up its shit!" he retorted.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe you. Despite me not knowing you, I’m choosing to lump you in with the 2% of dog owners who lack a certain moral compass and leave crap everywhere, just like you are doing with me.”

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(I wrote this before I read Lauren's latest Laning Life, but great minds obviously do think alike, as her article (starting on page 15) has a lot more to say on the subject of bias against the green-laners of the UK.)

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Majority of drivers distrust Smart Motorways

A new web poll on smart motorways from the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has revealed that the majority of respondents (85%) want a halt on their construction until the safety case is fully proven.

Furthermore, 84% of the 4,500 respondents surveyed had little faith in the current safety systems’ ability to detect them if they were to breakdown in a running lane, and protect them until help arrived.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “Our members include many high mileage, experienced and confident motorway users but the results of this survey are clear to see, with the vast majority having very little, or no confidence, in the safety of smart motorways.

We would urge the Department for Transport and Highways England to listen to what smart motorway users are saying and to consider our findings, along with other in-depth research, to determine the best approach to developing the smart motorway network. Delaying decisions on smart motorways will only lead to more drivers getting stressed.

Alongside more education for drivers, IAM RoadSmart wants to see strong leadership with clear decisions taken soon on whether the programme should be reversed, or provided with the appropriate funding that will speed up delivery of the promised refuges, CCTV and vehicle detection technology.”

Meanwhile, other hard-hitting results from the IAM RoadSmart study found that 81% of motorists felt less safe travelling on a smart motorway compared to a normal one, and 81% agreed that hard shoulders should be immediately reinstated on smart motorways. More than 80% also wanted safety refuges on smart motorways to be spaced at 500 metres apart or less.

Finally, 40% of drivers found no noticeable improvement in their journey time, with only 4% finding a very noticeable improvement compared to 6% who actually found it worse than before.

“This survey highlights a potentially very serious unintended consequence in that driver reluctance to use smart motorways could create increased traffic on local A and B roads.This would undoubtedly lead to an increased risk of collision and injury with even more delays and driver frustration resulting.”

Greig concluded.

If you are like us here at Muddy HQ, these findings probably illicited the response of

"No shit, Sherlock!"

I wonder if the government will take any notice of us mere plebeians, and bring back hard shoulders?

Hmmm, it's more likely that we'll find unicorns living in Buckingham Palace than politicians who admit they're wrong!

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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Volkswagen Caddy California - a campervan for under £30K

The Caddy California completes Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ camper line-up, and stands alongside the T6.1-based California and Crafter-based Grand California, meaning the brand which invented the original iconic campervan now has a touring model for every budget, every journey and every adventure.

The compact camper, based on the award-winning 5th generation Caddy, features a new, foldable bed (1,980mm x 1,070mm), with cup springs and high-quality mattress, that is stored in the parcel shelf and opens out above the rear seats. There is seating for five, with the second row entirely removable for complete flexibility, while a standalone tail-tent, providing additional living space and sleeping compartment, is available as an accessory.

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A retractable mini-kitchen is included as standard, extending from the rear with single-burner cooker and integrated gas bottle. Clever and practical stowage compartments house cutlery, and California camper chairs and camper table.

Interior blinds for the rear windows double up as window storage bags. Light is provided from integrated LED reading lights in the passenger compartment and tailgate.

Air conditioning, power-adjustable wing mirrors and antitheft alarm are included as standard. Both front seats feature manual height and lumbar adjustment. In addition, the compact camper is packed with driver assistance technology such as Driver Alert system, Lane Assist, Cruise Control including Speed limiter, Front Assist, and towing protection.

Caddy California offers App-Connect, allowing users to access their apps on their phone quickly and easily, alongside Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle’s Composition Media system with 8.25-inch colour touch screen, Bluetooth, DAB, and six audio speakers. Standard specification also includes black roof rails and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is also offering a high-value California Plus pack for those wanting a few extra home comforts while camping.

Priced from £960, the option pack includes a front centre armrest with space for two drinks, a 230V inverter and three-pin UK domestic plug socket, dark tinted rear glass, 2 USB points, power latching on all doors to avoid waking your camping neighbours at night and LED rear combination lights.

Prices for the standard Caddy California start from £29,965 for the entry-level SWB 1.5 TSI 114 PS powertrain and manual gearbox, with the 2.0 TDI 122 PS 7-speed DSG automatic variant priced at £34,699.

The Caddy California is also available in Maxi size, priced from £31,285 for the 1.5 TSI 114 PS engine and manual gearbox, with the range-topping 2.0 TDI 122 PS 7-speed DSG automatic priced from £36,019.

For more details on the new Volkswagen Caddy California, please visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk, or contact your local VW Van Centre.

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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Cost of pothole damage rises despite huge drop in mileage

New research reveals that the impact of the pandemic has resulted in the average driver reducing their mileage by 42% over the last year. However, there has not been an equivalent drop in the amount of pothole damage to the nation’s vehicles.

In fact, this year’s PIT Report (Pothole Impact Tracker) for Kwik Fit reveals that the total cost to British drivers from pothole damage over the last twelve months rose slightly compared to the year before, reaching £1.267 billion compared to £1.249bn for the year to March 2020.

Kwik Fit’s PIT Report tracks the impact of potholes on an annual basis, and its research shows that this year, despite reduced mileage, drivers have hit an average of 11 potholes per month, and some 10.2 million have suffered damage to their car as a result. As tyres are a car’s first line of defence against potholes, they are the most commonly damaged component, suffered by 4.2 million drivers.

This is followed by suspension damage (3 million), wheels (2.8 million) and steering (2 million).

The average cost of repairs drivers have faced over the last twelve months has been £127.20, an increase of 11% on the previous year.

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While slightly fewer drivers have suffered damage than in the previous year, this increase in average cost has resulted in the slight rise in the national repair bill.

Although the average driver has been covering significantly fewer miles over the past twelve months, the worsening condition of UK roads may be a reason why so many are still needing repairs.

Nearly half (48%) of all drivers say that the condition of the road surfaces in their local area are worse than twelve months ago, with only 12% saying they are better.

(35% say they are about the same.)

Drivers in Scotland are most likely to say their roads are worse than a year ago, while motorists in London are least likely.

In the capital a third of drivers 33% say the roads are worse, but nearly as many (27%) say they are better.

Interestingly, it is London drivers who are most likely to have complained to their local authority about the potholes in their area. 46% of London motorists have done so, compared to an average of 30% of drivers across the country, which may be a reflection of the fact that London drivers pay an average repair bill of £142.60, compared to the national average figure of £127.20.

Drivers hitting potholes may find that the damage is not immediately apparent.

Pothole impacts can often result in slow punctures, damage on the inside wall of the tyre, or cracks in the wheel which are not obvious straight away. Any driver who hits a pothole with significant force should monitor their car carefully in the days following the incident, to ensure that their vehicle has remained unscathed.

Roger Griggs, Communications Director at Kwik Fit, says “We are all very aware of the massive shock there has been to the public finances as a result of the pandemic. However, the condition of our roads is a long term issue as shown by our PIT report over recent years.

Potholes are not just an issue because of the cost to drivers, they present a risk to people’s safety.We need to ensure that any funds made available are used strategically and effectively and not just for short term patching up of the worst affected areas.”

Any driver who has hit a pothole and suspects they may have suffered damage, but are unsure what to look for, can take their car to any of Kwik Fit’s 600 plus centres across the UK, where the company’s expert technicians will check for damage.

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Could your car be an 'Unexceptional' star of the show?

Hagerty invites owners of deliciously dull vehicles to nominate them for a space on the concours lawn at the 2021 Festival of the Unexceptional. If you own an Opel, maintain a Morris, fettle a Fiat, cherish a Chevette or run a Reliant this is your chance to show the world your beloved vehicle.

Once again, Hagerty’s annual Concours de l’Ordinaire is open to classic cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles built between 1966 and 1996, but spaces on the coveted concours lawn are limited, and owners of eligible vehicles are encouraged to nominate their entry at the earliest opportunity.

Festival of the Unexceptional is a competitive concours that celebrates the world of mundane motoring with a tongue-in-cheek take on the familiar concours format. Instead of displaying multi-million-pound vehicles, and enforcing a dress code of chinos and blue blazers, cars are of the type once seen on every residential street, and dress is smart casual, without the need to be smart.

Showcasing much maligned and long forgotten ‘ordinary’ classic cars and commercial vehicles of the late 1960s through the 70s, 80s and into the mid-90s, Festival of the Unexceptional remains the only concours that prefers a Dolomite to a Diablo, a Tagora over a Testarossa and where a Victor is preferable to a Vantage.

Hagerty believes in basic and understands the labour of love needed to keep these cars on the road. Every city has an Italian supercar specialist, but you’ll struggle to find spares for a Talbot Solara regardless of where you live.You may think a supercar is a rare sight on the roads, but when did you last see a Datsun Cherry? The cars that were once every day transport are now on the verge of extinction and it takes a committed enthusiast to keep them alive.

Potential entrants are reminded the Festival, as its name suggests, celebrates the unexceptional. Spaces on the concours lawn will be awarded to a Merit over an SRi, and a City will be chosen over a Vanden Plas.

Hagerty seeks the cars few would see benefit in saving, and while many luxury or sporting models from the past still have a strong following, it’s the lower trim levels that will catch the judges’ eyes.

The date and location for 2021 Festival of the Unexceptional is July 31st at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. The castle offers expansive grounds to enjoy with lakeside walks, formal gardens, and a children’s play area, ensuring the 2021 Festival of the Unexceptional will be a great day out for all the family.

Cars can be offered for consideration via this link carfestivalbooking.com/events/festival-of-the-unexceptional-2021-concours-registration THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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Ford's New Ranger Stormtrak & Wolftrak Limited Editions

Arriving in dealerships from October this year, Ford has introduced 2 limited edition models of their award-winning pick-up - the new Ranger Stormtrak and Ranger Wolftrak.

Ranger Stormtrak Based on the premium Ranger Wildtrak series, the Stormtrak is equipped with Ford’s range-topping Biturbo 213PS 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine developing 500Nm of torque for outstanding pulling power.

The new Ranger Stormtrak delivers even higher specification with further enhanced comfort features and unique finishes. A limited run of vehicles will be built to ensure exclusivity, available as a Double Cab for UK customers with spacious rear seating.

Striking Rapid Red paint is unique to Ranger Stormtrak, complementing the exclusive red grille insert. it also features LED headlights, rugged underbody protection as standard, and Frozen White and Blue Lightning paint options.

It's powerful look is enhanced by exclusive bonnet and body side decals, chunky three-dimensional badging, and a black rear bumper and sports hoop.

In addition, a bedliner, load divider and Ford’s new Power Roller Shutter feature as standard, providing greater convenience and practicality when moving cargo. Ranger Stormtrak also retains the 1.0 tonne payload and 3,500kg maximum towing weight.

The Ranger Stormtrak interior further enhances the model with premium specification and practical features. Stormtrak-specific seats feature the same supple leather as Ford’s iconic Ranger Raptor, accentuated with embroidered Stormtrak logos and bolsters trimmed with technical fabric. Tinted Graphite interior surfaces and red stitching throughout mirror Stormtrak’s unmistakeable exterior palette.

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Ranger Wolftrak Ranger Wolftrak is built for customers who desire dependable off-road capability and a bold, no‑nonsense exterior. Based on the Ranger XLT series, Wolftrak is powered by Ford’s 170PS 2.0‑litre EcoBlue diesel engine with the choice of 6 speed manual or 10 speed automatic transmission.

A selectable four-wheel drive system with shift-onthe-fly function, electronically-locking rear differential and all-terrain tyres are standard to enable progress in challenging off-road conditions, supported by a low range four-wheel drive setting to improve performance on steep hills and soft surfaces.

Ford anticipates Ranger Wolftrak will appeal strongly to customers in farming, forestry and outdoor pursuit industries as well as private buyers. A 1.0 tonne payload and 3,500kg maximum towing weight offer significant load-moving ability, supported by a standard protective bed liner. An optional manual load bed cover or Aeroklas full load canopy are uniquely available in matte black to match Ranger Wolftrak’s blacked-out exterior detailing.

A long-leg tubular sports bar exclusive to Ranger Wolftrak creates a rugged look and supports accessory fitment and easy load restraint.

Imposing Conquer Grey paint accentuates the pick-up’s haunches which complements the matte black grille, underbody protection and 17” black alloy wheels. Sea Grey paint is also available. The truck’s distinctive style is completed by darkened Wolftrak badges and plastic moulded side steps.

Exclusive touches in Ranger Wolftrak’s cabin include Wolftrak badges, a matte black instrument panel and door spears, and durable all-weather floor mats.

Ford’s SYNC 3 connectivity and navigation system with 8” touchscreen is a standard feature.

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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1st year business owners, Isuzu wants to hear from you!

To celebrate the launch of the All-New Isuzu D-Max, Isuzu UK has announced an exciting competition aimed at driven business owners.

Isuzu UK are on the look-out for a driven individual who has launched a new company during the Covid pandemic.

The lucky winner will receive: • The loan of an All-New Isuzu D-Max for one year • Marketing and Social support from 438 Marketing

William Brown, Managing Director of Isuzu UK, remarked “Supporting small and start-up businesses has never been so important and the Isuzu D-Max is the perfect truck to help.

The D-Max already has a great reputation as a workhorse and the new model takes it to another level - for example, we are the first pick-up to achieve the maximum 5-star rating in the latest Euro NCAP tests.

If that's you, Isuzu UK want to hear from you.

• Vehicle decals for the D-Max with the winner’s company information

They want to celebrate all those hard working entrepreneurs who are making things happen and may just need a little help to get their business on the road.

• Top tips and advice in a oneto-one Zoom business meeting with the Managing Director of Isuzu UK, William Brown.

We’re grateful to Admiral Van Insurance who are supporting the All-New D-Max loan by providing fully comprehensive motor insurance and to 438 Marketing who will help grow brand awareness for this new company.”

Driven entrepreneurs who set up a business in the last year are invited to apply for the loan of a brand-new top of the range D-Max.

• 1 year’s fully comprehensive insurance from Admiral Van Insurance

Applicants should visit isuzu.co.uk and complete the on-line form for their chance to win an All-New Isuzu D-Max.

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mud life mugs themudlife.co.uk/mugs

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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g n i n Life a L

aton E n e r u a

by L

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

Hubble, bubble, toil, and....well, bias!

The Lake District is well known for being an area where lovers of the countryside often come head to head over the way they choose to enjoy this stunning post-industrial landscape. Unless you have been living under a rock over the last few years, the constant pressure to ban 4x4s from the park cannot have escaped you.

Thankfully the Park Authority is a little more open-minded, and less biased, than some user groups, and after a two year assessment of the impact of 4x4s and motorcycles using the tiny proportion of vehicular RoWs (Right of Way) in the park (a mere 120kms), decided that vehicular use could continue. This was backed up by the result of a very costly judicial review, the judge ruling in favour of the Park Authority’s findings and conclusions.

Unfortunately, this incredibly in-depth process is still being picked apart by some, but for now it is walkers who are in the public eye. Scafell Pike is imminently due for significant repair work, damage caused by astronomical numbers of feet is going to cost the Park vast sums of money to repair, far more than any green lane ever has anywhere in the UK let alone in the Park itself, and yet the tone of the media coverage is still welcoming of these visitors, but not of 4x4s.

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This article appeared in the Evening Standard on 22nd April - Work gets under way to protect paths on England’s highest mountain Let’s take a look at the details, and more importantly how these details are reported in the national media, and received by the public at large.

The stats

Thanks to the Park Authority’s (LNDPA) report we know exact facts and figures.

Ok, so that’s a lot of graphs, but there is no clearer way to show the access rights each user group has, the extent of use the park gets, or the relative size of the user group blamed for “ruining the [entire] Lake District” for non-vehicular users.

I could add more figures, and argue that each walker costs the park a pound each a year, compared to a penny per vehicular user, or that the judicial review cost more to each side than 4x4s have cost the park in maintenance in well over a decade, but I’m not even going to argue costs, they speak for themselves.

I’ve included the graphs to show how tiny our user group and accessible network is, so that I can compare it to the social and environmental allegations laid at our feet. It is this very strange and obviously biased narrative that is fuelling the media fire - a minority user group should be banned for causing the minority of maintenance issues, yet the majority user group causing the majority of damage is welcomed with open arms irrespective of impact or cost.

Then there’s the obvious question: do the 15.8 million visitors not use vehicles themselves to access the park in far greater numbers than laners ever have, or ever will?

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Scafell Pike

On 22nd April 2021, Fix The Fells programme manager Joanne Backshall was quoted by the Evening Standard as saying: “It is wonderful that so many people are enjoying Scafell Pike and the surrounding peaks each year. Now more than ever, we’re seeing more people reaping the benefits that spending time in nature can bring.”

But she also said: “With so many people using this route up Scafell Pike, human-related erosion is spiralling out of control and having a devastating effect on wildlife and habitats.

The work we are doing to maintain and repair eroded footpaths on Scafell Pike is critically necessary to protect this iconic mountain, its environmentally sensitive habitats and this world-renowned scenic landscape, so that people can continue to enjoy this classic ascent and the natural beauty of the Lakes for years to come.”

Great work! No one would ever dispute that access to the countryside is very beneficial to our physical and mental health, or that our sensitive environment does indeed need to be protected and preserved, but if we compare this to High Tilberthwaite and High Oxen Fell, the two lanes at the forefront of the recent judicial review, and the LNDPA assessment report that preceded it, there were no maintenance issues identified, yet media allegations included: '4x4s risk UNESCO World Heritage Status' Guardian, Nov 2019

'This is the Lake District National Park, not the Lake District Theme Park!' Guardian, Oct 2019 'This is a crucial case for anyone who cares about the beauty and tranquillity of the Lake District. The LDNPA is refusing to protect one of the most beautiful places in England from intrusion and damage by motor vehicles.' GLEAM Chairman, The Times, Dec 2019 Let’s get this straight: Damage done by feet is worthy of a several million pound investment to allow it to continue, yet 4x4s driving two lanes that are in excellent condition and require no work incite calls to ban vehicles completely?

This call to ban all vehicles does not seem to work with the “Now more than ever, we’re seeing more people reaping the benefits that spending time in nature can bring.” narrative.

In fact it would appear to be calling for a ban on a legal minority of users, just as has already been done with watersports enthusiasts on some lakes in the park.

Where will it end?

Not only that, but this minority group contains some of the most vulnerable users of the National Park. Not everyone is capable of climbing Scafell Pike, or even walking at all!

In the 21st century, an age where inclusion is key and discrimination is illegal, we are still seeing evidence of discrimination on a massive public scale that fully physically able people and the media want to ban those who cannot safely access our nation’s stunning countryside on foot.

While business owners and authorities must ensure that disabled access is available in all sorts of locations, buildings, and indoor and outdoor public spaces, it appears that the most obvious and easy solution to allow those who face challenges to access some of the most beautiful areas of our countryside is being pressurised, reduced, and attacked.

Does everyone not deserve the same right to “reap[ing] the benefits that spending time in nature can bring?”

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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The Evening Standard goes onto explain what the work on Scafell Pike will involve: 'Most of the work will be carried out by hand by a team of rangers using materials found on the mountain where possible, while 230 bags of stone are also being lifted on to the site by helicopters.

For repairs to one stretch of path, a 360-degree excavator is needed, which will be flown on to the mountain in pieces and reassembled by specialist contractors, the trust said.

The six-month project will concentrate on five sections of path totalling 1km (0.6 miles), with work on areas from the valley bottom to the summit.'

To summarise, Scafell Pike requires maintenance beyond that ever seen on a green lane in the area. This work will require 6 months of helicopter flights and the associated noise, in excess of 230 tons of stone, and the dismantling of a 360 excavator to be flown in to assist.

While there are no objections to this work - NO closures on the route, NO argument that the damage has not occurred, NO calls to ban walkers, NO allegations of disturbing the tranquil environment, or NO permit schemes proposed to curb numbers of users, the continuation of calls to ban vehicles on 2 well maintained, hard surfaced, sustainable lanes never ends?

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In fact those lanes will now be under close scrutiny for a long time to come. Will the same happen at Scafell after many millions (compared to £50k on High Tilberthwaite) are spent on protecting the rights of the many, while the few are left to worry if they’ll still be able to visit the places they love in the future?

I was going to continue, but I think the bias in the media, and in some user groups, despite the overwhelming inclusivity and good work by the Park Authority and Fix the Fells, is quite clear. It is such a shame that these selfpurported lovers of the Lakes cannot see how much they are unnecessarily costing the park and those who manage it, and all for the sake of a personal dislike of the motor vehicle.

If you wish to do your own research on this neverending saga, the following links will be of use: Evening Standard report quoted in this article: https:// www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/work-lake-districtnational-trust-scafell-pike-england-b931126.html LDNPA assessment report: https://www.lakedistrict. gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/green_roads/futuremanagement-of-tilberthwaite-and-oxen-fell-roads ‘4x4s in the Media’ article in the January '21 issue of The Mud Life : https://issuu.com/themudlife/docs/tmlissue-22/19

Meanwhile, on the lanes…

While all this anti 4x4 rhetoric continues our guys on the ground are busy as ever doing some great work! We’ll go to Cumbria first as we’re already in the area.

Litter picking

Our rep team in Cumbria have been busy driving and walking the National Park helping to keep the area litter free for the benefit of all users. This effort has been very well received by the Park Authority, and will be rolled out as a national GLASS scheme soon.

Huge thanks to James Dixon, Peter Apps, Gary Miller, and Phil Griffiths for the sterling work they continue to do in the area. Top job folks!

THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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GLASS Succeeds with High Court Action

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council recently made a TRO on Byway Open to All Traffic Cyfarthfa 64; this was publicised in an online newspaper by a notice dated 11th March 2021. Neither LARA nor the Green Lane Association had been consulted by the council prior to making the order, despite previous requests by both organisations to be added to the council’s list of consultees.

GLASS challenged the TRO in the High Court on 6th April 2021 under the Judicial Review procedure. At the time of writing we understand that the council has agreed to revoke the TRO, and the BOAT will be reopened. More details will be given in future. - Chris Mitchell, Executive Officer.

Lincolnshire Lessons

The notoriously wet and damaged Byway, just north of Market Rasen, going over the Wolds from Walesby to Claxby (or visa versa) has been completely rebuilt by the Lincolnshire County Council Rights of Way Department. It is indeed a Byway Open to All Traffic.

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This Byway cuts through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many other rights of way crisscross over it. Part of it is a stretch of the iconic Lincolnshire Viking Way. Over the past 20 years it became a quagmire of mud and bomb holes which became an inevitable attraction to the growing population of cheap 4x4, ‘go out anywhere and have fun brigade’.

Many moans and groans from various stakeholders over the years have fallen on local authority’s deaf ears.

Until a year or so ago, when the local parish Council threatened to take the local authority to court over their obligation to maintain the Byway. Somehow this was the final boulder that got through. The result is a fine example of a Byway allowing access to all.

I, as a relatively new and inexperienced rep, have learned a lot about working with the stakeholders involved to improve the access to areas. We now need to work toward ensuring this beautiful byway, and the surrounding area, doesn’t get damaged and use the lessons learned to work on other lanes to improve them also. - David Salkeld, Lincolnshire Rep

Surrey

As you may know Surrey CC have moved to impose a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) shutting Wolvens Lane to motorised traffic. The documentation for this is here: Byway Open to All Traffic 526 (Capel/Wotton) Closure Order 2020 The paperwork explains the reasoning for the TRO and offers four options: • Shut to all motorised vehicles • Motorbikes only • Permit access for motorised vehicles • Leave as is.

Other options that might be considered sensible would be to leave the lane open, stake, fence and shut off the areas where damage occurs, and to increase Police presence.

These are things that could have been done multiple times over the decade (actually decades) and were entirely successful the one time they were done properly, in consultation with GLASS.

A Public Space Protection Order is another option that could be used to immediately criminalise trespass and damage, and give the police greater powers to act as a result. - Stuart Boreham, Surrey Rep.

That’s all from me this month folks!

I really hope you’re enjoying our new found freedom to get back out and enjoy our nation’s countryside! It’s been a long time coming!

If you have any questions or would like me to cover any topics in future issues please get in touch on lauren.eaton@glass-uk.org Stay safe and happy laning!

Lauren x

• Regular digital bulletins • 2 printed magazines per year • Members website and forum • TW2, the essential green lane route planning tool • • Access to area reps for route planning and advice • Member discounts from selected suppliers • Legal challenges • Extensive knowledge base •

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Fancy an off-road challenge?

Want to get your 4x4 filthy?

Don’t ruin our ancient byways, try out your local P&P site, join a tour or brush up your skills on a driver training day instead.

Over the next few pages we have listed many of the business that you can play, train and holiday with.

If you fancy going along, always find out what you'll need to bring along or which vehicles are allowed: • Does your 4x4 need to be road legal?

• Do you need to show proof of age, vehicle MOT and insurance documents?

• Are your recovery points secure?

• Do you even have any recovery points?

Always check with the individual site before you set off.

Remember, as well as a good quality tow rope, it’s always useful to bring along some rags and a bottle of water to clean your lights and reg plates, so you can stay legal whilst driving home!

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Pay & Play Directory

NORTH

SOUTH

Hill ’n’ Ditch

Essex Rochford & District 4x4 Club

Mouldsworth, Cheshire http://www.hillnditch4x4.com 07974 398201

Explore Off Road

Crewe, Cheshire http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Kirton Off Road

Hibaldstow, Gainsborough https://www.korc.co.uk 01652 245022

Frickley 4x4 Off Road Centre South Elmsall, West Yorkshire https://www.frickley4x4.co.uk 07881 590593

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Rochdale https://cowmleisure.com 07970 101 879

WALES Ultra Adventure Driving

Wrexham, Wales http://www.ultraadventuredriving.co.uk 01978 358 444

Canewdon, Rochford http://www.4x4er.co.uk

Devils Pit

Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire http://www.devilspit.co.uk 07764 159478

Avalanche Adventures

Market Harborough, Leicestershire https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

4x4 Without A Club

Aldermaston, Berkshire http://www.4x4-withoutaclub.co.uk 07887533168

John Morgan 4x4 Driving Slindon, West Sussex http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

Piccadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex http://www.piccadillywood4x4.co.uk 07984 543886

If you have a Pay & Play site, offer tours or driver training, and want to be included for FREE in the directories just email your details to us.

We also offer an enhanced eye-catching boxed listing (see next page) for only £25 per issue (better rates for 3, 6 & 12 month listings) email - klt@themudlife.co.uk for more details THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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4x4 TOURS DIRECTORY

Highland All Terrain

Trails and Tracks 4x4 Adventures

Single & Multiple Day Tours with Wild Camping 100s of miles of Off-Road Tracks Access to Private Estates

Cambrian Way

The Old Filling Station, Kinlochlaggan, Newtonmore, PH20 1BX

tel: 01528 544 358 mob: 07708 819 157 email: info@highlandallterrain.co.uk

www.highlandscenicsafari.co.uk

Ardent Off Road

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardentoffroad.com Tel: 01405 947 001

One Life Adventure

Activities: 4x4 Tours & vehicle prep training https://www.onelifeadventure.co.uk Tel: 01347 830188

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.cambrianway.com Tel: 01550 750274

Roam Free Adventures

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.roamfreeadventures.co.uk Contact via website

Timeless Overland

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.facebook.com/tloverland Tel: 07508 833 899

Land Tracks and Trails Green Lane Adventures Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.lanestracksandtrails.co.uk Tel: 07855 213355

Ardventures

Compass Adventures

4x4 Adventure Tours

Battlefields by 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardventures.co.uk Tel: 01757 638 479

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.4x4adventuretours.co.uk Tel: 07769 336 099

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Activities: 4x4 Tours https://trailsandtracks.co.uk Tel: 07976 393 838

THE MUD LIFE MAGAZINE

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.compassadventures.co.uk Tel: 07508 708 588

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.battlefieldsby4x4.com Tel: 07014 241 418

Off Road Driver Training & Experiences UK WIDE

SOUTH

All Terrain Services

John Morgan 4x4 Driving

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training & Experiences, Self Drive Tours https://www.allterrainservices.co.uk 01792 862669

Activities: Pay & Play

Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

NORTH

Wild Tracks

North Yorkshire Off Road Centre Activities: Off Road Driver Training & Tours http://www.nyoffroad.co.uk 07787 555060

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences https://www.wildtracksltd.co.uk 01638 751918

True Grip off Road

Explore Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.truegripoffroad.co.uk 01233 662251

WALES

Protrax

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Bala 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.bala4x4.co.uk 01536 772238

SCOTLAND Scottish Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training http://www.scotoffroad.co.uk 07711 217759

Far X Four

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.farxfour.com 01450 860275

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.protrax.co.uk 01536 772238

Avalanche Adventures

Activities: Pay & Play

4x4 Experiences https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

Ash 4x4

Activities: Off Road Driver Training

4x4 Experiences http://www.ash4x4.com 07581 030331

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Suzuki Swift

1.2ltr Dualjet Hybrid SZ5 ALLGRIP

What is it?

Suzuki’s third generation Swift has been with us now since June 2017, and for 2021 it’s been given a facelift with a revised front-end styling, higher standard specifications and even more emphasis on safety equipment levels across the range, as well as Suzuki’s enhanced 12V Hybrid system.

That’s not all, the new Swift is smaller (10mm shorter, 15mm lower, although 40mm wider), and considerably lighter than its predecessor as it sits on the company’s ‘Heartect’ platform, the same used for the Baleno and Ignis. A 20mm-stretched wheelbase means you get more internal space, including a boot that’s bigger by 54 litres over the old car.

On the road I covered a fair few miles in the Swift, from twisty roads in the Peaks, to a 3 hour motorway drive down to Eastnor Castle and back, and you know what? I wasn’t fazed.

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Normally I would have pulled my face at doing those sort of miles in a small car, but the seats are ace, even for a fat lad like me! It’s roomy, moderately quiet on the engine and tyre noise front, and comes equipped with adaptive cruise control, all of which made a 7 hour round trip hassle free, and with a swept back windscreen and good sized windows, threading your way around town is also a doddle.

Weighing less than a tonne, the Swift always feels lively and alert, and around the twisty bits, not only is its body roll well-managed, but the firms ALLGRIP tech keeps everything surefooted and exactly where you want it to be.

Fuel wise, despite the amount of abuse I gave it, it still managed to average over 50mpg, so there’s no complaint there.

Off road Like the Ignis I had the week previous, I didn’t venture too far off the beaten track, but I was invited to a remote quarry to report on another event. Getting to it wasn’t an issue, just a bit of a muddy narrow green lane. I wouldn’t have even noticed it in a larger 4x4, but in the Swift I had to be careful due to its lack of decent ground clearance. The muddy exit would have caused wheel spin in a 2wd, but the Allgrip tech kept me going.

On the subject of Suzuki’s ALLGRIP, no matter which model it’s been fitted to, it’s never let me down, whether that’s on snow, ice or mud. It’s a well proven and simple fully automatic and permanent four-wheel drive layout, which transfers additional torque to the rear wheels when required via a viscous coupling - ideal for customers who live in rural areas who don’t want the hassle of a ‘proper’ 4x4 during winter months.

Overall Suzuki’s ALLGRIP technology will take you where you want to go, you are only limited by the Swift’s approach angle, ground clearance and tyres.

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Interior Okay, it isn’t the height of luxury, but neither does it pretend to be. There are lots of sturdy charcoal-grey plastics, and fairly simple dials and surfaces, but they are all well laid-out and intuitive. You will also find plenty of space on board for four adults, though five might be pushing it. Oddly, it felt a little more cramped in the back than the Ignis, which is much smaller.

I mentioned at the start that due to the new platform, the boot now has an extra 54 litres, which means, with the rear seats still in place, you have a luggage capacity of 265 litres.

Safety gubbins As I’ve mention many times before, Suzuki do like to cram their cars with all the latest safety spec, even the base SZ3 has air conditioning, six airbags, DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard.

The SZ5 adds adaptive cruise control, sat-nav, dual sensor brake support, lane departure warning and prevention, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert and vehicle weave warning. Oh yeah, and traffic sign recognition.

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Engine ‘n’ transmission You have a choice of two engines, the 1.2 litre Dualjet normally aspirated four-cylinder petrol, and the 1.0 litre Boosterjet three-cylinder motor, both of which are mated to the Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) system.

The self-charging hybrid system is now powered by a new lithium-ion battery with capacity upgraded from 3Ah to 10Ah to improve energy recovery efficiency.

Available as standard equipment for all Swift models, the upgraded 12V Hybrid system is a compact and lightweight unit that incorporates an Integrated Starter Generator (known as ISG), which acts as both a generator and starter motor. The ISG is belt driven and assists the engine during vehicle take off and acceleration, and also generates

electricity through regenerative braking. The ISG unit has a power output of 2.3kW with a torque figure of 50Nm, and the components of the system add just 6.2kg to the overall weight of the car.

Conclusion Just like every other Suzuki I’ve tested over the years, the Swift feels dependable and well screwed together, though I do wish it was a bit more plush. It handled muddy tracks, city and country driving with ease, and it isn’t intimidated by a bit of green laning, either.

Overall, with agile handling, eager yet economical engines, generous levels of equipment and sensible pricing, the Suzuki Swift is a great car that won’t let you down. more at » www.suzuki.co.uk Price from £12,999

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All New

Isuzu D-Max

In the ever dwindling UK pick-up market, the Isuzu D-Max has always appealed to a wide variety of drivers, from fleet operators to farmers, and with an all-new model, Isuzu are hoping the tradition continues.

So let's find out what’s new...

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Let's begin with the exterior

The all-new Isuzu D-Max benefits from a dynamic new exterior design, which includes a more horizontal bonnet and vertical front face, a new front bumper with contoured fog lights and an ‘assertive’ radiator grille that gives it a much more powerful stance on the road. Newly designed headlights not only improve the look, but also offer improved visibility with Bi-LED headlights

with integrated LED daytime running lights and LED front fog lights, depending on which model you opt for.

A newly designed side step protects the body from stone chips and features a non-slip surface, and there’s a new, flush rear bumper that has an integrated rear step.

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WORKHORSE CREDENTIALS Let’s deal with the elephant in the room first. Isuzu have opted to retain their 161bhp 1.9 litre diesel, that now requires the use of AdBlue. The 14 litre AdBlue tank is located underneath the body, in front of the fuel tank with the filler conveniently positioned next to the fuel filler. In all the models I drove I have to say that it isn’t the quietest, or smoothest, but it gets the job done.

The All-New Isuzu D-Max is capable of towing up to 3.5 tonnes, and carrying a payload of over a tonne. All 4x4 models are equipped with trailer sway control, and Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control are standard on all variants.

The four-wheel drive system is still shift-on-the-fly and has three configuration settings, but it has a new actuator that now provides much faster transfer between the different drives.

Another bonus is that a rear differential lock is standard on the DL20, DL40 and V-Cross.

To protect key components whilst off the beaten track, the underbody protection cover has been extended, and there is now a new underbody air deflector. The chassis has been strengthened with the addition of an extra cross member. These upgrades have also improved safety even further on side impacts.

Another selling point is that every variant of the all-new Isuzu D-Max weighs under 2,040kg and is therefore subject to normal passenger car speed limits. Many a double cab pick-up these days exceed this weight limit so must comply with goods vehicle speed limits which are 10mph lower on single and dual carriageways.

SAFETy Among the raft of new features to adorn the all-new D-Max, perhaps the most coveted is that it’s the first pick-up to achieve a maximum 5-star safety rating award in the tough new Euro NCAP test - no small feat.

Inside you’ll find that a new driver’s knee airbag is standard on all models, and double cabs are now equipped with eight airbags, including a new centre airbag which offers additional protection in the event of a side-on collision.

The ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) package includes forward-facing stereo cameras and, as a result, every model comes with Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Lane Departure Warning & Prevention System.

There is also a new E-Call system which dials the emergency services in the event of an accident. This is a mandatory requirement for the Euro NCAP 5-star rating as it automatically activates when the airbags are deployed. In the event of a less serious collision or to report an emergency incident, the driver can simply press the E-Call button on the overhead console.

As the only UK pick-up to feature a rear radar as standard on all double cabs, these models include Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Emergency Lane Keeping, as standard.

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INterior The interior has been transformed thanks to a horizontal and layered design which gives a more spacious feel. Soft-touch panelling and elegant detailing contribute to a more premium interior which remains fuss-free and practical to operate.

The wheelbase is 30mm longer which creates and more spacious cabin, especially for rear seat passengers who have ample leg room, and an extra 20mm more shoulder room, higher hip points and more reclined seat backs (now 24°).

The steering wheel is height and reach adjustable and there are up to 10 cup holders located around the truck: 6 in the front and 4 in the rear.

Like previous models, the D-Max has several handy storage compartments conveniently placed around the cabin - the upper dashboard for items such as a work notebook, standard glovebox and a top glovebox.

The driver and passenger sunvisors have a clip for business cards, there’s an overhead console for sunglasses, and a convenient spot for your phone in front of the gearstick and close to the USB port.

The instrument panel now features a 4.2" MultiInformation Display on all models, and depending on which model you choose, there are three types of audio system and touchscreens available.

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THE RANGE

To appeal to a wide variety of drivers, from feet operators to families, the model range is structured into three segments: Business, All-Purpose and Adventure, with 4 new trim levels: Utility, DL20, DL40 and V-Cross.

Business

The Business range features the

Utility

trim and this base specification workhorse is offered in 4x2 or 4x4, and in three different cab types: single, extended and double cab. Developed with work in mind, the Utility features a wide range of practical features to ensure drivers are as productive, safe and comfortable as possible.

Utility models are ideally suited to working environments with features like an easily-cleanable vinyl flooring and durable steel wheels, while the bumpers, door mirrors and door handles are made from a hard-wearing black plastic.

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All-Purpose The All-Purpose range consists of the DL20 and DL40, with ‘DL’ signifying it has a rear diff-lock as standard.

All-Purpose models are also available with an automatic transmission, which come with the additional ADAS functionality of Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist.

DL20

features heated front seats, rear parking sensors, front fog lights and a front centre armrest for increased comfort and practicality, while bodycoloured front and rear bumpers, silver door handles, a medium grey radiator grille and 18” alloy wheels provide a more premium appearance.

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DL40

adds a variety of sophisticated enhancements like distinctive Bi-LED headlights, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights and rear lights, a chrome radiator grille, silver side steps and twotone 18” alloy wheels.

DL40 models also include front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Keyless entry works on both the driver and passenger side, and is accompanied by a push-button start system and welcome light.

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The interior benefits from leather upholstery, a leather steering wheel and an 8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

The 7” multifunction colour touchscreen is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s also a dualzone climate control system, allowing the driver and passenger to set different temperatures.

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Adventure

Topping off the new model line-up is

V-Cross

which sits within the Adventure range.

It features distinguishing ‘Gun Metal’ exterior styling on the radiator grille, side steps, door mirrors, door handles and 18” alloy wheels.

The premium interior is practical and fuss-free: entertainment is provided by a 9” multifunction colour touchscreen with a CD player and eight speakers,.

There is an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic headlight levelling and the smart leather interior is complemented with V-Cross branded carpet mats.

At some point in the near future, I’m confident that we’ll also see the XTR and AT35 variants join the line-up.

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What is it like to to drive?

Isuzu only make commercial vehicles, and therefore they focus on making their pick-ups tough, strong and built to go the distance.

The first D-Max I took out was the V-Cross automatic, and around the off-road course, almost immediately, I felt the improvement offered by the revised suspension; it felt smoother, even when unladen.

As promised, switching from 2wd to 4wd and low-box took at maximum a couple of seconds, which was a pleasant surprise.

Around the course there were lots of very steep ascents and descents to deal with, and the V-Cross coped with ease, just as you would expect.

We even had the opportunity to test out its maximum 800mm wading depth.

The team had dug out some pretty deep, opposing holes on a particularly steep incline, not just to test the articulation, but to show how well the new rear diff-lock works. Driving slowly in low-box it didn’t take long before the two opposing wheels became airborne, and we scrambled to a halt. Within a second of activating rear diff-lock the light was illuminated on the dash, and after gently pressing the accelerator, forward and upward motion was resumed.

Next was the road route, and for this I chose to take out the basic, single cab Utility model, and, oh my, what fun it was.

It’s well known that the manual gearbox of the outgoing model was one to avoid; it just felt wrong. However, this latest unit is a totally different animal, an utter joy to use as it it slips in and out of each gear with ease.

After having a bit of fun zooming along the A54 and A537 between Buxton and Macclesfield, I decided to deviate from the road route as I wanted to check out a green lane.

Macclesfield Old Road offers splendid, yet bleak views across the moors, and at the eastern end, where it becomes a bit rocky, the single cab took it all in its stride. Engaging first gear, low-box meant that I was able to slowly negotiate some of the larger rocks with ease.

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Next for the road-route and green lane was the automatic V-Cross, and (because they’re both easily influenced) two other members of the Northern Group of Motoring Writers, Andy and Ben, came along with me in the Utility Extended Cab and red V-Cross, respectively.

Tackling the Macclesfield Old Road green lane in reverse meant that all three of us had a bit of rock climbing to do, and again engaging first gear in low-box, the V-Cross made mincemeat of the rock steps

Back on the road, and the automatic gearbox, which incidentally is upgraded to enable up to 25% faster gear changes, gives the new D-Max a more luxury feel, and does a great job as it reduces inertia loss and provides a smoother ride.

Overall I’m pleased to report that the D-Max has just got better, a whole lot better. It remains a capable offroad and work-ready pick-up, but now it’s far better on the road with a more updated interior.

Isuzu has now future-proofed it’s pick-up.

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CUPRA A T E CA

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What is it?

It’s a question I was asked a lot during our week together. It wasn’t necessarily the shape that confused onlookers, but the Transformer-style badge. Even when I told ‘em it was a Cupra, they were still non-the-wiser.

A few years ago, Cupra was based on existing Seat models: Leon, Leon estate and the Ateca. Then back in 2018 Cupra split apart from Seat to become its own brand producing some exciting, performance-oriented vehicles.

Regular readers may remember that I reviewed the Cupra Ateca a few years ago, just a few issues in, but last year the Ateca had a facelift, so I figured I’d better book one in and take a closer look.

To be honest, when it comes to updates there isn’t much to report. Thankfully the mechanicals stay pretty much the same, which I’m happy about, the facelift mainly gives it a cleaner look, with new bumpers, LED lights and a more modern infotainment.

On the road

So what makes the Cupra version different to the SEAT Ateca, then?

Cupra haven’t messed around when it comes to performance, they’ve given their Ateca the full-blown 298bhp, 400Nm torque, turbocharged 2.0ltr TSi lump from the Golf R. It also comes with the slick 7-speed DSG transmission, and 4wd.

To cope with the extra power, they’ve beefed-up the chassis and adaptive damping is standard.

What does all of that mean when on the road?

Addictive power and handling, that’s what!

Turn the dial to Sport and you can literally feel it chomping at the bit - you get the sense that it wants to propel you to licence-losing speeds in a heartbeat - which it can do, far too easily.

With almost 300bhp on tap, the 2.0ltr turbo petrol unit manages to propel the Cupra Ateca from 0-60mph in just 4.9sec, and if you’re on a racetrack or autobahn it claims a top speed of 152mph.

It’s quick then, but what’s it like bumbling around town or taking the sprogs to school?

Select ‘Comfort’ mode and it behaves like any other Ateca, though on certain road surfaces you can tell its wearing 19” rims. Unless you choose the Cupra mode, which stiffens the whole thing up, it is still rather nice to drive. Granted, it has lower and stiffer suspension, but it isn’t uncomfortable, unless you take it down a potholed strewn side road that is.

Being in the middle of lockdown I couldn’t take it on any long trips, but the last time I had the pleasure of testing one, a couple of years ago, during a 2 hour trip to Anglesey, driving between 50-70mph, it averaged 33.5mpg, which I didn’t feel was too bad. On a bunch load of local trips - in Sport and Cupra mode, it was averaging 25mpg which is pretty good, considering!

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Off-road

With those aforementioned expensive 19” machined Copper-coloured alloy rims, I really didn’t fancy taking it too far off the beaten track, but going off past experience with a SEAT version, I have no doubt it’ll still be remarkably capable. With that in mind, the Cupra retains the ‘Off-Road’ as well as ‘Snow’ modes like its SEAT sibling, but it really isn’t designed for the rough stuff.

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Interior

Let’s get a few moans out of the way first.

Despite the Cupra seats, copper-coloured Cupra emblem that sits in the middle of the steering wheel, and a few other copper bits of trim, you wouldn’t tell it apart from its sibling. Then, the paddle shifts are a bit too small for me the reach with ease.

Other than that, everything is in the right spot, the dials and infotainment system are easy to read and navigate, and the adjustable ambient lighting is a nice touch.

Speaking of the infotainment system, the 8” touchscreen is easy enough to get your head around and comes with loads of gadgets as standard, including a wireless phone charger with signal booster, sat-nav, a DAB radio, AppleCarPlay and Android along with smartphone mirroring.

As standard you get a 9.2” digital cockpit and configurable dashboard, a Top View camera that gives you a birds-eye view so you can get into even the tightest spot, adaptive cruise control and other such safety features.

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Seating, space and visibility are all top-notch with rear passengers having decent leg room too. There’s plenty of space in the back to chuck 2 tents, 2 deckchairs, a camping table and 3 boxes of cooking and camping paraphernalia, with the seats down of course.

Conclusion

Despite my moans about its uninspiring dash, I really enjoyed the Cupra experience, and once I’d settled into the driver's seat and focussed on the road ahead, none of it really mattered as it’s such a blast to drive, both in comfort and Cupra mode. more at » www.cupraofficial.co.uk From £39,050

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GOODS & GEAR OUT W ELL F ON TA N A LA K E LOUN G E R

by Muddy Madam

With trade shows being a no-no at the moment Outdoor specialists Outwell decided to hold a live 'websibition' to showcase their wares, and during it they held a competition to guess the top wind speed the Montans 6PE tent could handle (which was especially amusing as they demonstrated it by sticking one of the marketing team in front of tent, and then turning on an industrial wind machine).

The best thing has to be the anti-tip leg at the foot of the bed. This means you can actually sit on the end of the bed, which is invaluable, as anyone who has embarrasingly tipped up a lounger on holiday will attest.

Damian guessed 119mph, and the actual number was 118mph, so he won a sun lounger, but it was no ordinary sun lounger, no this was Outwell's top-of-the-range Fontana Lake lounger, and it arrived just in time for the warm burst of weather we had mid April (how jammy are we?).

On opening the box we discovered there was no assembly required (yessss!), and it opened fully in a matter of seconds.

The frame is high strength durable steel, and the thick full-length padded top is amazingly comfortable. It has a 4 position back rest, a detachable head rest, which can also be used as pillow, and the same oversized flat, moveable feet as one of the tables we reviewed last year, which are great for uneven ground, and to stop it sinking into your lawn.

There is a strap attached which makes it easy to keep the lounger folded for storage.

We also don't have to worry if it can hold our expanded lockdown bodies, as it has a maximum load of 150kg (approx. 23½ stones) - more than enough (for now).

I have now claimed this luxurious lounger as my own, and my lazing (definitely not lazy) arse approves mightly. A fantastic win!

RRP - £149.99 available for £130.99 at amazon.co.uk more at » www.outwell.com

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GOODS & GEAR CO O L CAMPING A LMO ST WILD C A M P I N G Forget wash blocks, hot tubs and on-site delicatessens, it's time to cook over the campfire and get back to your wild side this summer.

If you prefer your camping experiences to be less exotic, more secluded and pared back, then Cool Camping’s brand new guidebook is just for you.

The Almost Wild Camping guidebook is exactly what the title states - a collection of campsites in Britain, where sheep will be your nearest neighbours, and a waterfall might be the closest thing to a shower. They recommend tiny farm campsites and totally hidden gems, favouring the independent and the family-run, with pages dedicated to finding local guides and supporting local businesses.

Up-to-date with the latest information on wild camping in the UK - the rules, the equipment, the latest tips and advice this book is perfect for the first time wild camper, and those that have been camping out for years.

It features dozens of campsites that have never featured in Cool Camping guidebooks before, with insightful descriptions, dazzling photographs, essential details on how to get there, how to book and how far it is to the nearest pub (totally essential!).

Almost every campsite featured allows campfires, and there are also pages with campfire lighting tips and natural firelighting ingredients.

Campsites that get you closer to nature, epic views, serene settings and truly wild locations will feel like pure heaven after our enforced lockdown, so these are definitely the places to be heading to in 2021.

RRP: £12.95 available for £10.91 at amazon.co.uk

WIN

Cool Camping have given us one of these books to giveaway to a lucky reader, simply click the button below and enter your details to be in with a chance to win.

ENTER

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GOODS & GEAR

R I DGE M ON K E Y GRI LLA B B Q By now I’m sure most of you reading this will know that I love practical products that are easy to operate and don’t take up a lot of space, and that is exactly what the Grilla BBQ from Ridge Monkey is.

If you don’t know who Ridge Monkey are (I didn't), they’re huge in the fishing community, and produce some innovative products that make fishing easy.

Fishing folk like to eat, but they don’t want kit that takes up a huge amount of space. The stainless steel RidgeMonkey Grilla BBQ is perfect for fishing, camping and trips to the beach as not only can it be used as a fire pit with charcoal and wood, but it also comes with a full-length gas burner with fully adjustable heat for more convenient cooking.

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Portability is key, and the Grilla is quick and easy to use with a full stainless steel body that packs up into its own heavy duty, over-sized protective zipped carry case.

Also included in the carry case is a deluxe stainless steel utensil set, a removable stainless steel side table and removable grill.

GOODS & GEAR

What I personally love about the Grilla is its quick-fold body - simply remove it from the case, turn it the right way up and everything drops down and slots into place within less than a second, then your only decision is whether to cook with gas, briquettes or wood.

If you’re cooking with gas then you attach the full length burner with piezo ignition onto any EN417 screw thread compatible gas burner, and slot the burner through the body of the Grilla, securing it at the opposite end.

The 40cm x 20cm grill area offers plenty of space for burgers, sausages, steaks, chicken, seafood, vegetables and more, and a dedicated Grilla BBQ Hotplate is also available as an optional extra.

After a month of use there's only thing that niggles me - I reckon the carry bag should also have a shoulder strap, but that’s it!

Dimensions: 47cm (W) x 22cm (D) x 30cm (H) with a 65cm x 22cm footprint Approximate dimensions folded: 47cm x 22cm x 3cm Approximate weight including all accessories: 4.5kg price: £149.99 more at » ridgemonkey.co.uk/product/grilla-bbq

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GOODS & GEAR

ALM A Z A N K I TCHE N K N I FE I introduced you to the Almazan Kitchen Knife, also known as The Serbian Chef’s Knife, in our new products section of the February issue. I liked the look of it so much that I ordered one!

I’ve had it a while now, and I’ve resisted writing a review because, well, I was so enamoured by it I wanted its newness to wear off so I could offer a more critical and balanced opinion.

Well, the newness has certainly worn off, but my enthusiasm and infatuation certainly hasn’t - what a joy it is to use!

I opted for the carbon version over the stainless steel because it retains its edge for longer, and carbon steel is easier the sharpen. You do have to look after it though, because there’s no chromium in it, so they can stain and rust. Don’t use a dishwasher or leave it submerged in water, and it would be advisable to treat it with food grade mineral oil on a weekly basis to keep it looking ‘sharp’.

The Almazan Kitchen Knife was created by nephew and uncle, Boki and Alex Almazan from Serbia. It's said that imitation is the best form of flattery, and since the original Almazan knife was shown in a YouTube video back in 2016, many inferior copies have since been created, and many of those have claimed to be the original, but the true original is only available through the Almazan website (below).

Also check out their outdoor cooking AlmazanKitchen YouTube channel, it’s full of simple and delicious recipes that are cooked over wood fire and coal using different cooking techniques and styles. more at » www.almazankitchen.com prices: Carbon Steel - £110.94

Stainless Steel - £87.86

Sheath - around £22

What’s it like to use? As I said - an absolute joy, but, if there’s any knife that should come with a box of plasters and a cool bag for accidental amputations of fingertips, it’s this!

With a double-edged blade for professional, razor-like performance it handles slicing and dicing tasks with surgical precision. I have to say that this hand-crafted tool makes preparing food a much more enjoyable experience, whether in your kitchen or out in the field.

I want to protect the knife (and my body parts!) whilst carrying it around, so I also opted for their handmade and hand-sewn leather sheath. Not only does it look fantastic, it’s got a snap fastening, belt loop and separate carry handle.

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GOODS & GEAR

RETRO C LA SSI CS T-SHI RTS Hand-printed on ethically produced 100% cotton, RetroClassic Clothing has launched the perfect range of apparel for the classic vehicle enthusiast.

Whether your passion lies with two wheels or four, or even with propellors or steam, the latest designs encompass a wide variety of themes, all of which will appeal to those who love the evocative style of decades past. New designs created for 2021 include iconic aircraft such as the Lancaster and Spitfire, classic hot-rods, and two-wheeled legends such as Lambrettas and Harleys.

Since launching its first range of T-shirts in January 2012, RetroClassic Clothing has grown from being run out of a spare room by founder Adam Allen, to an international business shipping an ever-growing range of quality apparel around the world.

As well as Land Rovers, the classic car selection offers everything from competition greats such as the Porsche 917 and Maserati 250F, to road going models such as the Citroën 2CV, Morgan 3 Wheeler and Bugatti Type 57. Fans of larger machinery will no doubt appreciate the Routemaster bus and steam-train designs, while there are even choices for surfing fans, 4x4 devotees, and anyone with an appreciation of ‘old school cool’.

Offering a 'contemporary' fit (I was advised to go for a size larger than normal), each design is unique and is hand-printed to order at the company’s Wiltshire base. The range has expanded to include hats, hoodies and sweatshirts, posters, prints and even aprons.

All are delivered with good old-fashioned customer service and attention to detail.

Sizes: XS to 3XL Colours: White, Sand and Pacific Grey. price: £24 more at » www.retroclassicclothing.com

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READER OFFER

20% OFF with code:

Mudlife-offer

New Stuff we've discovered this month CAMPAL CAMPER KITS Established in 2016, Campal offer a wide range of removable camper van kits designed to convert your vehicle into a mini campervan within minutes, and the kit that caught my eye was for the Dacia Duster.

Made from lightweight, tough, birch colour plywood with a glossy film on both sides, the kit has a built-in stabilising mechanism that keeps the unit in place whilst driving.

Opening the heavy-duty, soft close drawers you have access to ample of storage compartments that even that even includes an Outwell Olida Double Gas stove, and a water container with tap.

Unfold and extend the base towards the front of the car and you have a decent size bed on which to lay the removable, washable, and fire retardant cushion covers.

Need to take a pile of rubbish to the tip? That’s fine as the unit can be taken out of the car at any time for home or garage storage.

Even with the kit fitted into the boot, the Duster will still accommodate five passengers. price: £1,350 more at » campal.co.uk/campal-duster 69

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New Stuff we've discovered this month CTEK CS FREE New from CTEK, comes this portable battery charger and maintainer with Adaptive Boost technology. Charge up the CS FREE’s internal battery and keep it with you wherever you go, and it’ll stay fully charged for up to a year.

Not only will it charge your phone, laptop and so on, but its revolutionary Adaptive Boost technology will automatically analyse the state of your car battery, it’ll then work out the safest and quickest way to give your battery the power it needs to start your vehicle within 15 minutes.

CS FREE is suitable for use on motorbikes, cars, leisure vehicles and vans and can be left safely connected for maintenance charging. price: £287.40 more at » www.ctek.com

CTEK SOLAR PANEL CHARGE KIT CTEK’s Solar Panel Charge Kit pairs perfectly with the CS FREE, and delivers fast, reliable solar power so you can recharge, or even independently power your CS FREE wherever you take it.

Made from super tough fibreglass, you simply unfold it and connect it to your CS FREE in seconds, giving you the ultimate freedom from mains power. Charge and maintain your vehicle battery, or charge up portable tech like smart phones, pads and laptops, even when you’re nowhere near a power outlet.

The Solar Panel Charge Kit features intelligent and efficient silicon cells with a specially developed safety box, so the kit delivers exactly the right amount of power to protect your battery and devices from excess voltage.

Waterproof, weather resistant and durable, the Solar Panel Charge Kit is the perfect outdoors partner for the CS FREE. price: £279.88 more at » www.ctek.com 71

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New Stuff we've discovered this month AQUAFORNO II The Aquaforno II is many things in one - a fire pit, BBQ, kettle, patio heater, roasting and pizza oven and even a clothes dryer!

It’s modular design has three cooking sections which can be used in isolation, as a pair or as a multi-tiered oven. It has a 1.5 litre water reservoir packed inside and weighs just 18kg The simple ‘twist and lift' system allows all 3 elements to slide into one making the Aquaforno II portable and quick to unpack and operate, and its adjustable, 3 height folding legs allows it to be level and stable, no matter where you put it.

To cook you can either use wood, peat, or charcoal, there’s even the option of a gas burner, though this won’t be available until later this year. price: £395 more at » www.aquaforno.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month THERMAPEN CLASSIC Nobody wants to be poorly when they’re out camping or travelling because of an undercooked meal, so having a quality made and reliable thermometer that ensures your meat is cooked to perfection, is invaluable.

The Thermapen Classic thermometer incorporates a large digital display with a precise temperature read-out - over the range of -49.9 to 299.9 °C with a 0.1 °C resolution, and an accuracy of ±0.4 °C. The true temperature of a product can be tested in just three seconds.

The Classic is fully configurable using switches in the battery compartment where you can choose between °C or °F, disable auto-off mode and select 1° or 0.1° resolution.

The casing is washable and includes Biomaster Antimicrobial Technology that reduces bacterial growth and the ergonomic rubber seal minimises the ingress of water, dust or food. The Classic also incorporates a reduced tip, stainless steel food penetration probe that conveniently folds back through 180° into the side of the instrument when not in use. price: £51.60 more at » thermapen.co.uk

LIFESAVER 4000UF BOTTLE STARTER PACK Quite a while back we got ourselves LifeSaver Jerrycan, and it’s been fantastic to take on days out and on camping trips. With a 18.5 litre capacity, it’s good for 40,000 litres of clean drinking water, with its filter removing viruses, bacteria, cysts and parasites instantly.

However, for keeping in our ‘bug-out’ bag or taking on a hike, it’s a bit big and cumbersome, so LifeSaver have come up with a range of smaller bottles.

The bottle starter pack contains the LifeSaver Bottle and all of the essential components to produce clean drinking water in the most demanding of outdoor environments, saving you £50 on the RRP of the individual items.

It is the perfect introductory pack to LifeSaver’s water filtration technology.

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The starter pack includes: 1 x LifeSaver Bottle 4000UF 4 x LifeSaver activated carbon filters 2 x LifeSaver pre-filter disk 2 x LifeSaver chew-proof nozzles 1 x LifeSaver Bottle strap 1 x LifeSaver Bottle protection pouch 1 x Silicone grease pot RRP - £189.97 (currently £169.99) more at » iconlifesaver.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month FG FABRICATION PANELS Storage space in a 4x4 can be limited, and for a while now fitting Mollestyle panels to the inside of your fixed rear windows has been gaining popularity. Not only do they aid with security, but they allow you to add a variety of storage and organisation options to your 4x4, leaving the floor space for larger items, such as drawers, fridges and so on.

Made from 3mm aluminium with multiple options for hole sizes, the circular cutouts add strength to the panel and reduce wear on bag and pouch straps.

FG Fabrications is a small home run fabrication business that produces high quality products that are designed and made to protect your prized 4wd. Dave Price, FG Fabrication’s owner, has designed a range of products specifically for early Toyotas, but can accommodate anything you may have, and will always work with the customer to achieve their needs.

As well as these Molle-style panels, Dave also produces heavy duty front and rear bumpers, protective side bars and slim line aluminium roof rack for the 3rd Generation Toyota Surfs. price - £65 (including P&P in the UK) more at » www.facebook.com/fgfabrications email - Fgfabrications@hotmail.com

Britpart are delighted to now be an approved stockist for the entire ARB range of products in the UK. For nearly 40 years Britpart has been synonymous with parts for Land Rovers and now we are expanding our range of quality aftermarket parts with the introduction of the ARB catalogue for a multitude of 4x4 vehicles.

ARB’s range of products for the off-road and pickup market includes Air Lockers & > Compressors

Recovery Points & > Equipment

> Canopies

> Roof Racks

> Drawers

> StealthBar Bumper

> Lights

Steps & Side > Protection

Upgraded > Suspension > Rear Protection

arb4x4uk.co.uk

> Tyre Accessories > Underbody Protection

ARB accessories & suspension products for a wide range of manufacturers & models Ford Ranger / Isuzu D-Max / Jeep Cherokee & Grand Cherokee & Jeep Wrangler Land Rover Defender & Land Rover Discovery / Mitsubishi L200 / Nissan Navara & Pathfinder / Toyota Hilux / VW Amarok

sales@britpart.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month EXOTAC TITANLIGHT LIGHTER Exotac set out to produce the first rugged, waterproof, refillable lighter and they achieved this with the titanLIGHT. The titanLIGHT is a precision machined, ultra-durable waterproof lighter that uses standard lighter fluid fuel (Zippo or equivalent).

Two O-ring seals prevent your fuel from evaporating or leaking when it's not in use.

The TitanLIGHT uses patent-pending air vents below the flame to reduce wind disturbance, along with a flame guard that is designed to provide maximum protection against wind gusts. A small screw-off cap on the bottom of the lighter body is used to both refill with lighter fluid and to service the wick. The flame guard can also be removed without tools by pushing the small brass pin through while holding the flame guard down.

price: £43.95

more at » wilderness121store.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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New Stuff we've discovered this month RUDE BRITANNIA TEA TOWEL Fancy a little trip to Wetwang, or how about Shitterton?

Us Mud Lifers like to go out wandering in our 4x4s, but why not wander with a mission - a mission to discover places in Britain with amusingly rude names.

With destinations from Twatt, high up in the Orkneys, to Piddle Valley way down in Dorset, the Rude Britannia Tea Towel shows Britain like you’ve never seen it before, with illustrations of boobs, bums and willies, galore!

Just be careful where you decide to book your holiday this year, as it could get a little gusty in Brokenwind!

Sure to provide a giggle each time you go to do the washing up, this tea towel is made from 100% cotton, and makes a cheeky gift for any rude (or crude) family member! price: £15.50 more at » www.redcandy.co.uk

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New Stuff we've discovered this month @MRCARSGRAM VOL.1 I can quite easily waste a whole day looking at images of cars, which is why I spend a lot of time on Instagram, and one of my favourite ‘users’ is Simon, A.K.A @mrcarsgram.

With a shared love of cars, Simon has brought his Instagram feed to life in the form of a Bookazine (coffee table book). The book is printed on 170gsm paper with a 400gsm gloss laminate cover (as opposed to hardback), so that you can take it on your travels.

Volume 1 contains 152 pages of some of his favourite images, and measures 23cm x 23cm, and has a limited run of only 1,500 hand numbered copies, and with over 90,000 more images in Simon’s collection, I’m confident you can look forward to volume 2 and many more.

Order your mrcarsgram Bookazine now, and Simon will hand number each copy, and if you wish, he’ll hand write your Instagram name too. price - £29.50 more at » www.mrcarstagram.com

Towing Tra

aining with land rover

T

he last time I towed something was around a decade ago, I had my old 300Tdi Discovery, and an even older twin axle caravan Every time we took it out for weekends away I was always in a heightened sense of anxiety. It wasn’t because it became a rather long vehicle, but at some point I knew I’d end up reversing it.

Like anything we do in life, the more you practise something the better you become at it. It didn’t take me too long to become fairly proficient, but as I said, that was at least ten years ago, and whatever skills I had back then surely have passed into oblivion - perished, just like my old Disco and caravan.

Therefore when I received an invite from the team at Land Rover to spend a day down at Eastnor Castle to learn about, and experience Land Rover’s Advanced Tow Assist on the new Defender, I was both excited, and a little bit nervous.

On arrival, and after the usual Covid checks, I was introduced to the team, and the only other journo' on the invite list, Alan Kidd from 4x4 Magazine and The Landy. Having met previously on other launches we had a good natter about random stuff before we got stuck in.

Advanced Tow Assist, what is it?

I’m sure we’ve all watched the video with Jack Whitehall and his Dad reversing an Airstream caravan from La Corbière Lighthouse in Jersey using just the cameras and heater dial to steer with. Basically, as Land Rover puts it “Advanced Tow Assist allows drivers to reverse a trailer using the rotary controller on the centre console to guide the vehicle.

Operating the pedals as normal, the intuitive system shows the predicted path of the caravan, horsebox or trailer on the infotainment touchscreen, enabling drivers to steer with ease as the vehicle calculates the precise level of counter-steering required to maintain the desired trajectory.”

So Advanced Tow Assist is primarily for those who don’t regularly tow and reverse trailers - a bit like me, I guess.

Before we got to the towing stage I had to first attach the trailer to the Defender, and starting with the basics, the Land Rover Experience team introduced me to the retractable tow hitch, and how to deploy it.

Like other commands, I could either deploy it from the front screen, or a button just inside of the back door. That was easy enough.

Next was to lower the suspension - again, this can be done in numerous ways - whilst sat in the cabin, using a button just inside of the back door or by the key fob.

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With the height set to low and tow hitch deployed, it was time to reverse the Defender and connect it to the trailer - without using the mirrors, I might add. Using Land Rover’s Tow Hitch Assist, it couldn’t have been easier, the reversing cameras made it light work, and once it recognised that I was only around a foot away from the trailer, the view on the infotainment screen changes so that you’re now looking downwards, and can guide the tow hitch millimetre perfect under the trailer - clever stuff.

Once in position it was time to jump out to finish the job and attach the trailer. I have further two options here, I can either open the back door and use the suspension button to raise the vehicle, or use the key fob.

With the trailer secure it was time to test the nose weight of the trailer, something that not a lot of people do, I know I didn’t when I had my old caravan.

Don’t worry, we didn’t dig out a set of bathroom scales and some planks of wood! By tapping a few buttons on the infotainment screen I selected ‘Measure Load’, which gives you the nose weight of your trailer.

In case you were wondering, the maximum nose weight on the 5-door Defender is 150kg.

Back in the day, once I’d hitched up my old twin axle caravan and plugged in the electrics, I’d run back and forth making sure all the lights and indicators worked, but the new Defender has yet another dinky trick called ‘Bulb Check’.

For this you switch off the vehicle’s ignition, select ‘Trailer Bulb Check’ on the touchscreen, or press another button next to the back door, and watch as the bulb check illuminates all of the vehicle's lights and the corresponding trailer lights in turn. I love technology!

Satisfied our load was secure and all the lights worked, I was told to drive forward and through a short obstacle course, stop at the far end of the carpark and reverse back through the obstacle course returning the trailer back into its box without using any vehicle assistance, just my own skills!

“Yeah, this was going to be fun” I thought.

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A

ctually it was. Not wishing to blow my own trumpet or anything, but they say slow and steady wins the race, and without any mistakes I successfully reversed the unit back unaided. The trick for me is to hold the steering wheel at the bottom then turn it the same direction to where I wanted the trailer to go. My mate Chris taught me that.

Next I was told to drive forward again, but this time reverse using witchcraft - sorry, Advanced Tow Assist.

Following the trajectory lines for guidance, captured by the rearfacing cameras attached to the door mirrors, I began reversing.

I have to admit that it was initially rather strange reversing using only a rotary controller whilst watching the trailers trajectory displayed on the infotainment screen, but it was quite easy to master.

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The only difficulty I had was knowing how many turns on the dial was enough to turn the front wheels, but it showed me that too!

For me, the best feature on Advanced Tow Assist is that once you have your trailer facing exactly where you want it to go you simply press another button, let go of the steering wheel, and with gentle acceleration it’ll straighten up the Defender for you and keep reversing straight until you press the brake pedal to stop.

It was a fun morning, and an excellent way of demonstrating their new technology. Overall, I reckon for a complete trailer novice, once you’ve set it up, Land Rover’s Advanced Tow Assist is brilliant. It’s a very clever and stress-free way to reverse your trailer. Next up, I got to take the Defender off-road...

Defender Off-Road Suitably impressed with their Advanced Tow Assist, after lunch it was time to see how the Defender 110 handled off-road.

This wasn’t the first time I’d taken a Defender around the myriad of tracks around Eastnor Castle, but it was the first time I’d experienced it in the wet.

Fitted with road tyres and on-road pressures, we weren’t making it easy for these Defenders.

As we approached the off-road route I pressed the button that engages the low-range gearbox, which activates the off-road mode for the air suspension, giving 300mm of ground clearance, which incidentally is 40mm higher than the old Defender. I then switched the Terrain Response system to Mud and Ruts, set the hill descent to a sensible speed, and was ready to go.

The squelch of the slippery mud from underneath the road biased tyres was addictive (as is the aroma of mud on a hot exhaust), and as you would expect, the Defender made everything look easy as we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the many the tracks. If I went through every single corner, hill and descent, you’d be bored, so let’s just say that the new Defender is an amazingly capable off-road machine, and so it should be.

It’s often the little things that we don’t first notice that impress us the most auto hold was one of them. I’d arrive at a particular gnarly section with the bonnet pointing upwards, and at a ridiculously off camber angle, take my foot off the accelerator waiting for the lead Defender to climb a hill, and that’s where I stayed until I prodded the throttle again.

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For an hour or so, as we climbed, leant and lurched our way through the trees, I’d been letting the automatic gearbox and the rest of the electronics do all the hard work, that is until we arrived at a very tight hairpin bend on a moderately steep incline.

Oh yeah, and there was greasy mud, lots of it.

The lead Defender with the Land Rover Experience team in hit the bend with some force, and continued with momentum around the bend and up the hill. Surprisingly, this was the first time all afternoon that any sort aggressive driving was called for.

My turn next, and I took it easy up to and around the bend, so as not to remove the front bumper on the high banking, but as I got round the hairpin, the lead vehicle had taken off the top layer of mud and I ended up spinning to a halt.

Reversing back I opted to use a little more momentum, but as I turned the corner I again lost traction - this was becoming embarrassing.

For my third attempt I decided to swap to manual mode and engage second gear and just floored it! With mud flying in the air and lots of turning of the steering wheel in an attempt to find grip, traction was found,.

Somehow, and at god-knows-what RPM, I made it up the hill with both a huge grin on face and a good dollop of Eastnor mud on my shoulder, as I hadn’t closed the window.

Parking up I rushed back down the hill to see how the next two Defenders fared.

Both required a few attempts as there was hardly any grip left, but again, with mud in the air and plenty of revs, both made it up.

Obviously, life would have been easier if we’d lowered the tyres' pressure or swapped them for mud terrains, but the whole point was to show what a standard Defender can achieve.

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As the saying goes, 'what goes up, must come down', and there were plenty of descents. As anyone with ‘offroading’ experience knows, there’s only so much electric aids and low gearing can achieve before you simply end up tobogganing down a hill. We did a lot of that!

That said, by using the switch on the steering wheel I was able to adjust the Hill Descent control speed which did help on occasions, as did accelerating slightly, but on some sections, the descents were simply too steep and too slippery.

By around 4pm it was time to call it a day, and what a fantastic day it turned out to be. The new Defender is proving to be a very capable, and clever 4x4, but sadly out of the price range for many enthusiasts.

Having said that, by the time you’re reading this I will have just enjoyed a day out driving the new commercial range of Defenders, with the 90 Hardtop starting at a smidge under £36,900 and the 110 at £43,771 (both ex-VAT).

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Winch Training

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Russ from Ardventures is no stranger to our pages, he pops up now and again, and last month he invited me to one of his winch refresher training courses with the Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT).

As Russ explained, despite the team using their winches on a regular basis, to keep their skills up to date, every three years they have a refresher course with the emphasis on safety and technique, not necessarily on difficulty.

An old Pennine Group trials quarry, not far from Sowerby in West Yorkshire, was the chosen venue, and on my arrival, the first group of the day were half way completing their final challeng - to winch a dead motor up a rather steep incline - and of course, the photos clearly don’t illustrate the steepness.

The team worked like a well oiled machine, and the ‘stricken’ vehicle slowly made its way to the top. Throughout the exercise Russ watched closely, asking questions making sure the team had an understanding of what they were doing, and more importantly, why.

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Once the task was successfully completed, everyone made their way back the centre of the quarry for a brew and biscuits just in time for the second group to arrive, that meant that Russ could go through new pieces of kit that’s available, like soft shackles and FR rings with everyone present.

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The first group then parked the Ranger in a precarious position for the next group to extricate. Okay, it could have been easily driven out, but that wasn’t the point, the point of this exercise was to get the Ranger back on level ground without using its engine, just its winch.

It was then an emergency call came through, an elderly woman had injured her ankle whilst on a walk and required assistance, so the first group leapt into action and headed off to assist in their Toyota Hilux.

Inspecting the ‘abandoned’ Ranger, the second team had a good look around for a strong enough anchor point and found a suitably large boulder that would do the trick.

Working just as efficiently as the first team, a long strap was retrieved and secured to the boulder, and it was down to a double line pull to extricate the Ranger, with ease.

Again, Russ kept his eye on proceedings making sure that everyone, and the techniques were as safe as possible.

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Their next challenge was to drive both the Ford Ranger and 110, ‘round to the other side of the quarry, and this time the Defender had to do the work and winch the Ranger up the hill.

Before tackling the job in hand, the team got together again and deliberated on the best technique and tools to use.

Just as the other team did, they opted to use a long strap attached to the Ranger, then utilised another double line pull to slowly and securely haul the Ranger up the incline.

Job done with boring efficiency!

about Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team https://www.cvsrt.org.uk The Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team is a voluntary charity that provides an essential life-saving emergency service to the people of the Calder Valley and beyond, and is part of the Mid-Pennine Search & Rescue region supporting the statutory emergency services, working on behalf of West Yorkshire Police.

The Team attends an average of 65 callouts each year, and is entirely staffed by over 50 unpaid volunteers.

It costs around £35,000 a year to keep the team operational, all of which is raised through donations they receive no direct government funding.

You can help keep them active and saving lives by visiting the team’s donation page and give them a fiver, or more.

CLICK TO DONATE THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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wri t es Simon says

by Simon Hastelow

Progress or P**s take?

Cars, trucks and 4x4s are being built with more and more technology onboard, in some cases this is a good thing, in others it is purely a gimmick to attract a buyer.

Then there are the instances where it is just infuriating!

I realise that there are a good number of us that see any form of technology in our vehicles as intrusive. ECUs are treated like spawn of the devil, but we couldn’t stem the tide so had to accept them. My main complaint remains that, even with all the latest tech, the fuel economy has remained fairly static for 30 years or more.

Land Rover fitted 25 ECUs to the Discovery 4, but still barely got above 20mpg for petrol and 30mpg for diesel - worse than the Discovery I achieved in 1989! But its not all about fuel, they did pack them with all kinds of other gadgets and gizmos.

However there are two new-ish developments which are cause for concern for any motoring enthusiast who enjoys adapting, modifying or tinkering with their vehicles.

The first is still to do with wiring, sensors and ECUs. Many vehicles are fitted with a CAN-BUS (Controller Area Network) which allows all of the various components on a vehicle to communicate with the ECU. This generally works perfectly enough for ‘normal’ car owners, but breaking into the system to fit a pair of auxiliary lights, for instance, or a reversing camera can be troublesome.

If the after-market kit is fitted badly, sensors might detect the installation as a problem and disable something else. Or it might not work at all.

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There are CAN readers available which allow you to read signals in the wiring and find the ones to cut or splice, but even then it is not certain. The fitment of a CAN module made specifically for your car might be required to detect and interface with the relevant signals. All to fit a pair of lights that used to, back in the old days, just require a black and red wire, and a switch or relay.

I recently watched the installation of a very neat looking grille mounted lightbar on a Toyota Yaris GR (the ‘hot-hatch’ that everyone is raving about). The bar itself cost £396, but the additional wiring, CAN module and CAN reader pushed the total cost to £700, plus installation costs!

The main issue was that the Yaris GR has a different ECU to the standard Yaris, as you might expect, so the system had to be read using a CAN reader, diagnosed and ‘hacked’ to allow the fitment of the light.

This isn't even my main gripe!

I saw a motoring journalist on Twitter bemoaning that a new BMW was fitted with a ‘High Beam Assist’ function. In fact this had been standard on BMW vehicles for around 10 years, it auto-dips the headlight main beam so that you don’t mistakenly blind oncoming drivers.

If this wasn’t enough of a p**s take, the ‘upgrade’ is linked to the owner’s BMW account, so if he sells the car and removes his personal information from the car, the High-Beam-Assist function is disabled and the next owner has to pay again! For a light function that is already built into the car!

However to activate the function on his car he had to pay a fee of £160 for the ‘upgrade’. This was then remotely switched on by BMW via an app.

You might have already seen videos on social media of Teslas being ‘updated’ while parked overnight at the dealership. Rows of cars with their lights flashing while the ECU receives the latest communications from Elon Musk.

This is the future we are facing.

It might not be a bad thing for urban transport, automatic speed limiters linked to your location via GPS are certain to be implemented before too long, as are collision avoidance systems to protect pedestrians, but there are millions of people who live, work and drive outside of urban areas for whom the ‘bigbrother’ systems are mostly redundant.

As a fifty-something bloke, who often experiences episodes of brain-fade when trying to remember how to do something on my phone or computer, I don’t relish the thought of computerised driving. We may have to wait until after the apocalypse before our skills in fixing stuff with a hammer and driving a manual gearbox might once again be regarded as important.

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IN OUR GARAGE

, o d o D a s a d a De & o N o N o i d a R y a d h t r i B d o o G y l e e h aW As usual, due to a constant stream of press cars being delivered to Muddy Towers, Deux Smurf has been sat outside on the street looking forlorn and abandoned. I’ve even got some small shrubbery growing from her running boards.

At the end of March, the Kia Sorento press car was collected, and I suddenly realised that I hadn’t organised a replacement. Amusingly, this isn’t the first time this has happened.

Anyway, enthused at the thought of driving Deux Smurf again for a month or so, I decided to drive her around the back and treat her to a thorough wash. Of course she had other ideas, her battery was as dead as a Dodo.

Fortunately, as you will have read a few months ago, I have the brilliant battery pack from Britpart, and after connecting it up, within seconds Deux Smurf was running again. After a quick spin I parked her in the back street, connected up my old CTEK charger and left her on charge for the day.

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IN OUR GARAGE About 6 months ago the stereo in Deux Smurf decided to give up the ghost, so after listening to the radio through the tinny iPhone speaker Muddy Madam decided she’d buy me a new one for my birthday, and get it fitted along with the CB fitted to Deux Smurf.

decided to be the best option (though not by Muddy Madam as, she isn't that happy about looking out of the kitchen window at a big pile of tyres).

Everything was arranged, however the bloke, who we’ve always used in the past, never bothered to show up on the arranged day to do the job - he didn’t even phone me either to explain. Ah well, his loss, but now we've got to find someone new.

The wheels were advertised on Facebook Marketplace and only around 10 miles away. They were originally bought as a spare set of wheels for a Toyota Colorado that’s been in the same family for over 20 years. When I arrived to collect them, I was told that the Colorado belonged to the seller's Dad, and many years ago they drove to Russia in it. I'm sure there's good story there.

I did manage to spend some of my other birthday money on her though - I bought a spare set of wheels.

You see, I’ve been promised a set of all terrains to review soon, and I don’t want to keep spending money swapping the tyres over, so a second set of wheels was

Despite being grubby, and a bit pitted in places, overall they’re in great condition, and at some point soon I’ll get them refurbished and painted. I'm not sure what colour yet, either gloss black, graphite grey or possibly even bronze, we’ll see.

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from & what do you do?

Hi guys and gals! Hope you’re all doing good! John Vibert here from Jersey, Channel Islands UK. I’m 31 years old and work as an Office Furniture Installations Manager/Fitter at a local Office and IT supplies company, which I’ve been at now for 12 years, after moving on from working in catering as a chef.

She’s just recently had HD axle shafts and bearings fitted in the rear, along with a brand new rear diff and carrier. She has a boot storage build, custom roof rack, modified sills for integrated rock slides, and as of last year a fully rebuilt engine, with a fair few custom tweaks to the design for better performance and mpg to lug the extra weight around!

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 Started off with classic Mini’s. I restored my first one, and then built a race spec. one, after rolling my first one - LOL! After my short time playing with that I had a Toyota Carina E GLi 2.0 estate, a couple of Mk2 Ford Fiesta’s, my recent Mk6 Ford Transit Minibus which I’d converted into a camper van.

Present 4x4(s) My most recent and only 4x4 is my 1993 Suzuki Vitara JLX 1.6 8v factory Carby, which is fairly well known across worldwide forums, for its uniqueness and extensive list of mods!

Modifications done It’s a huge list, from suspension mods, currently running 4.5” custom setup, 2” body lift, 32” Cooper STT’s, various components from Land Rover, Mercedes, Mitsubishi and obviously Suzuki, to make it a fully custom build and catering for my needs!

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Favourite Modifications My favourite mods would have to be the 130A Vauxhall Corsa alternator swap, from the measly 50a factory one, the heavy duty wishbones up front, my winch tray from Radzikone in Poland and the overall build spec!

Modifications to do Hmm... its always going to be an ongoing project I think, as I always find new ideas and things to build up and modify, but on the list of things left is most definitely a pair of HF E-Lockers and Reduction gear set for the Transfer case, she’ll then be unstoppable!

Favourite green-laning trip That would have to have been when I met up with my mate Ian Sizer during Japanese Auto Extravaganza, and we did few lanes on the way to Tixover Quarry, where we spent the day tearing up the tracks and giving our rigs a good play session! Plenty more to be had in the future - I'm looking to head over to the UK mainland and Europe as I’d love to do the trails around Snowdonia and northern France, and maybe travel to the Pyrenees if my truck makes it down there!

Lottery win 4x4 Ooo now that would have to be a 70 series Land Cruiser for me! Dream 4x4 for sure, plus a nice TD42 under the hood would be a brute!

Favourite car related film Film wise, probably the old time favourite, Dukes of Hazzard, but I mostly watch 4WD Action, now known as 4WD 24/7 and MotorTrend Channel online.

Favourite biscuits Blimey that’s a hard one... ah go on then, McVities Milk Chocolate Digestives or Milk Chocolate Hobnobs!

Where can we find more details?

I use Social Media a lot for sharing build details and helping fellow Suzuki enthusiasts as well as other 4wd related forums.You can find me on: Instagram - www.instagram.com/suzuki4x4jersey Facebook - www.facebook.com/suzuki4x4jersey

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

Hi, I’m Huw Bevan from South Wales, and I manufacture fire alarms.

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Present 4x4(s) Just the Nissan Patrol, for now.

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 I’ve always had Hondas, and I still have a Honda Integra which is currently in a million pieces in the garage.

Modifications done It has a 2” Ironman suspension lift, 16x10 et-32 steel wheels fitted with 285/75/16 Toyo Open Country tyres. Then there’s the AVM manual hubs, a snorkel, boost controller and hidden winch mount and winch.

I bought my first 4x4, a Mk3 shogun to trailer the Integra, but then I found out that green laning and off-roading was much more fun!

There’s also a steering guard, heavy duty drag link, CB radio, EU rear lights, long range fuel tank, EBC Yellowstuff pads and a 3” alloy radiator.

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Favourite Modifications Definitely the wheels and suspension combination.

Modifications to do I’ve got some 35” tyres ready to go on, and I’d like to fit a front air locker at some point, too.

Favourite green-laning trip South and mid Wales.

Favourite biscuits Custard creams

Lottery win 4x4 Artic Trucks Toyota Hilux.

Where can we find more details?

Instagram www.instagram.com/huw182

Favourite car related film Super Troopers

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do?

Hi readers! I’m Liam from Blackburn, Lancashire. I am a team leader/skilled welder and fabricator (which comes in very handy) producing machines for the canning industry.

History of cars leading up to your present 4x4 2007 Suzuki Swift 2004 Mazda MX5 2009 Mazda 6 2005 Land Rover Freelander TD4 (with almost every modification you can think of) Present 4x4(s) 1994 Land Rover Defender 300tdi & a 2011 Subaru Forester

Modifications done Defender • Insa turbo Special tracks 235/85R16 tyres on 30mm offset steel wheels • Terrafirma +2 shocks with standard height HD springs Sump/Diff/Transmission guards • Tubular winch bumper • Rock sliders • Tree sliders • Bumprets • Light guards • LED headlights / sidelights / indicators • 40” and 24” Rigid Industries radiance lightbars in green • Rear work lights • Superwinch TS 9500 SR Winch • Snorkel • Bucket seats • Deep dish steering wheel • CB Subaru • BF Goodrich AT Ko2 215/70R16 Tyres on Autec Wizard 16” rims • Sump Guard • CB • Roof bars with custom mounts • Dechromed

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Favourite modification Hard question... It’s a close call between the wheels on the Subaru (to replace the hideous stock wheels), and the Defender’s Rigid Industries light bars with the green, road legal backlight.

I have to pick? OK, then I’d have to say the light bars as they do get the Defender a bit more attention at evening meets and on the road.

Modifications to do I don't have any plans to modify the Defender any further; when something breaks, I'll upgrade it. I may put in a rear locker at some point, but I haven’t needed one yet.

The Subaru... the fun has just begun!

The list so far: Anderson design and fabrication lift kit and levelling kit, as well as their ditch and grille light brackets. Rigid Industries blue backlit spotlights.

Roof rack. Also I’ll custom fabricate my own rock sliders and skid/transmission plate (I told you welding came in handy).

Favourite green laning trip Can’t say I have favourites as I just like being out on the lanes. The most memorable would be Oldham to Holmfirth, as it was my second time laning and had no idea what the Defender could do. I just pointed it where we wanted to go and it just went. That trip got me hooked.

Lottery win 4x4 A reliable Defender 110 dual cab pickup built for overlanding.

Favourite car related film I’ve watched the original Fast and Furious film countless times.

Favourite biscuits I can't say no to custard creams or chocolate digestives.

Where can we find more details?

To find out more about my cars or to see what I get up to, you can follow my social media: Instagram www.instagram.com/renegade4x4uk Facebook - www.facebook.com/R4x4uk (Defender Photographs provided by @TiggsPhotography)

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We want to keep the mag free to read, though it costs quite a bit for the two of us to put it together each month.

If you like what we do, we'd love it if you'd chip in for a hot chocolate every now and then, to help support us whilst we put together the next mag.Everyone who buys us a hot choc each month will get a name check in the mag.

Buy us 2 hot chocs at one time, or become a regular monthly hot choc provider then you'll get a even bigger mention.

big thanks from Lee Damian & Karen

All these lovely people to the left bought us a hot chocolate or 2 this month. Thank you all so much, every penny is really is appreciated.

.

E n e r u La Jim H. laf LRAsser Billy F. Matt S. Chris J. Edward P. 2 anonymous people

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a Paddl ddlee on Padarn Now that we've all been allowed out the house, and can partake of a bit of wandering, I looked lovingly over at Winona, our We-No-Nah Aurora open canoe, and began planning some adventures. I pondered for a moment or two on the last time Muddy Madam and I last took her out for a paddle, and to my horror I reckoned it was around 3 years ago! Here's the tale..

It began with a quick phone call to the ever accommodating PR team at Suzuki. I had a Vitara S booked in, and I asked if they could fit a roof bar system as I wanted to take Winona out for one last paddle before school began.

Llyn Padarn in North Wales was chosen as it had been a recommendation on the ‘CamperVan Overnight Camping’ FaceBook page. I had asked for a lake or river where I could park up, launch Winona and have a BBQ on the shore without having to walk miles and miles, and, amongst others, Llyn Padarn was suggested.

Located just off the A4086, and around 7 miles (15 minutes) away from Caernarfon, Llyn Padarn is around 2 miles long, and at its deepest point is 94 feet deep. It’s a stunning area, and here comes a bit of trivia, it’s one of the largest natural lakes in Wales, so there you go.

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After securely strapping Winona to the Vitara S using my Thule Portage kit, Muddy Madam and I piled cooking paraphernalia in the boot, and set forth, with excitement.

Unfortunately the beautiful blue sky that had kept us warm when we left Muddy Towers turned to menacing grey during the two hour drive to Wales, and as we turned off the A55 at Junction 11 the heavens opened. Great!

Thankfully, a tad later when we arrived at Llyn Padarn the rain had eased to a slight drizzle.

After finding a suitable spot in one of the many small coves, we unloaded Winona, placed her by the waters edge and began creating our own little encampment. With chairs, a small table and food at the ready, I set up the Ghillie Kettle for a much needed brew, and the Pop-Up BBQ grill from Silverpoint.

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Using a Woodson fire starter we got the charcoal going and waited in anticipation until we could begin cooking our lunch. I had sausage, bacon and egg Butty whilst Muddy Madam had a mixed bean concoction that didn’t look appealing.

Suitably nourished we relaxed for a while and watched as families and other groups messed around in the shallow waters in relative safety of the coves, I would imagine that in the height of summer this place is heaving.

By this time the drizzle had eased off and there was a hint of blue sky, not much, but it was there, so we swiftly packed the cooking gear and chairs back in the Vitara S, and prepared ourselves for a paddle.

We left the safety of the cove and ventured towards the east of the lake, but there was a stiff breeze which made the water near the centre quite choppy, so we hugged the shore-line as much as we could. As usual, Muddy Madam was sat up front whilst I was at the back in charge of steering.

It didn’t take long for the blue sky to disappear again and for the wind to pick up, the sky looked vexed, and there was now a distinct chill in the air, but the views remained spectacular and the solitude was welcome.

Occasionally we would pass other paddlers and offered a friendly nod and a smile, but mainly Llyn Padarn was ours for the afternoon.

With the threat of another downpour we begrudgingly headed back to camp and quickly secured Winona back onto the Vitara S. After getting changed and making certain that our encampment was left as we found it, we headed back to Muddy HQ with a promise to return.

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RETRO SNAPS

y a l P n i h Rut d n e k e e W 6 0 0 2 , y r Janua 110

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RETRO SNAPS

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