The Mud Life - 29 - August 2021 by The Mud Life Magazine

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 29 - August 2021

a v i N a Lad

FORD ECOSPORT SUZUKI ACROSS

e x Lu

Goods'n'Gear Laning Life

Reader's Rides SUZUKI JIMNY COMMERCIAL Adventure Overland Show LAND ROVER DEFENDER

Jimny Commercial pages 46-54

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

5-17

WHATS ON

LANING LIFE 19-22 LADA NIVA LUXE 24-34 FORD ECOSPORT 36-44 SUZUKI ACROSS 46-55 SUZUKI JIMNY COMMERCIAL 56-64 GOODS & GEAR 65-75 ADVENTURE OVERLAND SHOW 76-84 DEFENDING THE NAME 86-93 SIMON SAYS 94-95 MOOCH - THE ODD TRIO 96-104 READER'S RIDES 106-109 BRING YOUR VEHICLE NIGHT 110-113 DIRECTORIES 114-117

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

KAREN LEE TURNER

(A.K.A. The Muddy Madam)

Creative Director, Layout Designer, Reviewer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

BACK ISSUES 118-119

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

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turner's torque Damian's Deep & meaningful musings In my other life I am a counsellor (therapy, not local council) and there’s a quote that we often use in therapy "As a responsible adult, when new information and ideas come my way, I’m allowed to change my mind." and that happened to me last month. Let me explain... Like many others, I’ve often said that if you want a challenge whilst green laning, go visit a Pay & Pay site, green lanes are for all to enjoy. Which is fair enough, yeah? Whilst driving a lane last month I ended up contradicting myself. As I’ve written later in the mag, the last time I drove In Moor Lane it was a bit of a challenge with deepish undulating ruts - it was fun trying to negotiate them. Now however, after being graded it’s as smooth as the M62, and I was quite disappointed. That got me thinking, should we keep some lanes downright gnarly that only tricked up 4x4s can negotiate, or should all lanes be fit for all? Another controversial question - Are we becoming that society in which everyone believes that they’re entitled to go everywhere and do anything?

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As a canoeist, how would you feel if all waterways were flat and placid without the odd rapid to test your skill and get your adrenaline pumping? What if rock climbers were only allowed to climb rockfaces with a slight gradient, because someone once got hurt trying to reach the top? If I go for a walk, or bike ride in the country, I expect it to be challenging, that’s why I bought a mountain bike instead of a road bike, and a pair of sturdy walking boots instead of plimsoles. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with repairing lanes, but where do we draw the line? It’s a difficult question to answer, and yes, I know the green lane situation is a whole lot more complicated than that, but it just frustrated me. Anyhow, at least I now know that I can take a soft roader over to Scar House Reservoir without getting hung up or damaged!

Hennessey Boosts Bronco Power Past 400 bhp

Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and highperformance vehicle creator, has turned up the power on the new Ford Bronco with its acclaimed VelociRaptor package. The all-new Hennessey VelociRaptor 400 Bronco boasts 405bhp at 5,700 rpm and 503 lb-ft torque at 3,900 rpm as a result of comprehensive reworking by the experts at Hennessey. The team’s engineers fit new intake and exhaust systems to the 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged V6 powerplant, in addition to recalibrating the engine to maximize power. The VelociRaptor package adds 75hp to the range-topping, Bronco Wildtrak, and adds 88 lb-ft to the stock torque figure enabling the 4x4 to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. With Hennessey’s Off-Road Package, owners can individualise their Bronco further with 35” offroad tires on 18” Hennessey wheels; front and rear VelociRaptor bumpers; retractable side steps; and VelociRaptor branding. Thanks to the extensive Hennessey R&D process, all of the Bronco’s engine modes and off-road systems are retained, plus Hennessey provides a 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty as part of the $80,000 price that the typical customer will pay (including the base Bronco Wildtrak). For further details, visit HennesseyPerformance.com.

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INEOS Grenadier's interior revealed

We’ve all seen exterior photos of the up and coming Grenadier, INEOS haven’t been shy about it, but it’s the latest images of the interior that I’ve been looking forward to seeing the most, and I have to say that I’m not disappointed. The interior of the INEOS Grenadier is designed on purpose, to deliver the space, practicality and versatility owners need from a hard-working 4x4. Starting from a clean sheet, the design incorporates the modern technology and comfort expected of a vehicle for the 2020s and beyond. Toggle switches and dials on the centre and overhead consoles are widely spaced and clearly labelled. Auxiliary switches have been built in, pre-wired to support the addition of winches, work lights and other accessories. Advanced technology is included only where it benefits functionality and usability. The infotainment system is accessed via a 12.3” touchscreen, or by using a rotary dial. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration means users can rely on smartphone navigation which will always be up to date. And the off-road pathfinder navigation system allows drivers to programme, follow and record their route via waypoints, when roads and tracks are left behind. With hard-wearing surface materials throughout, the Grenadier is designed to endure. Drain plugs in the rubber flooring and wipe-down upholstery mean the interior can be hosed out. Water-resistant anti-stain Recaro seats provide 6

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ergonomic support and comfort on or off the road. Carpets and leather upholstery will be available for those aiming to leave the mud and sand outside. Stowage space has been maximised, with a dry storage box under the rear seat, a lockable central console cubby box, and secure side-mounted storage in the rear load area. There is also scope for individualisation, with a wide range of interior options and accessories to help each owner customise the Grenadier to best perform its role. Reservations will open from October 2021 and deliveries will start from July 2022.

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s MILITEM Ferox Adventure w e “The perfect blend of American DNA &majestic Italian styling”

The new Ferox Adventure represents the latest and finest in Militem’s ‘American tech/Italian made’ philosophy and is ready to be distributed in international markets. Militem has redefined iconic American models with craftsmanship, class and unmistakable ‘Made in Italy’ taste, improving the style and driving experience to create unique vehicles for the luxury-premium market segment. The Militem Ferox is based on the 4-door Wrangler JL. It features a 2.0 litre 272 hp petrol engine or a 3.6 V6 e-Torque Mild Hybrid, producing 285 CV. Alternatively, a 2-door version is available with a 3.6 V6 and an e-Torque engine. It includes a striking green livery and an exclusive cabin featuring high-end materials and a crafted to a finish that pays maximum attention to detail.

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Militem Ferox Adventure underlines Ferox’s off-road personality, courtesy of the wings and bumpers treated with special scratch-resistant paint, a snorkel that allows the car to ‘breathe’ better when fording and a dedicated 'Adventure' roof-rack with LED headlights for improved safety when driving off-road at night. It’s fitted with Cooper 35 x 12,50 R20 Mud Terrain tyres and, like every Ferox model, has a raised set-up thanks to its MILITEM Lift kit 2,0” Extreme Performance Shocks, which employ gas-charged twin-set dampers. It’s also comes with a Performance Militem exhaust system and 20” Black Edition rims along with a wide range of equipment, such as two electronic differentials, which make it suitable for any type of terrain.

The MY21 Militem Ferox Adventure is also updated with features including an LED strip in the front bumper, new Dual Mode tailpipes, console commands to tweak the sound, a multicolour ambient lighting kit, new Neutral fumé front and rear lights and anti-puddle lights mounted under the doors.

These features, like the retractable platform that comes as standard, are even available for the base version of the Ferox. Prices for the Militem Ferox start at € 79.980 (approx £68,500), and rise to € 83.680 (approx. £71,700) for the Militem Ferox Adventure prices exclude VAT. For more information: www.militem.com

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s w e

Jeep introduces Wrangler 2021

2021 is a special year for Jeep as the brand marks its 80th birthday with a celebration of eight decades of 4x4 leadership, open-air freedom and adventure. While looking back at past endeavours, Jeep is updating the Wrangler for model year 21 with the introduction of enhanced safety features, increased off-road capabilities and a range of new colours, as well as introducing the new 80th anniversary edition. For 2021 all Jeep Wrangler models will be fitted with the 2.0 litre 272hp Euro6D final petrol engine, combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission. When fitted to the Sahara, Overland and the new 80th Anniversary models this new engine results in CO2 emission ranging between 243-251g/km, a reduction of 10g/ km over the previous generation. The off-road focused Rubicon emits between 261-271g/km CO2. To assist on-road driving, enhanced additional safety features are now included as standard across the UK Wrangler range. These include the addition of adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop and go, accident emergency braking (AEB) and auto high beam.

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Off-road driving has also been enhanced with a series of new features added to the Wrangler range as standard. Selec-Speed control, an off-road cruise control, allows the driver to maintain a steady speed during rock crawling and other types of low speed manoeuvring. A selectable tyre fill alert can now be set through the 8.4” touchscreen. Ideal for off-road adventurers who deflate the tyre pressures to get grip on off road courses when traversing mud and rocks, the system will give an audible warning when the desired tyre pressures have been reached. A new range of body colours, Hydro Blue, Snazzberry and Sarge Green, are now available on the Wrangler range, paying homage to the models history. Nacho will also be available as a limited run, exclusively on the Rubicon.

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Jeep Wrangler 80th Anniversary

The 80th Anniversary special-edition model features a Neutral Grey Metallic grille, headlight and fog light bezels and specific 18” two-tone alloy wheels with Granite Crystal accents. Full LED high-visibility headlights with auto high beam control, body-colour hardtop and the 80th Anniversary badge on the front wheel arches help to mark out this commemorative special-edition model, along with a commemorative plaque on the rear swing gate. The interior features black leather seats with tungsten stitching and the 80th Anniversary badge, along with a leather wrapped dashboard featuring contrast stitching and Berber floor mats. Standard technology content includes the Uconnect 8.4 NAV system with 8.4” touchscreen, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7” TFT display and a 9-speaker Alpine audio system with a 552W subwoofer. Standard safety features include blind spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, Keyless Enter 'N Go, forward collision warning, advanced brake assist and adaptive cruise control with stop. Like all variants in the Wrangler line-up, the 80th anniversary edition is Trail Rated – the brand’s guarantee of a model’s superior go-anywhere capability. Featuring the Jeep Command-Trac four-wheel-drive system it uses the SelecTrac full-time two-speed transfer case to continuously monitor and manage the torque sent to the front and rear wheels to ensure the Wrangler can master even the most challenging off-road tracks. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler range and 80th anniversary special-series are now available to order, with prices starting from £49,450 OTR for the Wrangler Sahara 2-door. more at » www.jeep.co.uk.

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First look at Electrified Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe for 2022

During Stellantis EV Day 2021, the Jeep brand revealed the first images of its all-new 2022 Jeep® Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid. The fifth generation of the Grand Cherokee, which over the past 30 years has become the most awarded SUV in history, earning countless industry accolades and achieving more than 7 million in global sales, will be officially unveiled at the 2021 New York International Auto Show and will include the full range of the Grand Cherokee lineup. The introduction of the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is another step toward expanding electrification and strengthening the Jeep brand’s vision of “Zero Emission, 100% Freedom” in a year in which the Jeep brand celebrates 80 years of achievements and innovations. No news as yet to when it’ll be available in the UK. 14

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Customise new RZR Trail S 1000 s w

Platform with Polaris accessories

The brand-new RZR Trail S 1000 made its debut this year. Optimised for next level performance at just 60”, the RZR Trail S 1000 can now be customised with new Polaris trail accessories. They include: Polaris Poly Sport Roof The Poly Sport roof offers protection from everything that the trail may throw at you. It has a lightweight, textured polyethylene construction with a rigid-injection moulded design to eliminate warping in high heat conditions. It has also been designed with Polaris' revolutionary Lock & Ride functionality for easy fitment in a matter of minutes, without the need for any tools. Polaris Half Windshield - Hard Coat Poly A half windshield is great for those hotter days when riders want that open air feeling whilst maintaining clear vision and minimising dust flow. It also helps to direct the air just over the head so riders feel more protected from the elements. The Polaris Engineered half windshield is fully sealed, strong, durable, and impactresistant, and is also fitted with Polaris' Lock and Ride functionality for easy changeability between seasons. Polaris Front High Coverage Bumper With it's high and tubular steel build, the front high coverage bumper provides the latest in protection and style for the RZR. It offers both impact protection and easy installation directly to factory mounts to create a seamless look. Polaris' Front High Coverage Bumper is available in both red and block colour ways.

Rockford Fosgate Stage 1 PMX Audio Kit Turn up the music with the Stage 1 PMX Audio Kit by Rockford Fosgate. The audio kit comes prepackaged with all the necessary hardware including one Stage 1 PMX Audio Kit and two front 6.5" coaxial speakers and enclosures. With a 2.7" full colour display, AM/FM/WB tuner and antenna, as well as Bluetooth connectivity, riders can listen to whatever they desire whilst out on the trails. The Stage 1 PMX Audio kit is compatible with Rear Pods.

Pro Armor Combo Light Bar

Polaris Pro HD 4,500 LB Winch with Rapid Rope Recovery With new rapid rope technology, riders can now recover open cable up to five times faster than the standard speed with the Polaris Pro HD 4,500lb Winch.

With all around versatility, the Pro Armor Combo light bar is great for trail terrain. The light bar has a combination of flood and spot optics reaching a maximum distance of 500-metres, meaning that it is ideal for all around distance visibility at high speeds. It can be mounted on all mounting points of the RZR Trail S 1000.

The new winch is designed with both standard pulling mode and high-speed recovery as well as Auto Stop Technology at completion for added protection. The winch comes with both a wired and wireless remote as standard, depending on rider preference, and it mounts in a designated location, perfect for the most adventurous rides. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

s w e

Bowler Defender Challenge rally car revealed

Bowler Motors has revealed the Land Rover Defender rally car that will compete in its own championship, the Bowler Defender Challenge, in 2022. Based on the Land Rover Defender 90, with a 300PS Ingenium 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, each Bowler Defender Challenge is completely stripped back to install a full FIAstandard roll cage. The front and rear subframes are modified and given additional bracing for a new bespoke performance suspension set-up. Designed in collaboration with Fox, it increases the ride height by 25mm, and is enhanced by new Bowler rally-spec 18 inch wheels. Bowler’s engineers have provided a suite of electronic components, from fire protection and electrical cut-offs to additional lighting and vehicle control systems. Competition race seats are installed, and the gear selector is repositioned for the optimal racing position. Bowler-developed column-mounted paddle shifts complete the transition. During the conversion Bowler subtly modify and stiffen the already extraordinarily rigid Defender bodyshell to cope with the extreme conditions of off-road competition. The standard doors are trimmed to remove the sill covering section, which allows the fitment of full-length, side-to-side underbody protection panels. A modified front end increases airflow to the cooling system and houses additional race-level lighting, while a new roof spoiler houses additional rear lighting. 16

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The 2022 Challenge consists of 7 events around the UK, with dates and locations yet to be announced. There are 12 entries available for the one-make series, with each team competing in identical Bowler-prepared Defenders. The series is open to veteran competitors, and those with no competition experience. For those with limited experience or none, Bowler can offer training and support to gain the necessary licence before moving directly to the series. Each Bowler Defender Challenge team will face a true mix of rally conditions. For each round there will be a full Bowler support team, with dedicated service areas. The Challenge will enjoy full coverage through national and Bowler media channels. Bowler’s own Bowler Defender Challenge car will make its public debut at the Iceland Hill Rally 400km stage rally on 6-8 August. Packages for the 2022 Challenge will start at £99,500 which includes a Bowler-prepared Defender Challenge car, entry into the 2022 series, which starts in March, and event support. Further options include training, series logistics and vehicle support. A range of accessories developed as part of this programme will be available later in the year. Further information on the Bowler Defender Challenge can be found at bowlermotors.com

s Isuzu announce their new D-Max w e

Huntsman Accessory Pack

With features that perfectly cater to the professional huntsman and countryman, the Huntsman Accessory Pack is available on all D-Max Double Cab models. The standard specification includes: • Aeroklas Commercial Canopy • Bed Draw System • Under Rail Bed Liner • Towbar with 13-Pin Electrics • Side Steps • Tailgate Locking Kit • Tailgate Assist • Rubber Floor Trays • 18" Alloy Wheels x 4 • 18" Pirelli A/T Tyers x 4 Each detail of the Huntsman Package has been added with the hardworking huntsman/countryman in mind. While the Bed Draw System provides easy organisation, the Towbar with 13-Pin Electrics allows users to tow up to 3.5 tonnes safely with help from the D-Max's swaydetection system on all 4x4 vehicles.

Rubber Floor Trays ensure for easy cleaning, while the Aeroklas canopy makes storage safe and easy. With reliable and hardwearing Pirelli Tyres, the D-Max can navigate various terrains with ease. The Huntsman Pack is available to purchase from July 23rd for £5825 (excl. VAT) when bought along with the D-Max, allowing customers to have the accessory pack fixed onto the vehicle before receiving it.

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WHAT'S ON British Motor Show 19-22th August

Farnborough International Exhibition Centre Gearing up to be the biggest, brightest and most brilliant automotive event of 2021 with over 20 of the UK’s best-known automotive brands in attendance More than 50 supercars and live driving experiences More action, more content, and even more cars! Adults: £18.50 (£37 for a family) https://thebritishmotorshow.live

Midlands Italian Car Day 21 August 2021

British Motor Museum, Gaydon Supported by the major Italian car clubs, the show is open to anyone who wants to show off their Italian machine whether it’s a car or a motorbike. This is a wonderful chance to add some Italian flair to your Museum visit, with show tickets including both entry to the show and the Museum. Adults: £14.50 Child: £9 Concessions:£12.50 Family: £40 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/midlands-italian-car-day2021-tickets-152066118855

Landys After Lockdown Mega Meet 22nd August RCM 4x4, York

Land Rover / 4x4 Charity Car Show. This is a chance for everyone to get together in the open air, enjoy each others vehicles, and chat about Land Rovers, show off your pride and joy and maybe win some prizes. Adults: £5.98 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/landys-after-lockdowntickets-156538255135

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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!

The Dark Side of Laning - social misery

GLASS spends its time fighting for our rights to drive unsurfaced public roads. “That’s not news!” I hear you say, but it seems to have been forgotten in a mire of negative and unfounded accusations that constantly proliferate social media. Love GLASS or loath it, bash it or support it, the work our volunteer reps do benefits everyone who drive green lanes; who else is there to do it for 4x4 drivers? Motorcyclists have the TRF who do a stellar job for their community, and 4x4 drivers have GLASS. Without these organisations it is no exaggeration to say we wouldn’t have the hobby we have today. Volunteer to take the fLack

Our reps are all volunteers. Not only do they not get paid, but they also pay to be members. We do offer a discount, but most do not take it, many donate on top! The role comes with a requirement to drive a 4x4 and all the costs involved in doing so. If lanes need checking, fixing or repairing, if there are meetings to go to, signs to put up, or councils to visit, then reps have to give up their free time and fill their tanks to get there. Many, in fact most, volunteer the use of their own tools, and many carry all sorts of gear that most laners won’t think of packing let alone owning.

Reps stand up in rooms full of antis, stakeholders who wish to see the lane in question closed or green laning banned completely. They stand up to people with authority over our public roads, people who do not have any requirement to listen to us, and make them listen. If they don’t listen then legal action may be the next step. They do this in their own free time, on top of jobs, families, and life in general, and they do so because they know if they don’t then no one else will, and that lanes will be lost.

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The law

It would be pertinent to add, or rather repeat as this is something I say so often I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve typed it, that GLASS has no authority over public roads. Local authorities manage them, and have total authority when it comes to maintenance and any imposed restrictions, including Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), width and height restrictions, and permit schemes. We cannot force LAs to do anything, except their legal duty to maintain them, but even that can lead to a costly legal battle. Councils do not have to listen to us, they do not have to act on letters of opposition, they merely have to provide a way for users to make their opinions known and acknowledge those opinions. What they do with them is completely up to them! To state that GLASS imposed anything, let alone a permit scheme on a public road, is ludicrous and not possible in law! Please feel free to check this fact, in fact we’d love it if more people would!

• 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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Social misery

It’s been hard to miss the constant vitriol peddled on social media recently. Ramsden Road seems to have attracted more than most cases ever have. The most obvious question, to me at least, is why would, or should, GLASS or Kirklees Council want to include those who spend their time (seemingly all of it) hating on anyone but their hate-group admins who incite this venomous tirade?

It's been s whole minute ally since you tot o overreacted t ine l n o s ' e n o e m so post

I can’t answer that for Kirklees, but I can tell you GLASS does because it believes wholeheartedly in access for all. But our job to secure that is becoming more difficult by the day! The reason Ramsden Road, and many others, are under threat is because green laners are touted as anti-social bullies by the antis. Sadly a section of our community is providing evidence that some are exactly that, and all while GLASS is trying to argue that we are not! Can people not see how damaging this is to our community? Most can, but those who can’t continue to shout louder and longer than the majority. Sadly as they say “the empty vessel makes the most noise”. Imagine being in a meeting with decision makers, or in a press interview, faced by the usual 'off-roading louts/yobs/bullies!' type comments, only to stand up in support of your community, then to be shown evidence of the foul posts circulating online. How would you respond? There is no comeback to this. A section of our community proves themselves to be everything the antis think we ALL are day in and day out. We simply have to admit it

and show how we continue to tackle that unfortunate section of our community. This is not fair on the vast majority of laners who are responsible and respectful human beings. It is those who appear more willing to hate, than to support their own community, who spam social media with behaviour that colours us all as 'yobs' in the eyes of those looking in at us all, and the amount of yobbishness online is starting to drown the positive achievements and responsible laners out.

Us vs them

Why would a group called something along the lines of “Keep our lanes open”, or any organisation pertaining to be supportive of laning, wish to behave in a way that would negatively affect the lanes they themselves profess to want to save? I can’t answer that, but I can say that the hate-groups, and some that profess to be responsible groups, are proving that their behaviour has nothing to do with saving lanes, it is about 'winning' over GLASS, irrespective of what that means for laning long term. The thing is GLASS isn’t in competition with anyone who wishes to keep lanes open. The only time we want to win is during negotiations or legal action against those who want to close them. There have been numerous posts over the last couple of weeks with eye-catching headlines such as “Win over GLASS members!”. These posts then go on to explain the permit scheme on Ramsden Road is now open to all. Why would that be a win over GLASS or its members? That’s what we wanted all along (see June’s column). This is a win for all laners and access for all, why spin it into something negative by turning it into ammunition for hate?

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Unintended consequences

But while all that negativity is as true as it is harmful, there are some benefits to this ongoing rhetoric. Stakeholders are on social media, and while some will use the disgusting behaviour to further their own antilaning rhetoric, others bring the matter up in a very different way. When I arrived at a project recently I called the landowner to announce my arrival. The farmer and his wife appeared a few minutes later, but instead of launching into the task at hand they mentioned the social media witch hunt that was happening online at the time. These landowners were not particularly big fans of laning, they tolerated me and my rep team because we helped them fix problems, but they’d much prefer if the lane that passes through their land was closed. After seeing the vile behaviour online aimed at us they were genuinely concerned. We spent half an hour discussing it, and we were told that if we needed time out we were always welcome at the farm and the kettle would be on. Since then we’ve become almost friends, I check up on them and they do the same for me and ask about the rest of the team. This is only one example of many, and there are examples within our community too. Every time the haters begin another unnecessary battle our membership rises, readership of this magazine (and others) increases, and messages of support flood in. This is great! But is it enough?

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The future…

I’m not going to wrap anything in cotton wool, the future of laning is an unknown, but we know it will be a challenge. Even without the antis we have threats from all sides the move towards electric vehicles, the dwindling budgets of local authorities and the increasing penalties imposed on vehicle owners used to dissuade them from driving them at all such as taxes, charges, increased fuel prices… We have enough to worry about, the last thing we need is our own community standing against us! While GLASS are aware of the big social and political threats to our hobby, and will be discussing them all very soon while formulating our plan for the next five years, the biggest problem laning faces right now here today is the fractured community we represent. It is far easier to fight legal battles than it is social ones. A court must consider facts, but a bitter person online only listens to what they want to hear. No amount of educating, or reasoning, will change the mind of someone hell bent on destroying someone they’ve never met, or an organisation they have absolutely no personal experience of. No amount of lanes lost will make them stand up and use their energy on actually helping to save them either. Remember that empty vessel analogy from earlier? I’ll leave you to wonder what these vocal types would do to address these issues themselves if they ever managed to “take down GLASS”, and get on with ignoring Facebook and doing some real work with my fellow reps. That’s all from me this month folks! Happy laning! Lauren x

Lada Niva Luxe

The Flying Pantry

What is it?

First introduced to the world back in 1977, with coil suspension all ‘round, centre difflock and built using a monocoque body instead of the traditional body on chassis, it was quite innovative for its time, as well as incredibly effective off road. In the UK, the last examples were officially imported in 1996, and like most vehicles of its era, when introduced to any kind of moisture, the nimble Niva would often dissolved like an Alka Seltzer. So what am I doing with a 21 plate, left hand drive Niva? Well, after a short hiatus due to the loss of European Type Approval, Mark Key has began offering them for sale in the UK again, and I managed to get my hands on one. There is no doubt that the Niva creates a lot of attention, everyone I met during my few days with it asked either one of three questions; What is it? Do they still make ‘em? Is that the one that Johnny drowned? (If you know, you know).

On the road

Having not driven a manual left hooker for many a year, it took me a few miles to get used to it, and once I did it was quite enjoyable. The independent front coil suspension does a wonderful job at absorbing bumps and potholes that still pepper our roads, but it’s also a bit wallowy around corners, but that’s fine, it’s one of those acceptable traits that we like to call character, and the Niva certainly has plenty of those. With 80bhp, the Renault derived 1.7 litre petrol engine isn’t the sprightliest, and the 5-speed gearbox isn’t quite what you’d call slick. In fact, the gear stick is on the passenger side, and choosing 5th gear is a bit of a stretch and requires precision to engage, but it harks back to when machines were more simply, and I enjoyed it. A good example of this was whilst driving off on a very steep incline in first gear low box. There are no electric aids, none of that hill brake malarkey, you have to find the biting point on the clutch to drive off smoothly. I wonder how many young folk who learn in cars with a DSG understand what ‘biting point’ is? On the motorway at around 70mph, the Niva does quite a good job. The gearbox and transfer box can be a bit whiny. It wouldn’t be my first choice as a long distance tourer, it’s much more at home zooming along country lanes and green lanes.

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Off road

For venturing off the beaten track you have two knobs to play with - one for low ratio and the other for the centre diff lock, and they’re easy to operate, simply move forward and they’re engaged - no fighting or forcing, quite civilised, a lot better than some modern pickups. Being Mark’s only press vehicle / demonstrator, I didn’t want to go too far off road, even though I knew that the little Niva wouldn’t be troubled by anything I pointed it at. Even whilst balancing on two or three wheels, the Niva never hesitated to drive forward, unlike some more modern vehicles that can have a hissy fit! Despite its more modern on-road behaviour, you get the impression that the Niva is more at home far away from tarmac, and with excellent approach and departure angles, it simply crawls everywhere you point it.

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Interior

Spartan is a good word to use, as is practical. There aren’t many creature comforts, but this Luxe model does get heated seats, electric door mirrors, air conditioning, but no radio. Up front the seats are comfortable, even after a full day sat in them. The dash layout is clear and the steering wheel appears to be taken from a bus, consequently the wiper and indicator stalks are a tad too short, so you have to reach behind the wheel to use them! Speaking of the wipers, there are 2 speeds, intermittent and quick. Rear wiper is either on or off. What about central locking? Nah, you have two keys, one for the ignition and the other for the doors that you have to lock individually, though I dare say you could fit a system if you wanted to. In front of the difflock lever there are two 12 volt sockets, there are no USB ports, but you can always buy an adaptor. With a full floor covered in rubber, it has a certain aroma, especially during a hot day, but at least it’s easy to clean. I mentioned that this model has electric windows, which are handy and makes me wonder how we ever got on without them. However, as useful as they are, they don’t drop fully into the doors, you have around 2” of window protruding, so there’s none of that resting your elbows out of the door on hot days.

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Conclusion

The Niva felt reassuringly solid, old school solid and incredibly characterful. Did the novelty of driving a 40-odd year old designed, left hand drive 4x4 with a manual gearbox wear off? I thought I might be over it, but after 3 days I still had a smile on my face. When it comes to competition it’s pretty straight forward, it's the Dacia Duster, which is more refined, full of electrics, and an infotainment system - if that’s important to you. I was going to suggest the Suzuki Jimny, but you can forget about that as they are as rare as rocking horse poo, and the dealers will no doubt be hiking up the price when they get their allocation of one vehicle. I love the idea that after all these years the Niva has barely changed, as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, time moves on, and just like Land Rover, having a niche vehicle like the Defender doesn’t make economic sense, companies need to make money, and by all accounts, in just a couple of years time, the Niva as we know it will be destined to the history books.

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So, if you fancy an old-school Niva, then visit Mark’s website - lada4x4.co.uk Prices start from £17,295 incl VAT for the base model. For that Mark sorts out agent charges, the cost of transport across Europe, customs issues, import duty, UK driving modifications, vehicle certification, tax and registration. Oh, and there’s a decent 2 year warranty, and it’s wax-oiled to an inch of its life. For an extra £500 you can have the Luxe version, as pictured, that has alloy wheels, electric windows, tinted glass and air conditioning. For an further £700 there’s the Urban with moulded body colour bumpers and at £19,350 there’s the Black special edition with black alloy wheels, moulded body colour bumpers, front fog lights and a special interior. If that’s too much, then Mark can supply them from £12,495 + VAT, but you have the palaver of sorting out the UK registration and so on. It’s certainly worthwhile keeping tabs on Mark’s website, as soon he’ll have a 5-door version, and his own Bronto version feating a 2” lift and bigger tyres.

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Ford EcoSport Active

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What is it?

Ford tell us that their EcoSport Active is designed for the urban jungle and built to escape it, and with off-road-inspired chunky black plastic wheel arches, side skirts, and a subtle suspension lift it certainly looks the part.

On the road

The last time I borrowed an Ecosport was around 4 years ago when Muddy Madam and I drove to see our friends up in Scotlandshire, it was a 6 hour drive - one way. Initially I was cursing the fact that I’d booked such a small car for the trip, as opposed to say, a Range Rover or big Audi, but it surprised us and was actually quite enjoyable. This time around I had no such long journeys planned, just the usual commute, and maybe a trip up to the Lakes for a little green lane action.

Along smooth and twisty roads it’s quite joyful for a taller, yet slim vehicle, and it grips really rather well, though once the surface becomes more undulating the ride in turns is a bit jittery, which is fair enough considering its relatively short wheelbase. With its 125PS 3-cylinder engine churning out 170Nm of torque, and super slick 6-speed manual gearbox, it’s a lively thing to hoon around in, if you keep up the revs, but it isn’t as frugal as you may think. After quite a few decent journeys and the regular commute around town, I was seeing between 38-41mpg, Ford reckon I should be seeing around the 47mpg mark. As a motorway basher I found the EcoSport both comfortable and relaxing, but if you want umph to overtake something in a hurry - nah, that ain’t going to happen, you can only ask the 3-cylinder engine to do so much.

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Off road

Look at it, sitting there looking all chunky and purposeful like, you’d think it was a 4x4, but it isn’t. However, it does have a fantastic amount of ground clearance for such a short car, as well as decent approach and departure angles. Regardless of its looks, I didn’t want to take the EcoSport too far off the beaten track as the press car didn’t have a spare tyre, not even a space saver, so I really didn’t want to run the risk of having a puncture. That being said, I did take it along a classic Cumbrian green lane - The Old Coach Road, and yes, on the northern section I had to be very, very careful!

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Interior

Apart from the silly stuck on media screen, I didn’t mind the EcoSport’s interior. The seats are a tad narrow, but very comfortable. There was a problem for front seat passengers in that the passenger seat is of fixed height, and both Muddy Madam and young Keiran moaned that the nearside windscreen wiper wasn’t cleaning their field of view; more so Muddy Madam as she’s taller, and of course moans the loudest. Whilst I’m moaning, rear passenger legroom is pretty much non-existent, very small children and Oompa Loompas only, I’m afraid.

Because I have a memory like a, erm, kitchen implement of some kind, I’d forgotten that the Ecosport has a side opening tailgate instead of the usual lift-up type - and it took me more than a few minutes to figure it out. I actually quite like this set up, and if you’re up for adventures, then there’s no reason why you couldn’t fit a folding table on the back door to fit a camping stove on, or prepare food whilst out and about.

The only downside to this is, if like me you reverse into supermarket car park spots, opening the back door when only a few feet away from another parked car isn’t great. Staying in the back, the EcoSport has an adjustable load floor can be fitted in three positions: ideal when you don’t want things piled on top of one another.

Engine ‘n’ transmissions

The EcoSport comes with a choice of either the multiple award-winning 3 cylinder 1.0 litre Ford EcoBoost petrol engine, or the 1.5 litre EcoBlue diesel engine. You can choose from a power output of 100PS, 125PS or 140PS, all with a 6-speed gearbox.

Conclusion

Although the EcoSport isn’t a 4x4, it certainly has the ground clearance, as well as the approach and departure angles to cope with more rugged terrain for the adventurists amongst us who don’t want a typical 4x4. And with a price starting from £21,645 I can see how it will fit someone’s active lifestyle. more at » www.Ford.co.uk 44

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Suzuki Across What is it?

It’s a rebadged Toyota RAV4, which in all honesty isn’t a bad thing.

The Across is the first new model to launch under a collaborative agreement with Toyota, which makes a lot of sense as the cost of developing an all-new car grows ever higher. It isn’t the first collaboration between manufacturers, at it certainly won’t be the last.

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On the road

In issue 9, which feels like a very long time ago now, I borrowed a RAV4 and came away with a very high opinion of it. The ride is comfortable and quite supple with light steering, I always felt cosseted and a little bit smug as it barely ventured under 40mpg, even on short commutes to school and back. I recently drove the Across around the Hill Route circuit at the Millbrook testing facility down in Bedfordshire, and I was genuinely taken aback by the way it handled itself, it was poised, grippy and quite nippy. Once you’ve pressed the Sport mode button there’s plenty of performance available, especially when the 2.5 litre engine and electric motor work together, but as is always the case with CVT gearboxes, high engine revs when pressing on does rather spoil the car’s otherwise excellent refinement. As you drive off the Across selects electric mode, and I found I had to be quite careful in car parks because shoppers and pedestrians can’t hear you, and they never look. For the majority of time I selected 'normal' driving mode which allows the car decide for itself when’s best to deploy either the electric motor or petrol engine. Also, easing on the brakes as you reach a set of lights or a junction automatically increases the amount of electric power gained from the cars regenerative braking system, so it’s win-win.

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Off road

The weather was glorious during our week together, so I didn’t have the opportunity to really test its off-road ability to the max. That said, once in Trail mode performing my usual balancing act on two or three wheels went without drama as the intelligent all-wheel drive technology efficiently generates drive torque using power from the hybrid system and an additional motor on the rear axle. This design reduces energy losses, saves weight and

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optimises AWD operation in different driving conditions. On a slightly damp, yet steep green lane, the Across performed admirably, despite being on summer tyres, I even pushed my luck by stopping to take photos and driving off again, up hill I might add, and the Across wasn’t troubled at all. Ground clearance and the departure angles aren’t bad, though you do need to be careful as its approach angle isn’t the best, you just need to be careful of deep ruts.

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Interior

Everything about the interior is a delight to use, from the chunky steering wheel, internal door handles and large rubberised temperature dials that are easy to use and grip, especially when wearing thick gloves. The wide and comfortable seats are heated and offer oodles of support, and the rest of the interior is spacious with room aplenty front and back. The boot offers a massive 490-litres of usable space - not the biggest in its quite class, but close enough, and there’s lots of oddment space around the cabin. Like all Suzukis, you get a generous amount of safety equipment, from E-call, blind spot monitoring and lane departure alert, to speed limiter and adaptive cruise, amongst many others. Then there are the luxury items, from heated front and rear seats, dual zone automatic air conditioning, auto function opening tailgate and 9” multimedia touchscreen. The list goes on.

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Engine ‘n’ gearbox

There’s only one option I’m afraid, but it’s a good set up. The 2.5-litre petrol hybrid engine offers 185bhp with official figures quoting 42.9mpg (combined), which wasn’t that far away from the average 40mpg I was getting. It also has CO2 emissions of just 22g/km, depending on tyre size and options, of course. With maximum output of 134kW and 270Nm of torque, the front electric motor draws its energy from an 18.1kWh (50.9 Ah) high capacity lithiumion battery mounted beneath the floor. This provides a class leading EV range of 46.6miles.

Conclusion

I really like the Across, and just like its identical twin, the RAV4, I genuinely had difficulty coming up with any glaring dislikes. Okay, it has one of those annoying iPad sticky up things, I don’t like them in any car if I’m honest, I think they’re an afterthought of lazy designers! However, it works well. Of course, the Across wouldn’t be my first choice if I wanted a green-laner, even though its AWD worked an absolute treat, but as a family barge it’s much more appealing. It’s roomy, comfortable and nice to be in, and with excellent all-weather capability, it's an easy car to live with. price £45,599 (as tested) more at » https://cars.suzuki.co.uk

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Suzuki Jimny

Commercial Recently, along with a bunch load of other motoring writers, I was invited down to Cardiff to celebrate Suzuki’s 101st anniversary. It was a great couple of days exploring Suzuki’s wide range of products, from 300bhp outboard engines to ATVs. But my personal highlight was when I drove to the middle of Walters Arena for the offroad part of the day only to be confronted with 3 brand new and unregistered Jimny Commercials that sat ready and primed for us to drive - each with less than 50 miles on the clock! Now, as much as I wanted to explore the off-road route in the Vitara and SXCross, the was no way I was going to pass on the opportunity to get the Jimny dirty!

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Step inside the commercial and the first thing you’ll notice is the lack of rear seats, obviously, and behind the front seats sits a sturdy partition grille to separate and protect the front seat occupants from anything that isn’t tied down in the back. I found that it does limit how far you can slide the front seats back, though. Up front the interior is clutter-free but practical with lots of easily wiped-clean surfaces. Creature comforts include a DAB radio with CD player, a two-speaker sound system, Bluetooth, USB connection, electric front windows, cruise control with speed limiter, a digital clock and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

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One of the many things I respect Suzuki for is that they don’t shy away from offering exceptional value for money, and the wealth of safety kit that’s standard with the Jimny is a fine example. The list includes anti-lock brakes with brake assist, high beam assist, side impact protection beams, electronic stability programme, hill hold and hill descent assist, dual sensor brake support that applies automatic brakes to help avoid a collision, a tyre pressure monitoring system, eCall and airbags. Oh, yeah, there is also an immobiliser, a security alarm, locking wheel nuts and remote central door locking for added protection.

In the back there is nothing but space, 863 litres of it, and it has a flat floor for convenience. Everywhere else, it’s identical the 5-seat model that was sadly discontinued in the UK last year due group emissions. There’s only one trim level available, and it’s powered by the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that churns out 101PS and 130Nm of torque and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The Jimny Commercial has a maximum speed of 90mph and, according to official figures under WLTP testing, it can deliver a combined 36.7mpg with carbon emissions of 173g/km. Being unregistered we couldn’t take them on the open road, but I have no reason to doubt they’d be any different to the 5-seater model I drove last year. If you haven’t read any of my previous Jimny reviews, let me just stay that the Jimny is certainly far more comfortable and refined than previous models. That said, you do need to give tight bends a degree of respect, and the engine, road surface and wind noise can get quite vocal at higher speeds. Thankfully, the addition of a new set of tyres fitted to slightly wider rims does make the world of difference to its on-road manners, it feels much more stable and offers you heaps more confidence around corners.

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When it came to getting the Jimny commercial dirty, the guys at Suzuki and Walters Arena had created a decent enough off-road route, but we wanted more! After everyone had left, friend and colleague from the Yorkshire Times, Andy asked if they could take us around some of the more difficult sections that the Arena had to offer. They kindly obliged. Being lightweight and tipping the scales at just over a tonne, there’s always a temptation to drive the Jimny like you stole it, it’s great fun and rather than getting bogged down, bounces everywhere - it’s a tough little thing. But it’s also unstoppable when you take your time, and from boggy wooded tracks, rocky paths, deep muddy puddles and slippery inclines, it took it all in its stride, but that’s what a Jimny does best. Andy and I spent a further 45 minutes not only being astounded at where the Jimny took us, but apologising to it for the abuse it was getting!

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Being classed as an LCV, this Jimny model comes with attractive savings for business buyers who will have a standard Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) charge for the first year that is set at £275. The Benefit in Kind rating is based on a standard flat rate of £3,500. I really do feel for Suzuki UK, they have a vehicle that they can sell in the bucket loads, but for whatever reason they can only get their hands on a limited number. If only Suzuki would fit their 1.4 litre Boosterjet engine and 6-speed gearbox into the Jimny, not only would it make it a more capable road going 4x4, but it would also meet the tight emission rules that killed the 5 seater last year. Whatever the case, the Jimny Commercial is going on sale very soon, priced from around £20, 000 including VAT. If you are interested, it’s highly advisable to get in line now as just 500 units will be available in the UK this year, and they are likely to be snapped up in record time.

R A E G & GOODS

CA M P I N G SOUL FOO D

I’ve found that a lot of the outdoor cooking books that I’ve collected over the years are filled with elaborate recipes, and assume I have a large camp kitchen, when in fact I’m either cooking on a tailgate or huddled around a small BBQ. So it was a nice surprise when last month I received the Camping Soul Food cookbook, crammed with recipes that are not only easy to read and understand, but they’re aimed towards camp cooking with limited space. Created by the Buggans family, Malachy, Carrie & their daughter Easkey, who over the last few years have taken countless trips around Ireland in their VW camper van, and as a result have learned so much about cooking with limited space. When they first started camping they would bring way too stuff that just got in the way (does that sound familiar?). After a couple of trips unloading boxes that were never opened they realised just how little equipment is actually needed to enjoy the great outdoors.

N I W ned ig s a y p co

Oh, and there is plenty of soul, hence the name of the book! Let me explain.... The Buggans’ believe, and quite rightly so, that creating meals and enjoying them is doubly pleasurable when ‘linked’ with music, which is why each recipe is paired with a playlist of Soul music (there's a handy QR code on the recipe page that will take you straight to the Spotify playlist). With 65 great recipes, handy camping & cooking hacks (what we oldies call 'tips') and a section to write your own notes & recipes, the Camping Soul Food cookbook is a treasure trove of delicious meals, so good that after a long day I’ve ended up making some of the meals at Muddy Towers (a.k.a. home). The great thing is it’s full of meals that you can cook on one gas ring or on a BBQ more at » campingsoulfood.com price: €20 (£17) buy the book directly from the Buggans' IndieGoGo campaign

The Buggans have kindly given us a lovely brand new signed copy to give away to one of you lucky readers.

CLICK TO ENTER

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R A E G & GOODS

UN I B A N K

On first look Unibank seems to be quite large and possibly a bit of an overkill if you just want a simple charger, but this isn't a simple charger. Unibank is definitely a power bank you should get if you like wild camping, back-packing or other activities that take you off-grid. Haven't we all been in the situation when you desperately need to make a call, or look up an address, and your phone is on its last few percent, and there's nowhere to charge it? Unibank can be charged up as normal, but it also has a pull cord to charge the power bank when electricity isn't available. Pulling the cord for just 90 seconds can give you 25 minutes talk time on a typical smartphone. Unibank has a 5,000 MaH battery and fully charged it will completely charge an iPhone 8 approximately 2.2 times. Being able to add charge on the go is great, but that isn't just why this charger is so cool. No, why it is so cool is that this one charger can replace lots of other gadgets too. First up the main body has a very bright LED Torch built in (I know it's bright, because I happened to look directly at it whilst writing this review, and now all I can see is glowing spots!). As well as the torch, the Unibank offers a choice of changeable 'ends' including an ambient light, wireless speaker, panic alarm, and laser measure, which are all controlled from an intuitive, free app (iOS & Android) via Bluetooth. They say it 'seamlessly' connects to the app, but I did have a little trouble connecting it up to my iPhone 6S to begin with.

Panic Alarm

I didn't feel the need to ask for the Panic Alarm, but as a woman, if I was planning on going backpacking alone, I would definitely get myself this attachment.

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In my phone's settings it kept saying it was connected, but in the app when I went to the battery analysis page it kept saying the Unibank wasn't connected. After a few frustrating minutes of switching things off and on I finally figured I had to press the red Bluetooth symbol in the top right hand corner of the screen to actually connect up the Unibank. Aaargh, so simple, yet so hard to discover. All the attachments are easy to fit, just pop off the rounded end with the 2 push buttons on either side, and then the attachments simply pop on. We got sent 3 out of the 4 to test...

Wireless Speaker

When I first attached the speaker and played some music, I can't say I was impressed, it all sounded a bit tinny, then I looked at the app and saw there was a Bass Boost button. Definitely press this for music as the sound is so much better, and a pleasure to listen to, but if you like to listen to podcasts the sound is better without the boost. On full volume the sound is rather loud, so it would be good for having a spontaneous fireside boogie session, if that's what you want.

Ambient Light

Oh this is fun! You turn it off and on with the app, but more importantly for gadget lovers you can also change the brightness, the colour and choose from 5 different flashing colours (red, green,yellow/orange,blue & white) and 2 multi colour settings (one dimming, one flashing). The flashing settings make this great for emergencies and rescue situations, and the multicolour settings would be great as a relaxing night light for getting the kids off to sleep when camping.

Combined Laser & Distance Measure

I am proud of myself in that I've figured a couple of ways that this could be used when out'n'about - you could use it to measure small gate openings to see if you could fit your vehicle through, or to measure heights to see if you can fit under with the roof tent attached. That said I think this is more of a gadget that would be used mainly in the home or at work. It comes with a bracket, to make it easy to finetune the laser’s angle, which attaches to Unibank via its standard tripod thread - meaning you can also attach it to any universal tripod. I tried it out on a few distances to see how it all worked with the app, and I was pleasantly impressed with the ease of measuring, and that the app can save the measurements in different folders, which means that if you are doing some work in the house you can measure the different room dimensions, and save each set in individual room folders, so you don't need to carry round scraps of paper with illegible scrawlings any more. continued on following page

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There are also a couple of accessories you may want to get depending on how you want to use Unibank. There's a Body Clip & Arm Strap so you can clip it into your belt/backpack, or strap it to your arm, and there is a Silicone Jacket for protection against bumps, scratches, and accidental drops. The soft-touch silicone case is engineered to allow easy access to its pull cord, underside panel, and attachments. The only thing it really is missing is a couple of bags, one for the unit, and another for all the attachments, because if you put it in a backpack or in a glove compartment keeping all the bits together and clean will be a must. price: £89.95 for the main charger unit, including torch Attachments: Ambient Light - £24.95 Panic Alarm - £24.95, Wireless Speaker - £29.95 Combined Laser and Distance Measure - £79.95 more at » unibanktm.com

R A E G & GOODS To be fair, there isn’t much I can write about a kettle - you fill it with water, put it on heat and wait for it to boil! The Tea Break Lux M (medium) kettle from Outwell does a sterling job of preparing water for your first, and last brew of day. Made from stainless steel is measures 15 x 18cm (HxDia.) and holds a maximum 1.8 litres of water. It features a removable lid for easy filling, a heat resistant and ergonomic folding handle, a whistle and a cap to open and close the pouring spout (great for keeping bugs out too). As it's stainless steel, it’s also suitable for all heat sources, including an induction hob and open fire, which is handy when you’re camping. price: £11.99 more at » www.outwell.com 68

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OUTW E LL TE A B RE A K LUX K E TTLE M

R A E G & GOODS

P ORTA B LE STA I N LE SS ST E E L M E SH FI RE P I T

I know a few people who have one of these and love them to bits, so when a Facebook ad showed me that they were on offer on Amazon, I decided to go ahead and order one (well Muddy Madam ordered it). The design is very simple, and comprises of just four legs and a stainless steel mesh. When open it measures 41.5(L)x41.5(W) x34cm(H) and weighs a measly 0.68kg. Despite truly terrible instructions, it’s easy and straightforward to put together. The fiddly bit is when you unfold the mesh and insert the metal pins through each corner and into the top of the legs - though once that's done you’re finished, and it becomes very stable. The mesh is constructed out of 0.96mm eco-friendly stainless steel and anti-heating material. It’s designed to support firewood and kindling up to 5kg, and is fine enough not to let ash or embers fall through to the ground below, whilst still allowing oxygen to reach the underside of the fire. Unlike other fire pits there are no sides, so in windy conditions embers can easily be blown away, so beware. It’s designed to keep heat and embers off the ground, which it does. You can have a decent size fire in it, enough to keep you warm, and you could easily arrange a tripod with a hanging Dutch oven over it to create some tasty meals. Once you’ve finished, and dusted all the ash away, it takes less than a minute to pack away in its sturdy bag (10cm x 10cm x 25cm). The bag, by the way, has enough spare room to hide a couple of fire lighters and ferro-rod. price: £19.99 buy in the UK from Amazon.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

R A E G & GOODS

OUTW E LL D UN TON FO L DA BLE DI SH RA CK

It’s often quite nice to bring a bit of civility with you when you venture out into the great outdoors, and having a dish rack is one of those luxuries - I kid you not! The Dunton Foldable Dish Rack is quite a handy piece of kit. Measuring just 18.5 x 34 x 8 cm (WxDxH) when folded, and 42 x 34cm (WxD) unfolded, the Dunton includes a detachable sponge drain, an adjustable plate holder that caters for up to ten different size plates and saucers, a cutlery holder, and a drying tray for cups and bowls. Once you’ve finished using it, you can easily detach the sponge drain mat as it’s simply held onto the rack with elastic, and wring it out, then when you get home you can just chuck it in your washing machine. I’ve used it a couple of times now and my only criticism is that the pop-up legs for the plates could do with being slightly larger to secure the plates better, but I realise to do that they'd have to make it bigger, and the compact size is what makes it great for days out. Overall, if you do a lot of cooking whilst camping, and space is at a premium, then the Outwell Dunton foldable dish rack is really useful. price: £26.99

more at » www.outwell.com

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mud life mugs themudlife.co.uk/mugs

4x4 writer extraordinaire, Frank Elson, mentioned this Range Rover Classic mug in his latest blog:

"My latest coffee-mug. I got it from The Mud Life magazine -

it's the best Range Rover Classic mug I have ever seen... (and I paid for it by the way, no favour for a favour)"

New Stuff we've discovered this month ROBENS OBSERVER CHAIR Here at Muddy Towers we've become a fan of camping gear that packs away into small spaces. Big chairs like the Robens Peta (which we reviewed back in issue 7) are wonderful for the garden, but a bit impractical for a quick day out in the car, and the normal small packable chairs tend to have a low back which isn't great for lounging around the camp fire. This is where the Observer Chair is a winner, as it is a comfortable and handy camping chair that packs down into a dinky carry bag, so you can take it wherever you go. It is quick and easy to assemble, and the lightweight aluminium frame offers excellent back support making it ideal for relaxing after a long day of driving Pack size: 48 x 10 x 13 cm Max load: 120 kg price: £79.99 more at » www.robens.de

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OSRAM LED GUARDIAN LIGHT SAVER This powerful LED Light Saver is a practical all-rounder as it is a Torch, Worklight and a Warning Light all in one handy package. It has a non-slip, dirt-resistant surface, and thanks to the holder or three magnets included in the package, the light can be easily attached wherever you need it. Due its twelve yellow flashing LED lights the torch can be transformed into a reliable warning light in dangerous situations. In addition,it has a seat belt cutter, and can also act as an hammer to smash the windscreen in case of emergency, making it the perfect gadget to keep in your car. OSRAM provides a 2 year guarantee too. more at » www.osram.com price: £26.60 buy in the UK at Amazon.co.uk

New Stuff we've discovered this month BUFFALO MOUNTAIN SHIRT I have one of the original Buffalo Mountain Shirts that I bought back in the early 1990s when I did a lot of work with my local youth service and Outdoor Education. To this day, almost 30 years later it’s still a brilliant bit of kit, but sadly it no longer fits and has been given to my Dad who continues to wear it regularly for fishing and cycling! The Mountain Shirt is designed to be a single layer garment that works most efficiently when worn next to the skin, and is ideal for a multitude of outdoor uses including: winter hill walking, trekking, winter climbing and general outdoor activities. With a Pertex Quantum shell (Formally known as Pertex Classic), the Mountain Shirt has an AquaTherm pile lining and is windproof to 50mph.

It’s quite a unique item of clothing with storm baffles on neck and side zips, touch-and-close adjustment tabs and a large front map pocket. The hand warmer pocket is designed so it goes all the way through, you can hold your own hands whilst your Rucsac hip belt is fastened through. It has a double zip on either side that’s excellent for ventilation as it can be unzipped either upwards or down from your armpits! As someone who has used one of these shirts for decades, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Available for men and women in various sizes and colours. price: £175.00 more at » www.buffalosystems.co.uk

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New Stuff we've discovered this month NAVIGATTOR FOX 7 The FOX 7 by Navigattor has a high-gain GPS receiver which is 10 times more accurate than the positioning available on a phone or tablet and uses Ozi-Explorer for off-road navigation and iGo or OSMAND for on road navigation. It’s said to be great for both planning trips, where you can actually plot your entire route and mark waypoints and other points of interest before you set out on the road.You can also upload WP and Track information files in GPX format. Its rugged and waterproof construction means it can be used in 4x4, buggies, maxi trail bikes and quads, and the 7” high resolution bright screen of 1280 x 800 pixel is sunlight readable, and the cradle powers directly the FOX 7 to keep it waterproof. The operating system is Android 9.0 and allows the end user to install third party applications. Navigattor will add any maps that you request to your device before they ship it to you, and you can contact the team at Navigattor any time to request additional maps. Internal memory has a capacity of 64GB and there is a slot for a micro SD card for a capacity up to 128GB, and 4G connectivity allows phone calls and data broadband. It also includes a WiFi antenna for wireless net ware access, reverse camera and action camera as well as BT 4.0 for helmet headset communication. more at » navigattor.com UK stockist West Coast 4x4 - westcoastoffroad.co.uk 74

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Organic Cotton T-shirts

Adventure Overland Show

& the International Campervan Show

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Taking place at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Racecourse, to say that the late Spring Adventure Overland Show was popular is an understatement. In fact, a few days before the event, whilst the team were out sorting the campgrounds, due to both great weather being forecast and people suddenly realising that it wasn’t going to be cancelled, they had an almighty surge in bookings. This in turn took the organisers by surprise, and as Tom later admitted, he and his team were a little overwhelmed! Being the first proper outdoor show of the year meant that everyone was out in force, and another reason for the show’s success was that it also included the International Campervan Show, and with visitors having access to both shows all weekend, essentially it was 2 shows for the price of 1. With national Covid restrictions and positive staff tests, it meant there were around 20 trade stands that sadly couldn’t make it, though it was still incredibly busy, and it didn't stop anyone from having a great time. Wandering around the trade stands it was great to chat to both Karen and Tim from Aquaforno. Not only were they selling their latest model, but for the entire weekend they were tirelessly making free pizzas for everyone showing the diversity of their latest Aquaforno 2. A few stalls away was Larry and his team from LVB Overland. If you aren’t aware of him, not only does he supply Ridge Monkey and Iron Man products, but he’s also the UK stockist for The Bush Company roof top tents and awnings. Amusingly, when I suggested he should buy a round or two for all his helpers for selling a bunch load of roof top tents and awnings, he replied “Steady on, I’m from Yorkshire!” I could only make it to the show on the last day, and even at 10.00am there seemed to be a buying frenzy happening as folks were walking back to their caravans, tents and 4x4s with goodies packed in each hand.

In fact, Sam from Gear & Go told me that she had to call in favours on Saturday night to get her parents to drive up from Devon to deliver more stock as they’d sold out. Pretty much everyone I spoke to had the same story to tell.

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For me, the show is about the huge diversity and innovative 4x4 campers, from and old BBC camera van to a MAN 8x8, and pretty much everything in between, and I spent most of the day wandering around in awe and planning my own camper. Above the chatter of social interaction that we’ve sorely missed over the last two years, I could hear the roar of an almighty

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engine in the distance, and on investigation it turned out to be a huge purple monster truck. With a fully blown methanol engine producing 1,800bhp that gulps one gallon of fuel for every 54 yards, Slingshot, who are one of the premier Monster Trucks based in the UK, were offering rides up and down a closed-off part of the ground. It was an impressive sight.

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Equally impressive was what Benjy and his family from IR Cradock & Sons had organised a huge and magical collection of Toyota Land Cruisers, from 1979 - 2020, that included a BJ40, FJ40, FJ45, HJ60, KZJ70, KZJ71, HZJ76, HZJ79 and a HDJ79. Then there was a VDJ79, single and dual cabs, some HDJ80s, HZJ80, KZJ75, some HDJ100s and a VDJ200 - phew! Not all were from Benjy’s stable, some were from Rowlands & Hordon and West Coast Offroad. Not only that, but his brother had brought along his girlfriends Mk1 SWB Shogun that he’d fitted a Lexus 4.0ltr V8 to. As you can imagine, it sounded fantastic.

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Being the first major event in almost two years, the atmosphere was electric, and by all account, the evening entertainment, beer tent and it’s chilled-out music festival vibe was excellent, too.

At some point I’ll arrange to camp over, maybe at the next show that will be the 'Late Summer' edition held on September 18th19th this year, we’ll see.

more at » adventure-overland-show.com

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Defending The Name In last month’s issue you’ll remember that I had the fortune of borrowing a Defender 90 for a week, and I absolutely loved it. The problem was of course, where could I take it green-laning that would be both challenging, yet non-damaging? The answer was easy, Bootle Fell up near Sellafield (SD1188-02 & SD1288-02 Trailwise 2 references). Getting there was an adventure in itself, as they weave their way through the majestic Cumbrian hills, both the A5092 and A595 are fantastic driving roads.

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Pretty much straight away SD118802 begins with an ascent, nothing too challenging in the dry, but in winter with a bit of frost on the ground it could be fun. Engaging low box and raising the air suspension I dawdled my way up the first section of the lane enjoying the scenery whilst keeping an eye on the lane that can be a bit tight in places with soft overhanging bracken to negotiate, nothing too scratchy mind. So far, so good, SD1188-02 has a solid base with very few ruts, in fact the first time I ventured up here I was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about, however, next section is a very different kettle of fish. If you check out Trailwise2, at some point the lane turns into SD1288-02, and it’s at this juncture where the lane has become badly eroded over time due to constant heavy rain, and I dare say vehicular traffic. My challenge would be to make it to the end of the lane without causing any more damage, which is what love about green laning - leave it like you found it.

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Usually when confronted with an ‘offroad’ obstacle you can generally envisage a path forward, you think to yourself; if that wheel goes there, then the other wheel will climb that bit, and so on, but up here there’s none of that, there are literally no discernible paths forward as the deep channels snake in all directions. After a quick scout I jumped back into the Defender I drove forward aiming at the easiest looking tricky bit wondering how it would cope articulating and climbing the deep rains channels. As I edged to Defender into the first channel I needn’t have worried, the Defender simply crawled its way forward, up and over whatever I pointed it at. There were no moans and groans from the suspension or body, just scrapes from the undercarriage, despite being on its highest setting. One thing’s for sure, the new Defender feels properly screwed together. The next section looked a little gnarlier. On the left there was a rut that measured around 3 feet deep with an almost vertical step at the end, I didn’t fancy that, and to the right another rut that I figured I could straddle. The problem was, just getting to it would mean crossing an horizontal hole that would surely involve a wheel lift, which it did. At this point my plan was coming along nicely, then the banking gave way and I ended up grounding out! No matter what I selected in Terrain Response, forward motion wasn’t happening as both the front and opposing rear wheels were barely touching the surface. I could have edged out backwards, but I didn’t fancy the wheel lift in reverse. Thankfully, when green laning alone I always take along some recovery equipment, and today I’d brought a pair of ActionTrax from Roy at https:// www.4x4obsession.co.uk. Carefully placing one under the front nearside tyre and the other under the rear offside, with a steady throttle I managed to ease the Defender forward and back on top of the ruts - phew. 88

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The next tricky bit was only a matter of yards away, and just like the last one, there wasn’t an easy way through, so I again opted for the line that would induce another wheel lift, just this time it was much higher. It was a weird sensation as I dropped the offside wheel into the hole and gently drove through, and as the rear wheel followed the passenger side of the Defender began to rise, it was very unnerving I’ll tell you! So with one wheel flailing in the air I did the obvious thing when ‘laning alone and that was to jump out to take photos, as you do.

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With evidence duly taken, I jumped back in, engaged first gear and was totally gobsmacked as the Defender began to crawl forward, I would have placed money on there being a loss of traction, but no, the Defender is made of sterner stuff. The routine of jumping out, surveying the lane ahead, scratching my head, and going for the least damaging line continued for the next ten minutes or so, and I thoroughly loved it. As I mentioned earlier, driving these types of lanes as slowly as possible creating as little damage to the ground as I can is what sets my pulse racing, I just wish others would find it as exciting as I do instead of buying a cheap 4x4 and trashing everything. Once you get past the ruts the lane levels out and you're treated to some epic views, so I figured it was time to stop and dig out my Tyre Table from Ox Overland, my Jetboil and make a brew whilst soaking in the views and reflecting on the 90. 92

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I’ve been fortunate enough to have driven both the 90 and 110 around the many varied tracks around Eastnor castle, and they’ve performed admirably, but there’s nothing better than a real-world test along a technical green lane to evaluate how it really performs. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Apart from grounding, that couldn’t be helped, the 90 took everything in its stride, and what I learnt was that with its air springs on full extension, wheel lifts are inevitable, but traction was never in doubt. Of course I wouldn’t dream of bringing a soft roader up here, I’d even have doubts of driving Deux Smurf due to her lack of locking diffs and electric aids. That said, driving the lane from east to west, downwards, wouldn’t be too bad, I guess. As you’re reading this I will have just driven the same route in a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with locking front and diffs, supple coils springs and detachable sways bars, so it should make an interesting comparison. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

wri t es Simon says

by Simon Hastelow

Three wheels on my wagon

For the third time in my vehicle driving life I have had a serious issue with wheels and tyres. None of which were my fault, but all serve as a reminder that you shouldn’t just trust someone else has done their job.

First one was following an MOT. I had a cracked side-wall so the garage swapped over my spare tyre to get the ‘PASS’. Obviously this was back in the days when they’d do things like that for you rather than the current ‘computer-says-no’ experience we have to deal with. Anyway, driving home I felt like I’d hit a pot-hole in the road, but was then overtaken by a wheel. The nuts hadn’t been tightened up correctly and I lost it. A post office van some distance up the road acted as an involuntary fielder and stopped it for me. I jacked up the vehicle (Defender 110), put the wheel back on using some spare wheel nuts I had and carried on home. Other than a slight flat spot on my brake disk there was no other damage. Some years later, and on another Defender 110, I had the suspension upgraded. Full kit, springs, shocks, braided brake hoses, new bushes, the works. The company also fitted wheel spacers. However, the guy fitting them only torqued the wheelnuts, not the nuts holding the spacers!

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Cue my second experience of losing a bloody wheel while driving along! I know some of you will say that “You must have heard something, or felt something was wrong!”, but I didn’t, both instances were sudden and about as dramatic as you can get. Once I got that wheel back on and got to a safe spot I removed all four wheels - one other wheel had loose nuts and binned the spacers. I have never used spacers since. Which brings me to my most recent escapade, with our family bus. As the MOT was getting closer, and last year there was an advisory notice about excessive play in the steering, I decided to get it fixed pre-MOT. Two tyres were also nearing the end of their useful life, and another had a slow leak so I asked the garage to fit four new tyres. When I picked it up they told me there was no point changing one of them as it still had good tread. I paid the bill and toddled off to book the service and MOT at a different garage.

We have a running joke about our bus, a 2005 Renault Grand Espace that has travelled almost 150,000 miles, that if it fails its MOT we’ll get rid of it. Every year it passes or only fails on something trivial. So for the past six years it has served us well while being used and abused as a people carrier, furniture mover and general duties for taking all kinds of stuff to the tip. However, this year I got the news that “Your car has failed its MOT”. Fearing the worst, and with visions of spending hours on AutoTrader to find a replacement, I was rather confused when I was told it had the wrong tyres on. The MOT guy said “It has an odd tyre on the back which is a different size to the others.” It took me a few minutes to realise that the ‘odd tyre’ was, in fact, the only correct tyre on the car. It was the other three which were wrong, the ones which had recently been changed. After quickly checking the receipt to make sure I wasn’t going mad I took it back to the tyre-shop to tell them that they had fitted 215 tyres instead of 225. At a quick glance you wouldn’t even notice, but looking at them properly there’s quite a marked difference. The 36mm (1.5”) difference in overall circumference is tiny and only a 1.5% reduction, but the reduced width is striking and I’m glad it was picked up fairly soon after the mistake was made.

Thankfully they apologised profusely and swapped them all immediately for me to get it back to the MOT station for the coveted ‘Pass’. So that’s three times I have just trusted, or assumed, that people have done their jobs properly. No real harm was done in each case, but it could have been very different if I’d been going any faster in the wheel-loss episodes, not just for me and my cars but for people getting in the way of a rampant run away wheel! I do realise that this is mostly a result of me going soft in my old age and paying other people to look after my cars rather than doing it myself, but even if I did my own servicing I’d still probably go elsewhere to get wheels and tyres fitted. Let this serve as a reminder to do those regular maintenance checks we all say we do, but rarely complete - water, oil, tyres, wheelnuts, lights and brake fluid. It might just avoid a disaster.

Keeping all four wheels on the floor is always best!

h c o o M

the Odd Trio

Years ago, trips like these were organised by a random comment in a pub, these days it’s all on social media, and this foray began with a comment on the Renegade 4x4’s Facebook page by Liam, who wrote that he and Ben were heading out into the Yorkshire Dales the following day, and did anyone fancy meeting up? With a couple of days left before the July issue was due to be published, Muddy Madam was busily buried into her computer and was quite desperate to have me out of the house!

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With sausage ’n’ stuffing butties prepared and a flask full of coffee, I set off for the 2 hour drive from Bolton to Masham, which is just outside Ripon, North Yorkshire to meet up with Liam and Ben. Liam arrived in his well prepared Subaru Forester and Ben in his modified Fiat Panda that you can read more about in our Reader’s Rides. After a quick chat and a couple of photos, we set off towards our first lane.

Lane 1

Trailwise 2 refs SE1474-02, SE1274-03, SE117502 Our first lane was Wreaks Lane, one that normally offers spectacular views across Marsden Moor and not necessarily that difficult to drive. In fact, I’ve driven it in a BMW X6 in the past.

With low clouds causing light drizzle, it was a bit grim and not much to get excited about. During a few rocky sections and deeper ruts, Liam chose his line carefully, but being ‘tail end Charley’ I could see that there was always plenty of room underneath the Forester.

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lane 2 - SE0676-04 & SE0677-02 Heading south to north, the last time I drove In Moor Lane it began with some interesting deep ruts that would have made driving it in the Forester impossible, however, I hadn’t realised that last year, pretty much the whole lane up until the reservoir, it had been graded. Now, I understand why, access for all ‘n’ all that, and if you want a challenge visit a Pay & Play site, but for the first time after driving a graded lane I heard myself contradicting myself. I thought, what’s the point in having a green lane that’s as flat as the M62! Anyway, at least now I’ll be able to take a few ‘softroaders’ up there! By this stage the clouds were beginning to dissipate, and we had flashes of blue. Even the sun decided to show itself on occasions.

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Despite my slight grievance, In Moor Lane (SE0676-04), still offers some great views overlooking the Scar House reservoir.

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As we crossed the dam and headed up Dead Mans Hill (SE0677-02), we passed a few groups of walkers and a couple of lads on quads. All were pleasant, though the walkers appeared a bit ambivalent over our presence.

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As we began our ascent up Dead Mans I was a tad happier that we still had a bit of a challenge with loose rocks and the odd step to negotiate. At the bottom of Dead Man’s it appears to have succumbed to the heavy rain we’ve had recently, allowing the water to overflow down the track that has created some deep ruts, so be careful.

Lane 3

- SE0287-03, SE0388-06 and SE0487-03

The first section, if you’re travelling from east to west, is High lane which is as wide and straight as a normal road and made up of compact gravel, but with quite a few muddy puddles. Then it becomes Morpeth Gate, and as you snake down towards the B6160 the lane becomes narrow as you drive

between a stone brick wall and banking. Due to the trees it doesn’t offer much in the way of views, but it’s a lane that’s easily negotiable in a smaller SUV. The last time I drove it I was confronted with a large branch that had fallen from a tree that was blocking our path, which is quite common, apparently. There was nowhere to move it to, so removed some of the branches with my Gerber folding saw to make it more manageable to drive over.

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Lane 4

- SD9788-02

Back on the A684 towards Hawes and after a few miles Ben took a left turn heading towards SD9788-02, a lane that I’ve never had the (mis)fortune to drive before! Let me explain. From north to south it begins with a very tight 90º right hand turn into what appears to be undergrowth. If I hadn’t just seen Ben and Liam drive into it I’d have thought it was impassable, squeezing Deux Smurf into the lane was, fun, and adding insult to injury, almost immediately there was another a 90º left turn. With ruts, loose rocks, tree roots and encroaching branches from both sides, not only was visibility quite poor, but the going was quite tough, or at least I thought it was as both Ben and Liam disappeared off in the undergrowth. Maybe I was being overly cautious, or Deux Smurf was simply too wide? Pushing my way through the branches I was constantly on edge, and apologising to Deux Smurf as painful screeches from body contact with branches echoed within the undergrowth. Occasionally I would catch a glimpse of Liam as he stopped to make sure I was still moving.

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On one occasion the driver’s door mirror received a huge thwack from an outward projecting branch, it gave me a bit of a fright, I’ll tell you! Thankfully no damage done, just the potential of a slightly soiled seat! For future reference, only drive this lane if you have a smaller 4x4 than Deux Smurf, and even a Defender, and you don’t mind go-faster scratch marks. Some comments on Trailwise 2 suggest you bring along a pair of gardening snips, sadly that ship sailed a while ago, a flame-thrower would be a more appropriate alternative, or one of those hedge cutters you can fit to a tractor. After Ben and his partner pulled into Hawes to grab some food, Liam and I parked next the the ford just on the outskirts to assess the wounds from the last lane. Thankfully no damage, only a few more go-faster strips on the bodywork. I did query why Liam seemed to be driving like a scolded cat on some of the previous technical sections, and he explained that being a diesel manual, his Forester didn’t come with a ‘low-box’, and therefore 1st gear was a little too high and consequently bogs a bit on slower sections. At some point in the near future he’ll be looking at getting a remap to sort the issues at low revs.

Lane 5 SD8486-01 & SD8283-03 Our next lane was West Cam road, and I was curious how Liam would manage both the infamous step half way along, as well as the limestone slabs just after. Arriving at the step it didn’t look as severe as I remembered it from a few years ago, the difference bad weather and plenty of traffic can make isn’t that surprising I guess. Despite appearing less drastic, it was still going to be quite a challenge for Liam in his Forester. With the perfect wheel placement planned, Liam went for it with a bit of gusto, otherwise he’d have stalled. There was a bit of wheel lift, and clunks from underneath, but with precision driving Liam made it. It was my turn next, and it was never going to be a huge challenge in Deux Smurf, low box engaged and she dawdled up it in style. Next was Ben, and again with a little momentum and a bit of scrabbling from those skinny tyres and lack of decent flex, he made it look easy.

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Within around a hundred yards, just as the lane plateaued, we spotted a group of bikers stood around the limestone rock slabs that would be our next challenge. Pulling over and approaching by foot it and emerged that one of the group had had an accident, and they were calling the emergency services discussing how to access him. Turned out that whilst approaching the wet limestone slabs, Simon’s bike had slipped from under him causing untold damage to his left leg, to the point he couldn’t put any weight on it, never mind ride his bike. That wasn’t the worst of it, the far more serious part of the situation was that it was his wife’s birthday, and they’d arranged to go out for celebratory meal with other members of the family. As Simon said, she’d kill him if they have to spend time in hospital munching on vending machine crisps as opposed to a slap up meal! As the green-laning code goes, if we find someone injured or in difficulty whilst out and about, we don’t leave them behind, so after a chat, I offered to take Simon to the end of the lane, and assess the situation then. As it turned out, Ben, Liam and I only had another few lanes to drive, all that I’d driven previously, so it was decided that I’d drive Simon around 15 miles down the road to Kettlewell where the group had left their vans. As it turned out it was on my way home anyway, so no bother. Upon arrival arrangements were made for his mates to retrieve his bike and get him home to his wife and aforementioned celebratory meal, which he made, avoiding another disaster! Overall a splendid day was had driving some great lanes with great company, and even Simon managed to maintain his humour, despite being in considerable pain.

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do? Ben, North Yorkshire (Originally from Portsmouth), Factory worker and cycle mechanic. History of cars leading up your present 4x4 Mostly rotten hatchbacks (Corsa, 106, Clio, Focus), I had a VW T4 for a few years which I camper converted. My current daily is a Panda 100hp. Present 4x4(s) Mk3 Panda 4x4. Modifications done Where to begin.. It has a 20mm lift, 26" mud tyres, hub spacers, adjustable droplinks and twin front recovery points. Then there are spotlights, a CB, window tint, custom exhaust and a homemade roof rack and spare tyre mount. I’ve also taken the rear seats out and fitted a wooden floor.

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Favourite Modifications The ones that work properly! (not many). Modifications to do I want a pair of leather Mazda MX5 seats, improved sump/ prop guard, engine swap from the current 60hp to 100hp with a 1.4 16v. Favourite green-laning trip Probably last year when me and a mate went out in the Yorkshire Dales after work in the rain and mist, and tried some new lanes without having to worry about leading a convoy or making sure we had enough video footage for the Youtube channel. Lottery win 4x4 I really don't see the point in big SUV's or trucks as a green laning vehicle so there isn't much out there I would buy, though I really like the look of the brand new Lada Niva! Maybe a mint Mk2 Panda 4x4? A new Jimny, maybe…

Favourite car related film I find most of them are a bit cringe, I enjoyed Rush though. Favourite biscuits Dark chocolate Hobnobs Where can we find more details? My personal Instagram is neblikesbiscuits but there is much more interesting content on the UK Panda 4x4 Facebook group & YouTube channelww.

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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 Nat from Leyland and I'm the Lancashire GLASS rep. I've been into 4wd's for many years now, and I'm more well known for Discos and the Facebook page 'Strictly Discos' History of cars leading up your present 4x4 I'm a big VW fan and have owned everything from a Breadvan polo, air cooled Beetle, B3 and a B4 Passat estate, countless Mk2 and Mk3 Golfs and even a Sharan. In the past I've had a few different 4x4s. My first being a white Suzuki Vitara Fatboy that was lowered and covered in chrome - haha. I've also had a Suzuki Sj, Nissan Terrano and a Vauxhall Frontera. Present 4x4 My current 4x4 is my 96' 300Tdi Discovery 1 which I bought from my good mate Gareth McKeown who, along with his brother Jonathan, own Zeb Autos in Longton, near Preston.

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I've owned it for almost a year now, after my old 200Tdi Discovery 'Matilda' ran on her own engine oil days before a family holiday! After a few late nights of swapping some of my mods over, our first time out in it was an 800 mile week away camping and laning in Northumberland. Modifications done I've done quite a few modifications to my Discovery, most noticeable are the 35'' Renegade Radar R7's from Beartown tyres in Congleton, 3 inch Terrafirma HD springs, 2 inch body lift, ARB front bumper, snorkel and wide arches. Ive also done a few engine mods which include a Fourby tuning kit, Morgan hill boost pin, full Fourby wading kit and a Defender transfer box. Favorite modifications My favourite modification has to be my ARB Bumper although a very close second would be my Raptor engineering dash pod, oh and my camo headlining…

Modifications to do As with any Land Rover there's always something that needs doing, although I do have an RAC roll cage in the garage along my winch that I took apart to service but then moved house... 2 years ago. My next big mod will be drilled and grooved discs and full axle rebuild. Favorite green-lane trip We're quite lucky living in Lancashire as we have Wales, Yorkshire and the Lake District on our doorstep, although we have also been laning in Northumberland, Devon, Cornwall, the south coast and in Kent. Our favourite green lane trip to date has to be a long weekend in Wales where we did the iconic Strata Florida as well as many of the bucket list lanes in North Wales. Lottery win 4x4 Always a tough one to answer. If we won the lottery we would definitely buy a 101 Forward Control and fit a Cummins engine, but I'd love an old series, 110 Defender and maybe a new 110 Defender as a daily driver. Favourite car related film Not strictly a car related film but growing up around trucks my all time favourite is the 1978 film Convoy. Favorite biscuit Easily has to be chocolate Hobnobs Where can we find more details? You can find me on; Facebook - Nat Holloway Instagram - n_holloway1981 or email lancashire.rep@glass-uk.org

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So there I was, killing a bit of time scrolling on Facebook whilst waiting for the microwave to ‘ping’, when I spotted a post on the Northern Monkey’s Facebook page inviting members to a car meet, not far from Lancaster. Serendipitously, it so happened that I had the Lada Niva that week and I reckoned it would create a bit of attention, so I thought I’d join the fun. Based in Cockerham, the event is also known as Cockerham Classic Vehicle Meet and held at Farm Yard Ales which is a brewery at Moss Edge Farm who quite often put on some great events, including live music, street food, Oktoberfest and of course, a Bring Your Vehicle Night. Arriving mid way through the evening with the rest of the Northern Monkeys, I figured there’d just be a small collection of cars in a field, I couldn’t have been more wrong!

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With over a hundred vehicles lined up, the meet was the perfect eclectic mix of cars and trucks, from Land Rovers to classic Aston Martins. As I predicted, the Niva created a lot of attention, and I suddenly felt like a salesman for Mark who imports them! Amusingly, the most common question was - “Is that the Niva that Johnny drowned?” With ales available for passengers, and butty wagon for everyone else, the evening was their first in quite while due the pandemic ’n’ all, and the atmosphere was alive with friendly chat and banter. If you’re a petrol head and live in the North West, the Cockerham Classic Vehicle Meet is a gem of a gathering, and well worth visiting. For more details check out their Facebook page and I might see you at the next one. In the meantime, enjoy the pics…

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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

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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 All Terrain Services

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

NORTH Graythwaite Adventure

Activities: Off-Road Driving & Training, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Watersports, Archery, Axe Throwing, Bushcraft, Glamping https://www.graythwaiteadventure.co.uk 07498 574659 & 07779 162710

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

Explore Off Road

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

WALES 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

SOUTH John Morgan 4x4 Driving

Activities: Pay & Play Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

Wild Tracks

Activities: Off Road Driver Training 4x4 Experiences https://www.wildtracksltd.co.uk 01638 751918

True Grip off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training 4x4 Experiences http://www.truegripoffroad.co.uk 01233 662251

Protrax

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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The Mud Life - 29 - August 2021

Articles inside

BRING YOUR VEHICLE NIGHT

MOOCH - THE ODD TRIO

Simon Says

DEFENDING THE NAME

LADA NIVA LUXE

SUZUKI ACROSS

ADVENTURE OVERLAND SHOW

FORD ECOSPORT

SUZUKI JIMNY COMMERCIAL

LANING LIFE

NEWS

TURNER'S TORQUE