The Mud Life - 34 - January 2022

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 34 January 2022

Aston Martin

DBX

N issan Q ashqui T ekna + S uzuki S-C ross J eep C ompass J eep 4X e R enegade K ia S tinger

4x4 Magazine

C amping L ife G oods ' n 'G ear S imon S ays L aning L ife

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

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

IN THIS ISSUE TURNER'S TORQUE NEWS

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LANING LIFE 12-18 NISSAN QASHQUI TEKNA+ 20-28 JEEP COMPASS 30-39 SUZUKI S-CROSS 40-47 KIA STINGER GTS 48-57 JEEP RENEGADE TRAILHAWK 58-68 ASTON MARTIN DBX 70-81 CAMPING LIFE 82-87 GOODS & GEAR 90-92 THE TALES OF LILLY

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WOOF STUFF 94-95 WHOOPS

97-100

POST LAUNCH MOOCH 102-107 SIMON SAYS 108-109 READER'S RIDES 110-113 BACK ISSUES 114-115 DIRECTORIES 116-119

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

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

Creative Director, Editor, Reviewer

LILLY - THE MUD LIFE DOG Cuddle Monster, Model, Reviewer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

SUBSCRIBE

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

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turner's torque

new names & video stardom

Happy New Year ‘n’ all of that, I hope that Santa emptied his sack on your living room floor this year! Ahem, moving on…

As I mentioned at the beginning of last month’s issue, we have a few changes for 2022, and the first obvious change is our name; we are now The Mud Life 4x4 Magazine.

That little inclusion of '4x4' has become neccessary, because apparently potential readers didn’t realise we are a 4x4 magazine (even with big photos of a variety of 4x4s adorning the last 33 covers!), so this will clear things up, I hope.

We’ve also included a new Camping Life section that will cover everything to do with getting out and about, and having fun in the great outdoors. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never seem to have had the time. To be honest, I still don’t have the time, but free time and holidays are overrated, or so I’m told.

Muddy Madam has also designed some new car stickers for your delight (get a sneaky peek on page 92) - they are fun, funky and we have a limited supply, so get your order in now, and spend some of that Christmas money.

What else?

Oh yeah, I borrowed a GoPro camera before Christmas with the intention of creating some cool YouTube greenlaning videos. I’ll tell you what, it isn’t as easy as it looks. Whilst capturing cool shots is actually quite easy, it’s the talking in front of a camera malarky that’s the difficult bit. I’m a 54 year old bloke, you’d think stringing a coherent sentence together would be a doddle - apparently not! More practise is required before I start inundating the inter-web with videos of me waffling on about 4x4s and camping, but be warned, they're coming I don’t usually do New Year resolutions, but for 2022 I’m going to be more organised. Not only will I get the articles to Muddy Madam on time each month so she can work her magic, and make it look great, but I want to spend less time behind the computer and more time greenlaning, camping and enjoying the great outdoors - bloody Covid, and government lockdowns allowing of course!

Hope you enjoy this bumper #34 issue of The Mud Life 4x4 Magazine!

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CUPRA confirms participation in Extreme E for 2022

As the curtain comes down on the sustainable, electrified motor racing series’ inaugural season, attention begins to shift to next year, which will once again feature CUPRA. The ABT CUPRA XE team drivers Mattias Ekström and Jutta Kleinschmidt have built a solid foundation, pushing the ABT CUPRA XE team forward in one of the most challenging race series imaginable at the wheel of the e-CUPRA ABT XE1, the team’s 400kW (550PS) 100% electric off-road SUV. Mattias Ekström said: “The inaugural Extreme E Championship has been an exciting year, where we discovered a new style of racing, while also highlighting some incredibly important environmental issues around the world.” His team-mate, Jutta Kleinschmidt, added “Extreme E has been a great discovery; the technology, the cars, the places we compete.”

The Extreme E Championship is a wake-up call on the climate crisis, and is the first sport built out of concern for what’s

happening to ecological systems around the world.

Its goal is to use electric racing to highlight natural environments under threat from climate change issues, encouraging us all to take positive action to protect our planet’s future.

Extreme E is a powerful mix of thrilling sports action, scientific education and storytelling to accelerate EV adoption in order to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.

Extreme E Season 2 calendar (2022): - February 19-20: Neom, Saudi Arabia - May 7-8: Sardinia, Italy - July 9-10: Scotland or Senegal - September 10-11: Antofagasta, Chile - November 26-27: Punta del Este, Uruguay

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The Bentayga Outdoor Pursuits Collection

A new Bentayga collection from Bentley Mulliner is being launched to celebrate traditional British outdoor pursuits. Three unique specifications have been curated by Bentley’s in-house bespoke division with the great outdoors in mind, with eleven cars in total to be handcrafted in Crewe.

This unique collection encapsulates three of the most iconic British outdoor activities including angling, horse riding and dog walking, all fitted with beautiful interiors, full of exemplary craftsmanship and bespoke detailing.

Each Bentayga combines a number of bespoke features including a woodland embroidery scene, hand crossstitching to the main interior stitching and a unique chrome overlay to the passenger fascia that describes each outdoor theme.

The new woven wool finish to the inside of the doors, seat back pockets, grab handles and further detailing around the instrument panel adds further depth of natural textures and materials to the already classleading interior.

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Sand Herringbone Tweed has been selected to complement the interior design, with natural colour harmony with both the main and secondary leathers throughout the cabin. Paint colours Havana, Cumbrian Green and Magnetic have been chosen as the ideal exterior specification colours for this country-dwelling car.

Through Bentley's revered craftsmanship, the outdoor pursuit collection uses Liquid Amber: a straight grain veneer, now with a boxwood inlay, to edge the dark fiddleback eucalyptus veneer of the fascias and waistrails. Examples of bespoke inlays on offer to customers of the Pursuits Collection include a jumping horse motif, a fly-fishing scene, British foxhounds or just the word ‘MULLINER’.

The Bentayga’s 22” ten spoke alloy wheels have been matched to the exterior paintwork and then diamond turned and polished to produce the final surface. On entry to the car, passengers will notice the LED Bentley Welcome lights, illuminated treadplates and tactile tweed surfaces. A bespoke accessory in the form of a Hunter Flask bound in matching leather to the interior has been commissioned for when away from the car.

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Lexus unveilsHydrogenpowered ROV Concept

Lexus has revealed a new ROV (recreational off-highway vehicle) concept - a unique, hydrogenpowered vehicle that offers near-zero emissions driving combined with extreme off-road capability.

Measuring 3.12m long, 1.725m wide and 1.8m high, Lexus wanted to create the kind of vehicle people would expect from a luxury car maker without sacrificing the rugged performance of an ROV. The body provides protection for passengers while incorporating Lexus’s signature spindle grille, robust front wings and generous front suspension travel.

A suspension cover, connected to the rear hydrogen fuel tank, protects functional parts, whilst a lightweight body and suspension are designed for both comfort and fun off-road driving.

Inside, the driver’s cockpit is designed according to Lexus’s Tazuna concept, with a simple meter to display the information the driver needs so they can concentrate on the job of driving.

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The ROV Concept showcases Lexus build quality, craftsmanship and luxury, inside and out. The seats have integrated suspension elements that help smooth out the ride and are upholstered in a hard-wearing synthetic leather. Throughout, the vehicle meets all Lexus’s requirements for quality durability and reliability.

The hydrogen-powered ROV Concept is the result of Lexus’s desire to preserve the pleasures of off-road driving in tomorrow’s low-carbon society. Its 1.0 litre hydrogen engine works like a petrol internal combustion engine, producing a pleasing engine note and responsive torque delivery. The fuel is contained in a high-pressure tank and delivered into the combustion chamber with precise direct injection. Importantly, the new hydrogen engine produces close to zero emissions, with only a negligible amount of engine oil burned during driving.

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s Make money from your driveway w e

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A new league table released by an online parking portal has revealed the regions where shrewd homeowners are making the most money by renting out their empty driveways as parking spaces.

Coming as no surprise, data from YourParkingSpace.co.uk has shown that householders in London topped the money-making chart as pre-paid bookings on the portal soared past the onemillion-pound mark to a massive £1,110,428 in November alone.

The UK’s capital was followed by the Northwest and Southeast of England, where residents made a whopping combined total of £225,143 and £216,523 respectively also in November this year.

However, the regions where homeowners enjoy the fastest rates of growth were the East Midlands, Wales and the Northeast of England, which benefitted from a surge in takings of 106%, 84% and 59% respectively in November, when compared to prepandemic figures in February 2020.

Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, commented: “Our booking data shows that renting out an empty driveway, garage or secure parking space can be a serious money spinner. What’s more, it’s very encouraging to see that the top

Total earnings by region London - £1,110,428 Northwest - £225,143 Southeast - £216,523 Yorkshire and The Humber - £126,993 East of England - £115,859 Southwest (England) - £115,217 West Midlands - £96,093 Scotland - £84,338 East Midlands - £73,201 Wales - £24,668 Northeast - £17,383 Northern Ireland - £5,248

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earning regions are spread across the UK, offering money making opportunities to countless homeowners who have an empty driveway or parking space.”

This news comes as the cost of living surged tothe highest level since September 2011. Indeed, many householders troubled by financial worries are looking for creative ways to offset the rising cost of living.

Woods added: “With inflation and tax bills surging, householders will be assessing how they can tighten the purse strings or make some extra cash in the New Year. Finding an additional stream of income can be challenging and hard work, but by renting out a vacant driving space, it really can be one of the easiest ways to make some extra cash and kick their financial worries to the kerb.”

So if 2022's price increases are already hitting your wallet, and you have a spare driveway, and also happen to live somewhere that is popular with commuters (airports, train/tram/tube stations), in a popular city or near a landmark/event venue, then you may want to list your space too.

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!

Welcome to 2022, let us hope it is better than the last one!

While we do not know what is in store over the next 12 months, thankfully the world appears to be more open to exploring and adventuring than it has for quite some time. I certainly plan on being out and about a lot more than I have been.

GLASS have a lot planned for this year already. As Laning Life in issue 33 explained, we now have more members than ever before, and this is vital to protecting and preserving the lanes for all to use. The big New Year project is the repair of a byway in Leicestershire. As usual though no project can ever be simple - damned if you do, damned if you don’t!

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As some of you may be aware I have been project managing a significant byway repair in Leicestershire recently. Well, actually not just recently, it has taken over a year to get to this stage, not to mention some legal action to get to the point where physical work can begin.

This long drawn out and often complicated process is not uncommon, it isn’t even all that long in the world of rights of way, but this is where GLASS can make a difference; we can help speed processes up…sometimes.

I’m not going to get into the whys and wherefores of the time leading up to the repair work, that’s all water under the bridge, and would require an essay the length of War and Peace.

What I am going to detail is the social elements of undertaking this kind of work, and also show (yet again) how the media skew any positive work 4x4 drivers are involved in.

Project managing repairs can be as much a matter of psychology, negotiation, conflict resolution, and maintaining an exceptionally long fuse in the face of some rather unpleasant behaviour. Emotions can run high when it comes to the rights of way network, far more than many would believe until they see it.

I am passionate about laning don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never been brought to tears over a byway or unclassified road, but I have had to wipe a few away from very emotional local residents.

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I’ve never been aggressive with someone either, but I’ve been on the receiving end of it countless times from landowners, as much as other laners; there’s an awful lot of that about.

During this project I was given an attack alarm by the police and told to install an app that links (by audio or video) directly to them and/or a specified in case of emergency contact. The app is triggered if my phone senses a fall, blow, or I do one of several subtle things to it, says it all really.

Protecting our lanes can be quite an intimidating process.

On this particular project police officers have had to tell people to back off from me for simply explaining that a

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byway is a public road, and that no it cannot be closed due to a maintenance requirement, and there has been similar from our own community.

It’s no secret that I have a raging ‘fan club’ [sarcasm] online, but why people who want lanes to be kept open and responsibly used (and this goes for laners, walkers, horse riders, local residents, and my fan club) would throw daggers at someone they don’t know, who spends a HUGE amount of time doing exactly what they say they want, is beyond me.

It does not end during the work either. I turned up to site one morning (a two-hour drive away from my home) to be met by a dog walker. She, like many people who had spoken to our very diplomatic contractor Tommy (who deserves a medal at this point), presumed we were going to repair the byway and then close it to vehicles.

No amount of explaining that it was lack of maintenance by the local authority that had caused the problem rather than legal driving, something that GLASS funded to put right through legal action, would wash. Nor did the fact that it was us 'pesky off roaders' who got things moving, were project managing the work, and paying for a significant chunk of it. She was livid that the byway would be repaired and remain a byway open to ALL traffic.

The same negativity continued in the green laning community. An update post on the main GLASS Facebook page, and the contractor’s own business page, turned into a trolling free for all!

We had saved a lane from what had been the absolute certainty of closure, we had brought the locals round to understanding and even appreciating our input, and we had won the contract to fix it at the council’s expense. This could not get any better for laning, yet laners were hounding those involved. Some even turned up on site and intimidated a council contractor!

Sometimes, in fact often, it really feels like we cannot win, and sadly not just because of those outside our community.

Before and after levelling.

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Then the media got wind of the work. It was not unexpected as I’d sent out a press release that detailed the positive results of a lot of hard work. But the reports were not based on my words or the truth, they were based on nothing but bias - read one of the articles here.

The reporter had made no effort to speak to the project manager (me), and had simply made up a tale of terrible truck owners and their alleged tirade of tyranny. He failed to respond to my complaints too, although based on dozens of similar historic cases that is no surprise.

The problem is, with all the public displays of aggression from the laning community, even though I complained to the publication on their behalf, it fell on deaf ears.

How can I, or anyone else, argue against written, and very public proof that some 4x4 owners think repairing lanes is wrong, that mud plugging is right, and threaten those who work to preserve the network and damage the physical repairs?

This is genuinely the biggest threat to laning at present.

We do not "lose tons of lanes every year” as I often see mentioned on social media, we really do not. Since the NERC Act 2006 we have lost less than 2% of the total remaining network, we have added a few too, and GLASS are now unrecognisable and far more effective than we were only 5 years ago let alone in 2006.

Off piste activity is appalling and yes, a definite threat, but far and above all that is the aggression and militancy of a portion of our community. It is our enemy from within, and it is genuinely destroying many opportunities others work hard to secure for us.

I cannot count the times I’ve turned up on site somewhere and a landowner, Access Officer, Ranger, or other, has mentioned seeing some of the appalling posts and witch hunts online - I have mentioned them before here. They can be helpful in a weird way, it certainly makes people sympathetic to GLASS, or even me personally, and it can differentiate responsible laners from the rest, but what it does not do is make stakeholders confident that any amount of working with us will help keep the hooligans from the lanes if they keep them open or we repair them.

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Drainage ditch before and after.

At this point I can negotiate with the best and the worst of them to keep a lane open, but I cannot argue against blatant threats of destruction, I also cannot deny some people will carry them out either, I have been the victim of that more than once and seen many lanes fall victim too.

The Leicestershire byway was trashed mid repair work by those who do not want it fixed. It was a miracle it was being kept open in the first place, to continue to drive it while legally closed and undo the work we are doing there is just asking for it to be lost.

Imagine turning up the morning after, the only 4x4 driver on site, faced by a group of our haters, and explaining why we should continue and keep it open for these people to return. That was not my best day in work I can tell you that.

It is difficult, really difficult, to get the powers that be on side with us, and there are few who have the niche knowledge and experience to argue the legal toss over rights of way, especially those willing to do so to a live audience of 4x4 haters. Even solicitors rarely come across the legislation we at GLASS pour over daily, there are few 'experts' nationwide, and even fewer who are laning friendly.

We are looking for more people to come on board and help, but it is not just slim pickings, its almost impossible when those who might have helped out see the backlash against those who already do. I mean, would you do it?

Those of us who are already in that position cannot help, but question why we continue sometimes. Picture it - on Christmas Day you are sat with your family, some who have travelled 12 hours to see you for the first time in over two years thanks to covid, and your phone is going off a dozen times an hour, some of it with hatred because you fixed a lane.

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After more pings from your phone than sprouts eaten, your family ask if they can just have one day where they do not have to share you with threats, trolling, or work, and you really start to wonder.

While the gobshites can carry on with their vitriol all they like, I can turn a phone off. I can drive to where there is no signal and enjoy the fruits of our labour in peace, while they sit at home, bitter at the world, raging on screen at someone they have never met. It will always be worth it.

But what is the alternative?

Have nowhere to drive away from it all, nowhere to explore, nowhere to lose the world, no reason to need the vehicles that are as much a part of my family as I am!

Not at chance!

And so, the work on the Leicestershire byway will continue this month. It will be repaired, it will be reopened, it will be run another three hundred times by a very muddy Celyn the overlanding dog, and I am sure there will be more vitriol to face, but once it is finished, I will be off to Scotland to drive some of the best roads and trails in the country, away from the gob almighties.

To those of you who will return to Spring Lane, and enjoy the continued responsible use of a legal byway fixed thanks to your support, enjoy it with our thanks!

It is you folks we do this for and always will.

On behalf of everyone at GLASS we hope you have all had a stellar Christmas and New Year! Again, huge thanks to everyone who supports the cause. I will be back next month with news from around the UK, and hopefully some news on the next phase of the Whitestones saga.

Stay safe and happy laning!

Lauren x

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• 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 •

Nissan Qashqai Tekna+

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What is it?

What is it? Popular, that's what. I hadn’t realised how common the Qashqai was until I borrowed one for a week, then I began to see them everywhere!

Hardly surprising really, it’s said to be the car that kicked off the mainstream family SUV trend, and when the secondgeneration model came to the end of its life, around five million Qashqais had been sold globally.

Now in its third incarnation, the Qashqai appears to be as popular as ever, so I thought it was about time I borrowed one to find out what all the fuss is about.

On the road The Qashqai that Nissan loaned us was the 156bhp version of the 1.3-litre petrol engine, and with mild-hybrid technology to assist the engine at low speeds and improve fuel economy, I found it fairly nippy.

Our week with the Qashqai was a busy one, hence not a lot of dynamic photos, but nonetheless we covered some decent miles, from the usual commute to taking Lilly to the beach for a mad runaround. I guess you can say we used it as any family would, and it didn’t take long for me to understand the reasons for its popularity.

On 20” wheels the Tekna+ was surprisingly comfortable on the road, and it didn't transmit as much road noise into the cabin as I’d imagined. Apparently, Nissan have given Qashqais that are fitted with larger wheels a more sophisticated rear suspension, which helps compensate for any firmness brought about by the lower-profile tyres. It certainly works.

It isn’t a sports car, obviously, but whilst being flung around corners on the odd country lane it felt composed, though there was a bit of leaning, as can be expected. A special mention has to go to the smooth gear change from the 6-speed ‘box, it was light, positive and a joy to use.

Fuel wise, after a week of mixed journeys the Qashqai achieved an average of just over 40mpg. According to official figures, drive it sensibly and you can expect 51.6mpg.

Off road The day before it was delivered I received a phone call from the Nissan press garage to say that the AWD model that I’d booked wouldn’t be coming as they‘d noticed a ding in the door, so instead I would be getting a 2WD version, which was a shame.

Although they don’t venture off the beaten track as far as I do, chatting to a few people who have the AWD version, they told me it was surprising how capable they are, with one owner saying that it’s pretty remarkable in the snow.

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Interior If I was giving out marks for interior design and layout, the Qashqai would be at the top of the class.

Up front the seats are comfortable and the dash layout is spot-on, it even has dials for the heating system. There are plenty of decent size cubby spaces and the whole dash is covered with soft materials with stitching that looks great.

Six-footers will find plenty of head, shoulder and leg room, even if they’re relegated to the back seats.

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In the boot, which is slightly smaller in the Tekna+ due to the different rear suspension that requires a higher floor, there’s 436 litres of space up to the parcel shelf.

With the rear seats folded flat that increases 1379 litres, and if you remove the seats completely you have 1621 litres.

On all but entry-level trim, the Qashqai has a false boot floor, this allows you to raise the height of the floor when you don’t need maximum luggage capacity.

It's in two sections, which you can slot vertically across the centre of the boot to create a divider to stop things sliding about.

This proved incredibly handy when we took Lilly to the beach as it kept our coats and wellies separate from her wet and sandy paraphernalia.

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Engine ’n’ transmission Options are two versions of the 1.3-litre petrol with mildhybrid technology, one has 138bhp with a 0-62mph time of 10.1 seconds, the other has 156bhp version with a slightly quicker 0-62mph time of of 9.2 seconds.

Conclusion It isn’t often that I sit in a press car prior to it being collected and have nothing to moan about, but that’s how I felt about Qashqai, it proved to be quite the car. Granted, it has a few competitors that are more dynamic with more luggage space, but overall I found the Qashqai Tekna+ to be an easygoing SUV that’s

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kitted out with plenty of luxuries, a car I’d have no hesitation in recommending to family friends.

Also, if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint and don’t want to be responsible tonnes of toxins being emitted into the atmosphere by huge cargo ships chugging over from the east, then you can sleep better at night knowing that the Qashqai is built here in blighty, Sunderland in fact.

Website - https://www.nissan.co.uk Price of test car - £37,270

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What is it?

I’ve always liked Jeep’s Compass, the way it drives and its compactness, but it’s been around for a while now, since 2017 in fact, and Jeep reckoned it was time for an update, which is why I drove 5-1/2 hours down to Rye, East Sussex to try it out.

“Hang on, isn’t that the old one?” You may ask.

And you’d be excused for being a bit confuddled as exterior changes have been kept to a minimum because previous and current Compass owners quite like the way it looks.

So, always a company that listens to its customers, they didn’t fettle too much with the exterior design. Inside, however, is a totally different story, I’ll get to that shortly.

The new Jeep Compass is available in four trim levels; Nighteagle, Limited, S and Trailhawk, and depending on the model you opt for, either front or four-wheel drive.

On the road

My vehicle for the test was the 4xe Trailhawk and the route to and from the off-road course was straight and flat, so I didn’t get to give its handling a thorough test, but on the roundabouts, or as the American woman on the sat-nav said, rotaries, it appeared less wallowy than the last generation.

Just like the Renegade 4xe that’s elsewhere in the mag, the Compass 4xe, has three driving modes to choose from; Electric, Hybrid and E-Save. Electric means just that, you have a range of up to 30 miles.

Hybrid is the default mode when the car is started and E-Save that maintains battery charge and uses the petrol engine only.

During the first part of the drive I kept the hybrid in E-Save which left me with sufficient battery charge for the return journey. The 180bhp from the 1.3 litre petrol engine was ample for the odd overtake and was overall quiet and relaxed.

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Off-road

Oddly, my instructor suggested that I approach the steep and very icy inclines in the quarry with a bit of momentum as to stop the Compass’ 1.3 litre engine from bogging, which I did on a few occasions to appease him.

However, I knew my Compass had the necessary torque at low

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revs, so I slowly approached a short but steep incline, and with a few extra revs, and an initial bit of wheel spinning, we managed to reach the top, despite the icy conditions.

Despite not being the most demanding off-road course, the Compass proved again that it can handle tricky obstacles with ease.

Engines…

You have a choice of a petrol engine or plug-in hybrid engine.

The 4-cylinder 1.3-litre GSE turbo petrol engine delivers 130hp and 270 Nm of torque, in combination with a six-speed manual transmission and is front-wheel drive. It’s been updated with specific turbo-matching, maximising the engine response at low revs and reducing CO2 emissions and consumption by up to 27% (WLTP cycle) when compared to previous 4x4 petrol version with automatic transmission.

The 4-cylinder 1.3-litre turbo engine with plug-in hybrid technology produces 240hp and 270 Nm of torque, and is paired to a sixspeed automatic transmission and eAWD. On the 4xe versions, the 1.3-litre turbo engine is paired with an electric motor located on the rear axle that’s powered by an 11.4kWh battery that can be recharged while driving or via an external charger.

On its own, the 1.3-litre turbo engine delivers 180hp, plus the 60hp produced by the electric motor, creating a total of 240hp. This means it’s no slouch with a 0-62mph time in around 7.5 seconds, and in full-electric mode the 4xe (4-by-e) has an approximate range of 30 miles (WLTP cycle).

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Interior

This is where you’ll find the biggest change.

The goal of the Jeep design team was to completely redesign the interior and give it a more modern, sophisticated style. The result is a more refined and spacious cabin, featuring premium materials and technical details.

Jeep say that the overlap of volumes, materials and fabrics has given the new dashboard a three-dimensional design with a horizontal ‘three-layer’ development reminiscent of the architectural language - I have absolutely have no idea what that means!

In layman terms, the dash layout is now more elegant with slim air intakes and controls that are seamlessly integrated and easy to reach. They’ve got rid of the integrated infotainment screen (which I generally prefer), and replaced it with a 10.1” touchscreen that dominates the middle of the dashboard. It’s now in a higher and more ergonomic position so the driver can remain focused on the road.

Re-designing the interior equates to more functionality and provides nearly 4.4-litres of additional storage giving a total of 7.2-litres. Boot space remains at 438-litres (seats up).

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When it comes to tech the new Compass is positively brimming with the stuff, from an integrated TomTom navigation system, advanced voice recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, to the integration of Amazon Alexa. This features the ‘Home to Car’ interface offered by ‘My Jeep’, and provides constant updates on vehicle status from home, checks the level of charge and/or fuel, searches for points of interest, the vehicle’s latest location, sends remote door’s locking and unlocking commands, and much more.

Standard on all trims is the wireless charging pad for easy smartphone charging (at up to 15W). By simply placing the device on the pad in front of the gear lever, the charging starts, making life on board easier and 100% wireless.

There’s much, much more, but I’m running out of space!

Conclusion

As you may have gathered, the event was more of an introduction to the new Compass rather than a full on driving test, and as introductions go it left me wanting more. That means in the new year I’ll get my hands on a Trailhawk for a week for a thorough test, and I’ve got a bunch of challenging lanes planned, I can’t wait!

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All-New Suzuki S-Cross 42

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What is it?

If there was a car that desperately required a facelift it was the Suzuki Vitara’s ugly cousin, the S-Cross. Thankfully it has, and it’s a good one, too.

Auto: The auto mode prioritises fuel economy in typical driving conditions and uses two-wheel drive by default. It switches to four wheel drive if it detects wheel spin.

On the outside the all-new S-Cross has a bolder and much more modern design with larger and more angular wheel arches and smooth flowing lines. The front end design incorporates a raised bonnet line, piano black front grille and new design three LED position headlamps. This theme continues at the rear with larger combination lamps that integrate horizontally and an integrated rear spoiler. But the all-new S-Cross isn’t just a pretty face.

Sport: The sport mode is optimal for twisty roads. The system makes maximal use of four-wheel drive in accordance with accelerator inputs. At low and mid-range engine speeds, the system alters the accelerator/torque characteristics to optimise engine response and cornering performance.

Unlike before, there is no ‘base-spec’ model as the all-new S-Cross is available in just two grades - Motion and Ultra.

Standard equipment for Motion is comprehensive and includes seven airbags, 17” painted alloy wheels, three signature LED projector headlamps for low and high beam, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Then there’s Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control with speed limiter, keyless entry and start, dual zone auto air conditioning, heated front seats and front and rear parking sensors. See, no base-spec!

Moving up to Ultra adds 17” polished alloy wheels, leather seat upholstery, integrated on-board navigation, panoramic sliding sunroof and a 360º view camera along with Suzuki’s famed ALLGRIP ‘Select’ 4x4 system.

On the subject of Suzuki’s ALLGRIP, let’s take a closer look at what it is.

Only available on Ultra models, both manual and automatic, the ALLGRIP ‘Select’ system incorporates four driver-selectable modes

Snow: The snow mode is optimal for snowy, unpaved, and other slippery surfaces. The system uses four-wheel drive by default. It optimises four-wheel drive control in accordance with steering and accelerator inputs to promote traction and stability on low friction surfaces.

Lock: The Lock mode is for extricating the car from snow, mud, or sand. A limited slip differential is fitted which helps brake any slipping wheel and transfer torque to the gripping wheels.

4WD Control On conventional full time 4WD vehicles, feedback control allocates torque to the rear wheels after detecting front wheel drive slippage. As well as offering feedback control the All New S-Cross also offers feed forward control that anticipates slippage based on road surface, throttle opening position, steering angle and other factors. To summarise, rather than reacting after grip is lost, it controls the vehicle to prevent grip from being lost which results in greater stability.

Hill Hold Control Available as standard equipment on both models, Hill Hold Control makes hill starts much easier by preventing the vehicle from rolling backwards for two seconds as soon as the driver removes his or her foot from the brake to the accelerator pedal.

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On the road

It was a cold and misty morning and the roads along our route were damp and mucky, but the ALLGRIP system gave me a sense of security.

The 6-speed automatic did a great job of transporting me through small villages, along dual carriageways and narrow country lanes. I didn’t have the opportunity to push it much as the roads seemed to be littered with learners and HGVs, but it shifted up down as it should and proved a relaxing drive.

After a brew stop I swapped over to a 6-speed manual and suddenly it became lively and fun. I’m not criticising the automatic by no means, it does its job perfectly well, but the manual injected a new lease of life into the S-Cross. The gear

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change was light and it made the drive back to Nantwich more enjoyable, especially around the twisty bits.

Because the ride is on the soft side and therefore really good at smoothing out potholes, you’d think that it should wallow around corners, but it doesn’t. That said, there is a bit of a lean, but nowhere near as you’d expect.

Accelerate hard and you’ll hear a bit of a rasp from the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, but that quickly fades into the background.

My only criticism after a short drive was that there’s a bit of tyre noise, but other than that I had quite a lot fun on twisty roads with the new S-Cross, and like other Suzukis, it is light, agile and very grippy

Interior

The biggest change to the S-Cross is the new interior that’s neat and easy to use. The infotainment screen sits high on the dashboard and heater and air conditioning controls are all positioned beneath it. If you opt for the Ultra model with four-wheel drive it has a dial to change driving modes down next to the handbrake.

Despite short journeys I found the seats comfortable and supportive and there’s plenty of head and leg room, even very tall people.

Visibility all ‘round is excellent so parking isn’t an issue, and if you’re one of those who struggle squeezing cars into spaces, the S-Cross has front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard across the range, and as I mentioned earlier, the Ultra trim also has a 360º parking camera.

If I’m being critical, most of the interior trim is plastic, except for in front of the front-seat passenger, so it can appear a little cheap.

In the back the rear seatbacks split 60/40 and you can single-handily fold them down by pushing buttons next to the head restraints.

430 litres of nothingness awaits you in the boot which is more than enough to swallow camping gear, suitcases or a monthly shop. To make life easy the boot open wide and makes loading items a doddle.

There’s also an adjustable boot floor that can be raised so that it lines up with the boot lip, while also removing the step up to the backs of the rear seats when they’re folded down.

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Engine

I have to admit that Suzuki’s 1.4 litre Boosterjet is one of my favourite engines, and I firmly believe they should’ve bunged it into their Jimny, along with their 6-speed manual or auto ‘box, but that’s another story.

Combining Suzuki’s 1.4 litre Boosterjet engine with their 48v hybrid technology means that the S-Cross is both a lively and fuel efficient vehicle. The combination produces 127bhp and 235Nm and is also found in the Swift and Vitara.

Fuel wise, Suzuki are keen to point out that the S-Cross is one of the most economical cars in its class. The Motion, front-wheel drive model, offers fuel economy of 53.2mpg, whilst the Ultra with ALLGRIP will return 47.8mpg.

Conclusion

Ask any motoring writer for their opinion of one of the best value cars on the road is, and they're likely to answer with Suzuki when it comes to safety equipment and fuel economy, you simply get more bang for your buck.

With that in mind, the all-new S-Cross doesn’t disappoint, it’s agile, grippy, economical and fun, and now a more appealing look to match its cheeky personality.

Prices start from: Motion - £24,999 Ultra - £27,799 If you want an automatic add £1,350 All Suzuki models are covered by a three-year/60,000-mile new vehicle warranty, one year AA Suzuki Assistance, providing 24-hour UK and European roadside assistance, recovery and associated services; and by a 12-year perforation warranty.

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Kia Stinger V6 GTS

What is it?

At various events over the last few years I’ve managed to drive most of the Stinger range, and although for around 30 minutes at a time, I appear to have really fallen for it, so I thought it was about time I borrowed one for a week.

Yes, I know it isn’t a 4x4, it isn’t even an AWD, but it’s one of those cars that all you need to do is look at and you immediately know it’s going to be fun, I mean just look at it!

As Kia put it, “the Stinger is not a hard-edged sports car created to be brutally fast at the expense of comfort, it’s all about the joy of the journey, where getting to the final destination can be an anticlimax.”

The Stinger has been around since 2017, and in an attempt to compete with German and British performance saloons it was fitted a selection of petrol and diesel engines. Sadly, sales haven’t been up to scratch, so an update was required.

The Stinger GT S is now only available with the range-topping 3.3 litre petrol, twin-turbo V6 and one high specification at a price of £43,380 on the road.

On the road

With rear wheel drive, like a proper GT car should be, and a silken 8-speed automatic transmission which is lovely and smooth, it’s one of those cars that makes you want to take the long route home.

In comfort mode the Stinger’s suspension softens up and it has the ability to waft you along effortlessly.

Slip it into Sport mode and it has a 0-62mph time of just 4.7 seconds, and will take you up to a top speed of 167mph. Very un-Kia-like.

Despite its hooligan-like performance, I found the 510Nm of torque and mid-range acceleration to be much more gratifying. A simple prod of the accelerator and off you go straight to licence loosing speeds - so be careful.

For a big car it’s quite surprising how much fun you can have on twisty roads, but it’s a long-distance cruiser first. It’s quiet, and on most surfaces road and wind noise are kept to a minimum.

Because my default setting for any press car is Sport mode, overall fuel consumption throughout the week was in the low twenties, I could have got it higher, say 30mpg, but I also could’ve got it much lower!

Off road Nah.

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Interior

As you slot yourself behind the wheel you’re cocooned in a luxurious, stylish and well though out interior. The perfect driving position is easily found using the electrically operated steering column and driver’s seat, which are standard. I used the word cocooned because of the high window line and centre console feels like you’re in a cockpit, then there’s view over the long bonnet which just made me smile.

Because of the aforementioned high window line, visibility can be a bit restricted. Thankfully the Stinger has front and rear parking sensors as well as a 360º camera all standard, of course.

I liked that it has conventional analogue dials as opposed to digital that appears to be the norm these days. The 10.3” infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard is unobtrusive, and there’s a head-up display that projects on to the windscreen, directly in your line of sight.

Rear passengers have decent leg room, but I wouldn’t want to be a frequent rear passenger as its low roofline was a bit of a nuisance, especially if you’re tall like me.

Open the Stinger's powered tailgate and it provides a wide opening for filling its 406 litres of nothingness. If you need more space, then you can folding the standard 60/40 split rear seats gives you a lot more.

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Engine ‘n’ transmission

As I mentioned earlier, the Stinger is now only available with one power plant and one gearbox, the 361bhp 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 and eight-speed automatic gearbox that enables the car to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds, and when driven sensibly can return a combined fuel consumption of 28mpg, while CO2 emissions are 229g/km.

The transmission offers up to five different shift and throttle programmes, accessed through the car’s electronic Drive Mode Selector.

Drivers can leave the car to shift for itself, or change gears with steering wheel-mounted paddles. A Limited Slip Differential is fitted, so that torque is transferred to the rear wheel with most grip.

Warranty:

7 Year / 100,000 mile warranty (3 yrs/unlimited mileage) Anti-perforation warranty (12 yrs/unlimited mileage) Paint warranty (5 yrs / 100,000 miles) KIAssist road side assistance (1yr)

Conclusion

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Stinger for a while, and I wasn’t disappointed. The only thing that truly baffles me is why I don’t see that many Stingers on the road, they should be selling like hotcakes.

I don’t know how long Kia will keep the Stinger on sale in the UK, but I’ll tell you now, it’s a future classic; in ten years time I can guarantee the stinger, in this guise and colour, will be a very a sought after car. more at » https://www.kia.com/uk/new-cars/stinger/

😁

It may not be an off-roader, but it doesn't mean you can't get it muddy, and yes, this is how I sent it back to Kia

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Jeep 60

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What is it?

The Renegade has frequented these pages a many times over the years, from the lower Longitude model to the Trailhawk that always surprises me by how tough and agile it is. Being a Trailhawk it has extra ground clearance, better off-road clearance angles, some underbody skid plates and a set of Goodyear ‘mud and sand’ off-road tyres wrapped around its 17” alloys.

This time we take a look at the plug-in hybrid 4xe Trailhawk version that was fitted with a Tentbox Lite roof top tent and find out what it’s like to live with for a week

On the road

With 240hp on tap from the 1.3ltr turbocharged petrol engine and electric rear axle, it isn’t all about foot down oomph and big grins. From hooligan to bumbling along at 60mph in cruise, the 4xe is a comfortable and pleasant place to be, and unless there’s a headwind, the extra noise of the RTT isn’t really noticeable until you reach motorway speeds.

Despite a 0-60mph time of 7.1 seconds, on full chatter, acceleration can be described as relentless and you can easily find yourself hitting licence losing speeds if you’re not careful.

The 4xe, which is pronounced 4-by-e, gives you three driving modes to choose from, Electric, Hybrid and E-Save. Electric means just that, you have a range of up to 26 miles and a top speed of 81mph. Hybrid is the default mode when the car is started. It’s designed to manage and use the system in the most efficient way. E-Save is the mode for maintaining battery charge, or for charging it while driving using the petrol engine. Using E-Save, from zero electric miles, a 20 minute drive through town put 7 miles in the ‘tank’ by regeneration alone. This means that for some journeys, you can drive there using petrol, and return home on pure regenerated electric.

The Renegade 4xe Trailhawk handles the corners without much roll, to the point I hardly noticed the extra height of the roof top tent, it was always planted firmly on the road, no matter how much I pushed it.

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Off road

I’ve said before that you’ll be surprised how capable the Renegade is off the beaten track, especially in Trailhawk spec.

If you’re a regular reader, you may remember that a couple of years ago I was invited for a days laning around Yorkshire with Ardent Off-Road and Storm Jeeps. I joined them in a Renegade Trailhawk, and despite everyone driving highly modified Jeeps, the Renegade easily kept up with the others. I was impressed.

As standard on the Renegade 4x4 models you have Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction management control that’s designed to optimise the fourwheel-drive system with Auto, Sport, Snow, Sand and Mud. The Trailhawk trim level also includes ‘Rock’ mode for when you need to take it extra easy and 4WD Lock for when things become difficult.

On a couple of slippery descents, pressing the Hill Decent Control button and the Renegade crawled down in total control, To make it even better off-road, all Renegade 4xe trims have the Jeep Active Drive Low system.

The new plug-in hybrid technology further enhances its off-road capability, with the combination of both the electric motor and petrol engine resulting in more torque.

Trailhawk 4xe with 240hp, for example, boasts an increase in torque output up to 50% versus the old 170hp diesel Trailhawk model.

Traction to the rear axle isn’t provided by a prop shaft, but instead through a dedicated electric motor. This allows the two axles to be separated and control the torque independently in a more effective way than a mechanical system, with traction being delivered to the rear wheels immediately when needed. Being honest, I couldn’t tell, but whilst negotiating the wet off-road route, power when I needed it was seamless.

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Interior

I have to admit that I don’t find the Renegade to be a particularly pretty car, but once inside and you begin driving, it really doesn’t matter, it’s really quite a pleasant place to be.

Up front the seats are comfortable and supportive, and the large windows and seating position both offer fantastic visibility all ‘round.

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The dash layout is scattered with knobs and switches - which is a good thing, and of course there’s the usual 8.4” touch screen that’s nicely laid out and integrated into the dash.

My only problem was that to activate the heated seats and steering wheel you have to delve into a couple of menus buttons on the dash would be much easier and safer.

Conclusion

Granted, there are other AWD plug-in hybrid vehicles out there that for the price have a larger and better interior, but the Renegade 4xe Trailhawk is an easy 4x4 to live with and offers Jeep’s off road pedigree with a new, eco twist.

The 4xe Trailhawk starts at £36,500 vehicle as tested; £39,200

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Tentbox Lite

Weighing in at just 50kgs, the Tentbox Lite that’s fitted to the Renegade sleeps 2 adults and takes less than 5 minutes to set up. Complete with a mattress and skylight, the Tentbox Lite also comes with an integrated ladder and fitting kit.

Depending what car you have, packing away can be a bit awkward as you have to tuck the sides in, and sometimes reaching them isn’t the easiest. Overall it offered a cozy night under stars, or should I say clouds; it was November after all! price: £995.00 (plus free shipping) more at » https://tentbox.com/product/tentbox-lite/

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WARNING

Clothing so FABuLOUS that extreme 'insta' pouting may occur!

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ASTON MARTIN DBX

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WHAT IS IT?

It’s rare these days that manufacturers design a vehicle from scratch, but that’s what Aston Martin did with the DBX. The result? Well…

ON THE ROAD

The first few days living with the DBX was novel, despite the Mercedes-AMG sourced V8 sounding simply awesome. The DBX never seemed to draw that much attention, if any - I suspect that the reg plate ‘AMV8’ caused more of a stir than the car did. I spent a couple of days pottering around visiting friends, shopping and the usual commute, and apart from an eye watering 7.5mpg during a trip to school, over three days of dawdling around it averaged 18.1mpg. A bit better!

Knowing I had a 5½ drive to Rye, East Sussex during our week together I was frantically searching through the DBX’s menus looking for a comfort or eco setting - no such luck, there isn’t one, so I checked my bank balance instead to make sure I could afford those southern fuel prices.

During that interminable return jaunt with speeds ranging from 50-70mph (I was remarkably sensible), almost 600 miles later in GT mode (with help from the cylinder deactivation system), the DBX achieved 26.7mpg, which is pretty good I reckon.

Enough about mpg, if you can afford a 165k car, fuel costs ain’t going to bother you, what’s it like on the road?

As a motorway cruiser it’s a proper GT - comfortable and quiet with more than enough power to see you up to 181mph in no time - if you’re on a D Restricted Autobahn, obviously.

Around twisty roads its steering and handling is simply exceptional. I know I normally drive great lumbering 4x4s, but this is by far the best handing car I’ve ever driven. Aston Martin have fitted adaptive triple volume air suspension that has been combined with the latest 48v electric anti-roll control system and electronic adaptive dampers to produce the DBX with a huge breadth of ability. The ride is really quite exceptional, the steering is razor blade sharp and the response from the V8 is supersonic.

Oh my, that V8 on full chatter is a wonderful thing. The 4.0 litre V8 coupled to the 9-speed auto ‘box took me a while to get used to. From start, and if I wanted to pass someone, I found that I really had to feather the throttle to drive smoothly. Plant your foot into the carpet and it drops a gear or two, and off you shoot with a massive roar and a kick in the back. On the move a gentle prod will see the DBX accelerate from 35mph to light speed in an instant and without fuss.

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OFF ROAD

It was the end of a very wet November and all the lanes were sodden, so I didn’t venture too far, and when I did find a muddy track, the massive Pirelli P Zero 285/40 YR22 front and 325/35 YR22 tyres simply wanted to float everywhere, so I was a bit cautious.

If you’re brave enough, the DBX’s off-road capabilities include the ability to wade through water up to a depth of 500mm. There is a breather pipe on the electronic rear differential, made to facilitate rear wading, which is particularly useful for situations such as reversing a trailer into water while launching a boat.

The DBX has two off-road modes, Terrain and Terrain +, and you can also raise the air suspension height by 45mm from standard GT setting.

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I’ll be honest, I treated the DBX with kid gloves whilst green laning, silly really as it’s a tough thing, I reckon it was because it’s an ‘Aston Martin’ and I was quite anxious about damaging it!

Here are a few specs.

• Towing weight: 2,700kg • Approach angle: 22.2° (25.7° max ride height) • Departure angle: 24.3° (27.1° max ride height) • Breakover angle: 15.1° (18.8° max ride height) • Wading depth: 500mm • Ground clearance: 190mm (235mm max ride height) • Turning circle: 12.4 metres (kerb-to-kerb)

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INTERIOR

It’s a lovely place to be, but because I’ve properly fallen for the DBX I’m not going to let it get away with a few annoying niggles.

First, the electric window controls are too far back on the drivers door and you have to have the short arms and decent wrist flex of a T-Rex to reach them.

Then there are the two cup holders on the centre console that are too small to house any of my travel flasks - they won’t even fit a tube of Pringles that are essential for road trips, for crying out loud!

The heated seats only worked on the back and not in the base.

Infotainment system was a bit sluggish and would often take about 30 seconds to find my phone, but once it did the sound was glorious.

Like most cars these day, auto-start only works when you keep your foot on the brakes (blinding the driver behind you with very bright lights), engage the handbrake and then the engine starts.

What else… ah yes, the sun visors are really awkward to open as they’re tucked into a recess.

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As I mentioned, I’m being really critical about the small bits because I really like the DBX. Apart from those little annoyances, which I could easily live with if I had one on long term loan (hint, hint Aston Martin PR team!).

The seats are very supportive, and upfront, apart from the electric window controls, everything is to hand. The seats are trimmed in sumptuous, full grain leather, sourced from long term partner Bridge of Weir. In an industry first, both the headlining and electric roof blind are available in a luxurious Alcantara finish that doesn’t compromise headroom.

The 10.25” TFT screen sits flush in the centre console, though it isn’t touch sensitive. Apple CarPlay comes as standard, as does a 360-degree camera system and ambient lighting that offers 64 different colours in two zones.

Rear passengers are in for a treat with ample head, shoulder and leg room, for the extra long legged passengers amongst us you can even slide your feet under both front seats, giving you a bit more room to stretch.

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On the subject of practicality there are buttons in the boots that allow you to lower or raise the air suspension to aid loading and unloading heavy or unwieldy items.

The DBX offers 632 litres of boot space plus up to 62 litres of underfloor storage and 40:20:40 split folding rear seats.

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ENGINE ‘N’ TRANSMISSION

You get one option, a 4.o litre V8 featuring an impressive output of 550PS and 700NM of torque that’s tuned not just to make you smile with a 0 to 62mph time of 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 181mph, but for lugging heavy loads.

CONCLUSION

With over 200 hours of dedicated hand-stitched, hand-crafted and handassembled excellence, a starting price of £164,700, that includes 3 year’s servicing, makes the DBX quite an expensive mode of transport. That said, it may have a few annoying foibles, but given a couple of million quid lottery win, I’d order one straight away.

Then there’s the 9-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox that’s bolted to an all-wheel drive system with active differentials featuring an active central differential and an electronic rear limited slip differential.

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Back in the 80s, when I turned 17 and could finally drive, my first three cars were, a 1970 850cc Mini, a 1982 Citroën Dyane and a Mk2 Ford Escort, all of which I pounded with miles.

E F I L G PIN

CAM

With my new found freedom I would get in the car and drive for hours with no fixed agenda, or destination.

I would explore small villages, dirt tracks and dead end roads, I had a desire to explore.

Although my Mini and Escort were more road biased, my yellow Citroën Dyane would take me to more inhospitable places with ease.

It didn't take me long to realise that with a fiver, flask of coffee and a sleeping bag, I could disappear for entire weekends.

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Finding quiet car parks and secret lay-bys was fun, and back then, no one dared to bother me, or had the audacity to wake me up in the middle of the night, as they’d be confronted by a lanky, 6ft 2” self-important teenager, and no one wanted that.

From then on I spent spent most of my weekends sleeping on the back seat of my car.

My first couple of overnighters was at the services just off junction 14 on the M56 near Chester. Back then it wasn’t the posh, well lit stop-over that we have now. No, it was a piece of scrap land with a 24 hour butty wagon parked up for truckers and passing motorists.

Then, when I found my love for 4x4s, it was the late great Tim Webster who used to inspire me with his ‘park up and pitch for the night’ stories in LRO magazine. He was a true inspiration, and is sadly missed.

These days, ‘Van Life’ is all over social media, with folk on YouTube building vans of all shapes and sizes, to either live in, or escape the madness of modern life for a few days or weeks. Primal Outdoors' Drew Simms, and Jake and Kristina from JK Overland, are great examples of folk who sleep and spend time away from others in their 4x4s.

The long and short of it is, I want to get out more, and Muddy Madam and I are going to dedicate a new section to the magazine for camping and touring. Each month I want to share with you our exploits, whether that be pitching up our Robens tent at a proper campsite, or leaving Muddy Madam at home (she prefers comforts such as toilet blocks and running water) and enjoying a night out sleeping in the back of Deux Smurf, alone with my thoughts, and maybe a tin of Guinness (or two), under the stars.

We’ll also be looking at what kit is needed, from camping stoves to toilets and everything in between, as well as the odd vehicle mod.

Speaking of mods, Deux Smurf, our 1996 Toyota Surf will also be evolving. Nothing too radical, I’d prefer to keep her as standard looking as possible, but when finances allow she’ll be receiving some practical additions like a roof rack, awning and a second battery. I already have CTEK’s wonderful D250SE and SmartPass 120 that will allow me to fit extra lighting, a fridge and therefore spend more time off-grid.

t u o t e g s ' t e L !

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Roben Tents NEW for 2022 The Scandinavian technical tent brand, Robens, has introduced a range of tents based on its popular trend-setting retro styles. The Navigator range combines three tried and tested tipi and bell tent based on its popular designs in the brand’s own quality, tough HydroTex HD RS polyester Ripstop fabric to reduce packed size and weight for easy maintenance, transportation and storage. This allows a wider range of use, enhanced by an assortment of optional accessories that includes inner tents, floor coverings, footprints and tent stoves.

Simple and easy to pitch, the large living space and inherent stability will appeal to anyone looking for a dependable and comfortable base tent with features and good looks that stand out from the crowd. And, to highlight the shared passion for outdoor life, a unique star print on the groundsheet maps constellations to be seen on clear nights The new tents include:

Green Cone PRS - £370

The versatile polyester Green Cone PRS tipi has great headroom, a large porch and inner that sleeps four.

It features an offset centre pole for easy access. This lifts the outer from the ground to create a gap to aid air flow. To save weight, remove the inner and adjust the telescopic centre pole so the outer sits close to the ground the perfect bivvy tent.

Small corner poles are sewn into the dark inner to create a wall that adds extra useable space.

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Klondike PRS - £670

The polyester version of the ever-popular Klondike provides excellent levels of comfort for up to six people. The vertical door makes for easy access – especially in bad weather. The groundsheet zip to the centre alloy pole allows it to be rolled away at the door to create a safe area for an optional stove or to sit muddy boots.

The Internal Apex Vent Control is easily opened and closed from inside to work with low-level mesh vents to control ventilation.

Chinook Ursa PRS - £779.99

This sleeps eight and is based on the technical-cotton Chinook Ursa that won the prestigious Camping Magazine Editor’s Choice Awards 2020 for best glamping tent. The PRS version combines retro good looks with modern quality materials and manufacturing techniques to offer huge living space that can be opened to the outdoors Bedouinstyle for the ultimate sheltered views.

For further information, and your nearest retailer, visit www.robens.de/en-gb/tent-ranges/navigator-range

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Stainless Steel Smokeless Fire Pit Built by Rough Country, and sold via Llama 4x4 in the UK, this fire pit is designed to create an efficient, smokeless slow burn that’ll keep you warm during the coldest of camps.

Made from 304 brushed stainless steel and measuring 49cm diameter and 50cm tall, it may not be the most portable, but at just 11.5kg it’s actually quite manageable. Internally it’s 20cm deep in fire chamber and can handle logs around 40cm in length, and built into the main section is a convenient ash tray for easy cleaning To protect the ground from scorch marks the fire pit comes complete with a stainless steel stand that also helps feed the fire with oxygen, and once done stores conveniently inside fire pit.

Included in the price is its own made to measure black durable carry bag with handles. price: £389.95 more at » llama4x4.com

Double Walled Expedition Overland Camping 52L Tool Storage Box The super strong range of storage boxes from Direct4x4 are designed to keep your items safe and dry in all weathers.

Weighing in at just 7kg they’re made from heavy duty dark grey plastic with solid double-walled construction making them very durable. They include secure powder-coated steel latches, rubber seal inset into the lid for full waterproofing and hey also come with a convenient integrated stainless steel bottle opener!

For easy carrying the have integrated rope handles, and for cleaning they have a convenient drain plug to make hosing out much easier.

They’re also designed to be stackable for safe transportation.

External dimensions: L 68cm, W 36.5cm, H 37.5cm Internal dimensions:L 57cm x W 24.5cm x H 20cm. price: £124.99 more at » direct4x4.co.uk

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Fjell Trekking Towels Made from 100% polyester, Robens’ Fjell Trekking Towel is a product that’s been a constant companion both in my Peli camping case and in the back of Deux Smurf, after all, a good towel should always be a part of your personal kit.

The Fjell Trekking Towel is available in 3 sizes; 40 x 80 cm (small), 60 x 120cm (medium), and 70 x 140cm (large), and each towel comes in its own zipped hard case that protects other items in a backpack from getting wet.

Whilst the large towel is the perfect size for drying off after a shower, or swim, the small is more of a hand towel size, perfect for after a quick wash in the mornings or drying your hands whilst preparing meals, and the medium towel, I am informed by Muddy Madam, is great for wrapping up your hair (not really something I have need for).

Overall, they’re super absorbent, super soft, lightweight, fast drying, and therefore ideal for trekking, camping and living the outdoor life. prices: S - £10, M - £14.99, L - £17.50 more at » www.robens.de

HEP OFF-ROAD UNDERBODY PROTECTION

If you own a Mk3 Mitsubishi Shogun and in need of some underbody protection, give HEP Off-Road a look.

A relatively new start-up, James has created armour for both short and long wheelbase versions of the Mk3 Shogun.

It comes in individual sections that can be bought separately, from a 3mm stainless steel front skid plate to 3mm mid sections and it looks incredibly tough. In fact, if you check out JK Overland’s video Jack and Kristina have fitted a full length version to their Shogun.

Postage will vary according parts, but a full set is 30kg and therefore £45 at time of going to press. If James doesn’t have any in stock then normal lead time is around 4 weeks.

James hasn’t yet set up a website, but you can catch up with him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HEP-OffRoad-103608295516052 and Instagram: www.instagram.com/hep_off_road

New Stuff we've discovered this month SECURETECH WINCH RECOVERY KIT This Winch Recovery Kit from APB is a compact and convenient way to organise and store all your recovery equipment.

The kit includes • 9M Kinetic Strap • 3M Tree/Rock Strop • Swingaway snatch block – suitable for plasma, synthetic and steel ropes from 10-13 mm diameter • 2 x 43/4 T. tested shackles • 3M choker chain complete with hooks • One pair of leather gloves • High quality, tough canvas kit carry bag, with reinforced handles and ventilation eyelets for wet storage If you already have some of the above, not to worry as all kit items are available separately, including the kit carry bag to make up your own personal favourite recovery kit. price: £159.60 more at » www.expedition-equipment.com THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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METAL STORAGE BOX W/SLIDE OUT LOCKABLE DRAWER Available from Llama 4x4, this unique metal storage box is designed to bolt into a Jeep JL Wrangler using existing mounting holes, but can also be bolted to any flat surface in any make of car where there is room.

External dimensions are: 23” L , 39” W, 13” H with drawer Dimensions 21" L, 37.25" W and 10" H. Practical additions include a rubber RC mat on top to keep your items from sliding around and strategic tie down locations on top of unit to keep items secure.

It’s constructed from 16 gauge cold rolled steel with a black powder coat finish and has a drawer capacity of 400lbs. It includes durable drawer sliders and is lockable.

The storage box can be used on other Jeep vehicles with slight drilling and included hardware. price - £669.86

more at » llama4x4.comw

New Stuff we've discovered this month QUILTIE STANDARD FRONT SEAT COVERS The Quiltie Standard Front Seat Cover from Over The Top is made from their premium non slip waterproof fabric and includes an absorbent wadding. These universal fit seat covers are ideal for both leather and fabric upholstery and are machine washable.

Available in Charcoal Grey, Black or Oatmeal, they’re suitable for most saloons, hatchbacks, mpv’s and estates, and come in two sizes, standard or large with side slits to facilitate side seat mounted airbags.

The Quiltie is made from the same material as their rear seat hammock that I reviewed in our November issue that has so far proven its worth with Lilly’s mucky legs and sharp nails. It’s easy to brush clean, soft yet hard wearing.

Over The Top also produce other types of seat covers, from heavy duty to size specific for your chosen vehicle. price - £109.99 more at » www.overthetop.co.uk

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

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

Recovery Points & > Equipment

> Canopies

> Roof Racks

> Drawers

> StealthBar Bumper

> Lights

Steps & Side > Protection

Upgraded > Suspension > Rear Protection

arb4x4uk.co.uk

> Tyre Accessories > Underbody Protection

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

RING DASH CAMERA In this increasingly litigious age having a dash cam is an essential part of life to protect yourself by recording any incidents on the road.

This compact 720p HD, easy to use, dash cam from Ring features a 60mm LCD screen to replay footage and provides access to the settings. The 120° field of vision provides a wide view of the road, and the camera automatically turns on and off with the engine, preventing the camera from draining the battery.

The suction mount provides easy installation to securely fix the camera to the windscreen. An integrated G-Sensor detects an impact when the vehicle has been in a collision, and automatically locks the associated footage to be reviewed. price: £49.99 more at » www.britpart.com

sales@britpart.com

MUD LIFE STICKERS ARE BACK! We decided that with our little name change we should redesign our stickers too, and so we have these 2 fun new designs to pick from.

Get them now to adorn your 4x4, toolbox, laptop or wherever else you happen to stick things.

• Size - approx. 10cm • Printed on high quality vinyl • Suitable for exterior use.

If you want to order any of these glossy vinyl stickers, they are only £1.75 each (plus P&P which is just 66p no matter how many stickers you buy).

Get them in our Ko-Fi shop:

ko-fi.com/mudlifemag/shop

The Tales of Lilly, The Mud Life Dog

Almost Perfect

One of the prerequisites for re-homing Lilly last year was that she had to be good whilst being a passenger in cars, for obvious reasons. The problem is she isn’t great at it, mainly, we think, because she didn't go in a car regularly with her former parents.

She is a bit whingy, and at the start you could tell she was a bit anxious, probably thinking she was being taken away again.

However, there were too many positives about her, she hardly barks, doesn’t chew the house, house trained - basically, she’s a well trained hound, except for her recall when she sniffs a squirrels!

of over-stimulation and stress and take a break and a few steps back to the point your dog was comfortable.

KEEP YOUR HOUND SAFE AND SOUND. Consider where your dog will travel and protect your pooch by securing them in place with a harness, guard or crate. That way they’ll be restrained if you have to make a sudden stop. It’ll also help to keep them out of the driver’s way, and avoid distractions while you’re on the move.

THREE POINT TURN.

So, how do we overcome this car riding obstacle?

Can your dog do a ‘three-point turn’ in the back of the car?

Your dog should be able to stand up, turn around comfortably and lie down in their space in the car.

First we ordered a rear seat hammock from Over The Top (reviewed in issue #32), who specialise in dog seat covers. This was because it’s generally frowned open to let dirty dogs in press cars, and it also limits her from squeezing through the two front seats.

IN CAR SNACKS. Everyone enjoys an in-car treat, including your doggie pals. Bring your pooches’ favourite treats on trips to reward them for being a great travel companion.You could prepare them a long-lasting chew for the journey or a passenger could drop them a little reward every now and then.

Well, MINI UK and partner Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, put out a post a few months back on this very topic.

GET YOUR CAR AND CANINE ACQUAINTED. It’s a good idea to introduce car travel gently and as early on as possible. Dogs having choice around a new or scary thing improves their confidence long-term.

We started by simply acquainting Lilly with the car itself, encouraging her to have a good sniff and get familiar with her own scent on the seat hammock. Open up the doors and boot, allowing them to hop in and out at their leisure.

A tasty reward for their nose work will help build positive associations with the car.

IT’S ALL IN THE BODY LANGUAGE. Signs of distress can be shaking, panting and pulling away from the car. There are so many reasons a dog might feel anxious about car journeys – so introduce your dog to the car slowly and try to take some trips purely for fun to the beach or park. That way you’ll begin to build positive associations. Watch out for signs

Basically it’s all about making it fun for Lilly, and although I try and take her out daily for a short ride, like all good plans it isn’t working out that way, but we’ll get there, eventually.

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Dirty Bitch Diary Unlike your vehicle, a dog doesn't have mud flaps, so if you venture out in the delightful British countryside your dog is likely to come home with a belly covered in mucky, stinky mud, and exuding a rather potent whiff. I don't know about you, but this isn't the kind of companion I want sitting next to me on the couch, or lying on my bed, so dog shampoo was the first thing on our 'To Buy' list.

We started off like most people, quickly buying a supermarket special, which did do the cleaning, but didn't smell so great, and Lilly's coat felt a bit rough (like every bit of natural oils had been stripped out), so we went looking for better, and we found some.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 Aqueos Quick Wash No Rinse Anti-Bacterial Face & Body Dog Shampoo Usually if Lilly gets to be truly filthy we will plonk her in the bath, and give her a quick shampoo'n'shower, but there are times that this isn't practical, such as when camping, or when jumping back in the car after a walk., and this is where this no rinse shampoo comes in handy.

All you need to do is massage the foam into your dog's coat and then towel it off. It is non-sticky and has a natural fresh fragrance.

It's also useful for dogs that don't like get washed or if you struggle to lift your dog into a bath.

Luckily Lilly hasn't developed a fox poo fascination (or she just hasn't found any yet), but plenty of dogs do, and they love nothing more than having a good old roll in it.

Your pooch may love the pong, but I'd bet you don't, and this is a good general deodoriser which is also effective against badger and fox smells.

Lilly has very short fur so she doesn"t have this issue, but some dogs have a lot of facial hair and can be very messy eaters. This means there can be bacteria build up around the mouth area, especially if on a raw food diet, so with Quick Wash being an anti-viral, anti-bacterial and antifungal foaming dog shampoo you won't have to worry about nasty kisses. Massage the foam onto the face, and you can either towel dry or rinse with water.

Lastly if your dog is a friendly soul and likes to say hello to every passerby, then in the current climate you can use it to disinfect your dog's coat. price: £10.30 more at » www.aqueos.co.uk 94

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Barkhaus Reflective Dog Coat 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Here at Muddy Towers we get sent some great bits and pieces to review for free, but there are times when we actually buy things too (I can tell you are shocked), and this dog coat was one of them.

It was getting a bit chilly at the end of November, and although the Barbour dog coat we reviewed a couple of issues ago is great at keeping Lilly dry, it doesn't have the fluffy warming capabilities to handle proper winter conditions, so I went looking for something with a fleece lining.

She's a dog and likes to run around, so I didn't want something too thick that she would overheat in, but she also doesn't have a thick coat (though what is there retains water like a sponge), so it also had to be waterproof.

I happened to be in B&M when I spotted this Barkhouse coat that ticked all the boxes:

✅ Waterproof ✅ Fleece lining (but not too thick) ✅ Covered her properly ✅ Easy to get on (2 velcro fastenings) ⭐ Bonus -

Reflective stripes to spot her easily when routing through undergrowth.

the

One month on, and the coat has been washed multiple due to her amazing ability to gather mud on her legs and flick it absolutely everywhere, and it's holding up nicely. It's not the height of fashion, but it does the job as intended, so the colour doesnt really bother me.

I did have to do a bit of an issue with the 2 under flaps as the coat is designed for normal stocky/furry dogs, not the skinny whippet shape that Lilly sports, so it was a bit loose. I adjusted it with the velcro, but that left a long bit of flap hanging off one side, so after a couple of weeks I decided to grab my sewing machine, and do a quick alteration - job done.

If you have a dog that you want to keep nice and toasty, and dry too than I would really recommend this as a reasonably priced dog jacket that won't break the bank.

Sizes: S, M, L prices: £6, £7, £8 more at » www.bmstores.co.uk (also available in B&M stores)

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

If you like what we do, we'd love a little support whilst we put together the next mag. Buys us a 'hot choc', and you'll get a name check in the mag.

ing ed couple work ri ar m a st ju , here kers Nothing to see these two bon s, ye d an s, ce n gether! out their differe is entire mag to th e at e cr o d ly people real

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

All these lovely people chose to support us this month. Thank you all so much, every penny is really is appreciated.

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S P O O H W They say that mistakes in life often make the best stories, and as I shared my thoughts about the latest Range Rover Sport in last month’s issue, I was reminded of a time in a press car, when things went horribly wrong, and of course I thought I'd share it with all of you.

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It was back in 2014, not long after the demise of the popular magazine Land Rover World, and I had a Range Rover Sport on loan. It wasn’t a boring diesel, it was the fire breathing 5.0ltr supercharged V8 version, and wow, did I have a lot of fun in it.

We made our way up and over Wrynose Pass with all the windows open just to hear the V8 roar, then we chilled for a while, took a few photos and carried westerly towards Hardknott Pass.

The day before it was due to be returned to Gaydon it still had a decent amount of fuel left in the tank, so I thought Muddy Madam and I should have one last hoorah, and spend the day in the Lake District heading up Wrynose Pass, and down Hardknott Pass.

The hairpin bends were fun, and thankfully the Sport had adecent turning circle. Upon reaching the top we stopped and marvelled at the view, “What a cracking day it’s been.” I thought to myself.

The Range Rover Sport is a wide car, it may not appear so when you’re walking around it, but it’s something that you become acutely well aware of whilst squeezing £90k worth of car between stone brick walls in Cumbria!

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Trying not to drive like a hooligan I headed downwards, but that's when disaster struck. Cutting a right hand corner I caught a rock with the off-side rear tyre and my heart sank as I heard the unmistakable sound of air escaping from the rear off side tyre.

Pulling over at the next available passing point I discovered the worst possible scenario, I had a split the sidewall.

Panic struck, not only was there absolutely no mobile phone service, but I hadn’t checked whether the Sport had a full size spare, a space saver or an emergency repair gunge kit that would have been totally useless with a sidewall split.

Thankfully, this press car had a full size spare, and let that be a warning to anyone buying a new or second hand car - don’t buy it unless it has a spare tyre!

The next part belongs in a comic strip.

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Removing the spare out of the deep rear well wasn’t a problem, but for those who aren’t as hefty as me, Land Rover provide a handy and well thought out pulley system. I loosened the wheel nuts, located the jack in its position in the sill and began lifting the car.

After removing the nuts I flung the deflated wheel to one side, grabbed the spare, heaved it into position and... hang on, why is it not aligning? ‘Weird.’ I thought, I mustn’t of jacked it high enough, I estimated at least another 2” or so.

Turning back to the jack I lifted the car another couple of inches, turned around, grabbed the spare, aligned it up to the hub and... still too low! What on earth was doing on?

Third time lucky, I hoped, as I was getting quite angry. I jacked it up another couple of inches, turned around, grabbed the spare, aligned it up to the hub and...

WHAT? I honestly thought I was losing it until I realised what was happening, the higher I jacked up the Sport, the further the hub lowered itself because the computer thought it was in an off-road situation with the wheel off the ground!

Apparently what I should have done in the first instance was to engage ‘off road’ mode which would have raised the vehicle to a higher suspension setting and then use the jack. At least I know now for future mishaps.

Thankfully the rest of our journey was less fraught, we stopped off at Coniston to watch a firework display through the panoramic sunroof, then called in at the Gateway Inn by the roundabout on the A591 to sample their great food before heading home.

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Post-Launch

l hote e g od ill on L that w t e l e. ch idd to M esis laun th’s issu p u n e on invit the Ge next m n a r fo ith be in an w rkshire g e b o It all North Y up in

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Seei ng loan as I had ,a t been nd I wa he Toyo ta rude s near of m som Land Cr e u e no t to epic gre iser Inv in have e gone n lanes, cible on it w for a moo ould’ve ch

Lane 1

- SE2499-03

Only 12 minutes away from the hotel, Back Lane didn’t sound overly exciting on Trailwise 2, but as I was passing it anyway I thought I’d give it a try, besides, if you don’t use them you tend to lose them.

I might rename it 'Splashy Lane' as it was a bit, well, splashy.

Not that far from the A1(M) and Catterick, Back Lane is in some parts a single track lane that winds its way through a nature reserve.

12mph is that max speed you want to go, not because of the natural beauty that surrounds it, but the puddles are quite deep, and even with the Land Cruiser’s air suspension I found it a little hard going.

Along the route I passed a couple of smaller SUVs, presumably doggers, sorry, dog walkers. It isn’t a lane that I’d rush to drive again, even if I was up in the area.

With a little care you can drive it in your grandma’s Micra.

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Lane 2

- NZ0702-02

Heading out towards Marske, the southern part of the lane is fairly steep and uneven, but once past the first gate I was slightly disappointed to find that it’s all been graded and is now lovely and smooth.

Chatting to a farmer later on in the day, he told me that the land owner wanted to close the lane, but the TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship), offered to spend around £20k on its repair, so it was repaired.

Despite the poor weather that had been batting the UK over the recent weeks, the clouds today had dispersed and offered me some splendid views across the moors.

The resurfacing work had done a really good job of keeping the water off the lane Because of the uniformed track, as I began my descent I managed to miss the turning, only for a few hundred yards, mind, and a quick reverse and check on ViewRanger had me back on track.

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The final descent was quite steep, and I would image a bit treacherous in colder conditions, with a tight hairpin bend at the bottom just before the rock strewn river crossing.

Due to the aforementioned bad weather, the river was running quite fast, and wide, but I could just make out the bottom in places so it didn’t look too bad. I pondered for a few minutes about turning back, but I decided to go for it, I was in a Land Cruiser after all.

As I slowly entered the river the front of the Land Cruiser sank and there was a scrape from one of the mud flaps as it rubbed itself against a rock, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought, I’d hazard a guess that the deepest section was around a couple of feet, no match for the Land Cruiser as I lurched my way through trying to avoid the largest of the rocks. The problem with ‘laning alone is that there’s no one around to take the ‘action’ shots, maybe I should invest in a GoPro at some point.

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Lane 3

- NZ0603-02

Last time I drove this was around 4 years ago in a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, there was the odd scrape from underneath, but nothing serious.

My plan was to drive from east to west, then head to my final lane, Fremington Edge.

Just as I started I spotted a local farmer leaning against a gatepost with his trusty sheepdog keeping him company, so I stopped for a chat.

Jack he’s called, and he had some great stories to tell of life in and around the area, especially about the Scott trial which is a motorcycle trials competition dating from 1914 and runs over an off-road course of approximately 70 miles around the area.

After around 45 minutes we said our goodbye and I carried on down the lane in first gear low. I negotiated the hairpin and looked in horror and that state of the track that would lead me down to the next water crossing - it was a bit of a mess.

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Jumping out to assess the track I figured I’d try and keep my tyres on the highest point of the track and avoid slipping into the hole and potentially scraping the rear bumper.

At the bottom I took one look at the river and thought, “Nah!” It wasn’t that it was particularly fast flowing, or wide, but it was deep, and I’ve since spoken to a good friend who told me that he’s seen 4x4s almost float downstream crossing after heavy rain.

If I was in Deux Smurf I would have perhaps given it a try, but as I was alone and in a brand new press car, I decided it would be better if I turned around.

Searching through the menu I selected ‘Mud and Rock’ setting for the steep and slippery climb.

Taking it really slow, the road biased tyres almost managed the climb in one attempt, but I lost momentum as the rear wheel couldn’t make it up a particularly steep step. Reversing a couple of feet and using a bit more speed, the Land Cruiser climbed up without any fuss.

The right hand hairpin was dismissed with only a slight wheel lift, and as I reached the top farmer Jack was there waiting for me with a grin, saying that he thought I was being optimistic, but was impressed that I’d made it back up from the bottom.

We chatted for a further 20 minutes or so until the rain and sleet descended, and instead of heading for Fremington Edge, I decided to take the 2-1/2 hour drive back the Muddy Towers.

Overall I really enjoyed taking the Land Cruiser green laning, in fact I really fell for it. The air suspension was particularly good along the undulating single track lanes and the whole car felt solid, dependable and well screwed together. Given the choice I’d probably go for the Active model despite having less toys.

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wri t es Simon says

by Simon Hastelow

A weighty issue As I write this over the Christmas period you might think that the subject is concerning our tendency to overeat and add a few extra pounds at the end of the year, but I’m not going there; I know I’m overweight, and I know quite a few of you are too so there’s no point stating the obvious!

This is about the weight of vehicles and their respective carrying capacities.

I recently talked about seeing a Land Rover Discovery in my area which was permanently over-equipped for its daily urban commute, complete with roof-tent, sand ladders and jerry cans.

Well, its not just the off-road community which likes to travel over-loaded, caravanners and motorhomers do it too.

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We’ve been looking at motorhomes on-and-off for the past few months as part of my 'old-git-getting-close-to-retirement' preparation. Perusing the various models offered from different manufacturers it amazes me how many are sold with pathetically low payloads. That is the allowable additional weight you could load the motorhome with before you exceed the total permissible vehicle weight.

In essence you normally just deduct the weight of the motorhome from 3,500kg (which most people can drive on a standard driving licence). The difference gives you the payload, and that is how much ‘stuff’ like camping chairs, clothes, bikes, food, etc., that you can carry.

I have come to realise that it’s worth checking that the manufacturers are using the same calculation to establish this payload figure. Some just add the weight of a driver and 25% of the water capacity to the total vehicle weight, others don’t include this at all. While some models offer decent 300-400kg of payload, the lowest I found was 165kg. So if you add one extra person plus everything you need for a week-long trip you’d easily exceed that, if not double it.

All I can think is that the manufacturers either know that people are likely to break the law, or they just assume that they’ll uprate the chassis and weight of their motorhome to allow higher payloads.

If you have the necessary entitlement on your UK driving licence then you will probably be able to raise the weight of the motorhome as a simple reclassification, paperwork exercise - there are companies out there which offer this service - or fitting physical upgrades to the suspension in addition to the paperwork...

OR you could just specify the motorhome with the higher chassis rating, if buying new. Different base vehicles offer different solutions, but even the most popular chassis/cab used by almost every motorhome manufacturer, the Fiat Ducato, is available with a 4.4ton ‘heavy’ chassis...

OR just ignore the weight!

One part of dreaming about campervans is following other people who already have them on Instagram. It’s a great source of inspiration and ideas and I’ve seen some amazing homemade

or custom built rigs. Judging by the huge increase in ‘Van Life’ profiles on Instagram its safe to say that Covid seems to have prompted a hell of a lot of people to reassess and adopt a slower pace of life out on the open road.

I am, of course, hugely jealous that people are able to do this and seemingly still earn enough of a living to get by while travelling the world. However, this sector is not immune to causing raised eyebrows and forcing me to ask “How much does that weigh?!”

It is not unusual to see a young couple (the female half of the duo is normally a yoga teacher, and also very easy on the eye very important for those likes and follows!) who buy an old van or truck then fit it out themselves.

No harm in that, obviously, but what I just can’t get my head around is the amount of DIY builders who use standard domestic materials to build a camper. Frames and cupboards built from 2x2 timbers, heavy plywood for the walls, real tiles for the bathroom and kitchen, and so on. They must be literally adding a ton of unnecessary weight!

I saw one van that had a full size cooker built into it. Leaving aside the ridiculous weight, I’m not sure how you’d even carry enough gas to fuel the thing while on the road.

It seems that many of the Insta-famous Van Life participants are just in it for the notoriety and ‘influencer’ opportunities. There are far too many out there with totally impractical builds for fulltime living, but still have great photos of their travels. I seriously wonder how many are parked up in motel car parks overnight.

One brand that I still follow is Azalai, the French company who designs and builds conversions for Land Rover Defenders and Toyota Landcruisers.

I follow them simply because I used to have one, and still regret selling it.

Anyway I saw one Defender 130 Azalai which had three additional fuel tanks with a total diesel capacity of 300 litres plus the ability to carry 250 litres of fresh water. That’s over half a ton of fluid! Add in all the other camping gear, the weight of the conversion and the passengers, and this rig topped the scales at just a smidge under 5tons.

I know the Defender 130 is arguably capably of handling such a load, but there has to come a point where he has to carry extra fuel just because he’s carrying so much extra fuel! There cannot be that many road-trip destinations which are more than one thousand miles from the next fuel station?

I keep dreaming, and change my mind on what we should get on an almost daily basis.

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es d i R s ' r e Read

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

I’m Paula Wood, originally from Yorkshire but now living in Lancashire.

I’m the female president of the Northern Monkey 4x4 club and I mess about with 4x4, horses, family, cats, dogs, husband Phil etc. in varying proportions as demand requires.

History of cars leading up to your present 4x4 I started with a Ford Fiesta 1.1ltr about 20 years ago, then a variety of Fords and VWs and borrowing my husband’s work cars from time to time, until I achieved my dream and bought Henry.

Present 4x4(s) Henry - my 1995 Land Rover 300Tdi Defender and guardian angel!

Modifications done Henry is more or less standard. What has changed is more for practical purposes: all-terrain tyres; diff, steering and fuel tank guards; plenty of added security features such as a removable steering wheel (which I carry with me.. I get lots of strange looks and questions about that).

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Thanks to Leaf Sprung Landys of Stalmine, Henry had a thorough restoration and repair this summer, and fewer bits fall off every time I take him on an adventure!

Favourite modifications The roll cage. Not only does it look good, but it adds extra peace of mind when I’m competing, and especially so now that my teenage daughter Laura has started with trialling!

Modifications to do Still some bodywork to attend to – the paint is mostly okay but the battery threatens to fall out any day now. Also better shocks and springs, and maybe a snorkel because the peer pressure to wade now and again is hard to resist!

Phil uses Henry as a test bed for 3D printed parts, so there are lots of “random” bits that get fitted, break and then get refined and replaced.

Favourite green-laning trip This year with the Northern Monkeys we had a laning day and weekend camping in the Lake District. My personal favourites are: Breast High Road and Stile End. Lottery win 4x4 A fully loaded, brand new Defender 90 with V8, and keep it as a “tarmac princess”. I would not part with Henry under any circumstances though.

Favourite car related film Christine. A tale of unhealthy obsession and dangerous possession – just like owning a ‘90. There are many moments where Henry seems to be trying to kill me or save me!

Favourite biscuits Garibaldi, but they are getting hard to find.

Where can we find more details?

Find me on Facebook on the NorthernMonkey4x4/ page.

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es d i R s ' r e d Rea

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

My name is Jacob Jardine, I'm 24yrs old from Coventry, and I work for a garden centre.

Present 4x4(s) Currently I have my 2005 5 door Freelander 1 TD4 sport edition, a 1984 military series 3 Land Rover which I'm in the middle of restoring, and a Nissan Navara D40.

History of cars leading up your present 4x4 Growing up in the country my dad always had 4x4s and I've grown up loving them, so naturally my first car was always going to be one, and I bought a 1999 Freelander 1.

Modifications done Haven't really done any modifications to the Freelander as of yet apart from an induction system and light guards due to Covid and working a lot of hours.

It was a 1.8 k series model, she was a fantastic car, and a great introduction for me into the world of Land Rovers.

I went from that to another Freelander 1, this time it was the TD4 model (which I still have). I've had several Freelanders in between, and due to insurance premiums its difficult to get anything bigger than a 2 litre!!

Modifications to do I'm putting a 2" lift on and bigger Insa turbo tyres.

Currently I'm on lowered suspension shocks so they're being swapped out for new 'standard' ones. Front winch, light bars, new steel crash plate, full sports exhaust system and I think that's it!

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Favourite green-laning trip Favourite laning trip was a solo one I did last year on a track in Hunningham.

It’s about 2/3 miles long some nice little technical sections great scenery and my TD4 was completely stock.

Apart from a very muddy section where the wheels would not grip (gave it some extra power), and she handled everything the lane threw at her, and best of all there was a pub at the end destination!!

Lottery win 4x4 My dream 4x4 would be a 1965 Ford F-150, I think they look so stylish and I've wanted one since I was 5 years old!

Favourite car related film Not a film, but my favourite car show is Grand Tour Favourite biscuits Favourite biscuits.. anything with chocolate on ;)

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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

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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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