Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

Hedgehog - 3rd leg of round the world - Southern Africa

_MG_3712.JPG
_MG_3848.JPG
_MG_3856.JPG
_MG_3881.JPG
_MG_3891.JPG
_MG_3922.JPG
_MG_3969.JPG
_MG_4009.JPG
_MG_4066.JPG
_MG_4094.JPG


That's it.......
 
Amazing pictures! I have enjoyed following your progress on FB. Looking forward to the next leg.

How has Hedgehog 2.0 performed during your extensive touring, anything you would change from your original design/set up. On the face of it it looks like the 100 series has done you proud.
 
Amazing pictures! I have enjoyed following your progress on FB. Looking forward to the next leg.

How has Hedgehog 2.0 performed during your extensive touring, anything you would change from your original design/set up. On the face of it it looks like the 100 series has done you proud.

The mechanical set-up I'm pretty happy with. Replaced both the Tough Dog shocks with same after 70,000 hard miles @ full GVM. Most of the stuff we had go wrong/wore out was after-market items e.g. Swing out wheel carrier bearing worn from corrugations; under-belly plates lost a couple of bolts from vibrations; the Warn Zeon winch controls went intermittent at one point (not sure why as working now and havent stripped down yet - clutch was in free-spool); 3rd battery tray mounting bracket broke; spare wheel mounting bracket sheared

In terms of the truck - NSF indicator cluster fell out (lost retaining popper) and most importantly we broke one of the two rear axle lateral bars (connects the bracket on top of the banjo with the chassis and stops the axle from twisting). We are not sure when this broke as it didnt shear but partly fractured - spotted by Toyota during service. So the other one took all the strain and some time later we noticed that this had fractured too. Possibly something happened in the container stuffing/devanning process or potentially on the road......but what caused it we will never know. The only other things we had were we finally got to the bottom of rattle from the rear hand-brake shoe assy (loads of mechanics couldnt find it......but I had a proper look myself and a specialist in Cape Town too) which was the shoes have little spacer tabs on them which sit on the back-plate - one had worn a dip/hole on the backplate (lower shoe) and thus had play in it - this caused by corrugations and probably not applying a little copper ease to help. Also had a fuel filter gunge up from bad diesel and replaced. One u/j on the front prop was a bit worn and replaced as a precaution. Track rod ends - one rubber torn (by acacia/bush) and replaced as a precaution. Lower control arm ball-joint rubber torn (same) but drove 'dry/unsealed' for 15000 miles - fix when we get home as could only get the whole arm replaced. Labour is cheap in Africa so best to get stuff done there where possible.

Nothing stopped the car and issues were mostly nuisance/cosmetic

Only other items were that I didn't take a spare water filter for the Seagull water filter - this got steadily gunged up with really poor water that we had to fill up with in the remote parts - the water came out clean but very slow to pass through the filter. Old style BFG ATs definitely have a harder rubber but this seems to more readily chunk-off on the rough gravel roads - the KO2s were much better.

The rear upper tailgate position had to be re-adjusted/tightened as the corrugations had caused one of the hinges to work loose

This is an ultra-harsh environment and we were fully loaded - just to add to the strain on the car - but at over 20,500 miles in Africa at about 40/60 off-road/tar, (35k miles @ 30/70 in N Am and 10k @ 20/80 in Europe in the last 2.5 years) the car dealt with everything we threw at it. Its a nice car to overland with.

Things I'd change? We still haven't used the hot water shower

The additional solar panel and 2nd leisure battery worked a dream
IMG_6846[1].JPG
 
where was the cottage?
Looks lk
ike something from the West of Ireland
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
where was the cottage?
Looks lk
ike something from the West of Ireland
The fishermans cottages were photographed at Arniston on the south coast of South Africa, not far from Cape Aghulas. We live in the south west UK and it we found it quite interesting how much use of thatch there was in Africa too.
 
The fishermans cottages were photographed at Arniston on the south coast of South Africa, not far from Cape Aghulas. We live in the south west UK and it we found it quite interesting how much use of thatch there was in Africa too.
Found similar style in remote coastal southern Chile
 
The mechanical set-up I'm pretty happy with. Replaced both the Tough Dog shocks with same after 70,000 hard miles @ full GVM. Most of the stuff we had go wrong/wore out was after-market items e.g. Swing out wheel carrier bearing worn from corrugations; under-belly plates lost a couple of bolts from vibrations; the Warn Zeon winch controls went intermittent at one point (not sure why as working now and havent stripped down yet - clutch was in free-spool); 3rd battery tray mounting bracket broke; spare wheel mounting bracket sheared

In terms of the truck - NSF indicator cluster fell out (lost retaining popper) and most importantly we broke one of the two rear axle lateral bars (connects the bracket on top of the banjo with the chassis and stops the axle from twisting). We are not sure when this broke as it didnt shear but partly fractured - spotted by Toyota during service. So the other one took all the strain and some time later we noticed that this had fractured too. Possibly something happened in the container stuffing/devanning process or potentially on the road......but what caused it we will never know. The only other things we had were we finally got to the bottom of rattle from the rear hand-brake shoe assy (loads of mechanics couldnt find it......but I had a proper look myself and a specialist in Cape Town too) which was the shoes have little spacer tabs on them which sit on the back-plate - one had worn a dip/hole on the backplate (lower shoe) and thus had play in it - this caused by corrugations and probably not applying a little copper ease to help. Also had a fuel filter gunge up from bad diesel and replaced. One u/j on the front prop was a bit worn and replaced as a precaution. Track rod ends - one rubber torn (by acacia/bush) and replaced as a precaution. Lower control arm ball-joint rubber torn (same) but drove 'dry/unsealed' for 15000 miles - fix when we get home as could only get the whole arm replaced. Labour is cheap in Africa so best to get stuff done there where possible.

Nothing stopped the car and issues were mostly nuisance/cosmetic

Only other items were that I didn't take a spare water filter for the Seagull water filter - this got steadily gunged up with really poor water that we had to fill up with in the remote parts - the water came out clean but very slow to pass through the filter. Old style BFG ATs definitely have a harder rubber but this seems to more readily chunk-off on the rough gravel roads - the KO2s were much better.

The rear upper tailgate position had to be re-adjusted/tightened as the corrugations had caused one of the hinges to work loose

This is an ultra-harsh environment and we were fully loaded - just to add to the strain on the car - but at over 20,500 miles in Africa at about 40/60 off-road/tar, (35k miles @ 30/70 in N Am and 10k @ 20/80 in Europe in the last 2.5 years) the car dealt with everything we threw at it. Its a nice car to overland with.

Things I'd change? We still haven't used the hot water shower

The additional solar panel and 2nd leisure battery worked a dreamView attachment 137920
Thanks for the detailed reply Steve. Your experience just goes to show how well Toyotas engineering and design stands up to hard use, especially verses the aftermarket kit. Even the premium aftermarket kit is only so good, and it is frustrating when you buy quality kit and then have to adjust it to fit as intended.

Handy to know that rear axle lateral bars are one to keep an eye on when overlanding and running at GVW.

It's pleasing to here how well the 100 has performed during your intensive use.
 
I’m impressed with this trip and the way the 100 performed. You and Toyota should be proud!

Thanks for all the efforts posting Steve :thumbup:
 
Back
Top