Caravan trouble in Kaokoland
Not even the eggs broke
My wife and I joined the McCarthy 4×4 Club on a tour of the Kaokoveld last year. On this holiday, I decided it was time to prove the guys wrong who say you can’t take a caravan over Van Zyl’s Pass.
My Nissan Hardbody, which was towing a Jurgens Oryx caravan, made it over the worst parts of the pass without too much trouble. Here and there I had to slow down at the tour leader’s insistence, but we got through and I thought I’d made it.
I had just started to relax my attention and pat myself on the shoulder when we crossed paths with a boulder the size of half a rugby ball. It tipped the caravan, which landed on its side. Luckily, the bakkie remained upright.
The other guys on the tour quickly jumped in and winched the caravan upright. The damage wasn’t too serious – not even the eggs broke and the fridge didn’t move an inch. We completed the rest of the tour without incident.
If I’d remained vigilant, the caravan would have made it through without any problems, and those who don’t want to believe would have seen. But occasionally we all get caught out.
This happened to Mac McMenamin from Pretoria.
