Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

I think he is a biased uninformed person with a very serious case of Altzheimers. Saying in his reply he never called himself a "guru" or "doyen of all things 4x4" when it is written in black and white (no pun) in his original article I think Leisure Wheels should fire their proof reader or ASPW

He seems to lay a lot of emphasis on the fact that it is his personal opinion and he has a right to it. Sure, with that I agree, but if you sell your personal opinion to a magazine as a professional opinion, then you should base it on facts and a knowledge of the working of the vehicle. I find his knowledge of the vehicle and how the electronics works sorely lacking. Goodness, I am a female and even I have figured it out

HBannink wrote:This guy has lost any bit of credibility in my books. I used to think that he was a well educated open minded person but he has proven himself to be just another philistine that does not understand modern technology.

He lost all his credibility when I watched his DVD on recoveries.... He talks about how improtant it is to use proper recovery points and never to use the tow hitch, and in the very next scene, they snnatch a vehicle on the towball

Hi Guys,

I have the latest copy of Leisure wheels, and there's about 4 pages of whats called the ASPW / Pajero saga continues, and again.... and again....

So, I take my hat off to them for allowing even more decent people to air their opinion of ASPWs driving skills, and,
I have to agree, He seems to have the driving skills of a 4 year old with a hotwheels car.

I went on my very 1st EVER drive where rubber left tar (excluding graded dust roads of coarse) and was taken Sand-duning in the Atlantis dunes by a friend that has been off-roading for years and decided to show me the ropes.
Him in his box shape Hilux with straight 6 engine, and brand spanking new 33 inch STTs, Me in my newly acquired 'Bismark' . with 2nd hand Cooper STTs with about 40% tread left
At 1st He told me to take it slowly (those dunes look scary the 1st time you park in front of one), but after a while, I was telling him to take me to more challenging play pits, in the end, there was nothing he could do that I couldn't do, as neither me or him could tackle the wall of death.
There was actually a point where his vehicle was starting to take strain, where my Pajero was just being so suave about the situation.

The point I make is, not that I'm an awesome driver, but rather, as a beginner driver, in a 10 year old Pajero with 260,000 Km's and almost worn through tyres - I could do a better job driving the dunes than ASPW.

I can understand that accidents do happen, as although we did not once need any recovery equipment, or damage anything, (through excitement) I did manage to ground my Pajero on the third dune I climbed, but ONLY due to excitement. What I find unacceptable, is that he blames the equipment.
Kai, I must say, I have to agree about the LWB rear bumper, but for someone like ASPW, thats still no excuse, Any one who gets into a vehicle, 1st looks at it, to get an idea of what kind of clearance and angles it has, (I did my duning with my towbar lowering plate still attached - you know what that does to exit angles) and if I could cope then ASPW has no excuse.

Anyway, What I'm actually trying to say is A) Kai, don't do yourself the disservice of staying clear of Leisure wheels, at least not until you've read the next issue (where they dis him even more, and again, and again,
and B) ASPW is an idiot, and should never again be allowed to drive a Pajero.

Hi Again,

KaiV, please excuse alot of that Drivel, I just realised, your reply is one of the ones in the new issue.

Still, I maintain, dont stop reading LW just because of ASPW, youll never have to go through that again, as Im sure he actually WONT be given a Pajero to test again.

Just a point old clown face (was it McDoogle?) he he - I enjoy your pic!

The Namib Dunes are not Atlantis Dunes, not in colour, not in texture and not in size.....

Not debating anything, just a bit of education - different horses for different courses indeed...and drive style, and tyre pressure, and approach / departure angles and size of slip faces and and and....

Ek se maar net!

Cheers

4x4offroad wrote:Just a point old clown face (was it McDoogle?) he he - I enjoy your pic!

The Namib Dunes are not Atlantis Dunes, not in colour, not in texture and not in size.....

Not debating anything, just a bit of education - different horses for different courses indeed...and drive style, and tyre pressure, and approach / departure angles and size of slip faces and and and....

Ek se maar net!

Cheers

Hey 4x4, no worries, you do have a point, I thought I did cover that though in saying that If I, a complete beginner, can handle Atlantis to the point that others are impressed (using a Pajero)
then ASPW should have no problem in the Namib, as he is claimed to be on the other end of the experience spectrum.

Cheers to you to.

Guys, please refer the DSTV guide for film footage of where he drove the Pajero in the Namib. I watched it last night and it will be repeated on one or other SS channel over the next week. The Pajero was loaded with ASPW, his wife, three mini-swambos and all their luggage and gear in the back and on the roof rack. The first episode was enjoyable and he did not bad-mouth the Pajero at all, in fact, he was quite impressed with it.

What you are bound to find most interesting - and probably the sponsor as well - is the Toyota logo on the top right of the screen as Sponsor, but there was nary a Toyota to be seen during the trip. Oh, one, the guide who took him to a couple of interesting spots.


"S09/E8 - 2009/8 - Atlantic Coast To Walvis Bay Part 5'. Is there a more beautiful part of Southern Africa, than in the Namib Desert of Southern Namibia? Watch wild horses at play and take an unforgettable hot air balloon ride."


-F_D

After reading that article, I have to agree that a Toyota is a better 4x4 than a Pajero on the basis that it manages to cover up his incompetence much better. We also know that Toyota's are built to be idiot proof, hence their success in Africa which might explain something else about his character and why he badmouths Pajero's. I for one would double check any "fact" this man preaches. In fact, not being in the 4x4 community for long but having grown up in the bush and the Namib, I'd steer well clear of this man and any publication / sponsor of his.

If anybody takes the opinion seriously of a person that cannot read the tag on a sleeping bag on how to get it back in the bag, they need their brain switched on. Pierre St White tried to roll/fold up a sleepingbag to get it back into the carrybag, it's not called a stuff bag for nothing. He then biched about it in his article. Suppose its like driving a "4x2" Fortuner only to be corrected by the public that youre in a 4x4. (hit is name with a plank there) You're supposed to STUFF it back into the carrybag. AND then he wants to drive a 4x4 and give comments. I think he should stay at home and admire video clips of real 4x4 drivers on utube