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Hi Bushman B

Before the road from Upington to TR was tarred om our first trip to the then Gemsbok Park we took a fold-up caravan from Cape Town to Nossob. I must tell you that repairs were required when it got back home but it worked well for us on the trip. We took it slow and made sure there was nothing unsecured in the van. Please let us know how your trip goes.

Dan

Hi there Len,
My 2 cents worth as a caravaner with a "normal" caravan. Stopovers to consider are: Clanwilliam dam, Garies(basic) but busy over flower season, 2 parks at Springbok, Definitely Augrabies, Upington (Die Eiland). By what has been said I would also plan to caravan at Twee Rivieren and chalet the other camps. Been around the country a few times in the past 35 years including Zim 1996 and Namibia 1999. Etosha had good gravel roads but fine powdery sand to filter into van. A tip for vanners: To avoid the van filling up with fine sand open your front window onto the second catch, this forms a vacuum of sorts and no fine sand in the van. Hope you have a stunning visit to KTP. Another place we have not been to yet, but will get there in the next year or two. Regards, Delene. PS: Take time out to visit a little place called Pella (turnoff is about 10 kms west of Pofadder). I believe tarred all the way and about 20kms from main road. The nuns will take you around the cathedral built by a bishop and a priest many years ago from a plan in an encyclopaedia). Enjoy!

Agree, an ordinary caravan to TR and no further.
Remember an open front window on the van sucks in all the dirt and dust from the tow vehicles rear wheels, so only open on tar roads. Otherwise use masking tape to seal all openings/seams.
I use the Vanrhynsdorp, Nieuwoudtville, Loeriesfontein Brandvlei, Kenhardt, Upington road. Boring but straight, shorter and with less lorries.
You can always make a first stopover at Vanrhysdorp but I have no info on the camping there.
I leave CT early with one stop at Upington before TW. I dont stop over at the usual Eiland campsite in Upington, too busy, too noisy. I overnight at a place/farm just outside Upington on the right hand side of the road going north towards KTP. Not sure about the facilities as Im selfsufficient, so phone first. One can take a nice drive looking for animals and the braai lapa with the night creatures visiting while you sit in absolute silence is super.
Enjoy.

O.K. I've read all the comments and maybe I'm missing something but what is the problem about towing to the other camps exactly? We have a 4x4 bakkie and have taken it and our ordinary van to some places in Mocambique where folk only go with off-roaders. I understand normal sedan cars can travel to Nossob and Mata so in that case an ordinary van should be able to do the trip: My SO does not like the idea of day trips - reckons its too much driving every day - he wants to do short morning and afternoon trips and rest up during the day We are particularly interested in ordinary 'vanning now as we have discovered on our recent (8 day, 3 stop) Kruger trip, using our tent as a test for KTP, that we have too many aches and pains now for the tenting story, so have been thinking of using our ordinary van for KTP next year.

The problem is the corrugation on the roads in the park. The roads frequently suffer from extreme corrugation which will cause damage to normal caravans (and probably even to the off-road models).

Thanks a lot for this info . Got to figure differently now on how we are going to do our dream trip

Camping in Nossob is great. The ground is not too hard and there are some nice trees. Take your Salusa 45 with you Ruth!

Hey BB - the sprit is willing but the mechanical bits are giving notice - don't think Salusa 45 will do the trick there. But haven't totally given up on the tenting issue as we just have to see the KTP!!

GerhardF
Please give me more info on your trip and with what motormome did you do it
Thanks Daan

Hi - We are currenlty booked in @ Nossob for 9 nights in 1st week of OCT but we are worried abour roads condition etc - as we are towing a caravan with a 2 X 4 Kia Sportage. Will we make it from TR to Nossob? I have read all the older posts on this matter but anybody been there recently who can inform ?

We had a similar query a little while back and from the replies its a no no.

We were advised that the corrugations on the road are the biggest problem. In addition I have gathered that you cannot go straight from TR to Nossob as there is a section of that road near TR which is under construction.

The alternate road I feel sure will not take a caravan. It is referred to as the "upper dune road" (I think) so to me that means a lot of steepish ups and downs. So unless it is a special off roader with a short wheelbase and you lower tyre pressure on your vehicle and the 'van very considerably and travel very slowly I would think you've got problems with taking a caravan.

Most of the advice I've read with caravans is "park at TR and do day trips".

We've decided to use our tent for our proposed May trip - We have an off road trailer with high ground clearance and short wheelbase and even on that we are still undecided if we will take it or pack our vehicle instead, with roof rack if necessary.

Hope this helps

Cheers

We've seen a caravan at Mata Mata in a terrible condition when the people arrived there. All the inside cupboards were on the floor ... ripped from the caravan's inside. Poor people! We really felt sorry for them as they were so dissappointed and nobody told them it would happen.

Thanks for the advice Billieboy & Bertru. Decision is made - busy converting our booking to TR but 1 night in the middle of our stay at TR has NO campsite availibility so now we are snookered!

Don't give up - just check every day with booking office - possibly someone has booked but then doesn't pay in time and a site will become available. Otherwise, I've read of folk parking their trailer/van at TR (near the shop or office) and going to a wilderness camp - so, even though it will be a bit of a fag to set up twice maybe you could consider a one night booking somewhere else, maybe even an ordinary chalet at Nossob or maybe MM?

Ruthp is correct.

You might get awesome sightings there & back.