Choosing a 4x4 fitment centre: the questions to ask before anyone picks up a spanner
A fitment centre will bolt hundreds of kilograms onto your bakkie, so it pays to ask about weight, wiring, brands and paperwork before you book the work.
Planning your first December overland tripbookings, the vehicle, power and park rules
A practical order of work for a first long trip in the summer holidays, from when national park bookings open to what to check on a loaded vehicle before you leave home.
Guide · Sandtracks Desk · 5 min read
October 2026
In this edition
- Fitment & trailer directory83 workshops, trailer builders and canopy makers, each with its sources and the date we checked.
- Campsites173 sites in all nine provinces. Filter for dogs, power and fires.
- Trails & passes40 routes with the operator’s own grading and permit rules.
- Gear, on paper4 spec comparisons from manufacturer data. Not hands-on tests.
- Guides11 planning notes and data guides, every one with sources.
Cover: Sani Pass road from the escarpment rim near the South Africa/Lesotho border. Photo: Vaiz Ha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
When things run
Lebombo Eco Trail
Mafunyane Eco Trail
Whales off Sodwana
Who fits it, who builds it
There’s no national list of 4x4 fitment centres and off-road trailer builders. So we’re making one, province by province, with links straight to each business.
Pick a province
Campsites and trails, with the facts you check before you book: pets, power, fires, and whether the last stretch needs low range.
- Western Cape28
- Northern Cape20
- Eastern Cape23
- KwaZulu-Natal27
- Free State21
- Gauteng21
- North West21
- Mpumalanga28
- Limpopo24
Gear, on paper
The makers’ own published numbers in one table, with a plain explanation of what each one means once you’re on gravel.
Spec comparison · not hands-on tested
- Rooftop tents 6 models
- 12V fridges 5 models
- Awnings 5 models
- Recovery gear 6 models
| Model | Published weight (kg) | Mattress thickness (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3-RAlu-Cab | 76 | 70 |
| StealthEezi-Awn | 90 | 80 |
| Series 40th Edition (1.4 m)Eezi-Awn | not published | 65 |
| Stargazer Deluxe New Gen (1.4 m)Howling Moon | 56 | 80 |
| BunduTop (Standard)BunduTec | 73 | 100 |
From the desk
All guidesDog-friendly campsites in the Western Cape: what we could confirm
We checked the published pet rules for all 22 Western Cape campsites in our listings. Two say dogs are welcome, most say no, and here is how to check the rest.
Gauteng: where to get the bakkie kitted out, and where to camp and drive close to home
Gauteng has more fitment centres, trailer builders and canopy makers in our directory than any other province, and a growing list of camps and 4x4 venues within an hour of Pretoria or Johannesburg.
- Northern Cape camping and 4x4: a province guide for long distances
- Off-road trailer builders in South Africa: what to compare before you buy
- Powering a 12V fridge off-grid: how to work out the battery, solar and wiring
- Recovery basics before your first 4x4 trail
- Rooftop tent season: how to read the spec sheets before you buy
- Western Cape camping and 4x4: a province guide
Free listing
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