Just right

2009 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 2.4 PUMA 110 SC HC It’s not dust-proof, not water-tight, and certainly not speedy on the freeway, but when the combination of Land Rover Defender and Jurgens Xcape ventures off the beaten track, it comes into its own, says Louis Botha from Johannesburg. I purchased the Landy in 2013 as a used model with 89 000 km on the clock and in excellent condition. The HC in the name refers to the high-capacity load bin, as it’s a bit wider than the regular Defender pickups, and it certainly comes in handy when you have extra space to load more items. More out of habit than anything else I tow our 2014 Jurgens Xcape with a Trapezium stabiliser, which in our experience is the best out there when it comes to towing safely. With the Defender I tow at around 100 km/h, and with the Xcape hitched I average about 11,7 ℓ/100 km at the pumps and can even get right down to 9 ℓ/100 km without it on the bar. I also tow with a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4.0 but there’s a massive difference in the cost of fuel between the two and you have to sacrifice packing space with the Jeep. But the Wrangler does redeem itself with superior ride comfort over the Land Rover over longer distances – especially when towing. Both the Land Rover and Jeep are very comfortable off the beaten track, but what’s even more impressive is that they can tow without a fuss in almost any environment. I prefer camping out in the wild where there are more animals than humans but also enjoy places like Thaba Monate, Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park and ATKV’s Eiland Spa and Natalia.