CANOPY FOR MY FIAT FULLBACK

I have recently retired and purchased a Fiat Fullback, with which I hope to do many outings to remote parts of Southern Africa. It was to be my wife’s first camping experience and the purchase of equipment was the easy part, which included the most comfortable chair, kitchen and bed of her choice. This whole process was done in a hurry as my wife had to get leave approved as we did not want to miss the window of Augrabies Falls at its peak. I had already promised her a visit to Vic Falls that never materialised owing to the pandemic. Upon our arrival at the camping spot in Keimoes, the intense 40 °C heat knocked me into zombie mode. Because of the rush before we left Johannesburg, I had not pitched the new tent and it was up to my wife to attempt this task. Eventually, the farm owner, his wife, son and daughter-in-law were dragged into the fray. Only once the tent was finally up, did they find the instructions in the peg pocket. The Fiat only has a tonneau cover and this proved to be another challenge when trying to pack all the gear under it. Since I was still in the process of acclimatising to the intense heat, the cover could not be sealed resulting in the ingress of dust after taking the dirt road between Keimoes and Kakamas. Fortunately, my wife has recovered from the “camping shock” and I am now in the market for a canopy.

ANTON COETZEE

Via Mail

[Anton, congratulations on embarking on your first adventure post-retirement. If it’s the 2,4-litre Fullback, you have an underrated double-cab on your hands and is one I enjoy looking out for. I am no 4x4 camping expert but having spoken to those in the know, double cabs – even those with canopies – are notoriously useless at keeping out dust. The best option is to have the load bay rubberised by a professional to seal all the ventilation holes, use a quality sealant along the longer gaps; and fill larger hidden spaces with dust resistant foam. The expensive option of an aluminium unit will be your best bet, too – editor.]