Why not celebrate at the Rust de Winter 4 x 4 Trail!

Toyota has invited all Land Cruiser owners to be part of these celebrations taking place on the weekend of 29 April to 2 May 2011 on the banks of the Elands River – and they will stand a chance to win some handsome prizes as well!


This year’s Toyota Rust de Winter jamboree, the 32^nd consecutive year that this event will be held, is indeed special as this popular 4x4 gathering will be dedicated to the celebration of 60 years of the iconic Land Cruiser brand.
 
The Rust de Winter Land Cruiser competition will take place on Saturday, 30 April, and owners stand a chance to win cash prizes in the following three categories:

• The Oldest Running Land Cruiser – (oldest at Rust de Winter by age)
• The Oldest Original Land Cruiser – (oldest without any conversions, accessories or extras)
• Best Kitted-out Land Cruiser – (the best accessorised as per the judge’s discretion)

 Dirk van Wyk, spokesperson for the organisers, the ATV Club, says that a lot of entertainment has been planned for spectators and competitors, such as a special gymkhana on Saturday 30 April.
 
“The gymkhana consists of varied obstacles on a course, which have been designed to pose a challenge for drivers and co-drivers. It is a fun-filled event and promises to be high in spectator value as the various competitors compete against each other,” says Van Wyk. Competitors will also be tested on the long and challenging mountain-route, scheduled for Sunday 1 May.


To enter, owners can complete the competition entry form available online at www.toyota.co.za or pick up an entry form at Rust de Winter. Entrants must register by 10 am on Saturday, 30 April and judging will take place from 10 am to 11 am. The winners will be announced at 12 pm and each category winner will receive R3 500 in cash. Rules for the competition are available on the Toyota website.
 
The Toyota Rust de Winter jamboree has evolved over the years into a fun-filled family weekend with challenging events for both 4x4 and 4x2 enthusiasts. The routes through the ATV Organisation’s 22ha site has seen various updates and changes to ensure that all competitors start on equal footing and as always there will be a wide array of activities for the participants.
 
Children will again, in true Toyota Rust de Winter tradition and again with the generous sponsorship of Continental SA, be well catered for by the various activities at the dedicated children play-area, while live entertainment are on the menu for mom and dad at the end of each day’s challenges.
 
Rust de Winter is situated approximately 25 km east of Pienaarsrivier, when driving on the N1 to Polokwane.

Top fuel saving tips in our tough times

1. Get it Checked: Modern car engines are complicated pieces of machinery which rely on a vast array of electronic components that can easily fail. To ensure maximum efficiency from your engine, have your car serviced regularly by a recognised garage. The money spent can make you savings in the long term.

2. 'Tread Carefully’: Ensure that your tyres are always inflated to the correct pressure. Tyres which are under inflated by even a small amount can increase fuel consumption noticeably. Check them at least once per month, try to check pressures when the tyres are warm after a short drive as ‘cold’ tyres give a false low pressure reading.

3. Lose Weight: Never carry unnecessary weight in the car as it will reduce efficiency. Golf clubs, push chairs, tool boxes etc can 'weigh down' a car so remove them when they are not needed. Also remove roof racks, cycle racks, storage boxes etc when they are not being used as they affect the aerodynamics of the car.

4. Hot & Cold: Do not waste fuel by warming the car before a journey. However a warm engine is more efficient than a cold one so try to carry out all your trips in succession so that the engine does not get cold between stops.

5. Plan Ahead: Take a little time to plan your journeys to avoid congestion, to ensure you take the best route and that you know exactly where you are going. An unplanned detour because you are lost can be a very costly error in terms of wasted fuel. Plan you day's trips so that you avoid unnecessary duplication of the same journey.

6. Slow Down: By reducing your average speed by just a few KM/H can have noticeable effect on your fuel consumption and your wallet. Driving at 112 KM/H uses 9% more fuel than driving at 95 KM/H. Cruising at 125 KM/H (a recent suggestion to raise the motorway limit) uses a staggering 25% more fuel than driving at 112 KM/H.

7. Nice and Easy does it: Most drivers could save a significant amount of fuel by simply reading the road further ahead and slowing earlier for traffic lights and other hazards thus avoiding unnecessary acceleration, heavy braking and then acceleration while pulling away again.  Carrying out these manoeuvres in a steady more controlled way will not add to your journey time but will reduce your fuel bill.

Driving more 'gently' avoiding harsh acceleration and using the gearbox to gain a higher gear more quickly could possibly be the best fuel efficient tip. Where possible change up before reaching 2,500 rpm (petrol) 2,000 rpm (diesel). If you are in a long hold up and you are stationary for more than a couple of minutes switch your engine off to save fuel. Modern cars use virtually no extra fuel when they are re-started without pressing the accelerator.

Most newer cars have an indicator showing fuel consumption, normally expressed in kilometres per 100 which is constantly monitoring your driving efficiency. Make a greater effort to improve this figure on every journey. It can become quite addictive to try and increase the mpg shown.

8. Keep Your Cool: Most newer cars are fitted with air conditioning. If the extra cooling is not needed by you or your passengers switch the air conditioning off to reduce demand on the engine. However, the system must not be turned off for long periods as harmful bacteria can build up and could prove costly to repair. Use air conditioning sparingly but ensure it is on for several minutes at least every couple of weeks.

Remember, at higher speeds opening car windows may save the use of the air conditioning but it will increase the 'drag' on the car thus outweighing the fuel saving. So keep windows and sun roofs closed on faster roads.

9. Exploring for fuel: The price of fuel can vary greatly between different brands. However, if it requires an extra journey to seek out where to save a few pence per litre there may not be an overall saving in money. Try to remember where the best deals are and fill up when you are passing rather than make a separate journey.

10. A bit drastic: If you are able to avoid just one journey each week by walking or cycling the saving of money at the end of the year could be substantial.

If you are thinking of changing your car consider carefully your true needs as it may be possible to swap to a smaller, more fuel efficient model. Due to recent regulations in general terms the newer the car the more fuel efficient it is likely to be. All new cars have to have clear details as to their fuel efficiency. — Newspress.