(The information is listed consecutively and contains some very interesting details. Just scroll through for more details).
Service and maintenance in Morocco
- 30 December 2024 / Agadir; engine service / km 213,452
- 19 January 2025 / Sidi Ifni; general vehicle inspection and wheel change / km 215,735
Driving in the desert puts more strain on a vehicle than in normal traffic and this is taken into account in the operating instructions, i.e. the regular maintenance intervals are halved. So our Jeep was also exposed to increased stress from Merzouga and the first sandstorm also put a strain on the other systems. In addition to the engine, the air filter was clogged with sand. Our Jeep has a washable K&N air filter; after cleaning and drying, the lamellas were carefully oiled again. We then went to the Jeep branch in Agadir, where the engine oil and the oil filter were replaced. Surprisingly, the oil filter for our diesel engine was in stock there.
After the second desert excursion, another vehicle check was carried out, where all oil levels were checked and topped up if necessary. The air filter was not particularly dirty, so it did not need to be washed.
The steering knuckles on the front axle were lubricated and all the rubber seals on the front and rear axles were maintained.
The brake pads were checked for wear, which revealed that the rear brake pads would need to be replaced soon.
After visually inspecting all the mounting screws and attachments, the wheels were adjusted according to the operating manual.
The constant malfunction of the driver’s airbag could not be rectified. The bumpy rides were probably too much for the sensitive sensor technology. Let’s hope that the airbag does not deploy when it is not needed.
30 November 2024 / Roquetas de Mar (Almería)
209,609 km / new brake callipers on the rear axle and minor maintenance work
Despite the vague recommendation of the mechanic at the Jeep garage in Cartagena, I no longer trusted the rear leaking brake calliper; more and more brake fluid was dripping out of it. Since such brake callipers are difficult to obtain even for the official Jeep dealer and the delivery time was uncertain, I decided to order these parts directly from a German after-market supplier where they were in stock and offered me express delivery.
After three days, the longed-for package arrived at the campsite in Spain and I immediately got to work. The brake callipers were replaced on both sides, the guide pins were serviced and, with Chantal’s help, the brake system was bled.
Further minor maintenance work was also pending and for our onward journey we relocated our wheels in accordance with the maintenance book. So we should be prepared for the Spanish Sierras – the test drive – and Morocco.
Losing weight
Autumn 2024
After the problems with the wheel bearings, which were, among other things, caused by the total weight of the vehicle, we decided to make our ‘RuGa’ lighter. So far, I (Tom) have designed the entire interior out of steel and textured coated plywood. The advantage was that I could process and weld the steel myself and when choosing the textured coated plywood, I always selected the most stable thicknesses. This way we already had a decent total weight without any additional load. In the end, with all the additional load, we were about 200 kg over the permissible total weight! Read More