Iceland 2016

[bvddobb]

Most of you will have gathered from various discussions in several different topics that we are touring Iceland in our Cali currently. Since our 4Motion Cali is beefed up with the necessary modifications (raised suspension, raised air intake and vents, underside protection, etc) we haven't shied away from the Highland roads. Internet is sometimes difficult there, so no photo's etc here yet. You may become Facebook friends with Marga (Marga Beesemer): she has a lot of photo's and live videos on there already.


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[zeratul]

Following your adventures, thanks for the facebook tip.
Glad for you you saw the northern lights - that's the good thing about going this time of year.

We were there last in february this year, also an amazing time. But with a rental car (4motion Caravelle) with studded tyres.

As I'm from Belgium and we have very few companies that have experience with these modifications (even air suspension) I may have everything done in the Netherlands. When you're back, I'd like to hear who did them and if you're willing to share, what price they were.

 

[bvddobb]

Yesterday we drove from the North to Hveravellir over the F756 and the F35. F756 ('Old Kjolur') a very nice alternative to the northern part of the F35.

Today from Hveravellir to Thingvellir via the F35, F338 and F337. F337 rather challenging.


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[estresao]

Remember to share how your "off road" stuff is do8ng, there are people here about to take decissions

 

[zeratul]

Yep, same here.
Current plan is VB Air suspension, bottom engine/gearbox protection, raised air vents, raised air intakes and off road tyres.
Expensive.. but would be so much fun.

The price of a 4x4 camper rental in iceland is about 350 euro per day in high season. So a single three weeks in Iceland holiday would be EUR 7350 - it pays for itself
Okay, I've convinced myself. Now I have to convince my wife we really need this.

 

[bvddobb]

The short version is: everything is performing excellently!

The tyres are great. We have been on sand, on gravel, on rock, on stones, on pebbles, on mud, through lots of water, everything also very steep now and then: never any issue. It was good to bring a seperate compressor, so we could change the pressure when needed. No flats yet!

The air suspension is great. You don't need the extra off road bottom clearance all the time, so you can leave it in its normal setting and have the max comfort and stability on bad roads (washboards!) with still good speeds, and when you need it (fords, or really uneven stretches of road or rock, or big rocks) you activate it. Perfect! As is the auto-level (lazy campers that we are).

Raised air intakes and vents and bottom protection all perform well, haven't had a look at the bottom yet to look for 'war scars'. Don't think it can be much, we have been careful.

On the advice of Peter Seikel we didn't modify anything on the heater air intake and exhaust, and it has been keeping up well. Has been running each night!

We brought a big 'salvage kit' (two reinforced towing eyes in the front, extra jack, towing ropes, etc, etc) but luckily we haven't needed any of it yet. We will start one more mountain road run north tomorrow with a seemingly challenging ford, so let's hope we can keep it like that!



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[estresao]

Guys, I think we need a dedicated thread about off-road stuff to share information and experiences.

I'm (still) seriously thinking yo git VB Suspensions, but not 100% convinced yet.... what about punctures?

 

[estresao]

Off-road thread created https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/the-off-road-corner.15433/

 

[bvddobb]

 

[zeratul]

How brave
Still not sure I'd dare to do that in my Cali
She's only 1.5 years old...
Then again.. looks like great fun.

Was this in VB suspension off-road mode? or even max height (max 5km/h) ?

 

[estresao]

Even more.... based on the cameraman location, did you cross this river three times

Nice video, keep sharing

 

[bvddobb]

As it happened, this was in VB suspension normal mode... This crossing we forgot to raise the car... just as we forgot to switch off the lights... Shows how easily you get lax, after enough crossings...

Indeed, we crossed 3 times, just to make this movie for you guys!


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[zeratul]

Thanks for that !
You seem to build quite some confidence after a lot of crossings.
Still.. car feels a bit bouncy (left and right) especially that this is still in normal mode. Off-road or max would be even worse.

 

[bvddobb]

This was a rather rocky crossing, hence the rocking back and forth; had little to do with the suspension. Most crossings are smoother: sand, pebbles, fewer rocks.


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[bvddobb]

You seem to build quite some confidence after a lot of crossings.

The forgetting to raise was not a matter of confidence, rather of plain stupidity: being busy more with how to shoot the video than how to cross sensibly...


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[Velma's Dad]

As it happened, this was in VB suspension normal mode... This crossing we forgot to raise the car... just as we forgot to switch off the lights...

Shows how easily you get lax, after enough crossings...

Indeed, we crossed 3 times, just to make this movie for you guys!

Nice movie and looks like you've had plenty of great fording practice in Iceland.

I must admit I'd be very cautious in fording anything beyond a puddle in my Cali. I'd find it easy to get seduced by the high driving position and forget that it's just a van, not a Landcruiser... and a turbo-diesel at that, so highly sensitive if water gets near the breather. The gearbox vents are another fave place for water to get in on many vehicles, don't know about VWs though TBH.

Worst-case: trying to ford a flowing river can really be life-threatening. 60cm of water will float most cars (I've experienced that in a Landcruiser, it's buttock-clenching as the traction controls all chime away and the dashboard lights up like a nuclear plant going critical). And if you float downstream to a deeper bit the thing will then gently roll over (haven't experienced that, thank goodness).

 

[bvddobb]

it's just a van, not a Landcruiser... and a turbo-diesel at that, so highly sensitive if water gets near the breather. The gearbox vents are another fave place for water to get in on many vehicles, don't know about VWs though TBH.

Well, this particular van has raised air intake and drive train vents to just under the front window.

Worst-case: trying to ford a flowing river can really be life-threatening. 60cm of water will float most cars (I've experienced that in a Landcruiser, it's buttock-clenching as the traction controls all chime away and the dashboard lights up like a nuclear plant going critical). And if you float downstream to a deeper bit the thing will then gently roll over

We have never experienced that ourselves. In an off-road training course they taught us to open the doors if the car starts to float. You get wet carpets, but the car will sink again...

This particular ford had a line of rocks to prevent cars from washing downstream...


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[Velma's Dad]

Sounds like you are very well prepared and equipped for some serious off-roading Bart and Marga. I bet you're having a fab time in Iceland, it's spectacular.

 

[bvddobb]

Well, this is us... We bumped, rattled, shook and dived a few thousand miles along not too good roads across Iceland without any major tech issues. And now, on the way back from the ferry, we have a flat on the beach of Rømø island in Denmark!


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[zeratul]

Yesterday we drove from the North to Hveravellir over the F756 and the F35. F756 ('Old Kjolur') a very nice alternative to the northern part of the F35.

Today from Hveravellir to Thingvellir via the F35, F338 and F337. F337 rather challenging.


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Hi bvddobb,

I suppose you're back by now.
Can you list what other F-roads you did and which ones where okay, which ones a challenge?

Particulary interested in:
- F206 to Laki
- F210 which passes the beautiful Mount Maelifell
- F902 to Kverkfjoll
- F26 Sprengisandur
- F910 around Askja
- F752 Vesturdalur

Planning next years trip already
Did you visit the West Fjords?

 

[bvddobb]

We did:

South to North: F208 from Kirkjubaejarklaustur to Landmannalaugar and on to the F26 (Sprengisandur), F26 to the North (Godafoss). Stayed overnight at Holaskjol, Landmannalaugar and Nyidalur, all huts with camping facilities.
All very doable, F208 from Holaskjol to Landmannalaugar very beautiful, with several fords, none too difficult. To reach the campsite at Landmannalaugar you need to cross two fords that can be deep, depending on rain. Same on F26 shortly before and after Nyidalur hut.

North to South: F756 ('Old Kjolur' from Reykir, F35 ('Kjolur'), F338, F337 to Thingvallavatn. Stayed overnight at Hveravellir. All very doable, F35 has no fords any more, but was in very bad shape this year. Worse than any road we have done.

South to Nord again: 1 from Reykjavik, 47, 520, 52, 550 (Kaldidalur), F578, 704 to Laugarbakki. Stayed overnight in Husafell (big resort with campsite). All very doable, the ford from the video above was on the F578.

Only the F208 really needed the raised suspension to drive on (a real mountain road sometimes, with big rocks, holes, etc). All the other roads were very doable with the standard bottom clearance, except for the fords, obviously.

We didn't go to Askja (F88, F210) in the end: it had been raining a few days there before we got there, according to Icelanders the rivers in the region were too high to cross safely; the hut there had already closed; the whole region was in clouds and mist, so nothing to bee seen there.

We can highly recommend this booklet for your planning:

It is in English, you can buy it on amazon.de. From the description:

TRACKBOOK ICELAND Your indispensable companion when driving into the Highland - 58 adventure tracks in the Highland of Iceland in road-book style - Difficulty from easy to extreme, for first explorers and experts - Detailed information on river crossings, track conditions - GPS information for relevant positions - 57 track maps aligned to use with Mál og mennings mal highland map - Background on driving under specific highland conditions - Usability rating of the tracks for different vehicle types - Easy to use system to plan your individual route.

 

[zeratul]

I had no idea this book existed, brilliant tip, thanks!

Looking back at it.. what do you think an unmodified Cali (with just 2cm larger Off Road tyres) can achieve?
The required changes are expensive.

 

[zeratul]

Just stumbled across this Youtube video which clearly reminds how badly things can go wrong

 

[bvddobb]

Looking back at it.. what do you think an unmodified Cali (with just 2cm larger Off Road tyres) can achieve?

Without further modifications you will have a wade depth of approx 30 cm. That is not enough to try and do any of the routes that involve river crossings. Raised air intake and drive train vents are really the minimum you would need there. And we would throw in underside protection.

If you have raised air intake and vents and you have good weather (no prolonged periods of rain before you do them, not early in the season when all the melting takes place) I think we would dare to do nearly all the routes we did now with a 2WD van, including the crossings.
Perhaps not the middle part of the F208 (steep, uneven climbs with many rocks and pebbles here and there, difficult with 2WD but doable if you know what you do), and definitely not the F337.

If the weather is bad or you have no raised air intake etc. you can still do Old Kjolur (F756), Kjolur (F35), Kaldidalur (550). All river crossings have been eliminated there.
You can also reach Landmannalaugar from Reykjavik over tarmac roads without river crossings these days, only the last stretch is on a gravel piste, but not too bad. You would then be confined to the car park at Landmannalaugar before the crossings (which can be deep). The camping and hut are the other side of the crossings, but there is a foot bridge.
(Lanmannalaugar has beautiful surroundings, but since it has become reachable by normal car from Reykjavik, the hut, camping and hot springs have turned into a tourist trap. Far too busy, and traffic jams on the footpaths. No fun.)

Since the building of the Karahjukar dam it seems you can reach Askja without river crossings, too (as apposed to the 'normal' routes over F88 and F210). See track 1 in the book. We haven't tried that, so no idea if the road is OK for a 2WD.

[EDIT]Another question is: would we recommend going anywhere into the Highlands with a non-4WD car, unprepared? No, we wouldn't. Circumstances change quickly in Iceland, and you wouldn't be the first to get into trouble because of sudden changes.[/EDIT]

 

[bvddobb]

Just stumbled across this Youtube video which clearly reminds how badly things can go wrong

You can find many of those on Youtube. Complete modified touringcars being washed away. Nearly all of those are from Thorsmork, where the glacier rivers are notoriously unreliable.
We didn't go there. While we were in Iceland there were warnings against going there because of higher rivers and dangerous sulphuric vapours from the streams, and recurring earth quakes, all because of the increased activity of the Katla volcano under the Myrdals glacier.