Buffalo Campers

I have just returned from SA having rented a Toyota Hilux from Buffalo Campers 4x4 for a two week self drive safari through Botswana and would NOT wish anyone to have the same experience we did. Our group had three vehicles in total supplied by Buffalo Campers and its hard to say which was worse - the condition of the vehicles or the attitude of Vaughan Corlett the business owner. He ranks amongst the surliest, most rude and unhelpful individuals i've ever met, and his vehicles are without doubt the most hotch botch, poorly maintained, bodged i've ever driven. In the UK they would, without exception, all fail any MOT or road test. Perhaps a blowing exhaust, bald and irregularly worn tyres, broken lights and whining bearings are relatively unimportant when driving off road in Africa, but running on three cylinders, seized differentials, burnt out alternators, molten and bare wiring earthing on the body work and fridges that simply weren't wired in are surely major failings when venturing into the middle of the Kalahari. Not to mention missing equipment, a lack of tools, empty gas cylinders and very smelly tents. When questioned on the state of the vehicles (not to mention that we had booked and paid for three and he presents us with only two when we arrive), his complete lack of preparation for our arrival and only a fraction of the equipment we had specifically been promised, his attitude was 'like it or lump it'! In fact what he actually said on a Sunday morning when we arrived after a 12 hour flight from the UK was "if you don't like it, f**k off". Clearly we were a captive audience with very few options or alternatives. We managed to return to collect an additional vehicle from him the following day, at which point we also had to replace one of the vehicles that we had only just collected the previous day as the diff seized up - thankfully better then, than when we were hundreds of kms from civilisation! We also managed to nurse the vehicles along for the two weeks, but only as we had a couple of very handy guys with us that are quite mechanically minded and with the assistance of the Toyota dealership in Maun, who dropped everything to help us repair two alternators within a two hour window. However, unless you are a qualified mechanic, with plenty of spares, tools and wish to spend more time in the engine bay, than watching game, then take my advice, and steer very clear of Buffalo Campers - spend the extra money and get a decent vehicle!

Buffalo Campers, who rented a vehicle to me, in which I was subsequently involved in an accident. My wife, who was driving the vehicle, suffered a broken neck. The accident occurred on the 02/05/2010 - at about 1.30pm in Botswana she was flown to Johannesburg from Maun.

The vehicle that was hire was a Toyota Hilux 4x4 with caravan - having a foldaway tent mounted on its roof. I took the vehicle on the 29th as far as Zeerust on the N4 and stayed in a chalet for the night. During this first period of our journey we noticed that the radio did not work or the CD player. The cigarette lighter used to power the sat nav did not work - the sat nav we hired went flat. The heater did not work. When reversing in the dark at Zeerust the reverse lights did not work. We continued our journey to Francistown were we stayed the night and realised that the vehicle tended to wonder from side to side and speeds higher that 100 KPH. There was also section on the road that had pot holes and we drove in a manor as to avoid hitting them and causing damage to the vehicle and tyres. I drove from Francistown to Nata were we stayed from something like an hour, bought some gift items from the shop and a soft drink to refresh ourselves and wondered around to have a look. I then took the vehicle a Little way from Nata and Teresa then took over the driving. Teresa also drove to avoid the pot holes prior to the accident although my wife does not remember the accident I am assuming that as she approached a pot hole she turned the steering wheel and the vehicle turned sharply to avoid the pot hole the vehicle went out of control and rolled into the bush. The Air Bags did not deploy on both the drivers side and passenger side. No other vehicle was involved.

When the Botswana police attended the scene, they noted that the licence disc on the windscreen was dated 2008 - together with the faults with the vehicle make me suspect that the maintenance of the vehicle was not to a sufficient standard for a vehicle rented out to the public, there is a duty of care here. There should be records of the service history of the vehicle to show that repairs and maintenance was carried at a regular basis and for accounts and tax purposes. The owner of Buffalo Campers, Mr Vaughan Colette who rented the vehicle to me will not provide this information. I believe that there was a lack of maintenance due to none functioning of electrics and the large side to side movement of the vehicle at over 100kph - this would have contributed to the loss of control and if properly maintained may have prevented the accident altogether.