I have the good fortune of being married to a motoring enthusiast who frequently likes to go head-to-head with other drivers of double cab bakkies on a specially designed outdoor adventure trail. Even though the vehicle has good suspension and the cab is air-conditioned, I never accompany my hubby when he tackles one of these adventure trails because he insists on having the windows open to maximize the trailblazing experience. However, I like to go with him when he goes to get the car modified which is something he does a lot.

There are a variety modifications that can be made to double cab bakkies to enable them to perform better under offroad conditions but I am only interested in modifications that benefit me and my kids while our family is out and about on the city's roads. In the past he has had a bullbar, a towbar, a roof rack and a set of spotlights mounted on the outside of the vehicle. The towbar and roof rack I am in favor of because the kids love camping and we often hitch the camping trailer to the bakkie and spontaneously head out into the country on weekends.

What I like about double cab bakkies is the sense of security I get when I am in one. They are very sturdy and hug the road due to their four wheel drive capacity. I am part of a lift club with other moms in the neighborhood and we take turns to fetch the kids from school and take them to soccer practice or ballet, for example. I always feel safe in my husband’s double cab because I am situated above the traffic and can see far ahead, not to mention being able to hold my own on the road next to the minibus taxis.

However, in spite of the safety aspect of double cab bakkies, which, I might add, is very important to me, this vehicle is steadily growing on me. I struggled to get into and out of it in the beginning because it is high off the ground and I am not particularly tall. Fortunately, there was a modification available to cater for this predicament. My husband took it in straight away to have the running strips altered and I am now able to ascend and descend from the bakkie with ease due to the nifty steps set into the running board.