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@Luke K P @Aser @Shaun J @Julien Recan @msa @Robk @Rk ram @Frans M @Cristian Good morning all, In preparation for tomorrow, please ensure that your car is ready, and any unnecessary item is removed. We will have high dunes, and will try to maintain a steady pace, you don't want to be disturbed by things moving around. The exit point is a bit far from Dubai, consider sufficient allowance if you have a program for lunch or in the afternoon! I will issue the convoy order by the end of the afternoon, stay tuned.

Noted @Mohit Gurnani. Thank you for informing early. See you next time

@Looper i have to remove myself as im traviling tomorrow. see you in next drive.

If your budget is 15-20k and you want to start enjoying the desert, i would recommend keeping it stock or a minimum on mods and using the extra budget on maintenance to get the car in a good technical condition. Most of the cars in this price range have been neglected and will need fresh fluids, spark plugs, bushings, etc. unless you are lucky to find one where the previous owner did all the proper maintenance. There are not many options in 7-seater for that budget. The R51 Pathfinder is a good option, but a 3.8 Pajero is a good option too. I find the Mitsubishi to be the more reliable option.

Yes @Gaurav i will join the drive.

Ps. Most probably after 5 drives I'll be removing core

1) AT tires it has, 265/70r18 2) I was testing deflators and inflator(dobinsons has to come tomorrow) 3) core removal is nice(i did it when doing edi desert course), but for 4 tires anyway it will take total 3 mins if you are very speedy and experienced, so to put deflator on 4 tires in summary is giving almost same result.

Are you using key to deflate? You can deflate 1 tire in 10-15 sec with valve core removal technique. Also why deflating to 14 on Expedition (too heavy). Does it has AT tires, if yes, then its fine. If on stock HT tires better stick to 16 for first few drives until you get used to desert driving with deflated tires. At 14 on HT tire, you risk of getting pop-out (tire off the wheel) under some fast sideway descent by mistake.

Im using amazon brand some conper or conpex since last 3 years and its still working, although my usage is limited to 5-6 time a year. My light came with remote too to switch from white light to yellow and dim options for 50% and 25%. But remote stopped working maybe due to bad quality or my mishandling.

Bothe are good options, but I would incline on Pajero more, although I am not a usual Pajero advocate for Gen 3 but putting against R51 Pathfinder I think Gen 3 will be inch better. You can also read my very old thread but it has very good info to know before you make up your choice. Ignore pricing or move couple of years up as a ballpark resale value. Important part is to pay extra attention to power-to-weight ratio.

Hi @JeromeFJ dropping out of this one as I’ll most likely be busy on Saturday afternoon, so don’t want to hold up a spot. Have a great one!

Dear Desertnauts almost time for the beginning of the weekend, and for our opening drive. The meeting point, just posted, will be just past an underpass on E95 Nahil Rd.. We'll briefly follow the track, before turning right into the sand, with a plan of reaching a couple of nice bowls and star dunes, on the way to our possible exit along the Sweihan-Al Ain Rd. Not much else to say about the itinerary, other than it should be around 65 Km long, and that as we cross sabkhas and taller dunes we should remain very vigilant, looking to avoid any mud patches, collapsed ridges, and breaks or holes on the dunes' slip-faces. Safety first (in case we'll encounter any of those situations, we'll keep going, speeding up the pace, and using speed as a substitute for other adrenaline-generating passages). The convoy order at the moment should be: @Marek in Second Lead @zak at #3 @lucas amat at #4 @Brett Eicher at #5 and @Hani Howeedy in Sweep. See you all tomorrow, a little before 3:00 PM. Enjoy the end of the week.

Dear Desertnauts Welcome to this Newbia and above drive. First note is for @James Dunlop: as an Absolute Newbie, please make sure you'll have viewed with attention the brifing attached to the drive's post, and below: For all other members ( @Andrew John Melvill, @Dariush Eghtedari, @Martin Schwaiger, @Talal H, @Vijay Cowlagi, @Matt - monkeywrench, @Nicolò, @Ahmed Wagdy, @Guido Ferriani, @Abdul Hanaan, @Damian and @Luke K P), this will (should) be a relaxing afternoon drive. We'll surely feel like we are in a desert (after all, heat is one of deserts' defining conditions), but as we progress into the afternoon, it will get much more comfortable, and we should be able to enjoy a nice sunset. A complete briefing will be given a few minutes into the drive, to familiarize everyone with basic off-roading skills and security guidelines. I will announce the convoy order just before leaving the meeting and deflation point. Please, try to arrive slightly before 3:00 PM, so we may check all the cars' conditions, help with the deflation, and insure a timely departure. Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday afternoon. Enjoy the end of the week.

Thanks @Andrew John Melvill. I will add you. See you on Saturday

Thanks Ale, can confirm that I would love to join this drive.

Hi @Andrew John Melvill. I can add you to the drive if you wish to confirm you'd like to join. Please let me know. Thanks

Hope I can be bumped up from the waitlist for this drive, have had to pull out of the Saturday morning Fewbie drive due to weekend ruining work commitments!

Hi @Mike M. - I'll Whatsapp you to take this offline.

@lucas amat @Fares Adel and @Rajiv Sam you have been moved to RSVP, please confirm if you are still available to join.

Amazing story. What an exciting adventurous life. Much to be proud of.

Hi There guys, Hope you can help me out here. I'm looking to get a 7 seater with decent off-road capabilities to enjoy the deserts around us! Like the subject says, I'm on a budget right now so was looking at the R51 Pathfinder which ranges around 15-20K or maybe a Pajero in the same range, so that I can spend a bit on some mods before we reach the end of the year! Are these good choices? or can you good people suggest the way forward? Thank you!

Hi @Ale Vallecchi @Luke K P @Aser and anyone who is interested. A brief history of my Grandfather Alexander Melvill and his involvement with the LRDG. After Schooling in South Africa he studied mine surveying and started work in the deep gold mines near Springs. After an accident where his entire crew was lost, he missed it as one of his men had left my Grandfathers plumb bob behind and he went to retrieve it. He left the mine and started work in topographic mapping, A few years later he went up to then Northern Rhodesia and worked on the Copper mines, once the Great Depression hit re was retrenched and with his pay out flew up to then Tanganika to try his luck. Here he worked on a gold mine as a mine surveyor and then did topographic mapping along the western border and into what is now the DRC. In 1936 he returned to South Africa, worked on power station construction and then as a topographic surveyor. During this time he met my Grandmother. After the outbreak of the War he volunteered and left his wife and two young boys on the family farm in South Africa. He was 1st stationed in East Africa but not long after was transferred to the 8th Army in North Africa, he was officially part of the 46 Survey group. After studying astral navigation, using a theodolite to observe the stars and give precise position coordinates, he was seconded to the LRDG. There are two missions that I have been told about in his time with the LRDG. Near Buerat in Libya he led a small group of men to obtain ground control of an area so that it could be mapped and to confirm the info received from aerial photographs. For this operation he received the Military Medal from General Montgomery. Just prior to the battle of El Alamein he mapped a route through the Qatara depression, in an area that was only accessible by using the LRDG expertise. In addition to mapping a route for the main army they surveyed enemy positions prior to the main battle of El Alamein. After the War he returned to South Africa worked as a miner, surveyor and farmer. Signed Recomendation.pdf

Hi @Emanuel, I would love to keep the White Rhino in the @Carnity community as it was born and raised here. If money is an obstacle at this point, we can workout a payment plan between us especially that I know you in person. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that there will be no Pajero similar to this car as no shortcuts were taken in building it. If it was not done at Al Habtoor, the modification were made at the premium garages in Dubai which usually charge 2x, 3x the market price for labor (Not allowed to name names @Gaurav ). All the mods are the highest a Pajero can have, if not custom made specifically for this car. The engine is fully stock and I did not a drill a single hole in the car, everything was carefully designed and built. This car cost me over 170K and selling it at AED 105 in 2 years time is a catch for a very lucky buyer, if interested. Hit me up if I can be of help in any way. hi Theo, I would have not let go of this car had I not found a car that ticks all the boxes that I was getting through multiple cars. I had the Jeep 392 in my sight as well as the new Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and then suddenly I see the new Ford Ranger Raptor which combines the capabilities of the only two cars in my wishlist in one formidable truck. This Pajero was built to stay for a long time until the urges in my head won over the logical thing to do

@Matt - monkeywrench, I would recommend dropping by dragon mart for this, my light and battery setup has lasted me close to 3 years now - ask for a interchangeable yellow light, think I paid a extra 20-30aed for this.

WOW she is beauty, Not a Pajero guy.... but you definitely made me think twice! @Mike M.