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13 minutes ago, desertdude said:

Hey man do what you can, if you can afford it, rock it. Just get the bumper issue fixed and run with it.

If I could afford to I would ride a Rolls Royce Cullinan in the dunes 

Like you I've never let anyone dictate what I should or shouldn't get. Of course I do my research and take advice from sensible people and with that in mind form my own opinion.

Back in the day while working in the desert I one decided I'm going to shift from a manual Land Cruiser to an automatic transmission. Unheard of those days and everybody told me I was commiting suicide. But later after seeing me many themselves converted to automatic

Same when I got a Land Rover Discovery and initially everybody made fun of me and said should have bought a Jeep. But once again proved them wrong

Further on for everyday use I got myself a used Range Rover and once again everyone I knew said I was crazy it's going to burn holes in my wallet the size of Jupiter.

And many people even here if honest enough will testify they ended up buying discoveries and range Rovers after seeing me. 

If everyone was to follow everyone else there would be nothing but Pajeros and Jeeps. 

Many of the naysayers have never even driven anything more than 250hp and 6 cylinders off-road so what do they know. There is nothing like the low end torque if a V8 and wideband power delivery.

So you do you mate. You'll make mistakes maybe even expensive ones along the way but you are only a fool if you don't learn from them.

So if you are willing and know what you are getting into them nothing should stop you or let anyone dissuade you from driving your Patrol.

Good luck ;)

 

What a genuinely thoughtful and refreshing comment. Thank you @desertdude  

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Guys @Gaurav , @Salarios and @desertdude many thanks for all your advise, opinion and suggestions. Since this thread is related to modifications I would add more to it ( pls gaurav dont mind - hahaha). If you dont want to burn a hole into your pocket changing a lot and if you dont want to break the warranty on your car ( especially for people riding patrols less than 5 years old, for me it is 5 years now :-)) one of my friend who takes his bumper modified patrol y62 regularly to desert suggested the following 

- pedal commander 

- unichip 

both improve cars performance (or rather responsiveness ) without breaking the warranty or doing expensive mods . But again getting both of these would cost around 3 to 4 K. 

I am not vouching for them  but as per the one who uses it gives him enough quick response needed to tackle tricky areas. Anyone using here to please share their opinions and advise.

We have our opinions, advises and tastes so let us make this thread as much useful to improve the offroad capabilities without spending much and without breaking a lot of things . Probably we might not continue bashing our patrols , but when we entered this sport it was the only 4×4 I had and hence it is a tough decision to let it go without even trying something- not outrageous but within limits ( limit again is very subjective). Frankly I spent 2.3 k for the bumpers till now and that's it 

 

Edited by Chaitanya D
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I just gave my "points, feedback and opinion" based on my own little off-road experience "knowing or assuming" some people might have been "brainwashed or influenced" with "brand marketing campaigns or their friends/family".

Same way we tell everyone that do not drive regularly all the time in LO gear, as per prevailing myth from thousands other off-road clubs who only focus on power than developing off-road skills. Still if some off-roader wish to drive in LO gear, it's their personal choice.

I personally don't feel good or bad if you listen/not to any of these advices, but feel relieved that we have conveyed the message. Job done.

@desertdude I have tested my ML 500 (V8), Porsche Cayenne Turbo (V8) and Range Rover Supercharged (V8) in dunes but all of them disappointed me in delivering the power on the right moment I want it because of the technological advancement they offer.

Which year latest V8 have you tested in sand? 2003 Armada.....Anything after that.....?

The only V8 that performs really well in the desert are the one that are designed for desert extreme use and not multipurpose use: Raptor, F150, Chevy pickups, etc.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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6 hours ago, Chaitanya D said:

Guys @Gaurav , @Salarios and @desertdude many thanks for all your advise, opinion and suggestions. Since this thread is related to modifications I would add more to it ( pls gaurav dont mind - hahaha). If you dont want to burn a hole into your pocket changing a lot and if you dont want to break the warranty on your car ( especially for people riding patrols less than 5 years old, for me it is 5 years now :-)) one of my friend who takes his bumper modified patrol y62 regularly to desert suggested the following 

- pedal commander 

- unichip 

both improve cars performance (or rather responsiveness ) without breaking the warranty or doing expensive mods . But again getting both of these would cost around 3 to 4 K. 

I am not vouching for them  but as per the one who uses it gives him enough quick response needed to tackle tricky areas. Anyone using here to please share their opinions and advise.

We have our opinions, advises and tastes so let us make this thread as much useful to improve the offroad capabilities without spending much and without breaking a lot of things . Probably we might not continue bashing our patrols , but when we entered this sport it was the only 4×4 I had and hence it is a tough decision to let it go without even trying something- not outrageous but within limits ( limit again is very subjective). Frankly I spent 2.3 k for the bumpers till now and that's it 

 

Unichip and Pedal Commander are two different animals and each have their own functionalities:

- Unichip is basically a plug and play unit that connects to your engine management system, and that is made to enhance the car's performance. I've never been a big fan of chiptuning, unless you do it on a recent vehicle with max 50-60k on the odometer. After that the engine has settled, and i would not go for chiptuning anymore, but that's just my two cents and not based on facts that the engine might suffer more.

- Pedal Commander is a unit that you connect between the pedal actuator and the ECU. What this one does, is manipulate the output voltage of your pedal as per your desired setting. So for example if you put it on ECO mode, and you push the throttle pedal, the signal to the ECU will be slightly delayed, or the throttle signal will be limited, resulting in a more soft throttle response. Vice versa using the Sports Mode will make the responsiveness more aggressive and fast, which can indeed help to have that big beast to slightly react faster (which you could also to by pushing harder on the throttle).

When learning to drive offroad, and especially on newbie level, i would never vouch for spending dirhams on any of these items. But when the time comes that you are completely in tune with your car, and are looking for an upgrade in terms of either performance or responsiveness, than you can start looking at these things, one at a time (don't get them both installed at the same time as it will massively confuse you and how you feel the car).

 I remember how sensitive @Gaurav was when he changed the rear springs on his car, and later when i reached intermediate and advance level i finally understood how ANY small change on your vehicle can have big consequences and might take you some time to get in tune with your vehicle again.

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"Go as far as you can see; once you get there, you'll be able to see further."

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5 minutes ago, Frederic said:

Unichip and Pedal Commander are two different animals and each have their own functionalities:

- Unichip is basically a plug and play unit that connects to your engine management system, and that is made to enhance the car's performance. I've never been a big fan of chiptuning, unless you do it on a recent vehicle with max 50-60k on the odometer. After that the engine has settled, and i would not go for chiptuning anymore, but that's just my two cents and not based on facts that the engine might suffer more.

- Pedal Commander is a unit that you connect between the pedal actuator and the ECU. What this one does, is manipulate the output voltage of your pedal as per your desired setting. So for example if you put it on ECO mode, and you push the throttle pedal, the signal to the ECU will be slightly delayed, or the throttle signal will be limited, resulting in a more soft throttle response. Vice versa using the Sports Mode will make the responsiveness more aggressive and fast, which can indeed help to have that big beast to slightly react faster (which you could also to by pushing harder on the throttle).

When learning to drive offroad, and especially on newbie level, i would never vouch for spending dirhams on any of these items. But when the time comes that you are completely in tune with your car, and are looking for an upgrade in terms of either performance or responsiveness, than you can start looking at these things, one at a time (don't get them both installed at the same time as it will massively confuse you and how you feel the car).

 I remember how sensitive @Gaurav was when he changed the rear springs on his car, and later when i reached intermediate and advance level i finally understood how ANY small change on your vehicle can have big consequences and might take you some time to get in tune with your vehicle again.

Many thanks @Frederic for your comment and suggestions. Yes I am not changing anything now but wanted to know if anyone had experience with these. I would request you guys ( @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar @desertdude , and all experienced people out here ) to specifically give suggestions when maneuvering the unusual offroad cars (like the y62 ) while getting down a steep dune, valley or a sidee... May be I am asking too early but I want to get it straight sooner than later and of course before breaking a lot of stuff 

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7 minutes ago, Chaitanya D said:

Many thanks @Frederic for your comment and suggestions. Yes I am not changing anything now but wanted to know if anyone had experience with these. I would request you guys ( @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar @desertdude , and all experienced people out here ) to specifically give suggestions when maneuvering the unusual offroad cars (like the y62 ) while getting down a steep dune, valley or a sidee... May be I am asking too early but I want to get it straight sooner than later and of course before breaking a lot of stuff 

In all our drives, especially Newbie and Fewbie, we choose a route keeping in mind type of cars in the convoy. Plus we try to give special instructions for some of the cars that we know have low hanging bumpers on how to maneuver the car at the bottom of the dune. However, while we can guide, the learning has to be done by the driver. I am sure within a few more drives you yourself would be able to judge how to approach or exit a dune with zero damage. 

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31 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

I just gave my "points, feedback and opinion" based on my own little off-road experience "knowing or assuming" some people might have been "brainwashed or influenced" with "brand marketing campaigns or their friends/family".

Same way we tell everyone that do not drive regularly all the time in LO gear, as per prevailing myth from thousands other off-road clubs who only focus on power than developing off-road skills. Still if some off-roader wish to drive in LO gear, it's their personal choice.

I personally don't feel good or bad if you listen/not to any of these advices, but feel relieved that we have conveyed the message. Job done.

@desertdude I have tested my ML 500 (V8), Porsche Cayenne Turbo (V8) and Range Rover Supercharged (V8) in dunes but all of them disappointed me in delivering the power on the right moment I want it because of the technological advancement they offer.

Which year latest V8 have you tested in sand? 2003 Armada.....Anything after that.....?

The only V8 that performs really well in the desert are the one that are designed for desert extreme use and not multipurpose use: Raptor, F150, Chevy pickups, etc.

You don't know everything I do or have done. I don't advertise to gain credibility. 

FYI : If you must know. It was a bone stock 2012 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and that too in Wagan.

And frankly speaking I was disappointed because it was so smooth and comfortable. You didn't feel you were in the desert. It climbed the big dunes like an animal even it with it's 19/20 inch rims and down to only 20psi. And the only damage was a slightly scrapped front lip which got scrapped in a nasty dip.

We spent two days and one night there it went drove like a charm.

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10 minutes ago, Chaitanya D said:

Many thanks @Frederic for your comment and suggestions. Yes I am not changing anything now but wanted to know if anyone had experience with these. I would request you guys ( @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar @desertdude , and all experienced people out here ) to specifically give suggestions when maneuvering the unusual offroad cars (like the y62 ) while getting down a steep dune, valley or a sidee... May be I am asking too early but I want to get it straight sooner than later and of course before breaking a lot of stuff 

There is no substitute for experience bud. The more you drive the better you get at it. If you have a more powerful vehicle the you really don't need to come rallying down a stretch to climb. But you still need momentum

You attack a dune at the speed you think you will not bottom out the front and whack your bumper once you have started to climb you mash it into the floor.

Coming down a dune when the at bottom and think you are going to scrape it slow down as much as possible and slightly turn so one wheel hits before the other like you might have seen some low sports cars do going over a bump. But not too much and halfway down a dune otherwise you could end up stuck sideways or even roll!

 

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Hi Guys,

Its been a crazy day with two drives back to back this morning and afternoon i must say it was a fantastic experience... However i paid the price by breaking my front bumpers... Can you guys recommend a few places that can replace/fix bumpers? 

If you can share a contact number that would be great.

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Hi @Nizam Deen I assume you have a Y62? @Chaitanya D and myself had our front bumpers replaced in a workshop in Al Nahda in Sharjah (Mr Mohammed 050 886 4047), and also installed a thick bash plate to absorb some of the forces. @Srikumar recommends that the bashplate be as thick as possible (4mm?). So it would be good to talk to them before making your final decision. 

Keep us posted as to how you get on, and give us some before and after pictures. ;-)

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