Recovering vehicles after leaving them in desert. Seek advice/guidance.

[Varun Mehndiratta]

Hi @Carnity team over last few drives, we have had some cases where we had to leave a vehicle in desert to be recovered later as things couldn't have been fixed without an expert mechanic etc. @Amir Amiri broke his ride's diff  and recently understand @Shaz Shah had some issue as well. 

Would be good to know whats the safe and right way of executing these recoveries. 

In case of Jeep trading enterprise offer recovery anywhere within Dubai and Sharjah, however, understand that Abu Dhabi is not covered and with things becoming easier, many of us are going for AD trip. I am not sure if insurance (i have AXA comprehensive) covers such recoveries and surely not all of us have identified mechanics to help us out in such cases. 

Marshalls surely help a lot, i know @Islam Soliman helped @Amir Amirirecover. However would be good to know if there are some predefined things we can do to be prepared for such instances. 

Look forward.for advice from team @Carnity as well as those who experienced such incidents. I am sure not all of us are comfortable heading to middle of desert without any support or leaving the vehicle over night in middle of desert.  Thanks

@Gaurav @Frederic @Srikumar

 

[sertac]

If the issue can be fixed you can always take your mechanic with the required parts and tools and get your car fixed at the spot. Otherwise there are companies who does off road recovery, which is expensive. 

[Srikumar]

1 hour ago, varunmehndiratta said:

Hi @Carnity team over last few drives, we have had some cases where we had to leave a vehicle in desert to be recovered later as things couldn't have been fixed without an expert mechanic etc. @Amir Amiri broke his ride's diff  and recently understand @Shaz Shah had some issue as well. 

Would be good to know whats the safe and right way of executing these recoveries. 

In case of Jeep trading enterprise offer recovery anywhere within Dubai and Sharjah, however, understand that Abu Dhabi is not covered and with things becoming easier, many of us are going for AD trip. I am not sure if insurance (i have AXA comprehensive) covers such recoveries and surely not all of us have identified mechanics to help us out in such cases. 

Marshalls surely help a lot, i know @Islam Soliman helped @Amir Amirirecover. However would be good to know if there are some predefined things we can do to be prepared for such instances. 

Look forward.for advice from team @Carnity as well as those who experienced such incidents. I am sure not all of us are comfortable heading to middle of desert without any support or leaving the vehicle over night in middle of desert.  Thanks

@Gaurav @Frederic @Srikumar

 

 

Leaving a broken down car behind is never a nice feeling. Having said that, rather than speaking of the remedy, let's mention the precautionary actions that one can take to avoid a broken down car:

1. Ensure your car is a 100% each time you hit the sand. If in doubt, it's better not to sign up for a drive

2. Regularly maintain your car, and I am not referring to the normal fluid changes. If you have had a nose dive / hard impact on a drive, after the drive you need to jack up the car and ensure that everything is fine. You might notice a cracked bushing or broken link rod, etc.

3. Be focussed while driving. A slight distraction, and you might fly of a dune causing a severe damage 

4. Get a good mechanic as your friend who would periodically help inspect the entire vehicle. Alternatively, do it yourself.

If you follow the above, you will eliminate most of the major causes of breakdowns.

Getting a broken down car out of the desert purely depends on how far it is from the road. If it's behind some big dunes, then there is no option but to call professional recovery or get a mechanic.

All the Marshal and Leads at Carnity are driving stock cars that are not designed to tug out a dead vehicle from deep within the desert. In such cases, it's better to call for professional recovery or get a mechanic into the desert. 

[Varun Mehndiratta]

8 minutes ago, Srikumar said:

Leaving a broken down car behind is never a nice feeling. Having said that, rather than speaking of the remedy, let's mention the precautionary actions that one can take to avoid a broken down car:

1. Ensure your car is a 100% each time you hit the sand. If in doubt, it's better not to sign up for a drive

2. Regularly maintain your car, and I am not referring to the normal fluid changes. If you have had a nose dive / hard impact on a drive, after the drive you need to jack up the car and ensure that everything is fine. You might notice a cracked bushing or broken link rod, etc.

3. Be focussed while driving. A slight distraction, and you might fly of a dune causing a severe damage 

4. Get a good mechanic as your friend who would periodically help inspect the entire vehicle. Alternatively, do it yourself.

If you follow the above, you will eliminate most of the major causes of breakdowns.

Getting a broken down car out of the desert purely depends on how far it is from the road. If it's behind some big dunes, then there is no option but to call professional recovery or get a mechanic.

All the Marshal and Leads at Carnity are driving stock cars that are not designed to tug out a dead vehicle from deep within the desert. In such cases, it's better to call for professional recovery or get a mechanic into the desert. 

Thanks @Srikumar yup prevention should surely be the first focus ..

And couldn't agree more we should always rely on professional recover. Considering we usually are out early Friday mornings and that insurance/agency coverage might not be through all areas ...would be good if we have a DB of recovery companies for Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. So that in worst case all have options..i have no experience (and hope it continues like that) so not sure how it works with these recovery companies brining in vehicle from AD.to Dubai for eg..

 

[Lorenzo Candelpergher]

Totally agree with @Srikumar's feedback. On top of it, personally, I would stress the importance of having a proper and comprehensive off-road insurance. 

This is something that very often is underestimated until it is too late. Yes, it is an extra cost but it is also extra peace of mind, whether you damage your vehicle, you damage someone else's one or you have a mechanical failure which requires a professional recovery.

When any of these things happen, that extra cost all of a sudden becomes very small in comparison to the actual cost of the repairs or the recovery. 

[Wade Pat2]

Any input for guys like me with older vehicle. I have spent crazy amount keeping it in the best condition possible for on and off road. Every insurance I called will only offer 3rd party. Anyone know of a "declared value" insurance company or maybe a direct to recovery agency insurance just for mechanic/recovery. 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Wade Pat2

[Srikumar]

25 minutes ago, Wade Pat2 said:

Any input for guys like me with older vehicle. I have spent crazy amount keeping it in the best condition possible for on and off road. Every insurance I called will only offer 3rd party. Anyone know of a "declared value" insurance company or maybe a direct to recovery agency insurance just for mechanic/recovery. 

We are in the same boat of driving dinosaur age cars and you will get a 3rd party insurance only. But like I mentioned before, as long as you keep your car in good shape you are eliminating most scenarios of breakdown.

 

55 minutes ago, Lorenzo Candelpergher said:

On top of it, personally, I would stress the importance of having a proper and comprehensive off-road insurance. 

Do comprehensive insurance with offroad coverage provide desert recovery? In the past when I did have a comprehensive cover with offroad coverage from Oman Insurance, they mention a clause that recovery will be done a certain distance from the road (or something like that). They covered accidents / rolls, etc in the sand, but not desert recovery. But my information could be outdated as well. 

[Lorenzo Candelpergher]

22 minutes ago, Srikumar said:

Do comprehensive insurance with offroad coverage provide desert recovery? In the past when I did have a comprehensive cover with offroad coverage from Oman Insurance, they mention a clause that recovery will be done a certain distance from the road (or something like that). They covered accidents / rolls, etc in the sand, but not desert recovery. But my information could be outdated as well. 

Yes, proper off-road coverage, if taken under a general comprehensive car insurance, should generally guarantee full recovery from offroad areas. Of course it is key to read the wording of the policy properly before taking it.. 

This below is an excerpt from my RSA Motor Smart policy:

 

[Anoop Nair]

Mine is AXA and they are saying they will arrange for recovery provided it is not impossible. No limitation to the number of times

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Anoop Nair

[sertac]

16 minutes ago, Anoop Nair said:

Mine is AXA and they are saying they will arrange for recovery provided it is not impossible. No limitation to the number of times

 

But it is limited to 1100AED. Which wont be enough if you are deep in the desert with non moving broken car.