Leaderboard

Club Member: Joins the off road Club. Absolute Newbie: Attend and successfully complete the first "Absolute newbie" off road drive. Newbie: Number of drives 5 (1 Absolute Newbie + 5 Newbie drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio. Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie or absolute newbie level of drives Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Fewbie: Number of drives 10 (16 Newbie + Fewbie drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor. Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Intermediate: Number of drives 10 (26 Newbie + Fewbie + Intermediate drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles. Drive teamwork Help in recoveries under Marshal / Crew supervision Drive posting/joining Join newbie, fewbie & intermediate level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Advance: Number of drives 10 (36 Newbie + Fewbie + Intermediate drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading + map reading & basic navigational skills Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles, floor jack, jack board & GPS Drive teamwork Actively participate in recoveries + drive in the second lead Drive posting/joining Join any drive and lead fewbie & intermediate drives under Marshal / Crew supervision Forum participation Share experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions + post trip report + share route + track and waypoints Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Expert: Number of drives 10 (46 Newbie + Fewbie + Intermediate drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading + map reading & basic navigational skills + strategic convoy driving Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles, floor jack, jack board & GPS trackback Drive teamwork Capable of diverting the convoy to safe spot + part of sweep team Drive posting/joining Join any drive and lead fewbie & intermediate drives with Marshal / Crew permission Forum participation Share experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions + post trip report + share route + track and waypoints + Help Marshal / Crew for alternate routing + marking safe exit Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Marshal: Number of drives 60+ drives and Committee Decision Level of drives All of the above + Routing and leading in known terrain Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles, floor jack, jack board & GPS trackback + recovery and repair material Drive teamwork Supervise all of the above + drive and convoy coordination Drive posting/joining Post drive on Carnity and share it on Carnity social media Forum participation Post trip report + share route + track and waypoints Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Crew: Number of drives 80+ drives and Committee Decision Level of drives Routing and leading in unknown terrain for exploration drives Off-road gear All of the above Drive teamwork All of the above + coordinate with Marshal on route, convoy, numbering, etc. Drive posting/joining Post drive on Carnity and share it on Carnity social media Forum participation Post trip report + share route + track and waypoints Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Congratulations to all offroaders who have been an integral part of this offroad club to receive a formal structure for grading all the offroaders. Thank you @Rahimdad for launching this new structure and thanks @Asif Hussain @skumar83 @EmVarlet in helping to develop this structure from your valued experience. This new structure has been implemented and very soon all offroaders will be assigned to their off-road ranks.

Hi , I have been using Xterra for pastv2 years and done about 60 k km . The first impression is that the X is very capable both on Road and off, the best you can squeeze out the tank is close to 600 with just 2 liters to spare ... but I drive very prudently and always use the overdrive on the gear selector to achieve better range . Don't abruptly speed up or stop - basics of driving will get you close to the range of 525 to 575. The minimum is to get a good radiator skid plate as the radiator is below the chassis. Other than that just drive it and enjoy.... Drive ride safe, Slick72 NB: Am known as the K Man( Kanjoos Man🙄🙄😁😁 ) for squeezing the max range for given fuel

How much did you enjoy your first drive? It was very goo and enjoyable day which got better and better as I reminisced and told my friends about the day. What did you enjoy about the drive? good intro to the desert and Very easy to some challenging( at least to me) bits in the drive. Which part of the drive you think you enjoyed the best which you would like to repeat?  I enjoyed the whole experience. i would like to repeat the challenging bits and get the experience how to get out by myself using all the techniques from the brief and during the drive Do you think there was a good mix of lecture and practical, was the lecture too long, and any part that can be avoided or done in a shorter or different way? Do you think anything else could be added to the lecture? The lecture was great and I cannot see anyway of making it shorter as all the info given were necessary for newbies Do you think prior reading material would help? Rahimbhai did send links to safe driving, safety kit, and how to get out of sticky stuff etc. i read all this after my first drive. i am sure it helps to have some info prior. Would you know where on the Carnity forum you would be able to find the information you are looking for? I usually use the search button to get what info I need. it is reasonably easy to navigate in the site. Is there anything you think could be done in a better way? Everything done was good How do you suggest to make things better for the new comers? My suggestion might be for newbies is to give a live practical demo of getting stuck in the sand and how to get out and what happens when you over Rev and how gently feather the throttle to rock and blip blip etc to get out. i did not realise being inside the car how much over revving I was doing and spinning the tyres and sinking deeper into the sand. How do you think you can progress within the current atmosphere and learning opportunities provided?  To join for further drives with the group and hopefully one day grasp what was taught on the briefing and drive

@Frederic Nuyttens thank you so much for your positive comments, suggestions. Definitely you have got some very useful advice and we will try to implement some of it in the coming weeks.

What did you enjoy about the drive? The perfect organization and clear communication, and the proper briefing which is essential for every newbie. And of course the adrenaline of tackling the dunes ! Which part of the drive you think you enjoyed the best which you would like to repeat? The track had a very good combination of an easy start to find the harmony in the convoy, followed by a few more trickier areas where i found out that getting stuck is perfectly normal and there is almost always a way out. The best advice was indeed getting out of the car, having a talk or smoke while assessing the situation at hand, and only then decide which technique to use to get out of your tricky situation. I've used that technique already and again it proved to be essential to remain calm and composed. Do you think there was a good mix of lecture and practical, was the lecture too long, and any part that can be avoided or done in a shorter or different way? The briefing was very well documented and all basic topics were discussed. For newbies a proper briefing is definitely mandatory to avoid the possible dangers around the corner. Do you think anything else could be added to the lecture? I had the impression that some newbies struggled a bit with the 4WD settings on their car. Modern cars have many electronics and switching off the traction and electronic aid controls is indeed necessary for desert driving. A small separate workshop for 4WD and the different diff-lock settings, crawl modes, and the blip technique might be a good optional side-training. Do you think prior reading material would help? In my opinion every one that wants to become a part of an offroad community should master the theory, understand his car and its various settings, and read as much as possible as there is so much info available on the net. This gives at least some foundation and will definitely bring newbies faster up to fewbie level. Would you know where on the Carnity forum you would be able to find the information you are looking for? Yes, the forum is well arranged and the search function can be used at all times. Is there anything you think could be done in a better way? The team was very supportive, friendly, and approachable. In a place like Dubai where a lot seems to be about the material side of things, i was relieved to find a group of friends that prefer values like friendship and respect over anything. Many clubs in the UAE can learn from this ! How do you suggest to make things better for the new comers? How do you think you can progress within the current atmosphere and learning opportunities provided? The absolute beginner drive was definitely well organised. I will do my utmost best to join more drives in the near future and it might be interesting to have something like a "beginner family introduction day" where family could join in and see what this fantastic group is all about This could be like a half day with some easy dunes, followed by a camel farm visit and BBQ / snacks.

Congrats to everyone at the Carnity off-road community as we now have a system by which we can see how we are progressing.

Truly you f o a lot of information. Carnity is supposed to be open to these discussions which would help thousands at any given time, but you choose to share it with the few on WhatsApp. It is difficult for a community to grow with distractions like WhatsApp. Hope these technical discussions can be shared on Carnity.com henceforth to avoid all this useful knowledge to be lost.

Thank you @Gaurav bhai for working tirelessly behind the scenes in making this possible. Looking forward to a season under this new structure and hoping this will give a clear indication to all members evaluate their progress.

Great suggestion @srini62 will definitely incorporate practical training in the upcoming newbie drives to help newbies understand the concepts in a better way.

Had a very enjoyable day. Nice to meet some new people and good to reconnect with some old friends. Big thank you everyone who put in the hard work organising the event and kept everyone safe. Special thank you to @skumar83 for letting me drive his Jeep.

What a brutal way to waste knowledge inside a closed box.

I’d also like to add something else to this. Remember Jason was out with us a few months ago, new Jeep Cherokee, he had a problem where his SRS system activated after a bump and his seatbelt tensioner fired rendering the SRS system inactive in the event of an accident. Maybe one person should be designated as technical and go through absolute newbies cars and make sure TCS, SRS etc systems are disabled. Having a proper technician on drives would make carnity unique, something none of the other clubs have.

Trip report: It was a perfect day and almost perfect weather yesterday. Everyone showed up on time and some before time respecting the punctuality and importance of timekeeping. We started the Absolute Newbie briefing sharp at 2:00 PM with a newly developed format that lasted for 40-45 minutes and clearing up a lot of doubts and sharing the tip and techniques needed for the first offroad drive. All newbie participated with full interaction and understood most of the points, as observed with their behavior during the drive. Thanks to all the Absolute Newbies: @Frederic Nuyttens @srini62 @Jamshad @Julien V @Brette for listening to all the advice and then follow it very precisely during the drive with a cool and calm approach. After the initial briefing, we have assigned the convoy numbering and made sure every car has a radio - very important for communication. As we started the drive, we kept on the track that goes on top of some flat dunes and sabka, to get all the absolute newbie a feel of going up and down the dunes, but without aggressively tackling the dunes. We all visited the camel farm and took some nice pictures and then continue to bump up the drive speed and level to slightly unpaved dunes and the whole convoy response was awesome with very few refusals and no stuck, pretty impressive for absolute newbie level. As soon as we entered the third leg of the drive, we faced with an unfortunate situation of a rollover of an experienced driver due to the reckless behavior ending with an unexpected result. To have such a situation in absolute newbie drive is quite disappointing as many of newbie thinks this may be the usual occurrence in the desert drive and breaks their confidence before it's being made. To be honest, if you drive sensibly and follow the convoy discipline no one will ever end up in such a situation. There are thousands of offroaders who we know personally and driving for decades but they have never had a roll or even a flip. So with this incident, all absolute newbie need to take away this lesson to be careful and follow the instructions, convoy discipline and not to drive recklessly. From my limited experience I can say that the natural or a situational chance for roll/flip is one in 10,000, but being reckless it increases to one in 10 or 100 (at max). So every offroader irrespective of their experience need to drive carefully and SENSIBLY at all times knowing the vehicle limitation and offroad dangers involved. After this mishap, entire convoy still moved ahead and two cars left behind to exit the flipped vehicle safely to the road. As we were in the third leg of the drive, which is slightly more involved due to medium dunes and cross track closer to the pink rock area. This time lot of newbies struggled and learn their way out with the tips and tricks we shared in briefing and with help of experienced drivers advice on site. After an hour of struggling patch, we all reached the pink rock and had a nice break with lots of snacks and drinks. Few expert drivers start testing their vehicle by scaling the Pink rock to the maximum height and others were simply enjoying the company and socializing. By 7 PM we all started to descend on track from the top of Pink rock area and head to 2nd Decemeber (meeting point) to exit on road. Overall it was a wonderful newbie drive with very healthy and enthusiastic participation and we all made new friends from different parts of the Emirates. Many thanks to @Rahimdad @Asif Hussain @skumar83 @EmVarlet for supporting this absolute newbie drive and also helping in developing our first absolute newbie briefing as per our new offroad structure - upcoming shortly. Please share your pics and videos in gallery: https://carnity.com/gallery/category/91-absolute-newbie-offroad-drive-pink-rock-12-oct-2018/ All absolute newbies, please share your feedback here:

I would firstly like to thank @Gaurav bhai for his relentless efforts to create a structure and important notes for any person joining off road for the very first time. The patience to deliver it and making it enjoyable for everyone to learn from and knowing before hand what to expect. Secondly, I would like to thank @skumar83, @Asif Hussain and @EmVarlet as senior members to lend a helping hand and guiding and keeping the convoy moving at good pace. A special mention to @Shafiq for helping out in every way possible to assist the drive even with his limited experience. Moe importantly I would like to thank all the newbies who attended in great numbers and their willingness to learn and grow within this community. With our wealth of knowledge and years of repeating the same drills over and over again, it the new people joining us that keeps us charged, as we believe in sharing our knowledge and passing on the wealth to those who want to learn in a safe environment. The drive was great and I believe we all learned from each other and with great spirit kept moving forward. A great lesson in life too. Failure is a part of learning and trying things differently to move forward as a team, with a little help from friends we make in this journey called life. With the exception of an incident with our experienced friend @shadow79 the spirits of the group were not dampened and with experience and help at hand we had the situation in control. After the newbies departed the experienced drivers took off on an intermediate drive. And with all good intentions comes good fortune. We were fortunate to help a couple of jeeps from another group. They had a pop-out and without the necessary equipment to fix it. We helped them out in the middle of the night and allowed them to join us to lead them out safely. Thanks to a team who wants to help people selflessly even if they are not part of the club. In the desert we only have each other to count on and we never say no. My hats off to all attendees and looking forward to some long lasting friendships in years to come. To my new friends welcome to your community who cares.

2 memes for the price of one

Welcome to the amnesty thread. The place where you want to know the answer to car questions you were always afraid to ask. Sarcasm or stupid answers will not be tolerated. Ill start by asking the first question. Why is every mini here referred to as a Mini Cooper? Even if it’s just the basic model? A mini is a mini. The Mini Cooper is a John cooper developed special that is different from the regular mini. I have even heard someone say Mr Bean drives a Mini Cooper. No he didn’t. He drove a Leyland Mini 1000.

Our friend @Frederic Nuyttens, who joined the last absolute newbie drive, wrote in his first experience feedback : « I had the impression that some newbies struggled a bit with the 4WD settings on their car. Modern cars have many electronics and switching off the traction and electronic aid controls is indeed necessary for desert driving. A small separate workshop for 4WD and the different diff-lock settings, crawl modes, and the blip technique might be a good optional side-training ». Pretty sure that @Gaurav and @Rahimdad are already thinking about a way to cover these aspects, but, in the meantime, I would suggest that everyone here give a few elements about his own car. In concrete terms, we could all explain briefly what we are switching on or off before we hit the dunes… I'll begin with my own car… NISSAN XTERRA 2013 - X X is the basic trim, so I have only 3 positions : 2WD ; 4H ; 4LO. The « Off-Road » trim is the only one which has diff-lock. Of course, 2WD is used on-road (and sometimes on easy flat tracks) ; 4H for off-road ; 4LO for recovery + ascending or descending very high hills and slopes (NB : to engage 4LO, you must stop the vehicle and shift to Neutral). Whenever you leave the road, you should switch off 2 buttons : « Vehicle dynamic control » (VDC) and « Overdrive » (O/D). You should see two indicator lights. The problem with Xterras is that you have to repeat the same process if you restart your engine, so don’t forget if you don’t want to get stuck…

I am looking for used genuine parts front complete ac grills(woden look) front left door inner handle steering wheel(all the skin is peeling off)even some one can gude me for nice patch work As iam living in Fujairah,so my first choice will be in Fujairah,if not then sharjah.I am also looking for a experienced person for its moon roof,which is struck for a long time. Any one can sugest me .

You can call below scrapyard in Sharjah as they all deal in Mitsubishi Scraps.

Need to check the steering angle sensor and wheel speed sensors and associated wiring as these could cause that particular combination of lights to come on. There’s also a possibility of faulty dash clocks or wiring to the dash clocks, or a loose connection somewhere in the ignition loom. ECU is unlikely to be faulty and it’s an expensive part to throw at it without a proper diagnosis. Find a better garage.

I do second Fred’s post and his sentiments regarding the team and the entire experience. i had a great time despite getting stuck almost for eternity in the soft sand at the end. learnt quite a lot from the entire team. i enjoyed it so much that I Would love to join next friday’s drive which rahimbhai was talking about- managed to swop my shift on Friday-phew!!!! Thanks again regards sri

After longing a pretty long time to go for convoy based offroad drive, i was looking for some clubs in the UAE and thanks to @Gaurav for sharing lots of information on his Pajero on this forum, i became a Carnity member and started following the adventures of the Offroad drives you guys are hosting. What i found yesterday was not just a club, but much more a group of friends with a common interest and a deep rooted sense of respect for the desert, and especially for each-other. It clearly shows how much experience your team has built up and i am very grateful to have been a part of this for one day. The radio deemed essential and i was glad to have it sorted just a few days before the drive. The flag was quickly set up the night before but didn't survive for long The next visit will be to Dragon Mart to sort that out. A big thanks to the team as i can't thank anyone in particular because the WHOLE team was so helpful and professional. I'll definitely join up for more drives in the future. What i learned from just this one drive was priceless and so much fun.

The Lancia Delta Integrale was/is indeed a monster. I had a regular '99 Delta HPE with lovely Recaro seats for a while and loved the revving engine and nimble precision steering.

There used to be a saying at home. Drugs are for mugs, mugs are for tea, tea is for me! Im sure some amateur mechanics can relate