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Trip Report - Who am I kidding. After the masterpiece from @Frederic I can just add the trip from my point of view. So whatever you plan will never work out for you, Thursday was that kind of a second half for me. Thought of sleeping early, but ended up working till about 8:30 pm, which meant the couple of errands to run on the way home turns out I reached 10:30 pm which was already way past my bed time in my mind. Preparations for the trip and ended up going to bed around 11:30 pm, however the mind plays crazy games and ended up getting up after 15 minutes to add a couple of things to my goodie basket. Went back to bed, kept and alarm for 2:30 am and told my daughter to wake me up at 2:30 am as well. I felt I was unable to go to sleep until my daughter actually had to come and wake me up with the alarm going off as timed. Does this mean I was sleeping and dreaming that I was not able to sleep. Oh well. Got up and with quick last minute preparations and checks left home with a suitcase full, I was headed to Liwa. On the way I stopped over to pick our beloved @Asif Hussain bhai who had a surprise for me in a heap of wood to burn that night. Stocked it up and on they way to Liwa stopped at a truck parking to offer the early morning Fajr prayers. It was chilly cold and as we drove we knew we would be the last people to check-in at the meeting point, but we bravely drove on as the Sun came out through the clouds giving us a glimpse of what was going to be an awesome day out. Surely we could have been wrapped in our blankets at home cuddled to our loved ones but the love of Liwa had us smelling adventure on the corner. As we rolled in to the Petrol Station it was evident we had lost some time, but with the better part of the day still at hand we did one last check and headed out to the track which would lead us to some dunes we could not even have imagined in our wildest dreams. After deflation and a quick brief as to what to expect and the plan for the day, we set ourselves on our way to the first part of the trip which was in search of a Yellow Truck. This Yellow truck had been abandoned way back before we were born to entice us to do this side of Liwa, which was a first for me. Such is the charm of Liwa that we had a couple of detours to check the best wall to do a sidey, or the best ever bowl to play in. With all the detours and fun the Yellow Truck dawned on us, our first reaction was it was not even Yellow. But as we came closer we realised that the front of the truck was infact yellow, but eyes can play strange tricks on you in the desert. After having fun around and on top of the Yellow Truck with lots of pics to add it to our memory lane, we ended up with the discussion on whether or not to leave our mark on the truck. After much delibration it was decided to slap the Carnity stickers on, and with the tools and equipment coutesy of @Srikumar and the talent of @Frederic we had the stickers on and looking good. As we decided to head on to find a good play area the lead was surrendered by @Gaurav and @Emmanuel to @Srikumar who set off following the path of the sun to our play area. Soon we found ourselves in the Walt Disney of dunes, one play strip after another, we would want to rush to the other roller coaster as soon as we were off the one we rode before. There was a proper dune buffet and we had an offer of eat all you can before the sun goes down. Some of these looked scary and even more scary for me as I was the fifth car out of five. I saw the first 4 manage it with ease and was always scared that it would be too churned up for me being the last. However Liwa seemed to be in the mood of giving and never let me down, it allowed me to do it with the same ease as everybody else. The were a few scary moments, but just being able to come out of that scary moment without a scratch felt like an achievement. Very proud of the whole team, as we discussed I was not the only one with my heart in my mouth. All the Liwa trips I have done so far were with tall dunes which were not the easy to handle and had some medium dunes with a lot of technical dunes which were difficult to negotiate through, this side of Liwa was a totally different kind of fun with tall dunes which seemed easy to do even for 5 cars with all the play time in the world. Was it because of the weather or was it due to the lack of traffic in this area or maybe a combination of both. With reluctance @Srikumar handed the lead to @Frederic and it seemed like he was long awaiting the opportunity as he totally enjoyed leading in the area playing from one dune to another with the utmost of ease. It was about time for the sun to disappear which was a hint for us to find our own shelter for the night. Our first priority was to find the track that would lead us out. As soon as the track was found and the right path was decided on we were off as close to the road as we could. We decided to head in to the dunes to play along side the track and we headed close to the road, at this point @Emmanuel and @Asif Hussain bhai had to leave us, they took the track and we soon heard from them as they reached the road before the sun could go down. With @Frederic in lead, @Gaurav, @Srikumar and I decided to play around the track till the sun went down. The terrain was amazing and offered a lot to play on, and we took full advantage of every little inch of natural light we could use. As the sun settled for the day and the lights started diminishing we headed back to the track and close to the road. About 4 Kms in we found a nice spot but wanted something a bit better. This even saw us in a very tight spot, but as a team we managed it well and marched on. There was a facility close by and we just wanted to make sure that it was not a military base or anything which would cause any problems. After we discovered that the pace was just an abandoned factory of some sort we headed back in and found a spot which would best suit our purpose for the night. With us settled in and the bonfire started we sat around and discussed about the day, the week, the month, the year and everything that came to our heads. Although it seemed soon for us but close to midnight we retired to our sleeping bags and thanks to @Gaurav bhai's roaring engine which woke me up at the introduction of another day. After freshening up and enjoying a nice quiet breakfast with the best coffee ever we packed up and headed out, after a quick inflation we were on our way back to join our families. We had around 3 - 4 stops, once to refuel the cars, one to refuel ourselves and a quick visit to the Rainbow Sheikh's car museum. All in all the trip was one which was long awaited and what made the trip worth it was the like minded people who come out to enjoy the vast desert. Feeling really blessed to have the company of some wonderful people and looking forward to developing more friends on this journey with Carnity.com

Can’t wait for the next liwa drive posting. I ain’t missing that after reading @Frederic and @Rahimdadbhais reports.

First of all I disagree it's a basic requirement, anyway that's a whole other story Why not just follow the rules of aviation Aviate, navigate and communicate. Communication being the last priority. So modify it to your own situation. Driving the car and being safe takes first priority. If you are doing a climb or tackling a sidey and you get a radio call. What ever it is. It isn't that important that you have to respond immediately even if that means putting yourself in danger and even risking harm to yourself and others. Concentrate on the task ahead, finish it and only when it's safe to do so. Respond to the radio. I know most people think when they get a telephone call ( Or in this case radio call )it has to be answered immediately. Regardless of what situation you are in whether you are sleeping or trying to navigate a tricky roundabout in heavy traffic as if God himself is calling and you cannot risk his wrath

I have tried the VOX function on 3 different radios, ranging from 60 to 220 dhs, and played with the sensitivity settings, but could not achieve reliable results. It only starts broadcasting when you start speaking, so half of your sentences will be lost. It works however quite good in office environment where you have less background noise. I have also tried the earpiece but again the sound quality is not super, and you need to push the button on the wire anyways to broadcast. For now i have attached a lanyard to my radio, and it hangs around my neck so it's easily accessible when needed.

Congratulations @Joe Biju Joseph for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Based on your regular newbie drives you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. 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.

2100183_PM_EN.pdf You might be interested in Hands-Free Headsets. See attached. This will help securing the radio somewhere while still be able to communicate.

Congrats @Joe Biju Joseph !

This is the TRUE masterpiece....

Congratulations @Rizwanm2 for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Based on your regular newbie drives you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. 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.

Yes it may not be a basic "REQUIREMENT" for safari, race drivers, astronauts or pilots, but its the first and foremost requirement at carnity Off-road Club for various reasons: To have regular communication and not to leave newbie in a black hole of uneventualities. Newbies can respond back when they have any type of trouble: Refusal Stuck Overheating Warning sign Health issue Strange noises etc. Over 90% of newbie stucks get recovered with radio communication. Over 90% of lost track get back in line with radio communication. Lead relays the critical messages when some tricky bush, bowl, fence is in front to avoid. I can go thousand more whole day.

What @Javier M suggested seems to be a perfect fit for you if Radio call and securing safely is a concern for you. For me personally I wouldn't mind talking on radio every 15 minutes for few seconds than sticking earpiece for hours. What desertdude mention, is totally spot on, that radio communication is only important when you need it, otherwise learn to focus on what you are doing: hill climb, sidey or just cruising on sand than getting into temptation of replying immediately. We all are off-roaders here and fully understand that your safety is prime than replying back or acknowledge any message for next few seconds. Almost all radios have the belt clip, that you can put on your seatbelt at any comfortable level where you can hear the incoming message. For responding you can remove it and put it back after the conversation to avoid the canon ball fear. I see lot of people place radio in between their legs, clip it on something more stable like door handle or support handle etc. so you can try all options until you get comfortable with.

Congratulations..

Congrats @Joe Biju Joseph😎

Well done @Joe Biju Joseph

Congratulations @Joe Biju Joseph

Eyyyy. I'm at an internship right now and looking like a fool with this smile on my face 😂. Thank you so much🙏🙏.

And that will be way sooner than expected, as one of the reason for this Liwa visit to identify an area where we can take Intermediate and not always wait for advance level. With remaining season in hand we plan to have lot more drives posting in Liwa soon. So fewbies, pull up your socks to reach Intermediate level soon and Intermediates get ready as another Liwa is coming VERY SOON.

Thanks Richard ! Don’t worry about intermediatoryness... it will arrive at the exact right time.

Envious does not even begin to explain it ... @Frederic I am laying down my writing materials, never to be used again! Your lyrical waxing of this drive has me salivating at the thought that some day I may ride the magnificent Liwa if I am fortunate enough to reach the elevated heights if intermediatoryness (yes, a made up word, but you get the gist). Hopefully you'll be sufficiently down from the bubble to tell us more on Friday. Thanks for sharing. See you soon in the sand.

Congratulations 👍🏼

Congratulations @Rizwanm2 Great news.

Congrats

Congratulations..

Congratulations..

Congratulations

Congrats 😎

Congrats @Joe Biju Joseph

Thanks Rahim Bhai, I’m thrilled for next Friday drive and learn some more skills.. always thanks for your guidance and advices.

Congrat @Joe Biju Joseph.

Hi @Ale Vallecchi! I have a personal rule that many people find a bit strange : no passenger when leading a convoy. That said, I’m sure that one of the drivers will have a seat for you on Friday and I will be happy to have you as a passenger another time, when I will not be leading.

Congrats @Rizwanm2

Liwa has always been love since the first time I went there somewhere in 2002 or 3. My most memorable moment till today was the 15 days I spent in Liwa. You know I've never been a fan of the regular sandboxes anyways.

Try the iCarsoft i905 for the Toyota. It's Toyota specific and not very expensive. Around 5-600 dhs depending on where you buy it from

Hi Emmanuel. I will undergo a minor procedure this Tuesday, so I doubt I can drive. But I would love to join as a passenger. Can I ride shotgun with one of you guys? Thanks.

Congrats @Rizwanm2 !!

@Rinelle Sanaani sorry but this drive will be at fewbie level, please sign up for the morning newbie drive :

Dear Carnity Looking for an advise of workshop in Sharjah where I can install Kill Switch for my Prado Any recommendations please Thank you

Just a thought. If it is a requirement here why not apply to TRA a license and get a dedicated frequency. Because technically it is still illegal here to use walkie talkies specially frequency programmable ones.

Thanks Richard. Very kind of you. If you don't mind I will confirm on Thursday, after I see how I feel after the procedure. Should be fine (or so they told me 😅).

Hi @Emmanuel understood. Thanks for letting me know. I hope someonelese can take me onboard.

Then wait for the movie under production by our resident director Asif.

Hello everyone I am joining this group for the first time and willing to learn off-roading.I will come for the Al Qudra newbie off roading on 21 Feb. I have a Nissan patrol 5.6 and I have gone through the checklist. I just wanted to enquire if I can get my family along or come with kids about 7-8 year old's,please let me know. Hope to see you all and learn something new. Cheers!

Here is the thing- when the OBD II standard became mandatory in the USA in 1996, all scan tools had to be able to communicate with all ECU's, regardless of the communication protocols in use on any vehicle that was going to be sold in the US. However, this only applied to the American market, and even today, cars made and sold elsewhere will often not communicate with scan tools and especially scan tools bought off Amazon. So, since your US-spec Lexus was sold in the US, your cheap scan tool worked, but with your GCC-spec car, you may have to upgrade your choice of scan tools considerably.

I arrive to the UAE saturday morning so I wont be able to attend. 😫

Its already there, not only Tesla's but other cars too. You can drive them remotely, or even start or disable them too. You've been able to do that for years.

Nissan Xterra are one of the best "ready to use" "capable" offroader in stock shape without any modification. Try, if you can, go for an "offroad version" while you are buying one for specific need as it has firmer suspension, diff-lock and underbody protection.

Increasing the master cylinder diameter actually decreases braking performance unless you either fit (much) bigger discs, or (much) larger pads to increase the contact area between the discs and the pads. Much of a vehicles' braking performance depends on the relationship between the master cylinder diameter and the diameter of the caliper pistons. For instance, if the caliper pistons are say, four times as big as the master cylinder, the force/pressure generated by the master cylinder is multiplied by four in each caliper. Therefore, if you increase the diameter of the master cylinder by say 15%, the multiplication factor decreases non-linearly; ergo,you get reduced braking performance if nothing else changes. In practice, increasing the master cylinder diameter causes not only the brake force multiplication factor to decrease almost exponentially- it also causes the force required on the pedal to increase linearly, which means that the average driver may not have the leg strength to stop the vehicle at all. It's like the guy in the video says, there are a whole lot of variables to take into consideration when you upgrade brakes. In Africa we do much the same thing this guy did when we upgrade the brakes on overland expedition vehicles, but one thing we never do is increase the wheel diameter, because the added brake torque can (and often does) negate the benefits of the upgrade. I do agree however that in purely desert conditions, this particular brake upgrade is more trouble than it is worth.

Let's see what our offroaders have to say for this stuck......? You can post any of your stuck or someone else stuck or even youtube stuck to discuss and learn Stuck 2.mp4

Knowing Emmanuel well and driven with him for over 2 years, I think there are two possibilities for this stuck: He carefully moved slightly up to avoid the churned up patch and still slid down, so either his momentum wasn't enough to steer left and up too fast OR His rear tire pressure was more as the car slid down from the back into the churned up patch.

There is always a way to recover desert stuck with complete safety but only without ego / stupidity. 90% failure I have seen in recovery caused by either ego - how come my car can't do that, let me show the crowd how strong my car is and boom. Or simply stupid - with half or no knowledge of how to conduct a recovery safely. Only 10% cases were pure bad luck and when someone is really destined for some mishap. In above scenario, the biggest FAIL was to recover 3-ton car uphill and that too with one car and single strap without the safety straps. Nissan Patrol would have easily recovered from another side with one gentle tug, as it was already pointing down on another side. If for some reason they cannot do the recovery from another side, then dig behind the rear tire of Patrol and clear that top area of the dune so that it can roll backward easily - max 5-10 min digging and towing effort will be divided by half or one-third. Third, if Hummer has failed to even move Patrol by an inch in three tugs that means something is terribly wrong so get out and get an idea how you can relieve the situation and start again with a gentle tug first and slowly apply the force than going full on. Fourth, if you really have to give that hard tug then you need a better rope - probably double strength strap of 12 tons rating or more. And also secure rope with sandbags, and secure shackles with supporting straps on both cars and move all the people away from the diameter of rope length. Such hard stuck better off to recover with two cars with perfect coordination as to when 3-ton car dug deep inside become easily 5-6 ton in weight and dragging that uphill require real towing strength. Even the 12000 lbs winch might cry in such situation that you need higher strength winch to pull uphill.