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Congratulations @Vanessa8580 for reaching the Expert Level with Carnity Offroad Club. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the latest Emergency contact details. EXPERT - Carnity Exclusivity Carnity Benefits Off-road Certification with rank and skills achieved Full access to Carnity without any paid subscription Join any drive in “Manage” tab even when drive is full Carnity Contribution Committed to drive with Carnity off-road club only Lead/Support: 3 drives or more per month at least Forum contribution to earn Carnity points Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required for Expert promotion along with mandatory attendance to leaders lead drives. (Promotion will be based on Marshal / Crew feedback.) What you'll learn Navigating with or without GPS on the fly Trip planning, safety exits and recce skills Basic firefighting and first aid techniques Basic knowledge of car and overheating issues Minimal response to vehicle breakdown and accidents Skills required Resilient, calculative and rational thinker Self-reliance, positive attitude and forward thinking Kind, selfless and considerate to other’s concerns Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle High profile tires Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 rated shackles, GPS, Floor jack and jack board, tire repair kit, tool box, tie-down straps, fluids. Drive teamwork Lead Fewbie or Intermediate drive with Marshal permission Inspect vehicle for safety before the off-road drive Support Marshal to learn 1:1 Desert Driving Course Drive Joining All Levels Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Vanessa8580. Your positive energy throughout the drive is amazing. I have not come across anyone as quick as you to reach the stuck vehicle even before they know they're stuck. I feel ashamed to wear a Superman T-shirt with you around. Keep up the good work and the positive energy we all feed from. Looking forward to supporting more of your drives. After @Emmanuel being the Carnity Velociraptor, @Frederic being our Saluki, we have the quickest one of the mark yet.

Just last week I replaced all my tires to Yokohama Geolander G015. This is my third set and I'm using them since 2014, and I couldn't be more happier. Earlier it was G012 now it become G015 made in Thailand. They both look and behave same but long term review i can share after an year only. They are awesome in sand and equally good on road. I bought from Sharjah tire market for 1600 for 4 with fitting and vat. So go there and haggle with couple of shops to get a deal. 1600 for 4519 manufacturing 1800 for 1420 manufacturing Also make sure to stand on their head to see balance machine showing 0 | 0 on both sides, as these boys are cheeky at times for last 5 or 10 gm weight and then you will have vibrations on highway cursing geolander.

Absolutely!! Please do at least 10 to 15 rides , know your vehicle pros and cons for driving on sand and then decide on the modifications (suspension, tuning, snorkel, etc as the list is endless and a mirage 🤣)if you really need them. With so many garages and so many clubs where everyone likes to show off their monstrous looking vehicles , remember what you need is good power to weight ratio, right momentum & approach , and of course keep gravity as your friend who never betrays you. Good luck!

Many congrats

Congrats - well deserved @Vanessa8580!!

BRAVA @Vanessa8580. It's a pleasure driving with you.

Congratulations @Vanessa8580, well done and well deserved

Congratulations @Vanessa8580. Even if you had not brought us to the Chimney, this was well due. Looking forward to supporting your drives soon.

Congrats @Vanessa8580 well done. You definitely deserve this promotion.

Hey @Niki Patel, I just had a skid plate installed on my car yesterday. I saw the offer you’re talking about for all 3 skid plates for 900 AED (ARB I believe). I passed on that offer, and instead opted for an 8 mm aluminum front skid plate. The shop took measurements of my car and laser-cut the plate and installed it. It was around 1000 AED for this job, and the bash plate looks very solid.

To stay completely unbiased to safeguard every Carnity member interest, we have restricted brand promotions and sharing of car business details here. As in past many car businesses have motivated Carnity members to promote their brand and products by flooding meaningful discussions. Hence we have decided to stay focused on practical, relevant and unbiased solutions, rather than the solution providers. Thank you for your understanding.

Feestje 🎉🎉

@Vanessa8580 best wishes and congratulations 👍🚙

Congrats @Heisem well done 👍🏽

@Ahab Shamaa many thanks and if you could share the place you got your work done I will drop by as it seems a more suitable option. The 900aed option was an AOR branded skid plate set so was very tempting (brand and price) but having a custom made thicker and potentially lighter version is a no brainer. Thank you all above and below who replied with experience and guidance! Helping a newbie like me massively and a testament to this forum and community! Hope in the future I can offer support to others like I have received already!

It all depends on the material used: -4mm mild steel (not recommended due to corrosion), or 4mm stainless steel is pretty good -if you go for aluminum, go for 8 or 10mm. Make sure the skid plate / bash plate has holes to allow for engine cooling, or your car might be overheating a lot more.

Absolutely right and awareness of this as fact is core basic in sand off-roading 👍🚙

Hi @Niki Patel an 8-10mm plate in aluminum is a better choice. Since you drive an fj, finding a skid plate won’t be a difficult. Lots of garages already stock pre made skid plates for vehicles ( with fjs and Jeep being a popular choice). I myself have a 10mm aluminum plate installed on my car. Try garages in Ras al Khor or Al quoz. Lots of choices over there

Congrats @Vanessa8580 for reaching expret level. Looking forward to drive with you.

Well done @Heisem. Looking forward to driving with you.

Thank you very much @Mahmoud Asar! Hope to see you soon:)

Congrats @Ahab Shamaa well done

Congratulations @Heisem! Well deserved!

Congrats @Heisem

@Ahab Shamaa Check with Yokohama Dealer (Yokohama Sharjah) - 0504660765. They had buy two get two free offer.

Thank you @sertac for this awesome idea. I'm always glad to change fro Clarke Kent as soon as I see trouble.

Thank you everyone for the advice! I being new to Toyota and FJs are learning all about the massive choices in independent garages out here! With my previous Land Rover experience, general garages were a mistake and finding a specialist made all the difference. Apologies admins as I now know the rules on promoting product/garage and appreciate this as it ensures genuine discussions. I have all I need with regards advice ... and will now explore Al Quoz and beyond 😂 to learn about the options available for me! Wish me luck and see you on the dunes soon I hope!

Wonderful @Vanessa8580! Congratulations!

Congratulations

Congratulations

Congratulations

@Heisem congratulations 👍🚙

Congrats @Kailas well done 👍🏽

@Frederic Hi Frederic, Please ad me to the waiting list for this drive. I am very keen on the afternoon drive and could not find any other spaces. I have driven with you before, this will be my 4th drive. - Hope i can join in. Kind regards, Lukas

@Ahab Shamaa hi, can you please share the address or any contact no. for the garage you got it installed? i need one for my pajero. Thnx & Regards,

@RohanH valid point , but again depends on the material part used as each one his it’s on tensile strength and other physical properties such as elasticity ....etc if Ian not mistaken stainless steel comes on top as rigid then aluminum then titanium ... and each has pros and cons. Example steel hard but prone to corrosion where aluminum is vica versa . I think as long as we stick to the sand it’s not as bad the impact as would be on rocky terrain .

Hi @Niki Patel There are different thickness and toughness of skid plates available or fabricated for different vehicles Generally 8 mm aluminum plate is accepted , more than that may add to the front weight especially upon breaking and less than 8 mm might be lighter but weaker I drive Nissan Xterra and I installed a 10mm thick plate from day one as we are “xterrians” are aware of low radiator in our vehicles . Last but not least all these protectors are just helpers when “unexpected wind sometime might slam your boat “ and can never be a substitute to skills of controlled driving wish you best and drive safe cheers 👍🚙

Congrats @Mukundan Nair

Congrats @Kailas

Thanks a lot @Nivin! I’ll call them to check 😀

Mitsubishi Pajero 3.8 V -7seater -year 2009 NO prior experience Yes it has front and rear hooks

As you get more interested and progress in your levels 4 mm will not be enough. Prefer 6 mm at least , 8 mm is better . I personally prefer 10mm for my X as it has a very low radiator unlike FJ which has better clearance in front. Even 10 mm could not save me from a radiator break on some nasty bump, so better protection always gives you some peace of mind.

Power to weight is the mantra when sand bashing is the issue. I solved that by changing the tuning and regearing my jeep. But then again it depends on your goal. For the occasional desert ride it might not be justified. My suggestion is to do a lot offroading before. Get to know what your car is capable off, and later if you feel that you need some upgrades, then go for it.

Hi @Niki Patel, if you are going in for a skid plate, I would suggest atleast 8mm and it would not not cost too much more. If you look around, you can get it for around AED 1000. In the desert, you don't need to be doing extreme drives to need a skid plate as the desert is unpredictable and anything could happen to anyone at any time and at any level of drive.

Agree totally with @Gaurav and there is no match as maintaining the momentum entails spinning wheels

Dear All thanks to @Rahimdad we will be having 2 convoy. So i added all of you to this drive. @Kailas @Luca Palanca Falsini @Veedooshee @Mehmet Volga @David Ortells @Tamas Hoffmann @Shaaz Sha @Christian Andras @Nivin @Tero Vallas

Hello guys regarding snorkel or no snorkel issue , please the following link may highlight few things about that especially this wading capacity term that today I came to learn about for first time . Thanks for the discussion 😎 https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/tip-sheet/10-practical-tips-for-those-considering-installing-a-snorkel-on-their-vehicle-a36-20160628-lfrm?ref=site_search

Congtatukations @Kailas! Well deserved, from what I could see last weekend.

With the tremendous increase in the number of COVID cases in the UAE, we all have to be responsible while off-roading. Failing to abide by any single precaution at any time during the drive, will result in an immediate ban from Carnity Off-road Club. ZERO TOLERANCE First offender - 1 Month Ban. Second offender - 3 Month Ban. Third offender - lifetime ban and report to authorities. COVID19 PRECAUTIONS 2.0 All Carnity off-road drives will be LIMITED to driving only: No Socializing and gathering allowed at any time. No break for taking photos, breakfast, smoking, etc. No exchanging of off-road or recovery gears. Wear a mask at all times, while outside your vehicle. For passengers restrictions, follow RTA or NCEMA guidelines. All passengers should be inside the car, at all times. Maintain a minimum of 2-meter social distance at all times. Sanitize your hands and recovery gear after use. PS1. If you and your passenger cannot sit inside your vehicle for 3-4 hours please DO NOT JOIN CARNITY DRIVES. PS2. A Member who has RSVP the drive is RESPONSIBLE and LIABLE for their passenger's compliance. PS3. The above precautions apply to everyone irrespective of their vaccination status or schedule. PS4. You can confidentially submit the photo of any offender by sending an email to [email protected]. How to comply Read the drive post before arriving at the meeting point, so that you know your convoy numbering and radio channel. Arrive at the meeting point and switch on your radio to the pre-set frequency of the drive. Stop your vehicle at least 10-20 meters away from each other. Deflate your tires, while wearing a mask, and then go back inside your car. All briefings will be done on the radio now, so pay full attention to a briefing for your own safety. After the briefing, fall in your convoy position just before the drive starts. While driving if you get stuck, announce on the radio and be inside your car at all times. Trip lead and/or support will guide you on the radio for self-recovery or tow-rope recovery. While there is a stuck or a refusal, everyone else supposed to be inside their car at all times. You can only take a bio-break during the drive, by requesting trip lead permission. Once the drive is over exit out to inflate by maintaining 10-20 meters distance from each other. While inflating, only the driver supposed to be out and with the face mask at all times. After the drive, you can talk on the radio for any feedback, suggestions or help you need.