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@Ahab Shamaa @varunmehndiratta @Sai Baskaran @Pickey Singh @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ @Explored Dubai @Derek Fernandes @VipinShetty @bassel el rafei @Arshad Roojee @Ken Hüüdma @syed salman raza @Lorenzo Candelpergher It's Tuesday so we need a mid week pick up, no? Many of you probably don't know that Lorenzo is a drone pilot - so with his agreement [thanks Lorenzo] we will take a little time out during the drive on Friday to see if we can get some great shots of the convoy. It does mean we will possibly have a few stops to set up the drone, but I hope you will support that and accept a slightly later end to the drive because the videos and shots can be quite spectacular. See you soon in the sand.

Hi @Bernd Stucke welcome to Carnity and its off-road club. Everyone has shared a very good and fair approach on knowing your vehicle first before start modifying it, this advise you seldom get anywhere else. Jeeps have plenty of mods in the market and most of them are purely for looks, appeal and head turning approach. One of the most famous of all is to have BIGGEST POSSIBLE tires with biggest suspension lift to make it look like a monster Jeep. I totally agree they look awesome but they aren't useful for sand desert and inherently risky (prone to roll-over) with such high lift without widening the stance in the same proportion. Mud-Terrain (aggressive tread) oversize (33-37 Inch) beefy looking tires comes with super heavy weight, so unless you intend to do some slow speed mountain crawling or climbing, they are practically useless in the sand. Rather these bigger and heavier tires will slow you down and restrict your long hill climb "substantially". Long hill climb is an every offroader dream and goal to reach on top of the tall dunes and when your head turner jeep can't make it even 50% of the climb, then you will get into power modification (another money pit). Exhaust, headers, filter, chip-tuning, supercharger, re-gearing ratio etc. So bottom line, I was trying to explain here that how one wrong (not required) move can make you link with another expensive mods is like a chain reaction and there is literally no-end to this vicious circle. And even after all the mods and power mods you will be able to squeeze 10-20% power gain with plenty of risky and some borderline illegal (not allowed by RTA) stuff will open another issue of sacrificing the reliability of your Jeep in the long run. We see crazy stupid highly modified 4x4 catching fire in the desert almost every month and you will see there remains too once you start heading in common areas. With gladiator being LWB you will need extra skills, practise and patience to manage this long vehicle in tight spots and knowing its true capabilities and limitations. It's nothing alarming, but just bringing it here, so that you know that before going to the mod-route you have a long way to master this beast and its own set of unique challenges. Hope to see you soon in the sand.

Brilliant... That's sounds like a great plan. Getting pic by drone of full convoy will be awesome. @Lorenzo Candelpergher man with multiple skills. See you soon. @Wrangeld thanks for arranging all this. You are a true leader.

Oh wow! That’s gonna to be so cool 😀 Thanks @Wrangeld and @Lorenzo Candelpergher! You guys make a great team 😍

It's a wrangler. Supposed to happen

We need to change the title on this one from "What went wrong ?" to "What went right" !

Brands/ Models to avoid: - X-cessories. These are just Chinese rebranded compressors that are being sold with a pretty big mark up. - Mini compressors to connect to cigarette lighter: Will last only a few drives. Not made to inflate from 15 to 35psi, unless you want to wait for 45mins or longer. Will overheat easily because of this. Acceptable / Good: Camel Brand compressors from Dragon Mart: Mixed reviews. Some last a few months, some easily last two years and longer. They are not expensive, fast, but very loud. But they get the job done. Same goes for Vitaly brand which is 99% the same but are being sold at a higher price. Premium Models: ( 1 to 5 year warranty) - TJM , Viair ( or Bushranger), MeanMother, Smittybilt, ARB What to look after when buying a compressor ? 1) Warranty. A premium brand should provide 4-5 years warranty which will make the higher price worthwhile. 2) Output in liters per minute (lpm). The more the better of course. Everything from 40lpm upwards should be fine. Some will show a rating in cfm (cubic feet per minute). 2.3 cfm = 65lpm. 3) Duty Cycle: Air compressors heat up when running so most have a limited consistent output before they need to stop and cool off. This run time in-between cycles is called a duty cycle. Manufacturers typically represent run time with a number, such as “20”, which means you can run the compressor for 20 minutes every hour. sometimes they show a percentage. 20 minutes would indicate a 33% duty cycle. Keep this in mind when you are using the compressor every week. Avoid exceeding the duty cycle time as in a short period of time it would overheat / destroy the compressor. 4) Quality of the coiled hose, pressure gauge. 5) inline fuse and thermal overload protection. Will come standard with premium models. Below a specs example of Bushranger Black Max: Duty cycle is 30 minutes @40psi at 24°C ambient temperature. Obviously the ambient temperature will be much higher for us here in the UAE, so you will need to take that into account. Keep the compressor in the shade while using (or even on the inside of the car if possible) and keep your engine running. These compressors are rated to work most efficiently at 13.8 Volts, so your alternator should be running.

I think Japanese cars in general is indeed more reliable because the technology has been tried and tested. Maintenance is relatively straight forward although certain agencies may try to charge you for various things that are not required/needed. I completely agree that Mitsubishi takes the crown for the best bang for the buck, and Pajero deserves the special mention since this is the only full fledge 4x4 offroader, be it 5 doors or 3 doors, in the sub AED90k category- even if you buy new.

Let me start with Mitsubishi: 1. What are the strengths of the brand? Reliability, simplicity, number of vehicles on the road in UAE. 2. What are the weaknesses & challenges for the brand? Many models have become a bit outdated, and the competition is fierce. There is only very limited market for a "real" capable 4x4, hence they become more soft-offroad SUV vehicles. 3. How's the brand experience in UAE - dealer, online, after sales service etc.? good independent workshops that cater to Mitsubishi. No experience with the dealership. 4. What differentiates the brand from the other brands? Could be anything from product features, technology to dealer experience or even something else. Mitsubishi has always been a bit of an underdog, but bang for the buck they remain fantastic value. 5. What if the brand ceases to exist for some unfortunate reason? Would you miss it? What would you replace the brand with? In UAE i would stay with Japanese brands for the reliability and good resale value. Looking forward to varied opinions and perspectives! Hope you all find this interesting! Thanks in advance!

Excited.. ready to explore more

First of all I pray and hope all occupants are fine after so many rolls!!I am eager to know where this happened! Attacking a ridge on slip side of a huge bowl is a always risky, could have avoided if he had rode the ridge a bit. Probably was distracted or excited as he almost completed the full bowl. Easier said than done, but as a driver who is behind the wheel I think we should always have a urge to fail sometimes than to win every time!!

Hello fellow car enthusiasts! So we keep hearing that the Japanese brands, in general are reliable, durable, tough, efficient etc. Of course there are differences pointed out for service & parts costs for Toyota, Nissan vs Honda, Mitsubishi for example. I was wondering how are these brands perceptually distinctive to us as customers? What makes someone go for a Nissan vs a Toyota or any other Japanese brands for that matter. So I thought I'd get different perspectives from you all. To keep the discussion a little streamlined, let's focus on the following brands and answer the questions that follow. Brands: TOYOTA, NISSAN, MITSUBISHI, HONDA Key questions: 1. What are the strengths of the brand? 2. What are the weaknesses & challenges for the brand? 3. How's the brand experience in UAE - dealer, online, after sales service etc.? 4. What differentiates the brand from the other brands? Could be anything from product features, technology to dealer experience or even something else. 5. What if the brand ceases to exist for some unfortunate reason? Would you miss it? What would you replace the brand with? Looking forward to varied opinions and perspectives! Hope you all find this interesting! Thanks in advance!

Driving in HLc will change the power ratio from 70/30 (front/back) to 50/50. Whenever you start moving you should do it gently. 4H or 4HLc will not make any difference at that point. More important would be to find your ideal tyre pressure as that would avoid your car from sinking in. If you have normal road Tyres don’t go lower than 12-13 psi. With off-road tyres you’ll be able to deflate further down to 10psi which will improve flotation. Also avoid stopping abruptly, as that makes the tyres sink in. Try coasting to a stop and dont stop the car on an incline, but at a decline or flat level. There are people who swear by driving in 4HLc and notice improvement. Myself I’m a big fan of the viscous coupling that works extremely well in sending the right amount of power to the right wheels at the right time (4H).

Hi @Chaitanya D kindly remove my name from the waitlist . Got some other pans. Thank you.

Hello Chaitanya, I don't have, but will be procuring one soon.

@Kailas and @Janarthan can you please confirm if you have the necessary recovery equipment for your level and a wooden plank+ 2 ton floor jack? Wooden plank and 2 T jack is not must for your level, but wanted to know for better convoy arrangements Thanks

Amazing/ Exciting drive ... Ale !!! I'm positive (under your leadership) all of us will become pro's in no time - a lovely time. The last minute route change was an icing on the cake !!! Looking forward to many more ... with you. Take care & Cheers !!!

For any type of off road driving in the UAE you need to reduce your 4x4 tire pressure. For mountains and wadi it's easy to reduce between 20-25 PSI irrespective of the tire brand, shape, type and load. For sand the tire pressure deflation is little bit tricky and if you follow below steps, you can decode this better. Before that you also need to understand that why deflation for off road driving is so important: Deflated tires are hard to sink in or dig in the sand due to lesser resistance. Deflated tires increase the sand flotation to reduce the load on Engine, 4x4 and Transmission. By deflating tire pressure you increase the footprint, that help you stabilize & offer better directional control. Image shows the two tires track: One with 35 PSI (left) and other with 12 PSI (right). Finding a perfect tire pressure for off road driving for your specific tire and 4x4 is based on bit of learning and experiments. Of course the lower the tire pressure better it is for dune bashing, climbing and self recoveries but too low is also dangerous for popping the tire out of its wheel. You can follow the below chart, if you are totally new to off road driving as an indication (ONLY). If you have a pop out on normal driving, then increase 1 PSI next time to find the best tire pressure for your 4x4. If your 4x4 is Long Wheel Base (LWB) with full load then increase 1-2 PSI more than below indications. Type/Brand of Tire Regular Driving Intermediate Driving Self-Recovering All HT Tread (Highway Tread) Dunlop Grandtrek Bridgestone Dueler Yoko Geolander HT Michelin Latitude Pirelli Scorpion Goodyear HT 14 PSI 12 PSI (Avoid sharp steering) 8-10 PSI (Inflate after recovery) All MT Tread (Mud Terrain Tread) Mickey Thompson MT BF Goodrich MT Cooper STT - MT Nitto Trail Grappler MT Toyo Open Country MT Dick Cepek Extreme 12 PSI 10 PSI (Avoid sharp steering) 6-8 PSI (Inflate after recovery) All AT Tread (All Terrain Tread) Yoko Geolander AT Michelin Pilot A/S3 Hankook Dynapro 10-12 PSI 8-10 PSI (Avoid sharp steering) 4-6 PSI (Inflate after recovery) Disclaimer: If you can't find your tire brand in the list then rely on HT / MT / AT section to be 90% safe. For knowing how to deflate the tires, please speak to any of the Marshal or senior member to show you how its done properly. There are more than a couple of ways and tools off-roaders use to deflate depending on their choices. All tools, ways and method are correct as far as you achieve the correct tire pressure. If you are new to offroading, I highly suggest to double check the tire pressure twice once you are done. Borrow the fellow offroader tire pressure gauge and check again, as many times your new gauge might go wonky and give false readings. Once you are 100% sure that your gauge is correct always, then you are fine to rely on your own readings. PLEASE DON'T DEFLATE WITH KEY AND STOPWATCH AND ASSUME IT'S 14 PSI. Secondly, always check / adjust tire pressure again after 30 minutes of sand driving as it might increase due to the heat and stress. If you are facing constant refusal at the beginning of any drive, I bet your 14 PSI has shot up to 18 PSI and you need to reduce the tire pressure more to bring it down to 14 PSI. This happens on almost every newbie drive, so it's fine and proven gazillions of time.

Most Mitsubishi Pajero owners might have heard about the 4WD Super Select II system, which is the control system on their Pajero 4x4. There are a lot of misconceptions on what mode to use in the desert, and the use of differential locks. Below I will describe the functionality of the 4WD Super Select II system and how to use it for offroading in the UAE sand. Also, we will talk about the use of differential locks (center and rear) functionality, when needed. Your Pajero equipped with the 4WD Super Select system has 4 modes. Switching between 2H and 4H can be done while driving (max 100km/h). If you need to switch to 4Hlc or 4Llc you will need to stop the vehicle, put it in Neutral, then select the desired gear. 2H - 2 Wheel Drive This mode is for dry highway roads only, and will slightly reduce road noise and fuel consumption. 4H - 4 High This mode is the one we generally use for offroading in the dunes on most levels. The Viscous Coupling System distributes the power to the front and back based on the condition of the terrain (33% front / 67% rear). 4Hlc: Instead of the viscous coupling used in 4H, this mode locks the front and rear wheels together at a 50/50 ratio. (Center Diff lock) This mode can be used for more advanced offroading or soft areas when required. This mode is not for on-road driving !! 4LLC: - 4 Low with Lock Center differential This mode is used for self-recovery, steep hill climb, and descending from very steep slopes only. The maximum speed you should use 4Llc is 30km/h. Driving beyond 30km/h in Low gear will damage the gearbox sooner or later and should be avoided at all times. The well known Omani hack puts the car in limp mode, and can only be used in Low gear, hence is not recommended to be used if you go beyond this maximum speed. Rear Differential Lock Some Pajero models come with the R/D Lock or Rear Differential Lock. This option can be activated during your self recovery. How does it work ? In normal situations, your rear differential is "open". This means the rear left and rear right wheels can turn at different speeds, and this is necessary because of the speed difference when turning your wheels on the road. When the rear differential is open, and you are stuck in the sand with one rear wheel free, and one rear wheel stuck, ALL the power will go to the wheel that is free, hence recovery is quite difficult. Engaging your R/D lock will lock both wheels on the rear axle (like it becomes one solid axle). So even when your one wheel is free, it will still send power to the wheel that is stuck. The Rear Differential Lock is very useful, but not a MUST HAVE. It will come standard on the 3.8 Models. Drive Mode or Tiptronic Mode As you learn offroading, we generally advise you to keep the car in "D". The reason is that we want you to focus on the terrain and let the car think for you which gear it should take. Once you start entering higher level drives, you might find that the gearbox is a bit slow in reacting, or that it is upshifting or downshifting at the wrong time. This is not always the fault of your transmission, but could also be yourself who is quite nervous with the throttle pedal, making it hard for the car to decide what you want. As a result during offroading the transmission will be constantly shifting and during hot days this will lead to overheating. Tiptronic mode gives you as a driver full control over which gear you want to select. Initially this takes a bit of practice, but soon you will see that you'll be able to keep the car better controlled by choosing the right gear and keeping it in that gear as much as you can. For example during offroading you can keep it in 2nd gear, and shift back to 1st gear whenever you need to tackle a dune. As you can see, the Pajero has a lot of functionalities that might be confusing at the start, but once you start using them it will become clear that the Super Select II 4WD system is one of the best systems for 4WD on the market since a long time.

You are opening a topic that has one clear winner : Manual all the way. The automatic guys will just jump in to justify themselves now.

It has a new owner now Asif bhai took it long back.

Dear @syed salman raza, I have almost only flown DJI drones (all types, including bigger ones not mentioned here) so I can advise onky on those, even if there are surely other good ones from other brands. The best small camera drone is certainly DJI Mavic2 Pro (1" CMOS, 10bit color range), but it is an expensive toy and probably a bit too much sophisticated for regular use as a desert aircraft. You may go for a DJI Mavic Air 2 as a 2nd option, great value for money (half the price of the Pro) even if very light (570g vs 910g for the Pro) so not very stable in windy conditions (but when there is wind in fhe desert you are unlikely to be there enjoying the sand in your eyes...). This is probably your best choice. You may also find good 2nd hand DJI Phantom 3 for bargain prices, as it is an old model, now replaced by the Phantom 4. More rugged than the Mavic series (no foldable arms) so better for desert use, slightly heavier (thus a bit more stable and surely better in stronger winds), even if a bit bulky. Obstacle avoidance is limited. The DJI Phantom 4 is a heavy duty all-round drone, very good but equally or more expensive than the Mavic 2 Pro. Not a starter's option. I wouldn't recommend the DJI Mavic Mini: not really a drone for wide range desert spaces, in my opinion Personally I prefer by far the Phantom Series because of the more ergonomic remote control, which allows for more refined maneuvering (Mavic's are too small and light) but I may be biased by my professional needs. In a nutshell: either a Mavic Air 2 (best value for money) or a 2nd hand Phantom 3 (a bit old ans bulky, but rugged and inexpensive). I hope it helps.

Because a true off-roader will never spoil a beautiful wrangler !

Excited to join my first drive! Went through the videos last week and the FJ has an inbuilt compressor and a flag pole plus bracket (screw hole on the roof) set up as I suspect desert season stock when I bought it I have a radio ready and charged.. will tune in the frequency soon! maybe you can tell I am little excited ... 10 years here and finally I will get to experience the real dubai (a small intro I know). I have the 5aed valve removal tool (though I paid 15aed in Ace so feel like I got the expat tax ) ... have a pressure gauge and finally have already set my alarm as that may be the hardest part for me! see you all on Friday and good luck those taking the trip to dragon mart ... though in the guide in this forum I think someone shared the location of the store!

Dear @Ale Vallecchi, @Foxtrot Oscar, Thank you for making the drive a memorable one and Ale thank you for the amazing lessons during the drive and the deciding to make it more fun by the diversion! Many lessons learnt again on this drive Thank you @Foxtrot Oscarand @Pickey Singh for the help in getting me out of the stuck situation.

@Lorenzo Candelpergher Please advise which is a good follow up drone available in UAE (not very professional and expensive

Thanks @Wrangeld and @Lorenzo Candelpergher

Hello @Shehab Alawadhi. Thanks for joining the Club and the drive. To answer your questions, a tow rope is not mandatory for this introductory drive, but if you feel like you'll want to pursue this sport, a kinetic rope, with soft shackles, will be necessary. Just wait until after this drive before you buy one. As far as tow hooks, I believe your car comes already equipped with them (even in the form of eyelets), so it should all be OK, at the moment. Looking forward to seeing you on Friday.

Thanks @Bhaskar from a reliability perspective in my opinion Mitsubishi will be as reliable as Nissan and Toyota, but the spareparts are more expensive. The reason i mentioned underdog is that i've always been a bit surprised why Mitsubishi is not that popular with the locals. But then again Mitsubishi has no alternative for the big Landcruisers and Y62 Patrols.

Do we refer to THAT historically long drive? Oh, yes.. the naming "Devil's deceit" is perfect, then! With 20 degrees less in temperature, I really look forward to the drive and, above all, to listening to your updated briefing, @Wrangeld.. 😂😂😂

Congratulations @Alexander Alcala for reaching the Intermediate 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. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. (Drives can be a mix of Newbie, Fewbie (50%) and Fewbie plus, depending on your adaptability, learning progress and Marshal’s feedback) What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable 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. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Learn to lead small portion of Intermediate drive under Marshal supervision Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Intermediate and Exploration drives only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Hello everyone, I am a new member here and I was wondering if there are other members owning a Jeep Gladiator. Or are there Wrangler owners who have recommendations for where to go for modifications on my jeep and where to buy accessories?

Thanks @Chaitanya D, confirmed

Hi @Wrangeld, I was very excited to take part to this drive but unfortunately I was just asked to work on Friday morning therefore I can't come anymore. However I removed myself from the calendar so that someone else can join the drive. Enjoy and see you next time on the sand

@Ahab Shamaa @varunmehndiratta @Sai Baskaran @Luca Bregni @Pickey Singh @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ @Explored Dubai @Derek Fernandes @VipinShetty @bassel el rafei @Arshad Roojee @Ken Hüüdma I for one am looking forward to the drive on Friday. Why - I've been there before with Fewbies and I really like the challenge of bringing newbies into territory that normally would not be used. The really good part about this routing is that (at least until 2 weeks ago) there was not a lot of traffic around these routes. In some of the places we drive there are hundreds of cross tracks and churned up sand because the whole of the UAE 4x4 world is driving there (Fossil Rock, Pink Rock and some parts of Al Qudra come to mind). Between Murquab and AL Qudra there is less traffic, which means we are likely driving on some virgin sand and making our way over dunes that few travelled before. The other reason that I like to come to this route is that we can elevate or raise the level depending on the convoy response in ways that is not so easy in other areas, because there are so many varied challenges. To be sure, there are big wide expanses of sand where we can drive up down and round [if anyone has a drone and it's not a no fly zone, we could have some fun here]. We can also very quickly dive into the technical dunes which are a challenge to many newbies - but which will improve your control and finesse no end. And the end of the drive has some nice cross overs, higher dunes and lots of pipes and chanels to drive through where getting stuck in the soft sand means a difficult moment for self recoery from a refusal or more challenging recoveries. My request to you - if you cannot make it: tell us now. There will be people to fill your space if you don't want to/can't come. More to come during the week. See you soon in the sand.

@Carnity dear friends from my side any timing which is convenient to the group in terms of safety , daylight and “ home ministry “, ( @Rizwanm2 copy right ) , convenience is ok for me

Drive times ... @Tero Vallas as Rahimdad mentions, the drive leads are all volunteers and club members too. Some of already drive morning and afternoon so the gap between the drives shortening makes it impossible for us to get from one to the other, or rest in between. That's the frist safety element. The driver is more often than not the daylight than the convenience of getting up a bit later -that's the second safety element. As Rahimdad says, one we ahve even more elads, we can look at this again, but for the moment, it seems most people are OK with the early morning starts: I personally like to feel some cool air for the first time in the year that's not from an airco.

I don’t mind the timings at all @Tero Vallas. To me, they’re actually perfect as I get to do something I like, and be back home by the time my family is ready to tackle their Friday; be it movies, shopping or lunch. The early timing makes it that these drives do not interfere with my day; and that’s a big plus. Now as @Rahimdad mentioned, when the Carnity structure has more drive-leads, I would like to see more Saturday drives and more afternoon drives. This way, the times and dates can cater to everyone 😀 Last but not least, @Foxtrot Oscar, when we’re fully staffed and ready, I’d like to see someone deflate and inflate my tires, while I sip on a cold “non alcoholic” margarita 😂😂😂

Dear soon to be Desertnauts. Welcome to Carnity! As you know, this is a drive strictly for drivers that have never been off road with Carnity. In preparation for it, it is important that you inform us if: you have any prior off-road experience; your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Before joining the drive on Friday morning, you will need to have viewed the introductory videos (links above). Please also make sure you have with you a tire deflator and tire gauge. You will need these. If you have an off-road flag as well that would he great. In case you do not have a flag mount on your car, you may look for a flag with suction cups, which can be easily placed on one of the rear windows. Even if the drive should end near a gas station, where they have a compressor, however, if you have your own please bring it along, as it may be quicker than waiting in line. So, to recap, useful tools to carry would be: tire deflator tire pressure gauge off-road flag air compressor All these items should be available at any ACE or Speedex store, as well as at Dragon Mart. Regarding the area of the drive, we will access the desert from a less used entry point, along the road from Qudra Parking (where you can use the ADNOC gas station to fill up your tank), toward the Bab al Shams Resort. I will be waiting just off the road (after circling a roundabout next to a mosque), immediately past the bike track. Once we'll have reached this meeting point, and after a final inspection of your cars (sufficient clearance and accessible tow points are a must, without which you'll be turned back), we will proceed on a dirt track toward the deflation point. Following a detailed technical briefing, we'll be ready to enter the dunes, and start your off-roading adventure. This area is rarely used by other clubs, and the sand is much cleaner ad smoother, so this is an ideal ground to move your first steps in the desert. @Niki Patel, @Shehab Alawadhi, @Irshad Alam, @Mike Kraher, and any other enthusiast willing to join the Carnity family, please contact me on this thread for any preparatory question. In the meantime, have a great week.

Thank you @Tero Vallas for your kind suggestion and very interesting question. I'm sure as you progress further in our off-road structure you'll realize the many logistics that apply to be able to post and support all the drives we have been able to do so far. With more members doing well and being promoted we should have more leaders and supporters in near future to be able to rethink about the timings. In the meantime I thank everyone involved with the Carnity off-road club to give so many options and drives with sufficient support and safety which is paramount.

Sounds like an exciting drive

@Badar Tariq overheating in this time of year should not be occuring. But this might be related also to using the correct tyre pressure and some other factors. Do you have any service history that shows when the ATF was replaced ? I would not go above 30-40.000kms with the same transmission oil. When taking a sample the oil should be red and not black, as that would indicate if it's burnt or not.

Welcome to the Jeep Wrangler madness. I have lost count of how many things I have done to my jeep. But the only thing that I can assure you, is that I have enjoyed the journey from my original stock jeep to my heavily modified current version very much. My suggestion to you is for you to take your time to consider your options and evaluate the real necessity of any change. Drive and drive and then again drive to identify the required updates. And after spending your money don't look back and enjoy.

Welcome to Carnity dear @Bernd Stucke! My few cents in addition to what @Wrangeld already mentioned above, You already have a fantastic car which can do wonders in stock condition ( I read RUBICON). Please do at least 10 to 15 drives , understand your vehicle and more importantly your own style of driving , which will help you make a better informed decision on what mods you really want if any. If you go to any mods garage with the same question, the first question which will be asked is your budget and then the story begins which is never ending especially on a Wrangler.

Raising the stakes: Faqa Arboretum 102, Newbie Drive Report Some drives start one way and end another. It was the case of this Newbie drive: it had been planned as a leisurely loop in the Faqa area, and it ended as a much faster paced, fun packed ride all the way to Solar Park. Praise must be given to the quality of the drivers, who negotiated the first long range dunes of western Faqa so well that, once reached the planned midpoint of the drive in no time, prompted me to divert the track into the taller dunes' area, rather than turning back toward Faqa Town, and go all the way to the sabkha leading to Solar Park. This is how a previously driven Newbie itinerary executed in this area (Faqa Arboretum 101), which lasted 3:30 hours for 47.3 Km, became an almost Fewbie drive of 5:00 hours (not all moving) and 60 Km. Along the way a few lessons were learned. First and foremost, I am confident that the necessity of never fighting gravity became engraved in all the members' minds, following a couple of tricky approaches to a taller, steeper dune, which resulted in a couple of wheels up in the air, and in a perfect sideways stuck. On a very positive and encouraging note, the whole convoy kept its motivation, put its collective head down, and marched on toward Solar Park, rising to the challenge of learning the principles of approaching the ridges, riding the easier ones, and practicing safe criss-crossing of low, wider dunes, toward the end of the drive. The day ended with mostly refusals, a few stucks, quickly solved by our Master Sweeper Angela (AKA @Foxtrot Oscar), and quite a few relieved yet smiling faces. Well done to all the not-so-Newbie members: @Federico Galbieri for further improving in his Second Lead position, @Kaile Barrameda for her resilience, @Federico De Chirico for his persistence, @GauravSoni and @sri ganeshfor their fast learning, @Pickey Singh for continuing to master his new mount (congrats on your first recovery), @Sandeep Padhi, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ and @Aravind Padmaraju for an impeccable drive, @Ahab Shamaa for attending his last Newbie drive (welcome to Fewbies), and @Malachy McGrogan for the perfect control exercised on his beast. As mentioned above, the drive took 5:00 hours, went for 60 Km, at an average speed of 12 Km/h (but a much brisker 23 Km/h while moving). Congrast to all drivers, thanks for coming, and hope to see you soon again.

I did the unichip upgrade on the 2014 3.8 pajero this week on Sunday. Loaded with 5 maps with 5th being the stock OEM. I could see the difference ( improvement) in fuel efficiency for past 2 days (map 4) with 18%improvement in power output on dyno at full power map. also it holds 6k rpm on 1st gear... excited to test it in the dunes! @Gaurav @Rahimdad @Jas Gajaria

Thanks for the update. And I can assure you that most workshops would also be scratching their heads not knowing what to do. Cheers.

The method for folding the second row Pajero seats is as follows 1. First pull the back rest recliner handle up (on the side of the Pajero seat) so that the reclining gets into default position. 2. Next push the tab (on back of the seat) upwards and in one motion fold the back rest and lift the entire seat. It's actually a technic rather than a problem. I explained the same thing in the below post as well

Nice solution but there’s an easier way without cutting into the vehicles wiring loom. Pull the fuse, insert 2 male spade connectors into the fuse holder and connect them to a toggle switch via an external fuse holder with the same sized fuse. Same result but easier to remove and return the car to standard with no damage to the wiring loom. Works on any car.