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Dear Desertnauts A few quick notes about tomorrow's drive; As you've seen, it has been expanded to 10 members +2 VIS (Very Important Seniors) in support. On one hand, the quality of the convoy (mostly Intermediates, even though with quite a few debuts at this level) has suggested we can do so; on the other hand, due to the nature of the sand in this area, we'll be very careful in certain more challenging areas, to avoid risky stunts, choosing our tracks carefully, and allowing even a longer convoy to manage. The goal of the drive, besides enjoying a nice weekday out in the desert, is also to identify a Fewbie route, to be offered, safely, to slightly less skilled drivers in the Club. Therefore, we'll cover all the available terrains, perhaps just with a little less flamboyant attitude, than if we were doing a very fast paced Intermediate drive. Let's, nonetheless, keep our exploratory spirits high, and we'll still have lots of fun, in this extremely diverse and virgin area of Dubai. All of the above to simply say that this was meant, and should be, a pleasant afternoon drive, to relax our minds, and take away the worries of our weekdays' schedules. Please consider that I'd like to complete the drive by sunset. This means to arrive punctually at the meeting point (3:00 PM). I have noticed a greatly increased traffic on Hessa Street, and Qudra Street, all the way almost to Mira, during the hours of 1 and 3PM. So, please, leave a little earlier than you normally would, to account for some extra traffic. The goal is to leave ASAP after arriving. Please consider the heat of the day, and the softness of the sand, in choosing your deflation pressure. The convoy order will be the following: @GauravSoni in Second Lead @Ranjan Das at #3 @Arda Yagcioglu at #4 @AlexPol #5 @imranaasghar81 will be #6 @Thomas Varghese#7 @Foxtrot Oscar will play Center Forward @jodha singh shekhawat will take #9 @Shehab Alawadhi is going to be #10 @Ali Abas #11 @Watteau at #12, and @Chaitanya D will Sweep the convoy. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a great day.

The real reason is that a Jeep either way makes so much noise, that you wouldn't be able to hear the LED bar whistling noise anymore 😄

Hi @Mario Cornejo i enjoy both landscape and urban photography as well. In my opinion as much as i love the white sands in Faqa area, i do love the red sands that Maliha and Pink rock has to offer equally. I also love visiting abandoned areas like farms to play with the contrast. Some examples below. On Flickr.com you will find many photographers in UAE.

The chance of stripping chassis on a single point of tow hook is much higher than on a cross-member pintle hook or centered hook that spreads the pulling force. Off-road recoveries have no end for right and wrong and any pull done with "excessive speed" will tear off the chassis point or bend it for sure. That's why in harder pull or tricky situations, we "always" clear the resistance as much as we can to not stress the tow points, shackle, ropes and chassis. I assume that on rally or desert championship where time is of an essence, so to clear the resistance is not always applied first. Using sheer force, attempt 1: WhatsApp Video 2021-04-19 at 1.23.28 PM.mp4 Using sheer force, attempt 2, broke tow point: WhatsApp Video 2021-04-19 at 1.31.41 PM.mp4 Using sheer force, attempt 3 from the rear: WhatsApp Video 2021-04-19 at 1.40.20 PM.mp4 Cleared resistance with 5-10 min of shoveling: WhatsApp Video 2021-04-19 at 1.21.10 PM.mp4

Pintle hook in LC and Patrol are one of the most safest and strongest recovery point. They aren't meant for trailers actually and that's why many patrol carry ball hitch for constant load for towing boat or quad bike trailers. @Lawrence_Chehimi that pintle hook is usually attached to rear cross member bolted to chassis on left and right channel and not to the crash bar to best of my knowledge. I have never seen pintle hook failing under extreme load too. I have had LC100 and used the same pintle hook for recovering car uphill (more stressful) and they never failed.

Enjoyed the drive and challenges - thanks Ale for the tips and demonstrations running up and down those dunes! I learn something new from each instructor on each drive... for example Ale encouraged deflation to 13 psi (I've been advised previously to stick to 15/16psi) on my standard, on-road tyres. I felt the difference this extra 2 psi made in the soft sand. Thanks Mehmet for pulling me out of the sand bowl after getting stuck - after potentially getting a little too close to Ranjan and having to take some evasive action. Looking forward to the next one...

Good evening, @Goutam @Gok Krish @Arman @Thomas Varghese @GauravSoni @Craig Finlayson @Shehab Alawadhi @Francois Germishuys Here's the convoy list for the drive today We have got a strong convoy. We will be on channel 1. See you all soon!!

Hi @Chaitanya D that's why I suggested you to switch to Jeep when you switch...🙂 100 easy fixes for anything like this in Jeep.

Rural and urban landscape photography is a genre I personally enjoy. Whilst getting ready for a morning drive starting in Al Faqa, I took this picture just minutes before sunrise, I wish I had my tripod and a bit more time to take a couple of more shots at lower ISO and speed. Two photographers I check, from time to time, for inspiration are Elia Locardi and Thomas Heaton. In the UAE what areas do you recommend for desert landscape photography?

@Chaitanya D I have been mulling the question of where to, eventually (you know I am slow on mods), attach a set of night lights on the FJ. The most advised solutions I have been given (particularly one from a garage which deals a great deal with FJs) is (in order of preference): 1) to mount two circular shaped lights inside/behind the radiator grill (with the Toyota sign), to the side of it; 2) have a light bar mounted externally (on a specially made metal bracket) on the top of the bumper; 3) mount a light bar inside the lower grill (moving the plate up) - may get damaged by hits on bumps; Other solutions, require to have a special metal bumper made, on which front lights of any kind (round or bars) can be easily mounted. Still thinking about it (while I specialize in torrid daytime drives) 😅

Has anyone tried if it is possible to mount a led bar in the FJ hood where there is a plastic insert as in the green arrows below pic (probably only cosmetic) It would be a nice concealed way (without the sound effects of a roof mounted led bar) to attach your lights on a FJ if anyone is interested . @Niki Patel, @Christian Andras, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Ale Vallecchi, @topgear, @marks, @Heisem.., @Junaid120120, @Ahab Shamaa @Pmaraziti @Pierre de Maigret.and other FJ owners .

@Thomas Vargheseas you mentioned, the problem with these halogen lights is their size and current draw. A 100W halogen bulb will give you around 1000-1400 lumens, where as a very small LED light like a Baja squadron sport will give you around 3200 lumens at 25W, and their size is smaller than the installed OEM fog lights.. But they aren't cheap. You can also get a small 10" LED Bar from Baja that will give you 12000 lumens.. Not sure about other brands but I know that Baja designs are one of the best.

Totally agree on this point especially, with some personal experience after installing a winch on stock bumper (on my xterra) which slightly alters/blocks the air flow. Even this small block or alteration tends to keep your engine less cooled , not that it over heats all the time but definitely affects the airflow.

Well done @Watteau ! See you soon in the sands !

I use both the roof top LED bar as well as the one near the headlights, and both serve two different purpose. 1. The LED bar at the top is curved which is more of a spread light which helps see a bit on the left and right of the car especially when you are crisscrossing a dune, however the straight line visibility is limited. 2. The one in front of the headlight is a powerful spot LED bar which gives good straight visibility. If I had to choose one between the two, I would choose the spot LED bar any day because of the light intensity and the clear visibility of the track in front of you. I would recommend installing it near the headlights or just below as that is the best place to install without any reflections and you can direct the light in the right angle. Now, if you are installing near the front headlights, depending on the space availability you should look to install the most powerful spot LED light bar. Mine is a 32 inch spot LED light bar of 480W and my night vision has improved so significantly that I am no longer called a Day time Marshal (the old timers in the club would know what I mean) 😁. You can put smaller LED light bar beam as per the below image on the two sides (near your windscreen) that would give you a peripheral vision. This would be my recommended setup.

Any views on the relative merits or otherwise of smaller wheel rims on the Pajero. I'm currently running 17", but see other cars with 16". It's visually less appealing to me, but if there is a real advantage to smaller rims (possibly = more tyre surface on the sand as tyre wall will be higher) I will consider swapping out my current rims.

@Wrangeld since you are having the 3.8 version the smallest rims that would fit the front wheels without touching the brake calipers is 17 inch. So you would not be able to go further down on the rim size without doing some modifications. By the way, I thought you were running on 18 inch rims. Smaller rims, allows the tyres to have more flex when aired down which helps in a longer foot print. The maximum variations of tyres sizes and brands are at 16 inch and thats why many cars running 16 inch rims.

Hi @Paul Zeitoun it seems we are not alone anymore.. 😂😂

@Tareck, @Frederic that hook in the back is meant for towing of max 3.5Tons but still can be used in easy recoveries. That point is connected to the crash bar, i've heard it gets bent in some hard recoveries. However, there is a recovery point on the rear left side (opposite to the exhaust side) and is connected with 5 bolts to the chassis, based on the user manual, it shall be used as a recovery point.

Very kind words @Wrangeld Richard Thank you. Will keep on pushing and learning. Bake off in the desert is next. See you soon. Thanks again

@Watteau congratulations, well done

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi, I confirm. see you on Tuesday

@Arda Yagcioglu you may take the spot that just opened up in the drive. Can you please confirm? Thanks

Cutting through the ranks like a hot knife through butter, @Watteau and the invincible Raptor are the epitome of what Carnity stands for. Coming into the club your potential was there from day one when I was privileged to be leading your Absolute Newbie (which was quite an eventful day in itself) and you are doing everything possible to demonstrate that you will live up to the expectations (that you have now set ridiculously high!). Its simply a pleasure to see your giddy enthusiasm every time you arrive at a drive along side the massive contribution that you bring, offering assistance and reassurance to all around you: always humble, never know it all - simply helping to make sure that everyone else on the drive is having as good a time as you. With Suzie by your side (and boy are we glad she started baking) or not, you're an absolute asset on a drive and I am looking forward to your continued ascension up the ranks hoping that I can play what ever small part I may to support and assist you to achieve everything that you can in this hobby and club. Thoroughly deserved. Enjoy the new rank as it might let you finally get the Raptor out of 2nd gear.

Roof bar needs perfect placement and angle to decrease the glare from bonnet. Wrapping it snugly reduces noise significantly. If you can get a mix of white and amber led light it will be perfect because white light visibility when there is dust is awful. Best set up would be one led bar on roof ~40 inch (spot and flood combo), one spot led bar in between headlights ~20 inch and side shooters for peripheral vision. You have various brands some of which are as expensive as a car , but I have Toby's from Dragon mart. Cheap and serves the purpose with rough off road usage.

Hi! I have an 2017 FJ with the original roof bars. I would like to install one led bar at the front of the roof, which I have seen many have, for off roading. My questions/concerns from those of you who have this kind of light installet are 2: 1. Is the light from this position "good", I mean not reflecting/lighting up the bonet? 2. Is there a lot of extra noise when driving on the highway? Thanks for your inputs, /Chris

Congratulations @Watteau 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 after fewbie promotion and within last 6 months. (Drives can be a mix of Newbie, Fewbie (50%) and 2 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 Clear radio communication skills Advance recovery skills Self recover from dune crest Soft sand recovery Pop-out fixing 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

@Niki Patel finally a post about suspensions. 1 I drive a pickup so I have rear leaf springs and everyone knows they are a pain in the A** (Exterra drivers and other tuck owners you know what im talking about) I cant relate to your car @Niki Patel but I have been doing my own research for suspensions but have been hitting a wall with just biased opinions from people and garages so I haven't made my mind up yet on which ones to get, which stage to get, or even what each stage means. 2 @Gaurav mentioned about changing small things when you car is hitting a wall while off roading, thankfully I haven't hit any I guess its due to the sheer power of my car (yes you can be surprised what my car can do being this heavy and practically stock). However everyone knows when traversing the desert you will eventually drive over other peoples tracks and therefore make your ride bumpy (if you have leaf springs its even more so) and you will lose traction and momentum. I wouldn't say that this is a wall my car is hitting but it does get annoying on the faster paced drives. 3 if any truck drivers could recommend or give an opinion about some possible shock upgrades it would be fantastic so i could look into something specific and not just randomly search the internet by typing "F150 suspension" 4 The reason for my interest in changing my suspensions is to just make the ride in the desert smoother while going over areas that are frequently traversed. I wouldn't mind sacrificing my comfort on the road for more comfort in the desert, I basically am in the desert every other day 🤣 See you all soon Inshallah!

This will be fun. @Gok Krish will enjoy Fewbie Plus drive with all the IM's today.

Great see you all later

Two Way Radio Guidelines for Carnity Offroad Club Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Programming advice and instructions can be found in below article:

And no Carnity convoy in sight ?? What a shame

@Gaurav, i just called a friend who owns one and been part of a team who used to rally with modified Y62s, he said that the force on the bolts of the pintle hook is tension force which is much weaker than a shear force that happens on normal recovery point. The other thing is that when extra pull force is put on the rear cross member it tends to stretch out and will pull the ladders towards the inside, this is a scenario that they encountered in one of the recoveries. He advised me not to use that pintle hook in tough recoveries...

@Gaurav, you are right, just opened a drawing of the y62 chassis, there is actually no rear crash bar. It is as you said, the hook is connected directly to the rear cross member that is welded to the ladder frame. Thanks for correcting me, now I can use that pintle hook with more confidence as I was always scared from bending it.

Thank you Nivin !

Well done!!! @Rawad Bahsas

OK thank you, Frederic! The reason I am asking is that I see many Nissan Patrol owners who changes this recovery point and I never knew the reason. I thought it's only to hook trailers and not for recovery

@Rawad BahsasCongratulations!

@Farouq OwdehCongratulations!

@Chaitanya D sir please send me the contact of garage... the wind sound is really irritating. I made a mistake to install it at top head (mast) and the eminent garage guy never told me the problem or the alternate sites.

When all of you are pondering over where to fix the extra lights on their cars I'm confused where to mount these extra headlights on my XTERRA. Its huge. All 4 of them are arriving this Friday and I have not made up my mind where to fix them. They have 100/90 watt high beam/low beam and I'm pretty sure they will light up the night like the sun. I don't even know if the stock alternator can cope with such high amperage.

Congratulations @JeromeFJ

Thanks for the update @Niki Patel. See you soon.

Hi @Lawrence_Chehimi you have done 7 FB and 2FB+ level drives so far.

A safety flag is one of the most important safety items during desert driving. It improves your visibility to other vehicles, allowing convoy members and approaching vehicles to spot you well before reaching the top of a dune. Every off-roader is required to carry and use a proper safety flag on every drive. Flag Requirements Your safety flag must meet the following requirements: * Height: The flag should extend 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) above the roof of your vehicle. * Mounting: Install the flag vertically using a sturdy pole, preferably mounted to the roof or side window. * Visibility: The flag must remain upright and clearly visible throughout the entire drive. Approved Flag Types The following flag types are welcome: Solid colour flags National flags Sports team flags Charity or social cause flags Custom personal designs Not Permitted The following are not permitted: Towels, rags, torn cloth, safety vests or plastic bags used as flags Political or religious flags Flags representing other off-road clubs Commercial advertising or brand promotion flags Flags containing offensive language, symbols or images Respect the Club Your safety flag represents both you and the Carnity Offroad Club. Please choose a design that is respectful and appropriate for a family-friendly environment.

I have two of these sideshooters on my front bumpers and they really help a lot when aimed at the corners. Dragon Mart has them from Toby's brand.

I would suggest to add one at a time and see how it performs. Start with the spot powerful LED bar near the headlights, then depending on how your visibility is in the night you can add more. First check where is the place to install this LED light bar. Then measure the width and buy the LED light bar. Toby's is a very good Chinese brand and they have a shop in Dragon mart. Both my LED light bars are from Toby and they are quite competitively priced compared to other bigger brands (which are also assembled in China).

Thank a lot @Chaitanya D and @Srikumar for your valuable input! I was actually thinking that the roof bar will serve both purposes (bout forward spot and sideway flood). I have seen some cars having this small "side shooters", and I thought it's more "looks" than functionality, but is seems they are good. It also seems that a led bar between the head lights is a very good investment. So maybe I go for all 3 positions... Any obvious garage that is dealing with this kind of work you would recommend..?

Thank you both @Christian Andras for the query and @Frederic for the feedback as I was planning in the near future for such installation 👍

Hi @Christian Andras your points and concerns are completely valid. I used to have a double led bar mounted on the roof, but the wind noise was quite horrible and the reflection on the hood was also there but by pointing them a little bit upwards i was able to minimize that. From my opinion i have seen better results from a slightly smaller bar with latest LED technology mounted on the front grille.