Leaderboard

Doubtful for me @Thomas Varghese; I get lost in my own house. If I were to lead a convoy into the desert, we’d wander there for 40 years like the Jews did in the times of Moses 😅

Copy that @luis mantecon Dear @Carnity family, please to inform the boards are ready. Now next step will leave it to you, on how each board will reach it is owner😀. Let's hear your suggestions. FYI they are now in the workshop in um ramoul Dubai. Please note they are made in different types of wood, and different sizes. I think each one to consider the size of the Jack he has. Eventually, if a shortage of one size, still can be made

MY wife managed to get a glimpse of a few Oryx whilst flying by 😄 Thanks again for an awesome drive!

Disclaimer - most of my information is gathered by reading from the xterra forums www.newx.org and the tons of discussions on the xterra group in Dubai. I felt the crux being for off road models, the stiffer Bilstein 5100 is good enough sans the lift . 2 to 2.5 inch lift (not with spacer to level but with stiffer coil struts in front and leafs at back) would be useful 1. For better off road clearance 2. Slightly better performance off road with better suspension travels Yes the COG is affected , and hence it can be negated to some extent with 35 to 38 mm spacers . (Within the RTA allowed limits which I believe is upto 2 inches . Anything more and your car might not pass the annual clearing). Other option being to go for more expensive offset rims which are again like finding hens teeth, very limited options. Spacers cause rubbing of your wheels against the inner wheel liner , which needs a "melt mod" . Basically pushing in the bumpy plastic liner parts after softening with a heat gun. Only if you go for a tire upsize (potentially decreasing the power you need on sand)you will need more adjustments in terms of fender cuts and bumper cuts. Another minor issue being the long travel would potentially cause hitting at the top, which can be minimised by changing the bump stops on LCA to a thicker ones .Change the X bump stops to the FJ ones. X has a very thin one compared to the FJ As in pic below Why there is so much confusion with the lifts/suspension on X (especially in Dubai) is 1. Options available are limited unlike the jeeps or FJ - few actually understand the correct mechanics involved and the adjustments to be made. 2. Wierd placement options for the oil reservoirs (if you opt for ones with remote reservoirs which are a bit more expensive ) , which may not serve the optimal function as intended to be or claimed . 3. Bilstein 5100 stock on off road models is good enough for abuse , and pretty pocket friendly. 4. Rear sway bar rubs against thicker shocks when you change them to stiffer (thick ) ones .(controversial - different opinions) 5. With stiffer lifts - and off road revving engine /gear mounts are prone to break more frequently - which are inherently bit weaker in the X (controversial- different opinions). 6. With stiffer leafs at the back combined with stiffer shocks you will need angle correction shims - else you will have vibrations at higher speeds. More info below https://www.thenewx.org/threads/what-angle-shims-shackle-question.183561/# 7. Stiffer struts at the front tend to squeak probably due to sand sticking in some washers /bushes , so potentially both front and back could squeak. Not sure if this happens with all brands. And hence you will need a music system upgrade to better speakers, amp etc etc to nullify it🤣🤣. 8. Widening the stance with spacers or offset rims potentially reduces the wheel bearing life span causing them to wear and tear at a faster rate than stock. 1 to 8 is as much I understood reading all the information available, but since I am not an expert i would like to improve on that if there is anything more clear. I hope you could find an answer, or now have more questions 🤣🤣🤣

Extreme level is a "drive skill" level and does not have anything to do with leading. Leading drives is only for Advisor, Expert, and Marshal levels.

I can pick it up for members joining with me on Thursday or friday. Thank you so much🙏

Paolo Pellegrini @Paolo Pellegrini Ivan Pironi @Ivan Pironi Mario Cornejo @Mario Cornejo Abdul Rafay-S @Abdul Rafay-S Aisha S @Aisha S Yawa @Yawa Talgat Mendibaev @Talgat Mendibaev Christopher Assal @Christopher Assal Charbel Yazbeck @Charbel Yazbeck Nathan Evans @Nathan Evans Abdelhamid Elbasossi @Abdelhamid Elbasossi Joseph Sebastian @Joseph Sebastian Tuesday is when weekend plans start to change - so if you are going to pull out of the drive: do it now rather than later. We always have drivers that want to fill your space. We have amazing support in this drive, not only from the senior members @Islam Soliman @Veedooshee that will be driving, but also the more experienced drivers that are joining the drive whom we will intersperse in the convoy so that everyone gets the chance to see a great line to drive. Our plan - play around the big bowls and dunes in Murquab for a while. There are some great opportunities for play in just about every direction from the start point. From there we enter the Sand Super Highway. For those that never did this, it's a hold onto your hats baja style thunder through the technical dunes of Lisaili and Murquab (which are really so challenging that that we leave them for the more experienced drivers most of the time.) Form there we arrive West of Qudra and depending on the convoy performance we are going to venture into some more swooping, swinging dunes where you'll get the chance to practice a bit of climbing, cross overs and side scaling before ending up West of last exit and taking ourselves to the tarmac to reinflate. For a newbie, it's going to be a good challenge of what you learned before, for anyone above fewbie, it's going to be a chance to hone your skills and enjoy a supremely picturesque drive. See you soon in the sand.

I vote "NO LIFT" . Only because for me as a beginner seeing marshals and expert driver in stock or mostly stock vehicles helps to build confidence. Similar to "I can make it because the car in front of me made it". Seeing modified vehicles gives all us newbies the thought of. Well, If I had "that modified car" I could do those things. Seeing the many marshals and expert drivers at Carnity promoting only the mods you "need" for your vehicle is great and one reason why I am here and not with another club. If you want a lift just because you like it, that's different. Buy the best one in your budget and enjoy Just my opinions of course.. Its also way more cool to drive at your level without big mods so all of the crazy dune bashing big mod groups watch in amazement when you drive past them effortlessly.

Congratulations “Extreme drive” divers ,Well deserved each one of you. Hopefully catch up soon to drive and learn from you guys. @Ahab Shamaa @Francois Germishuys @Ilya @Christian Andras @Craig Finlayson @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Kalahari @Shaaz Sha@Tero Vallas

i am on the eve/night drive with @Kailasand @Anish S @Darren Brooke @Anoop Raj. 4 pieces will bring with me to pass. apologies my number is 0506318834

@PaoloMarazitithis is great idea 👍 @Hisham Masaad sincere thanks for your generosity and care for the club . God Bless 👍🙏

I reside close to umm rumool. If possible I can pick it up from there for myself and anyone whose driving with @Chaitanya D this Friday (Intermediate)

@Hisham Masaad Hi Hisham probably a bit late on this tread, but if there are any spare or if someone does not collect theirs or changes their mind then i would be glad to put my name on the waitlist 😉

One day i hope to have the skills to do just that, but as of now I window shop, buy and pay someone else 😄

May I introduce you Angela, @Foxtrot Oscar, to our very own @Ahab Shamaa … he will have you emptying your purse with a smile!

I'm sure I can help there.

Wow, fantastic, the service and generosity just gets better and better 😃

@N@ved@Ashy@Anand Nataraj@Tbone I am driving with Chaithanya this Thursday and i can collect for all. @Chaitanya Dif its ok for you to give @Rizwanm2@Thomas Varghese@MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQduring your friday drive i'll collect their as well

@Wrangeld please remove me from the WL, managed to have a drive with @Brette . Thank you Guys!

Dear @Chaitanya D or @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ I will be joining friday night intermediate drive. if once of you can collect 1 for me grate full. Thank you in advance.

Sure guys i can collect, just not sure if i will be able to do this in the next day or two with my work commitments. will keep you posted as and when i collect and who's i collect.

I will be collecting the board for @Ehab, @Danish Mohammad, @Anand Nataraj and @luis mantecon, please collect it from me on Thursdays drive.

Hi @N@ved! Can you collect three for myself, @Anand Nataraj and @Janarthan? I live in Furjan and can collect it directly from you and give it to them.

Perfect @N@ved you can collect tomorrow morning any time. please send whatsapp to arrange

@Hisham Masaadwith pleasure, i am in the JLT area so anyone around Mall of Emirates to Discovery Gardens i can collect and pass on/coordinate. I am driving with @Chaitanya DThursday night drive so happy to collect via Chaitanya or can plan/arrange to pick from you later.

Dear @N@vedcopy that, no issues. One condition, you get two, one for you, one to deliver 😄 @Abdul Rahman AKI live in sharjah, I can bring with me today, and meet you somewhere to give you. Please send me on 0506218834 to arrange

I reside in Sharjah, I can pick it up for anyone residing in Sharjah or Ajman and also for the members with whom I will be driving with Thursday night @Foxtrot Oscar

Mabrook to All of you.. I am not surprised to see @Ahab Shamaa in this list

Sorry you went through this trouble @Russ. If my wheels would fit the XL Apex I would have taken them from you to lessen the AED loss. @RooRzOn can you share the brand you used. I heard that after market ones give annoying warning when we are at Offroad pressure as they assumed we are too low. If it’s not that annoying in real world experience I will def reconsider after market TPMS

Good morning , @Stav @Adhir Saxena @Hisham Masaad @Darren Brooke @Anoop Raj @JeromeFJ You're confirmed for the drive. The plan for Friday is to do a loop at Tawi Nazwa area. From the starting point, which is Tawi Nazwa, we head out to Pink rock and climb to the other side. Then we drive to Big Red where we can do some tall sidees. Based on the convoy performance, and if time permits, we shall head back to Tawi Nazwa and end out drive there. Waitlist 1. @Wade Pat2 2. @varunmehndiratta Wade and Varun, I will be adding you to the drive.

Sounds intriguing. I guess it’s time to Actually start off-roading 😃

He almost had a roll over. IMG_7320.MP4

Really enjoyed being your second lead this morning @Lorenzo Candelpergher. It's usually my favorite position in a convoy. The sand is not churned up, you follow the lines of the expert... But waw what a challenge it was to keep up with your pace 😅 As soon as we got into the sand the ride started building up and I did feel I have improved some techniques and built confidence. In the small technical dunes, had to monitor the power and the speed and avoid the bumps and drops. Pushing in the higher dunes to practice how to correct the fishtailing and ridge riding - it was a very nice adrenaline rush. And to top it all, the scenery was splendid ! I got to the office with a great feeling of accomplishment this morning Thank you @Dodi Syahdar for the support, and have a lovely week everyone.

We all love the X for its ready to use off-road prowess but recently I've been toying with getting it lifted, 2 inches or so. I feel it would offer me better off road performance, but then some say the centre of gravity is thrown but spacers would sort that. Would I need to change the wheels? (stock at present) I'm not sure, I guess with a body lift you'd need to cut the bumper? And what about a suspension lift? Any advice X guys and gals? I want!!! Oh , just clocked the snorkel (clearly right hand drive haha)

Check from google maps. Thats the real speed. For example if the speed limit is 130 i am driving near to 140(on clock) but not getting radar. Because my real speed is 128-129.

I had these same issues earlier with my Yukon.. my easiest straight forward solution is kill the 🧠, while deflating I take out 4 fuses for ESC/TRC, ABS, and airbags. of course what @Shehab Alawadhi explained will still be required on high steep climbs through soft sand but my advise is to shift down to lower gear before your car loses power because if you wait for it then most probably it’s too late. So by time you will know the limits of your car in similar situations and manually take it down to a lower gear at the right moment before it it shifts up and u lose power.

Dear @Hisham MasaadI'm on a waitlist for @Foxtrot Oscar's drive so not sure if I will be able to make the drive. I can collect the board from the place if it is okay to share the address. I'm in festival city and happy to collect for others.

@AbuNar I am adding you to this drive. Please have yourself removed from the waitlist on @WrangeldRichards drive.

Thank you very much @Wrangeld looking forward to see you on Friday

@shu yang @AbuNar You're both added to the WL. Will let you know during the week.

Sharing is caring my friend. I am glad could help, with mostly useless knowledge I have for most of my friends in the real world. 70mai Smart Dash Cam Pro Plus Sets A500S 5MP Resolution/Free Wifi / 24-hours Parking Monitor / 140 Degree Wide View Angle/Dual Video Recording https://www.amazon.ae/dp/B07Y6VDF46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_R76D5YZH97VG08EJFCHP this is the device one should get. Along with the hardware kit if needed. I had my second device set up on the back of my car to record the rear view, and on the Jeep it gets continuous power to that outlets, and it would make the device too hot. And it would continuously record even. But i think pro version was not built for continuous power to begin with.

@Niki Are you referring to the store that is on the ground floor of the new parking building, as soon as you come down the escalator? The prices seemed to be a on the higher side than the amazon for the product I was looking for (I was not looking for dashcam though). The price as per the online dragon mart is unbeatable for this, but as you mentioned you have to be careful for the version number. I have a couple of versions and the 2nd one is what I am currently using and that allows the watermark to be removed. First one does not allow removing the water mark, with the same software on the phone. Xiaomi keeps updating their models without any notice as such and it is a stress figuring out which one is current.

Hi @Wrangeld how long is the WL? Can you please add me? Thanks

Yes, of course! And I have led and taken part in Intermediate and Extreme drives in my 'stock X' with no issues. Therefore, I don't really need it, I just like to spend money haha. Thank you for helping me make up my mind .

would the extreme drivers start to lead drives soon?

hey @Ahab Shamaa not at the moment however I was having some rattling which I found to the the factory tools for changing the tires moving around. I have emptied the baskets and tied these down and will test the noise this week and def let you know. The baskets are secured via plastic feet to the base also .. so no metal is touching the plastic body of the car. Let me test this week and give you some definitive feedback //‘happy spending’ 🤦🏽‍♂️ … this should be on your signature permanent …

CONVOY 2 - DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, first of all @Tamas Hoffmann should be thanked for posting this drive: until yesterday I didn't think it was doable on a short mid-week morning drive, because of the long distance implied, but he proved me wrong and this drive turned out to be a great one. Indeed, today's drive was a very pleasant surprise, as the decision to split the drive in two convoys was made with @Tamas Hoffmann and @Vanessa8580 at the very last minute last night. For this again I have to say thank you, as I was given, once more, the opportunity to lead. It all started with a bit of drama in the twilight, magnified by insufficient levels of caffeine (no morning coffee for me this morning!!), when we all realized the meeting points defined for the two convoys were both some 50-70m beyond the current barricades at the Abu Dhabi / Dubai border. Luckily Google Maps led all of us to the same cul-de-sac and we could easily reconvene, coordinate and get ready to go. Incredibly, despite the initial mayhem and a little delay by @GauravSoni, Convoy 2 happily moved into the sand by 5:21am through the access point promptly suggested by a super-energetic @Vanessa8580. We made our move into an area of small and technical dunes, quite tricky, I must say, where - however - everyone did very well, with just a couple of minor refusals. The visibility was still far from ideal, as in the absence of direct sunlight the sand looked flat and difficult to read. As we moved east, the first sunbeams lit the path in front of us and we started to enjoy the slightly bigger dunes and a few ridges, until we reached the 1st area of long range dunes, where the fun began. With an extended "spaghetti-style" track, we kept riding higher and higher ridges, with endless slide slopes inevitably ending into bumpy descents across unfriendly bushes, but - hey - the fun at the top was certainly worth the bumps at the bottom. Our little 8 cars convoy was doing incredibly well, so I decided to push the drive level up to Fewbie Plus, climbing higher dunes, including a few criss-crossings and increasing significantly the pace.. Even after this adjustment, the convoy was still flying around with great ease, with almost no refusals and no stucks at all... as, in fact, I was the one who got twice stuck and had to self-recover using all the magic buttons that come with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.. The drive was incredibly smooth and almost uninterrupted today. We covered the impressive distance of 78.2km in just 2h 50', at an average moving speed of 30.8km/h. This figures, even if a bit doped by the couple of high speed stints across the sabkhas and by the final dirt track to Solar Park, are absolutely impressive for a Fewbie Drive. But what gave me more satisfaction was the fact that overall we stopped for only 18'... (and we had one stuck, one pop-out and one photo-break!!). @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil was taken a bit by surprise initially, as the pace (and the technical challenges) were probably a bit higher than what he was used to.. but when I looked in the mirror or through the window, his smile was only confirming he was having great fun. In fact, after a bit of hesitation during the first 45', Alain gained a remarkable confidence, managed to keep up with the pace and got through a couple of difficult passages brilliantly. The few refusals were absolutely physiological, given the challenges, and the single crested stuck of the day only happened in a moment of hesitation. A bit more practice will be probably needed on controlling fishtailing during long slide slopes, but overall his was a really impressive performance!! @Werno in 3rd position looked, as in all my past drives with him, very cool and easy. If he found the terrain challenging, it didn't show much, as everything appeared quite easy for him. If he had fun, that I can probably say yes, as both he and his passenger were smiling not less than Alain when I peeked inside their car. @AlexPol in 4th position certainly had the opportunity to push his capable Jeep Wrangler LWB (lots of jeeps today!!). I don't recall him having any significant refusals and had the opportunity to watch him ridge riding while looping back a couple of times. Generally in very good control and very close to the crests, he lost the edge in a few occasions, sliding down with a bit of fishtailing. As with Alain, practice will allow him to stick to the crest even longer than what I could see in his brilliant drive today. @RooRzOn had nothing less than a Y62 in his hands, which means a fantastic, powerful but heavy and fishtailing-prone beast, with the additional challenge of driving on 20" inches rims and low profile tires. When I was in his position, some months back with my beloved Nissan Patrol, pop-outs were my nightmare, but Rawan managed his black monster extremely well. Some fishtailing here and there, always well managed with timely choices about when to steer down and let gravity do its part of the job after momentum had been lost on long slide slopes. Very, very well done today. The guys at the back had a great deal of experience, all seasoned Intermediate drivers. It was with them in mind that I attempted to find the most favorable balance between fluidity, speed and complexity, so that while the front of the convoy could refine their skills and enjoy the adrenaline of driving just a bit beyond their comfort zone, the guys at the back could still enjoy the ride for real. In the end, I think the compromise we found was a pretty good one, as I gather @Goutam, @GauravSoni and @Dodi Syahdar had the fun they were looking for, even when fixing Gaurav's pop-out in record time 😂. As we exited Faqa area, we started heading north-west towards Little Sweihan, with a supercharged stint across mid-sized dunes among which we drove seamlessly at exhilarating pace. Just before crossing the last sabkha to Little Sweihan, @GauravSoniwas betrayed by a deceiving crest and had his pop-out, which stole us a few minutes from the final stint in Little Sweihan's bowls, where however we could enjoy approx 15' driving around some of the most famous bowls in the area. By 8:00am it was time to behave.. so we made it to the sabkha and quickly made our way north to Solar Park along the dirt track at the east end of Little Sweihan, making our exit at Solar Park tower exactly by 8:15am, like a Swiss watch. All covered in dust after 8km along the dirt track, but satisfied and energized for a fruitful Monday at work. Congratulations to all, I will remember this drive as one of the best I was blessed to lead. Thank you for your company (and thanks to @Dodi Syahdarfor being a perfect Sweep) and see you soon in the sand again!

Congratulations @Ahab Shamaa@Francois Germishuys@Ilya@Christian Andras@Craig Finlayson @Jorge Stepniak Felippe@Kalahari@Shaaz Sha@Tero Vallason the very well deserved promotion!

I'm with you buddy. My hairy chest is employed in other avenues. I'll be more than happy to lead as many of this team's drives as desired.

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.