Leaderboard

Congratulations to the top 10 HOT SHOT Photographers, based on Facebook reach. @Chaitanya D @Josh T. @Niki @topgear @Lakshmi Narasimhan @Sunil Mathew @Veedooshee @Mohamad Anwer @TT_Dubai @Tareck

I'm afraid not for this week, as we are still tight on drives. Surprise to see how many ppl haven't visited IFB (holy place for off-roaders), I'm happy to repeat same drive for the next Friday. Waitlist so far Gilbert Khalil (First drive) Daniel Yang (First Drive) Nafiz (First Drive) Lawrence_Chehimi (First Drive)

@Ruan van den Heever you win. It seems some of Dubai boys are scared of Sweihan.....! 😁

[Update] - Sound Upgrades In the past every time I've used the term "sound upgrade", it's meant putting on an Akrapovic and waking up my neighbourhood for cold start runs 😛 Yesterday, I finally finished the interior sound upgrades on the SS. Here's the setup I've gone for: Front: 2-way Hertz MPK 165.3 Pro Rear: Coaxial Hertz CX 165 Amp: Hertz ML Power 4ch Sub: Rockford Fosgate Punch 10inch First Impressions: The results are stratospheric but that's not saying much. The Clarion stock units on the Y61 are abysmal so anything is an upgrade - including my tone deaf singalongs to amplify the tunes playing. I've done about 3 hours of break-in already and I'm guessing that in 30 more hours of listening, the speakers should finally begin to break into the sound they will live with. What works: By adding the dedicated amp, my head unit is finally playing audio at a respectable 7 out of 30 on the volume knob. Three days ago, I had to listen to music at 26 with the "loudness" EQ setting for comparison. Adding the tweeters has also elevated the sound stage so its now at face-level rather than in the footwell. The sub is also finally adding the bass I need for Punjabi music and AC/DC. Yes, @Niki, I'm still a strange listener My first test track was "Ramta Jogi". Since that test, a smile has been plastered on my face permanently... What doesn't work: 1. Source Signal: The source signal is still coming out of a rubbish head-unit so just like an 8K TV, I know the bandwidth but if I feed it SD garbage, I get a very muddy output. Hopefully, the Pioneer head-unit I want will fix that. I decided to not add a dedicated DSP because an upgraded head-unit will do this job and because it will still be in line with a crappy head unit, I can't fix the signal quality out of the head-unit. 2. Subwoofer Placement: After looking at the size of the 12inch sub box, I was reminded of that shot from the first Fast & The Furious. And then the realisation of where all my recovery gear would go struck me. A 10inch box is still quite large and I will have to find a more permanent solution for placement when I do the overlander upgrades to the third row.

I still want "conditioned" air in my cabin 😆🤣 Could put it in the sweep to carry all our gear 😛

We all win - some of us just win on big dunes and others on heaps of sand.......we like it when the Dubai drivers join in Abu Dhabi!

Well done congratulations to all

Awesome 🔥 - confirmed!

All of you have been added to the drive, please confirm. @Bernard Kalaani (Second drive) @Enrico Biscaro (Second drive) @munkybizness (Second drive)

We love when we have mix of drivers from all over uae 😎….. it’s always fun to challenge the dunes of sweihan …… after all we have different cars with different power to push to limits …….. let’s wait and see

@Sunil Mathew kindly confirm your availability for this drive.

You hit a fundamental point @Shehab Alawadhi regarding sand . Agree . The idea and the designs looks amazing in no sand terrains where in sand momentum is key to keep you rolling and “instability” to keep you mixing 😄

Good morning Vanessa, 1) FJ Cruiser 2021 2) Nothing that I would count 3) yes 2 front 1 back. Plus compressor, flag. Really looking forward to this.

Meh, don’t think this is as useful in sand, mountains I can understand but on sand? I wouldn’t think so. Cool concept though. Why would you need stability the fun of off roading is being tossed around in your car like a mixer. That’s where all the adrenaline comes from 😜

Congratulations 👏👏👏

The waitlist priority is as follows 1. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil 2nd drive 2. @Naveen Raj 2nd drive 3. @S Jacob 2nd drive

Confirmed, thanks

Pre Drive Thoughts Faced with the challenge of the heavyweight (literally) convoy signed up for the drive on Saturday got me looking again at proposed routes for the drive. At Fewbie Plus, it's safe for me to assume that all drivers know their way round their vehicles, understand how to get the best from them and have some experience of more advanced techniques such as ridge riding and criss-crossing. Keep in mind that when you are promoted to IM you'll be expected to be able to self recover, and assist in recoveries of your convoy (where requested) and be able to follow the drive without much assistance. So what's the point of Fewbie Plus? As the logic implies, it's that place where you are getting more and more drive experience, you've learned the skills and need to practice them and you're ready to push yourself even further outside your comfort level than before so that at IM level you can feel confident and focused. Where is all this preamble leading? Most people know that my signature is technical dunes: The small, closely-packed, technically challenging dunes where driving skill is more important than power and finesse the keyword. Bluntly, this is not the ideal territory for the large number of leviathans joining the drive. Winter time, this would be less of a worry, but at the end of this hot, dry summer, the sanity of driving a convoy with at least 4 big V8s into this type of terrain can be a questioned - after all, we want to be out of the desert on time, not the following day. So, I am giving serious thought to where we go, and as a result where we start our drive with the dilemma of where I think we should all be able and capable to drive against the risks and outcome if things do not go to plan. Please watch out as a result for the start point of the drive that I will publish tomorrow. I guess you all better hope that I sleep well. See you soon in the sand.

These Dubai boys are judging us lightly...🤫

Join us to explore Al Qudra Desert to find what's beyond Qudra lakes And learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure. You will learn to self-drive your vehicle from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to practice your off-road skills slowly but surely. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicles having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY) Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY) What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading. Desert driving basics and etiquette. Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices. Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures. Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice. First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Why should I join? We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Can my vehicle do this ? This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further. Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any vehicle modifications. Can I bring passengers ? Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club STRICTLY: For ABSOLUTE NEWBIE who are driving for the first time with Carnity. MUST READ AND CLICK TOTALLY AGREE ON THE BELOW COVID19 PRECAUTIONS TOPIC MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Only for "ABSOLUTE NEWBIES" or first timer with Carnity Off-Road Club When: 03 September 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 06:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.google.com/?q=24.818832,55.255631 Type of Car: Any 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Tire deflator, pressure gauge and compressor, Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 new members only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 5PM. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list Latecomers or members who are not on the RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please cancel you RSVP if you cannot make it, so your spot can be taken by others. Please RSVP on below calendar

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 05:30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/JgtoZTC5Sg43g1Va6 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 09:30 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Newbie and Above When: 3 Sep 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 5:30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/LdEjQdBufXo2Dq4q8 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 9:00 AM, 3 Sep 2021, Friday THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL ENDING THE DRIVE A POINT, WHICH IS NOT CLOSE TO AN AIR LINE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 3:00pm If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. Please RSVP on the Calendar below

@Hisham Masaad please share the video your son took.0565836979. Thank you in advance 😊

Is there any chance extending the convoy? With the guys on waitlist we would be around 17. I don't recall I ever been to Iftar Bowl🙄

excellent will come !

First of all, thanks to @Felix Obst as without having seen his post, I wouldn't have realised that this part of the forum was here. His everyone. I'm Neil, and it's very nice to be here. I've been in the region since 2014 but only arrived in Dubai in January after three year stints in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. During those six years, I drove a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, which I'd bought to be able to go off road but never did but sold before I came back to the UAE but now wish I hadn't! The reason being that I live in Mira Oasis with my two rescue pups, Frankie and Zoya, who love chasing each other in the dunes at the end of the road but I'd like to be able to take them further into the desert and camp come the winter. Two months ago I bought my Jeep Wrangler, the 1995 YJ model which was lovingly maintained and I think restored by the previous owner who also converted it from an automatic to a manual. Although I learned to drive in a manual car in the UK back in the 1980s, and had always driven manuals right up until the aforementioned Trailhawk, driving the Jeep has has taken some getting used to as well having to drive at a snail's pace over speed bumps. I'm also not very mechanically minded. My brain just doesn't seem to work that way but still I'd like to be better and know what all of the switches do and the tools are for. I'm looking forward to joining this Friday's group led by @Vanessa8580 but rest assured I'll be leaving the girls at home this time around.

Welcome to Carnity @Neil Jarman awesome jeep . By the way also @Frederic Drives manual . 😉

@Gaurav need to drop out due to come unforseen commitments. Hope it gives sufficient time for someone else to join.

Hi @Felix Obst First of all I would like to welcome you to Carnity off road club. I can assure you , after one year and a bit in here , you are in the place where the “ elephant is eaten piece by piece “ 😉 and Safety is an Absolute prime with no tolerance of compromises . Being vigilant is not the same of being hesitant and that you already had realized it by foreseeing the possible dangers of this inherently risky hobby . together with the best knowledge and experience and adherence to the desert lows and Mother Nature ( gravity is the biggest ) we can enjoy it to maximum. I look forward to drive with you , sometimes I also bring my little one as he is no less than his dad for the desert passion 😄

Hi Vanessa 1) Mitsubishi Pajero 2014 2) Absolutely none - I signed up for a absolute newbie drive after hearing from my friend who joined last year and very much excited on this new journey. 3) yes In terms of tools, a deflator with pressure gauge,potable compressor, flag, Radio, gloves, showel. Most importantly lots of enthusiasm to learn on this new journey.

Hahaha not you dear ...just the drive level, drivers i know even in Dubai who are at newbie level but rockstars...

Hi Vanessa Looks like we might be on track for a Jeep-fest: 1) Jeep Wrangler YJ 1995 Manual 2) Absolutely none - I signed up for a absolute newbie drive back in June just after I bought the car but withdrew as I didn't feel comfortable enough driving the car 3) yes In terms of tools, the previous owner left lots of things in the rear door but I have no clue what most of them are but know I have a deflator, pressure gauge and compressor.

Hi Vanessa, 1) Jeep Gladiator JT. 2) Absolutely none. 3) Yes.

Hi @Vanessa8580, 1) Jeep Wrangler JL unlimited (sport) 2) off-roading since 1 year in UAEs deserts (about 20 drives), including a negative experience, now I want to start small again and learn how to master these situations 3) 2 front (Jeep stock), 1 back (also stock) 4) recovery tools, flag, radio, gauge, compressor on hand looking forward to meet you soon!!!

Good morning @Felix Obst @BHANU PRAKASH VISHWANATH @Gerrit Bus @Arijit Bhattacharyya @Neil Jarman and welcome to Carnity Offroad Club ! I am looking forward to meeting you coming Friday morning. In the meantime please send a small introduction here below with the following: 1) Which 4x4 are you driving ? 2) Do you have any prior offroading experience ? If so please indicate where and what.. 3) Is your 4x4 equipped with front and rear towpoints ? This is a necessity and they should be in perfect condition. For your first offroad drive it's sufficient to bring a pressure gauge and tire deflator so you can deflate your tires before heading into the sand. If you have more offroad tools please also bring them along. A compressor to inflate your tyres will also be necessary as we are exiting near a petrol station that has no compressor. Please watch the below Absolute Newbie briefing video below as this contains all the essential information to prepare yourself for your first offroad drive: MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING When it comes to tools, we have the following article: Please use this topic to raise your questions, doubts, queries. We are here to help !

Dear @Enrico Biscaro thank you for the comments and more the super illustrative clip that I hope all have watched . I liked the two comperative moments of what happens when Choose not to fight gravity and when you choose to do that . the more you drive the more how you know and read how the particular incline needs how entry to it should be smooth it’s matter of time . Regarding 4HLC can’t comment on it and probably the pagero forum is what you need to look at regarding this particular one. Cheers 👍

I will accept that accolade Paolo. Technical is for sure, one of my areas of focus.

Dear friends Alex Raptor @Alex Raptor Hilal Sharafudeen @Hilal Sharafudeen eldose baby @eldose baby YazGayed @YazGayed Joji varghese @Joji varghese salah2u @salah2u Mohamad Anwer @Mohamad Anwer Veedooshee @Veedooshee MANOJ NAIR @MANOJ NAIR Rsjiv Samuel @Rsjiv Samuel Senthil Kumar @Senthil Kumar Alfred Alinazar @Alfred Alinazar @Mahesh Khatry ( Waitlist 1) Thanks for signing up on this drive, which was planned since long . A bit of a challenge to take a newbie convoy in an area famous among offraoders and generally kept for Fewbie or above levels. Do not get intimidated by the sheer sight of big dunes, tall slopes, bowls and super soft sand. Not to forget some crazy drivers/convoys zipping past. Considering the fantastic sign ups - as listed above, with support from @M.Seidam and @marks (good to see you after a long time) we will be hoping to have a fantastic time. We will wait till Thursday as to how everything will shape up in terms of drop outs / adjustments to balance all the drives at Carnity. Please prep your cars and make sure they are in the best of their conditions for this challenging terrain. Come prepared with a good nights sleep, lot of patience as I/we expect to have a good share of recoveries /rerouting/ redirecting happening. Please do review the newbie video and remember stick to the basics. @Veedooshee @Alex Raptorand @Senthil Kumar bring in a lot of experience too on this drive and I hope to involve them in a way which will be helpful to all. Enjoy your week at work!

Hafizah Okunnu @Hafizah Okunnu Enrico Biscaro @Enrico Biscaro Tom V @Tom V Alexanderrr @Alexanderrr Joseph Sebastian @Joseph Sebastian Ramandbx @Ramandbx Ferl Brown @Ferl Brown Muhamed Ameen @Muhamed Ameen Pieter Potgieter @Pieter Potgieter Bernard Kalaani @Bernard Kalaani HI All, Myself and @Islam Soliman look forward to your company on our drive on Friday. What to expect? A challenging, soft sand landscape with some of the most beautiful sand that we have in the area. You'll be challenged on this drive, because the dunes are a little unpredictable and because the route to pass through makes you climb, descend and traverse in ways that for a Newbie will be novel or more technical than what you have experienced before - especially if you just did your Absolute Newbie last week! Why Margham? It will be a chance to try some small bowls, some longer descents, to practice driving over crests and enjoy some flowing undulating landscapes that range from sabkhas to ridges and everything in between. Bring your A game with you and enjoy the fun. See you soon in the sand.

Hi , please add me on waiting list ! Thanks Mahesh

Sunil Mathew @Sunil Mathew darren thompson @darren thompson Darren Brooke @Darren Brooke Chinthaka Ruwan @Chinthaka Ruwan Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Zixuan Huang - Charlie Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil Rawad @Rawad Werno @Werno Humayun Ghias @Humayun Ghias Myself @Ale Vallecchi and @Hisham Masaad look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning. Lisaili is reknowned for two things. Long sweeping dunes with the chance to ridge ride and slide slope and a fantastic flowing ride all the way from there to Last Exit and challenging, technical dunes that require extreme precision and care to navigate your way through. Those of you with heavy, long wheel base vehicles will be put through a challenge that will test all of your driving skill, becuase powering your way through these dunes is not really an option. The big fun dunes are essentially the reward for crossing the treacherous patches of tight, small, complex dune formations and it can take 4 minutes to get through, or much much longer. Which will it be this weekend? I guess I will tell you in the post drive report. We do not have a waitlist for the drive (yet) but if there is a chance you will not be able to go, please remove your name now to save planning as if you are going to be there. See you soon in the sand.

Waitlist for #2nd drive 1. @Sunil Mathew

Hi @Tbone, pls WL me for 2nd weekend drive

Trip report: It was good to see everyone at the meeting point on time and all smiles. After a quick briefing we were off just in time to see the sun rise over the dunes. The area we entered from turned out to be a bit deceiving and about 15 minutes into the drive I got myself into a soft pocket and needed @Rizwanm2 to give me a quick tug. With newbie drives I tend to start with some small technical patches where we drive through slow but it requires each drivers undivided attention. It was going to be a challenge with a 16 long convoy, but knowing that I had @Rizwanm2 @Nabil Bishara and @marks in support was a blessing and I went ahead. We did have our share of stucks and refusals that were quickly handled by the support team and we made it all the way to the camel farm at the other end. I was really impressed with the entire convoy, you all did exceptionally well. A special shout out to @Bernard Kalaani @salah2u and @YazGayed who were on their first newbie drive and managed very well. From the camel farm we moved towards the bigger rolling dunes of Margham where everyone hopefully had fun riding the flatter ridges and doing some sideys before we exited. @YazGayed sorry about the rear bumper lower facia getting ripped off. If you plan to use the JGC a lot in the desert, I would suggest leaving it without the lower facia in the front and back. It gives you a bit more clearance as well. Thanks again @Rizwanm2 @Nabil Bishara and @marks for the excellent support and @Enrico Biscaro for being the perfect second lead, you maintained the perfect distance and on a couple of occasions rerouted the convoy perfectly. Well done ladies and gentlemen. See you all again in the sand..

Dear all, Thanks to Brett and the leads in this drive for showing us something new today and what a drive! I really learn a few things today. 1. I am happy with my new AT tires. Climbing requires less momentum, as demonstrated by the little jump I performed off a small ridge. Unfortunately that was not captured on camera. Jumps are bad! 2. I happy with the new AT tires. You can rally feel the better grip and traction. 3. I deflated to 10 psi. That might be a bit too much. Will try 11 the next time as I ended the drive at up at 11 psi. I recon 11+ 1 = 12 should be good. 4. You need momentum when you try to use the dune as a parabolic curve. Without Momentum Gravity wins. (check the vide when I got a refusal) 5. I feel more secure when climbing and descending with the new tire, the lift and getting rid of the front bumper + skids. 6. I really like to drive along the ridges. It's kind of a roller coaster. 7. We experience some soft sand patches and those can be fun when you understand how to cope. They are also fun as they are challenging. What is still not clear. 1. Before today, I always drove in 4H. Today I tried 4HLC and I felt better when taking a parabolic curve and when steering hard. Is this only my impression or is there something to it in your experience? 2. I need to get better at riding the dune on the incline, gravity still wins a bit too much because I tend to try and point my front wheels up slightly to drift. Hope you enjoy the short movie

@Enrico Biscaro : Mean Mother - google search mean mother compressor dubai, the first non-Ad result is the UAE dealer (where i purchased from) ARB - have a branch in International City and trade via every offroad shop or ACE in the UAE. The Dobinsons Compressor which has a tiny tank (approx 900-1kaed) and they are available direct from Dobinsons, Amazon or a google search lists (second result) a supplier. I have switched to the ARB portable twin with a tank and couldn't be happier.... if you have the budget just jump straight to that setup vs taking my route which had me holding 3 compressors at one stage prior to the current setup!