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Get a y62 and you wont worry about all these, just floor it whenever you need some power. You guys gonna hate me after this post.

Desert Champion Trophy - Arabian Wolves Report "Strip away your pride, and put on humble clothes" - Rumi Dear Desertanuts, after a couple of busy days, spent both on working matters and reflecting on the lessons learned last Friday, here's what I came away with, from the great event which has crowned the first Carnity Desert Champion. Speaking of crowning, before I get on with my report, I want to congratulate myself with King Richard @Wrangeld, to whom I wish to convey my greatest joy, and utmost respect, for his astounding achievement. It was truly a masterful and magic drive, which, I am very glad to say, must have repaid him of the many drives he has done in technical areas, some of which must have been tiring and frustrating. They have all paid off with this great and extremely deserved win. Sincere thanks also go to the other Leads ( @Chaitanya D, @Kailas, @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Jeepie) and the Teams' members: they all provided an incredible incentive to bring out our best, pushing each other to the limits, especially during those exciting couple of times when 2 or more convoys came together in the proximity of the waypoints, challenging one another to choose better and faster routes. As for my analysis, the essence of the drive, and the final effect it has had on me, are captured by the words of the great Rumi, stated in the report's title. The challenge was, for me, a true eye-opener, and a humbling experience. After the initial disappointment of my final placement, I am actually welcoming the humbling aspect of the race. While during the past months I have been very successful with my drives, with almost always full, or overbooked houses. At the same time, I now understand that this "success" had made me overconfident. My post trophy self-criticism has made me realize that I have not been training enough in technical areas, while invariably going for the very long treks, favoring speed over finesse (at least in part), and preferring cleaner routes over more complex ones. Those who choose my drives know that I go to great lengths to minimize the technical areas, to the advantage of cleaner routes, with greater potential for longer and smoother treks. The fact that as a Carnity Lead I have, eventually, developed my own flavor of drives, may actually have ended up in my getting "stuck" in a rut, repeating what I had become better at, and neglecting the skills needed to become a thoroughly complete Lead. The greatest takeaway from the DCT, for me, has been the need to break out of the mould I have built for myself, and engage in more diverse locations, drives, and terrains. Having said this, I'll get back to my team's routing strategy. As previously reported by @Lorenzo Candelpergher, I had also chosen a 5-4-5-3-2-1 route as my Plan A. This would have allowed me to get back from WP#4, surrounded by the most technical dunes, to the area of long range cordons that I know better, and where I was confident the speeds I could reach would allow me to move very fast toward WP#3. Unluckily, 2 time-consuming incidents took place just after reaching WP#4, on the way back up to WP#5, and took away all the advantage we had on the other teams, as first starters. At that point, I did not feel like risking to go for Plan B, which I had marked on my map, and was quite similar to Richard's, but (in my opinion) entailed many more technical dunes. The fact that I have preferred to give my team as much a break as possible from technical dunes, with hindsight, was not the right decision in terms of winning strategy, yet may have been a good decision in terms of letting them get their confidence back, and ensuring the safety of the drive. The other reason why I did not feel we would have gained much advantage going for Plan B (in @Gaurav's words "as the crow flies") was because the distance between WP#4 and #3, going either my way or what resulted to be Richard's way, seemed to be almost equal. Hence I stuck to my faster speed approach, Vs. the mix of straight lines and technical dunes. Lesson taught by the Master of technical drives, and learned by the Long Range guy. As far as Team Wolves' performance, I must say I can only praise @JeromeFJ, @Mohamad Anwer, @James Thorn and @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, all equally, for a great drive - one that was probably my fastest ever, with non-stop "bat out of hell" speeds. Special kudos should go to their impeccable team work, in the occasion of the pop-out and the nasty stuck we had to solve. The pop out was sorted out in record breaking 6 minutes, while a troublesome double stuck (front and back, into a small V-shaped bowl), with no room to tug, was dug away in 8 minutes of shoveling and blip-blip self-recovery. I am very proud of how they responded after the two incidents, and how confident they were in driving at very high speeds, covering from half-way between Waypoints 4 and 5 to the finish line in 1 hour and 2 minutes of uninterrupted, impeccable driving. Lastly, thanks to @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic for the perfect organization, and thanks to @Asif Hussain, @Tbone, and @Rizwanm2 for their assistance and support. Could not have asked for a greater family feeling, and fun environment, where in the end we all came out as winners, and better off-roaders.

I had removed the hard top last year. You can do it yourself if you have access to 1 or 2 of your friends who can help lift the hard top. All you need is the tool set provided by Jeep to remove it. I had stored in my parking lot, Being the last car in the row I have some space besides my parking, alternatively you may use one of those standing lift storage systems or strollers in the designated parking space itself. i use tool bags for storing all my gear they don’t move around and easier to move in and out of the car. I have 3 bags, 1 with 3 piece AOR shovel, kinetic rope, 2 with tools 3 with Air tools (air hose etc). I keep the first recovery bag in the passenger side foot rest, rest two behind the front seats between in rear seats, they don’t move or rattle as well. Alternatively you can put it in the rear and strap them for extra security. Last year after I removed the top and drove in the sand, a lot of sand slid into the speakers and they stated to make rattling sound and had hard time getting rid of it. Had a heater button failure (tho it happened after I put back the roof) and finally when i had it fixed that the mechanics cleaned all the sand. However exciting it seems, frankly it’s not worth the trouble to remove it for the desert. And as it is a Jeep already makes awful lot of noise and even more after you remove the top. Plus the dust and heat. While the temperature readings on the weather app shows lower temps the actual on road temps are too high. Removing tops in US makes sense where they don’t have all the dust like we have while going off-roading in the mountains & rock crawling etc. I am more concerned about dust and sand in my car because my Jeep is a daily driver and I like a clean car. I go lengths to make sure that the car interiors are in perfect condition (tho if one were to look at anytime might differ that ascertion - since as a off-road car as well, you can do only so much) Having said all that you - need to experience the fun of topless car first hand, you do. So go ahead remove it and put it in your parking spot. if you have a designated covered parking I am sure no one will flick it off that location.

Very good point. What i meant with good utilization is this: - your peak torque is indeed between 3-4k revs, so for most off-roading this will be your powerband you should try to keep the 4x4 in (during high level drives that is). That will give you good response and excellent behavior. - For climbing, you will need to use that torque in combination with a good headstart, so once your torque dies out, your BHP would take over and you can keep it close to the rev limiter. Above are just my two cents as a practical guy. @Rob H is a professional tuner and would definitely be able to go much much deeper into this topic.

General Info This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 2PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/iWtzB7vjE16GWSNE8 Action Plan: A "four-hands" drive, where Shaaz Sha and myself will exchange leads, while exploring an old track I drove a few years back, between the areas of Bab al Mutawha and Faya Roads, running along E20 (or Sweihan Road). There will be plenty of tall and open dunes, some vegetation, a lake or two, and plenty of opportunities to practice side loping, criss-crossing, and some climbing around sand bowls. 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: 6:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Congratulations @Michel Van Woudenberg for reaching the Fewbie 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. FEWBIE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 5 Newbie drives are required within last 3 months for Fewbie promotion. What you'll learn Basic dune and sand reading Self-recovery techniques Shoveling at right place Crawling out of difficult situations Blip Blip - Coordinate steering and gas control Basic side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving Ability to manage stuck/refusals with radio Learn to control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Presence of mind and attention to detail Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie and Fewbie drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Thank you Sunil! Definitely see you soon!

Hey @Bernard Kalaani....congrats...se you soon on one of the drives!!

Congratulations! @Bernard KalaaniSee u in sand soon.

Congratulations Bernard!

Thank you Dr. Seidam! Best team wins 🏆 Thank you Alain 🏆😀

Well done champ ! @Bernard Kalaani

Dear @Imteeaz Goolamhossen and @KAMALIO I see you are still signed to multiple drives for the weekend . I kindly ask you please to choose one .and keep the other as a wait list SINGLE DRIVE REQUEST* To prevent all drives from getting full on Sunday by multiple RSVP, we would like to request everyone to please RSVP ONE DRIVE (for the weekend: Friday and Saturday) initially and then RSVP your second or third drive from Wednesday onward, please. *Sun - Tuesday* - Limiting one drive per member (For the weekend drives: Friday and Saturday). *Wednesday onward* - RSVP on multiple drives are open. *P.S.* You can waitlist your name anytime for multiple drives too, like below. *Example:* Gaurav - Second drive waitlist. thank you 🙏

I have a question here on the "how to utilize its power". Here is the graph of the engine performance of the TB48DE in question: By "good utilization" do you mean I should stick around 3k-4k revs to benefit from the higher torque? Imagine I'm climbing uphill, around 4k rev, I feel struggling, should I step more on the gas or let the torque due the magic and hope for the best? It seems to me that stepping on the gas in this scenario will make the situation worse instead of better. Thank you for your advice in advance

That is indeed true, but on Fewbie level onwards we tend to give the member some time for him to assess his situation by himself and give him some attempts to self-recover. That is for them the only way to learn self-recovery. Holding hands is fine in Newbie level but once they have entered Fewbie level, they need to become a bit more self-reliant in my opinion.

Hello every one and glad to join you i start my offroading since march this year then when summer cane i stop driving due to weather then i drive again on sept my purpose of this activity is to forget everything in city and focus on new sport and try to improve my skill i learn alot from my driving but am still learning Am trying to learn about terrain and how to criss crossing smoothly and how to ride ridges especially after crisscrossing and also navigating Am happy to be with you and try to move forward i tried newbie drive before and had fewbie drive 3 times then my group made me join 3 drive on intermediate level which was scary but i manage with them but my car not happy in intermediate level as i need to improve crisscrossing By the way sorry my name is faisal from uae live in sharjah alkhan and work as aircraft technician in dxb Sorry forgot to mention i have prado 2011 txl with centre difflock

Thank you very much

I use this trolley to keep and move the roof. https://www.amazon.ae/dp/B00EPXCVJ6/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apip_SW2Q5Z4qwLI2F Just make sure you measure all dimensions, as the height of the roof on trolley could be a bottleneck for lifts or doors Last season I just moved it to my apartment, vertically it doesn't take a lot of space. But also as on this trolley it just needs very small space it can be stored on the parking slot In terms of does it make sense?...To me - absolutely, this is that unique experience which you can't get in FJ, Patrols, and other good offroading cars. I'll remove it this season after upcoming trip to Oman (as chances of rain is much higher there + long drives). You can also remove doors (BUT MUST install mirrors, 100 AED on Amazon) and drive completely naked car Last winter I drove with no roof from Nov till March and had zero cases where I would think about having a roof. I also have sunshade (to use between 11-14 if needed) and softcover just to be safe if there is rain (no rain last year in Dubai) or long parking in a dusty place (used it 3 times only) When there is no wind and you are riding smoothly, there won't be much sand inside. BUT, if there is wind, you will make fountains of sand - be prepared, yes, sand will be everywhere (for me the eyes are usually the most critical, it takes at least 24 hours to feel that the eyes are clear) Cleaning the car after sand was not a problem, sand can be removed easily and the car looked like "lady driven, never being offroad". Also, if it is windy, you can get a lot of sand even in regular car To me, the biggest problem is white dust which you can find while driving near Qudra/Solar Park (that's why I don't drive there)

congrats @Gertjan, (y)our possibilities just opened up !

Well done @Gertjancongratulations

Congratulations @Michel Van Woudenberg well done

Congrats and Well Done @Josh T. for further adventure level

Congratulations @Josh T. for next level.

Inshallah Jerome ! Thank you 🙏🏻 Many thanks @Gaurav, I’m stoked to now do those Fewbie drives !

Congratulations @Gertjan

Congratulations @Michel Van Woudenberg

Congratulations @Josh T.

@Ale Vallecchiour Alfa pack leader, thank you for your personal analysis of the drive, you were a great leader and really made the drive super exciting all the way, I personally will never forget this adventure, with an excellent team, thank to the rest of the pack @JeromeFJ @James Thorn@Jorge Stepniak Felippe for being such an incredible team! I am a new member to the carnity family, however, every time I am out with the various teams I know I am going to have a great time and blend in easily!! Thank you @Gaurav @Srikumar@Frederic @Hisham Masaad @Tbone @Asif Hussain @Rizwanm2 for all the great organisation and for the participation certificate.

Well done @Michel Van Woudenberg !

Well done @Josh T.. Very well deserved my friend. Lets have some F+ in AD 💪

congrats @Josh T.

@Josh T. wonderful , congratulations . See you on friday in your new level😜

congrats bro

@Michel Van Woudenberg congrats

Dear Desert Wanderers, Once again this RSVP was fully booked in a matter of seconds. Confirmed so far are: @Lawrence_Chehimi, @JeromeFJ, @Arman, @Rawad, @Ranjan Das, @Looper, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Mario Cornejo, @varunmehndiratta, @Mus_hus78 Waitlisted for 1st drive are: @Christian Andras Waitlisted for 2nd drive are: @Thomas Varghese We have 4 drivers who are in the Support Team, so it is likely that both waitlisted may be admitted to the drive.

Congrats @Michel Van Woudenberg! many more great trips!

Congratulations @Michel Van Woudenberg, well deserved ! Raising the original FJ to the next level 😀!

I can’t fathom the internal stress and temperature a constantlyspooling turbo must be running during a high level dune bashing drive. Add to that the many components, additional heat, intercooler piping, which sounds to me like a recipe for disaster in the deserts we drive in. The main and only reason why turbos have been so popular is the higher engine performance with a smaller engine displacement. For onroad vehicles this will be fine because you’re not constantly in the high rev band, but in 45 degree desert environment I’d take the NA engine any day.

Congratulations @Bernard Kalaani for reaching the Fewbie Plus 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. FEWBIE PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

@Ilyathe sand will get into your coffee or tea too 😆

Congratulations @Michel Van Woudenberg.. Enjoy your new level.

Hi @Imteeaz Goolamhossen, you have signed up for more than one weekend drives, plz clarify and confirm your single drive for the weekend

Congratulations @Gertjan

Congratulations @Sudhanva Sonawane

congrats @Sudhanva Sonawane

Now you understand why i left the brand/name of the car out of the original post ... its a polarizing vehicle and i wanted to focus/learn about the impact/benefits/limits of the choice in engine for our type of offroading (dunes). During the drive the guys from xQuary (so partially independent from Ineos) mentioned the performance was not limiting (power to weight) and that the torque was a positive for dune driving (he did state a turbo means being more intentional with regards approach speeds) Have been following the Grenadier since concept and intrigued by the approach they are taking (parts, service, warranty, support etc ... its nothing like what's out there at present - which makes it a gamble, but exciting)

Welcome @Faisal Alhashimi I agree with Frederic above that once you join few drives with us you will notice the big difference between "Independent off-road club" vs "Garage owned off-road club". To get started you can get to know us better here: https://carnity.com/clubs/off-road-club And go through all the Must Read links at the bottom. You can even transfer your previous off-road experience with us.