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Good Morning All ! Confirmed for the drive: @Rajesh NG@Daniel Rodas@Ben Lee@Frans M@Nadeem Ansari@Pavel Pashkovskiy@Tom V@Marketa Dobesova@Felix Obst@Pacific @Looper@Hisham Masaad Waitlisted Attendees: Bjoern @Bjoern Andrei S @Andrei S Ahmed Wagdy @Ahmed Wagdy DanielN @DanielN Ahmad Nerat @Ahmad Nerat Richard Franks @Richard Franks Anoop Nair @Anoop Nair Pierre de Maigret @Pierre de Maigret A few points to note about this drive and overlanding in general: 1. The concept of overlanding in UAE is about selecting a start and an endpoint, and to map out a route to get there. The emphasis is on avoiding tarmac as much as possible, but to use existing farm tracks and trails. While overlanding can in theory take hours, days, weeks, or months, the concept itself remains the same. In the winter time i am planning similar drives over longer distances that will involve camping. 2. The aim of this drive is to explore the beautiful scenery UAE has to offer, so bring your camera and try to make it an enjoyable morning without any pressure. Bring family members if you like as they will definitely enjoy it ! 3. We will deflate to 25psi and not lower. The reason is we want to be able to cross tarmac parts at 50-70 km/h easily. On 25psi you will have a better traction and a bit of dampening which will help in the wadis. You don't need to put up your flag at the starting point. 4. The plan is to end the drive at Dibba al Hisn beach I would love to have a group photo of all of us at the shoreline as it think it would be Carnity's first beach photo of a convoy ! (we will need to leave the cars at the parking). 5. It will be crucial to keep an eye on the car behind you and communicate well over the radio, as we will be driving a small part through the city and we don't want anyone to lose the convoy. Our sweep will have the planned route on his GPS as well. @Looper 6. You will be able to swap between 2H and 4H throughout the drive as per your convenience. Especially on the tarmac parts we recommend switching to 2H to avoid differentials damage. In the sandy parts and once we enter the mountains you will need to keep it in 4H of course. See you all soon !

This sounds amazing @Frederic🤩

hahaha you have a good idea there !

Fantastic intro @Frederic , I have something committed else would have loved to be part of this epic drive - P.S : Mandatory Gear to include "Beach wears" for the photoshoot at the end ?

Brilliant plan and pre drive brief @Frederic I am sure the photo at the beach will be too . I wish I can take part of this one 😔

Please note that google maps does not indicate any driving direction to the drive start point. Please follow the https://goo.gl/maps/FReXSwN6iFgt8aa19 location to show you the route on GMAPS. The road will lead to the starting point. In any confusion you can wait at this point for other driver to join.

Drive Plan: Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Skill drive series - Technical Terrain Transit - Part 3. If you enjoy cruising through the Technical Dunes and are not afraid to put your limits to test, you have come to the right place! Latitude and longitude have been used in astronomy and navigation since ancient times. By calculating the angle between the horizon and a celestial object (usually the sun or the North Star), navigators could determine their approximate latitude using basic tools. Lines of latitude, also called parallels, are imaginary lines that divide the Earth. They run east to west, but measure your distance north or south. The equator is the most well known parallel. At 0 degrees latitude, it equally divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. From the equator, latitude increases as you travel north or south, reaching 90 degrees at each pole. There are other named lines of latitude. They’re based on the sun’s position during Earth’s orbit, and they help us understand climate, weather, and ocean currents. The Tropic of Cancer, at roughly 23 degrees north, and the Tropic of Capricorn, at roughly 23 degrees south, are the boundaries of what we consider the tropics. The Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle are at roughly 66 degrees north and south, respectively. They mark the boundaries of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Using GPS to determine the Latitude and Longitude, we can pin point the exact location on the surface of the Earth. We use Inbuilt GPS on our mobile devices or standalone dedicate GPS devices to find these coordinates and mark our positions / waypoints on a track. Our intention of the drive will be to follow the 24.8 degree latitude ( hence the name of the drive) moving EAST to WEST ( Murquab to Qudra Solar Park) navigating the most technical patch of desert. What to EXPECT: Tight Corners / Hard Right - Hard Left / Shoveling Shoveling Shoveling!!! What NOT to Expect : High Flying Dunes / Fast pace / long range climbs / 6000 RPM! General Overview We request every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquettes and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and Above When: 10th Jun'2023 Saturday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/FReXSwN6iFgt8aa19 This is drive start point https://goo.gl/maps/FKA51EZqJrGvmZ5e6 Type of Car: Any 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, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 9:30 AM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A COMPRESSOR. ANYONE ARRIVING AT THE DRIVE WITHOUT A COMPRESSOR, FLAG, PROPER SHOVEL AND DEFLATION KIT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. ALL TOW POINTS WILL BE CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars only. 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 below calendar

one of your epic drives @Frederic!!! no wonder its a housefull!! m sure the convoy ( who ever makes it) will love this scenic course!

It is no mystery that off-roading takes a heavy toll on your vehicle. In this topic we will discuss the preventative and corrective measures you can do to minimize the risk of your 4x4 breaking down in the desert. While below steps will not remove the chances of breaking down completely, it will at least reduce the potential significantly. Preventative - Pre-Drive Checkup This preventative check takes only 15mins and will take away a lot of the potential issues you can come across. It does not take away the need to get your car serviced but is merely a quick first inspection before heading out into the desert. 1. Check your oil level on the dipstick. If the level is too close to the minimum level, or the oil is appearing too black, replace the engine oil. We generally advise you to replace the engine oil: * at 80% of the normal recommended km. (for example change your oil at 8,000km instead of 10,000km) in case you are an occasional off-roader. * at 50% of the normal recommended km when you are a hardcore high level dune basher. How to Read an Oil Dipstick - AutoZone We always recommend using fully synthetic oil only from a well-known brand only (Mobil1, Castrol, Amsoil, Redline). Our cars deserve only the best if we push them to the redline on regular basis ! Make sure to run the engine for 5-10mins first so the oil is at the right temperature and viscosity before turning off the engine and taking out the dipstick. 2. Check your coolant level. The overflow tank will have a min. and max. level line. Coolant level should be within this range. Coolant should be replaced every 50-60,000kms with the recommended type of coolant for your 4x4. 3. Check your air filter. Off-roading will clog up your air filter quite soon, so inspect it before every drive by opening the air filter box and taking out the filter element. Take out the filter and gently tap it on a soft surface. The majority of the sand will come falling out. * If the filter element is paper-made, better to replace it every 20,000km. * If it's made of a nonwoven fabric or material than can be cleaned you can clean it with a gentle water pressure and let it dry (having a second filter at hand is very useful so it has time to dry out). In case of an oiled filter, you will need to follow the recommended maintenance of these filters religiously which includes oiling the filter after cleaning it. PS always make sure the close the airbox properly. In some vehicles it's a bit tricky and you don't want to have sand getting inside ! Make sure all the clips are on and there is no misalignment. Even the mechanics often make this mistake when being in a rush. 4. Check for any loose hoses or leaks. While you are under the bonnet, have a close inspection at the air intake hose to make sure there are no cracks, and look for any suspicious signs of leaks (often you will find a leak as the sand sticks to it). 5. Check the pressure of your 4 tyres. If you inflated it properly on the previous drive, then the tyre pressure should still be the same. If you notice that 1 tyre has a lower pressure, it could mean there is a slight leak. Either from the valve stem, or a small puncture. You don't want to drive in the desert with a leaking tyre as this will be a recipe for regular pop-outs. 6. Battery. It is visually not possible to inspect the car battery, but after about 1 year you might start seeing signs that the car doesn't start on the first go. A good tip is to pass by a service station like Autopro which is generally next to the gas station and ask them to perform a battery health check. They have a special device that will show you the battery health in about 2mins. If the result is below 50-60% i would recommend replacing it. Those devices are available on Amazon as well: Car Battery Tester - YUNGU 12V Battery Alternator Analyzer Load Tester Starter and Charging System Tester Battery Analyzer for Cars Motorcycle Marine Truck and More : Amazon.ae: Automotive 7. Dashboard lights. Do you have check-engine lights? Better get them looked at by a professional mechanic. These are indications something is wrong and it should not be ignored. If you are a bit technically inclined, get yourself an OBD scanner tool that allows you to read out any DTC (fault codes). 8. Clutch. In case of manual gearbox: if you noticed the play of the clutch pedal has changed recently, like feeling a lot softer, this is a clear indication something is wrong. Do not go off-roading with a faulty clutch ! 9. Underneath the car and your parking spot. Have a look underneath the 4x4 itself. If you see lots of sand sticking in some area nearby the engine and/or transmission, this means you have an oil leak somewhere. While in old cars small leaks are acceptable, in newer ones this should not be tolerated. Check the parking floor as well, as this will give you an indication if you have a coolant leak or other oil leaks. During The Drive 1. Keep an eye out for overheating signs. Stop the car immediately and inform the convoy if your engine or transmission is overheating. 2. If you made a nasty hit, ask the convoy to stop for a minute. Step out and inspect the front of the car including radiator, bash plate, and verify if you have any leaks. If you can spot it early enough most probably it can still be fixed and we don't have to drag your 4x4 out of the desert. 3. Understand your 4x4. With every drive you will gain experience and you will learn from pushing the car how much it can take and for how long it can take this. The more you are in tune with your 4x4, the quicker you will spot any potential issues. Post-Drive Checkup This can be done while inflating your tyres. 1. Open the bonnet and check for any loose hoses or leaks. Same as in step 4 mentioned in the pre-drive checkup. 2. Check for any debris underneath the car. Especially after having driven in bushy terrain. 3. Check for any leaks underneath the car. 4. Inflate the tyres back to normal pressure. 5. On the way home, turn off the radio and listen to the car itself. Suspensions squeaks or rattling noises means you'll need to take it to the mechanic to get it inspected. Long story short. If you look after your 4x4, she/he will look after you and you will be able to enjoy this sport with less head-aches and costly repairs. Make sure to do your due diligence in selecting the right service/repair shop as well that doesn't cut corners but understands that as an offroader you want your car to be in the best possible condition technically. Please do share your own experiences and tips !

Don’t forget to carry spinach!!!! @DP1011

Looking forward to this @GauravSoni however the first thing that comes to mind is how many gear changes I will be making. My arm will look like Popeyes when we get to Qudra 🤣

Great! The wife enjoyed the scenic ones, so I suppose she'd enjoy this one too. I've added myself to the Waitlist

Hope everyone reads this...!

Ohhh... my car was too fast for camera to catch 🥺🥺🥺

We started as early we could, but it was quite hot anyways, hovering about 42 degrees. I am was quite trilled by the performance entire convoy including the tricky technical area. It was great to see the convoy perform exceedingly well. @Pavel Pashkovskiy thank you once again. The drives with you are one of a kind with the mid drive refreshment breaks. It is unforgettable. @Mohit Gurnani I see you do better and better every time I have driven with you. great to see you once again. @Frans M wonderful to see you once again. as many have pointed out, we all love your ride. @Cristian you did exceedingly well. great to see you. @premindra rajaram once again it was wonderful to have you in another drive. @Gok Krish thank you very much for being at the back and taking care of the refusals. It was a pleasure having you in the drive. @george charbel You did fantastic in your new role as second lead. I have driven many times with you and that gave me the confidence of having you there and you were spot on. @Anoop Nair Thank you for joining the drive. hope the jeep is all good now. @Nadeem Ansari you did very well on this drive. I see you becoming more and more polished every week. @DP1011 finally thank you very much to heed the call and join back to back 2nd drive of the day to support this drive. I could hardly take any pics but still managed a few. I have added some pics in the gallery, See you all in the next instalment of Looper's loops.

Hahaha, thanks @premindra rajaram.... I wanted to have a wrangler someday. At the moment still loving toyota 😊.

@Frans Myour love for Toyota’s! We were out numbered by Jeep Wrangler’s!

Thanks for the nice drive @Looper, and everyone in the convoy.