Leaderboard

Congratulations @Gary F 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 Fewbie Plus drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. 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

Nice @Gary F (dad) you’ve caught up to me really quickly! Look forward to the next one together. Deserved int promotion

Hello @Frederic @Srikumar and team, yes my passenger got comfortable on a way back home. We had prawns in curry leaves and paratha, all held good . During this incidence and similar, in my last 2 1/2 years, I hv been grateful to the Leads who always accommodate us or our passengers or the vehicle - when there is trouble. Likewise, the rest of the team also bears with it just for the comfort of one....because this Carnity team cares this way, one day in a month should be called, Car(e)nity ... for the philosophy to be followed for generations to come.

@Nilakantan Erode FJ or Prado only !

Thank you @M.Seidam for a very interesting drive without moon! I also had the opportunity to use my winch and practice a tricky recovery in coordination with @Zulfikhar Naiyar Thank you for the detailed report as well. It’s always a pleasure attending your drives. Rest of the images in the gallery. Cheers!

Congratulations @Gary F - Well deserved and always pleasure to watch you with your Sand runner ! See you soon in Sands !

Thanks @Benjamin I love my Xterra and everytime i take it to the desert it put a big smile on my face. However to be honest the second gen Xterra are bit old now. Even the latest 2015 model is now 8 years old. most of the exterra in the market have seen its better days. but still if your budget is less than 50k i would recommend Xterra as number 1 option. SInce you have 100k budget i would recommend something much new. my shortlist will be 1. Prado, 2. FJ Cruiser 3. Fortuner 4. Patrol Y61 5. Pajero 3.8 Most of the above vehicle for sale will be clean mall crawlers, so you will have much more offroad life left in these.

Nice drive as usual Doc @M.Seidam.. It was my 12yo son's first night drive experience and he enjoyed it a lot, and was wide awake all through the drive, and also loved the recovery , winching etc. @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke did a wonderful job of self recovering after the winching efforts by @Ignacio Quindós and @Zulfikhar Naiyar, both doing a wonderful job with their equipment. It was nice to do the Big Red at night (first time for me) , although we could not complete the full ascents as planned. Looking forward to do a full climb at night 🙂and test limits of our concentration . Good to meet everyone on the drive, see you all soon

Have read through many of the posts and would request some views in buying a stock SUV for off-road. This is to be used for a bit of city driving (but as a 2nd car) and definitely week end off road. I have got some new car options to start with (based on immediate or 4-5 weeks availability (hence not listing Toyota and some other SUVs). Will start my research on pre owned / used vehicles soon. 1. Mitsubishi Pajero 2020 signature V6.. NEW with some minimal (<100 km) from Al Habtoor PREOWNED division… with warranty until 2026. Price AED 125-130K. Seems good price but not sure if I need to do some modifications for dune drives / off-road. 2. Jeep Wrangler Sahara V6 - NEW from Trading Enterprises. 3yrs Service + 5 yrs warranty . Price AED 240k. Not sure if maint / resale especially if I move out of UAE in 3-4 years) 3. Nissan patrol Super safari V6 VTC 4.7L. NEW from Arabian. 1-2 month delivery. price AED 210K plus 3yrs Service / 5 yrs Warranty . Good off-road reputation but fuel efficiency seems very low! 4. Nissan Patrol SE titanium V6. NEW from Arabian plus 3 yrs Service 5 yrs Warranty. Price AED 260K. Seems heavy and not sure if this will be an over kill. Also not sure if maint. Do let me know your views. Hopefully I can close out something and join you folks on off-road trips soon! Cheers… Neel

DRIVE PLAN Oh, Tawi Nazwa what has happened to you! The trades men and enthusiast alike have ravaged the terrain and we won't find any area that is barred of tracks. But we have a fantastic opportunity to revisit those tracks on a fast-paced drive through those dunes starting at Tawi Nazwa and ending at Big Red. The Drive will be quick in more ways than one. Considering the heat during this summer season, it will be grueling on the vehicle - so make sure that your car is in particularly good condition. We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 25 June 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 5:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/PXcRwegWaX8dienE7 Approximate finish time: 9:30 AM 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, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Recommended off-road gears: Walkie-talkie radio and off-road flag (MANDATORY), plus tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, compressor, walkie-talkie radio, off-road flag, shovel, first-aid kit, and fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Saturday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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

Congratulations @Saverio Arena 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 @Gaurav , looking forward to some intermediate drives in the future and I would like to say how well the club is run. thanks to the leaders and all the members for making this exceptional community. Thanks to everyone for the patience , as I am still learning LWB on mud terrains in the desert. @M.Seidam tight turns still a work in progress 😂 but for after one crest with you, I worked to train the muscle memory in my right foot to no longer tap the brake when going over a crest perpendicular , to always keep a some power on to an extent. It works mostly. @Benjamin thank you , you got me into this, and I especially look forward to the drives we are on together and when I’m occasion you have tugged me out of tricky situations, I’m looking forward to repaying the support if you ever get stuck . Thank you @DP1011 always enjoy our drives , onwards and upwards. @Looper thank you Gotham really enjoy our talks on jeep maintenance and warning signs to ignore..

Congratulations @Gary F on your promotion! Well done.

if you cant wait for 4-5 weeks i would recommend to consider 1-2 year old low mileage Toyota prado with service history and warranty. Which will be much better than all other option you listed.

If ur budget is 100k I would throw in Toyota fortuner 4.0 in seconplace of above list.

Hey @SamMills1994 welcome to the Middle East! Off-road desert driving is one of the best experiences you can do in this region, perfect for the car enthusiast, shutterbug, social gatherings, Adrenalin junkie, or even time away from work. So I Don’t drive an Xterra so @Krishna R, @M.Seidam, @Rizwanm2 @Chaitanya D might be some of the people that might be more qualified in answering your question. however in my opinion if it’s in your budget a new car is a much better option especially if your planning to off-road. Only reason for this is because used off-road cars could have a list of issues you aren’t aware of, especially the chance of a bunch of third party modifications which you don’t need to enjoy the deserts of the UAE, this way you avoid the need of thoroughly checking and testing cars from previous owners, and you can get warranty for certain dealerships. Besides those minor inconveniences you can go ahead and check out used Xterra’s there is a bunch on the market if you look at carswitch or dubizzle even the Facebook marketplace might be a place to check, you’ll notice used cars will have a better price but don’t let them fool you, especially when buying from Sharjah, another big tip is to always check the VIN number of used cars this way you can see if it’s been in a accident in the past and determine if the previous accident is worth it for the integrity of the vehicle

Hello @Nilakantan Erode Welcome to the club! All the cars mentioned above are good offroaders. However, You need to identify your requirement between offroad performance and on road comfort. Once you figure that out, you can decide easily. Eg: Jeep is great offroad but on road comfort is a bit less. Patrol Y62 is amazing onroad but a bit heavy for spirited offroading. For this reason, many club members have atleast 2 cars - a daily that comfortable, economical for the road and an older offroad beast.

Nice shot !

Hi Guys, This is my first post, and I'm brand new to the middle east (3 months) so please be gentle if I ask a silly question!! I'm definitely keen on the idea of getting into desert driving, but am a complete beginner, I also need a car for day-to-day commuting. I've been looking at the Xterra as they seem to be much more reasonable than Armadas or Patrols. What I want to know is is it worth looking at new models, e.g. 2022 Xterra 10,000km for 95k (within budget of 100k), or should I be looking at something a bit more rough and ready? Would also like to know where the best places to look are, I can only consider dealers, as I don't have cash up front to buy private yet and I don't want to get my pants pulled down. Any and all advice is very welcome! Thanks, Sam

Congratulations @Frans M 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

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy 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 and Above When: 23 June 2023, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/czhFkdDuhbNMKQyc8 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: 8:00 AM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL STARTING AND ENDING THE DRIVE AT THE SAME 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 10 drivers. 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 BELOW CALENDAR

Let me shed some more light so your choice can be realistic. If you own a Pajero, then it can be a good offroader with little love and care, but if you are thinking of buying "dedicated offroader" Pajero will be the last on the list - no offense. And when you are viewing the signature edition, that car will drop its front and rear bumper on the roadside sand, let alone dunes. Same story with Y62, you can force them to be an offroader with a lot of tinkering (which I personally don't like now), other than that they are awesome mall crawlers. Heavier or larger the car it will slow you down in the desert, and you need a bigger learning curve to master driving that size of the beast in the sand. FJC, visibility means how the driver views ahead and side of the car while driving is a little tight due to smaller windscreen and side windows. It is not a deal breaker and if you drive one, you can get used to it within a week's time. Nothing alarming about that comment, I just raised that as many new buyers make a big deal out of it. BIGGER ISSUE: What I think is you are mixing two different needs and eventually might end up making a bad choice tbh. What a wife would like with all bells and whistles and creature comfort will never serve you as a rugged offroader. And wifey will not like rugged offroader - looks, comfort, features. So, you can split the budget and let her get whatever she wants (newer model), so that you can make a pure offroader choice (little older model).

Hi Doc @M.Seidam it tuned out to be a minor issue with the shifter. Got it back on Sunday itself . See you soon

Congratulations @Frans M

Thanks Folks. Appreciate the feedback. Very useful. Lots to think about. Feels great to get these views and be part of the community already. @Krishna RThis is my 2nd car. I work from home... so whereas city driving will be there this should be a good off road vehicle especially when i wont have access to my primary vehicle (often used by my wife). I like the Y62 but as stated above...have concerns on the heaviness). @Frederic Pajero does look like a good option. Used to own this late 90s (when i used to live and work in Dubai in a different / simpler times) but that time i was a light / casual off roader. Don't think Carnity existed that time. Not sure of support / spare parts for Pajero with Mitsubishi deciding to stop production. should be okay for a few years...i guess! The Wrangler is good...but is not passing the wife approval test (critical stakeholder) for city driving!. Nissan V6 VTC..is of course very popular and proven off-road but if i start using this for city ...not that comfortable. And ..again ...not something that would pass the wife test easily. Titanium V6..seems good for city ...even my wife likes it...but therein lies the catch..as i do feel that stock car may not do for dune bashing. Tough choices! @Benjaminyes...doing some scenarios on city / off road usage. this is the key. Wrangler is good...just have to get some critical stakeholder across the line. @Rizwanm2Am on the look out for good used Prado / LC. not been easy to spot. Not surprised...but search will continue. @Gaurav Rubicon does sound attractive...but i don't want to be overambitious. maybe can start with Sport / Sahara and have off some $s. Will think about Patrol SWB. FJ sounds interesting. No new stcok though and will need to looout for used / preowned. Don't understand the visibility issue but will check out. I do like the Prado / LC options but . need to wait for a good one. New ones are anyway 2-3 months away at least. @Hisham MasaadWill check FJC. Prado ...need to search more...new ones not avalbl readily and need to search more thoroughly for a good used one. At his point of time...Pajero is one option ...relatively new and lowest cost option in my set. Wrangler Sahara is another one...off road credentials are good ignoring relatively less city comfort and resale later . Will try to understand Y62 limitations and costs to make it fully off-road capable (cant believe i am saying this about a Patrol). City / casual off-road is fine for the stock vehicle i guess... ignoring fuel efficiency! And not sure i should be locking in this much in a new vehicle. Need to also explore used vehicle options further. But some of the above feedback and other views in the forum provides a good starting point. Am certainly better off than i was a couple of days back when i was wondering how to start my off-road vehicle buying journey. Again...lots of things to explore. The forum has given some good points to think about. A week back...I was not sure how / where i should start in my off road vehicle hunt. Feeling much better now!

As your profile shows you have X5 for office and mall duties, so better buy a dedicated desert toy to not have a regret later on after a few drives or a year. For that sake: Options 1 and 4 are straight out. Wranglers are awesome from the factory floor to tackle any level of offroading you wish. Worth the buy (any trim), but if you can stretch the budget for Rubicon trim, it's worth the extra features (bigger tires, lift, diff lock, etc). Patrol super safari is over-rated for true desert toys, as they are heavy and long (unless you wish overlanding vehicle). If you like Patrol, then as Fredy mention, opt for SWB for maximum fun, or else be ready to spend another 20-50K on LWB to make it a climber (which they are not from the factory floor). More options to consider: FJ Cruiser: Rock solid offroader from factory and capable - if you can live with tiny visibility issue. I would prefer FJC over Wrangler simply because of Toyota's reliability. Prado: Same as FJC, but with more features and comfort and a tad heavier and longer than FJC, but totally manageable. You need little bumper trim and lift (beyond FB+ level) it will serve you for years with the performance, comfort and reliability of Toyota.

Congratulations @Frans M see you soon 😃

Congratulations Gary, well Deserved mate! You are great behind the wheel it must run in the family 😊 look forward to driving with you again in the future 👍🏻👍🏻

Congratulations Savério!!!! I'm sure I'll like the FB!

Relive

Congratulations @Gary F very well deserved . It’s time to show how the sand runner sails the big dunes and tightest corners too . Get ready steady and go 👍

Congratulations @Saverio Arena for levelling up - Well Done ! - Am sure you might be looking forward to your first FB + drive this weekend ? !

Hi @Nilakantan Erode welcome to carnity I definitely agree with @Krishna R to identify what your full needs are for your second car. for example you mention this will be used for city driving and weekend off-roading, depending on how much you use the car or the person driving on it will make your decision much easier. In my case I have a jeep wrangler 2018 sport, I use this for off-roading and daily driving, for me this is perfect and I Don’t worry too much about the on-road experience although it will differ per person.

1. Pajero. Some minor mods are needed (front bashplate and rear skidplate) Once this is done you are good to go. The Pajero is hard to beat for its value. Fuel economy however is poor (17-18 l/100 km). 2. Jeep Wrangler Sahara V6 - NEW from Trading Enterprises. 3yrs Service + 5 yrs warranty . Price AED 240k. Not sure if maint / resale especially if I move out of UAE in 3-4 years). The Jeep Sahara is nice and have plenty of options. If you are happy with less options you could consider the Sport. 3. Nissan patrol Super safari V6 VTC 4.8L. NEW from Arabian. 1-2 month delivery. price AED 210K plus 3yrs Service / 5 yrs Warranty . Good off-road reputation but fuel efficiency seems very low! Fuel efficiency is indeed low but resale value and reliability is superb . If you plan to really bash the dunes then the short wheel 2door model is more recommended. 4. Nissan Patrol SE titanium V6. NEW from Arabian plus 3 yrs Service 5 yrs Warranty. Price AED 260K. Seems heavy and not sure if this will be an over kill. Also not sure if maint. Not for dunebashing in my opinion, or you will need to modify the bumpers and make other mods).

Thank you guys for sharing this lovely Sunday morning in Lisaili and sorry for Anoop and Looper cars to be back on recoveries. Hope all good by now . See you guys soon in the sand 🙏

Hi @SamMills1994! Welcome to the UAE and welcome to Offroading in general If you are looking for a daily commuter that will also serve as a good offroader within 100k budget, i would recommend looking at the following new or young second hand models: 1. Toyota Landcruiser Prado (second hand). very capable on road and off-road. 2. Mitsubishi Pajero. Excellent value and capable off-roader with minor mods. 3.8 Engine is the best option. 3. Nissan Xterra 2022 model. Nice off-roader but not for heavy dune-bashing (underpowered due to 4 cylinder engine). 4. Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Nice off-roader. slightly underpowered but manageable. There's probably few more models but these are the first ones that popped into my mind. The older generation Xterra models (up to 2015) are famous for Offroad capability. They also make great daily commuters but without fancy options of course as these are very utilitarian 4x4's. You will find them second hand but will need to do your homework to double check they have not been abused too much.

Hey @SamMills1994 Welcome to beautiful UAE. Firstly, you dont need to have cash upfront even if you are buying from a private seller. you can still do bank loan. Secondly, the new xterra is more of an on road car than offroad. If you want to offroad on a regular basis, you might want to consider other cars. You can check dubizzle and fb marketplace for cars on sale.

Thanks @JeromeFJ for the wonderful drive, really enjoyed the amazing views and lovely dunes... @DP1011 always nice to drive with you! A true support champion Good to see everyone , Have a nice weekend

@JeromeFJ - Amazing drive and fantastic way to end it with that Secret tall range dune - By the way, this was my 3rd with you !!! The track you took was a perfect FB with some nice bowls and sideys to play ! The soft patches also offered some challenges which entire convoy accepted with enthusiasm! am sure, just like me, everyone else to enjoyed the morning with you - with some Rocks/ Sheep/ Dog/Rabbit and Rock shape rocks @george charbel - You did amazing on your second time Second Lead !! The perfect distancing and always vigilant on ensuring when to slow down / re-route. @Deepak Eswar - You clearly are getting a full understanding of your new beast, and am sure you will master it sooon, to make the most of it ! Well Done ! @lucas amat - Never Give up - is what you followed through out the drive ! JEEP POWER ! and very well done ! @Juan R - The final Jeeper in the convoy before the sweeping Jeep - As always good to see you and hopefully see you tomorrow , if you get permission from home department

Tell me which one you need.

Second time in a row, driving in Sweihan… With @Ale Vallecchifor an afternoon far away from work and for this morning with @JeromeFJ… Always amazing to drive through these high and virgin dunes, feeling confident, following great Leaders as @Ale Vallecchiand @JeromeFJ… As written by @JeromeFJ, we drove this morning through a mixed terrain, long and high dunes then short, high and technical dunes with soft sand… Always obliged to manually shift gears from 4H to 4L, I thank @Chris Wingfor his patience, behind me, while shifting my gears… After 6 months carrying my jerrycan full of petrol for nothing, I was pleased to fuel @Bjoernand to feel useful, during the break at the pond. At the end, seeing @Zedflying and not feeling taking off at my turn, I took a little bit on my left and I got stacked on the crest. Thanks again to @Chris Wingfor his quick tug 😉 Even if departure was very early from Dubai to join Sweihan, I took a real pleasure to drive with all of you… I wish you a nice week-end