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@Looper This was an incredible drive! Just managed to get on the list within an hour of drive start which I couldn’t be happier about! Loved the fast paced driving around an area I was familiar with which also showed the great improvement that everyone made from their first few drives in this terrain. As being part of the 2nd lead int convoy I recorded a series of videos capturing our time in the dunes, I’ve since then edited and called the mini movie “the climb” most of the video consists of a montage of @Varun Mehndirattadriving skills within some of our better climbs I managed to get on camera you can find the video here. this was such a large convoy that it’s hard to remember the best qualities of the drivers out there. But what this really means is that everyone did amazing at getting through this track not only was it Loopers incredible leading skills but also everyone’s ability to climb more churned up track in the back end of the convoy. till next time everyone enjoy your week!

For me, it was the most satisfying drive to date. Everything that I ever wanted in a drive and to do in it I was able to do. Fast ✅, Non-Stop ✅, Excellent Support ✅, Great Convoy ✅ - couldn't have asked for more. It was a fabulous convoy and you guys did great. Everything I was doing; the long convoy was doing without any qualms about it. There was Plan B to split the convoy, in case we face a lot of refusals, but the first true stoppage came when I had a pop out, and there were no other refusals at all and that shows the strength of the conv. It did not occur to me till we rached the foothills of Big Red (last leg of the drive) to even check if the speed was okay. And I am quite sure by then the average moving speed would have been in the low 40s at least. The cherry on the cake was the flower we could make on the Big Red that too nonstop - how many times you see that! Thank you everyone to join this drive. Special thanks to @DP1011 for an excellent job at 2nd lead. In this drive, due to the pace of the drive, it was a critical role, and you did great. Thanks you @Varun Mehndiratta for accepting to take up the Plan B Split convoy if necessary that gave a lot of courage to me to even attempt this drive and @Davie Chase for the dual role of Sweep and for opening the Nazwa Garage in the middle of the desert! Also big thanks to @Chris Wing our designated Center Forward and standby Sweep. See you all in the next instalment of Looper's loops. Big-red Flower: Also check this out, Explore 'FB+ Tawi Nizwa 250623 Looper lead' (relive.cc)

Look forward to the drive @Ale Vallecchi, @Pavel Pashkovskiy, @DP1011🌻

Cant agree more @Looper ! As I said during drive, the only thing that could stop you was a pop out😂😂! Was interesting to do this fast pace and Big red is always such an adrenaline! Looking forward to the video clips of your insta captures!! 💥! If I go on mentioning all names, thats a long list so best to say ALL have been such a great company and pleasure to be with! @Davie Chase The calmness with which you assessed and supported on fixing pop out was a nice practical demo of another lesson:) and @Varun Mehndiratta Thanks for adding new shade of the jeep to this drive with your presence. Special shout out to @Frans M - You did absolutely fantastic in your first levelled up FB+ drive, that too with your HT tyres!! And thanks for @Chris Wing for being Sweep and @Benjamin for being second lead of IM convoy😂!

After spending some time at various tire workshops with my cars (both sedan and 4x4) and seeing the poor workmanship that goes on in most of these shops, i wanted to discuss the pros and cons of tire rotation on my cars. The advertised pros: Longer thread life Better handling Ensuring even distribution of tread wear Can prevent blowouts by being able to spot tire issues earlier. Ability to activate your spare tire as well and rotate it along. On the world wide web, you don't usually come across the cons, but i came up with the following ones that i have experienced personally. For these main reasons i have decided against tire rotation: Wrong torquing of the tires. 99% of all shops here use the impact gun and go nuts with endless "jugga-juggas" and ruin the tread of your studs. On my 2021 Patrol 3 out of the 6 studs were completely ruined in such a short period. Even worse when after doing this, they bring out the torque wrench and you see it clicks from the first time. This basically means it was over-torqued by the impact gun and now the torque wrench has no function anymore! Tire rotation will mean wheel alignment and sometimes balancing as well, and again the majority of the shops i have been to even manage to screw this up. Been to countless shops where they even have a laser alignment setup but still decide to use their eyes and ears only, resulting in making things even worse. Even balancing which anyone should be able to do seems to be difficult here as half of the time they are not paying attention. The guys that do actually use the laser system are 50/50, means 50% of the guys know what they are doing, and the other 50% just screw and unscrew bolts until they see something appearing in green. Upselling. While you are at the tire shop, often they will start moaning that "Sir, your tires are too worn" while they have no clue and just try to sell you stuff (their bosses push them into this). The so-called free alignment check when purchasing tires is just a scam because they mention "CHECKING alignment is free, but DOING the alignment is 150dhs". And i have experienced this recently in a very reputable shop. Often the car is worse after the alignment than when it came in. Time loss. I don't like spending afternoons or evenings in a tire shop. Let's have a look now at the advertised pros and see if we can punch a hole in them: Longer thread life: Quite obvious on a rear wheel driven car that those tires will wear out faster and can be moved to the front to have a bit longer life. That can be done in one go and not with a rotation every 10,000km. On a 4x4 this would also apply if you are driving in 2H on the road, but on a permanent 4x4 like a Prado perhaps the wear on the tires front vs back will be less obvious. Better handling. If you have tires that are in decent shape and properly inflated, i do not believe handling to have a big impact. Even distribution of tire wear. Correct. like i mentioned rear wheels vs front wheels. But if your tires are wearing out unevenly on the same axles you have alignment issues and should deal with those, rather than rotating the tires around. Ability to activate your spare tire. True. My spare tire is never in action but i actually prefer it like that and keep it covered at all times. If i replace that tire every 4-5 years i can personally live with that. Now, i could be totally going wrong with my statements here, hence i would love to see other members feedback of their experiences and why they choose or not choose to rotate their tires.

Recon it is a legit Evo? Looks in nice condition 🤠

DRIVE PLAN Faqa'a Express had reached Solar Park destination but it is now time for it to return. Faqa'a Express will leave at 5:30 AM Sunday Morning & it will head towards Little Sweihan before it reaches Faqa'a at about 9:00 am in the morning. Booking starts at 7 p.m. Monday and final call will be on Saturday Noon. We will see lush vegetation soon after we leave Solar Park station and will see proper desert only when we reach Little Sweihan station. Once at Little Sweihan we will find some difficult and narrow technical path leading to some wide wide-open dunes. After we cross Little Sweihan we will encounter a small patch of sabkha and cross on to Faqa'a side. 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: 02 July 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 5:30 AM Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/ymuAZNGhHFUtKch49 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, patience, and willingness to learn. MANDATORY OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor Walkie-talkie radio Off-road flag Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit 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. 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

Hey @Ale Vallecchi I’ve added myself to your waitlist to ensure everyone has a fair chance of getting a drive this week. Thanks

Great video @Benjamin I have added a short clip of an earlier part from the drivez https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct9Hqk9Rrie/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Intend to start mounting the 360 cam on future drives.

After strapping the spare in the back for a month I got an angle grinder and just chopped up the spare mount so the new rim fits. Couldn't find a plastic delete place that didn't look terrible as the end result over here in Abu Dhabi. Can't tell from the outside how I butchered that poor mount 😅😅

Congrats @george charbel !!

congrats @george charbel hope you enjoy the faster paced drives!

Driven so fast and hard the your wheel weights came off 🤪 Drove it hard enough to finish off my bumper . great drive @Looper Gotham , it was a lot of fun and well handled for such a big convoy.

Great drive today! Everyone drove pretty perfectly! Nice fast pace which was great, thanks Looper for an amazing drive! I lost some balance weights so had my bones shaken all the way home lol see you all on the next one 😎😎

DRIVE DESCRIPTION Starting from the gentle Wadi Shawka with its meandering boulder tracks, we will venture deeper and deeper into Fujairah, leaving no stone unturned. Get ready to get shaken and stirred. There will be some sweaty palms and a number of "edge of seat" moments involved ! Please take note of the following disclaimer: This route will take you on very steep climbs and descents and is not for the faint of heart ! Make sure your 4x4 is in tip-top condition. All-Terrain tyres are highly recommended. You might struggle with HT tyres. Do not join if you have any fear of heights. Max 2 passengers per vehicle allowed. 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: 01 July 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 2 PM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/DNZXkF3c4DKqU1PY6 Approximate finish time: 6-7PM 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, shovel, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you find you are unable to join, so your spot can be taken by others in the waitlist. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, if an RSVP attendee removes themselves, you will be moved from the waitlist to the RSVP list as an attendee. A convoy list will be sent out the day prior to the drive. Latecomers will be returned back - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned back - Without any exceptions. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. RSVP ON THE CALENDAR EVENT

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: 28 June 2023, Wednesday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uorHXQfDyo4PoLsM6 Action Plan: Long Way Down (LWD) is a Carnity drive series developing over an unpredictable number of kilometers, in this second episode from Ghantoot and beyond, travelling South dunes and sabkhas, "flying" along the DXB-AD border, continuing toward Faqa or .... (who knows!). 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: 7:30 PM 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

In middle of upcoming holidays, lets join on 30th June, at Badayer/Area 53 for a fast paced fun drive - freeing ourselves and our mind of pending household chores/duties and just enjoying our time out in the desert - with no other thoughts but the view of lovely dunes that lie ahead. General Overview 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 Plus and Above When: 30th Jun'2023, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/JkhE9hDwve8mkkU99 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 9:00 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

In Japan ? Yup most probably a real one

@Fredericthat is true. I had the same issues with the tire shops. And during the FWA (front wheel alignment), they mostly didn't want to adjust the camber and caster (probably they dont really know 🙃). What they did was only for toe in adjustment of tie rods. Only one shop that I finally found adjust everything in Sharjah, and they torqued the bolts properly, but not sure now if still the same servicemen work there.

@Frederic Great post on an untouched issue. As offroaders, we need wheel alignment more frequently than those who don't. My experience with wheel alignment mirrors yours. I have been to countless shops, even the ones that "specialize" in offroad cars. They just cant get it right. I have had some tell me that i have to change the upper arms and suspension to make it straight. Finally, i got a garage which isn't "specialized" in offroad cars that got it right. Just the skill of the mechanic I would say. he had a "Hunter" laser alignment machine. I dont know if that makes a difference and he was a bit more expensive than the others but cry once, right?

Congratulations @george charbel 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

Congrats @george charbel well deserved and enjoy the new level

@george charbel nope not at all! I have the V6 pentistar engine! My model is even the sport no issues whatsoever doing anything all the way up to intermediate . Just if you have the same model as mine watch out for your temperature gauge the sport trim and I believe Sahara too have a smaller grille and radiator fans. I had some issues with vvl seals, low battery voltage, crankshaft seal and timing chain gasket seals. Presumably because I was running too hot 😂

Thank you DP! im sure im gonna need your support more in fewbie plus lol Thank you Benjamin!, Do i need to get a 392 for faster pace ?

Thank you Looper see you Soon! Thank you Frederic been a while!

Congratulations @george charbel , very well deserved promotion to next level, and what a timing to have it just before coming week's drives!💥👍🏻, see u in pace up drives:)

Congratulations @george charbel on your well deserved promotion.

I had a great time despite my numerous stucks but fantastic team work got us out and moving every single time. @M.Seidamit was fantastic meeting and driving with you again after such a long time. Your re-routing, recoveries, and overall presence last night showed how much you master this hobby. My initial plan and route involved quite a bit of technical terrain as I knew the convoy and its strengths, but the second part of the terrain chewed us and spit us out and we had to retreat back to the sabkha to shorten the route to the Bedford trucks. All in all all a great night out with a superb group of off-roaders / buddies who all helped out and I wanted to thank you all for that ! See you all soon in the sands again !!

Hello Everyone! Related to the topic question. I am driving Nissan patrol platinum Y62. I am still newbie/fewbie level, so far i am ok,but i can feel that car is heavy, hence kind of difficult to handle if i am tackling the dune. Yesterday i went as a passenger on the drive, which was an inter/advance level, i was with the marshal in his FJ. He did, as i though before impossible things,climbing high dunes, riding on the bale (ridge), reaching the pick of dune and overtaking it. Crazy stuff! The guy has long time experience though. So i was wondering, can patrol do the same, considering its weight? Or this kind of extreme drive is only for Jeeps and FJs, and patrol for more relaxing, safari type of driving? Thank you in advance!

Well not from Zero, but from 50% onward again. And you will take couple of drives to get used to that new 4x4 response unlike months and years to learn offorading. I have driven 6 different 4x4 for offroading in last 12 years.

Thank you Gents! Very useful and interesting information! @desertdude I am eager to learn, in order to be strong enought to tackle higher dunes. I am also sure Patrol can show outstanding results, specially the V8 one. It is juts difficult to balance its weight and power, and I am in continuous trials to find that golden middle. Also have to fight my fear to be flipped at higher dunes. I know that I still do not fill my car 100%, but with each drive I "open" the car a. bit . @Gaurav Yes agree, the patrol specially platinum one become too fancy, and more a car fro the city and light (safari type) offroading, but not extreme level. I have 20 inch seems, that m are Offroaders more difficult. Probably the Y62 LE, with smaller seems, and less electronics is ore suitable for offroad. I am seriously thinking of buying FJ or Jeep specially for desert driver, and leave patrol for the city roads. By the way, the Marshal on FJ told me that Y61 VTEC, the new one, will not be able as well to manage the speed of FJ on dunes. And in the club I am now, I am the only one person on patrol, there is no one else on Y61 or 62, all are either jeepers or FJ, sometimes Nissan Xterra and Prado. For now, I will try to do my level best to learn more, I think if I manage to drive a heavy Patrol, the FJ or Jeep will be much easier to handle later on.

Sorry dude, this was over 10+ year story now and you might be right at that time but not with Patrol weight. @Adel Muradov there is no doubt you have very capable 4x4 but due to its pedigree now mixed with luxury+mall crawler audience and that makes it very heavy, more electronically controlled gizmos, computers, sensors. Patrol Y62 will always find it difficult to catch up on extreme drives like the one you just mentioned. However that gap is very marginal - if you hone your offroad skills like if FJC can do 100, then your Patrol can match upto 80-90 in capable hands. So don't worry too much about that level and little gap IMHO, first focus on learning and "practicing" the basics without breaking your 4x4, rest all will follow. On the contrary, for being a good offroader you need slightly underpower 4x4 than desert toy that can take you anywhere with a touch of throttle. You won't learn real offroading that way.

That's because you just started doing this. Patrol is a very capable car and being a platinum I'm assuming it's a V8. In the right hands it can kick FJs ass all over the place. I've driven the bigger and heavier Armada in Liwa which makes the Dubai dunes look like children and it performed beautifully there

Theoretical yes, but when have you last seen or driven Y62 (STOCK) doing wonders....? We have had 3 patrol in 2019 and 2 broke the bumper, 3rd was intelligent matured driver and went back home with same bumper. Due to tons of electronic control, I have seen even V8 struggling and what Adel mentioned here I can totally relate to. If it was doing wonder as Y61 VTEC then why would Nissan brought back Y61 VTEC VTEC for shababs.....?