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We might pick out a nice high dune and put out chairs out

@FredericKeep an eye out for the persieds meteor shower. It's from 10 pm to 3 am.

@Hisham Masaad Do I get an award for living upto the expectations of speed? Not just off-road, I continued to drive with that pace On-road also while going back, and here is an expensive evidence of the same😅, And Not just one day, the speed continued even next day when u were flying sweep 😂😂! @Frederic Please note this for a potential consideration for upcoming Hall of Fame☺️☺️)

Thank you @Frederic for the awesome drive, i enjoyed it so much. Thank you everyone for participating and making the drive fun, it was really great meeting you all. See you soon in the sand, in the meantime take care 🙂 .

You must have had a tail wind to get that Jeep up to 88mph 😂

Its the other way round mate! The second was issued after our Badayer journey😂, and then first was after that NB drive😂, so aligned on my pace to the level of drive😅..the second is dated 5th and first is dated 6th😂 and YES DONT Underestimate Jeeps! Even we contribute to Traffic speeding fine revenues😂

Seems you weren't trying hard enough on the first ticket @DP1011. Great job on the second ticket though. Didn't realise Jeeps went that fast 😜

Thank you @Frederic. It was such an amazing drive, a number of deep drops, a number of manoeuvres, a number of straight crests, everything was beautiful and a great learning experience. As always, @DP1011was very supportive alongside @Hisham Masaadcoming out of nowhere and always on the lookout 👀😅 Thanks for the lead @Imteeaz, it was truly enjoyable to follow you and trying to keep up Pace 😀 Last but not the least, thanks for the tuck and being supportive @Anish S♥️ see you all soon, in the dunes 😎

Thank you @Frederic and the great team for the wonderful experience, it was amazing. 🤗

Thank you all for joining @Deepak Eswar@Shiju Raju@Srilakshman Karthikeyan@Issam Atra@Vishnu Ramankutty@DP1011@Abhilash Kottakkal@Faraz94@Shiboo Kr@Haneef Thayyil@DTG@Ben Williams@Anish S @Imteeaz and flying sweep @Hisham Masaad ! We had a great morning, and the weather was actually quite doable (better than expected). I focused a bit more on the technical driving this time as in my opinion this is crucial in becoming a good all-round off-roader. Apart from the few refusals and couple of stucks which are totally normal, we covered good ground and various terrain. We practiced lots of straight crests, tight corners, and some basic side sloping. You guys did great ! I was delighted with the great support of @Imteeaz, @DP1011, @Anish S,and @Hisham Masaadwhich makes these kinds of drives really enjoyable and whatever challenge we faced, was quickly sorted with a smile. My initial plan was to drive towards Murquab, but considering the timing and the various areas that were scattered with bushes, i decided against it and looped back towards the Love Lakes entry track, where we exited. See you guys soon in the sand again !

@Frederic @Hisham Masaad @DP1011 @Imteeaz @Anish Sthank you very much for your guidance and support...the drive was great....and sorry for the flag again. I will find a solution before the next ride...looking forward for the next one...

Congratulations @Mark B 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

@Vishnu Ramankutty unfortunately I cant help with the warranty part of your concerns... which is a very valid point! Would say its best to get this in writing some how as a verbal conversation might backfire should issues arise later (hopefully not)! If I remember correctly you have the V6 4L Fortuner? I drive a Prado, however had similar concerns when I started my journey with Carnity regarding basic modification and would share the following: after fitting a front skid plate and doing a bumper trim (after giving it a few knocks during my newbie drives) did help solve my problem with the front bumper ground clearance issue and more importantly gave me the confidence when faced with steeper departure or approach angles when climbing and descending. Best advice I got from the Forum/ Seniors is to drive my car stock for as long as I can, before investing in modifications which might be unnecessary and or would later regret. And to comment on your last sentence: Remember its a Toyota it can go anywhere!

@M.Seidam It was really enjoyable, fast paced, with lots of bowls, crisscrosses, switches, and climbs... and the technical area was very challenging. I was very impressed by everyone in convoy adhering to the rules of desert and their safety was always paramount. @Joji varghese@Sunil Mathew @Senthil Kumar and @Benjamin Once again, thank you all for your supports.

Almost a steering cost waisted🤣🤣

@Vishnu Ramankutty @DP1011- WRT the query about voiding warranty, i cannot be much of a help, because i drive a 2014 model, and warranty was never a concern when modifying the car. I believe @Waqas Parvez drives a Prado which is under warranty and he has upgraded his suspensions and done other mods. probably Waqas can shed some light on how Al Futtaim views his mods. For my car, which is a TRD version, the first thing i did was to strip those 2 low lying plastic lips on both front and rear bumpers. I have further trimmed the front main bumper to be higher than the wheel centre. attached photo may offer some clarity. Skid plate, UCA, suspension - done as additional mods, which are required to enjoy this hobby safely and with piece of mind for a fortuner. If you plan to trim the bumper or upgrade suspensions with extra lift, do it along with or BEFORE you install skid plate, so that skid plate front level matches the cut bumper. As a separate pointer - I also carry a spare air filter with me and change after each drive, and get both filters cleaned every 2 weeks. Since i dont have a snorkel , the filter gets choked soon, and i can feel the engine slightly hunting/ rough idling after higher level drives. So you might want to give this a thought too. My whatspp - 0559498749 in case you want to have a detailed chat

Haha yes mate definitely! Have to save some penny’s 😬😬

@Vishnu Ramankutty I can send you the pictures of the damages at different stages if you send me whatsapp on 0501002814 so you will get an understanding on what might happen...

@Vishnu RamankuttyI saw the damage on your car it was a small but definitely it will go high.. i had skirts on the bumbers which look very good but @Frederic@Vanessa8580 they told me desert is gonna take it on my first drive and ofcorse it happened. And on the second night drive I lost the stock bumbers also..I would suggest doing some trimming if you are serious and want to go forward to the next levels from my experience with just 4 drives now...the thing is that if you don't do trimmings now you may loose the entire bumper. I am lucky I made the decision to trim and only has a small tear on the stock bumber...

I my case with my Fortuner is happening exactly as @Fredericmentioned: My front bumper is already damaged due to the steps in the drives. I will analyze better the alternative of lift kit. At least to minimize the risk.

and I also let 2 experienced Fortuner owners also add their experience:) @Sunil Mathew @FERNANDO SYRIO

Hey @Vishnu Ramankutty You’ve brought up a good topic here, and my reply below is based on other new model fortuners I’ve seen performing in the desert. The NO1 weak point on these cars is the massive front bumper, similar to the Montero Sport. And it will be the first part that receives damage eventually. Adding a front bash plate underneath the stock bumper will help but won’t give you a permanent solution. That brings us to the following options: 1) Replacing the front bumper with different design bumper. This is a possibility but not cheap. 2) Lift kit. Will give you a bit more extra clearance which will help saving the stock bumper. You can combine this with a bash plate. 3) Trimming stock bumper. Is possible on the Montero Sport, see @Abhilash Kottakkalhis mod. Not sure if same works on your car. I would advise you to approach a couple of shops (can’t name them here but you can ask other off-roaders on your drive) and check with them what your options are.

Congratulations @Mark B definitely a deserving promotion. Well done!

Well deserved @Mark B and enjoy the new level. Congratulations.

Congrats @Mark B.. see you soon in the new level!

Thanks Davie 😬😬😬 Thank you mate looking forward to it 😎😎 Nice one mate, yes definitely looking forward to it

Congratulations @Mark B - JEEP POWER all the way ! Only Pace is what awaits you ahead am sure you will enjoy this one too !

Congrats @Mark B well deserved! Enjoy the new rank! More importantly the new pace and challenge that awaits!

Thanks @Frederic. Truly, that was a wonderful drive. Every drive with @Carnity is a new learning experience and an opportunity to understand my vehicle more closely. Big high-five ✋ to @Hisham Masaad @Imteeaz @DP1011 @Anish S for your extended support and assistance .

Congratulations @Mark B well deserved Bud enjoy the new level

i can send u live location and you can join directly in deserr😁 @Islam Soliman

I'm seeking expert advice on enhancing my off road driving experience. Currently, I own a 2023 Fortuner and have been participating in newbie drives with Carnity. While I find these experiences enjoyable, I personally believes there may be some adjustments necessary to enhance the convenience and elevate my performance for upcoming advanced drives. Currently I’m always worried on descending hills because of the ground clearance. Here's a list of basic alterations which comes on my mind, though I'm unsure of their importance: Skid Plate Lift kit for improved ground clearance Furthermore, I'm concerned about the impact these changes might have on my showroom warranty. I've only had the vehicle for four months. If I had discovered this off-road driving pleasure earlier, I would have chosen a more capable 4X4 vehicle with superior ground clearance from the outset.

Congratulations @Mark B looking forward to watching you climb those steep dunes in your awesome Gladiator.

One 300 ( as you say)😂😂 thank god only 2 drives for the weekend else yes, one FJ steering cost! ONE 800😂😂

Great going @Mark B; congratulations on attaining the new level. Keep driving..

Totally agree

Ha cheers bud and definitely look forward to driving with you soon mate Thanks Hisham appreciate that 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Congratulations @Mark B well done, and well deserved..enjoy

@Mark B congratulations mate. Celebrate with some new mods 😁. Look forward to driving with you again

Thanks @Looperfor all patience and advices.

Thank looper appreciate it mate, see you out there soon Thanks mate appreciate it Thanks man!

Congratulations @FERNANDO SYRIO well done!

Congrats @FERNANDO SYRIO, great to see another fortuner climbing up the ranks!!! See you soon !!!

Congratulations @FERNANDO SYRIO ! VERY WELL DESERVED !

Thank you so much @Gaurav and @Davie Chase. Very happy to notice how much I’m learning with all of you.

Congratulations @FERNANDO SYRIO well deserved buddy and enjoy the new level:)

Great drive @M.Seidam it was amazing how fluid we got as a convoy; once in the technical terrain, the dunes matched perfectly entering into long range dunes. Easily one of the better night drives I’ve been on and I’ll look forward to the next great to catch up with everyone @Joji varghese@Sunil Mathew @Senthil Kumar and @Rajiv Sam

Great drive led by @Looper, you drive quite differently when you are leading, pretty much a different person in the same yellow looper jeep, and an impressive 25km/r of 80km route, consists of different terrains, But I must say it is never easy to catch up with a SWB car with 2850mm WB Pathfinder😶. Good work! @Theo09 this is definitely not a standard FB drive but you coped with it very well. I was concerned that you may tackle some part of the drive too rough, being a first time FB with faster pace, But you handled it exceptionally well, never fought gravity yet had no refusal except a popout that was partially due to the low profile tire. You should take a look at the jacks and jacking points of your vehicle, 18inch rims have higher possibility of pop out but the possibility can be lowered with skills. @Fabien Monleau Thanks a lot for managing the centre and rescuing me with your magical winch, it worked just like a charm! @Juan R Pleasure meeting you for the first time and thank you for the perfect sweep. Had 2 occassions that the airbag jack was used, it works just fine, except it is as heavy as a spare!💣

Thanks @Looperfor organizing the drive and for taking the decision to extend the drive a bit through Little Sweihan. It was rewarding to see the smooth sand after quite a bit of vegetation. @Cha@Fabien Monleau, than-you for the support and good to meet you for both for first time. Un plaisir de te connaître

@Ismail, like @Stumpy Paj I also own a GX460 and it is a Titanium with a 2" lift and Method wheels with BFG KO2's. Not a colour I would normally pick but very happy with this choice. I've added a couple of photos below for you. Photos are from when I picked it up in 2020 but nothing has changed since then.