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This is recommended since safety is top priority! You have waitlisted on the FB+ drive which is a good step. There are always dropouts in the last few days or hours as well. Hang in there!

What a drive! My first in Al Quaa. Started off with a nice camping session with @GauravSoni and @Gok Krish. Into the desert in the morning and I was awed by the size of the dunes and bowls and we went crazy from the get go. A quick popout which was fixed quickly and we continued on to the bigger bowls deep into the desert. Just as when we finished the warm up and started playing with sharp ridges, i lost my steering and came down the dune with my heart in my mouth. Serpentine belt broke . A quick call to the mechanic meant the belt was unavailable till the eve, so we decided to leave my car and continue the drive. My first ever drive in the passenger seat and I am scarred for life. Now I know why my wife is scared to come with me into the desert. At a couple of switchovers, i gave up and started getting visions of my dead ancestors. @GauravSoniwas laughing his ass off looking at my face after every climb and switch. Everyone drove brilliantly but the people that enjoyed the best were @Chris Wing @Mario Cornejo @Naveen Raj and @Gok Krish. Post the drive, @GauravSoni and I went to the garage in al quaa and the guy greeted us with the belt in his hand. fixed in 5 mins and i started my long drive back to Dubai. Excited for the next week's drive @GauravSoni looking at you. Until next time boys, Until then, Keep calm and check your engine belt.

@GauravSoni what an amazing drive bhai, no words to describe as it was kind of an extreme action which was deserved well in Al Quaa and u did justice to it. Everyone drove exceptionally well. @Krishna Rhope your serpentine belt issue is sorted out. Looking forward for Al Quaa part 2.

DRIVE PLAN This Sunday, we will meet at Lisaili for a Technical Drive. We will drive towards Muquab for a surprise dunes, that I hadn't seen before. Thanks to @DP1011 for showing this to me, hence I am calling DP Hill. After that we will continue the our drive, going towards Chimney continuing in some very technical areas. 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: 31 December 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 6:45 AM - Sharp (we will start the drive at 7:00) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/KGF6L8VwXMza3tJz7 Approximate finish time: 10:00 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. RECOMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) 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. 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

Since I bought my FJ new this year and have reached IM level, started realizing that the car is taking a bit of abuse (holding up super well mechanically!). While I love the car and the capability- was thinking maybe it would be wise to buy an older & cheaper car which I’d be more comfortable in pushing to the limits + adding mods if needed. (Latter is a no-go for me with the current car) Below were some options in my mind (looking only at Japanese): 1. LC100 2. LC200 5.7l V8 3. Patrol safari 4dr 4. Lexus GX460 While option 1 is to get an older FJ, wise to consider any of these?

DRIVE DESCRIPTION Welcome to this Carnity Saturday Morning Newbie Drive where the only things you really need are enthusiasm and willingness to learn. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Off-road 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: Newbie and above When: 30 Dec 2023 Saturday Meeting time: 07:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hJh6UY2VyXqFaQT88 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. Approximate finish time: 11:00 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. Mandatory off-road gears: 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 12 cars only. RSVP will close on FRIDAY - 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 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 CALANDAR BELOW

Congratulations @Aser ! well done buddy !

Dear all I have updated the meeting point of this drive due to the fact that there is a gate that may or may not be locked at the previously posted meeting point. Please disregard any saved meeting points that you may have in your device for this drive and utilize the new one I have posted. Which is to the rear of Skydive Dubai. Thanks

well done @Aser

Alright, sounds good mate. Thank you

Hi @H3 Joe .. I see that you have a big time gap in your drives.. if you are getting back on sand after some time, I would advise you to start at 1 level lower (at FB +) that your current rank (IM).

Hi everyone I have Pajero GLS 3.5 / 2017 / 75K KM run. My car was flooded couple of weeks ago and I have got it fixed with all recommended parts from the garage like timing belt & related items, spark plugs, alternator bearing and related items (not belt), air filter, engine oil, gear oil and few minor items. Car engine was not hydro-locked so no work was done on the engine interiors. Last evening I started my car to go somewhere and immediately after start, a loud hammering sound started coming from engine compartment. Sound was really loud and something like tak tak tak. I did bit of visual inspection but didn't notice anything unusual. Still to be on safer side I haven't driven the car and left it in peace so far. Please guide me what exactly is the issue and how much it cost to fix. I already paid enough to fix previous repair and don't want to ripped off again. Yes one notable thing post first repair was that my car has started vibrating when at idle and ac is switched off /cut off. After flood repair I have run the car for 600-700Km and even added Mitsubishi fuel system cleaner to get rid of idle vibration issue as suggested by garage Thanks in advance for you help.

Thanks the sound was from hydraulic tappets and it was fixed after cleaning and adjuster. I am traveling so still not driven the car and this was feedback from the garage. Thanks for revert.

Thank U @Looper for the credit. I have some plans , hence waiting for clarity , would love to do this under your lead🤞🙏🏼

Drive Info Welcome to Speed Sculptures Safari!!! With the cool winter breeze finally starting to set in, it’s time to hit the big playgrounds that UAE has to offer. And, there is none bigger than the monstrous dunes of Al Quaa. This area has every kind of dune structure possible, pyramid dunes, starfish dune, steep slip faces, and bowls the size of a football stadium. BOWLS STARFISH DUNES STEEP SLIP FACES This will be the ultimate test of driver and machine. You will be redlining the engine, and your car will still crave for more. So drivers, Start your engines!!! Important Points for all drive participants This drive is for Intermediates who have already completed min. 3 IM drives with Carnity. Keep your car as light as possible. This is not a drive to have passengers. There is no need to carry extra fuel Ensure that you are with a tank full to the brim at the meeting point The plan is to end the drive when we run out of fuel (so please dont keep any kind of other appointments for that day). Take the E95 route only, as that has the closest gas station. All other routes dont have any gas station close to the meeting point. Ensure that your car is in the best possible condition. Ensure that you conserve fuel by turning the engine off at every break. Bring some quick wrapped sandwiches or lunch to eat along the way. 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 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: Intermediate+ (min. 3 Intermediate drives with Carnity) and above Meeting time: 08:00 AM Saturday (deflated and ready to move) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/6kiP3wMm29u18diF6 (Coordinates : 23°28'59.2"N 55°12'50.5"E) Approximate finish time: When we run out of fuel or 3 PM 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. Mandatory off-road gears: 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. 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 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 CALENDAR

Some brilliant manoeuvres and amazing capture. Well done guys.

Last fuel stations: if you are coming through Al ain following E95, Al qua town ADNOC which is 30 km from meeting point. https://maps.app.goo.gl/iKxGaLVzmNoAVtm2A?g_st=ic If you are coming From Abu Dhabi via Razeen, the last fuel station is at Razeen which is 111 km to meeting point. https://maps.app.goo.gl/5UeHgvarsciye9PKA?g_st=ic You could carry Jerry cans to top up at the meeting point or drive further to Al Qua town to fuel up and get back to meeting point. (Additional 60km drive)

Dune surfers! @Gok Krish @Imran Kashif @Mario Cornejo @Mohamad Anwer @Chris Wing @Naveen Raj @Salim Akhtar welcome to the seasons first Al qua adventures! Make sure you and your machine are all tuned and ready to roar! We will announce the convoy order and the radio channel during the briefing. make sure the tanks are full to brim at the start point / or carry 10-20 liters of extra fuel if uncertain. FYI I would be camping the night before .. so let me know if u have similar plan! see you all soon!

@Mohit Gurnani maybe it is best to go back to basics to answer your question. What is your main purpose of off-roading: 1- Dune bashing ? 2- Over-landing ? 3- Adventure truck ? 4- Do you need space to haul in the family into adventures ? with their gear? To @Gaurav’s point: Is it an ultimate goal for you to reach the fastest or getting to the tallest point? While I’m aware that none of the above points are answers to your question but sometimes going back to basics might help you find the answer. All in all, you already have the car and it is one of the top off-roading cars. Maybe, @Frederic’s point about balancing your drive levels could be a compromise to keep the “car abuse” concern you have in check. The point you bring probably goes through the mind of many off-roaders, if not all. Maybe there is no straight forward answer as there are also other elements in play, at a more personal level, such as your appetite to write-off the invested amount in a new car based on financial aspects and comfort levels, among other points. One point I have seen and heard from multiple off-roaders is that many started off with an objective for exploration, overlanding or having an adventure truck then slowly found themselves stuck in the loop of dune bashing. This is why I’m suggesting going back to basics as you might find some answers there which might help you in your decision process. Hope this helps, even slightly.

I have a rental for my work commute to Abu Dhabi daily from Dubai. Costs next to nothing fuel is cheap and hammering it's mileage. FJ on the drive at home for weekends or evenings. For commuting just zip around in a cheap rental.

Just saw this Qatar vid. The tilt shift filming of driving on the dunes looks amazing.. just like little RC cars zipping around anyone got any ideas on how to pull off this kind of videography/capture?

Instead of getting a car for off-roading, just get a car for on-roading -

Thanks a lot @Frederic and @Gaurav for your expert opinion on the topic- this helps bring clarity! I think one commonality in both your inputs is, don’t switch from an FJ. So this narrows my choice to either keeping my current car and rotating levels, or getting an older stock FJ (and keeping it stock)

Good point you are bringing up. And many off-roaders come to this point to keep using the daily driver vs buying an off-road toy. Capability wise if you want to keep the same performance specs as your FJ, only the Xterra would come as equally capable, and would be within decent budget. My comments on the other ones you suggested: 1. Older FJ. Resale value is still very high. Expect to pay at least 40kAED for an FJ that might need some TLC to get it fully serviced and ready. 2. LC200 5.7. Heavy boat that has lots of power but you will be breaking more stuff than on your FJ. 3. Patrol Safari. Quite heavy but reliable and stable on the sand. But very difficult to find a clean secondhand one that has not been revving in the redzone from morning till evening.... 4. Lexus GX460. Similar to the LC200. Too fancy to abuse in the sand, Here comes my two cents: 1. Keep the FJ and balance your off-road driving across different levels to minimize damages and repairs. Ignore this comment if you want to drive every week on IM level. 2. Get an Xterra for 25-30kAED. They are equally powerful but be ready to spend another 4-5kAED to make sure it's ready for the desert. If properly maintained they can take a serious beating. 3. Get an R50 3.5 Pathfinder for 15kAED and with some mods you can turn this into a real good dune basher.

To differentiate if the sound is coming from the cylinder head or the crankshaft, try to hear the sound from the bottom side even near the wheel , if it is something from the top part of the engine u shall not hear it loud near the wheel this only to know if it related to the cylinder head or the crankshaft, hope it is not from the lower part of the engine as this maybe something serious

Thanks Gaurav for the revert. I have replaced the water pump but missed to mentioned. As per the latest feedback from garage there was issue with hydraulic tappet and they have fixed it and no more sound. I haven't got the car so far as they are still checking for any other potential issue. I'll ask them for compression test but not sure if they can do it as the garage is not very high tech. I have not faced the temperature raising issue as I have not driven from the time I noticed the sound. Rest will update once I have the car.

That’s definitely not a good sound to hear… does your car temp show high… ideally it should be just below the center marker… check if it shows high.. the clank noise and vibration can be due to a damage in the crankshaft/ piston.. bear in mind that any such issue can be a bit heavy on the pocket..did u replace the water pump? M no mechanic but one way to test could be to do a compression test on all 6 cylinders…

I am so sorry @GauravSoniI must decline due to some work related last minute complications. I wish you a great drive all. Regards, Mohsmad