Leaderboard

Dear desert Wanderers @Mahesh_, @Rk ram, @Ishak, @Gertjan, @Batuhan Kulac, @Charbel, @Benjamin and @Senthil Kumar thanks for great afternoon of fun in the sun and sand. I really enjoyed the drive, although the over landing portion with all the bushes was not high up there on the list of fun things to do in the desert, but we coped and coped admirably. We had a mix of this type pf terrain some pretty technical dunes and some mid to long range dunes, no matter what Lisalli threw at us we managed beautifully, we had a few refusals and a couple of stucks for which @Benjamin and @Senthil Kumarhandled brilliantly. Great S/L as always by @Benjamin and a fantastic sweep by @Senthil Kumar, made a lot easier by the brilliant driving from you all, so well done to all of you. Have a great rest of your long weekend and Eid Mubarak to all

Dear desert wanderers, @Dodi Syahdar, @carlstanley, @J-P L, @Pramod B, @Sameer D., @Benjamin, @Ben Lee, @Rafey Hashmi, @Jeandre Bezuidenhout, @Anoop Nair, @Emanuel and @Gary F firstly thank you all for being on time and attentive during the briefing this allowed us to get away on time and enjoy the beautiful Tawi nizwa desert as we drove to pink rock and then onwards towards red rock exit. @Anoop Nair sorry you could not complete the drive, but for sure was the right decision to exit right at the start as soon as you heard that noise, i hope nothing to serious and you get sorted quickly. @Carl Stanley congrats on your first convoy drive, you drove amazingly well, hope you learnt some new things and also that you got a tad more familiar with your car and your driving style, it will only get better form here on in. The rest of the convoy drove exceptionally well in some fairly soft sand in places, the desert is for sure drying out and turning more powdery after the rains. so well done to you all. @Dodi Syahdar great S/L mate always a pleasure to have the bronco roaring away behind me, great job on smoothing the lines for all to follow, well done and see you on one of my drives in the near future. And our other support tag team of father and son @Gary F and @Benjamin fantastic support from both of you, working the stucks professionally and also giving sound advice to those less experienced as we trundled around the desert. Thanks for the amazing support and see you both again in the sand very soon, @Benjamin in about 4 hours Some pics in the Gallery Have a fantastic rest of your weeekend Davie

Great drive today to start the long weekend. I had the privilege to lead a pack of powerful Jeeps, starving for big dunes and high climbs ! And I believe we had had it all, from the start in the big dunes and bowls of Sweihan, continuing through the more open dunes and ridges in the direction of Nagrah. You were all focused on your lines, keeping the flow, so we just kept driving, silent on the radio, enjoying the desert. After a small break (thank you @Gautam Banka for the cold drinks) we reached Nagrah. On the second climb, crossing from the top, 2 cars were missing... @Batuhan Kulac 'x car unfortunately had an oil leak... The heat, the high climbs, and the vibrations from cross tracks are demanding conditions for the cars... We drove quietly to an exit point to leave Batuhan, and continued with the 4 remaining Jeeps. This last hour was the opportunity to explore a very nice portion close to the enclosed palm grove, mid-size technical, and to finish with a last run in the big reddish dunes of Sweihan. 85 km (incl 14 km on track) in less than 4h, with only 35 min stopped time, we made the most of the morning, and it was definitely worth the early wake-up. @Batuhan Kulac, i hope you can rapidly fix your car, @Julien Recan, @Aser @Gurcharan Mehta @Gautam Banka excellent driving, barely one refusal for each of you. thanks again for joining, and enjoy the rest of the weekend !

Thanks @Davie Chase, you all made me feel welcome and not like an idiot when I got stuck. It was great driving with such a welcoming and enthusiastic bunch today, thank you! I've already got a flag mount from Sharjah and waiting for the next Newbie drive. See you all soon.

Dear Desertnauts getting ready for Day 3 of the 3-Emirates weekend. We'll drive the Sweihan Tilal area extensively, heading then to the Sweihan Pond, and finally across to Faya. I have been unsure if choosing the better-known part of Sweihan (the Nagrah and Nahil area, to be precise), or the less driven, south-western segment of Sweihan, and have picked the latter, as on Sunday morning it should be much more pristine, and less crowded by weekend off-roaders. The spirit of the drive is to enjoy and relax, looking, again and as usual, to cover as much distance as possible, in diverse terrains. The convoy order will be the following: @Andrew John Melvill in Second Lead @ChrisW at #3 @Cesar Chacon at #4 @Batuhan Kulac at #5 @nithish468 at #6 @RiadJL at #7 and @Mohit Gurnani in Sweep. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a great Saturday.

Thank you so much @Davie Chase, @Gary F & @Benjamin for the amazing drive we all had. It was indeed a tricky soft sand and lots of learning. Thanks for guiding us in every wrong move we made. And last but not least, the good team 👍 Have a fantastic long weekend and see you soon on sand 😊

My Fav - Those "most challenging technical dunes" heading towards chimney! Brace up guys to put to test your skills of managing with 2000-2500 RPM✌️!

I'm on the list. 🙂

Dear desert Wanderers @Mahesh_, @Rk ram, @Ishak, @Gertjan, @Batuhan Kulac, @Charbel, @Benjamin and @Senthil Kumar We will be using Ch4 446.081 this afternoon, convoy order as per below

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi for the amazing, fast paced drive today. Great to see @Nicolò and @Sunil Mathew Lots of bowls and climbs today followed by some technical dunes. Interesting to see the different colors of sand in the same area - red where we started off, changed to yellowish with darker bits and finished in almost red again. Visibility got pretty bad there towards the end - so hard to read the shape of the dunes with the sun getting low in the sky Great idea by the way for the 3 Emirate tour this weekend. Sharjah done! Looking forward to Dubai tomorrow and Abu Dhabi on Sunday 😁

@Looper hope you get this sorted soon and get back in the sand @Mahesh_, @Rk ram, @Ishak, @Gertjan, @Batuhan Kulac, @Charbel I will advise the Convoy order tomorrow and we will use Ch4 446.081

Sadly may car has some issue with the wiring since last week’s drive and they are trying to diagnose the issue. There is some kind of earthing somewhere on the car and unfortunately the mechanics haven’t been able to find the short. Meanwhile @Davie Chase has been godsend and has agreed to take the convoy on a wonderful adventure. To be frank I would have loved to be at the back on the drive led by @Davie Chase so you guys are in for a great drive. Have fun guys. @Mahesh_, @Rk ram, @Ishak, @Gertjan, @Batuhan Kulac, @Charbel

When starting as an off-roading enthusiast in UAE, you will come to hear about deflating your tyres, and setting your tyres to the right tyre pressure is one of the first things you will need to learn to master. The main reason for deflating your tyres is to obtain a longer footprint in the sand, and that enables you to drive on the sand, instead of digging into it. Tyre pressure is defined in PSI (pounds per square inch) or Bar. You will find both readings on your pressure gauge. In UAE most people use PSI, and the gas station compressors also use the PSI identification. Below you can see the corresponding PSI and Bar readings. As a beginner level offroader, you should reduce your tyre pressure to about 15 PSI. This is low enough to enable you to drive in the dunes without the risk of the tyre coming off the rim. This 15PSI is also perfect for on-road-tyres. After a few drives, and depending on the terrain, or if you have offroad tyres, you can slowly deflate further down to 10-12 PSI. Take note that the risk for having a pop-out will increase, so don't be afraid to post your questions on the Carnity website or consult one of the marshals if you are not sure about your tyre pressure. There are different ways of deflating your tyres, and each have their advantages and disadvantages. The more you will practice, the sooner you will find out what works best for you. How does a stem valve looks like ? The stem valve is consisting out of 3 pieces. The body, that is made of flexible rubber, the core, and the valve cap. Take note of the following: - The rubber valve body wears out over time. Once you start to see cracks, it is advisable to get it replaced at the nearest tyre center. - The valve core is a tiny component with a small rubber gasket. If you remove them on a weekly basis, the gasket slowly wears out or the core can even break. Carry 5-10 spares in your vehicle. The tyre center often give them for free. - The valve cap keeps dirt and sand from entering into the valve, so it's advisable to always screw the cap back on. The process of deflating / inflating goes by either pushing in the valve core, which allows air to be released, or by removing the valve core, which is a much faster option. How to check the tyre pressure ? Verifying your tyre pressure is really easy. Get yourself a pressure gauge, and push it against the tyre valve, or screw it on (depending on the model). You will see the reading in PSI or Bar. The digital ones are fine, but one day the battery will be empty, so a good old analogue is preferred to have as well. PS if you find that your gauge has difficulties reading the tyre pressure, and you really need to push it hard onto the valve, this is an indication that the valve core is worn out. Replace it with a new one and you will see that this will solve your problem. Which tools to deflate and how much time will it take ? 1) Set of keys, a rock, or anything you might find in your car (+/- 15 mins) PROS: CHEAP and plenty of stuff available CONS: Takes a very long time which you could use for a smoke or a chat and risk on damaging the valve stems. 2) Valve Chucks (4-5 minutes) Buy 4 of them and stick them on all tyres simultaneously and then wait about a few minutes (as per your type and size of tyre) to arrive at around 17-18 psi. Then take one tyre at a time and use your pressure gauge to further decrease and finetune the pressure of each individual tyre. PROS: Fast and Cheap CONS: none that i know off. 3) Stem removal tool (2-3 minutes) Available in most hardware shops. Enables you to remove the valve core stem so the tyre pressure comes down very fast. PROS: Very Fast and Cheap CONS: Be careful not to lose the stem as it can blow out. So taking some spare is advisable. Be careful not to deflate too much as it really goes fast. Use a stopwatch and learn to find the perfect timing when to screw it back in, and then double check with a pressure gauge. 4) Rapid Tyre deflator and pressure gauge ( 4-5 mins) This tool enables you to loosen the stem, quickly deflate and immediately take a pressure reading. PROS: Professional tool for reasonable price, pressure gauge and deflator in one tool. CONS: Might take a bit of practice to get the hang of it. The fake chinese ones are failry unreliable. As with all tools and gear, we advise you to practice a bit at home to become familiar with them. It is also recommended to carry two pressure gauges, so you can compare them with each-other and double check your readings. Often we have seen pressure gauges giving accurate readings at high pressures (35) but very inaccurate results at 10-15 PSI which requires a good quality gauge. Do give us your feedback on your favorite tools !

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi, @DP1011 & @Shiju Raju for the drive today! Lots of small dunes and technical driving in Dubai. Must say I prefer Sharjah with the bigger dunes and bowls Did get to do a few additional fun lines thanks to @DP1011. Being at the back of the convoy has it's advantages 😁 2 Emirates down, 1 to go! Abu Dhabi in the morning!!

It was a great 2 parts drive, good job the Toyota Wrangler leading the pack!

Sure @Emanuel. Please sign up. Thanks

Hi @Ale Vallecchi, hope there is room for me on this drive. I decided to go for another drive this weekend.

Hi @Davie Chase - It would be amazing to go out again with you; however, I have decided to stick with the original plan and work up to IM again with my new car. She drives differently that my previous Pajero with all the mods. Safety first. Have a great drive.

Sorry @Ale Vallecchi need to drop out. have a great drive, see you next time

@JeromeFJ. During the Last drive I had broken my crankshaft sensor. Yesterday evening got the car back from the workshop after replacing it. Was on my way right now but the engine is making strange sound ( as if I am driving on 4 hi ) and my dashboard is showing system fault. I am turning back home now. Will take my car back to the workshop. Hopefully see you on the next drive.

It was my honour to have driven with @Frederic and the Safari. All the best to the new owner.

Dear Desertnauts, slight change of plans, I believe, as you may have seen from the revised drive's title. We'll meet and leave from Lisaili's camel practice area, instead of the previously chosen Faqa, to make sure we drive as much of the Emirate of Dubai's off-roading paradises. Thus, I have included Lisaili, from where we'll head to Murqaab, take the infamous track to The Chimney (on some of the most challenging technical dunes around), and proceed crossing Faqa on the side of the Solar Tower, and on to Little Sweihan (to exit ideally at Ghantoot, or if too far given the sunset hour, at Solar Park). The convoy order will be the following: @Andrew John Melvill in Second Lead @ChrisW at #3 @nithish468 at #4 @RiadJL at #5 @Zak_ at #6 and @Shiju Raju in Sweep. Enjoy your Friday evening, and see you tomorrow to leave at 2:30PM.

Sure. Drove it a bit yday. Changed the bulbs to Philips Rallye 50/50 LED H4 which was lying in my inventory Results are ok for reflector type HL. I hope to keep this one for little longer than usual.