Leaderboard

@nithish468, @khlief, @Shahid Mehmood, @J-P L, @Waqaɾ, @Andrei S, @Alphin Aloor, @Frans M, @Gautam Banka, @Mahesh_, @Rob S, @azad, @Lala G Thank you all for joining this drive. In case anyone feel they are not able to make it please exit and do not be a no show. Please take some time to plan your time of arrival, nearest fuel station etc. Please make sure that you reach well in advance and are deflated to leave by 7:00 am. I would need everyone to be on highest concentration at DP Hill. It is a very technical area with very narrow passage and would not take kindly to any lapses of concentration. We must drive attentively and take a very deterministic approach. After DP Hill we will go towards Murquab. We would take a break on the top of the dune at Muquab overlooking our own Route 66. After Murquab, we will drive towards Faqa. The drive will again be filled with bushes and wide dunes but towards the end you may find some very nice clean technical areas to drive. Hopefully we will end our drive at Faqa in about 3 hours' time after we start, but it could very well take a bit more time. As you must have seen already the deserts of Dubai are turning green. There are hardly any places that are untouched with greenery. Pretty sure someone carpet bombed with seeds of various shrubs all over the place. So do expect a lot of bushes though out the drive. We will be tracing our way in the little bit sand that will be available for us.

Thank you to all for the kind words

What better way than to spend your NYE evening together with your Carnity Buddies and enjoy the Fireworks (if possible)? Sit back, relax, and bring your snacks, BBQ, drinks, and share your stories and experiences of the past year with us. Feel free to bring your friends, families and kids with their age-specific toys or games to enjoy brilliant outdoor activities. Please bring your own: Food / Grill / Cooking and serving arrangements. Drinks and Ice (of course). Chairs / Mats / Camping Gear if you want to camp overnight. Meeting Time: 8 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4SHjXMF9BYnykHp48 Gathering Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cnQf7eQAmsFmh7xF7 Track for early exit or late joiners: New Year 2024 Track.gpx "DEFLATE" to 12 - 14 PSI as last 2-3 km is proper dunes with a little climb. Camping: You are free to bring your tent and camping gear to stay overnight. Bring sleeping bags/extra blankets as it gets pretty cold at night. Fireworks: We will be expecting to have a decent view on the Global Village & Downtown Fireworks at midnight (hopefully). No littering: Please leave nothing but footsteps behind in the desert. Keep it clean. Bring plenty of garbage bags. Bring your own BBQ, no direct fire allowed on the sand. Bonfire: We will arrange a big bonfire in a suitable firepit. Please RSVP on below calendar

DRIVE PLAN We did this drive last year same time, and once again repeating the drive. This Sunday, we will meet at Lisaili for a Technical Drive. We will drive towards Muquab for a surprise dune, that I had seen before thanks to @DP1011 for showing this to me, hence I am calling DP Hill. After that this year we will continue towards Faqa. It will be a green track with patches of sand in between. 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: 29 December 2024, 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

Hey everyone! 😊 I've been thinking about adding a winch to my Y61 Patrol and wanted to get some insights and advice from the community. Installation Tips: Any tips or tricks for installing a winch on a Y61 Patrol? How did you do it? Did you mod your bumper/bash plate? Electrical Power Requirements: I’ve heard that winches can significantly drain the vehicle's electrical system. What should I be aware of regarding power requirements and battery upgrades? Power-to-weight: Despite its reputation, the stock Y61 is slow! How did your winch installation affect performance? Usage and Maintenance: How often do you use your winch, and what maintenance routines do you follow to ensure it stays in top condition? Lessons Learned: For those who have already installed a winch, what are some lessons you learned the hard way that could save the rest of us some headaches? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences! Thanks in advance for the help! Cheers!

Winches are more helpful for overlanding area that has big tree or rock to use as anchor for yourself, for sand, shovel and self recovery technique are supreme. In sand no sand anchor work unlike advertise or marketing videos shows. I have gone to the extent of burying sand anchor for 2 hours to self recover and in end used shovel to get the car out with blip blip technique because sand anchor was only digging trench and not able to move stuck car. That guy ordered that from US and booked recovery champion course to learn how to use it.

Congrats @Glenn W !!

Hi Mahesh, you are most welcome to invite your friends and families as long as they know how to drive on sand. NOT FIT FOR ABSOLUTE NEWBIE, but even with 1 drive sand experience will be fine. Meeting location, gathering point and track updated above. The track is absolutely flat over 95% area, last 2-3 kms is proper dunes, that need deflation and a bit of sand driving experience.

I agree with Fredy, perhaps my numbers will shake your decision even more. Four times in seven years, in real do-or-die situations, where the winch added the real value, and that too three times for others and one time for myself in some extreme recovery. Don't install a winch unless you intend to lead or go solo with one or two cars on a private drives in remote places. On regular club drives, you will always have plenty of support expertise & experience to recover over 99% of scenarios with rope. So, adding a winch will only significantly reduce your climb capabilities, irrespective of whether you use steel or synthetic rope.

Hey @Alphin Aloor! Some good questions raised and I’ll just provide my two cents based on my experience owning a winch for 4 years and having owned a Patrol but never installed the winch on it. I kept the winch on my small Pajero and later onto the Trooper. First question for yourself should be: are you planning on doing regular recoveries of others ? And are you currently comfortable recovering others with a kinetic rope? 90% of recoveries can be done with a rope, and it’s only in a small amount of scenarios that a winch comes in handy. I have used my winch perhaps 15 times in 4 years, and it was a lifesaver a few times, but the main reason I got it was for being able to do recoveries in remote or challenging areas like Liwa. As a drive lead there’s always a bit of apprehension when leading in this terrain that something could go wrong and having the winch always gave me that extra bit of reassurance. If you plan to install it on the Patrol, take note it will slow you down further a bit during climbs, and the nose of the car will bottom out a bit faster on typical dune bashing drives on stock shocks. If you focus more on overlanding, then this is less of an issue. Have a look at the OEM winch install setup which some Super Safari models have. This would keep the bumper intact and hide the winch properly. If you want to buy a winch and get custom brackets made, I can of course recommend Warn or TJM winches with synthetic rope. Better to avoid steel rope as this again adds weight. There is little to no maintenance on a winch, but a couple of times per year it’s good to completely roll out the rope, inspect it for any damages, and then roll it back up. The Patrol has a big size battery already which can easily power a winch when needed, so that’s a plus. All in all i got the winch installed from a personal perspective as a drive lead / marshal. Would it buy it again ? Maybe not. I got a great deal as mine was second hand and only 3 weeks old. The guy sold it as he installed a steel bumper and winch and then realized the extra weight in front completely changed the dune bashing experience for him, so he decided to remove it again.

Thanks @Gaurav and friends. This was very informative the practical scenarios where helpful. As you said at the outright, to help fill in the gaps and remove some of the not so helpful techniques. Jotting down notes today while they are still fresh. Take care and for those observing, have a Merry Christmas.

I really enjoyed the ride, thank you! 🥰