Leaderboard

As DD mentioned most cars (if not all) has front and/or back screw in tow point covered in bumper color plastic to conceal the hole. Use the key or flat head screw driver to open the hole. Like below: If you still couldnt find it or owner didnt had that screw-in hook, then you can clear such situation in less than 10 minutes. Ask all by standers to clear sand under the chassis with hand, feet, or wooden pieces. Go back to your car, bring your shovel, reach under body and wiggle the sand away. Sit on driver seat and turn steering 5 times FULL left and 5 times FULL right. Step out to check if all 4 tires are touching ground and chassis is free. If no, go back to step 2&3. If yes give gentle gas (1500 rpm) in D and in reverse to see if car is moving in any direction. Even if car moves an inch, keep on moving the car front and back at 1500 rpm to make a flat path. Every time you move back and forth you will gain few inches and that's what we want. If further down there is more sand, use bystander to walk on it to flatten that track. Once car is moving 10-12 feet in one direction of its own, pull back completely, start gently to move the car, once car is in motion and crossed 7-8 feet give 3000 rpm gas with quick left and right turn to escape from sandy patch. Try to escape from the side where car just entered as that path must be already flat or easier to go back. You can even use bystanders to push the car, if you are too close to escape. 4-5 people is enough to push the car out completely.

There is usually a removable square plastic piece on the bumper in which a towing eye can be screwed in, usually found in the toolkit spare tire vicinity

Driving off-road is very interesting and entertaining experience but there are few basic things you need to check first before heading for your first off-road drive with Carnity Off-road Club. Every driver should know when to join for an offroad drive and when to pass until all below things are checked. VEHICLE Ground clearance: Minimum 8-12 inches under front and rear bumper is must. If your vehicle has 8 inches then you should be careful while driving and slow down while descent and approach to avoid any minor bumper damage. If your 4x4 have EAS (electronic suspension), lift it to the max height and then measure it. Also read the manual to know what is the max speed you can drive with off-road height, as many manufacturer limit up to 60 Kmph with off-road height, which is plenty in most cases. Knowing that limit is better in case you go above that speed, so you can lift it again once you slow down. Tow hook: Your 4x4 should have at least 1 tow hook in the front and 1 tow hook at the back, more the better. Also you should check the integrity of all tow hooks and its appearance, if they are shaking or rusted or missing a bolt, then get them fix before joining any off-road drive. Engine: Your 4x4 engine should be in perfect working condition without any check engine light or any warning lights on dashboard or leaking oil or coolant. Engine takes more stress while offroading so well serviced 4x4 performs better on off-road. If you recently bought the car and have no idea of last service, then its highly advisable to get the engine service before your first off-road drive. Gear / Transmission: Your 4x4 should have LO and High gearing option. AWD or SUV without LO/HI gearing option, generally not advisable for sand off-roading. If you have extensive offroading experience to tackle such vehicles then discuss it on the forum with the trip leader and see if they can allow such exception. Suspension: Your 4x4 vehicle suspension should be in reasonable and drivable condition. You can drive with stock suspension perfectly fine and then you can decide to modify it, if really needed. Any suspension lifted up to 5-6 inches are accepted, anything above 5-6 inches lift need trip leader approval before joining any drive to make sure if you have widened the wheelbase to lower the center of gravity in an orderly manner. Tires: Your 4x4 tires should be in good condition with enough tread and more than half life left. Tires nearing their end usually fail while offroading, so check for date of manufacturing shouldn't be more than 3 years. No visible cuts or lost tread chunks or cracking sidewall should be there. Fuel Tank: You should always join the off-road drive with full fuel tank, as all vehicle consume double or triple the amount of fuel while off-roading. You don't need to change the fuel type from special to super for off-road purpose, continue with your fuel type as per manufacturers recommendation. Sign up: Once you have checked all these above points then RSVP the drive calendar and post an introductory message on the drive post - sharing your 4x4 details, previous off-road experience (if any), so that trip lead can acknowledge and plan the drive accordingly. OFF-ROAD GEAR You don't need any off-road gear or recovery gears for your first off-road drive, but if you have a shovel, flag and a radio (walkie talkie) then please carry it with you. Rest all the off-road gears and recovery tools will be shown to you once you attend the briefing and you can read more about them here: https://carnity.com/advice/offroad/most-comprehensive-list-of-off-road-gears-and-recovery-tools-r81 OFF-ROAD DRIVE Always wear long sleeve and closed shoes (no sleepers) to avoid any injury or sun burn. Carry hat/cap/scarf, in case you need to spend long time under the sun. Carry plenty of water and soft drinks of our choice to keep you hydrated. Carry your camera mounts if you like to record the drive (no hand held). No carrying or consumption of any type of alcoholic drinks on the drive.

So i wanted to share this situation i came across this weekend and i thought some of the seniors here might be able to throw some light on the situation. We were leaving global village when i spotted a Ford mustang stuck in the sand. He was trying to park the car in the sandy patch away from the main parking as many other cars have done but the spot he chose had more sand and keep in mind that the mustang is quite a low car. I switch on my 4wd and rushed to see if i could help him, perhaps give him a tug as i could see that the car is crested. Since the mustang is a low car, its easy to get crested and the tires were dug in as well. So i realized there is no point in removing sand using a shovel around the tires because the chassis is stuck to the ground. But here's the real head scratcher - his car had no visible tow points! We looked around everywhere and we just couldn't find any points. Now i am sure there probably were some points that were not visible to us but his front fancy bumper that was almost touching the floor was covering it so even if we accessed it, a tug would result in some damage to his bumper. In about half an hour, at least 4-5 more people came to the scene trying to help out but no one was able to figure it out. Since i had my family with me, i eventually left and i am not sure how he recovered but i thought i would share this topic here and see if any one has come across such a situation before and how can we recover such cases.

100 Points awarded to @Shamil for creating and sharing beautiful Drive Video.

Hi @Srikumar i just got my car fixed and its all good to go now. Hope i can join this drive as absolute newbie, since my last drive was bummer.

And Nissan is half French

well i was designed and made(born and raised) in the UAE but im still indian 😁 so...

You have some serious guts to do that to a cop's car.

@Gaurav bhai I totally agree with your method, but with a rear wheel drive I've noriced the steering left and right does not help as much as there is no power in the front wheels to move the sand. Even felt it this Friday with the Native not engaging in 4x4. No disrespect but normally for such wise people I leave them to their own device. Only once I helped a Tiida that tried some off roading and that too a cop. I got it in writhing from him that he is responsible for any damage caused while trying to pull him 400 metres out of some soft sand. Than I made sure his front bumper came off to teach him a lesson.

you are right, but sometimes while recovering SUVs in the desert, we could perhaps skip a few of these points and still get the recovery done as opposed to a car with low ground clearance stuck in sand without tow points whereby a step by step procedure in a note format could help incase if you have forgotten something.

I thought that once you come to Intermediate level in offroading this would be standard recovery procedure

You are welcome to join. See you on Friday morning

I did not take this picture, but it shows the view over the village of Hartbeespoort as seen from the top of the mountain directly behind my house. I might mention that with an age of 2.4 billion years, this mountain is among the second oldest mountains in the world.

If someone is interested i mounted a compartment filter yesterday as the pajero dont come with one here. It is mounted in european models so its easy to retrofit. I used filter that has part nr: MR500057 First start by emptying your glove compartment and locate the cylinder on the left side, it can easily be popped of. After that press the sides of the glove compartment to lower it and get access to the panel behind. Cut out the marked rectangle that is blocked, done simply with a knife. Insert air filter. add 2 screws, they dont come with the filter or is there so you have to supply your own. After that push glove compartment up again to get tabs to catch and put back the little cylinder and all done! Simple and easy!

OMG @Wrangeld you just tickle all my senses with your eloquently written trip feedback. Feel like I could read couple of pages more and keep waiting for your next write up. More importantly as mentioned by @Gaurav bhai your point of view should encorage and teach a positive lesson to all newbies joining us. Absolutely loved the company, thanks to @Jeepie and Ella.

Lets have a slight different kind of challenge in the Qudra Area. This area is famous for its white sand and will offer a good mix of playable dunes, technical dunes to test your car control. Depending on the convoy level and participation, we might have a quick fewbie level drive after the newbie drive. Level : Newbie and above When: 10 January 2020 Meeting time: 6:45 AM, convoy will move at sharp 7:00 AM Where: Al Qudra Parking GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/Ru8v4AiVBHVVeaBU9 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Drive, train and enjoy till about 12:00 PM What to bring along: Loads of snacks, plenty of water - whatever you like with little extra to share, water, liquids, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 12:00 PM MUST READ: First off-road drive checklist Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Off road Driving Etiquette's Off-road Convoy Rules Off roading - Everything you need to know Please RSVP the below calendar event

That's why I got it in writhing from him. Showed him his front bumper was loose. At the end I think he knew I did whatever I did to teach him a lesson, but also knew it was just a few clips to put it back on.

Well done @Javier M for a fun filled first lead and a very descriptive trip report. Well done to @Shamil, @Emmanuel and Jawaher to try and keep up with the black panther as mentioned by @Frederic. I missed out this time, but I'll be looking forward to follow the black panther.

I use gopro for a long time, for best results use protune option, with narrow lens setting as normal or wide is quite balloonish on edges. I use original gopro mount on center dashboard, pretty impressed with mount quality for extreme offroad actions. Ordered a bag full sticker adapter and stuck on many places so that I can toggle gopro with mount to any position I need. I have seen good views from center windscreen just below rear view mirror on my friends car, but that place is bit distracting for me while leading drives, especially at night.

Just double check what filter you need as it will not be the same i think, when i was looking for filter there where some difference between models...

Well done ! I will be doing the same with my 2008 Pajero soon !

50 Points awarded to @Per A for detail DIY post.

100 Points awarded to @Asif Hussain for creating and sharing beautiful Drive Video.

If Hypercars can why not offroad..... https://www.koenigsegg.com/car/regera/

it was an action packed fun drive. Thanks for the lead @Javier M and thanks for the sweep support @Emmanuel. Heres a link to the drive video:

@Wrangeld your writing skills are truly exceptional and more importantly emphasizing on the learning while you learn is the key take away for all aspiring off-roaders. When seniors share their lessons or write a tons of valuable information it might get lost/ignored by newbie, but when another new off-roader share such information as an experience it will truly embed in their mind for a long time. Off-roading is an amazing motor sport/hobby here in UAE but many people underestimate its risk and associate danger involve as they only see offroading as 4x4 splashing sand without any disclaimer. Very well written trip report and nice way to convey the core message. Looking forward to drive with you soon.

Maastricht.

'You never stop learning' has got to be the theme of this Newbie drive, expertly led once again by the inestimable Srikumar. You never stop learning because every time you step into the desert in your vehicle there will be a new challenge that you did not face before - and no matter you have been to Pink Rock before, this drive will be a new challenge. And we had a refusal even before we got moving. Freddie (who had graciously given up his seat to his better half) had to leave us early - hope the little one is feeling better. Once we got moving, after a detailed briefing as we had three new, newbies ... our first challenge (and the gift of watching a new technical recovery) quite early on was delivered when the 4x4 bit of Rizwanm2's Mitsubishi unexpectedly converted to a 2x4 and dug itself majestically into the top of a dune. It's not until you see a car that looks every inch the capable off roader digging itself into the sand and unable to move that you realise just how unforgiving the terrain can be - and why all the lessons we learn need to be taken, stored away and hopefully recalled for use in the future. It was to be the only recovery of the day. Newbie or not, knowing that the vehicle is doing what it should cannot be taken for granted: Note to self - check those levels before you leave like it says in the briefing [and which, had it not been for the fact that the car had just come back from a service, I might have forgotten to do.] Under way again, with my Wranglerette at the wheel initially, it was impossible not to feel gratitude for the newbie learning sessions of previous weeks. The guidance granted in previous weeks as we graduated from Newbie to Fewbie offers a little more (but hopefully not too much) confidence in driving the terrain [more on that later] and more importantly, a start to reading the sand much better: Important, with Wranglerette at the wheel feeling the same trepidation to press the 'loud' pedal as we had felt a few rides ago. 'You never stop learning'. In most skills I have learned, there has been a simple theme. Keep going back to the basics and learn them once again, and again. There's always room for improvement, better understanding, gaining valuable experience. At the risk of upsetting readers, any one who thinks that just because they have 'graduated' to a higher level in anything, that returning to the basics is boring, is missing the point. The basics are the foundation on which all our skills develop and build. That's what gives us the confidence and capability to experiment. On our drive through the dunes, once again patiently and expertly led by Srikumar, ably supported by AKR, experienced its fair share of refusals, guided or otherwise. Gijo and Lucky, both looked to be having great fun and Jeepie had the privelege of sitting at the side of Rahimdad watching all the action all the way up to the drive up Pink Rock. After taking a brief moment to watch the fun and games, it was our turn to conquer the hill. We all made it up on the first time of asking, Jeepie taking the wheel and banishing the memory of her Newbie attempt when the car was underpowered. Then it was up to Rahimdad to guide us to the shade where we had the chance to refresh and review the day. Again, a special mention for Rahimdad who not only gave up the opportunity of an intermediate drive to support the Newbies, and managed to complete an emergency Aloo Paratha run so that the intermediate run would not go hungry (truth is, no-one is actually interested in driving - we are all just using the drive as an excuse to eat Rahimdad's Aloo Paratha at the end), he also gave us all valuable feedback on how we can get more and more out of the experience and enjoyment of driving off road. As mentioned, confidence without skill mormally ends badly. 'You never stop learning' and just the little bit of learning gained in our initial drives allowed me to push the boundaries just a little further. Perhaps a tiny bit too enthusiasitcally from time to time but always using the valuable lessons aready learned and applying those rules time and time again. Practice does not make perfect, the sand is too fickle a dame for that to be the case, but it does mean you learn to avoid trouble from time to time. Thank you once again the Carnity for giving us the opportunity to join in this amazing family, and this forum to share the experiences.

Is anyone using GoProes to video the drives? If that is the case what mounts are you using and where have you attached the cameras? Im trying to set my camera forward facing on the inside of the windscreen but cant find any good mounts?

Jeep Wrangler eTorque 4Xe - 48 Volt Mild Hybrid with 2.0L 4cyl. Turbo Aren't we going back in times by 10 years when all car manufacturers were launching hybrid and then changed to all-electric and now going back to hybrid again, next stop all-petrol......? What do you guys think?

With so many nationalities in Carnity, i thought it would be nice to share 1 single defining picture of your hometown or area. I will start with sharing a nice photo a friend of mine took a few days back. Country: Belgium City: Merelbeke Description: The river "Scheldt". The Scheldt is a 350-kilometre long river in northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands.

we were trying to spot something like this but his car didnt have any such provision and this is maybe because hes changed his bumper, see this image below which i got from google which closely resembles the kind of bumper he had and it has no such point thanks @Gauravbhai, this is very useful info indeed, i will save it in the notepad app for quick reference. thanks for the info, yes we tried to locate it but couldnt find it

with instant torque, offroad driving will be a lot different ...!

But the Xterra was designed and made in the USA.

i am sure she didnt, shes got a long way to go just like my nameless Xterra 😐

@Shamil don’t be upset, Jawaher didn’t say her last word 😂

@Javier M Thank you for your excellent lead ! It was all fun. And thank you @Rahimdad for passing by at meeting point to say hi and to bring us Parhatas. This is exactly the kind of move you will only see in Carnity !

its the age old jeeps vs japs war that will never end 😁

its a hard pill to swallow for some

From all the thousand words of trip report, u just pick on 8 words. Means someone was really hurt......!

🤣🤣 both me and @Emmanuel had our tires at higher PSI and we were too lazy to further deflate just before exiting. Next time! thank you @Gauravbhai, im using a cheap action cam and a free app so their watermarks are all over the video which i am not too happy about. My aim is to have a clean 'watermark free' video eventually for which I will have to upgrade to a gopro.

Well done @Javier M for your first lead and from the video it definitely look an awesome drive you guys had. Looking forward to drive behind you soon for a new taste of lead. @Shamil love your video and editing skills, you are getting better and better with these drive videos. keep it up.

Trip report. We all met on time at the designated meeting point, we moved sharply at 7:00 to the deflation point. We started directly at a good pace to the technical dunes doing a quick summary of the basics since we started where the newbies start but at a much more fast pace. We moved quickly to Faya with just some minor refusals. It was nice to find Faya just for ourselves where we did a climb contest. After that, we found a tree nearby to have breakfast. Thank you @Rahimdad for the Paratas. Once we finished with our food we played around Faya and that's where the fun started, @Shamil was stuck in a tricky spot so it took us about 40 minutes to recover him, thanks to @Emmanuel for his sweep, this helped us to refresh our memory on the basics on shoveling. After that, we started to move towards fossil rock and I hit a bush and my tired popped out. After putting it back in and inflated we continued to move towards Fossil Rock where we had our last peace of fun at the back of Fossil Rock where the Xterras were no match to the Jeep as they had some issues climbing the dunes. By this time it was 11:40 so we decided to exit. We started and finished on time and I hope everyone liked my first lead. Thank you everyone and I will see you on the next one.

Adding lots of complexity to the mix. But this mix of hybrids will be a common sight until electric completely breaks through.

Back then battery technology was real ass back then. Still isn't great now but somewhat acceptable. But no good enough to replace an entire system.

Happy new year to everybody, greetings from Maastricht.

Thank you @Rahimdad for a ride. @Emmanuel it was a awesome lead. @Shamil @Xaf @Fuad enjoyed everyone's company see all soon. Drive Video:

Oh yes indeed. Been in hot garages with no AC for the last 4 years where it’s like being in an oven. Give me icy weather any day. At least if you’re cold you can put more clothes on. If you’re too hot there’s nothing you can do but lie down and pray for winter. @Emmanuel I used to keep Charolais bulls for breeding. Thank you for your service sir