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All drivers, please make sure to have read thoroughly the information above about complying with Covid regulations. Please, formally agree by clicking the Totally Agree emoticon. Without this acknowledgment drivers will not be allowed to participate. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. @Nacho @Jose Martin @Anish S @Gregory Perkin @Yousef Alimadadi @Incognitoes

Thanks to @Foxtrot Oscar, @Vanessa8580, @asifk, @Colin Jordan, @Mels Wolf, @J J, @Jeepie and @sertac for reacting with Totally Agree smiley on the main thread. @Kalahari, @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Rinelle Sanaani and @Shiju Manuel still need to react with the Totally Agree smiley on the main thread, which is my first post regarding the drive by Wednesday noon 1159 am. If the reaction is not found on the main thread by then those names will be removed to give chance for others to join in. @Lorenzo Candelpergher you have not reacted with Totally Agree on the Ban from Carnity Off-road Club thread, kindly react with the Totally Agree smiley on that thread too. I have checked and all others are in compliance. As per the authorities Abu Dhabi lock down has been extended until next Tuesday, anyone coming from Abu Dhabi please remove their names to make place for others interested in this drive. The convoy numbering and selected Carnity Radio Channel will be announced on this thread by Thursday evening, please go through my main thread and make sure all instructions are being followed as per the new Covid19 restrictions. These are strange times for all of us and we need to follow government directives to continue with our drives.

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to respect and follow these guidelines strictly in order to not jeopardize someone's health and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives. MUST READ: Not following these rules and precautions = Not allowed to drive. No Gathering | No Briefing | No BBQ | No Eating Together | No Touching | No Hugging We are only allowed to drive through the desert, as we are driving on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving just by sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Just like before we like to continue our desert drives through out the year, but this time we need your immense support to understand the strict control and to help everyone follow them all the time. How to maintain "STRICT" Social Distancing Meeting point will be set slightly (100m - 200m) inside the desert track. You individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point. While deflating tires, stop cars 10 meters away from any other car. Drive signup on calendar will be closed on Thursday morning by 9 AM. Convoy numbering and briefing will be posted here on this drive post before 6 PM on Thursday. All participants need to read & acknowledge the briefing by clicking "Totally Agree" reaction Switch on your radio when you reach the meeting point on the set frequency advised by the trip lead in the critical briefing here. Once everyone reaches to the meeting point, everyone stay inside the car at all the times. Trip lead will do the roll call, convoy numbering recap, critical briefing over the radio. Any suggestions or issues will be discussed over the radio too. You can also speak to other members through the radio only. So please make sure that your radio battery is fully charged. Once all set, trip lead will start the drive as before. Refusal and Recoveries with Social Distancing Every drive will have 1 lead Marshal and 1 or 2 supporting senior members/crew. Whenever there is a stuck or refusal, only a Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is allowed to handle the situation. Everyone else including the stuck car driver, stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES. Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is only allowed to step out to access the situation and do the recoveries: They will wear mask and gloves at all times when they are outside their car. They will try to help self recover through the radio guidance. If not they will use required recovery gear and do the needful (shovel, tug or winch, as required). If at any time Marshal require help, then only you are allowed to step out by wearing face mask and gloves at all times. Drive completion and inflation There will not be any gathering or sitting down together for food-break like before. Once drive is finished, after reaching the tarmac, everyone is requested to move away 50-100 meters before starting their inflation. For drivers having no compressor, can head to the near by fuel station. If drive is ending at a place where there is no fuel station near by, then trip lead will inform in advance so that drivers having their own compressor can join only. Strictly no sharing of compressors, radio, shovel or any recovery gear, at any times. Mandatory things you require to attend the drive Face mask - at least TWO face mask is needed in case one get damage or fly away. Disposable rubber gloves - at least two sets are needed. Wear face mask and gloves at all the times, when you are out of your car. Carry plenty of hand sanitizer and object sanitizer (spray). Use your sanitizers generously, whenever you step out to help or recover. Sanitize your hands before getting back into your car. Sanitize your recovery gears, if you have used them. Fully charged and programmed radio - without any excuse - No radio = No drive. Shovel - Must for every car, to do little self recovery Safety flag - Must for every car, like before Compressor - If joining the drives that is ending far from the fuel station. Mandatory precaution that you need to take at all times Do not step out of your car UNLESS/OTHERWISE advised by Marshal / Senior Member / Crew. No shaking hands, hugs or touching each other. No sharing of food, drinks or recovery tools. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and take a lot of rest. If you have travel in last 14 days, then please do not attend this drive. If you feel unwell during the drive, please let trip lead know so he can plan an early exit. Not more than 3 pax in a car and if all 3 aren't living together, then they should wear the mask inside the car too. Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. MUST WATCH: OUR NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING: Drive Details Level: All Levels When: June 12 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Morning drive till about 10:30 AM Meeting Point: Qudra Desert Track Entry - https://goo.gl/maps/9ZPffHWmnhioYKff9 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:30 AM End Point: Al Qudra Last Exit Parking - https://goo.gl/maps/L4UYFcLBtpYzFnxr7 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday -5PM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 9 or 10 Members. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting 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

Welcome to the COVID 19 "new normal" lifestyle with restrictions and precautions for everyone safety. Moving forward and respecting authorities guidance all desert drives will be done under strict control. No Gathering | No Briefing | No BBQ | No Eating Together | No Touching | No Hugging MUST READ: Not following these rules and precautions = Not allowed to drive. We are only allowed to drive through the desert, as we are driving on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving just by sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Just like before we like to continue our desert drives through out the year, but this time we need your immense support to understand the strict control and to help everyone follow them all the time. For members who are fasting, they can break their fast discreetly and convoy will be stopped during that time and until they offer their prayer. How to maintain "STRICT" Social Distancing Meeting point will be set slightly (100m - 200m) inside the desert track. So, that you individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point. While deflating tires, stop cars 10 meters away from any other car. Drive signup on calendar will be closed on Thursday morning by 9 AM. Convoy numbering and briefing will be posted here on this drive post before 6 PM on Thursday. All participants need to read & acknowledge the briefing by clicking "Totally Agree" reaction Switch on your radio when you reach the meeting point on the set frequency advised by the trip lead in the critical briefing here. Once everyone reach to the meeting point, everyone stay inside the car at all the times. Trip lead will do the roll call, convoy numbering recap, critical briefing over the radio. Any suggestions or issues will be discussed over the radio too. You can also speak to other members through the radio only. So please make sure that your radio battery is fully charged. Once all set, trip lead will start the drive as before. Refusal and Recoveries with Social Distancing Every drive will have 1 lead Marshal and 1 or 2 supporting senior members/crew. Whenever there is a stuck or refusal, only Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is allowed to handle the situation. Everyone else including the stuck car driver, stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES. Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is only allowed to step out to access the situation and do the recoveries: They will wear mask and gloves at all times when they are outside their car. They will try to help self recover through the radio guidance. If not they will use required recovery gear and do the needful (shovel, tug or winch, as required). If at any time Marshal require help, then only you are allowed to step out by wearing face mask and gloves at all times. Drive completion and inflation Now, there will not be any gathering or sitting down together for food-break like before. Once drive is finished, after reaching the tarmac, everyone is requested to move away 50-100 meters before starting their inflation. For drivers having no compressor, can head to the near by fuel station. If drive is ending at a place where there is no fuel station near by, then trip lead will inform in advance so that drivers having their own compressor can join only. Now Strictly no more sharing of compressors, radio, shovel or any recovery gear, at any times. Mandatory things you require to attend the drive Face mask - at least TWO face mask is needed in case one get damage or fly away. Disposable rubber gloves - at least two sets are needed. Wear face mask and gloves at all the times, when you are out of your car. Carry plenty of hand sanitizer and object sanitizer (spray). Use your sanitizers generously, whenever you step out to help or recover. Sanitize your hands before getting back into your car. Sanitize your recovery gears, if you have used them. Fully charged radio - without any excuse - No radio = No drive. Shovel - Must for every car, to do little self recovery Safety flag - Must for every car, like before Compressor - If joining the drives that is ending far from the fuel station. Mandatory precaution that you need to take at all times Do not step out of your car UNLESS/OTHERWISE advice by Marshal / Senior Member / Crew. No shaking hands, hugs or touching each other. No sharing of food, drinks or recovery tools. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and take a lot of rest. If you have travel in last 14 days, then please do not attend this drive. If you feel unwell during the drive, please let trip lead know so he can plan an early exit. Not more than 3 pax in a car and if all 3 aren't living together, then they should wear the mask inside the car too. Drive Details Level: Newbie and above - All Level When: 12 Jun 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Evening drive till about 10:00 AM Meeting Point: Mahafiz Tree Shade - https://goo.gl/maps/9imnNXYaGWiN8StC7 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM End Point: Adnoc- https://goo.gl/maps/gq17ZbqKFfERCRdk9 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 12 Members. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting 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

You must have been mistaken, somehow. You joined on 5 March We had last drive on 20 March before covid. After covid, we haven't seen you yet. So you cannot be promoted in 2 or 3 drives my friend, as it needs 5 drives. Secondly if there was a promotion we always keep that promotion announcement in offroad discussion section, which I cant find for you. After covid, all drives are getting full in first few hours of posting and that's why we post all drives at same time to give everyone fair chance to join. Hope you are a part of WhatsApp notification group to receive drive messages in advance?

@Rahimdad, I just read the messages (busy days at work, no time to check my personal email until now). I have reacted to both posts, it should be fine now. Thanks for the reminders

@Rahimdad i already clicked totally agreed last sunday..

Sorry to hear that Martin. We all hope that this ends soon and we would be able to travel freely. Thanks for updating. There is one spot vacant for this drive.

Well its your decision finally which you have to stand by. Choose what suits your family first , better not to bring it for offroading as it will get abused and dirty over time. If you can balance out the equation considering the expenses for two cars (insurance/registration/some upgrades) then go for it. If you decide to buy a cheaper used 4by4 car exclusive for offroading then bear in mind that it will need time and money ( for change of oils/bushes/mounts/tyres etc) to get it sand/off road worthy!

2inch spacers should be fine IMO as European cars are more geared towards "sporty" driving which usually means stiffer suspension more than soft comfort.

@Shahab Khan this drive is a Fewbie drive. I noticed on your profile that you are a Newbie. So please sign out of this drive and sign up/wait list on a Newbie drive.

Yes @Rinelle Sanaani you have clicked on the "Totally Agreed" smiley on the Ban from Carnity Off-road Club thread for which I have thanked everyone. i have requested you along with the others I noticed did not react with the "Totally Agree" smiley on this first post of this thread. Kindly go to page 1 of this thread and the first post of mine, please react on this thread also. The above reaction from you has a time stamp of 2:42 pm, whereas I posted the drive close to 6 pm on Sunday. How can you click on "Totally Agree" smiley to a thread which is not even posted? Guys, we have a lot of misunderstanding due to people not paying attention on reading a post, please give some time to read the post correctly and ask relevant questions, as there are a lot of changes in these trying times.

Volvo indeed makes good cars and people all around the world appreciate their safety and gizmos. Matching the safety level is actually mandatory since few years now so almost all "Good Manufacturer" lives at par with those safety standards, as it has become an industry norm than a feather in a cap. Coming to "SUPER BAD" resale value let me explain that it goes much deeper and beyond than just the monetary loss, even if you can afford to loose over 60-70% of the car value in 3 years. Because any car resale value is purely based on the market dynamics and demand because of its: Performance Reliability Quality Ease of spare parts availability - new and used Long lasting in GCC harsh climate. As we don't marry a spouse because she has a wonderful pink gown, but we marry because she is understanding, dependable, strong and reliable. Same way buying a family car worth 150K for driver assist features is a way too long shot. I understand that you have made up your mind, but please before buying: Do test drive with those driver assist features and make them justify for all the odds that you are getting into. Do test drive other brands, they may not have futuristic driver assist features but they have pass the test of time. Little above league - Lexus GX, BMW X5, Audi Q7 - Go for little older model (to fit in 150k) Little below league - Patrol, Land Cruiser My personal recommendations as per priority- 2017 Lexus GX460 (Highest Recommendation) (150-160K) 2016 Lexus GX460 (130-140K) 2014-15 Lexus LX570 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser 2017 Lincoln Navigator (if you need 7 seats with "True luxury") 2016 Cadillac Escalade (if you need 7 seats with "True luxury") 2016-17 GMC Denali (if you need 7 seats with "True luxury")

P.P.S : When it comes to off road even the shitiest Land Rover which I believe was the 4 cylinder Freelander will leave any Volvo behind in the dust. Because Land Rover is the only Manufacturer that started off with a pure bred 4x4 and till today is the only one producing only 4x4s and AWD SUVs it has no sedan or 2wd drive in the line up and never has All their vehicles even from their cheapest to the most expensive are built around a certain minimum level of off road capability.

This big boxy silver thing is the LR3 Maybe you were confusing it with this Anyways seems like your mind is made up and you just came here to get confirmation of your choice. So go for it, you only live once but like everyone here, don't get upset when they say We told you so!

Well If you are looking for confirmation that yes XC90 is a great ride and checks all your boxes well that obviously isn't going to happen. Personally I don't know why you are so adamant about these driver assist features that they are turning into deal breaker. And what are you on about LR not being off road capable? Are we talking about the same car here. The LR3 is a different car than the discovery. The "new" discovery I agree is useless. Not the the LR3 or even 4. These are the boxy double roof beasts which come with adjustable height suspension as standard and a V8. And they are comfortable as fek on road beat any Japanese luxury SUV in that dept and extremely capable off road right out the box.

Thanks @desertdude for sharing your perspective, greatly appreciated! Please see my comments below: 1) This is my number one worry – parts. I did end up putting a 1000 AED holding deposit on the XC90 today. Fortunately car won't be available for test drive until later this week so I can sleep on my decision and think about the extremely useful advise I have received on this forum. 2) I am fine with paying for regular servicing actually, not a problem. I am convinced XC90 won't cut it for off-roading. I am also convinced my needs are for two separate cars, and now it's a matter of deciding on a 7-seater family car (XC90 or not) with driver assist and safety features, and an off-roader, which I think will end up being Jeep given the great parts supply and community support here.

I have to admit: a part of me know its foolish to buy a Volvo in this country. I also hate to admit that you all are so right in the points you have brought up. Nevertheless let me share with you more on my thinking: 1. I did look at recent sales data. For the features that car has and for the amount of mileage I will put on it in the next 2 years (~15k per year), I am expecting at least 70K after 2 years. This car would still have 1 year of warranty left at that point so resale shouldn't be as low as older Volvos, which do not have as many selling points as the post-2016 Volvos when they were redesigned. Many families, particularly from EU where Volvos are popular, still see it as the ideal family car (for safety, 7 seats, isofix in 3rd row etc) and driver assist features which are particularly popular with female drivers. 2. Honestly, I think Land Rover's sales strategy is seriously flawed in GCC. They have neutered a car that had off-roading built into its DNA. They want you to think leather seats are a better premium than a rear diff lock in a Disco. 18" wheels are not even an option in "higher" trim! It pains me to see what they have done to it. That said, precisely for its off-road capabilities, I was looking at getting a Disco. What discouraged me was the fact that in addition my purchase, I might have to spend money to beef it up a bit so I can off-road without worries. Disco sport is not an option for me as it is not 7 seater. 3. You are absolutely right. If I do end up with the Volvo, I will plan to run it until it dies as a commuter+family car, and get a separate off-roader later this year. Your advice is extremely sensible. I think I have a bit of savings built up and I need to be more careful with my money. The only explanation I have is that I value driver assist and safety features – driving (on road) in UAE makes me a bit nervous. Not that I want to be a careless XC90 driver, but knowing that it has emergency breaking, several collision alert and avoidance tech etc is a bit reassuring. XC90 is also one of the few cars my wife is not intimidated by to drive herself so that is another reason. Lastly, my traverse is actually fine, but it is a bit too big. My wife refuses to drive it. Mainly the driver assist and safety features which are class leading at this price point (below 150K) in a 7 seater. Only other 7-seater that can offer all of these features below 150K price point is a CX-9 but we did not like it in a test drive, and they are only marginally better in resale than Volvos as far as I can gather. Also wife finds XC90 non-intimidating. Lastly, both wife and I don't like the styling on Land cruisers or Patrols, and these cars with driver assist features (higher trims) are actually even more expensive than discoveries in the used market! I had originally zeroed-in on Disco because LR has better parts supply in UAE than Volvo, but ultimately decided against it as I am now convinced it's not as capable of an off-roader as many other cheaper cars. At the moment a jeep wrangler looks pretty attractive to me as a dedicated off roader.

HI @Janarthan. If you decide to go via the kill switch route, then this diagram could be helpful.

As we have been respecting authorities guidance & Carnity COVID guidelines to resume desert drives with caution by keeping social distance and wearing mask at all times outside the vehicle Unfortunately few off-roaders have difficulty in understanding and abiding these guidelines. As published in the national newspaper of UAE, everyone need to understand that still there are no gatherings allowed and authorities are issuing fine for 10,000 AED for host and 5,000 AED for attendees. https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/people-caught-violating-covid-19-safety-instructions-prosecuted-1.1591381059748 If you spot anyone stepping out of the car not wearing a mask, please remind them on the radio immediately. As we all are in this together, so we all have to help each other to remind. Failing to abide below list of restriction will result in an immediate ban from Carnity Off-road Club: FIRST WARNING Minimum 1 month ban from joining any Carnity off-road Club drives. Written warning will be issued on your Carnity profile. SECOND WARNING Minimum 6 month ban from joining any Carnity off-road Club drives. Written warning will be issued on your Carnity profile. If you do not like these restrictions, please stay at home and do not join for any off-road drives. Every Carnity Off-road Club Member has to COMPLY WITH THESE COVID19 GUIDELINES FACE MASK IS MANDATORY, WHENEVER YOU STEP OUT - NO EXCUSES. LEARN TO CONFIGURE YOUR RADIO, before the drive. Nobody will teach you or exchange radios like before. Read the detailed instructions posted here - to configure. If you still cannot configure, ask on forum ahead of time. Click "TOTALLY AGREE" Emoji here before RSVP any drive or else trip lead will remove your name.

COVID19 and the current economic conditions has brought enormous challenges. Carnity has always been about building a community of people, sharing knowledge, and helping each-other in times of need. If you are personally affected by the unstable economic condition, and are providing services or items that might be interesting for other Carnity members, please share them in this topic. We will not use it as a promoting tool for businesses, but more as a communication portal so you can tell us which business you are in, how you are affected, and how your services might be of use for other Carnity members. We will moderate the content and remove posts which are not in line with above vision. Example: You own a shop that makes curtains and were heavily affected: Post a small message to introduce us to your shop, location, and what you can offer. Carnity members that might have been driving in the same convoy probably even never knew that you had a curtain shop and might start making inquiries to help and support each other. Lets just share our expertise and services and try to help each other, even more in these extraordinary times!

Welcome to the COVID 19 "new normal" lifestyle with restrictions and precautions for everyone safety. Moving forward and respecting authorities guidance all desert drives will be done under strict control. No Gathering | No Briefing | No BBQ | No Eating Together | No Touching | No Hugging MUST READ: Not following these rules and precautions = Not allowed to drive. We are only allowed to drive through the desert, as we are driving on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving just by sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Just like before we like to continue our desert drives through out the year, but this time we need your immense support to understand the strict control and to help everyone follow them all the time. For members who are fasting, they can break their fast discreetly and convoy will be stopped during that time and until they offer their prayer. How to maintain "STRICT" Social Distancing Meeting point will be set slightly (100m - 200m) inside the desert track. So, that you individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point. While deflating tires, stop cars 10 meters away from any other car. Drive signup on calendar will be closed on Thursday morning by 9 AM. Convoy numbering and briefing will be posted here on this drive post before 6 PM on Thursday. All participants need to read & acknowledge the briefing by clicking "Totally Agree" reaction Switch on your radio when you reach the meeting point on the set frequency advised by the trip lead in the critical briefing here. Once everyone reach to the meeting point, everyone stay inside the car at all the times. Trip lead will do the roll call, convoy numbering recap, critical briefing over the radio. Any suggestions or issues will be discussed over the radio too. You can also speak to other members through the radio only. So please make sure that your radio battery is fully charged. Once all set, trip lead will start the drive as before. Refusal and Recoveries with Social Distancing Every drive will have 1 lead Marshal and 1 or 2 supporting senior members/crew. Whenever there is a stuck or refusal, only Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is allowed to handle the situation. Everyone else including the stuck car driver, stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES. Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is only allowed to step out to access the situation and do the recoveries: They will wear mask and gloves at all times when they are outside their car. They will try to help self recover through the radio guidance. If not they will use required recovery gear and do the needful (shovel, tug or winch, as required). If at any time Marshal require help, then only you are allowed to step out by wearing face mask and gloves at all times. Drive completion and inflation Now, there will not be any gathering or sitting down together for food-break like before. Once drive is finished, after reaching the tarmac, everyone is requested to move away 50-100 meters before starting their inflation. For drivers having no compressor, can head to the near by fuel station. If drive is ending at a place where there is no fuel station near by, then trip lead will inform in advance so that drivers having their own compressor can join only. Now Strictly no more sharing of compressors, radio, shovel or any recovery gear, at any times. Mandatory things you require to attend the drive Face mask - at least TWO face mask is needed in case one get damage or fly away. Disposable rubber gloves - at least two sets are needed. Wear face mask and gloves at all the times, when you are out of your car. Carry plenty of hand sanitizer and object sanitizer (spray). Use your sanitizers generously, whenever you step out to help or recover. Sanitize your hands before getting back into your car. Sanitize your recovery gears, if you have used them. Fully charged radio - without any excuse - No radio = No drive. Shovel - Must for every car, to do little self recovery Safety flag - Must for every car, like before Compressor - If joining the drives that is ending far from the fuel station. Mandatory precaution that you need to take at all times Do not step out of your car UNLESS/OTHERWISE advice by Marshal / Senior Member / Crew. No shaking hands, hugs or touching each other. No sharing of food, drinks or recovery tools. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and take a lot of rest. If you have travel in last 14 days, then please do not attend this drive. If you feel unwell during the drive, please let trip lead know so he can plan an early exit. Not more than 3 pax in a car and if all 3 aren't living together, then they should wear the mask inside the car too. Drive Details Level: Newbie and above - All Level When: 12 Jun 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 4:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Evening drive till about 08:00 PM Meeting Point: Tawi Nazwa Farm - https://goo.gl/maps/ME9rkXLNYiMwj5L78 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 08:00 PM End Point: 2nd Dec Cafeteria - https://goo.gl/maps/HmdMcdMKftaN9VVS8 P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 12 Members. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting 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

Thank you very much all.

Thanks @Rinelle Sanaani I saw the action taken by you and appreciate the same. Please be careful in reading the post and taking necessary action as we have to be very vigilant in these trying times. Only waiting for @Lorenzo Candelpergher to react with the "Totally Agreed" smiley for both posts.

@Rahimdad im so sorry for the misunderstanding.. it was the post from Gaurav that i reacted about the BAN from carnity drive.. I went back tompage one of this post.. amd reacted already..

Thanks 😊

congrats @@nizam deen

Thank you @Chaitanya D @Emmanuel, @Asif Hussain the option you have mentioned is fantastic but I decided to go with kill switch as I am completely new for off roading and also in understanding cars. Will post the kill switch pictures shortly , it’s getting installed as we speak.

You need to install ABS kill switch which will disable all your stability controls. For newbie drive it is not very important, but get it installed as soon as possible. ABS is not tuned well for off-roading in xterra it can occasionally kick in during steep slopes and keep releasing the tires making your xterra go down without break or control. You must kill the ABS if you are going for serious drives. There are two ways to deactivate ABS 1) With ABS kill switch, which will cost you 150 to 200dhs and you can control from your dashboard easily. On and Off without any hassle. 2) With Fuse Modification, (which I had did) Bought a 3 way fuse from scrap which costed me 10dhs that's it. Then remove the connection from inside the last 30amp compartment (as shown in the picture below) YOU ARE DONE......... Just replace the fuse before off-roading with original one while car is turned off and key is removed. Then start the car and you see ABS light and all other stability control lights are turned on in your dash, and you are ready for dune bashing 😀 After the drive just replace it with the original one with the car turned off and key is removed. Light will be still on but don't panic just drive for a minute and it will go off.

ABS kill requires the fuse to be removed from the fuse box in xterra (as per the map) which dont have ABS switch on dash, but it tends to light up some warning signs on dash. Best is to install a ABS kill switch which many garages do (about 50 to 100AED )considering that you will be driving it off road frequently.

Also a small 2 liter 4 cyl motor is never going to have that kind of low down torque that you need while offroading forget the top end HP numbers that's just marketing lingo Imagine it's a twin turbo squuezing out so much power from a camry size engine which is usually 100hp. So how much on the edge it will always be on. Plus I've seen nothing but trouble with people who have turbocharged engines who off-road with them. The turbo vanes always getting chewed up. Oil leaks. Intercooler leaks etc etc. Somehow turbos and offroading in the desert don't mix

Volvo's are great cars I had two buddies who owned them including a XC90 and I drove the Volvo a lot. Great cars. But wouldn't recommend them for your only DD and weekend warrior. With that budget you can get both a LR3 and XC90 of a slightly older vintage. It's a buyer's market out there chock-full of stock LR3s are great offroaders and not as plasticiky as the LR4 and there is a great network of new and used parts as well as specialists garages Same can't be said for volvos. I remember when my bud lost his coolant expansion bottle on his Volvo it was no where to be found new or used. Had to order it and wait a few days and needless to say car was out of action for that much time. Since I'm involved in the community there are many who have LR3s hitting 300k kms and they use them regularly off-road in the sand and they still look and drive just fine. There was even a chap who was hitting 400k miles yes miles not kms. Also remember both these cars are not your regular old 90s Corolla that you can just keep driving them with 20dhs oil changes and be fine.

Agree with this. in Belgium we have a Volvo factory nearby, lots of dealerships and independent workshops, and is the go-to brand for reliable company cars that will last a very long time. I had a V40 that i literally drove into the ground and it never died on me. They focus on safety and comfort and have a very good name in Western Europe. Unfortunately UAE is a different story, where only the stealership will be the option. My friend here drove a S90 R-Design in Polestar Blue. Magnificent machine, but one has to know that Volvo is now owned by Geely, so i have no idea what the future will bring. He sold the car 6 months back when he moved to USA and lost A LOT of money on it because resale value in UAE is very poor on these cars.

Actually in Tukey also Volvo is not very popular. What i am saying is once you own one you cant forget it. This is not related to country. If he ever driven one it is totally normal that he want to buy one, i can clearly understand why he is choosing a Volvo over a Lexus or Infinity.

Every country dynamics is way different based on mindset, choices, fuel price, economic condition and above all weather. Let me not bring Indian, Chinese or Russian HERO car brands in perspective who are nothing in the UAE.

Well done @Desert Dweller congrats

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Congrats @Nizam Deen. Well deserved.

I had fabricated strut spacer using nylon bar and used my ride to the extreme level in off-roading and it never gave up. Lifting your vehicle using spacer will allow you to accommodate slightly upsize tyre which will overall lift your ride 2 to 3inch max. This modification has no performance advantage other than approach and departure angle. It will decrease your suspension travel and wear out your suspension components sooner. This is one of the cheapest way to lift your ride. Add wheel spacer or proper offset rims to the same ratio of the lift to correct the geomatry of your vehicle.

@Gaurav can i still join the drive? Room is full though..cant rsvp

@Rahimdad thnx - done!

Hi - add me to the queue pls. Ali

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@Rahimdad this was the drive to get full the quickest . Gone in 60 s🚘

I was refreshing the page every second from 7pm

I would like to join this drive. I cant seem to get the calendar to pop-up Ok. Got it. Too excited . He he.

@amro elshafey being a 2016 model is your VW still in warranty. If it is under warranty, have you checked with Al Naboodah if they will honour the warranty even after you make any mods on it. I am sure @Barry, @treks, @desertdude and many of the experts can suggest where you can obtain and install them safely. One of our experts @Asif Hussain even managed to get the raw material and make his own coil spring spacers for his Ford Truck, maybe he can help you design your own and save you some bucks for some other project. i had long r=time back done this on my Jeep Commander, however without a proper lift kit it does change the dynamics of the car and you need to be very careful. I suggest you go out 1 inch with your wheels for every 2 inch lift, this means the tires should be out of the body of the car which means RTA will not pass the car till you put fender flares which give it the look that the wheels are still within the body of the car and not protruding outwards. Just a little advise from my understanding and experiences.

I can help with full car sterilisation for vulnerable and immune compromised people.