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Welcome to the COVID 19 "new normal" lifestyle with restrictions and precautions for everyone's safety. Moving forward and respecting guidance from the authorities 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 drive on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Maintaining social distancing is a strict requirement. We want to continue our desert drives throughout the year as we were able before this COVID crisis, 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 (200m - 300m) inside the desert track. Please take a good note of the meeting point so you do not join the wrong convoy. The meeting point is inside. Everyone should individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point so that there are no problems as the meeting pointis further inside than usual. 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 Just because you have clicked ‘Totally Agree’ for previous drives it does not apply to this drive and needs to be clicked again. 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: Fewbie and above only When: 19 June 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Morning drive till about 10:00 AM Meeting Point: Mahafiz 200m further in from the Tree Shade – https://goo.gl/maps/bK3mMyn53rzufpwM8 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. WE WILL END THIS DRIVE ONTO TARMAC. COMPRESSOR COMPULSORY. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR. WE CANNOT SHARE EQUIPMENT IN THIS COVID PERIOD. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM End Point: https://goo.gl/maps/wfUKMWBWB2yViU6C9 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 1 Senior Member + 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

@Lorenzo Candelpergher @asifk @Nizam Deen @Jolly Abraham @Nacho @Vanessa8580 @Foxtrot Oscar @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Rizwanm2 Fully understand your enthusiasm and the speed with which you signed up for the drive on Friday ... however, as with all covid period drives, you must also confirm on EVERY drive agreement with the drive rules. Well done @J J for doing this already. Thanks. As you read the drive details carefully again you will see this is a compressor only drive. No compressor, no drive. We exit quite some way from the nearest gas station. Thanks for your cooperation cc. @Frederic @Jeepie @Ale Vallecchi

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 safely. 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 10-20 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: Newbie, Absolute Newbie and Above (All Levels) When: June 19 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Mahafiz Tree Entrance 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/RBCafJhRiJZTm4Pr5 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: Adnoc- https://goo.gl/maps/gq17ZbqKFfERCRdk9 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 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

I offered to let my wife the drive all day long but she hates it. Whenever i step in to the dune she is feeling like car is going to flip and we going to die in it.

Offroad advice: In UAE, there are majorly three level of offroad activities: Beach, little road side sand, gravel track - Any Car, SUV, even 2 Wheel Corolla is acceptable. Because its so busy place that if once in a blue corolla get stuck then 5 people can push the car out in no time. Desert - Drive through real desert dune - bash it or drive it - your choice - Needs a "PROPER" "SERIOUS" 4x4 with LO gearing and not an imposter or soft-roader, that will die on its first to second drive itself. Mountain: Normal SUV with good ground clearance can scale half of mountain trails here, but for steep inclines and big boulder negotiation you need proper 4x4 with LO gearing and lift kit. Family advice: Most families get excited with offroad name but their enthusiasm decline after first few drives, mainly because in Type 2 and 3 level offroad (explain above) driver gets the thrill and adventure. Passengers doesnt enjoy that much but come to accompany the driver (moral support / love). I have tried this with my wife - she lasted 5 drives. I have tried this with my Parents - they lasted 2 drives. I have tried this with my 6 yo Son - he lasted 2 drives. I am not saying that all families (spouse, parents and kids) are same but there is a high probability factor that they might not buy-in in your offroad weekend plan all the time. Keeping above in mind, buy what you can enjoy and matters most to you as a driver, offroader, etc. If your family, joins in, that's a bonus for you. So def don't buy offroader now. Test the water of offroad and family intake with this mid-range vehicle. And once you get better clarity on both front, go for a proper offroader (20-30K) and you will love that car - THE MOST.

I am using the app "Smart Dash Cam". It only records when you start driving, and saves a new videoclip every 2 or 3 minutes based on your setting. Just make sure your phone has a decent front camera. I am using an Iphone SE.

Cmooon we are talking about 20 year old Jeeps. While one is in mechanic shop you will drive the other one

What would I do with 2 cars? 🤣🤣

I feel it's not just the power, but other factors like gear ratios that also matter. All the power in the world but a messed up gearing doesn't help in long hill climbs. A straight 6 engine giving only 190 hp but having the right gear ratio can also do the Iftar bowl climb from the center. See the video. VID-20200615-WA0037.mp4

Dr @Chaitanya D with due respect @Wrangeld and @Jeepie do not compete with each other, they complete each other. Looking at them I now realise why we call each other the better half.

At that age, (the cars, not you) you’re opening yourself up to a world of pain. If I had to choose between them, I would go for the X5M purely because I like M cars and I’m sick of looking at broken range rovers in the garage all day. I see at least one broken Range Rover every day, X5s not so much. I prefer the handling of the X5 too. Range Rover is a nice ride for cruising but I feel more confident pushing the X5 into a corner. Anyway, my money would be on a Cayenne Turbo.

Looks like a full house. Really great to see so much enthusiasm around to fill in the drive so quickly. @marks seems you are new to the group, please introduce yourself, the 4x4 you drive and your experience of driving in the desert. Hope you have gone through the video for the Absolute Newbie Briefing attached on my original thread. Thanks to @Brette and @Shiju Manuel for clicking on the Totally Agree smiley for both posts. I would like to request @Incognitoes, @marks and @andy_macdxb to please click on Totally Agree to the Ban from Carnity Thread as per link below. Also may I request @Incognitoes, @marks, @Yousef Alimadadi, @syed salman raza, @Jun Zamora, @luwaimn, @andy_macdxb, @Mehmet Volga, @Gregory Perkin, @George Francis and @Colin Jordan to click on Totally Agree smiley on the original drive thread. I will review the treads again by Wednesday afternoon and anybody who has not responded will be removed to make space for others interested in this drive.

I am using an old iphone mounted on the windshield. The iphone has a dashcam app that starts recording as soon as i drive. Cheap and works great.

Since using camera while driving is not allowed, you can use gopro attached to your car. I used to have one always attached to my car than i noticed i am not doing anything with those footage without editing properly than i quit recording. If you are lucky sometimes you can catch very good record, it happen to me only ones, generally either drive is being too slow or you are waiting long in some spot and it makes the record boring.

Thanks guys i just want to put it out there out of my curiosity. hi @Wrangeld all valid points. i didn't meant that maxtrax is an alternative for rope. i just mentioned it to show the price comparison. @sertac agree the recovery situation in both video are not common in the desert. Also it is not ideal for recovery of crested situations. Thanks @Rahimdad for letting us know its tested and proven not much useful in the desert. i understand maxtrax is not ideal for crested situation or soft sand. but what about a stuck in a ditch or bottom of a bowl.

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. 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. Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above - (No Newbie and No Absolute Newbie Allowed) When: 19 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 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

I am very glad to have intermediate drive this week at Nawza Shops area if we go to Iftar Bowl i want to try climbing capability of Grand Cherokee. So far i am feeling it is better than my old Auto Cherokee because of different gear. Lets see if it can make it till the top, my old cherokee wasnt.

Totally agree on the gearing issue. I had 2006 Nissan Patrol SWB in 2008 and it never climbed up Bidayer, let alone IFB and Faya, because 4.5 liter engine in patrol was not having same gearing as in 4.8 liter engine. 50-60% pink rock - Max Climb.

Lol yup I think that's the max non jeepers can stand a jeep. I sold my jeep also in around that much time. And all the time I had it. I had to constantly tinker with it. And it was the best well kept full service history British woman expat owner never off-road mechanically solid blah blah blah jeep one could buy and it was still shit. First I had to change the rims because it came with 17 inch bling bling wheels. Once I did that it got the death wobble. Fixed that, overheating issues with bigger radiator and extra fan fixed and lifted it 1.5 inches then everything went crazy. More death wobble had to recalibrate and drop transmission just for a tiny itsy bitsy lift. Still drove like shit. Went back to original tyrevsize and oem steel wheels then it sort of behaved but drove like a pig due to heavy steel wheels Got fed up and got rid of the the POS P.S skipping all the other tiny bullshit it had in that much time. Like temp gauge 3/4th during desert drives ( suppose to be a jeep thing) raised the hood at the back with spacers helped a tiny bit. Also coolant always boiling out after you come to a stop. Turns out the original Mopar radiator cap was shit. So a cheap 10dhs saniya cap which was a tiny bit a more tighter fit did the job. Etc etc etc

@Rahimdad I meant healthy competition to drive better off road on sand. What you said is absolutely right

That's because they drive in turns. Maybe we should start doing it? 🤔

Hahaha... @Gaurav you are absolutely right with regards to family advise. This is where @Wrangeld and @Jeepie are blessed to come to drives together and compliment/compete with each other. @Shadab Khan good luck with your purchase.

Spray some water and phones are back in 10 sec. AC cooling take up to 2 minutes, water cools the best.

You can buy them and try, for once in a year or two moment. I totally agree with Richard, that they are pain to store. I do have folding one and they always failed to work and only impressed me once on rocky terrain to recover a car who was slipping on gravel badly. @Rahimdad might remember his treasure hunt event in 2010 to put a flag on pylon track, that was tricky for novice 4x4 drivers. For sand, self recovery techniques + 10 dhs shovel is more than enough. Event for the cresting.

yes that comes from the app itself.

Congratulations @Wrangeld and @Jeepie Well deserved!!!!

Congrats @Jeepie !

Congratulations @Jeepie...well deserved

Your Patrol was the first thing that popped into my mind after reading that post. Very short 1st and anemic 2nd. I think it was a direct transfer from the Patrol pickup because you need a short and torquey 1st gear for a fully laden pickup to get moving specially off road. Same case with the Cruiser pickup. Infact when not loaded and on road I never even used 1st always started from 2nd

#notjealousatall

I thought we already discussed this? Anyways screw sports car-esque handling mandling nobody gives a crap about it, I'm pretty sure your Mrs doesn't neither do you and neither do I, if you want handling buy yourself a sports coupe, not a luxury SUV. Like I said and everybody pretty much agrees is stay away from the BMW. I technically have a Land Rover but the engine is directly out of the BMW parts bin it shares the same engine as the 1st gen BMW X5 and earlier model 7 series. the BMW M62tub and that is the thing that has gone wrong on it most. As most know I havent bought a non Land Rover product in over 12 years now ( save for that brief period I had a sheep). 7 to 12 Land Rovers in that much time 2 Discovery series 1 and 5 Range Rovers. And this BMW engined Land Rover has been the least reliable among them all and till date has had the most work done on it out of any car Ive ever owned by myself and my LR garages , and this is not just an anecdotal story within 2 months of me buying it two other friends bough the same exact cars as well as its the same story there also. The 2010 Range Rover should be fine IMO but do expect bills every now and then, because remember just because you are buying it for 30k doesn't mean it is a 30k car. This was over a half a million dhs when it rolled off the showroom floor and so you have to treat is as such. But don't worry I know a very skilled and very reasonable priced LR specialist right here in Shj. But if all of this is not your cup of tea then I suggest You can always look into a early to mid 2000s Lx470. reliable as fek' can literally go 500k kms plus and still drive like new with 0 issues just needs a timing belt every 100k and you can drive is proper off road in the dunes as well or the cheap as chips much more roomy and brawny infinit QX56 Navigator is a great car something I have considered myself but that Triton V8 engine has a few bad habits depending on which one you are getting from spitting out spark plugs to chewing up cam phasers But a second hand Cayenne only if you don't like money. BUT do buy and own a Range Rover once in your life even if it is for a short while, until Bentley and Rolls Royce came out with SUVs of their own this was the closet you could get to that level of opulent luxurious drive specially in a SUV format for 1/100th the price. And like once my friend said after he sat in a new to me range rover. Doesn't matter which one, new or old, but once your get it, you definitely know its a Range Rover, nothing like it.

Btw, I think someone mentioned here if you are going for Jeep Grand Cherokee go for that version that has two stock tow hook in front bumper.

Hi @Gaurav I love this response so much! Thanks for sharing the personal experience of driving with your family. So I will likely do all three types of activities as you wrote, but will not do desert as much as others: I mostly plan to drive around Wadi trails, and beaches, and few "gentle" desert drives (definitely not bashing, I don't have the heart for it!). Actually, I have finalized a Jeep GC 2015 Summit (5.7L V8, 50400 km mileage) which has enough driver assist tech (adaptive cruise etc) to please me and the wife. The car still has an on-road bias, but has the muscles and the means (with a few changes) to do well off-road. Price is great, car is under short warranty (expiring end of next month), did 5/5 on mechanical/electrical inspection (only needs cleaning and minor paint work), has like new tires, good amount of brake pads left for 80k. So I am going for it As I am still unsure how serious off roading I might end up doing in reality, I think this is a good choice. If I get serious about off roading, I will make GC my main car, sell the Traverse, and get a proper off-roader (e.g. Wrangler) and go from there. Thanks a lot for help everyone! I will post an update as my purchase progresses.

If you want to spend AED 30k per MONTH, I know of a Prado (never driven in the sand :-))

I also leave about 15 minutes before 6 for morning drives - but I follow roads without cameras (at least for first 15 minutes :-))

After having owned BMW here in Dubai, i have sincerely regretted it for the following reasons: - All rubbers became hard which resulted in several oil leaks on a 2013 model with low mileage. Costed me 7k to get them all properly fixed when i bought the car. - When i sold it, i lost so much money due to the low resale value. The advantage is when you buy it you will find cheap. - BMW road has parts, and i was quite happy with the workshop nearby that place. Prices were quite reasonable, but for me living in Dubai and going everytime to Sharjah for maintenance was a hassle. In dubai most workshops that service german cars are way too expensive and push you to replace half of the car. - German Luxury vehicles in UAE are really a hit and miss. In Europe we adore them, here they are being despised because most workshops don't know how to properly service and repair them. You can get lucky and be troublefree for a few years, but it can also be a huge moneypit. If you are passionate about these cars and treat them well, you will have pleasure driving them and no Japanese SUV will bring the same smile on your face.

Rahim Bhai i can talk for the X5, my mother drives 2012 X5 35i which i am driving time to time. I can say it is a blast to drive. Too much fun, even 35i is fast enough and you are talking about 48i it should be like a bullet. Beautiful cornering, drives like a sports car on the corners. BUT(i am writing this big and bold because it is a big and bold but) it is very unreliable. Endless issues, definitely car is not designed for this climate. oil leaking from every possible place, you will fix one next month you will find another leak from another location. Lately AC became not powerful as it used to be. Door handles(inside ones) getting sticky with time, only option is changing them(bit costly). Broken AC vent controllers. Electronic hand brake failed and need to be completely replaced. Car is currently at 150.000km. Last time when i wrote review about our Grand Cherokee Hemi i said i would buy again for X5 even though it is super fun to drive i wouldnt buy that again and i cant recommend to anyone unless you are a BMW enthusiast. For Range Rover i believe better if @Gaurav or @desertdude can give good advises, personally i never drove one but i read many horror stories. Why not a Grand Cherokee WK2 or Chevy Thaoe etc.

i have had them for 10 years - bought when i did offroading in UK (muddy) - but never got to use them there - only once when stuck in a gravel-ly wadi in Oman - they did help me get out though I cracked the end of one of them ( I had placed it wrong) - I still have them in my car though..

You will notice in summertime it's getting harder to film. All devices which are mounted close to the windshield are overheating these days.

I downloaded app looks good and handy speed date and plate details can be seen on screen

https://www.amazon.ae/GoPro-Suction-Cup-Camera-AUCMT-302/dp/B00F19Q7YI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26YRIN3LGUHJN&dchild=1&keywords=gopro+suction+cup&qid=1592205067&sprefix=go+pro+suction%2Caps%2C257&sr=8-1 Original go pro suction cup. Never failed me. Put on your rear window or put top of your windshield.

Yup, sold within 3 months.

Congrats buddy !

Congrats @Shamil for your first official drive post. Well done.

Well Done @Wrangeld...well deserved....congratulations Richard....

If you see the picture in the first video you shared it is flat ground. Such stuck will happen very very rare. It will happen if you not deflated, even in that case if you be smart and not give full gas and not keep digging until your chassis sit on the sand you can take your self out with deflating. So such accessories is not very useful here in UAE. We are mostly getting crested top of the dune, which this things will be useless for recovery.

I am no expert on this. I am sure more senior members will give their view. However, here's my view: The tracks take up a lot of space in the vehicle (I have foldable bushranger tracks and they still take up a lot of space) If you are on your own (why would you do that?) they might be a good idea I think they can be quite dangerous. If your wheel catches and they travel under the car (backwards or forwards) you are esentially launching a missile into the air It might get you out a bit easier than digging - but digging lets you take a bit more care and time With a rope you have a degree of control that I am not sure would be there with tracks - espeically if the access is challenging It feels like there is a lot more to learn about how to use tracks safely and effectively than ropes. All equipment is a personal choice at the end of the day so if you feel you want these in your vehicle go for it. I cannot imagine using them on a carnity drive. More importantly, as you move up the ranks there is equipment that you need to carry with you as part of the privelege of promotion. According to Carnity, a rope is a priority, so you will not really save anything, because you will need a rope in carnity at some stage.