Leaderboard

Dear fellow Desert Wanderers, Friday's group is virtually completed (one more spot remaining, for the last Fewbie PLUS to join). So far it will be made of @Rinelle Sanaani, @Febin Frederic, @asifk, @Kalahari,@Colin Jordan, @Najeeb Mohammed, @Chaitanya D, @Desert Dweller and @Jolly Abraham. Looks like it's a solid group, including 3 Intermediate members. As mentioned, the drive will be taking place in what I expect to be, for most drivers, a lesser known part of Dubai. Al Lisaili includes some technical dunes, which will require great finesse and care (especially to avoid hard nose butts), and mostly long range dunes, which will provide plenty of opportunities for some sideys, as well as ridge riding and criss-crossing. Because of this abundance of diverse situation, I would like to make a few recommendations. MENTAL READINESS AND CONCENTRATION - to make sure that all our energies and focus go to the characteristics of the terrain, our driving skills, and the security of the convoy, please be ready to concentrate yourselves on the drive alone. Kindly try to reduce all possible distractions, including bringing along too many passengers (certainly 3 passengers on board, event though allowed by the Covid rules, may be a source of distraction). If you bring along somebody, please explain that it will not be possible to converse while driving, or distract the driver from her/his duties. This recommendation aims to reduce the potential for refusals, stucks, and any other type of incident that a new type of terrain may cause to distracted drivers. AVAILABILITY OF PROPER EQUIPMENT - being at Fewbie Plus and above level means to have fully understood the need to carry the proper equipment in the car. This MUST include to say the least 1) a good shovel, 2) a kinetic tow rope (preferably with soft shackles), and a 3) compressor. Proper equipment also incudes a very important car accessory: tested, robust, tow hooks in good conditions. I will take care to verify the availability of all of the above equipment for all attendees, and will be forced to refuse participation for those who do not carry these essential items. COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS - there are two elements to our ability to communicate in the desert. The technical aspect demands that 1) your radios are fully charged, 2) that each driver always identifies her/himself when speaking, so to allow the convoy to react speedily to any predicament, and 3) that all respond when questions or instructions are directed at them, in order to acknowledge that all is clear and understood. The psychological aspect has to do with the willingness to communicate. Please, do not be afraid or ashamed to inform the convoy leader that one may not feel like making some maneuver, taking a seemingly risky approach, or doing anything beyond one's perceived skills, or physical conditions. When no communication of this kind takes place, the leader and the rest of the convoy will assume that all is well, and will not be able to address any concern of second-thoughts a driver may have. I have chosen to underline the above 3 issues as there have been recent events during other Fewbie drives, due to a combination of these 3 factors, which have created a great deal of complications to the convoys, unnecessary risks, and in one case damage to another driver's cars (any reference to weak tow points is not casual). Kindly acknowledge the above information, so that we may look forward to a challenging, yet pleasant drive. See you all Friday (convoy order and radio channel will be published on Thursday evening).

While offroading, we cross dunes by using different methods, based on how the dune is formed and what the drive level is. Once you have spent some time in the desert, you will slowly start to pay more attention to the dune formations and how we cross them. Once you reach Intermediate and Advance level, you'll need to start learning how to read these dunes in order to navigate and create your planned routes in the desert. As a rule of thumb, the prevailing wind in UAE is blowing from a North-Western direction to South-East direction from 10AM onwards. At night and in early morning it will be reversed and blow from the South-East to North-West. This is something you should remember and you will notice when you zoom into certain areas with your navigation app (Google Maps, Gaia, MotionX, Mytrails,...) you will notice that the wind from that side has caused the dunes to take on their shape. This is a general rule and will not always apply, as you will see that in certain areas where wind is coming from different directions, you will see for example "star" dunes appearing. There are different types of dunes which are separately described below. As you can see in below picture, a dune is formed when the prevailing wind blows on a mound of sand, where the grain will move into the wind direction and create a ridge. The sand which falls on the other side of the ridge, creates a slipface, and this sand is not compacted by the wind. This is the main reason why we generally drive on the prevailing wind side or the convex side of the dunes on the Newbie level. "A dune is a curiously dynamic creature," wrote Farouk El-Baz in National Geographic. “Once formed, a dune can grow. It can change shape and move with the wind. It can even breed new dunes. Some of these offspring may be carried on the back of the mother dune. Others are born and race downwind, outpacing their parents. [Source: Farouk El-Baz, National Geographic, February 1982] The shape of dunes is affected by things like the strength, direction and consistency of the winds; the consistency and amount of sand; the hardness of the terrain and the amount of vegetation. Below we will describe the most common dunes found in the UAE. Different Dunes Crescent or Barchan Dune This is the most common dune. It forms the shape of a crescent moon when the wind blows from one direction. We generally use the words concave and convex to describe both sides of the dune: * Concave is a shape that curves inwards. * Convex is a shape that curves outwards. Crescent-shaped mounds generally are wider than long. On the concave side you will have the slipface. These dunes form under winds that blow from one direction, and they also are known as barchans. Parabolic Dune A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but it is just the opposite. The tips of this dune point into the wind, and its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. These dunes often occur when vegetation stabilizes sediments and a U-shaped blowout forms between clumps of plants. Example of Parabolic dunes near Faya: https://goo.gl/maps/ob8xu3y8VJJvF6hk8 Longitudinal or "Seif" Dunes They are also often referred to to as "sand ridges" or "seifs". Their length can range from a few meters to many kilometers and their height from a couple meters high to a couple hundred meters high. Wind pushes the sand and forms ridges parallel to the prevailing wind direction with slip faces either side of the crest. Linear dunes are straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges typically much longer than they are wide. They may be more than 160 kilometers long. Linear dunes may occur as isolated ridges, but they generally form sets of parallel ridges separated by miles of sand, gravel, or rocky interdune corridors. Some linear dunes merge to form Y-shaped compound dunes. Many form in bidirectional wind regimes. The long axes of these dunes extend in the resultant direction of sand movement. Barchanoid Dunes These ridges are similar to Barchan dunes. They are connected in long crescentic waves as the sand supply is much greater than that which forms a Barchan Dune. Star Dunes These dunes are formed when there are several prevailing wind directions - there is a complex wind regime. Typically there are three or more slip faces, whilst the dunes do not migrate they grow in height. Star dunes are radially-symmetrical, spyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They are created when the winds blow equally from every direction, causing the sand dune to grow many extensions and resemble a star. They are rare and are fairly stable and remain in the same place. Some are landmarks with names. Example of a Star dune: https://goo.gl/maps/jRnYghQc8ACzVz6T7 With this knowledge, the next time you step into the desert, you can start looking at the different dune formations, and this will give you lots of knowledge that you'll be able to apply in the future when leading and navigating off-road drives.

@AKR @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @RohanH @Janarthan @Anish S @Mehmet Volga @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Foxtrot Oscar @Chaitanya D @Magellan(@Brette) Briefing #2 - SOLAR PARK The move, change in pace and different types of obstacles faced when moving from Newbie to Fewbie is sometimes under estimated. At Newbie you learn the basics of how to get over a dune safely, how to behave in the sand and the start of how to control your vehicle. At Fewbie, the expectation is that mind and vehicle will be stretched - challenging you as a driver into situations you might not have been before, situations where you feel more uncomfortable and helping you understand the characteristics and potential of your vehicle. To put it more succinctly: fewbie is not about using more power, it's about using the power you have more effectively. Solar Park includes some technical dunes: Small dunes, closely packed where you need to take care not only to avoid getting stuck but also avoid the hard sharp bumps in them - and longer range dunes, which provide plenty of opportunities for sideys. As well as sideys, the hope is that we can start to learn the techniques for and get some practice with ridge riding and criss-crossing. For many Fewbies this is quite scary. To make the day more fun for everyone, here's a few thoughts on what you can do to make your time in the sand more fun: IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST OR SECOND FEWBIE DRIVE- You'll need all your wits about you and need to concentrate. Think carefully if this really is the ride on which you want to bring the whole family. We want to give everyone the chance to drive as much as possible and good focus usually means less potential for refusals, stucks, and other incidents. IF YOU ARE A MORE EXPERIENCED FEWBIE - These drives are a chance to hone your skills, control your entry and exit points better, make sure you use enouch, and not too much power. DON'T FORGET YOUR EQUIPMENT - Please see my previous post COMMUNICATION - The rules are clear, bring a fully charged, audible device with you. If your radio is not working, you are not driving. The second rule is slightly less clear. Use the radio. It is the only way you can tell a lead that there is a problem: whether that is a refusal a stuck or 'can you please help me get through this obstacle. Do not be afraid or ashamed to inform the convoy leader that you need some assistance. Seniors are on the drive to assist. If we hear nothing, we assume everything is OK. Why bring these up? The sand is incredibly soft in the summer. Recoveries are part of the game, we all know that, but we all also know that we really want to be moving more of the time than recovering. These little points should help us all keep moving. See you soon in the sand.

With the tremendous increase in the number of COVID cases in the UAE, we all have to be responsible while off-roading. Failing to abide by any single precaution at any time during the drive, will result in an immediate ban from Carnity Off-road Club. ZERO TOLERANCE First offender - 1 Month Ban. Second offender - 3 Month Ban. Third offender - lifetime ban and report to authorities. COVID19 PRECAUTIONS 2.0 All Carnity off-road drives will be LIMITED to driving only: No Socializing and gathering allowed at any time. No break for taking photos, breakfast, smoking, etc. No exchanging of off-road or recovery gears. Wear a mask at all times, while outside your vehicle. For passengers restrictions, follow RTA or NCEMA guidelines. All passengers should be inside the car, at all times. Maintain a minimum of 2-meter social distance at all times. Sanitize your hands and recovery gear after use. PS1. If you and your passenger cannot sit inside your vehicle for 3-4 hours please DO NOT JOIN CARNITY DRIVES. PS2. A Member who has RSVP the drive is RESPONSIBLE and LIABLE for their passenger's compliance. PS3. The above precautions apply to everyone irrespective of their vaccination status or schedule. PS4. You can confidentially submit the photo of any offender by sending an email to [email protected]. How to comply Read the drive post before arriving at the meeting point, so that you know your convoy numbering and radio channel. Arrive at the meeting point and switch on your radio to the pre-set frequency of the drive. Stop your vehicle at least 10-20 meters away from each other. Deflate your tires, while wearing a mask, and then go back inside your car. All briefings will be done on the radio now, so pay full attention to a briefing for your own safety. After the briefing, fall in your convoy position just before the drive starts. While driving if you get stuck, announce on the radio and be inside your car at all times. Trip lead and/or support will guide you on the radio for self-recovery or tow-rope recovery. While there is a stuck or a refusal, everyone else supposed to be inside their car at all times. You can only take a bio-break during the drive, by requesting trip lead permission. Once the drive is over exit out to inflate by maintaining 10-20 meters distance from each other. While inflating, only the driver supposed to be out and with the face mask at all times. After the drive, you can talk on the radio for any feedback, suggestions or help you need.

Hi @Incognitoes all fine by me, as long as you don't have a hangover upon arrival 😆 Will add you to the RSVP.

Flushing is pointless, might as well hit your radiator with a sandal and ask it to behave. Flushing is basically to maintain your radiator not fix it when it's clogged. Personally even rodding it has not worked long for me. Only real fix is to replace it And while you are at it throw away your thermostat. I know people will make a ruckus about it but here where its always this hot it does nothing other than create another point of failure you have to worry about

Congratulations @Tbone well deserved

@AKR @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @RohanH @Janarthan @Anish S @Mehmet Volga @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Foxtrot Oscar @Chaitanya D @Magellan(@Brette) Great that you all signed up to the Fewbie drive on Friday. The plan for the drive is to assemble at Solar Park Car Park and make our way into the dunes to the South of Solar Park and then if time allows explore a little in the direction of Al Lisali. I will post more details later in the week on the plan and what type of drive I hope it to be - today's message is all about safety. Last weekend there was a lucky escape from serious injury when a tow point on a vehicle being tugged came loose and flew into the vehicle that was tugging. It reminded us again how important it is that everyone MUST check the integrity of their tow points, because, frankly, we may not be so lucky next time. We will be cjecking tow points before the drive on Friday, as well as checking that all drivers are carrying with them all the compulsory "Fewbie' equipment [if you really need to look at this again, check out the message from @Gaurav when you were promoted]. Drivers that do not have tow points or this basic kit on board will not be allowed to drive. For the avoidance of doubt, a flag and pole means there must be a flag on the pole, a shovel is a shovel. Secondly, dress code. If you are sitting in the comfort of your air conditioned vehicle, flip flops and shorts might seem OK to you. They are a lot less practical when you are standing or kneeling in the burning sand. You'll also be asked not to drive if you are not wearing the right clothes. Otherwise, I am looking forward to a drive that will excite, challenge and energise. See you soon in the sand

Dear @asifk sorry to hear you will not be able to join. Hope all is OK on your side. We'll see you soon out there, and thank you very much for informing us ahead of time.

Hi I have a nissan patrol safari. Back and front tow bars good. I have driven in the desert a dozen or so times. ill check the equipment and videos and rsvp as described. Plus will complete the COVID checklist

Hi @Sreejith Sreenivasan You are good to go, see you on Friday !

If there were no issues with the engine running hot before the coolant change, then the problem is almost certainly related to poor coolant circulation caused by improper purging of air from the cooling system. I would have this looked at first before anything else, but under no circumstances would I lock the fan.

Thank you @Gaurav, I had been eagerly waiting to level up. Also, I would like to thank everyone for their wishes. @Frederic, I hope the promotion doesn't have anything to do with my change in vehicle 😂.

The body weight is much lighter than a FJ, and with the SWB it does much better on the sand. Plus the all round visibility of a Prado is far better than a FJ

You don’t need to open an engine to diagnose a gasket problem. This is what sniff testers, leak down testers, pressure testers etc are for. Mechanic is either making guesses and doesn’t know what he’s doing, or he wants to open it then it’s too late and you’re already stung for labour charges. The only time you should open an engine is to repair it, not to make a diagnosis.

Then the right course of action is to replace the clutch. Not lock it.

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST 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 Allowed) When: 10 Jul 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Solar Park Pylon - https://goo.gl/maps/N6DVvggsNYBP9FuS6 (24°46'23.2"N 55°21'15.8"E) Action Plan: Morning drive till about 08:30 – 09:00 AM Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Please also make sure you have all the equipment required on board as a Fewbie. THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL STRATING AND ENDING THE DRIVE AT THE SAME POINT, WHICH IS NOT CLOSE TO AN AIR LINE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. Approximate finish time: 08:30 – 09.00 AM End Point: Solar Park Pylon - https://goo.gl/maps/N6DVvggsNYBP9FuS6 (24°46'23.2"N 55°21'15.8"E) LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST 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: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Fewbie PLUS and above (Min. 5 Fewbie drives with Carnity.com) When: 10 Jul 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 4:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Camel Race Track - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7do7vc1px3BgZmB36 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 8:00 PM End Point: Dubai - Solar Park / Qudra P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 PM. 10 Fewbie PLUS and above drivers. 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

Join us in exploring the Al Qudra Desert to see what's beyond the lakes, and learn the art of offroading at the same time ! This area is a very versatile playground for Absolute Newbies on their first offroad adventure. If you have already driven in sand before, then you can learn more from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to test your off-road control. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. You can bring your family, friends and kids, but if you are absolute new to sand offroading we advise you to drive alone first to learn off-roading without any distractions. What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading Desert driving basics and etiquette Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Why should i join? We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Can my vehicle do this ? This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further. Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any modified vehicle. Can i bring passengers ? Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions. STRICTLY: For ABSOLUTE NEWBIE who are driving for the first time with Carnity. MUST READ AND AGREE - COVID19 PRECAUTIONS MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: All Levels When: Jul 10, 2020 Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Al Qudra - https://goo.gl/maps/ZgS2Gqam9PcsxWR48 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 09:00 AM End Point: Qudra Parking - https://goo.gl/maps/eV6UEio13s97pKSp8 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 5PM. 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. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Lucky guy... What was wrong here? IMG_0901.MP4

@Incognitoes as you got a spot on Qudra drives I have removed your name from this drive. @Janarthan you are still signed up on two drives. Let me know you will be joining on which drive.

@Wrangeld thank you for such a beneficial briefing. This one will be my first Fewbie drive and I'll try to keep all in my mind...

If you watch the UV5-R Youtube video it will show you that you need to remove/delete channel 1 till 5 and then start over again. You might have skipped a small portion. Just go through the Youtube video from the start and follow every step exactly. It probably went wrong in steps 6 and 7

I have the baofeng uv-5r

Thank you! already programmed all 5 channels. is it normal however that when you press the PTT button the frequency on the screen will change? i feel like my recieving frequency and my transmitting frequency are different. not sure if however this is how it should be. for example now i am on channel one and the screen shows frequency of 446.006.25 when i click PTT 462.887.50 comes up on the screen.

Hi @Oliver Slade The website can be a bit challenging at first, please have a look at below video to show you how to navigate through most of the pages. If you have a laptop or PC, it might be more useful to find your way around the website in the beginning.

You will find all the 5 Carnity frequencies in below topic. Also the tutorial and video on how to program your radio. Let me know if you have any questions,

I've added you to the drive RSVP as it was the last available spot.

@treks thanks for advise , I will now instruct them to replace Radiator with new original

Hi @Oliver Slade welcome to Carnity Offroad Club ! Of course you can join. Could you please do the following ? 1) Please reply which car you are driving, if you have prior offroad experience, and confirm if your vehicle's front and back towpoints are in perfect condition. 2) Please take your time to go through the briefing video and let us know which offroad-tools you have or don't have yet. 3) Please read the separate topic about Covid19 precautions and click on the "totally agree" emoji as confirmation that you have read and agreed with these precautions. 4) You'll need to RSVP on the drive calendar. On the right side of the Carnity Home page you will see all the drives which are scheduled. Click on the Absolute newbie drive and in the left corner you will see the RSVP signup (as pic below). Now click on "GOING" and your name will appear on the RSVP list. Thanks !

Please can I join this drive?

@treks I made amistake I didnt check anything and handed over car to mechanic who flushed and refilled coolant but the heating remain same plus the AC gas disapeared and started suggesting me to do different modifications, I shifted my car to another mechanic as per him radiator is blocked due improper flushing and thermostatic valve not working, By today evening he will give me detail report , lets see .Personally belive if thermostatc valve working proper no harm in locking the fan

@Frederic Hey Fred, just wanted to check with you if I'm good to go. I got my Radio and Flag yesterday. Hope I made it to Friday's list. Thanks

Thanks for the information Craig, we will make sure that in a couple of weeks you'll be able to traverse dunes from all directions with us Please click on the Totally Agreed Emoji in the Covid19 precautions post, this is mandatory before being allowed on the drive, See you on Friday !

@Frederic I have a Jeep Wrangler (JLU) 2019. I've just installed a lift kit and BFG tyres. My off-road experience is very limited - to the extent that my Cherokee SRT allows! Literally just off the road. Keen to get involved in real off roading. Craig

Dear @Ahmed Farghaly @Nabil Bishara @Mukundan Nair @Adam Koster @Christian Andras @h1fny To make sure you understand and agree with our COVID19 precautions, we would like to ask you to click on the "Totally Agree" icon in the Covid19 Precautions Topic. Below a video on how to do this:

Ok, thanks. So no point buying recovery hook (see picture). Anyway, looking forward to meeting all on Friday and getting some more answers Anyway, I bought a proper 14 tonnes kinetic recovery rope and 2 soft shackles, so I hope to make it. /Chris

Dear Frederic, It’s a 2017 FJ Cruiser, no modifications other than really good off-road tires. The car has original tow hooks back and front, but also a tow hitch, however I only have the “ball” adapter, I don’t know if I should use the hitch or the original hook if I have to pull somebody out. In that case I should buy a proper adapter for the hitch. I also plan to add a 10 mm aluminum skid plate in front instead of the original one, but I won’t make it this week, I hope though I don’t need this for a Newbe tour...:-) I have never driven in the desert with proper car, however I participated in a 6days race in Marocco desert with a 30-y old Fiat Panda 2x4...So I definitely see myself as newbe...

I imagine this road would be fun to drive on Dubai style. Sending it in a Sunny with a white Patrol 2 inches off your back bumper flashing the headlights. It’s not a limit, it’s a target and don’t forget the 20 kph buffer if you don’t want to be pushed out of the way.

Dear fellow Desertnauts. While we wait for the group to take its final form, I would like to remind all of those who have registered, and who still wish to, that the drive is reserved for FEWBIE PLUS. This means more experienced fewbie drivers, indicating those who have at least 5 Fewbie drives under their belt. If any of you does not satisfy this requirement, kindly remove yourself from the drive, so that others may join. The Marshals and I will double check this status, and proceed accordingly with confirming or amending the drive's group. With this in mind, I would like to introduce you to the drive's geography. We will set out to explore an area that for most of you will be unknown: Al Lisaili. I have driven past it many times, while on the way to Faqa, but never knew this region, hidden behind Dubai's major cameldrome and its connected camel farms, would be able to offer such an interesting off-roading ground. We will follow the track under the pylons until we'll be able to go past a very long and well hidden camel race track. We then will proceed to enter a very technical area of dunes with soft sand, through which we will finally reach the more open, long range dunes, where the fun will begin. We'll cross many dunes, with some ridge riding, on much firmer sand than at the beginning. Our goal is to go as far as possible, in the direction of Al Qudra's Solar Innovation Center, while keeping the track under the pylons nearby, on our right, so we may exit as soon as the dark sets in. While you start savoring the drive, I wish you all a great week.

A new clutch will work as it's supposed to. If you have a fan clutch that is 15 years old and you are bashing your car off road. Then you have bigger problems than just your fan. And in this scenario this discussion is moot anyways. Since it's happening at highway-ish speeds where the fan has no role to play in engine cooling

Only if you can shed light to 100% prove whether clutch is culprit or not? Not that newspaper test or hand movement test, as its one way test, to test its running at half RPM. I mean how will you make sure its engaging at right thermal point as designed 15 years back and not half an hour later?

Agree and I never denied that. Read again my earlier post A mechanic here will reach to this 500-1000 dhs fan change after changing 20,000 dhs worth of parts,

If by direct you mean the clutch is jammed and spins with the same rpm as the engine does all the time then it I s a bad idea regardless. I've had vehicles before that had this band aid hack on them aboslutely terrible. Wouldn't recommend it to anybody. And don't mind if I go with a car manufacturer who has spent billions on R&D by trained engineers over Mr Gaurav weekend warrior research and data. A properly working fan is more than enough. It's thermally activated regardless of speed. So even if you are going fast in the desert and under hood temps get high it kicks into action. If you must go that root then get rid of it all together and put a couple off Kenlowes on it with a indash switch. You will actually gain more power this way. Car will be a lot smoother and quieter too.

I have even gone to the extent of doing a decibel test before and after and it hardly made any noise difference.

I disagree totally, if the normal temp is around a 100 degree then 110 and that too in his summer heat is acceptable and within operational range. Unless specified otherwise by Jeep. Second never ever direct you fan clutch. You will be robbing your car of massive horsepower, increase in fuel usage and extra stress on pulleys and tensioners. Not to mentions it's will howl like a banshee all the time and the faster you go the louder the howl Clutch fans are there only to assist in airflow when the car is moving slow or standing and not enough air is flowing through the radiator once car starts moving above certain speed fan is no longer needed and disconnects. If the car is overheating " Making a fan direct is just a band aid temp fix. Better to replace the clutch. Fan has no role to play in cooling the car at speeds like 90. If it really is overheating at 90 then sertec is probably right. It's a clogged rad.

It's a jeep. It's supposed to overheat.