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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/24/2021 in all areas

  1. Hello @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Adhir Saxena @Charbel @Sunil Mathew @Fabien Monleau @Vanessa8580 @Chinthaka Ruwan @TT_Dubai @darren thompson @Paul Zeitoun @Russ Thank you for joining the drive and making it fun. It was a great privilege to have Marshal support of @Vanessa8580. Thank you @Russ for your assistance in recovery and for being an amazing sweep, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil for being my dedicated second lead and as always you did a great job. This morning, we were the only convoy around the area except of the convoy of camel that we crossed. Due to the strong wind in the last week, the terrain was more challenging this time with lots of soft sand and pockets all around. At the beginning, We got 2 stuck from myself and Vanessa which were recovered within minutes from which we always get to learn. We also encountered some refusals which required re-attempts to gain more momentum and different angle of climb. We got extensive practice on criss crossing and ridge riding along the way. Well done everybody, all of you drove really well and coped with different challenges. I was surprised with the trucks at the back especially managing through the technical areas with tight dunes without any issue. We drove for nearly 3 hours and we stopped for almost 30 minutes for recovery and break Looking forward to see you in another drive soon.
    8 points
  2. As usual, @Anish S does not disappoint and i believe Murquab can be called his hometown now and he can drive with eyes closed. I have been to many drives in the same area with him and learnt something new everytime, and today i was trying to get the approach angle right (again!!) , to get on ridges at lower speeds, and also experimenting with 2nd gear with AC/without AC etc on side slopes, resulting in some early exits, as i wanted to know how far i can go. My car had some issues during a previous drive where it cuts off power and engine load reaches 100%, - put some injector cleaner , topped up coolant , and continuously monitored engine load via OBD during the drive, and no issues, thankfully. Lot of ridge riding and criss crossings, to develop confidence in this maneuver, which i enjoyed. On a lighter note. this drive needs to be written in red letters, where both our seniors Anish and @Vanessa8580 got stuck , while we ducklings did not , off course, they were showing us how to get stuck and demonstrating recovery procedures 😉😉.... Jokes apart, it was a great fun drive, thanks to our leads , @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil our permanent SL and @Russ at sweep. @Adhir Saxena @Charbel @Fabien Monleau @Chinthaka Ruwan @TT_Dubai @darren thompson @Paul Zeitoun , good to drive with you. And ..have a great vacation @Vanessa8580
    8 points
  3. Thanks @Anish S for leading us this morning, it’s always a good drive with you and this area definitely provides a good mix of dune types.. As I said on the radio at the end, it was really impressive how everyone drove today in some very technical and soft sand areas! And it was great to finally drive with @Vanessa8580 - enjoy your long trip home! Until the next time..
    7 points
  4. Smaller convey is always fun. Thank you @Jeepie for the selection of terrain, it was an good opportunity for me to improve the momentum control in faster pace technical areas. Driving on the north side of the big red was indeed enjoyable, could have pushed for more fun if the transmission overheating didnt happen. I think @Hisham Masaad should open up a "Hill Climbing Master Class", it is now not surprising anymore that the black FJ alway reaches the highest point of hills.🙃 Always feel good to have @Ranjan Das and @Hisham Masaad in the support team and thank you @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil for being a wonderful SL. Driving with familiar faces relaxes me, good to see you all again and wishing for more to come @Sunil Mathew @darren thompson @Chris Wing Till next time~
    7 points
  5. What a great drive this morning! Thanks @Anish S for the lead and the variety of techniques to practice. I really enjoyed the technical section which was a real learning experience in a LWB car. Thanks also to @Vanessa8580for the usual energy and guidance in recoveries. I think you and Anish make a very good team - cool methodical approach and a dynamic sidekick! @Russ was, I am sure, having fun sweeping us all at the back. Many thanks! We saw camels (lots of them) and "Abdullah" who was a guy wondering the desert probably looking for Dubai Mall. I truly think everyone drove fabulously today. The Ram and the Raptors were just cruising along taking everything in their stride. I have previously driven with most of the other gents and super to see hardly any refusals which in some churned up terrain and soft sand and strong winds is testament to a new level of skills! Well done all (and I am sure we took good note of the recovery demonstrations provided by Anish and Vanessa!) 😀 Looking forward to another outing soon! A couple of pics in the Gallery!
    7 points
  6. That was such an enjoyable drive which we absolutely need to do again! Especially the part that everyone enjoyed, the dunes just before big red! I got a couple of refusals and stupid-me even got lost at some point and thanks to @Hisham Masaadfor helping me find my way back 😛 thanks @Jeepie @Hisham Masaad and @Ranjan Das Always a pleasure being in your drives👍🏼
    7 points
  7. Thank you @Jeepie for that beautiful drive. Probably one of the best I had Really enjoyed climbing those dunes in front of Big Red, step by step and pushing the car all the way up ! It was beautiful, nice, challenging and different. Thank you @Ranjan Das and @Hisham Masaad for the support and all the little technical tips and tricks. The convoy was also very fun and good. I don't think any body has beaten my record of crests per ride, or crest at the same spot 😅 See you all very soon.
    7 points
  8. @Anish S and @Vanessa8580 next time you need to train some drivers on soft sand, you need to call the 3 beasts @Russ, @darren thompson and myself, put us in the front of the convoy and we'll make sure to destroy any compacted sand patches. 🤣🤣
    6 points
  9. It is my first time being round Suwaydan and Faya after nearly 20 drives with Carnity, Thank you @Frederic . I never expected this much of trees and scenery in a desert, and I had the luxury to enjoy it as it was a newbie drive. Good to know that my v6 powered 2.2 ton pathfinder is able to climb that hill in Faya, and still has some spare power left, Fewbie drives in Faya area definitely will be interesting. Felt covered already when I saw @Hisham Masaad @Ranjan Das @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ in the support team! The newbies in second half of the convoy indeed did a great job, I believe they are all ready for more challenages in fewbie level😁, see you soon!
    6 points
  10. So, thats me up there in those comments 😅 , with 2 longitudinal stucks - along the length of the car, squatting on the ridge !! one needed shovelling + self recovery, and the other one , i could self recover. The first one forced the whole convoy out of their cars, and all 7 shovels around my car probably!! 🙂 Dunes in Sharjah around the big red are always a bit challenging for me compared to those in Dubai , and this drive was no different. Thanks @Jeepie for the nice and challenging drive, yes , some crossings were a bar higher for me, but its a learning experience, and i got 2 good chances to practice self recovery, although at the expense of the convoy's drive time. @Hisham Masaad, as usual amazing and selfless support , joined by @Ranjan Das with his new Rubi and guidance over the radio. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalilback in his SL suit 👍, and fyi my "stuck stats" if we can call it that - 2 transverse crests and 2 longitudinal crests in 22 drives, not bad eh ?? after all how do you learn to recover yourself , without getting stuck 😉 @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @darren thompson @Chris Wing our paths cross again, and thanks for your shovel time!!
    6 points
  11. Beautiful morning ! @Anish S, as usual, your choices of terrain and lines are always interesting, fun yet challenging. I admire your calm and your pedagogy in all situations. Thank you @Vanessa8580 for the amazing support and your contagious energy. Even at 5am, no one ever feels groggy when you're around Good job @Russ keeping the convoy safe and an eye on everyone from the back. Our convoy this morning was so fresh, really felt everyone was confident and happy to improve their skills. Also had some good laughs all along... That's the @Carnity spirit ! PS : @TT_Dubai @Chinthaka Ruwan nice pics ! PPS : @Fabien Monleau la classe !
    5 points
  12. @Anish S thanks for another wonderful drive. It's a mix of everything and a good experience. Everyone did so well. Thanks @Vanessa8580 @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Russ for great support. @Vanessa8580 Always happy to drive with you😄. You make every drive more fun and special 😀. Have a safe flight tomorrow. See you all soon. I have uploaded some pictures to the Gallery.
    4 points
  13. Looking forward to driving with you again! It’s okay I leave @Arman behind next time so i can reach my full potential.
    4 points
  14. @varunmehndiratta congratulations on the birth of your baby ... No more problems with early starts. You'll be up anyhow.
    4 points
  15. Thanks @Jeepie for an outstanding drive this morning. Really enjoyed the variety of dunes, lines and pace with which we tackled this mornings drive. lot’s of fast paced dunes mixed with some more technical challenges kept it interesting and the Raptor working through the soft, churned up sand at the back. Was great fun. thanks to @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Ranjan Das and @Hisham Masaad for filling the support roles so well and helping to make this a great drive.
    4 points
  16. Was an amazing drive today @Jeepie, thank you very much. With the team who was really coping with different terrain, made us enjoying the drive without the need to go out for support except few. It is the first time I go with you as lead, and hope will repeat again. Glad to see @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil as SL and controlling his car, climbing up the dunes. Pleasure to be with @Ranjan Das again as support, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Sunil Mathew @Chris Wing and @darren thompson thank you for joining and saving every one from spending more time in the sun and out of cars..👏👏👏👏 see you soon in sand
    4 points
  17. Oh yes, you are. I rem seeing Abdulla mouth was wide open while climbing that dune after 14 PSI, as if he is breathing from mouth and pushing LC upward from drivers seat.
    3 points
  18. 3. At low speed, when turning the wheels to park or do low speed manoeuvres te car felt like stopping (like in the sand almost) Never do this while 4H is engaged, the effect you’re describing is called differential lockup and can seriously damage the vehicle. 4H and 4L should only be tested on soft sand, never on tarmac. (Unless 4H has an open center differential like the Pajero).
    3 points
  19. Good morning @Enrico Biscaro I think we had the same experience. First experience with @Carnity is that I joined for one month. One AN drive was good, then the last day in that month I joined the first NB drive. Had my family with me, reached meeting point, deflated, flag on. Went to the lead and asked him for the radio (thinking radio to be given same AN), he said no more, you need to have the radio. Sent me back😢. Since every thing was ready, thought will go for solo drive close to the main road, in case something wrong at least I am not far in the desert. At the first slope, every one was screaming in back seat. Immediately stopped, and found I was so lucky to be sent back. Since then no one is joining except my son Abdelghani. Next day registered for a year, since was confident this is my place, and radio was ready😀😀😀. Apologies for the long story
    3 points
  20. @Gaurav Thank you so much for the feedback on today's drive and being and absolute beast of a captain and leader. It was my first off roading experience and I would say today's experience was definitely a crash course on how to ride the runes, respect mother nature, importance of safety, and how to have a fun. I cannot thank you, @Vanessa8580, and @Aisha S for giving me to the confidence to explore this hobby and I must say I'm already hooked! There is definitely a lot of things I learnt today and I'm hungry to learn more and enjoy this further!
    3 points
  21. Thanks @Lakshmi Narasimhan @Hisham Masaad and @Niki for the wishes... 😃
    3 points
  22. @Ranjan Das @Hisham Masaad @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Sunil Mathew, @Chris Wing and @darren thompson I think we had a drive with a lot of different terrain and we did some virgin ridges. The whole area to and around Pink Rock was quite soft, but hardly any tracks, which was nice for me as a lead as well. After practicing on the lower dunes we snaked our way up towards the big dune in front of Big Red. I got the impression that you all enjoyed that area. I actually enjoy it more than Big Red. Here we did find some tracks, but nothing too crazy. We had a small convoy, but I would like to thank you all for great teamwork. A couple of refusals and reattempts, one tug and one big dig, just to make sure we all got some exercise too. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil you did a great job as second lead and redirected when requested. @Ranjan Das thank you for taking on the responsibility of center forward and @Hisham Masaad(and son) thank you for keeping us all together. @Sunil Mathew @Zixuan Huang - Charlie there were a few occasions where I was surprised to see you were still behind me, because some crossings were definitely not easy. A reattempt here and there is nothing to worry about. @Chris Wing @darren thompson I hardly saw or heard you, so you must have been coping really well in the churned up tracks. I posted quite a lot of pictures in the gallery. Hope to see again soon
    3 points
  23. I had a center diff lock issue few weeks back: after self-recovery the center diff lock remained locked and would not unlock, causing heavy steering when driving home. My mechanic was trying to solve the center diff problem by isolation: whether it was mechanical (possible fix: change center diff lock actuator), or was it electrical (possible fix: clean dirty connections). While he was doing that, I was reading the materials from my Land Cruiser Repair Manuals and some other sources. Thought I'd share my "differential enlightenment" here, and try to explain it as non-technical as possible 🙂 FYI, I've arranged it so that everyone knows the context and working background of a diff before using this knowledge to our offroad driving, so read from 1-2-3-4, but if you wanna go straight to how we use diff locks, go ahead to point #4 below: 1. The Minimum 3 Diffs required for most cars Forget if you have 3 buttons with labels: RR/Rear Lock, Center Lock, FF/Front Lock. Forget the IFS vs Solid Axle debate for front drive. Turn your 4WD car upside-down (or easier to look at the underbody diagram in your manual 😁 ), it better have 3 differentials: Rear Diff (Red Sphere), Center Diff hidden in what's known as Transfer Case that also holds the 4LO low-gearing (Purple Sphere) and Front Diff (Blue Sphere). What's that, you don't like this 3D illustration? Let's show a real example with an old Toyota Fake Jeep #whoops I meant FJ 😂 You can see I circled the 3 "pumpkins" casing showing the 3 differentials location 👇 2. Why do we need those spheres/pumpkins/diffs ? The picture below shows 2 tyres on an axle with NO DIFF. Do you think it will turn nicely without slipping? Do we want this kind of horse carriage in our modern 4WD systems? 😅 So there you go, we need Diffs to make smooth turnings without stressing the driveline. In the illustration below, when we turn the Red Curve is longer (travel more distance) than the Blue Curve (travel less distance), so how can they turn at different rates when the engine gives the same power of 1,000 rpm? The answer: the magical mechanical device called a differential 😊 General Motors made this video long long time back, even though it's in Black & White, it explains how the concept of Differential came about (also explained how the Spider Gears work!). The video is optional, only for the technically-inclined and curious ones... 3. Why do we need that Center Diff? So from point #2 above, we know Diffs are used for turning the car, so front & rear diffs make sense, but what does a center diff do? Tilt the car? Refer to sketch drawing below: The car is turning left. Each wheel follows a different curve path: the inside wheels don't need to turn so fast, so in this diagram the front inside wheel needs 50 rpm and the rear inside wheel needs 48 rpm. BUT in order to turn, the front wheels need to turn faster than the rear wheels: thus the outer front wheel needs 54 rpm and the inner outer front wheel needs 50 rpm. Both front wheels are rotating faster than the rear wheels. If you add all the power required, Total Front Drive Power Needed = 54 + 50 = 104 rpm and Total Front Rear Power Needed = 52 + 48 = 100 rpm. WITHOUT CENTER DIFF, the transmission outputs 100 rpm to both Front and Rear drive shafts. So what? Well, that 104 rpm needed to turn wheels is greater than then 100 rpm, so extra stress is created... if continous stress is accumulated, this may lead to the image below, kablooi! So the Center Diff is similar to point #2 above, but instead of allowing inside wheel & outside wheel turn at different rates, the Center Diff allows the front axle and the rear axle to get different power output. Refer to diagram below now: So by having that Sphere/Pumpkin/Diff in the middle, the front drive shaft gets more power to accelerate faster than the rear drive shaft which move slower. Don't believe this paper drawings and theories? Well let's watch how the World Rally Championship uses Center Diffs to make turnings smoother and then lock the Center Diff to distribute power in a straight-line driving: 4. Press that Center Diff Lock! Finally we can use all that theories to use. Refer to below illustration: Red Axle is the rear and Blue Axle is the front. The Front-Right wheel is slipping while the rest of 3 tyres got some traction. Why won't the car move? Here's a little secret: Diffs are great for helping to turn, but the side-effect of a diff is that the output power from transmission will go to the wheel with the least traction. In the diagram above, that means the Front-Left Blue tyre will not turn at all! BUT we still have the 2 Rear Red tyres with traction, don't we? Yes, but from Point #3 we know an open Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn at different rates, so in this case more power is given to the Front Blue Axle because of that spinning wheel that has the least traction... thus the rear tyres spin r.e.a.l.l.y s.l.o.w.l.y , making the driver frustrated and leaving him sweating 😂 Now we hear those famous words from the radio: "Engage 4LO and (Center) Diff Lock" We'll talk about 4LO some other time, but the effect of pressing the Center Diff Lock is now this illustration: No it's not the same image... ok yes, but watch the rotational arrows at the back. You see that Front-Right Blue slipping wheel? That one is stealing all the drive power. BUT because of Center Diff Lock, we now forced the Front & Rear axles to turn at the same rate. So if the Front-Right Blue is stealing 100 rpm slipping, then now the Rear Tyres are also spinning 100 rpm, with probably 50:50, so Rear-Right is 50 rpm and Rear-Left is 50 rpm. Because the Rear Tyres have traction (those brown balls), then the rear tyres move the car forward... or down-right depending on the angle you wanna recover. 5. Press that Rear Diff Lock! So you think Center Diff Lock is enough and no need for a rope tug? Well check the illustration below: Now we have 2 wheels spinning: one in the front (Front-Right Blue) and one in the back (Rear-Left Red). You press Center Diff: nothing is moving. Why? Well the Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn the same, that bit is right... BUT because power is lost to the least wheel with traction, the transmission output will just spin both wheels (Front-Right Blue & Rear-Left Red). Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Left: 50 rpm spinning (same speed as Front-Right due to Center Diff locked) Here's what's gonna happen if your 4WD is lucky enought to have a Rear Diff Lock button: It's the same image again? Yessirree but look at the rotational arrows, especially at the rear red axle. So now Rear Differential is locked, splitting 50:50 drive power to the Rear-Right Red tyre and the Rear-Left Red tyre. Now instead of Zero RPM, that Rear-Left tyre will get 25rpm and might just nudge the car forward a bit... slowly but steadily, you might self-recover! Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) Yes you have to do Double-Locking: press Center Diff Lock first, then Rear Diff Lock. 6. Press that Front Diff Lock! That situation in Point #5? Well you have a higher chance of self-recovery if your beloved 4WD also has a Front Diff Lock. Refer to illustration below: Calculatively: Front-Right: 25 rpm spinning Front-Left: 25 rpm (due to Front Diff Lock) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) You can now do Triple Locking: get out of the car, assess the situation, then press the magic 3 buttons: Center Diff Lock On, Rear Diff Lock On, and Front Diff Lock On. 7. Cars with Triple Locking from Factory If you made it to this point, then you may want to now look for second-hand 4WDs that have triple-locking from the factory 😊 Here are 3 that I know of (please add if you know more): 7.1. Land Cruiser 80 Series: just look at the diff lock indicators on that dashboard. No custom aftermarket buttons to show if your car is triple-locked 😁 7.2 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. Do you know why I said the order is Center Diff Lock then Rear Diff Lock then last is Front Diff Lock? It's because Mercedes Benz labelled it in that order too! 7.3 Land Cruiser 300: well, this one you have to wait, and there's no second-hand market yet, so this is the most expensive triple-locked currently 😅 Sources: The nice 3D Illustrations are from the Land Cruiser Cool Project.
    2 points
  24. This is an amazing effort @Zed to enlighten everyone with your recent differential enlightenment. Just a small add-on on few points for better clarity. Point 4: Center differential engagement comes standard when you switch to LO gear. Second, you can use center differential in high using HLC (Hi Lock Center diff), hence in most cars, there is no button labeled as center diff, one can use center diff either in HLC or in LLC 4X4 gearing. Point 5: Rear diff-lock will only help to get unstuck if any one of the rear wheels still has traction. If both rear wheels are in the air or deep inside the sand then the rear diff-lock won't be able to help much. Point 7: Jeep Rubicon has all three diff and plus sway bar disconnect option with a flick of a button, that can work wonder even when the vehicle is crested with all 4 wheels in the air. Sway bar disconnect will drop the front wheel lower by a couple of inches and increase the chance of self-recovery if cresting is not on razor-sharp blade.
    2 points
  25. Reg. Diff lock - yes sports and Sahara don't come with diff lock. However just to share JK and JL come with inbuilt BLDs (brake lock diff) which engages automatically in tricky situations ... I have experienced Jeep recovering itself without diff locks from situations where some other vehicles struggled despite diff locks .. somehow Jeep need to sell it better. I was also taken back that Sahara doesn't have diff locks but then driving over last 6-7 months realized that BLD is really smart.
    2 points
  26. Congratulations @varunmehndiratta for having a baby girl, may she have good health and prosperity... Ameen
    2 points
  27. Nissan Patrol Gazelle If your budget is growing 👍🏽 @Enrico Biscaro with regards your used Jeep experience pls go and arrange to test drive for a brand new SWB from dealers or others and that way you can immediate get a perspective on the experience. A full service history from trading enterprises is a good sign… the rest not so much however if that’s how a new stock jeep runs then you definitely have a good option. The crazy part is that car new was approx 105k (pre VAT days) so the used market is still steep it seems!
    2 points
  28. It is @Ale Vallecchi always a pleasure and an honour to be in your convoy equally the learning experience we get. I am looking forward to your upcoming drive postings.
    2 points
  29. @Gaurav. @Vanessa8580 thank you so much for your efforts in yesterday drive I really enjoyed and learned a lot of off-road technic and definitely I will work on my communications on radio next time. Thank you again and hope seeing you in upcoming drives.
    2 points
  30. Hello @ShereenMK, i think we "crashed" to your private session last time and @Karthikeyan Govindarajan showed that if you get distracted or miscalculated for 1 second, you can get crested & stuck 😂. Hope you'll enjoy driving on the sand and make it a weekend hobby, we need more folks in Abu Dhabi 😊 As for your car, it's too early to hunt. Watch the video link below, my friend drove a Montero Sport to climb Bu Tais Dune, and he always says it's the driver that makes it, not the car ☺️ You only need to find a second-hand car once you damage your Montero like breaking bumpers 😂
    2 points
  31. Oh i’m harmless 👶🏻 It’s my first time driving (in the passenger seat) with you and I was very impressed. You’re a very good leader. Thank you for everything!
    2 points
  32. Trip Report After a long time, I have done an Absolute Newbie drive and thoroughly enjoyed today with absolutely amazing drivers and cars. We started on time as usual and we drove for over 40 km in 3h:30m drive time. Started with an intro on the sand track and slowly moved to the dunes to practice the vehicle dynamic on different angles on the sand. After the initial introduction, the fun stuff started that most of the drivers enjoyed with a big smile and had a bit of hesitation in the beginning and after few attempts of rainbow and arc, they thoroughly went through flawlessly and asked for more. Everyone holds very good control, patience, and teamwork towards an end when we entered and backtrack from technical dunes to escape. @eldose baby your control of taming Lexus power and managing on the downhill with precision shows your level head. It's a very good luxury SUV that you can safely use till Newbie to Fewbie level but with a caution of the front bumper under plastic tray that I have pointed today. It has more power than Prado and must be awesome to drive at a higher level, but with proper underbody protection if you like to use the same vehicle for a long time. @Joji varghese as I said 2.7 is just a number in the beginning in the case of your Fortuner as the majority depends on the driver and you proved it right by managing it perfectly today without any stuck. Break this number barrier from your mind and focus on working with skills and this Fortuner can really go places even up to the Intermediate level depending on your driving ability and skills. @Mohamad Ziad Alhennawi your Hummer H3 and your driving skills shine bright today and haven't seen or heard any refusal mean you were in complete sync throughout the drive. Well done, keep it up and work on your communication skills as explained, because while driving in a convoy we usually depend a lot on point-to-point clear communication to help other drivers around. @AbdullaB your LC100 reminds me of my first day in offroading and exactly how I broke the lower lip like you did today as a gift to the desert god. There is nothing more to shed in this beast, so keep going. You did great today except for one minor hard landing (no big deal), work on practicing your brake a little harder after crossing the ridge and you will avoid any nose dives or hard landing in the future. Thanks, @Aisha S for mentoring Abdulla and not scaring him much @Rsjiv Samuel you were fantastic in your brand few desert toy, FJC, one of the best offroaders. Keep learning the right driving skills and FJC can easily scale up to any level in the future depending on your off-roading appetite. You were amazing and flawless today. @Tom V the choice of Nissan Xterra offroad version is amazing as these are the last of best offroader Nissan has produced and you have secured the low mileage vehicle as an awesome deal. Keep enjoining and be sensible you really don't need to worry about any changes anytime soon. Keep your inquisitive nature as that helps a lot in learning the tricks of offroading so that you can enjoy weekly drives safely and confidently. @Vanessa8580 thanks a lot for your excellent support and eagle eyes on the whole convoy today. See you after your holiday break and enjoy Belgian cold weather during Dubai summer. Moving forward you all will be joining the Newbie drives and not an Absolute Newbie drive. Drives are announced every Sunday at 11 am, and they go live on Sunday at 7:00 pm. Due to the high demand, these drives get full in about 10 minutes, so please be online at 7 pm to book your spot. If you miss a spot, put your name on the waitlist asap. Generally, by Thursday with dropouts everyone does get a spot if they have waitlisted. For the next drives, please bring along a deflator, pressure gauge, flag, compressor and radio as a minimum. Learn to deflate your tires and checking them precisely Learn to fix a flag on your car Learn to program and fully charge your radio Also like I mentioned during the debriefing, join the Carnity Whatsapp Drive Notification to get the latest updates on the drives, so that you can RSVP on time for the next weekend's drive. Please have a look at below topic which describes the tools needed for every level. There is a separate tutorial inside which explains which radio we recommend and how to program them: (Please do not buy the Baofeng 888S spare radio we gave you, as these cannot be programmed without a special cable and software). Please have a look at below grading structure that explains various off-road levels: See you guys soon on the sand. Take care.
    2 points
  33. Congrats for the new addition to your family. Wish your adorable daughter fill your family with joy!!! Take your time before taking her for a ride on the sand!!!!!
    2 points
  34. 100 Anniversary Drive: Fun in Murqab and Lisaili - Report When I am silent, I fall into that place where everything is music – Rumi First of all, sorry for filing the report with much delay, due to my travelling overseas. I have been busy with business and family matters and have just been able to write up the usual recount of my latest drives. While July 9th and 10th anniversary weekend’s main theme was enjoying my drives with as many Carnity members as possible, to celebrate a milestone I never thought of reaching (100 drives, incidentally, on my birthday’s weekend), two more things, of no less importance, became a common thread that wove my itineraries together: to bring on new challenges, and enjoy long stretches of silence, during the drives. Since friendly camaraderie, new challenges, and enjoying the silence were shared with all drivers, throughout this triple outing, I will write a similar report for all 3 drives, with just a few specifics, here and there, referring to each. Friendship and the feeling of being part of a family are the traits that distinguish Carnity from other off-roading clubs. Hence, I was blessed for having part of this enlarged family with me during my birthday and 100 drives’ weekend, sharing the pleasure of driving on surprisingly pristine sand with as many fellow off-roaders as possible. On top of that, the huge number of wishes I have received from members in the last few days has been heart-warming. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer birthday and milestone’s celebrations, filled with fellowship and fun. Now, on with the part regarding raising the bar, and offering new challenges. All the three drives were upped and pushed beyond the average level of difficulty and skills expected from each rank. So, the Newbie outing slowly became a Fewbie, the Fewbie was pushed at least to a Fewbie Plus, and the Intermediate one turned into an Exploration Drive. The Murqab/Lisaili Fewbie drive provided the opportunity to explore a new route toward the easternmost boundary of the Lisaili plateau, as well as to cross the technical dunes further away from the pylons, closer to the new Solar Park’s phases (where the infamous “Chimney” looms on the near horizion). While the initial “exploration” of the boundaries between Murqab and Lisaili proceeded with no interruptions whatsoever, the technical dunes leading to the part of Lisaili richer in Ghaf trees, furthest from the pylons, became the terrain for very technical driving, forcing all members to use all their skills, with patience and perseverance. The presence of many trees, with their rooting systems, create a unique terrain, which becomes almost a maze of remarkably close ridges and drops, built and modified in all directions by the action of the wind swirling around the trees. On such an irregular surface, refusals and stucks abounded, forcing the convoy to proceed slowly, rerouting several times, until we finally reached the trees, and were able to direct ourselves toward the wider dunes, and eventually the exit on the Solar Park to Qudra’s tarmac road, just when as the sun dipped below the horizon. The greatest lesson learned during the drive, in my opinion, was the need to have the utmost concentration, and to exert as much patience as possible, to find the right lines around a soft bowl, the proper control down a steep drop and immediately up the following climb, finding that perfect balance between each car’s potential performance and the driver’s touch to achieve it whenever needed. There are clearly limits to the amount of concentration that can be maintained throughout a drive, which explains why the initial exploration of the technical dunes between Murqab and Lisaili was completed faultlessly, while the second technical stretch, which was tackled later in the drive, was faced with a few more issues, and took much longer to conquer. Nonetheless, the convoy completed the drive brilliantly, with grit and determination. Great job by @Chinthaka Ruwan, @Ammar Naji, @Charbel, @Anoop Nair, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @darren thompson, @Abdul Rafay-S, @Pierre de Maigret, @Adhir Saxena and @Chris Wing. The drive took 3:06 hours (only 1:49 moving, to testify its level of difficulty), covering 50.4 Km, at an average speed of 16 Km/h (but a brisk 28 Km/h while moving). In each drive, silence was loudly heard most of the time. Except for my briefing, redirections, and driving tips, all three itineraries had prolonged spells of no communication whatsoever. This is usually the sign of a drive proceeding super smoothly, during which the convoy falls into a perfect, yet silent, rhythm, each member both exploiting their skills to perfection as well as enjoying the route, its landscape, and the performance of the rest of the convoy. What a pleasure it was to celebrate with as many of you as possible, all rising to the challenge, fully enjoying our beautiful desert. Thanks to all and see you soon in the sand.
    2 points
  35. And the hat tips right back at you @Daniel Yang. Watching your Y62 gliding in my rear-view mirror, hoovering up the desert sands in your deft hands was the most fulfilling sight. I look forward to having our two generations meet again soon! And to @Frederic, thank you for what was the most visually magnificent drive. From that glorious sunrise to the changing colors of the sand shining with the rising light, I was in a visual trance. Perhaps, that's the reason I completely missed those bushes 😛 - thank you @Hisham Masaad for bailing me out on that one and for the phenomenal advice on the climb. @Ranjan Das watching you lead me with a LWB gave me so much more confidence on approach angles.
    2 points
  36. Thank you Marjan @Jeepie for the wonderful drive; from small technical dunes to the big-red, ridge-riding, crisscrossing and lovely climbs on the bowls - it had everything. The relatively small convoy that we had drove expertly with very few refusals and cresting meant that we had long stretches of continuous drives - just loved it. thanks @Hisham Masaad for your dependable support. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Sunil Mathew, @Chris Wing and @darren thompson - it was great meeting today and was a pleasure driving with you guys. Hope to see you soon
    2 points
  37. Hello @Enrico Biscaro, I drive a 2015 Sport (JKU - 4 door), bought it used with 54K on the ODO and stock condition , except for the rims - they were changed to 17 inch from the Rubicon. I paid 79K for it, a little steep, yes, but for the low ODO and the general condition, i thought it was worth. To answer your points from my experience of 4 months of ownership 🤞 1. Yes, the 4H is a little difficult to engage, as its a manual lever and no electronic gizmos there, but once you get the hang of it, it comes naturally. the 4L is even more difficult - even though the lever moves to position, the actual gears may not engage if you are not moving. The owners manual also recommends engaging 4L while moving at low speed of 5Km/h or something. So , when recovering from a stuck position, basically you are not moving and its a bit tricky to engage. Need to play around with the main transmission as well. 2. 4H does not feel wobbly at all, but if you tried taking a turn on tarmac, you will feel the resistance, as its not to be used where you have 100% traction. Maybe the tyres are worn out unevenly ? 3. not sure whats that. Car stopping - do you mean the engine stalled? 4. 👍👍 double thumbs up!! 5. As far as i know, Sahara and Sport do not come with a diff lock. Only the Rubicon has one. Hope this helps
    1 point
  38. Thanks for the lessons @Ale Vallecchi and a great drive ! Happy belated birthday and all the best on your travels ! See you on a drive soon!
    1 point
  39. Wow!! Many many congratulations @varunmehndiratta for the new addition to your family!! Such wonderful news and being tired as a new dad isn’t so difficult after being tired after every early summer drive May you daughter bring you fortune and happiness and look forward to celebrating (socially distanced of course :)) when we next are on a ride! 🥂🥂🥂🥂
    1 point
  40. Thank you @Frederic⁩ for the great lead! Loved the photo break and sweep back support by @Hisham Masaad, @munkybiznessyou really did a impressive job as your first newbie drive with your dreamed brand new Y61, i feel so relaxation when driving behind you. Looking forward to have next drive with you.
    1 point
  41. Thank you all for the wonderful drive. @Frederic, @Hisham Masaad, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ& @Ranjan Das thanks for the superb lead and management. The terrain today was unlike I have been in earlier drives. This is has been an extremely technical drive for me and taught so much more about driving in this specific terrain. It was all about sticking to the narrow paths, avoiding the vegetation and managing all those dips (i never realized that there could be so many dips in one drives ). I believe with each drive I get to learn something completely new and thats something I am thoroughly enjoying. Have uploaded a couple of images in the gallery that I captured.
    1 point
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