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Good evening all, It's Wednesday, which means that it's time to confirm who is on the drive. munkybizness @munkybizness Naveen Raj @Naveen Raj S Jacob @S Jacob Damien Ranjit @Damien Ranjit Alex Raptor @Alex Raptor Abdul Rafay-S @Abdul Rafay-S Niki @Niki Pierre de Maigret @Pierre de Maigret Christopher Assal @Christopher Assal Ehab @Ehab You're all confirmed for Friday. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil and @Ranjan Das you are the only waitlisted drivers, I'll decide on whether to extend and to add you to the drive, even though we were your second choice, tomorrow. . The convoy list and and radio I will publish during the day tomorrow. Hey ... it's the weekend. See you soon in the sand.

@JeromeFJ you gonna be great.tc.

Glad to welcome @Asif Hussain bhai for taking over this Sweihan drive.

As some of you will know I have a small addiction to toys, as such I have started seeing a potential issue with power consumption in my raptor, I have been researching options and looking at ways of improving the Raptorpresso™ experience. I have upgraded the alternator to 292A with 220A at idle, but with the winch drawing 348A at 10,000lb pull, it still needs to be intermittent usage, then on top of that the lights, the power draw for the Garmin and phone charging, plus my fridge in the centre console, its easily pulling over 80A without breathing. As long as everything else is off I can use the twin ARB's without receiving a warning as this is at idle and at the end of a drive, but with this any concerns will be a thing of the past. If I had considered a regular dual battery setup I would have had to install an isolator, a DC to DC charger that works with the newer "smart" alternators and BMS systems and rewire the winch and other 12v electrics to the second battery, this would have been a 12v system with thick 75mm2 plus cabling lots of breakers and no real way of running an inverter for a 1700w coffee machine without 3 or 4 lifeP04 batteries.. This is where I stumbled across Scotty, Scotty is a box that takes in 12v and pumps out 48v and pumps back in when required 12v. LifeP04 48v batteries are now available and are similarly priced to their 12v counterparts, better still the amp draw is less so thinner cables and a 48v/3000w inverter is much smaller and easier to run. So when the Raptor needs energy it can draw a further 250A from my 48v battery system (without additional 12V batteries) and when the batteries need charging they can draw up to 1000w from the alternator to charge up, its all automatic and works over CANbus similar to modern vehicles. This means I can run an inverter for Raptorpresso™ and power all my 12v DC stuff without any issues, this system will add about 40kg including batteries which is much less than a comparable AGM setup or 12v lifeP04 setup. The Australians who invented this of course are using it for campers, with hot water, AC, cook tops, so I have extra capacity for when I get into overloading etc. Also I can pop it out of this vehicle and move it to another if I ever changed the Raptor. The really geeky bit is the CANbus, the batteries have RJ45 sockets and are smart, they are the ones that control the charging, so the batteries are warrantied for 10 years, and the other equipment 5 years due to the fact that it looks after itself and knows what is too much or too little to avoid damage or over charge or over discharge of either the 48v or the starter battery. The buck boost is actually a part of modern EV's as this is how they "recover" energy from the alternator as they go, so modern hybrid's already have this system installed. Now I just have to find a way to get the batteries to DXB, the guys who make Scotty can log in through the controller remotely for any commissioning, the rest of the wiring is pretty standard.

Hope its a false positive @JeromeFJtc buddy

@Rawad please go for it , i will withdraw. Have fun. Hi, I would prefer fewbie plus, as I had some gap in between. So if I get a spot here, will withdraw from Solimon. Thanks.

Dear @JeromeFJ I'm sad to read the news and wish you a quick recovery and return to Dubai. See you soon in the sand

Hey @imranaasghar81check out this topic posted by Fred on the Gaia app

It was pre-covid days (2018/19) when I "tried" to drive there, and it was supposed to be a return trip without camping. I was driving my Santa Fe, and I missed one exit. Google decided therefore that a way through the back side of an Airforce Airfield is the way to go. I am a wuss - unsure if I wanted to proceed any further, I reversed back on to E11 and drove a bit towards Saudi and crossed then under construction Nuclear Power Plant and spent some time at a secluded beach with turquoise waters. 160 km/hr was a bit scary on a lightweight wobbly Santa Fe but, boy was it not fun. I am sure you will enjoy it in your Merc.

My pleasure @Gaurav bhai and @Srikumar for letting me to takeover this drive.. looking forward to drive with you guys soon. AD boys get ready to rock sweihan

All good @imranaasghar81 thanks for asking, what about you? Yes long time since we met. look to see you again in Sha Allah Salamat @JeromeFJ hope will recover soon

@Lorenzo Candelpergher If you can accommodate I would like to join the drive

Congrats @Damien Ranjit..

@Pacificare you joining mate? Or shall I add myself as am next to you in the WL?

Hisham long time my friend I hope you are well

@Ruan van den Heever where did you go mate? I was under the impression that the last drive was a bit too extreme for you, and that's why you took a break. 😜 But it's good to have you back. Look forward to meeting up with the Sweihan boys, but not this weekend. @Gaurav would be taking over this drive as I have some family commitments on Friday that needs me to be closer to home. But with the weather getting better and with a wonderful group of seasoned AD members, this season is going to be super awesome. I will definitely look forward to spending more time in the AD dunes and that also goes for many of the Leads in Carnity.

Join us to explore Sweihan Desert in Abu Dhabi and learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure. You will learn to self-drive your vehicle 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 vehicles having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY) Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY) 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 vehicle modifications. 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. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club 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: Newbie and Above (All Levels) When: 27 Aug 2021, Friday Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: - https://maps.app.goo.gl/91AwkW3CU4NGMyfFA 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: 9:00 AM LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 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 BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

There is a nice Camping / Glamping in the area called the dunes. The area around seem to offer some nice off-roading, but as we always say it takes two so I wa snot able to explore. Hope you enjoy the video

Thursday evening drive - we will be half wat through this time tomorrow. Sunil Mathew @Sunil Mathew Danish Mohammad @Danish Mohammad hasan hamadeh @hasan hamadeh TheoB @TheoB Santoso Marjuki @Santoso Marjuki Bernard Kalaani @Bernard Kalaani Myself and @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening. We have a nice mix of experience and a short convoy. Should be a fun drive. See you soon in the sand.

For air suspension being 13 years old, the cheapest and most reliable option is to convert to springs to avoid expensive air suspension replacement every couple of years. I had Range Rover P38 and remember the 3 beep nightmare at the highway and coming home on limp mode. I spent a lot to save (5-6K - one bladder after the other, then compressor then valve body, etc.) and after six months gave up and moved to springs. I think spring conversion was 2-3k tops. Almost all LR parts shops (gulf star or national auto) sell those spring conversion kits and your road comfort will be reduced by 10% as opposed to the hearsay story I heard and research before moving to old fashion spring than air bladder. While buying the springs do tell the parts guy that you need standard springs and not heavy-duty (if it's your road car). If you insist to keep EAS alive then order Arnott air bladder from the US that comes with a 10-year guarantee and double-check if their guarantee is valid for UAE hot weather as rubber degrades a lot faster in the heat.

This one turning out to be a Masterclass…

Congratulations @Damien Ranjit

Is it the weekend yet 😂 Very much looking forward to this drive

Ill be glad to join AD boys this weekend, looking fwd to see you all soon.

I had to depart for South Africa unexpectedly for a while. Unforseen cirxumstances. As long as you bring with you the F en F+ drives....we are waiting. See you soon

Hi Niki thank you so much mate

Hey all this drive seems like a distant but unforgettable memory. . I put a video together for this drive here’s the link

Hi Frederic, what app can you recommend for an iPad / apple to track and log drives providing distance covered etc along with the route ? thank you imran

Hi @Wrangeld I have joined as Newbie with Mr. Asif last June before I went to field, If there is any required to couple of times as Newbie to join the Twilight Drive.

Thank you. Thank you.

Ops.. just realized it’s still Tuesday 😩.. obviously I miss the sand too much 🤣

Thanks @John Vanderbleek ! I have just made some minor adjustments to the wind direction. After speaking to a friend who works for Skydive Dubai, he explained me the land breeze and sea breeze concept which we are facing here in the UAE:

From my recent experience I don’t recommend driving pajero on stock fiber plate as my plate got broken in one of the fewbie drives causing damage to one of the nozzle of the 4 wheel actutor clutch, luckily the 4 wheel drive still functioned even with the hose detached, the actuator is sitting at lower position almost touching the fiber plate so I assume it might have broken while taking a hard hit during ridge riding. Now I am going for full underbody metal protection ( steel 5mm) extending upto transmission.

Back in Dubai! Doing parking garage installations before I move to my new parking spot. New spot will have no secret basement mechanic work allowed. Haha Lights mounted , need wiring finished. Covers fit well and should help with inspection and protection. Maintenance items (oil, air filter, front diff oil and bushing change, new prop shafts, and a couple seals for leaks and I should be ready for the desert by the time jetlag wears off in a week.

Dear @Lorenzo Candelpergher, I will not be able to attend. I've been on business trip to Qatar last week, and my PCR test came positive. I'm still stuck there. See you soon on the sand hopefully !

Pulling out of the drive so others can join. Car will be stuck at the dealer for the service over the weekend( See you all next week!