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Thank you everyone for being patient with the troubles I was having - it was the first for me. It was a freak incident to be frank. Somehow the belt that runs the alternator came loose which stopped battery recharging as well as stopping giving power to all the electronics. In the dunes when we tried to jump start the car the car would start but the battery would keep discharging & there was not enough voltage in the battery to move the car, hence all the error messages as well. After the drive, assuming that it was a problem with the battery, we replaced it with a new battery. But it too did not recharge but at least it had enough juice to move the car, so we raced to come out of the dunes so that even if something were wrong, we could at least call the recovery truck. On the way back it lost voltage sometimes, other times it sustained the voltage and a few times it recharged itself for brief moments as well. Once we reached the road, we inflated my car and moved towards a mechanic in Sweihan, where we bought the battery. On the road the car once again kept losing voltage, but it also kept moving. Just 100 m to the repair shop the battery was at 7 Volts and I had to take a left turn but there was traffic, so I had to make a complete stop. At this moment, the car wouldn’t move as there were not enough volts in the car to engage anything. In an attempt to recharge the battery, I revved the car to almost 6k RMP and after just 10-15 seconds the battery suddenly recharged to 13.4 volts and held ever since. I gave the car for service today and expect to get it back tomorrow. I want to commend @Varun Mehndiratta for his wise decision to deal with the car troubles post-drive. This gave us time to think through our options and avoid unnecessary actions that could have caused further damage to the vehicle and caused a bigger drag on us and others who would have been involved in the recovery process. In the end, the car not only drove itself to the road but to the town as well, and we were lucky with the decisions we made. I would like to express my gratitude to @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler, @Gok Krish , @Zed and @Varun Mehndiratta for their support until I reached home safely. I am extremely grateful to the entire convoy, and it is a testament to why I love @Carnity so much. At Carnity, you can always count on the team to ensure that nothing is left behind, and we all work together to resolve any issues that arise.

Late post from my end too ! RESILIENCE & HOW TO HANDLE RESILIENCE WITH LAUGHTER AND LIGHTER MOOD, How to keep yourself Calm in this situation when you are the one whose car decided to offer you with issues - was my key take away from this drive ! - Courtesy @Varun Mehndiratta @Looper @Gok Krish @Zed ! Come what happens, our lead was in no mood to stop, I realise it now @Varun Mehndiratta Taking that break, to use few minutes for playing around some bowls and dunes, was a great idea, as it gave us time to unplug and think louder on plans for Looper's car ! Am sure it has been a great learning experience and I can fully Echo what you guys summarized it @Varun Mehndiratta & @Looper - We go as a convoy and come as a convoy. Great second lead @Ishak followed by amazing levelled up drive by @lucas amat, always helpful to have our experienced friend @Anoop Nair. @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke Great to see Mia with you always ( This time in her New hair cut ) ! @ @MohamedSherif been long time I saw you after our Badayer , impressive the way you were taking those long range tall dunes ! @Murtaza Bhuria am sure your basics of PSIs is revised and also when not sure of track not to attempt - With every drive we learn and some times lessons we never forget - Having said that you did well with Pajero while sandwiched between jeepers ! @Gary F White sand Runner, always stands out among the whole of convoy... @Krishna R & @Bravoecho & @Mahmoud Taha Great catch up with the Jeep Boys - Specially when you have the 392 beast behind you @Gok Krish 392 - I say nothing more great power when you were pulling me and looper - change your user id to GK392 @Varun Mehndiratta - There has to be FB 2.0 Sweihan - to make sure we resume the Plan is No plan drive again, and meet the old lady !

If you have ever watched the movie Close encounters of the third kind , it’s like the end scene in your rear view mirror.. I remember my first night time drive and @Benjamin commenting that the car behind had strapped the sun to the front of car. 😀

guys, a few suggestions would be to look into the following brands as they are good and not very expensive. Can be found on amazon as well. I am listing the good quality ones from least expensive to most expensive Nilight that comes with 2 years warranty and decent lights with good water proofing Hella Black Magic Rigid and Black Oak - There are some good ones for less than 1K AED as of now on Amazon. Hope this helps guys.

Guys on this topic can anyone tell me a place to get some lights that are semi decent without having to sell my kidney? Thank you all

@Bashar Beasha - there will most likely be somebody behind you with lights enough to call aliens from outer space, so bring a pair of sunglasses 😎

I drive with these over 2 years and happy with them . But as I said for the purpose of this night drive even if it’s your first time drive at night , only the lead car Offroad lights are a must otherwise for all others not mandatory. Of course if you have them sure you can use them … will talk about it more at the meeting point inshallah . In the pict above .. you can spot 4 lights could be of a third encounter 👽

Not without my fear for heights!

Pls check the Dragon Market.

Night lights is not compulsory for the drive. For a Newbie level, high beam lights would be enough.

Still remember it well 😂 put my sunglasses on and didn't even need the lights anymore not that halogen lights actually helped me see anything

@Varun Mehndirattatried to add me in ... Says closed at 8 folks. Can u add me in. Made some changes to my travels esp for this exploration drive.

@JeromeFJ thanks for a wonderful drive, truly enjoyable. Fellow drivers @Joji varghese @Rajiv Sam @Ranjan Das @Ashutosh Garg @Alexanderrr @Beide Worku @Imteeaz @Mohamad Anwer it was a pleasure driving with you all. Below a link to some footage of our convoy. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zZj3yNQNkaPYvQtt6

I recently switched from Virgin to Etisalat for this reason. i will never forget that @Mario Cornejoreceived MOI's calling in the middle of a bowl in al Quaa where my pathfinder shut down! Virgin is more cost effective, but the price for it is the poor and slow customer service.

Hi @Kailas, we just have one car this weekend, so I will step out and join as Co-Pilot! looking forward to see you! regards, Felix

You will love it… enjoyed the roar in previous drive - and @Gok Krish is taking it to another level..

@Gok Krish hope that you can make this drive mate - want to catch the 392 in action! @Gok Krish 392 HEMI - bring it on!

Looked more like he was in 2H

Hi everyone, I was wondering what the best mobile network is for off-roading, especially for the hilly areas in RAK, Fujairah, etc. "Common wisdom" says Etisalat is the best network in the UAE, but is that still true in 2023? Is du far behind? I know there are coverage maps available online, however I'm more interested in your personal experience. For example, have you been offroading with other people in the same car and consistently found that one network beats another? I'm looking at a mobile plan from Virgin (=du network) and was wondering if it's "safe" to sign up for it or whether I should stick to Etisalat. Is the du network still behind Etisalat? Thanks!

Congrats @Gok Krish !

Dear @fareed khuraishi, thanks for joining the drive. However, this is a Fewbie Plus ranked drive. I will have to drop you from the drive, and hope you can join another one for the weekend. Sorry for the inconvenience, and hope to see you another time.

Hi @Gok Krish have added you in WL, let’s evaluate by Friday.

Brilliant idea … my Saturday is presently packed with some at home New Curtain and Cushion emergency (100 we have are falling short of our daily needs). If will be able to unearth the rarest of cushions in the world in time, will surely like to join as well. PS : whoever decides to camp at Razeen, beware, Michael Schofield and Lincoln might be planning their next escape in the area 😀

Is anyone keen to camp? I'd rather get the 1.5 hour drive out of the way the night before so I'm fresher in the morning!

More of a case of luck rather then skill. He wasn’t to know whether he would hit a patch of sand on the way down that would catch his left side.

Thrust vectoring in action Wow and how the hell did he not flip, apart from being frame deep in sand , sailing.. amazed if this action didn’t light up a bunch of sensors with all that sand around the wheel sensors.

Perfect visualization of Gary’s point of replacing wheels with paddles 😀😀

Probably something like this >> https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm1rQ84MFZX/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY= 1. If both rears are locked, there won't be any "stopped wheel" (grabbed by sand) due to power going to the least resistance. Both rear wheels will keep on spinning whether hitting soft or thick sand. 2. The fact he didn't do L-shaped turn / 90 deg to bring the nose down, probably he knew well with rear-locked, the outer wheel cannot spin faster than the inner wheel since they're locked at same speed. Another reason button & technology shouldn't be used until testing in a safe environment 😅

Don’t think I’ll ever be actively using it in 4H again, but interesting none the less that it’s an option. if I added a hull and replaced the rear wheels with paddles, it may be of use .

During warranty I believe so — post that too early to say, it’s very new. Apart from damage, will it really be useful (keeping safety in mind). While trying to go up a climb, will surely always have in back of mind, possibility to steer down in case one loses momentum. At that ninety degree turn with rear lock, how will the vehicle behave is another element to check.

it's indeed interesting topic to discuss, I looked up on the internet for a while, multiple media sources confirmed that for the first time Jeep made locking rear diff available for 4H at higher speed on OF+ mode for sandrunner only, But oddly enough that Jeep hasnt advertised on any of its materials online(I read entire brochure and spec sheet) this as USP at all, only mentioned OF+ in 4H is meant for high speed offroad scenarios in difficult angles, Maybe something in the owner manual? More interesting to know: in the worst case that you break the rear diff by doing high speed runs with rear locker on, will the manufacturer honor the claim 😁

interesting concept to have a rear diff lock engaged while in 4H. Also new to me but these Jeep Engineers weren't born yesterday so they must keep this as a trick up their sleeve for straight climbs. Suggest to do some research on the Jeep forums as this looks to be a fairly recent gimmick. Can You Lock Rear Differential in 4High? | Page 2 | Jeep Wrangler Forums (JL / JLU) - Rubicon, Sahara, Sport, 4xe, 392 - JLwranglerforums.com

Wow that really sounds interesting. Just trying to think when will this be handy. @Frederic @Gaurav any advice on topic - trying to evaluate when can this feature really be handy. Ofcourse during recovering no need to switch to 4L. Directly can try at 4H with rear diff locks. On sideys same spin of all wheels may mean challenge turning down the vehicle and same perhaps during criss crossing? On steep climbs might be good - but then steering down, won’t it create a challenge?

Indeed @Varun Mehndiratta, it’s a mode that I believe is only on the Sandrunner (Mohave) that you can turn on the rear diff lock when in 4H and High Speed+ mode. I used it on a few of the level sections to see the if there was much difference, from the Jeep articles it was specifically designed for when running in the desert at high speed. The other times I have used the diff lock was in 4LO. proudest recovery so far was a rear wheel hanging in the air self recovery from a crest.

Hey @Gary F you have not mentioned when you used diff lock .. so as a word of caution (I am still new to diff locks - didn’t had option in my Sahara and haven’t used them yet), one thing I have read and understood is never to have Rear or any diff lock engaged at high speed. - as you already mentioned turns or any similar situation where both wheels rotate at diff pace, diff locks under high speed can lead to what is called crash locking and damage your gears. Generally diff locks are recommended only to self recover out of a tough spot.

Thanks @Varun Mehndiratta as always an Adenauer of a drive and learning experience. Looking forward to the looper recovery story.. also lesson learned even though many Jeep have 1940s suspension they are still a modern car, when computer says no, you ain’t going anywhere. I did indeed switch between 4H Auto and 4H Part time many times, getting the feel for which situation calls for it. I also engaged a “secret” mode in Sandrunner that allows for Rear Diff lock while in 4H. This is surprisingly fun, but useless when turning. @Looper never good to see a fellow Jeep in distress glad it got out of the desert and then decided to play nice by conveying you home.. Hope to get a follow up on what the issue was and if you end up having to replace both batteries. Worth checking for current draw from any accessories too. Thanks to all the support team, always good to catch up @Bravoecho . Thanks @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler for advice on leaving more space, The Sandrunner does gain ground on the Pajeros in certain conditions. Glad you persevered @lucas amat I was on your first drive, wonderful to see how much capability you have gained in the Jeep Liberty. @Murtaza Bhuria there should be a badge for a double pop out, hope the damage is superficial. For future drives I will be adding antihistamines to my first aid kit, some un witnessed insect had what I can only describe as a brunch on my arm, which led to swelling. Went down after a few hours.

Oh what a day we had.. slept like a baby after reaching back home. Its amazing how, universe keeps giving us hints and we just keep ignoring them. For last week or so, the below jump starter ad was always on my FB/Google page and if not that i should have focused on the T-Shirt my wife kept ready for me for this drive , but it just wasnt to be. Woke up to car not starting - had to Jump start it (cyclist neighbour came in handy at 5am) - and from there the whole day was about Jump Start - just happy that it wasnt my car that needed it . First and foremost, since many of you messaged me enquiring about @Looper's car, here's the update - Thanks to @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @Gok Krish @Murtaza Bhuria and @Zed (who happened to be close by and jumped into support) - we managed to get car out on road (how part is a long story for some nice camping night). Once on road, it was a typical Jeep thing - having made us go through the whole ordeal, the car decided that its good to go all the way to Dubai without any trouble. So, yes we all with the car managed to get back home by around 430pm. Thanks to you all for your valuable support and inputs while trying to fix the car - each of the ideas helped us in final recovery. Thanks to @Bravoecho and @Gary F's research over google, i came to know today that once battery is low, even the steering and transmission gives up (makes lot of sense, however, had never thought about it). Thanks to @Krishna R and @Mahmoud Taha for chipping in with all the support. Now about the drive part - Despite all the events that rolled out, we did managed to find to explore ourselves on some awesome Sweihan dunes and it was really amazing to see the way the whole convoy handled the challenges terrain brought in for us. It was just brilliant day at work for the whole convoy and for that first a big shout out to our new FB members @lucas amat @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke and @MohamedSherif With zero/limited FB experience, the way you handled your rides through this challenging terrain was just superb. @Ishak as always a solid wing man - responded promptly to my messages and handled the SL position to perfection. @Gary F hope you had a some chance to explore Offroad plus and 4Hpart time function of the beautiful sandrunner. You were amazing through the drive. @Bravoecho was nice to see the upgraded toy. Looked awesome and worked like a beast. Looking forward to catch up with you sometime soon. @Murtaza Bhuria a few refusals and pop outs are part of learning experience. In general very well done @Gok Krish 392 is really a beast, was fun to hear it roar. Thanks for all the support, i missed the bfast coffee time today - however, we made it up with some nice beverage later in the afternoon. @Anoop Nair thanks a lot for all the support through the drive. Always good having you on the convoy. Thanks @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler and @Looper for all your support. Your presence ensured safety of the whole convoy through the drive and made sure we could handle all refusals/stucks/ challenges (and we had quite a few today) with a relaxed mind. Have a nice week ahead and hopefully we catch up sometime soon - on a new expedition on sand. @Zed thanks Zeddy - your presence, knowledge and as always the smile - made it easier than it actually was. Thanks 🖖

@Varun Mehndiratta+ Sweihan = Deadly combination I clicked going as soon as I saw Sweihan and Varun on Monday and I ain't disappointed. The drive time was a bit less due to the cluster f**k of events but we made sure we were going to make the most of it. Climbed some amazing dunes with super soft bowls. Din feel like we lost time during recovery. The long drive to sweihan and back was justified by the amazing climbs we did today. Everyone drove brilliantly and I had a few surprises from a few fellow drivers. I was betting mentally on each driver's climb and lost quite a few times @LooperHope you were able to sort the issue with your jeep and get it out. Sorry, I don't have your number and couldn't call to check up on you. Have a quick fast paced week guys and lets meet on the weekend soon!

Absolutely wild first fewbie drive😎 Thanks everyone. Mia and i looking forward to next one. Will drop some photos in gallery tonight

Thank you for a great drive @Varun Mehndiratta. It had it all with big dunes, breakdowns and popouts. Thank you 👍🏻

Thanks @Gok Krish

In the UAE, we have a myriad of terrains to choose from when it comes to desert driving. For many new members who might be asking themselves what the differences actually are, I wanted to compile the most known areas we drive in, and give some information about the area and what you can expect when you join a drive with us in that area. We will be focusing on the sand driving. Northern Emirates (UAQ and RAK) Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah have some very nice areas that we often explore, with plenty of vegetation, wildlife, and the mountains are never far away. On these drives, the emphasis is more on exploration than on the typical dune bashing. Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 95% Fossil Rock - Faya - Sharjah From the moment you drive on the Sharjah - Kalba road, you'll see the majestic Fossil Rock mountain on the right hand side. It has got its name due to the ancient fossils that you can find on the rocks, and the surrounding red dunes are a delight to drive. Usually starting from Batayeh-Faya road, the dunes gradually go from small and bushy until you reach the nice open areas with "The Long Lady" as one of the most popular dunes to showcase and practice your sidesloping skills. The cherry on top is the climb on Fossil Rock itself which provides an amazing scenic view on the area and Mleiha town below. A must for every beginner level driver ! To even up the challenge you can take on the nice bowls behind Fossil Rock, or head out to Faya which is also called "The Saddle". Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 90% Pink Rock - Big Red - Sharjah Nearby Fossil Rock, you will find Pink Rock, which got its name from the pinkish hue the rocks have. This very popular off-road area is known for the smooth gentle dunes at the start that gradually move to challenging bowls nearby the base of Pink Rock. Climbing Pink Rock is the ideal challenge for beginners and provides a fantastic view as well. From Pink Rock you can head out to Big Red which will up the challenge and entice every level of off-roader. The Big Red area is an off-roader hotspot during the season. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Bidayer / Area 53 / Schuwaib - Sharjah This area is not for the faint of heart, and the big dunes will demand you to keep momentum at all times, while the massive hills such as Iftar Bowl and Super Bowl are ultimate play areas one can find in Sharjah. This area tends to be extremely busy during the offroad season. Scenic Score: 60% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 65% Margham / Lahbab - Dubai A little less known area, but very versatile with nice technical areas, playable bowls, and overall a terrain where any level offroader can practice and hone their skills without encountering too many cross tracks. Scenic Score: 70% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Murquab - Lisaili - Faqa - Dubai This area is located on the Dubai-Al Ain road and offers so much. From technical terrain, to the arboretum in Faqa, long range dunes in both Faqa and some areas of Lisaili, and the most amazing creamy dunes below the Maktoum Solar Park which we have now called "Little Sweihan". This area never disappoints and there is a reason we have it on our weekly drives schedules ! Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 95% Al Qudra - Dubai Al Qudra has become one of the most well known Offroad areas in Dubai, mainly due to the close vicinity to the city, but also because of its versatility, nearby facilities (Last Exit, Love Lakes), and the wildlife than can be spotted while off-roading (gazelles, oryx). This area stretches out to Murquab in the East via Al Hathmah area, on to Faqa going South below the Solar Park, and up to the Bab al Shams resort in the West. Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 75% Versatility Score: 95% Sweihan - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain The Sweihan area in Abu Dhabi has to be experienced, and the proximity to Dubai brings lots of Dubai residents to Sweihan to explore the massive long range dunes and versatile area that has something in store for every off-roader. Sweihan never disappoints and the Nagrah area which alternates between monstrous dunes and deserted sabkhas will leave you hungry for more every single time. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 95% Al Khatim - Abu Dhabi A very popular and versatile offroader destination for Abu Dhabi residents with exhilarating dunes and technical areas that will challenge any offroader. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 80% Wagan / Umm Al Oash / Bu Tais - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain In search for monstruous dunes where momentum and pace are critical and where your vehicle will be pushed to its limit ? You have come to the right place as this area is spoiled with massive dunes, alternated by long flat sabkhas where you can get your bearings back before heading in again, and again ! Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 80% Liwa Madinat Zayed - Abu Dhabi The Madinat Zayed area is famous for its Yellow Water Truck, which was left behind many years back, but no-one really knows how it got there. This area is consisting of massive dunes, and you can easily scale the level up or down in this area based on the convoy you bring there. From this place onwards and further down south into Liwa Crescent you will feel like you are on a different planet. Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 90% Liwa Crescent - Abu Dhabi Seeing LIWA for the first time will leave you astonished, baffled, and beyond comprehension. From Himeem in the East, to Khanoor in the West, this whole area is filled with some of the biggest dunes on this planet, massive slipfaces that will make you shiver when descending, and extremely technical dunes that will require your utmost focus. This area is unforgettable and every off-roader should have this on his bucket list ! Scenic Score: 100% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 100%