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Newtrip report. What an amazing day. Started with the announcement of the first ever Marshal for Carnity. Congratulations @Srikumar, for his hard work, dedication, enthusiasm, willingness to help and a very positive attitude. At this point we split the convoy between Newbie and Fewbie. We were 5 cars in the Fewbie level @eduardo, @yogic72, @AKR ,@Srikumar and I. We started with some dune crossings with a good momentum and everydody managed well, we even crossed a herd of goats and was a pleasant surprise besides the regular camels and donkeys around. Finally we started heading though some amazing tracks where we came across a lot of small trees, shrubs and bushes, but with enough gap to just pass through. The challenge of crossing the dunes and keeping between the greenery was very pleasant and the team named it the little forest. We had a couple of refusals and stucks, but the convoy discipline and capability was so good that we came very close to the breakfast area with an hour to go. So I made an announcement if anybody would like to lead for short stints and all agreed. First was @eduardo and he was managing well before he had his first stuck and shortly another one. At this point @AKR took over and he too after a short lead got stuck. After recovering him we had no time to test out @yogic72 and also there was some trouble with one of the steering pump so decided to exit to road and head to the breakfast point. The area was amazing shaded with loads of trees. We were even welcomed by a bunch of camels including 2 baby camels who left due to the roar of one of the vehicles whose exhaust pipe was disconnected. As we lay our spread and waited for the newbies to join, we had a couple of discussions about being promoted from newbie to Fewbie level, the difference felt and the short leads. This is a topic I will raise another thread as feedback was interesting. Soon the newbies caught up and we had our feast. In the time that everybody was relaxed and chatting we got the exhaust sorted out, but no solution found for the steering pump. As we headed out and inflated it was time to say goid bye and hoping for another drive next week which will bring all these amazing people out with some new friends to be made. Until that time idios.

Congratulations @Srikumar for reaching the Marshal level with Carnity Offroad club. It is one of the most prestigious and sought after title that comes with a lot of hard work, patience, tolerance, and dedication. Just like all the levels in Carnity offroad club is "NOT" only based on driving skills but instead based on the combination of your personality + intelligence + team spirit + adventure. This Marshal title is an epitome for all levels in the offroad grading structure. So if anyone wants to grow, they can set Marshal as a PERFECT example for not only following the driving style but observing their behavior, teamwork, presence of mind, calculative approach, patience and tolerance to teach and support new offroaders. Once again congratulations Sri and best wishes for your next adventure! Carnity Offroad Club very first drive on 27 Jan 2017, where Srikumar has also joined for the first time. Album: https://carnity.com/gallery/category/8-mahafiz-to-faya-27-jan-2017 Marshal: Number of drives 60+ drives and Committee Decision Level of drives All of the above + Routing and leading in known terrain Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, tow rope, floor jack, jack board & GPS trackback + recovery and repair material Drive teamwork Supervise all of the above + drive and convoy coordination Drive posting/joining Post drive on Carnity and share it on Carnity social media Forum participation Post trip report + share route + track and waypoints Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Congrats @Srikumar for become the marshal. And thanks @Rahimdad for this wonderful trip report. I am not a part of the drive but I feel my presence when I read your write-up. Love you guys.

With so much information that can be found online, i wanted to try to bundle this a bit into 1 article to make things easier for people new to off-roading here to provide a bit of information about tow straps / snatch straps / recovery ropes. I will just try to share the information that i've come across and what was also found on Carnity about the well-known Viking Ropes and AOR ropes (Thanks @Rahimdad for previous article on that one) ! With the main aim on safety, i will try to give a view on the DO's and DONT's so we can all ensure that everybody goes home safe and that these practices can be carried forward. Every time i take the kids to Al Qudra Lakes i still see so many people doing such crazy and dangerous things while recovering/pulling others. These people don't have any bad intentions, but just don't know any better. We'll start with those: Gas-station 40dhs Tow Straps: *Mostly made from Polyester or Polypropylene, and ONLY meant to tow a normal (sedan) vehicle home. DO NOT USE THESE STRAPS FOR RECOVERY WORK !!! The metal shackles are projectiles that will fly off on the first decent tug attempt. Kinetic Recovery Snatch Straps Kinetic snatch straps are made from Nylon, which is a material that will allow for around 20% stretch. This stretching creates a less brutal jerk when recovering a vehicle, and additionally the "recoil" effect will generate a massive amount of energy, which is a good thing, but also something you need to be aware of, the lack of feeling that brutal jerk will probably result in you pulling harder than usual, and that could result in damages to tow points or chassis. Like in every recovery the first pull should be a gentle one to assess how stuck the vehicle is, and the second one can be slightly more aggressive, if still the vehicle is not moving it might be better to dig out a bit more and than do a last attempt which should do the trick. (inshallah).. Due to the stretch they are not ideal for towing a car along the highway, but it works. Kinetic Recovery Ropes Similar to the Kinetic Snatch Straps mentioned above, made of Nylon, but in rope form instead. Both AOR and Viking are well-known available brands. Also not recommended for towing a car along the highway but it will do the job. How to Correctly Use Your Kinetic Recovery Rope Step 1: Verify your equipment is adequate for the use and in good condition. A Kinetic Recovery Rope should be sized such that the Min. Breaking Load (MBL) is roughly 2-3 times the Gross Vehicle Weight. To properly select a rope for your vehicle, follow the guidelines on the chart below. Step 2: Securely attach rope to both vehicles - use a proper shackle or tow point. Recovery points should be properly welded or bolted to the vehicle chassis. WARNING: Never connect recovery equipment to a tow ball, as they are not designed for this type of load and can fail, causing serious damage. Step 3: Ensure all bystanders are well clear of the area. No person should be within 1.5xthe rope length of either vehicle, unless inside one of the vehicles. Step 4: Tow the stuck vehicle out. The towing vehicle can start with slack in the tow rope and drive up to 25km/h max. WARNING: Do not exceed 25KM/H with a properly sized rope. WARNING: Do not pull in a direction that would side load your recovery points unless they are specifically designed to handle side loads; most are not. Continue to pull on stuck vehicle until no longer stuck. Step 5: Unhook and stow your rope. Industrial Webbing / Sling Straps These are not really made for off-road recovery, but if properly sized (3-4 inches width) they make a pretty good recovery and tow strap. They are made of Polyester or Polypropylene and because of their higher number of items sold and less marketing bla-bla, they are generally cheaper and available from the general traders. They come with a certificate that details the load they can take. Using it during recovery will however result in a more brutal jerk when pulling out your off-road buddy, but on the other hand it makes you realise the amount of force you are applying and that is always a good thing. How to recognise good quality straps or ropes ? * Type of material is clearly mentioned (Nylon, Polyester, Polypropylene). * Load capacity is mentioned, together with safety rating (5:1 for example) this means break strength would be 5 times higher than the load capacity. Beware that the pulling force is easily 2-3 times higher than the weight of the car. So a 2.5 ton vehicle will easily have a total pull force of 5 to 7.5 tons. * Brand information can be found on Google, maybe even with positive reviews from other off-road sites. * Industrial slings will always have a certificate with clear details on how much load it can take with manufacturer stamps. * The ends should be reinforced. What is the lifetime of Kinetic ropes vs Kinetic Straps vs Industrial Webbing Slings ? That is a question that's probably difficult to answer. I will leave that to our senior experts to give their feedback on how many pulls they were able to do with Kinetic ropes, Straps, or Industrial Webbing sling before they broke. Beware that even a small cut in the strap degrades the total strength severely, so it makes sense to inspect it every now and then. Rated Shackles vs Soft Shackles ? To connect your rope or strap to the vehicle's tow hook, you will need shackles. Avoid the cheapest shackles because they will have no load rating. Go for rated shackles IF you can find them..... However, most show load ratings on them but imho the ratings are very questionable as there are international standards but to my knowledge there is no clear legislation in UAE itself. All the reason more to choose soft-shackles because this completely eliminates the risk of having a metal projectile flying through your windshield. When using Kinetic ropes, the soft shackles are definitely an essential item, due to the massive amount of energy being released during the recoil effect. I hope this provides a bit more information on the subject straps and ropes. Feel free to correct, comment, and remark !

Welcome Antonio. Getting stuck and coming out is part of the offroading fun. Look forward to meeting you in the Sand.

Hey there, this is an absolute newbie with a 4x4 and if you don't mind I would love to join you for the first time this Friday. I'll put all my effort to respect, learn and not get stuck and delay you guys. I appreciate the efforts and time of all club members in advance. Looking forward to meet you all. Antonio

If you buy few Pajeros in different colors might be cheaper than putting that on one Pajero....such things could be breaking the bank...

@Rahimdad @Gaurav @Srikumar @Emmanuel Always a pleasure to drive with all of you! It's a wonderful thing to see the member grow and see new people joining and learning like @AKR. Special thanks to all the guys who helped me with the tire situation at the start and sorry for delaying the convoy! @Fuad & all, I hope that this "jump" would be the last, as I wish to keep my car good enough to follow you each friday Special thanks for @Rahimdad for the great write-ups after each drive, it's great to relive the morning on the forum

With the summer coming closer, we will go a little deeper into the dangers of being exposed to the extreme heat UAE brings to us. During off-roading, some activities such as recovery work, replacing tyres, and dealing with pop-outs, are physically demanding, and many of us who are in office jobs are not trained to cope with this amount of heat. Luckily with the help of some basic things, we can minimize the risk of below mentioned issues. The following risks are identified: Heat exhaustion: Warning signs: A person may suddenly look pale. Heart rate will increase and the victim may complain of feeling dizzy and nauseous. A feeling of weakness is also common. What to do: Seek shade immediately and lie down, especially if you’re feeling lightheaded. Apply a cold compress to the forehead and remove extra layers. Heat Stroke: Warning signs: Heat stroke is a type of hypothermia where the body temperature is greatly elevated. If not treated immediately it can be fatal. Symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack, along with nausea, headaches, hallucinations, difficulty in breathing, and agitation, What to do: apply cool water to the skin and place ice packs under the arms to reduce the temperature quickly. Preventive Measures: • Sip some water all day long, rather than just when you are thirsty. If you are thirsty it means you are already dehydrated. • Wear light clothing that can "breathe", but also wear sunblock and keep your head protected with a cap or hat. • Some fruit and vegetables can re-hydrate the body even more than water. Carry some in your cooler. • Water is important, but too much water can be dangerous as it can cause electrolyte depletion. Limit yourselves to 2-3 liters per day. • When recovering a vehicle in full sun, limit your exposure time and take some rest every couple of minutes. Because you are focused on the task at hand, you might completely forget the heat and become dizzy and exhausted. • If at some point you feel unwell, inform your club members immediately. When driving, inform immediately over the radio so the convoy can be stopped. • Keep an eye out for your fellow club members. It is relatively easy to recognize above symptoms in somebody else. Let them take appropriate rest. Please do share your tips, hints, experiences !

Thank you to everyone at the Carnity Offroad Club. Its a privilege to be part of such a great group of people who share the same passion for offroading. After a certain time I realized that its not just the drive that brought me joy, but more importantly the people with whom I have been offroading that really brought a smile to my face. Special thanks to @Asif Hussain and @Emmanuel. Its always a pleasure to drive in your company. As @Rahimdad rightly said what started as an outlet to get away from the city stress, turned into a full blown passion. And for that, no amount of thanks would be enough to both you and @Gaurav for teaching me the beautiful art of desert driving. Offroading with CARNITY is truly a Way of Life!!

One more time, congratulations @Srikumar ! So happy you made it ! Very very well deserved. Bravo also to your copilot, Kabir.

Congrats @Srikumar keep it up.

We had a great drive today with @Rahimdad. Absolutely enjoyed the pace of the drive. Great team effort by all @Rahimdad @Srikumar @AKR @eduardofor your ever enthusiastic support and help in pulling us out in those sticky situations. @Srikumar really well deserved on being upgraded to a Marshal. Looking forward to some more exciting drives. Thanks to you guys it’s the one thing my son is enthusiastic about to wake up early In the Morning.

Here’s how we solved the problem

Try explaining that to RTA when registering the color of your car 🤣🤣

this is a bit disturbing, but very important lesson... it shows the importance of having a solid recovery points and soft shackles and the kinetic rope. i got this on whatsapp, you probably got it somehow, since it went viral over whatsapp.

Last wednesday I got in my car and saw the light below go off on my dashboard. I noticed the cruise control was not working. According to the manual, the light indicates the ESC is malfunctioning. (Oh oh) I get home and run the scanner and I got code C123F-Steering Angle Sensor comparative performance One Google search later and found that the possible causes for C123F are the following and started assessing which are more likely to be. Vehicle damage - Not very useful Steering column/intermediate shaft damage - Not likely Steering wheel alignment - Aha! this might be Steering Angle Sensor loose - Although this is possible it is less likely - this was going to be my next option after wheel alignment. Clockspring (SAS) improperly installed (wrong mounting position) - Not likely Clockspring (SAS) - Not likely Antilock Brake System (ABS) Module - This sounds expensive I did noticed the steering wheel was a little misaligned after the last offroad trip, I was going to mention to the shop on the next maintenance so they can have it sorted, since now I had a code I started troubleshooting from the steps listed here. Since the Steering wheel misalignment was more than 15° degrees I decided to take it to the shop for alignment. Twenty minutes and 300 aed later the car was ready. I take it out, pulled over the car and erased the code with the scanner and started driving, as a precaution I prefered to sit out the next off-road drive. As I did not want any issues while I was off-roading. So far that seemed to do the trick, it's really a pain with all of this sensors nowadays in all cars, they are there for a reason but they could be a burden sometimes. Anyway, I hope this helps for any other Jeep owner outhere in the future.

One more car to go! Haha @G.huz @Frederic let’s go! @Emmanuel find a solution! haha

Thanks to all, much appreciated. Will be back as soon as the minister of interior will allow. Will also make sure to contribute to the drive breakfast party. Again thanks!

Thanks again @Rahimdad and @Srikumar. It was great fun and I learned a lot, especially that I have still had to learn much more 🤣. It's always a big pleasure to drive with you guys, it's a wonderful break from the city and the stress of the week! @AKR showed us his real side by going completely badass with no exhaust - hope you managed to get it fixed. @yogic72 these moments are really great with your son, I'm sure he will remember them fondly as a young adult and even later.

Mash’Allah. Well deserved Sri. I’m happy for you 😊

Congrats @Srikumar... A well deserved promotion..

@Srikumar congrats sir ji. Well deserved. I was among the one in newbie who was overwhelmed by the response received from every one. @Srikumar sir was very accommodating. Each time I ping him. His response was just drive it towards your left and you are good to go. May be this is the reason our carnity is so famous among newbies too. Great going guys. @Gaurav @Rahimdad thank you for the wonderful platform.

@Srikumar your enthusiasm on every drive, your positive feedback towards us younger members, and your efforts and hard work makes that you can wear the Marshal badge proudly ! Looking forward to one of your next drives 😉

Well deserved Sri. Congrats for being the first ever Marshal in the Carnity club. I have noticed your confidence and transformation over these 2 years. From someone looking for an outlet from the daily life challenges and frustration to a cool, calm and willing to help team man who has developed with the patience not only to deal with developing newer people in the sport but also using the technique to come on top in all challenges in life. It is wonderful to have a friend, a brother, a true sporting person like yourself to drive with. Well done again Sri.

What a great morning. The drive was super and good mix of dunes and challenges. as gaurav mentioned in his brief before the drive- you get refusal or stuck then you learn more. i learnt a lot! the last bit- slide sloping was excitement and fear and barrel of adrenaline - pure fun- especially when my car was trying to get me down the quickest way and I was fighting it to stay close to the crest!! finally- we finished off with food and drinks in a mini oasis like place- shaded and trees- great aloo paratha, pav baaji, sandwiches, drinks, sweets and more. we finally and reluctantly moved out. i had the final sting or excitement at the inflation point when my tyre tube stem blew out with all its metal part leaving me with a flat. fred, Emmanuel,Eduardo,rahimbhai, gaurav Sri and others chipped in and helped out in jacking up the fjc and changing the tyre. i think without them I probably been there till late evening trying to first get the spare wheel out as the lock key on it was stuck and I could not get the tyre off it’s frame in the back door! it left me with a thought that despite my bad luck, I was fortunate it happened while I was stationary and not during the desert drive or on the drive back home. i got the tyre fixed at tyres.ae in Dubai. Costed me only 50 dirhams.Quick tyres were closed. the spare tyre rim had a problem and I was getting god awful judder at 80 km/ hour on the drive back. Looks like there the rim is bent.The tyres.ae guys said it will cost 400 dirhams to repair it. So let’s see if they do it right. Went to ace and got the kinetic ropes. Then to dragon mart and got the jtx jack. so now need a plank. Was way too exhausted to do anything more. so all in all - fantastic day. thanks gaurav for leading a great drive and thanks to Emmanuel & Fred to working hard to help me getting out of sticky situations and pulling me out. thanks rahimbhai for your tips and advice. fantastic day and I am looking out for next Friday. best wishes srini

His al videos named. Dont, never, worst, never buy this car. He hates everything except corolla. He should be working here in UAE.

You did well buddy ! You always stay calm and positive and that’s what matters ! It’s a pleasure helping others out and that’s what Carnity stands for. On the crest it’s better not too fight gravity too much. Steering towards the crest while the car wants to go down is a bit tricky and dangerous . Once you do more of those crests you’ll see that you just need to attack that crest a bit higher and faster so you’ll be able to ride it further and longer. Once the car wants to come down it’s better to point the nose of the car downwards and make your descend. See you soon !

I think you covered everything, well done. As you mentioned it was a very very soft patch (and again the sand was a bit wet underneath). I will just add one detail : as shown by @Javier M there was a fraction of second of hesitation when I saw the small pocket below on the right. It doesn’t appear clearly on the video, but it was a quite nasty one. I could have got stuck in an even worst way if I had felt in it from this angle. Let’s see tomorrow 😂

Thanks for the warm welcome @Frederic, @Gaurav & @Srikumar, I'll do my best but it's going to be my first time touching the sand and my little driving experience is totally the opposite (eco-rallies and endurance with hybrid cars). See you all on Friday

Getting stuck is where the fun starts @vsmano. See you on Friday 😉

Welcome @vsmano to Carnity and Its offroad club, this drive will be perfect for absolute newbies.

Here it is the full drive

My dad had a garage after he worked for Ford, GM, etc. so I grew up in the car assembly lines and all my life saw how cars were put together, fixed or modified. Back home I used to do modifications and maintenance to my cars like installing turbos or changing the brake pads, etc. but here I only do some minor mods. I don't have time now after work or weekends when I have to do all the honeydos. I do have a computer so I if there is something wrong I can check it out myself and maybe repair it if it's not very time consuming.

Oil Changes no, because no place, too messy and too much faff to get rid of the used oil. Not that I haven't done it, but just not worth it. Have a specific LR diagnostic tool, not very advanced but not basic like an OBD either, been very helpful. I've done ECUs, Fuseboxes, rewiring,electrical, mechanical engine and drive train, interior and body. But automatic transmissions is where I call it quits and would call a professional.

I've signed up for the Absolute Newbie and Newbie Level drive. With all the new members that joined the last couple of weeks it might be good for me to get to know them as i've been away for a while. At the same time would gladly assist in recoveries, popouts, or other. Hope that is fine.

We will put a banana in the tailpipe so it has the same power as mine. You’ll learn much faster 😂

16” Rim-265/70/16 = 30.6 Inch 17” Rim-265/65/17 = 30.6 Inch 18” Rim-265/60/18 = 30.5 Inch 19” Rim-270/55/19 = 30.7 Inch 20” Rim-265/50/20 = 30.4 Inch You can calculate your stock tire height first and then upgrade to any other wheel size + downgrade the profile of tire to result in overall similar height, to avoid any rubbing issues. Here's how to calculate tire height Example: 16” Rim-265/70/16 = 30.6 Inch 265 x 70% = 185.5 mm (One side profile height of tire) 185.5 x 2 = 371 mm (up and down profile height of tire) 371 mm = 37.1 cm = 14.6 Inch (Total profile height of tire in Inches) 14.6 Inch + 16 Inch Wheel = 30.6 Inch total tire height

U guys are awesome.. U guys fixed the silencer like real pro.. reached home without any trouble.. Goona soon get it welded... Edouard hope the steering issue got sorted.. Thanks @[email protected] @[email protected]

Congrats @Srikumar, well deserved and it was great being there when it was announced! As everyone already said, I've also always appreciated your help, patience, and willingness to share your experience with the rest of us!

Yeah... its there ...😀

Let's see what our offroaders have to say for this stuck......? You can post any of your stuck or someone else stuck or even youtube stuck to discuss and learn Stuck 2.mp4

Guys. Hats off for your hard work and dedication to ensure that the convoy is safe and sound. Though my experience as a driver was full of unexpected dunes, but thanks to @Rahimdad @Gaurav and special thanks to @yogic72 mirza bhai. His one dialog which kept me going was Kuch nahin hota (nothing will happen). Super Special thanks to @Srikumar how can you be so patient in first place. Respect!! I was just ringing if I felt little uncomfortable too. He was just just take left and you are good to go. Guys when I came back from the drive just logged into carnity to check whether it was for me as a newbie or fewbie. Had a wonderful time with you guys. Thanks again.