Rahimdad

I met one local guy and he owned a Nissan Patrol with the Siam 900 tires. I too was thinking about going for those but changed my mind as soon as I heard the horror story. Firstly they are very difficult to align as they do not have much surface area. They need warm up before you can drive and before warm up can shake you car like hell. They take even longer to warm up during the winter weather. It wears out within half the time of the normal tires. Advantage is good on sand and at 70 PSI you can do the 2 wheel balancing act. I would not recommend these to anyone, I am with @Gaurav bhai's suggestion.

@Gaurav bhai. Well done sir, from the planning, to the execution, to the way you have described the trip. A picture can tell a thousand words and you have managed to surprise us all with this awesome tribute to a well deserved event. May God Almighty keep you blessed and may we always have your guidance to lead us through these events with so much patience. Hats off to you sir.

@shinith Well done. It is worth having a ride you can trust. If I am not mistaken you should get about 100KM / 14 Liters. or about 7 KMS per Liter.

The pics are out of this world. What a glorious way to capture the essence of this trip. Well done to all members who made this trip absolutely fantastic.

This as a concept was whispered in to our ears by @waqaszohair around 2 to 3 months back and it remained on the back burner till we crossed 15000 members. What an occasion and what would be more fitting than to put this plan to action. Although @waqaszohair had a plan but it was a bit too tedious, so our very own @Gaurav bhai took the plan and tried to reduce the time spent on road and some quality time together to put together some videos and pictures to make the vent to be remembered for a long time to come. Drive was announced and as expected spots were taken up like hot cakes and we just loved the enthusiasm shared by all the members. We met on time in the morning and after a briefing and hand over of the goody bags we were on our way. Our first stop was in Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque, and the excitement grew as within no time we had touched the first point and after a quick photo session it was time for us to leave. It was also time for us to bid @Asif bhai farewell as he had specially come all the way from Abu Dhabi to Dubai just to join us and had a flight to catch, can't wait for his return. Heading to Al Ain our second way point we were faced with the challenge of Friday prayers, all thanks to @Gaurav bhai and the spirit of the team who waited for the Muslins to pray their Friday prayers on the way in the heat. As soon as we were done the team was on it's way to Jimi Mall in Al Ain. Here we were met by Saleem Bhai and I had an idea which was well received by the team and supported without any questions. After a 5 minutes promise a 30 minutes adjustment to the cars to get a one off photo, hope it turns out well. We then had a relaxed lunch and were headed to Fujairah. On the way we saw Fossil Rocks which is our playground and stopped in a cafe right opposite to have a quick tea and we were off again. We reached Fujairah City Center to take a quick pic, fueled up and we were up and running towards Ras Al Khaimah at which point Kavin had to leave. We headed to the Ice Land Water Park in Ras Al Khaimah and the security guard was not to pleased to see us at their closing time and was trying to get rid of us soon. So we took a quick pic and were off to Dreamland Aqua Park in Umm Al Quwain, it was the shortest leg of our trip and with the place deserted we did not have a problem with the parking, the challenge at this time was the lighting. It was dark as the night fall and we were dependent on the camera flash to get the best picture we could. Now it was time of Ajman City Center and it was not to far, though the challenge here was the construction work as we were warned by Saleem Bhai. At one point the group also split up but were soon united thanks to the walkie talkies we were using. We had a challenge to take the pic and had an unusal spot but with that picture in the bag we moved to the next spot which was the Sharjah Paint Ball Park. We faced no resistance at this point and had a good picture, but at this point Saleem had to head back. Still with majority of the cars still in and only Dubai to go we rushed to the Dubai Canals and tried to search a suitable spot. We had some difficulty finding a suitable spot, but with the group tired and hungry Gaurav Bhai made the right decision of taking a pic with the Burj Khalifa in the back-drop from the best angle we could find. So came a conclusion for our Round the UAE in one day, against my belief it was possible and where Waqas Bhai gave us the idea, Gaurav Bhai made it all very comfortable and doable with majority cars from start to finish. To further reward the members for their time and efforts, Gaurav Bhai had not only printed out but arranged the certificates for the day in the most beautiful way. A picture with each of the drivers holding their certificates proudly with their rides was the cherry on top of the cake. My sincere thanks to Waqas Bhai for his idea along with a sketch of what could have been 1 possibility, Gaurav Bhai for further trimming down the map to make it more bearable and relaxed, furthermore a fantastic lead. Lastly a big thank you for the whole convoy to make it easy for the sweep team to have the situation in control at all times and taking different responsibilities at different times to make this a journey well remembering.

I hope this video will help clear some of the doubts on how the differential works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAw79386WI

Since Ramadan we have stuck with the formula of having night drives to enjoy the absence of the sun while temperatures also become bearable by early morning before the sun rise. Time to break the fast and have a drive by day time. I'm pleased to announce the upcoming drive on 18th Aug, Friday late afternoon to let our team test our rides in the late afternoon hours. After seeing the level of all our members rise consistently this drive is not going to be as challenging compared to any of our previous drives and we will be welcoming any new comers to add to their new experience. The beauty of this area, the wide open dunes, and with the occasional sighting of wildlife like gazelles and oryx are all reasons to set your pulses racing. The plan would be to meet up at 4:30 pm as per the below link and than head out to have some awesome fun through terrain that will leave you wanting more, and we will end it with a good spot to sit around and have a BBQ session with chats about the drive, general talk and share some jokes. When : 18 August 2017 at 4:30 pm Where : First Emarat Petrol station on Dubai - Al Ain Road after Outlet Mall. GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/KD4Lath3cB42 Level of drive: Newbie/Fewbie any level, just be prepared to have a relaxed drive and enjoy the BBQ Plan: Drive followed by BBQ What to bring along: Stuff for BBQ like grill, charcoal, lighter fluid and BBQ meat or chicken, water, liquids, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time : 10 pm Note : Drive level can be changed if required to suit the level of the convoy.

@manums, thank you for asking a very valid question. The Dodge Durrango seems to be an excellent choice for off-roading and the most tempting bit is its got a V8 5.7 hemi which produces over 323 hp and over 500nm of torque. Moreover a price tag of under 10K for anything over 10 years of age adds to the temptation. As far as capability goes, it is quite capable as an off-roader with a little lift and skid/bash plate to protect the radiator and some unprotected hoses which might take hit. However the cheap resale value of these vehicles indicate that maintaining it is never going to be easy or cheap. Finding parts for the Durrango can be tiresome process and when you find them the cost is always going to be higher, because the seller nows you are not going to get them easily. I never heard of a V8 5.7 hemi engine having any issues, but the transmission is known to have a few problems and if anything goes it can be quite an expensive affair. I would recommend to stay away from the Dodge Durrango and Ford Explorer, however I have had quite a good feedback and experience with the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Tahoe, but similar models and condition you will get for maybe 25K as they are tough, have fewer issues, easier to find parts and cheaper to maintain. A rule of thumb is person who make a small investment first up will cry his eyes out for life, compared to one who will cry making the first payment, but will be happy for life.

@shinith if it is nitrogen filled and at 40 PSI, I wouldn't bother to clean the tires out and it means he has not taken it out off-roading recently after filling it with nitrogen. But no guarantee that it was never used off-road. The tire size is also not indicating that he was an avid off-roader. PS - Although I have never owned a set, but my brother used to have the Pirelli Scorpions on his Jeep and I am a big fan of these tires.

@desertdude I know you have a different taste, but more for you is your lack of patience and appreciation of things. Maybe its the overtime you did when this was all part of your job, for us it is a get away from everything including our work. i don't know how bitter you felt driving with me, but I have always enjoyed your company whenever you have joined and looking forward to one such trip which will tickle your fancy. Insha Allah soon.

Wow, it looks awesome @Richard Mellish. Somehow I have this soft spot for the Ram, I drool every time I see it, and this one just looks like it mean business. Can't wait to see this monster in action, maybe even try to tame it.

@Richard Mellish that is a mighty generous offer. i have test driven the Ram and I love the interior which is what matters to me, have used the 5.7 Hemi engine which I am in love with, and the looks are mean enough to tickle my fancy. However, on a test drive they do not allow you to take it off-road and that is one thing I would like to really have a feel of. Insha Allah I will take you on your offer. If I am not mistaken you have the Disco 2 on your DP, I had a 1998 Disco 1 for about 5 years and I love that machine too. Is it true that the Disco 2 lost it's central diff-lock which was a luxury for me in the Disco 1?

Hi @Jeh, good to hear such an educational topic. I used to own a Motorola Moto G some 4 years back and when setting up, it had a Drive Assist which came installed and it would read out the message to you when you were on the move. Ask you if you want to reply, ask you for the text and type it out as you speak and confirm and send the same without having to take your eyes of the road or hand on the steering wheel. Technology is always there to help make things better, it's up to us to use such technology to our advantage.

I agree with both @Barry and @Gaurav. I feel one should go with his experience and and nothing can beat that. As per Barry all ATF D3 are manufactured in a certain way to be certified, while Gaurav bhai rather pay the extra buck and be sure that he buys OEM as @desertdude says oil is cheaper than replacing an engine, so better to pay the extra and have satisfaction of mind. I normally change my oil from Adnoc at every 5K kilometers, I went yesterday and the guy checked the oil and said it is still good, normally you can drive an additional 3K kilometers but he suggested I go back to him after 1K. I was advised this before and I got the oil changed anyways, it came out sparkling clean. This time I went for his advise and will take it back in a couple of weeks time. On my Discovery I had a leak on my steering wheel oil and it was turning out so tiresome to get a small bottle from Adnoc every 2 -3 weeks, I got a huge Gallon for AED 25/- which would last me 3- 4 months. I am not sure if it lacked quality in any way as my Discovery never gave me any problems with the steering assembly wear and tear and operated smoothly. Just my 2 cents.

Hi @Alfie to your very own forum which has like minded petrol heads trying to beat the stealerships (dealerships) and crooks around. It is always a pleasure to come across someone who like to get down and dirty and understand his piece of machine rather than someone willing to throw a pile of money to fix something that was never an issue. From the variety of cars you own it must be a real challenge. Hope to see you around and enjoy asking questions and contributing with your experience on your very own forum.

Congrats @shinith and good advise @Gaurav bhai.

I will specially miss the Lancer.

Current : Nissan Pathfinder 2001, V6 (VG33E) Future : My history shows I have downgraded from a 5.7 Hemi V8 to a 3.9 V8 and now on a V6 3.3, so next should be a 4 Cylinder 2.7 Fortuner or Prado. Hehehehehe. Seriously : I would love to go for a Truck next time, either the Ram 1500 twin cab or the Ford F150 FX4.

Alf Mabrook @Ren13, your ride looks amazing.

So it was supposed to be an exploration drive and it was just that in every sense. Although I had planned a slightly different area, but I received a coordinate from @skumar83 just a few hours before the drive and I handed it over to our trusted @Gaurav Bhai to study the area. Since it was all last minute we did not have enough time to recognize the terrain. We all met on time and headed to the coordinate given to us by Sree. As we entered and deflated and after the drivers' briefing we were off in to the unknown after midnight. The terrain seemed more of a forest than a desert and we were greeted by plenty of trees, shrubs and stubs with a lot of farm houses around, one even had a swimming pool. At the start Gaurav Bhai and I had decided that we were going to go on the other side of the road if the terrain was not suitable, it was time to do just that. So we returned to where we had started and headed to the other side which was fenced, so we drove down the road as far as we could and returned to find only 1 break in fence which had some trucks and heavy equipment. This could only mean 1 thing, the terrain was under some kind of construction and it would be unsafe, just to eradicate any doubts Gaurav Bhai had a quick run and came back with a thumbs down. So a short conference took place and it was decided we we would head to a desert which was approximately 20 Kilometers away on Saleem Bhai's experience. This was definitely a desert but as Saleem Bhai had pointed out, there were a lot of pockets and plenty of soft sand around to keep us busy. Asif Bhai had bought a viking rope on the night and it seemed to be working overtime for this drive. We finally settled in some flat terrain to rest, discuss the details and our side of the experiences along with some tea and bites. By this time the Sun had come up and was making things hot and uncomfortable, so we decided to head back after quickly inflating. To sum up this drive all I would like to say is that it was an exploration drive and it was not very pleasant terrain, but our team is the best I have ever experienced and the company of those around kept it interesting and bearable. Thank you to Gaurav Bhai for taking over the lead as I had my vehicle full + 1 as my family decided to come and for the food. Thank you to Asif Bhai for the tea, snacks, extra radio which he has given me for anybody who falls short and inflating a couple of my tires when my compressor coughed up in the heat. Thank you to Sree bhai who with his newly acquired Jeep Cherokee was always ready to help. Thank you to Saleem for once again being there with his Rav4 and for his helpful nature to give me for fuses to replace if the AC tripped the fuse as it would have been very unpleasant with the family without AC.

It looks very complicated and I am too lazy to drive such a dawg, moreover, I am not that big on mountain crawling as I do not have the patience for it.

The reason he did not flip was because he stopped at one spot when the car was lifting from one end, then the people came up on the side of the car that was lifting to prevent a roll over. If he had continued to push he could have easily flipped. coming down side ways and too much power is always a waste of effort and can result in unwanted circumstances.

Good point Asif bhai. @shadow79 please bring some ready to eat food. You are most welcome to join me in my air conditioned Nissan.

I disagree. You need to step up and take all opportunities to learn, whether it's your mistake or someone else mistake.