Frederic

Great news and well deserved @DP1011 !

Well deserved @Simon D !

Something like this perhaps: https://www.calcarcover.com/product/xpel-tracwrap-temporary-paint-protection-film/4494 I’d be very cautious about applying a kind of spray as it might burn into the original paint and leave Permanent damage.

Yes but a few odd ones are in there too ! Perhaps we can convince him to sell their cars so it completely matches up 😜

CONVOY LIST @munkybizness@Rajesh NG@Ahmed Wagdy@DanielN@Richard Franks@Hisham Masaad@Frans M@Nadeem Ansari@Tom V@Marketa Dobesova@Pacific@Andrei S@Looper This time it looks we have an FJ Cruiser Supervisor @Hisham Masaad and a Jeep Supervisor @Looper Please don't forget to deflate to 25psi only, and not to 10-12psi like we usually do. Offroad Flag is also not required this time. We will be using Channel 2 - 446.031 Mhz for our comms. See you all tomorrow morning !

Sorry to hear that buddy. No worries we will have plenty more of these the coming months.

hahaha you have a good idea there !

Good Morning All ! Confirmed for the drive: @Rajesh NG@Daniel Rodas@Ben Lee@Frans M@Nadeem Ansari@Pavel Pashkovskiy@Tom V@Marketa Dobesova@Felix Obst@Pacific @Looper@Hisham Masaad Waitlisted Attendees: Bjoern @Bjoern Andrei S @Andrei S Ahmed Wagdy @Ahmed Wagdy DanielN @DanielN Ahmad Nerat @Ahmad Nerat Richard Franks @Richard Franks Anoop Nair @Anoop Nair Pierre de Maigret @Pierre de Maigret A few points to note about this drive and overlanding in general: 1. The concept of overlanding in UAE is about selecting a start and an endpoint, and to map out a route to get there. The emphasis is on avoiding tarmac as much as possible, but to use existing farm tracks and trails. While overlanding can in theory take hours, days, weeks, or months, the concept itself remains the same. In the winter time i am planning similar drives over longer distances that will involve camping. 2. The aim of this drive is to explore the beautiful scenery UAE has to offer, so bring your camera and try to make it an enjoyable morning without any pressure. Bring family members if you like as they will definitely enjoy it ! 3. We will deflate to 25psi and not lower. The reason is we want to be able to cross tarmac parts at 50-70 km/h easily. On 25psi you will have a better traction and a bit of dampening which will help in the wadis. You don't need to put up your flag at the starting point. 4. The plan is to end the drive at Dibba al Hisn beach I would love to have a group photo of all of us at the shoreline as it think it would be Carnity's first beach photo of a convoy ! (we will need to leave the cars at the parking). 5. It will be crucial to keep an eye on the car behind you and communicate well over the radio, as we will be driving a small part through the city and we don't want anyone to lose the convoy. Our sweep will have the planned route on his GPS as well. @Looper 6. You will be able to swap between 2H and 4H throughout the drive as per your convenience. Especially on the tarmac parts we recommend switching to 2H to avoid differentials damage. In the sandy parts and once we enter the mountains you will need to keep it in 4H of course. See you all soon !

Hi @Benjaminyes you might want to get that checked out, but on the other hand i had exactly the same issue when i got my Rancho shocks installed. The squeak came from the mounting bushes that somehow needed to settle a bit. The noise dissapeared after 2-3 drives on its own.

It is no mystery that off-roading takes a heavy toll on your vehicle. In this topic we will discuss the preventative and corrective measures you can do to minimize the risk of your 4x4 breaking down in the desert. While below steps will not remove the chances of breaking down completely, it will at least reduce the potential significantly. Preventative - Pre-Drive Checkup This preventative check takes only 15mins and will take away a lot of the potential issues you can come across. It does not take away the need to get your car serviced but is merely a quick first inspection before heading out into the desert. 1. Check your oil level on the dipstick. If the level is too close to the minimum level, or the oil is appearing too black, replace the engine oil. We generally advise you to replace the engine oil: * at 80% of the normal recommended km. (for example change your oil at 8,000km instead of 10,000km) in case you are an occasional off-roader. * at 50% of the normal recommended km when you are a hardcore high level dune basher. How to Read an Oil Dipstick - AutoZone We always recommend using fully synthetic oil only from a well-known brand only (Mobil1, Castrol, Amsoil, Redline). Our cars deserve only the best if we push them to the redline on regular basis ! Make sure to run the engine for 5-10mins first so the oil is at the right temperature and viscosity before turning off the engine and taking out the dipstick. 2. Check your coolant level. The overflow tank will have a min. and max. level line. Coolant level should be within this range. Coolant should be replaced every 50-60,000kms with the recommended type of coolant for your 4x4. 3. Check your air filter. Off-roading will clog up your air filter quite soon, so inspect it before every drive by opening the air filter box and taking out the filter element. Take out the filter and gently tap it on a soft surface. The majority of the sand will come falling out. * If the filter element is paper-made, better to replace it every 20,000km. * If it's made of a nonwoven fabric or material than can be cleaned you can clean it with a gentle water pressure and let it dry (having a second filter at hand is very useful so it has time to dry out). In case of an oiled filter, you will need to follow the recommended maintenance of these filters religiously which includes oiling the filter after cleaning it. PS always make sure the close the airbox properly. In some vehicles it's a bit tricky and you don't want to have sand getting inside ! Make sure all the clips are on and there is no misalignment. Even the mechanics often make this mistake when being in a rush. 4. Check for any loose hoses or leaks. While you are under the bonnet, have a close inspection at the air intake hose to make sure there are no cracks, and look for any suspicious signs of leaks (often you will find a leak as the sand sticks to it). 5. Check the pressure of your 4 tyres. If you inflated it properly on the previous drive, then the tyre pressure should still be the same. If you notice that 1 tyre has a lower pressure, it could mean there is a slight leak. Either from the valve stem, or a small puncture. You don't want to drive in the desert with a leaking tyre as this will be a recipe for regular pop-outs. 6. Battery. It is visually not possible to inspect the car battery, but after about 1 year you might start seeing signs that the car doesn't start on the first go. A good tip is to pass by a service station like Autopro which is generally next to the gas station and ask them to perform a battery health check. They have a special device that will show you the battery health in about 2mins. If the result is below 50-60% i would recommend replacing it. Those devices are available on Amazon as well: Car Battery Tester - YUNGU 12V Battery Alternator Analyzer Load Tester Starter and Charging System Tester Battery Analyzer for Cars Motorcycle Marine Truck and More : Amazon.ae: Automotive 7. Dashboard lights. Do you have check-engine lights? Better get them looked at by a professional mechanic. These are indications something is wrong and it should not be ignored. If you are a bit technically inclined, get yourself an OBD scanner tool that allows you to read out any DTC (fault codes). 8. Clutch. In case of manual gearbox: if you noticed the play of the clutch pedal has changed recently, like feeling a lot softer, this is a clear indication something is wrong. Do not go off-roading with a faulty clutch ! 9. Underneath the car and your parking spot. Have a look underneath the 4x4 itself. If you see lots of sand sticking in some area nearby the engine and/or transmission, this means you have an oil leak somewhere. While in old cars small leaks are acceptable, in newer ones this should not be tolerated. Check the parking floor as well, as this will give you an indication if you have a coolant leak or other oil leaks. During The Drive 1. Keep an eye out for overheating signs. Stop the car immediately and inform the convoy if your engine or transmission is overheating. 2. If you made a nasty hit, ask the convoy to stop for a minute. Step out and inspect the front of the car including radiator, bash plate, and verify if you have any leaks. If you can spot it early enough most probably it can still be fixed and we don't have to drag your 4x4 out of the desert. 3. Understand your 4x4. With every drive you will gain experience and you will learn from pushing the car how much it can take and for how long it can take this. The more you are in tune with your 4x4, the quicker you will spot any potential issues. Post-Drive Checkup This can be done while inflating your tyres. 1. Open the bonnet and check for any loose hoses or leaks. Same as in step 4 mentioned in the pre-drive checkup. 2. Check for any debris underneath the car. Especially after having driven in bushy terrain. 3. Check for any leaks underneath the car. 4. Inflate the tyres back to normal pressure. 5. On the way home, turn off the radio and listen to the car itself. Suspensions squeaks or rattling noises means you'll need to take it to the mechanic to get it inspected. Long story short. If you look after your 4x4, she/he will look after you and you will be able to enjoy this sport with less head-aches and costly repairs. Make sure to do your due diligence in selecting the right service/repair shop as well that doesn't cut corners but understands that as an offroader you want your car to be in the best possible condition technically. Please do share your own experiences and tips !

Hi @DanielN ! The scenic drives are very similar to overlanding. This time we won’t be spending too much time in the dunes but head out further into the mountains and there’s a bit of tarmac also involved to get to the point where we need to be.

Drive Plan In the olden days, Bedouins travelled across the UAE and used various crucial landmarks that had an oasis as resting points and to resupply with water and food. Al Dhaid Oasis was one of the most well-known, and the fort was built to protect it from outsiders. We will be using backroads, farm tracks, and wadis, to make our way similar to the Bedouins did. This first session will start from Al Dhaid Oasis and will take us to Dibba Al Hisn beach. This will not be a dunebashing drive, rather an exploration on existing trails, dunes, and mountain trails, with the occasional piece of tarmac. Please take note of this. If you have done overlanding drives with us before than you will have a good idea on what to expect. There is no need to bring your offroad flag, and we will only deflate to 25psi at the starting point. MUST READ AND COMPLY Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Nearby Al Dhaid Fort: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NSNwm4EmxZCQ5paS9?g_st=ic 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: 11:00-12:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Saturday - 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

Would that basically turn your 4H into a semi-4Lo ?