Frederic

Good morning all ! RSVP IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS DRIVE Please find the convoy setup for tomorrow's drive. We will be using Channel 2 - 446.031 Mhz as walkie talkie channel. Please ensure to bring: * proper shovel, radio, safety flag, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, compressor, pressure gauge/deflator. * smiles and patience to learn See you tomorrow !

During periods of unstable weather, the driving conditions in the desert change severely. Especially rain and heavy winds transform the dunes and will demand changes in your dune driving style. In this topic we will try to provide helpful tips to both leads and club members on how to prevent incidents when driving in this type of terrain. There are three main weather variables that we will cover. Heavy rains Heavy winds, sandstorms Foggy conditions Heavy Rains Off-roading during heavy rain should be avoided. It limits the visibility in the convoy, and the convoy should either halt and wait for the rains to stop or continue slowly to move towards another place where there is less rain. Driving in the dunes after rains might look very easy; the sand feels like concrete, but there are several issues that arise: 1. Tire pressure will need to be increased to mitigate pop-outs. If you drive on 10-12 psi, you will need to bring it to 15-16psi. 2. Cross-tracks, often found in busy desert areas, become more dangerous as driving in them might throw off the balance of your 4x4. 3. Ridges will appear fine but can crumble at the slightest impact. Additionally, along the length of a ridge you might suddenly find severe drops as where the rain gushed down and took a part of the dune with it. 4. Sabkhas can become mud pools. A sabkha or salt flat can look innocent, but after severe rains you might sink down while driving over it. Always approach a sabkha closer to vegetation or closer to the dunes, so you have a way to escape in case you start to sink down. When you approach with a convoy, let one vehicle go first and identify how deep his tracks in the sabkha go before following. 5. Sudden sharp steering will be penalized with a pop-out or even vehicle flip. Your 4x4 will slide more in the wet sand and there will be more slip. Drive extra carefully and do not overrate your skills. 6. Layering. During periods of rain, the absorption rate of the sand will depend on various factors, so as a result you might come across a dry-looking first layer, followed by wet portions of sand underneath. The combination of these two, being ripped open by our tires, will result in different traction at different locations. This unpredictability will make your 4x4 behave differently, and extra caution and focus will be needed throughout the drive, How layering would look like: Wet dunes, with colour variations that reflect the amount of water it carries in each location: Heavy winds, sandstorms During heavy winds / sandstorms, the terrain will undergo drastic changes. Apart from the limited visibility, which means you better halt the convoy, the dunes itself will shift and there will be temporary changes to the sand and ridges which makes the terrain very unpredictable to drive in. A small blowhole on the backside of the dune will now carry a lot of fresh sand and will make you sink in immediately. After heavy winds, and due to the sand shifting, there might be old vegetation popping up from underneath, which together with wet sand will form clumps and might cause pop-outs. Foggy conditions Especially in early mornings, fog can be a dealbreaker for an enjoyable off-road drive. Due to the limited visibility, it will be too dangerous to start driving with your convoy. You might need the help of your AC to dry down the inside cabin a bit in order to increase visibility. Give it some time for the fog to clear up.

@Amr A @AlexM Abu Dhabi boys are checking in

RSVP will be opening on Feb 26th (Monday) 7PM..

Well deserved @Alphin Aloor ! Let the VTC roar !!

We request every member who joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sp8T29kJGFPGXVeo9 Decimal Coordinates: 24.637184, 55.487971 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 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: This drive is limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 9AM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy 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 below calendar

Hey @Matt - monkeywrench we organize Liwa drives as regular off-road drives during the winter. But to go and spot this challenge or Dakar as a club is also a good idea 👍 Don’t underestimate the area and don’t go alone in this type of desert, it’s remote terrain. Unless you can spot the convoys perhaps from closer to the road or at certain crossings where you have salt flats.

Ah yes, onboard you will have UHF an VHF models you can purchase. Be careful to remove it during crossing into Oman as they are in fact illegal. Even within UAE you would in theory need a permit as you are broadcasting at a higher wattage. Simon has an onboard model and once you have the permit you should be good to go.

Not here on the forum, as CB is not really used in UAE. @Simon Dcorrect me if am wrong. Ham radio enthusiasts here are usually broadcasting in the VHF 145Mhz freq range. Anything that is not in the PMR446 frequency range, will require you getting a permit. Simon has obtained this and can provide more info on CB vs VHF vs UHF. UAE National Frequency Plan new 2020 En pdf.pdf

As you can see in above topics, you will be needing a floor jack if you want to fix a pop-out or replace a tire in the desert. Get some thick wooden planks (like scaffolding planks) as well that will be used as a base to put the jack on. If the ground is really stable enough, a good quality bottle jack would also do, but it’s less stable. Uni-Jack is a light and stable option too, as it’s a bottle jack with a jack stand built onto it.

Hi @Islam Soliman I think Dubizzle is not perfect, but also there are not that many alternatives. If you follow the main principles of not chatting outside the Dubbizle chat area or providing your bank details, nor engaging in conversations with potential buyers that don't even live in the UAE, you should be ok. See below some more info: I've heard about Dubicars, Bayut, etc.. but i am afraid all are same concept. Another option is to visit car dealers but that's usually even much more of a headache. Always better to try to sell your vehicle to a private person as it will fetch the best price. Car dealers will only give you a rock bottom offer as they have to clean, inspect, and resell with warranty + their commission.