Brette

@Alex Sidorov the skid plate can cost you anywhere between AED 1000 - 2000, the 2 inch rough country levelling kit cost me AED 600, 1 inch wheel spacers AED 1000, Cooper tires AED 3000 and rims can vary depending on what you want. If you look around you can get a second hand set for around AED 1200. I have heard that wrangler 18 inch rims fit perfect on the JGC but never tried it my self. You can't go lower than 18 due to the HD brakes at the back. Except for the wheel spacers, nothing I did could touch my warranty but the dealers always try their luck and tell you otherwise. It all depends on how you handle them. The skid plate is absolutely no problem, it is just an underbody protection and should be the first thing you do. Regarding the cracks on the wheels, I agree with what Vipin said, I drove on the 20 inch rims and continental tires for almost a year before I changed them to the Cooper's and the desert drives did nothing to them. The minor cracks you see is normal wear and tear.

This drive is organised in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardise someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organising these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (All Level) Meeting time: 07:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) on Friday 5th Feb 2021 Meeting Point: - https://maps.app.goo.gl/TCFuZ6UxoGfc7uuGA 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: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 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

@Ashy @VipinShetty none of the others have confirmed so its just the 2 of you now. I am still open to the 3 of us meeting as we would all finish our drives around qudra.

RSVP is now closed. Below is the convoy order for the drive tomorrow and we will be using channel 2, 446.031.25. Brette Marshal JGC Lead @Rajeevan Vickneswaran Intermediate Wrangler 2nd Lead @Ahmad Shaker Newbie FJ @Hossam Anwar Newbie Pajero @William Fernandes Newbie FJ @Trekado Newbie Pajero @Shaaz Sha Intermediate Wrangler CF @Humayun Ghias Newbie Y62 @Michael Glavanis Newbie LR3 @Arshad Roojee Newbie Wrangler @Dodi Syahdar Newbie F150 @Janarthan Advance X Sweep Once you reach the meeting point please deflate immediately and turn on your radios to channel 2. We plan to leave at sharp 7 AM. See you'll tomorrow.

@Humayun Ghias you have been added to the drive. Please make sure you have the required gear for the newbie drive.

@Ahmad Shaker @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Trekado @Michael Glavanis @Hossam Anwar @Shaaz Sha @William Fernandes @Serafino @Arshad Roojee @Dodi Syahdar @Janarthan Good morning guys, just a reminder to make sure you have the required equipment for the drive. 1. Off-road flag 2. Tire deflator and pressure gauge 3. Shovel 4. Radio ( tuned to the Carnity frequencies ) 5. Air compressor to inflate after the drive. The convoy numbering and radio channel we would be using will be updated here by around 8 pm tomorrow. See you'll in the sand.

Yes, I will be leading a newbie drive. Let's wait for everyone else to respond and will then fix a time and place.

@ZakWarah @Umar Kamal @Alex Sidorov@Ashy @VipinShetty if you guys and any other JGC owners are interested, we can meet after the Friday morning drive and go over any questions or concerns you may have. If time permits, can also drive around for an hour or so.

Congrats @Pancho. Well done.

@Alex Sidorov it started with me wanting a daily driver but also something that was capable to go for the occasional camping trip. I did look at a few other cars but have always liked Jeeps so settled for the JGC. When I joined Carnity in October 2018, I expected to do just a few drives to get a feel of the vehicle and see how it handles in this terrain. For a year, my drives were on and off mostly but I kept coming back for more as this grew on me. If you ask me if this is the best car for the desert, the answer is definitely a big NO for a few reasons. It is Jeeps luxury segment and has too many safety features that are excellent on tarmac but a pain when offroading. If you didn't know better, you would think turning it into sand mode kills the traction but the moment the 101 sensors find the wheels spinng or sliding, the system overwrites everything and kicks in and suddenly your traction control is back on and the only way around it is a kill switch. There are quite a few quirks like this to get around. Secondly, even if you do get around to living with the few flaws, there is always the lingering feeling that if something does go wrong, it's gonna cost an arm and a leg. To summarize it, I personally took it as a challenge to myself to find a way around most of the issues and it's been a fun ride so far. Would I buy a JGC again to do the same thing? Probably not. Get a cheaper toy that you will not worry about each time you enter the desert. There are a lot of options out there depending on what you really want to do in the desert and how far you want to push yourself, the most common being the wranglers and pajero's but the Xterra is also gaining ground of late. Here is a pic of my JGC, it's a 2017 Limited. The only mods I've added are a skid plate, 2 inch levelling kit from Rough country in the front, 1 inch wheel spacers all round to maintain the COG due to the lift on the front end.

@Alex SidorovYeah it is impossible to avoid it all completely when driving in the desert. Take it from me, I used to have a car detailing center back home as I used to be really particular about no scratches or swirls on the car. Offroading and having a spotless car is not going to happen. I finally decided the car can be detailed anytime I want but I was not giving up the off-road drives for it. Tough choice but that's what it boils down too.

@Alex Sidorov that is the wheel arch lining and runs through the entire wheel well. I just cut off the piece that hangs down as I never put the lower fascia back, liked the way the JGC looked without it. The tints should be fine as it is on the inside, the sand generally gets between the frame and glass on the outside. However, when inflating your tires, you can use the compressor to blow out the sand that is stuck in the window frame.

@Vanessa8580 congrats again. Truly one of the most deserved promotions. 🥳🥳

@luwaimn if the clips are still holding and the bumper has not come of the body, I'd suggest just trimming it and getting a skid plate. If the clips are broken and it has to be replaced, try getting a second hand one and trim it. Adding a metal bumper would not only add weight but can also be a problem passing the RTA test. You would have to put the rubber blocks on it for it to pass.

Would have loved to come but would most likely be camping at Al quaa on this weekend. Hopefully can make it for the next one.

Congrats @Bernd Stucke. Well done.

Congrats @Mobeen Anwar!!

Congrats @Baskaran P.R!!

Congrats @Denizzalbayrak!!

Congrats @VipinShetty. Well done.

Trip Report: Thanks to everyone for being on time, we were able finish the briefing and head out by 7:15. With no fog and beautiful weather we headed out into a bit of technical dunes for about 90 minutes to make sure everyone was wide awake. We did have a few stucks and refusals that were sorted quickly by @Kailas and @Rizwanm2. Once I was sure everyone was awake, we headed into the long range dunes and for an hour practised some nice long ridge rides and criss crossing with a few sideys where everyone did really well. For the last hour, we went towards the bowls and did a few loops at a little higher speed with some more criss crossing and sideys. @Rizwanm2 thank you for being an excellent 2nd lead. You maintained the perfect distance for a 2nd lead giving me enough time to tell you when to reroute. Had not driven with you in a while and can see you have really grown in confidence. Well done. @varunmehndiratta when we started the drive, I noticed you were a bit shy on the gas over the smaller technical dunes. The small technical ones can be deceiving, at first glance you may think that you dont need to much gas to get over it but the minute your wheels touch it, you instantly feel it hold you back resulting in a refusal or stuck. I was happy though to see over the course of the drive, you kept getting better at it. @N@ved, driven with you on 1 newbie and 1 fewbie drive and have been really impressed with the way you handle the TJ. Whether it was a small technical dune or a higher sidey / climb, you were spot on with the amount of gas you gave it and never really saw you struggle. Well done. @VipinShetty, well driven and really happy to see you enjoying the JGC. You managed very well and had absolutely no issues. @topgear, Big improvement from the last time we drove together. I remember on our last drive you were struggling to find that sweet spot with the amount of gas to give it in various situations but you had it under control throughout this drive. Well done and hope the loops didn't make your son feel to sick. @Karthik Krishnakumar, you have a very capable vehicle so dont be shy to step on the gas when required and always stick to the track of the car in front of you. Overall you did quite well and I am sure you will fine tune the rest over the next few drives. @Kailas, Well done buddy. Thank you for the excellent support and keeping the convoy moving safely. Really happy to see you growing and taking on more responsibility with the drives.