Desert Dweller

5 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

You can always join as a passenger and post request here, Im sure someone will be happy to have you onboard and you can learn a lot as a passenger in early days.

Im going for Sweihan with Emmanuel, if you like to join that let me know.

Absolutely! And it would be nice to explore that new area. Where should I meet you?

Rahim has my whatsapp number, in case you need to contact me faster.

Thank you!!! I’m so excited 

I’d have loved to join (despite the early start 😁) but as you all know I’m still on the hunt for a car. Hopefully it’ll be resolved within the next 2 weeks, inshala!

Meanwhile, have lots of fun tomorrow!

42 minutes ago, Rahimdad said:

@Jamy B. welcome back. You still have a long way to go to qualify for the intermediate level. Since you've been away for long period you'll have to start all over again. I personally like the 3.8 litre as it offers the rear difflock also. It would be mighty useful if it is a SWB rather than LWB.

In a way I agree with @Gaurav bhai to go with the Xterra, of course a used one and spend money on maintaining, repairing or mods to the car. You don't want to bring in a brand new 100k car to the desert. When you do decide to go for expedition do a little research and rent a fully insured vehicle from that place to help you keep your car safe.

Thank you! Happy to be back

I know I still have a lot to learn and I'm definitely willing to restart as soon as I can.

2 minutes ago, desertdude said:

Would be the same as your Suzuki issue. The FJC was never sold in these places. But the LC was, so more chances of sourcing locally available parts rather than to have to wait for something to arrive from overseas. 

Although you wouldn't do too bad with the FJC than with an X Terra because underneath the FJC its just a Prado with a different body shell on top. 

Which makes me think why not just get a Prado over an FJC. More room for passengers and cargo, better visibility all around. Can sleep in the car on camping trips etc etc.

 

Prado was my first choice, but even for 50k the models I checked were too old and used, a lot of kms too... I didn't find any descent one and got frustrated and tired looking for one. Which year and model would you say? and reasonable price? Because a brand new one is 160k... and As Rahim said, I wouldn't be keen to taking it to the desert hehe

The car would be for me alone btw. No passengers to take into consideration, at least right now and the near future

25 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

Any discontinued car usually serve spare parts from at least 10 to max 25 years.

@Shamil and @Emmanuel can confirm what's Nissan SLA with Xterra if they have researched.

That's reassuring! Thank you

4 hours ago, Derick said:

What about the Jeep wrangler for go anywhere needs or pickup trucks?

I considered it too!

2 hours ago, sertac said:

If you are interested one of my friend selling his fully loaded FJ Cruiser. 2016 model and low km. 

I definitely am interested in knowing more details! You can pm me

5 hours ago, desertdude said:

Well if you want to overland it. Your best bet would be to get your self a 100 series Land Cruiser. The Xterra and FJC were never launched in Africa, Asia or Europe. 

 If you ever have a breakdown or need some bits out there, good luck finding and parts out in these places for an Xterra or FJC.

It would actually be preferable to get a diesel engine LC 100 but those aren't available here.

And for that budget you can get a pretty decent 100 series plus have money left over to mod jt.

More chances to get parts for an FJC? as it's newer and can get Toyota dealer to bring them... this is just hypothetically speaking.

In the past I had a similar issue driving around Africa in a motorbike (Suzuki DR800) and had to get the needed part sent from Spain... with all the inconvenience that the situation imposed, having to wait for 2 weeks in a village in Gambia

4 hours ago, Gaurav said:

I agree with you @desertdude on 100 series better for overland trips, BUT I strongly disagree to buy 100 series - FULL SIZE BOAT - GOOD FOR NOTHING IN DESERT DUNES HERE IN UAE OTHER THAN DESERT SAFARI'S TRAIN TRACKS.

I learned offroading in 100 series in 2006 and realized its limitations in the first 3-4 months when I knew what I want it after seeing everyone climbing the big red (smallest of 3 peak in shj) and me sitting down as that boat in stock shape going "NOWHERE".

@Jamy B. for such extensive overland trips, you should fly to those country and rent the well equipped 4x4 made for those specific terrain, because you can't enjoy overland vehicle here as they gonna cough up on tall dunes becauase of there size and weight. So buy something for here like FJC or Xterra that you can freely enjoy every week without any headache - at least in this region - UAE, Oman and Saudi.

True. I need to stop thinking I can use one same car everywhere and for everything

It does make sense to get one that will work well for what I actually want and will be using it for here, which is learning off-roading...

8 hours ago, Shamil said:

Thanks for tagging us on this thread @Gauravbhai. Being a person who used to drive a pajero for about 14 years and then switching to the Xterra, i think i can throw some light into this discussion. When i got rid of my pajero(i had a SWB 3.0 and a LWB 3.8), i was in fact, about to purchase a FJC but then the xterra presented itself as a much more viable option in terms of passenger comfort, adequate amount of power for advanced offloading purposes and all in all a more family friendly SUV compared to the FJC. The Xterra, In comparison to the pajero, even though is more powerful (4.0 vs 3.8), surprisingly consumes lesser gas. Yea surprise surprise! Its probably to do with the weight aspect since the xterra is lighter than the 5 door pajero.

Bottom line, the pajero, as @Gauravbhai mentioned, is great for beach cruises and in general a more comfy on-road ride(if passenger hauling and light offroading are the primary objectives). But if you want the best of both worlds whereby you are able to SLIGHTLY compromise on passenger comfort (its almost negligible by the way) and yet require the brute engine strength to go crazy on offroad terrains, then look no more as the xterra clearly has all those boxes beautifully checked off. Only downside being is that you will have to settle for a pre-owned option as production of this vehicle has stopped since 2015.

Thanks for all the detailed info. I remember Gaurav mentioning that the Xterra has been discontinued, and that might make it difficult finding spare parts... is that a huge downside?

Valuable and sincere piece of advice. Thank you!

I was tired and done with going back and forth checking options and being indecisive. So suggesting specific models is a great help. 

I can get a cheap sedan for daily drive, and my commute is only 20 minutes now.

The offroading is more for intermediate and exploration, as much desert driving as I can, and cross country expeditions. Not necessarily Africa, but yeah, rough terrains... like taking a boat to some parts of Asia and driving from there...

If you know of any better option that I can get within my new budget, please feel free to advise 😅

Hi guys and ladies!

I truly missed the desert drives but couldn’t join after what happened to Angela’s car (Scots lass...).

Surprise surprise, I’m finally taking the step, have made up my mind, and know what car to buy... (well, almost sure, that’s why I’m back here 😁).

2 choices, both pajeros (descent and cheaper than Prado). Brand new but older versions (one is of 2017 another of 2018).

Attached you can see the descriptions of the 3.5 one. The 3.8 is similar but of 2018, 18 inches tyres, has sunroof to and is more powerful, dah!

Price wise, I can afford both as it is a price I can pay in installments, that is the same I’m paying for a monthly rental car now anyway. But obviously I’d go for the cheapest if you guys consider it to be enough for off-roading and travel drives... but if it’s significantly better to go for the more expensive one as the difference in price ain’t too big then I’d do that. The 3.5/2017 one is 76K, the 3.8/2018 is 99K.

Both cars are brand new but in liquidation as they are last units and older versions.

thank you in advance!

Jamy

On 2/9/2019 at 4:03 PM, Rahimdad said:

Trip report:

Wonderful day, great weather and amazing people made this drive the perfect outing. I must start by thanking everybody for being on time. Started from the Adnoc pump on time and reached the deflation point. Everybody was patient during the briefing and had a good ideas and questions to understand the ettiquettes, safety aspect and basics of driving in the sand.

My sincere thanks to @Gaurav bhai for making it just before the start of the drive even after facing gear issues. He also took on the sweep duties to keep the convoy moving. I would also like to thank @Emmanuel for being the busiest person on the day with most responsibilities. A very big thank you to @Javier M for being my second lead and keeping the convoy safe at all times. A big thank you to @Jamy B. and her Scottish friend (sorry I forgot her name), hope you got the police report. @Chirag S. hope all clear with the police report, you drove well but still need to understand how your car reacts in the sand. Thanks to @yogic72, @WiLfY, @BilalAhmad, @Brette, @Djamelus, @Sajith Kumar, @SandySandeep, @Julien V and Ben and his family joining us for the trip.

As usual we started off on some tracks and eventually build the level to give a feel of the dunes and how best to manage them with small dunes, straight up and down. Some descends were a bit steep but everybody managed well. We made it to the gauge track on time for Ben and his family to depart as they had to catch a flight at 10 pm. @Julien V later checked with the family when they had already boarded their plane, perfect timing.

We later headed to the top of Fossil Rock which everybody managed well. By this time the sun was setting and it was getting cold. There was a huge temptation to go down on Fossil Rocks, but with the stars not properly aligned we decided to drive around it to our spot.

We sat down and with all in high spirits we laid our goodies down. From karak tea to some salty treats and some sweet ones I enjoyed them all. More amazing than the treats were stories as we all had our chance to give feedback and exchange stories. With everybody having their fill for the weekend it was time to pack up and head out. Thanks to all for using garbage bags and keeping the environment clean. It was a great to see only our tire and foot prints without garbage flying around.

As we packed our cars and headed out we found a nice easy track with lead us straight to the closest road. After a quick stop to switch off our off road lights and remove the flags we were off to the Adnoc pump. We inflated here, said our goid byes and continued on our way home. I saw @Jamy B. on the way back and wanted to ask them if the police report was sorted out, but have to appreciate the fact that they are very arlttentive to the road and do not get distracted by anything.

Thank you to everyone for their participation, until next time take care. Live you all and hope to see you soon.

Thank you, Angela  and I had a great day , it was so good to finally meet you all. I loved the drive and grew and grew in confidence with all the encouragement I received from everyone. I can't wait for the next newbie drive!!

We did get the police report and everything is in hand regarding the repair. Thank you again for your advice with regards to this matter.

2 minutes ago, SandySandeep said:

is it ok, can i buy later for next time.. please confirm me i need to start from RAK

 

You can share ours if needed

Hi guys,

I don't have a two way radio, but I got everything else (deflator, compressor, snatch strap and a shovel). Should I go and buy it before the drive? If so, where should I buy it from and what specification should I get?

On 2/6/2019 at 7:16 PM, Gaurav said:

Hope your friend's Montero is a GLS that is 4WD and not GLX (2WD).

It is. The full options version. We’ve used it before to off-road in Al Qudra and some wadis here in the UAE as well as Oman... using 4WD 

1 hour ago, Gaurav said:

Good to hear from you @Jamy B. after a long time. Montero sport is indeed a good offroader.

See you all on Friday

Thank you! But I have to say that I’m still looking for a car haha, the Montero is my friend’s, who’s gonna be joining me this time. Can’t wait!

Hi. Thank you for this opportunity!

I’ll be driving my friend’s Montero Sport and it does have both front and rear tow hooks.

Sorry for causing all this 😂
But I have to admit that I'm really enjoying reading it. I'll get a notebook and start making notes hihi

1 minute ago, Gaurav said:

Told you, Toyota especially Prado is a piece of gold with an insane resale value. 

Good luck and good if you are patient enough to find a clean deal. It always takes me a 1-3 month to buy a car and sell within a week.

You were right, indeed! Thank you. Let the obsession begin haha

37 minutes ago, Barry said:

If you find a car and need a mechanic to inspect it, send me a message

I definitely will! Thank you for offering. The one that was advertised today is already gone... I'll have to keep looking all the time and be faster next time, but I'm patient enough

I'll write it all down and make sure I follow it step by step!

I really appreciate your help, guys! Can't thank you enough

Hi again,

Okay so I'm now actively looking at buying a Prado.

I have seen this one for sale on dubizzle https://dubai.dubizzle.com/motors/used-cars/toyota/prado/2018/12/8/toyota-prado-2008-v6-40-ltr-vx-limited-edi-2/?back=L3NlYXJjaC8%2Fa2V5d29yZHM9dG95b3RhK3ByYWRvJmlzX2Jhc2ljX3NlYXJjaF93aWRnZXQ9MSZpc19zZWFyY2g9MQ%3D%3D&pos=1

I know I can't go by an advert alone and will def go and view it etc... but this one looks decent to me. What should I be looking for to ensure it is "clean"?

19 minutes ago, desertdude said:

Stay away from the inline 4 cyl model. Its a gutless POS. And get it from a private owner, who looks like he could have afforded it and afforded to maintain it with no fishy background stories. And the second hand car market sucks right now and is a buyers market, so don't be afraid to bargain hard or walkaway from a crappy deal. 
Dealers can afford to keep inventory sitting on their lot and don't negotiate much with usually cheap patch up repairs to flip over quickly. 

Well then its not in the running in this thread here is it. 
 

Really ? Never seen that happen and nor do I stay away from them. This honour usually belongs to blacked out lowered Patrols and Cruisers riding on 900 sand tyres with loud exhausts. 

But after 40 plus years in this country, never seen that happen with a Pajero. Because usually old tame uncles are found behind the wheel of one

Which model/year and max of km would you recommend then?

Thank you again!

51 minutes ago, Frederic Nuyttens said:

Aren’t we all at some point ? After all, our opinions are based on experiences and mistakes we made in the past... The FACT is that a Pajero is a viable option here.

I totally agree! Pajero is, in fact, my second option. As you mentioned, it would do both everyday drive and off-roads when needed being greatly reliable.

I do appreciate your opinion. Thanks for sharing it