Wrangeld

Having had the pleasure of sitting in your exceptionally comfortable car last weekend, I am not sure why you would spend the money. I am not a Pajero expert, but it seems to me that the issue is overhanging bumpers rather than a suspension problem. Try a few hours in a TJ @Anvar Sadath Bekal and all your worries about Pajero suspension will be over.

So today, I have learned that: My daughter cannot travel here to visit me at the end of the month ...no new visas after 17th March My gym is closed indefinitely as of ... well basically when I left it at 7am this morning All the pubs and night clubs have been closed down and ... the swimming pool at home has now been put into quaranteen until it is cleaned I am just waiting for the final announcement from my work (which, by the way, is still open, but we have told all outside visitors they are not currently welcome) that they decided that to save us from the chance of infection from any outside influences, they have decided to move to a 7 day week! With the flight bans coming into force for just about everywhere, I have visions of either ending up MadMax like driving through the desert looking for fresh supplies of fuel or like Will Smith in I am Legend, hunting infected zombies during the day to carry out research on how to cure the virus that wiped us all out. Carnity and 4x4 remains a constant, as to date, the desert has not been closed [crossing my fingers I did not speak too soon]. What's gonna cheer me up, I thought? here's an idea: Which film character are you going to become as everyone in the world becomes increasingly isolated because of Covid 19?

It's that Fewbie Feeling It was not that long ago that we had the pleasure of our first Fewbie drive, and this afternoon (into evening) drive brought the memories flooding back of that shift from the relative comfort of Newbie drives to Fewbie. What's in a name I hear you ask? Actually, ask any of the New Fewbies and they will likely tell you a lot: and that the difference between the capabilities needed and the skills required at Fewbie level are significant - so significant that the number, regularity and degree of stucks is quite different as well. Additonally, the 'heroic' days (when the sand was hard packed) when drives were 'easy' are over and with Badayer, at times, having more traffic than Sheik Zayed Road this fewbie drive was not without incident. But I get ahead of myself. After a morning Newbie drive, the Newbie-Fewbie convoy left Al Qudra for Mahila @Gaurav led off @Vanessa8580 @Jeepie myself, @Shamil and @Xaf (taking up his customary, and quite majestic position in Sweep). We managed to fit prayers, picking up food supplies, gas and even @Colin Jordan along the way (hope you are feeling better @Cara Jordan) and arrived at the meeting point on time, @Gaurav having managed to deal with the admin of @Amoru who self certified as a Fewbie (and pretty much showed us why during this drive). As the convoy assembled we realised it was a big group (perhaps bigger than would normally be accepted). Fewbie briefings are no less important than any other pre drive briefing - perhaps just briefer. It did give us the chance to check some tow points - more on that later - but not all! I will stick it out there again - when the notice of promotion comes RTFM: being promoted carries with it a responsibility as well. It clearly says that if you don't have the kit, you don't drive. Carnity is not a club that checks this with marshalls before we leave, because members are trusted, but frankly, it's not fair on the other drivers if you are not prepared. Anyhow, we lined up with @Ale Vallecchi as second lead, @Srikumar as our massively capable centre forward, @Javier M adding soem mush needed experience in the middle @Shamil a flying sweep and @Xaf once again sweeping the convoy set off into the dunes for an afternoon of fun. And fun it was, with multiple learning opportunities (for those who got stuck and those of of us involved in getting people unstuck) because the sand was soft, the dunes quite technical and that shift from Newbie to Fewbie when suddenly the driving gets a bit more difficult. @Salarios (car looking magnificent with it's new wheels) @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen @Julien V @Nizam Deen @Rinelle Sanaani @Denizzalbayrak were all gassed up and ready to go and intersperced through the convoy. The rear (bsically behind @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen were myself, @Brette @tjsingh . Big thanks to @Jeepie for giving up the chance to drive this one. I think a lot of fun was had in the Little Blue including when @Vanessa8580 managed to really get stuck up to the axles towards the end of the day and needed a group effort to get her out [thanks to @Salarios for the images]. @Frederic will be cleaning out the sand for some time to come after they forgot to close the windows. One of the pleasures of more advanced drives is the ability to participate in 'play time'. @Gaurav identified a spot to which we could head. Those who wanted experiemented, tested their cars, their mettle and cameras while we all tried to avoid the multitudes of exotic (and less exotic) metal all converging on the same location. All of this was put into context however, after @Gaurav decided to go for his last, last (last) go swiftly followed by an open truck full of locals (one in the back smiling broadly) which somehow managed to climb higher than the Legend and drive off into the sunset. Descending from the play area caused us a major delay, however as at least six drivers found themselves at the bottom of a bowl and unable to get out. As each was slowly coaxed from their depths of the pit @Gaurav could be heard repeating the same instructions to go round, give it gas, keep going round, more gas, more gas keep going up. Those on standby at the head of the convoy must have thought that the poor driver stuck in the bowl was simply unable to get out and obviously not listening to Gaurav, while he remained incredibly calm and relaxed! After regrouping and trying to find our way to an alternative play area (overcoming a few more stucks and recoveries along the way, by the time we got to the alternate play area, it was so churned up that we decided to to retreat to the route out of the dunes. This was not without incident. Thanks to @Julien V @jeepie was not the one who had the opportunity to test our new kinetic rope. Thanks to @Amoru we saw the difference between a delfated tire and a pop out and thanks to @Vanessa8580 we had the chance to laugh and think how much @Frederic would enjoy the pictures of little blue stranded with hiw wife (and mine) inside and unable to get out of the vehicle. Other honorable mentions could be made, but it seems impolite a few days later to remind attendees of their various stucks and refusals as the dark enroached and we finally made our way out to inflate and make our way home. It was a mammoth convoy, and with a convoy of such length clearly when there is a problem, the convoy gets split and stuck and it take stime to regroup. Special mention needs to go, therefore to both @Srikumar and @Gaurav who did keep us all going, rescued those that needed rescuing and once again, brought us back to tarmac with smiles on our faces. All in all a great result. No injured animals, cars (Almost - sorry about the bumper @Salarios) or humans and even, in most cases pride. See you soon in the sand.

Not bringing my Triumph TR6 with me from the UK to the Netherlands when I moved there. The car cost me £6k and it was undergoing a nut and bolt rolling restoration. When I left for NL I thought I had found a reliable garage to continue the restoration but at the last minute he told me he could not do it and I should leave it with my UK garage. All well and good until they went bankrupt and I found the garage owner had been creating bills for work on my car so his financial position would look like he had more money due. Myself and 2 other owners found ourselves fighting the receiver for our cars which he had decided to sell off to pay the 'outstanding' bills. It still pains me 20 years later to have lost that car. All because of the dishonesty of someone I trusted to perfect what was already a wonderful car.

Ropes and Rewards Perhaps this was not the biggest ever gathering for a Carnity drive, but it must be quite close. Just over 50 people arrived on time and eager to get to the sand. And for those that thought, it's OK to arrive late, the cat and mouse game of moving from the meeting location to staging post to deflation point was an additonal fun element. As was proven once again, the briefing is important - because without the basic understanding of what we are all trying to do we end up with more 'learning experiences' than perhaps we want and not as much cruising the dunes: which is, after all, why we are up at the crack of dawn. It's perhaps worth mentioning that there is a briefing for Fewbie and Intermediate drives (and probably advanced and expert as well). They are no less an essential part of getting out into the sand. Not only do you have a responsibility for yourself, but to pay attetnion so that you are not a risk to other people. Big call out here to @Frederic for taking time with the seniors @Gaurav @Rahimdad @Srikumar to make the briefing, briefer. I think we all apprecaited that a lot. @Jeepie and myself were given Sweep duties in @Srikumar's convoy. @J J was asked to take second lead. As the passenger seat was taken in 'TJ', @Srikumar allowed me to play Centre Forward in the convoy from the passenger seat. Readers - let me tell you, you should try this some time. You will learn a massive amount. Sitting as a passenger you get to see a whole lot more of what's going on because you are not concentrating on driving as well, and it let's you see how other drivers are developing so you can choose if that particular style is going to help you. So a big thanks to @Anvar Sadath Bekal and @Shiju Manuel who let me ride shotgun with them. Being allowed to ride with them was a previlege, not becuase there was any 'instruction' going on, but because it reminds us of just how challenging it is to get this sort of driving right when you don't yet have the experience or confidence. Is the car powerful enough? Which gear choice do I make? Am I comfortable following the line that the person before me took? You cannot remember what that's like until you are sitting next to someone making those choices and being reminded how much the experience of experience really brings to the table. A drive with @Srikumar is always a pleaure. This was no exception. Where ever you looked in the convoy and it was great to watch how drivers develop. @Jamy B. is supremely comfortable with her Xterra and the tearaway @Amoru (not so Newbie newbie) demonstrated quite ably that he had already spent a few years in the desert. More newbie, newbies like @Muffy Acidwala and @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ have not spent so long there. And that's where the ropes come in. As you progess in Carnity, and are promoted, there is a requirement to invest in more equipment. For more senior members, recoveries are an important part of the learning process: so it's with big thanks to all that got stuck and needed @Jeepie to pull you off or out that the us newly minted intermediates got the chance to try our our new kinetic rope!! As has already been mentioned by a few - she did an incredible job pulling three stucks back into the convoy while sweeping majestically the backmarkers into line. Our reward for investing and having been promoted. Except for a few hairy moments and one or two more easily sorted stucks were resolved, the drive was completed with everyone back safely at the Adnoc. Apologies that in these days of Covid 19 the customary post drive debrief did not take place. Apologies also for any confusion around where to reinflate. All of us who have compressors decided to reinflate away from the gas station to let the people who needed the airline their place in the line. May apologies to anyone not mentioned. With so many newbies around and what as in the end a quite busy drive, your expertise and easy navigation round the dunes may have been missed. See you soon in the sand.

I was challenged today that I was tempting fate not hiding myself away in a cupboard until this whole thing is over .. and I am with Rahimdad here (not for the first time!) Fear is a paralysing emotion that is a waste because as he rightly says, you can only do it once. That's not to say do stupid things - but the fact is that this is still a virus that it most dangerous if you are over 70 and have a pre-existing problem. Notwithstanding my recent birthday, I am not yet there. Wash your hands a lot, with hot water and soap. Try to keep give a little more personal space to people than maybe you used to. The world in lockdown is a great political tool to arrest any dissent and complaints - when was the last time you heard about the protests in Hong Kong? There are people dying out there. I do not want to diminsh that for one moment, but there are also people out there dying from road accidents and malaria in higher numbers. International travel appears to be at a standstill. Let's not end up only going to and from work.

My childhood memories are just of the Rothmans 🤓

I can possibly explain this - based on the Dutch plate. My friend Alain used to run Ford NL. He told me that the Dutch spec their cars with the absolute minimum possible (basically 4 wheels and an engine) no matter the car. The Netherlands 2nd hand market is literally flooded with lowest spec possible examples of just about every possible model. It's so rare to find an automatic (for instance) that they all carry a massive premium. My guess is that 90% of the 1.3 Sierras were Dutch

So I re-read this whole discussion again and it's great food for thought. @Xaf is of course correct. A single place where this information can easily be accessed is important. I get that it's about havign documents and not necessarily about people reading them @Javier M the flexibility and friendliness of Carnity is the DNA that makes it different. We don't want to lose that. We also don't want to be out on a drive where someone else expects you to be the one with all the kit in case they get in trouble. And ... documentation is helpful as long as it empowers correctly. @Rahimdad I think sometimes, we probablt underestimate the amount of time and energy the seniors put into managing the club next to the day job. It's clear that promotions can only come when justified by the correct methods (combination of driving and attitude/contribution) but maybe there is a place for seeking additional input from others which would not be seen as an imposition to assist in these areas. Happy to help prepare documents if that's what's needed.

Good initiative, but still requires people to actually read them. I feel that the challenge is not so much accessibility of the documents but the fact the people who probably most need to read them don't, and won't no matter how accessible. Will every fewbie arrive at the drive Friday with all the equipment needed to drive as a fewbie? I have my doubts - because they likely stopped reading at 'you have been promoted'. The question on my mind is how do we achieve a situation where everyone has that sense of responsibility that when driving 4x4 it's not just about what 'I' want and more about the fact there are other people involved who depend on you knowing what to do and having the right kit.

The nicest people to congratulate are the ones most surprised and delighted. Having been there myself, I am delighted for you @IMAMP

@Shamil i could not be happier at this moment reading about this promotion, honestly more than any other I have seen today. You have been a massive supporter and help since we joined Carnity. We are all lucky to have your experience and character around, and your calmness and kindness mean every interaction is a pleasure. You deserve this big time buddy.

I have a bit of experience with CO2 tanks. I am not 100% sure I would like to be driving round with high pressurized aluminium tanks in the car being jostled and jolted all over the place. There's no fire risk adittedly and yes, we all have fire extinguishers in the car, but they are set at a much lower pressure level than these high pressure tanks. It's OK to have your tanks for diving, and driving home from the supermarket for making your fizzy drinks, but sitting in the car as you throw it over the dunes, I am not so sure. There is a reason that they have a warning triangle on the back of the lorries that transport them across country and they are not allowed on planes. I have just grown out of the inexpensive low quality compressor and have a second hand bush ranger. As @Gaurav says, it's small, has a bag to keep it in and can be stowed where you want if you have additional equipment needed. I was getting frustrated at how long the other compressor took and this one is quicker. I dwill admit that I do watch jealously as @Javier M deflates and inflates with his gizmos - but will put my investments in the car in higher priority spends before I allow this convenience to take precedence.

Cangratulations @Jorge Stepniak Felippe a whole new world of excitement and wonders awaits you as a fewbie. Looking forward to joining you on drives. See you soon in the sand.

Congratulations @Jihad Hachem Great to see your commitment and capabilities recognized like this. You'll enjoy the Fewbie experience for sure. See you soon in the sand.

Congratulations @Mels Wolf . Great to see your skills and commitment recognized. Fewbie drives await you ... it's a whole new world of excitement! See you soon in the sand.

Congratulations @Rinelle Sanaani on your promotion. Great to see your skills recognized and looking forward to seeing you on the Fewbie drives soon. See you soon in the sand.

Congrats @Salarios Delighted for you. You're gonna have great fun, especially with that new rubber. See you soon in the sand.

Congrats on the promo @Martin. Look forward to joining you on some fewbie drives soon. See you soon in the sand.

@Jun Zamora this is great news and well deserved, if nothing else because you handled the Murano without complaint until you joined the Jeep club in the last weeks. Looking forward to your enthusiasm and joy in future drives. See you soon in the sand.

Congrats @Vanessa8580 delighted to see you getting the acknowledgement you deserve. Great news. See you soon in the sand.

Just goes to show that even the most benign loking dunes can do you in. What went wrong? Expected a massive dune to cross and it just was not there ....

Now I know it's more than possible to do both ... 😁

@Frederic well said - and let's hope that the women mentioned all become more active and involved. @Vanessa8580 @Jeepie @Jamy B. @Cara Jordan it's always a pleasure to see you behind the wheel and of all the hobbies I have ever done, this is one where noone can say that there is any difference between men and women. So the more the merrier is what I say.

Thanks everyone for the input on this thread. We will now start researching and investigating the options ... and try to find a garage that can take the car on a Saturday or Sunday and return it on a Thursday. @Xaf don't worry. Between us, myself and @Jeepie have been running classic motors for years and years (me mostly with 4 wheels, Jeepie with 2) and know that they need investment. There's a lot of love already for the TJ, so it's going nowhere [even though I still hanker after something additional ...] @Srikumar @sertac @Brette @Javier M Thanks for the Jeep experiences. That's what I really enjoy about Carnity - the support is incredible form all sides and particularly brand sepcific information. @Gaurav @desertdude @Kalahari @Barry Thanks for the additional extremely helpful (or humorous/or both!) advice and feedback. As Xaf continues to remind us, offroading is a team game and we truly appreciate this input to help keep us moving along with the team week after week. Will update you once we make these changes to add to the general knowledgge base about what works or doesn't. See you soon in the sand.