Lorenzo Candelpergher

3 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

If someone in the seniors in Carnity told you to try different gears instead of D, then I am not going to contradict them.

We do normally advise drving in D because yes, your vehicle also needs to learn - especially a modern computer chip driven vehicle like your Y62. As you apprecaite, the biggest obstacle the majority of Y62s will ever see are the speed humps at Spinneys. Even if you are driving the car daily to work on tarmac, it's unlikely you will ask it to take anywhere as much strain as it takes working in the desert. 

So, yes, the car needs to get used to your driving style and the fact that form time to time you ask it to work considerably harder than usual. By using the semi manual box (tiptronic) you prevent the engine maangement chip from learning what it needs to do. It can learn for instance that when the engine is hammered (to get through a sidey) it needs to change down a few gears quickly so that the power can be delivered at the right time. In D it can learn, if you change gears it cannot. 

The second bit you got 100% right. Two hands on the wheel, focus on the sand and your momentum you'll start to feel how to be much smoother in the drive ... and then in those moments you need to force the car, like a big uphill, take control to stop the engine from taking an easier route - because it cannot see what is ahead. 

I will be interested to hear from you if this works or not. 

@Wrangeld,

I don't think I was told not to drive in D by any Carnity senior. I think it was in some other group or some youtube videos I watched, but I definitely see the benefits of driving in D based on this discussion. I'll definitely try as I am fully focused on improving my skills. 

Thanks for the insights, it is great to have a chance to have feedbacks and suggestions from the whole group. I love these exchanges. 

44 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

Carnity is really focused on empowering people to drive stock vehicles in the desert. Unlike a lot of clubs there's no modifications needed to get going - and I think you've been on drives where the owner brought even their AWD vehicle, because we are quite committed to letting as many experience off road driving as possible. 

One observation, we propose everyone drives in D rather than using tiptronic for a reason. If you use the tiptronic your car cannot learn what to do in the desert. It has no idea that it needs to change gear because the going is getting tougher, because you decided you know better than the car. The thing is that the car shold learn with you. 'Max response' might not be the best solution. More power is usually less successful in the long run than more finesse. 

If you are climbing a dune, that different, force the engine into a low gear because you need the torque/traction etc, but for most situations in which we drive, once your car learns what to do, you will find it more relaxing (and I think you'll improve your skills) when you focus on power delivery and line. I say this having never driven a Y62 but having watched you on a couple of drives. 

You have done a great job so far, so sharpening up on these types of things will take you to the next level and put you in better harmony with the car. 

Hi @Wrangeld,

I always thought I was the one that had to learn and for this reason I was told not to drive in D in order to understand how different gears play in different situations. I'll give it a try, from what you write I understand you suggest D everywhere except when climbing uphill, so to be able to concentrate on other driving matters (power / line).  

9 minutes ago, Chaitanya D said:

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher for the discussion and I love it more because this issue of using Y62 as a offroading car  has been something I tried to figure out, before I decided not to venture any further considering the huge costs and maintenance involved . I still was surprised when @Frederic mentioned me how well I was managing the Y62 in some technical areas in Qudra in one of the trip reports.What @Wrangeld is suggesting to you which comes with practise and experience.

Calculate how much you have to spend ( both in terms of money and time) changing all that you want and make your car a better off roader, keeping in mind all that which comes in terms of warranty, RTA passing and insurance.Even after that how much can you really push it when you go on from fewbie to morebie considering the size and weight of the car .There have been discussions on this forum in the Nissan patrol forum, and you can also look into patrol forum on line (https://www.patrol4x4.com/).  Rethink , discuss with all the honest advise you will get here and then decide how you want to proceed with the modifications.Cheers!

Dear @Chaitanya D,

I have no intention to do any other upgrades/modifications than changing the wheels/tyres, after having already installed skid plates. Regardless of budget implications, I am indeed against upgrades such as suspension lifts, wheel spacers, etc. as these imply a deviation of the performance of the vehicle from the intended one on-road as per the manufacturer. Even the inner beadlocks are something I may consider only if they are fully approved by RTA for on-road use. 

I chose the Nissan Patrol as a good compromise for normal on-road / off-road family use. Should I become an off-road freak, really willing to push it to the limit (which I doubt as I am driving in the desert for fun, it doesn't have to become an obsession about the car specs) I may venture, in the future, into buying a 2nd hand small and cheap car with proper off-roading specs, but I'd say this is way beyond the horizon now. 

What @Wrangeld says is what I am more and more realizing: I need to develop my skills in maximizing momentum and being more proactive in assessing the best line ahead. I hadn't thought about imposing to myself a limitation to the RPM, which I may do since the next ride. Another point I need to figure out is the right gear, as I tend very often to get down to 1st just to have the max response, which is probably not the best way to handle a 400hp / 560Nm torque car. 

10 hours ago, Chaitanya D said:

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher. I am not an expert but I was driving the same model y62 as yours , top spec with hydraulic suspension (HMBC), for may be some fewbie drives.

I have been through all that has been going in your mind about changing tyres and rims, and once that happens you will think about suspension as the hydraulic is too comfort oriented and not performance oriented for the desert. To change the suspension to a performance oriented one , the hydraulic has to be disassembled at the agency and then you do the upgrade or changes in suspension. I would say please do check if changing rim size will void your warranty , as I felt your car was the 2020 new model.( mine is 2015 model , with the same specs - LE platinum).

Why I am telling you this is I have already broken my UCA which was replaced under warranty  and done a front axle overhaul .Just in case down the line you have to get something replaced under warranty then you have to be sure you dont do anything that voids it, parts and service for the Y62 are expensive.

Some things I observed from being exactly  behind your car were

- you were pushing it very hard relying on the V8 (it is a vow feeling driving it!) , rather than using the momentum - especially at the time of pop out.I have made these mistakes and i realised it once I was getting to know how to handle it better.

- I always kept the tyre pressure 15 or above considering the weight,  not anything less . And I never had a pop out , probably i was lucky .

I still miss riding my y62 in desert , may be some more drives and you will get to know how to ride it better.As I said earlier,  I am not an expert but have given you a straightforward opinion from my little experience.I still drive and absolutely love it .Cheers !

 

 

Dear @Chaitanya D,

If I change the rims, it will be only with the ones recommended by Nissan, ie 18" with 265/70R18 tyres, as I totally agree with you that nothing should be done on the car that may void the manufacturer's warranty (also for insurance reasons).

Many have advised the move and even @Gaurav was suggesting me to consider shifting to a high prifile tyre some posts back to reduce pop-out risks. 

Meanwhile I have also discovered the existence of "inner beadlocks" (see https://ok4wd.com/inner-air-lock-inner-air-lock-pneumatic-inter-ina208100). They seem quite an interesting solution, for which I would be curious to hear some advice from anyone who had any experience with it. 

Having said this, I totally believe my problem, as you suggest, is mostly about using too much power instead of momentum, which is something I am trying to improve. I think I got much better than in the beginning, but I sense it is mostly a matter of accumulating a sufficient number of driving hours, in order to gain confidence on going a bit faster and learning to let go when momentum is lost rather than flooring the throttle... 

For this In the next rides I was considering the possibility to ask someone behind me to accept mounting my GoPro on their bonnet so I could see my own driving from behind and be able to assess what I am doing right or wrong. 

See you on the sand. 

L

Dear @Wrangeld, dear @Gaurav,

This was my 3rd Carnity Fewbie drive, 1st time at Solar Park. 

I was quite disappointed when I got crested at the very beginning of the ride: I still have to figure out why my diff lock didn't engage while trying to self-recover. I tried later multiple times and it always kicked in.

When we eventually managed to drive a bit for real without stopping for some time it was quite enjoyable, until a moment of distraction made me lose control while sliding on a big dune, with the rear of my car literally falling downhill all of a sudden, causing a pop-out on my rear right wheel. My son, a pop-out freak, was excited as usual.., this time I really didn't feel the same way! 

After the 5th pop-out I am starting to consider shifting to 18" rims with a high profile tyres 265/70, slightly thinner than my current 275/60 but surely better when deflated off-road. I was told there are tyres with a particular shape of the inner edges of the shoulders which may help prevent pop-outs: recommendations would be appreciated. 

The biggest challenge of the day, for me, more than the soft sand, was the difficulty I experienced in reading the bright sand, despite polarized sunglasses. My latest drives were all in Mahafiz, Pink Rock, Fossil Rock, Area 53, Al Badayer, etc were the sand is much darker and much simpler to read. 

@Gaurav was amazingly relentless and patient in an abnormous number of recoveries and has all my gratitude for helping me out in the two instances above. I was also amused how he could ride all over the place while everyone else was getting stuck... 

The path was interesting and, when we had the chance to ride without stops, fast enough to have fun. @Wrangeld and @Jeepie did a great job in leading and routing, thank you both. Find today's track details below. 

Thanks to the whole convoy for the nice time spent toghether today.

59 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

@AKR, @Mehmet Volga, @Rajeevan Vickneswaran, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Gaurav, @siddharth maheshwari, @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Anish S, @Chaitanya D, @Magellan, @Brette, @Foxtrot Oscar

Thanks for signing up for the Solar Park Fewbie drive tomorrow morning (at 5am). 

THIS DRIVE IS NOW CLOSED

It's a lovely Thursday morning in Dubai/Sharjah and by this time tomorrow morning, we hope to be out of the desert having made the most of the Solar Park dunes, and enjoyed a Fewbie drive that should be a fun and challenging drive. 

The drive tomorrow is planned to take us through some technical dunes (more challenging for the longer wheel base vehicles), some excellent long wide dunes so we can practice driving across the dunes and some nice play areas. We will try to pay attention to some less practiced skills in the Newbie drives such as sideys across the dunes and some climbing. There should be plenty of time for 'play', depending on the number of stucks and how busy the dunes are at that time of the morning. 

Below is the convoy list, so you know where you are in the convoy and are expected to be. 

Radio Channel will be Carnity Channel 2 for this drive. If for some reason you did not yet program your radio, DO IT NOW. There is an excellent guide on how to do this written by @Frederic.

There will be no time for nor anyone avaialble to reprogram your radio tomorrow morning. If you are really in trouble with the radio then ping a message here and we will try to help you through the prcess. Arriving tomorrow morning with a problem radio means you will not be driving. 

 So they can prepare themselves mentally. 

2nd lead - @AKR, Centre Forward @Gaurav and @Foxtrot Oscar will sweep. 

Sand conditions: The sand is soft and will suck you in, especially where we are headed ... but more on that tomorrow in the drive brief. Advice is to deflate to 12psi. 

@Lorenzo Candelpergher - I know you prefer to leave the pressure higher, but there are 4 cars behind you in the convoy and they need to get through the track as well, so please take the pressure a little lower to accommodate this. 

Please deflate and get your flag erected as soon as you arrive so we can get moving ASAP. The meeting point is on tarmac. We will drive into the dunes along a track so deflation on the flat will be best. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow morning. Should anything unexpected happen and you are unable to attend, please let us know. Otherwise, by no later than 5.10 we will be leaving without you.

Hi @Wrangeld, thanks for the recommendation. I believe have come to terms with my tyre pressure concerns, having done a few more rides in the last weeks and having understood what I was doing wrong (too much power while wheels are turned or while sliding at very slow speed). I'm now deflating at 13psi for rear tyres and 15psi for the front ones, which seems to work pretty well (I was on 16-17psi before, due to pop-out concerns), along with a bit more attention to keeping more momentum. 

Just now, Asif Hussain said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher are you joining sweihan drive tomorrow? I believe you stay out side Abu Dhabi emirates.  

Hi @Asif Hussain, no I won't be able because of current restrictions, but I just realized I didn't opt out. I'll do it now.

To enter Abu Dhabi, now authorities require a COVID19 test not older than 48hrs.. 

20 minutes ago, Javier M said:

I've heard the same thing. We are all waiting for them to be lifted so we can go to Sweihan. 

It seems the ban will be extended, the announcement is expected for today or tomorrow... 😭

10 minutes ago, Javier M said:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-pandemic/coronavirus-abu-dhabi-entry-ban-in-place-as-uae-ends-movement-restrictions--

Thanks @Javier M, this was indeed the latest news I had too, but I was told by my PRO that also this restriction was going to be lifted this current week. I'll double check and revert if I find out more.

5 minutes ago, Emmanuel said:

If you read the drive post @Lorenzo Candelpergher you will see the mention “with Carnity”.

Yes, sure, I know, I fully understand. That is why, as said, as these are the rules, I opted out of the ride. I had missed it in the ride description when I first read it. Thanks.

Dear @Asif Hussain is this ride accessible for Dubai residents? Have the trans-emirate transfer restrictions been lifted now. I joined the ride, but want to make sure I can actually make it through the Dubai/Abu Dhabi border. Thx, L

@Emmanuel I will unsubscribe, no problem at all, as these are the rules 😥. I indeed do not have enough fewbie drives with Carnity, that's correct, even though it should be said that, with the latest ones done with other groups last saturday, I have totaled 18 drives (335km on the sand) since Feb' 20. Enjoy the ride and see you next time.

Yeah, I just realized 😂

@Ale Vallecchi can I be placed in the wait list for this drive? Thx

Dear @Wrangeld, due to a change of plans unfortunately I have to unsubscribe this ride: family first, this weekend. 

Luckily it is early enough for someone else to take my place. I wish you all a beautiful ride, see you next time! 

Ciao, 

Lorenzo

Dear @Wrangeld and @Jeepie,

While this was your first drive as Leaders (kudos for your excellent performance) it was as well my first one as Fewbie, so some of your excitement was also mine.

When he noticed that @Rahimdad was not in the lead, my 6 years old son asked a ton of questions why someone else was leading, as in his mind only someone wearing a Superman T-shirt would be fit for the role.. Afterwards he admitted the ride had been a lot of fun and concluded you can be leaders even if you aren't dressed as super heros. I'd say this means you passed with flying colors! 

Letting aside a few stops for refusals and recoveries from stucks (which I used for a few photo shoots more than usual), we kept a fairly fast pace, which was indeed the greater difference I noticed from previous newbie drives. And great fun too, a totally different ride compared to my 1st time at Fossil Rock two weeks ago. 

Following @Foxtrot Oscar wasn't always easy, as she was surprisingly faster than I would have expected. 

Towards the end I feared my tyres (which I had deflated only to 16 psi) would gain too much pressure with the heat, but I managed to avoid further deflate and ended without trouble at 17-18 psi. 

I climbed and descended Fossil rock with somehow a heavy foot, which caused a couple of jumps too many on the way up (where I slightly damaged the rear left inner mudguard plastics, fixed by hand for the time being). On the way down @Wrangeldquestioned whether I was actually on 1L, as I descended too fast, probably again with a little throttle in excess. Next time I'll pay more attention.

Overall a great ride, thanks to the whole convoy members. 

See below ride track / details from Pathaway. 

1 hour ago, Rahimdad said:

Thanks @Rinelle Sanaani I saw the action taken by you and appreciate the same.

Please be careful in reading the post and taking necessary action as we have to be very vigilant in these trying times.

Only waiting for @Lorenzo Candelpergher to react with the "Totally Agreed" smiley for both posts.

@Rahimdad, I just read the messages (busy days at work, no time to check my personal email until now). I have reacted to both posts, it should be fine now. Thanks for the reminders

I can't see the drive in the calendar..

Dear @Rahimdad thanks for the kind words. Luckily everything ended up just fine, even though it sounds I missed a great ride at Solar Park, which makes me even more eager to catch up with the next one!

Dear @Emmanuel, due to a sudden family emergency I am unfortunately forced to cancel my RSPV at the last minute. I hope someone can jump in a the last second.

My apologies, Lorenzo 

1 minute ago, Gaurav said:

Congratulations @Lorenzo Candelpergher for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. 

Based on your last newbie drive you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank.

Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment.

Once you have all the required off-road gear, you are most welcome to join the fewbie level drives with Carnity Off-road club.

P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear.

Fewbie:

Number of drives	10 (16 Newbie + Fewbie drives)
Level of drives	Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading
Off-road gear	Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor.
Drive teamwork	Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed
Drive posting/joining	Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only
Forum participation	Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery

Forum participation and helping with community spirit is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Dear @Gaurav, this is great news!!! Thank you @Rahimdad, @Srikumar and @Wrangeld for having a close look at my driving skills. The off-road gear for fewbies is all set and stored in the trunk.. I am ready for my first fewbie drive!!

22 minutes ago, Rahimdad said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher thank you for bringing this to our notice. Our seniors have been very watchful and I am proud of the fact that they have recommended you for a promotion already and I totally agree with them. With your declaration of the number of drives you have done and your skill sets which prove that you are ready for the next level, you will hear the good news shortly.

Once again thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience, we will not be able to surprise you any more.

Dear @Rahimdad, thanks for the positive feedback, I really appreciate it. I must say I have developed a real passion for desert rides. I keep on thinking how fool I was in the last 13 years in Dubai for not having tried any sooner, now I can't wait until the next ride!!

On 5/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, Gaurav said:

I'm sorry @Lorenzo Candelpergher we can't do that for your and your vehicle safety primarily.

Whenever you join the next newbie drive, do make sure to inform the trip lead about your 11 drive self declaration, so that he can gauge your driving skills and promote you to the fewbie level after that drive.

Dear @Rahimdad, with reference to the above suggestion by @Gaurav, considering that today's drive at Fossil Rock was my 12th overall ride since I started in Feb '20 (and I went again to Pink Rock this afternoon, so I have now a total of 13 drives), would you consider promoting me to Fewbie even if I did only 2 rides with Carnity (both under your lead - the 1st time with Carnity was my absolute 2nd desert drive) so far?