Thomas Varghese

800,000 kms. I bought it brand new in 2011 and was using it everyday traversing my different sites but now since Feb after I bought the XTERRA is idling at home.

There is a small problem with my XTERRA. The car sometimes lags when accelerating and will do so only after it shifts the gear down by itself. This creates the necessity to accelerate a little more than what is needed to avoid hazardous conditions. Can't understand what is the problem as my other car Altima doesn't hesitate anywhere and its like sailing. The Arabian Auto mechanic told me its usual for the XTERRA to hesitate a couple of seconds and shift the gear before it accelerates. To tell you the truth I didn't believe one word he said. I can't be sure also as I bought this XTERRA as a second hand and the Altima was bought brand new. Altima has run 800000 kms and XTERRA 600000 kms. Hopefully you can give me a better advise than what I had understood @Rahimdad

Ready to learn from you @Rahimdad Let us drive and click some pictures when we can get out of the car @Shehab Alawadhi

What time the RSVP opens ?

For sure

Thanks for the advice @Rahimdad. Will follow your advice for the next drive.

@Shehab Alawadhi I like to click pictures and always carry my camera kit wherever I go. This was my only hobby before, after the hectic pressures of running a business but now with the new toy the XTERRA I have added another hobby to clicking pictures. Traverse the desert and try to absorb its beauty through my camera.

I just remembered @Frederic instructing us during our Absolute Newbie drive that if you are afraid to scratch your car then offroading is not for you. Its a natural instinct to slow down and be cautious when there is uncertainty ahead. I was one when I got stuck and found myself in an awkward position same like @Shehab Alawadhi in my Absolute Newbie drive. I was not sure whether the car will topple head down if I go at that speed and jump over the dune. I let go off the momentum and hoped the car will carry through but gravity always overtakes you especially when driving on sand. To tell you the truth I also sped up and didn't let go off the momentum this time bcoz I trusted @Gaurav & @Jeepie not to put us in a serious crash and didn't want myself to be perched on top of the dune like the one before me. Of course the car jumped and hit the downward slope with a slightly downward angle with the momentum but I knew instantly me, my passengers & car was safe and all of us in the car enjoyed the jump. I want to know if after this offroading drive isn't it necessary to give the car for an underside wash to wash off all the sand so that all my bushes and tie roads are clean again and will not cause any unnecessary wear and tear to the suspension. Can anybody help me with their suggestions? Thanks for the support.

The same thing happened to me in my Absolute Newbie drive with @Frederic & @sertac. My car was in the same situation as yours. It was perched on top of the dune. I was afraid I may damage the underside of my car and slowed down when I neared the top. Unfortunately mine was the last car to negotiate the dune and the sand was already churned up. Once I got unstuck with the help of @sertac I understood these types of maneuvers has to be done with absolute confidence on the Marshalls and let go off your fear and don't let go off the momentum.

@Shehab Alawadhi I was watching you climb up the dune and slowing down near the top. I think you lost the momentum because you were unsure of the incline on the other side. Seeing you getting stuck made me increase the speed and I was prepared for the dive down in case it was really steep. I was sure it was safe to increase the momentum as the Marshall @Gaurav & @Jeepie will not let us do an unsafe drive and cause a casualty and I saw others safely negotiating the dune and you getting stuck as you lost the momentum. Taught me a valuable lesson - TRUST THE MARSHAL and just drive as he instructs.

Thanks everybody for participating and having fun in the desert. Looking forward to see you all in the next drive. @Gaurav & @Jeepie gave us good support. Thanks to the valuable lessons learned from @Frederic & @sertac during my 1st drive as an Absolute Newbie I managed to complete the course without getting stuck once. So happy to slowly start unleashing the potential of the XTERRA. I really enjoyed the afternoon.

@Frederic please take me out from the wait list as I got confirmed for the Bab Al Shams drive in the afternoon. Love to give a chance to another enthusiast who would like to enjoy the drives. Thanks for the consideration.

Hi @Gaurav, Very excited to join this drive with you on Friday @ 2pm. I am really interested in off roading and learned some valuable tips from my last drive with @Frederic & @sertac in Al Qudra as an Absolute Newbie and really taxed @sertac by getting stuck 3 times. Hopefully this time it will be easier. Off roading is a different style of driving from the usual ones on the tarmac and being little old, hope to catch up with the youngsters fast on the techniques. it was really fun for me and my recently married daughter Irene & her hubby. I really cherish the time spent with my new son in law Manav and hope he could also learn some of these techniques as he is very enthusiastic about motor sports. Also it will be a great help when he is around so that I don't have to bend down with my pot belly to hook the car for towing if we get stuck😀. Looking forward to meet all of you at the meeting ground at 2pm on Friday and start the adventure drive.

I would like to join. Unfortunately on the car driving back home

It was really wonderful to be a part of the group learning to negotiate the desert. Thought I knew how to drive but today my skills were upgraded to start trying the loose sand as always I was driving on Tarmac. All the time after having the XTERRA I look at sand dunes and wished to ride up them but was wary without having some guidance and to tell the truth I got some very valuable guidance today. @sertac was very helpful and I really love the way he rescued me in times of need. Hopefully once I finish the full course will drive with him and @Frederic in the desert off to glorious sun rises and sunsets. The rest of the team I wish them good luck and hope to meet them in the next drives and learn dune bashing with them together.

Hi Frederic, I'm Thomas Varghese, Aged 53. I'm driving a 2008 Nissan Xterra 4 X 4 Stock. I have a compressor but never used and tire deflator I will try to get 1 today. Going off roading at the desert for the 1st time. See you tomorrow.