ASAD.

Congrats @Rob S

Great drive yet again @Mehmet Volga. Thanks to @Kailas also for keep helping out with all stucks and refusals including myself. @Tom B you were brilliant again as the sweep, thanks to you and @Salim Akhtar for shoveling me out in the end. Hope to see you all again soon.

Well, only if you agree to spend 2 days in the MALL once you are back.

Lol, i was just thinking as if counting the drives and waiting for your offroad promotion was not enough now we gotta worry about the badges also 😅.

This would be an epic drive im sure, will have to work overtime till then to get the house permission 😂 and so far the fewbies are winning the poll.

thanks a lot @Shaaz Sha for the amazing drive. Thanks to @Looperfor the support and especially the puncture repair kit . I went straight to the tyre shop to get the tyre checked and cleaned, the guy said the repair was proper and did require to be redone so an excellent first time repair to both of you. Thanks to @Tom B for being a wonderful sweep and to everyone else for the being sport during the pop-outs and refusals. Im glad we all got to play a little bit at the end, made the drive all more satisfying. Look forward to see you all soon.

Hi Doc, i was in the waitlist and didnt think would be added so hadnt planned accordingly. I wont be able to make it today, pls allow someone else in my place if there is still time. Hope everyone has a safe & enjoyable drive.

hi @Shaaz Sha, confirmed

you are a life saver for Prado owners @Rob S 😄. Just for reference if you could add some before/ after pictures would be great. I think i have seen the black painted rims somewhere already 😂

from the pictures the lift is quite noticeable, i am surprised its only 0.4 inch. If you dont mind would also love to get some more details on the trim and lift options you have chosen, my whatsapp is +971551238903.

Hi @Waqas Parvez thats very neat. Looks like you have done the lift also, if so which one did you go with and what offset wheels? Did you get bigger tyres with the wheels as well or are these the stock 265/65s

Thanks for starting this thread @Rob S. You are right, bumper trim is probably the most viable and cost effective solution to improve Prado's approach angle. Worthwhile to mention few options for custom bumpers that i came across during my search but most of those designs were for metal bumpers. Not only are they expensive, they add quite a bit of weight to the nose whereas the idea for dune bashing is to keep the car as light as possible. So from a cost - benefit point, I found this option is more about the looks of the car than actual need on the drive. They also become an issue for RTA passing. The other option is to get a custom fiber bumper. Found a guy in Sharjah who does all types of car bumpers. The benefit i found was that it provides a finished look and had provisions to integrate light bars but the idea of improving the approach angle was the same as what a bumper trim would provide. btw I havent been able to decide on any of the above options for now 😂. My front skirting has survived my drives so far.

Thanks @Gaurav, really insightful.

well thats a relief 😆

Hi All, Just wanted to get opinions on Aftermarket transmission coolers and auxiliary radiator fans especially for Toyotas (Prados, FJs, LCs etc.). Do they really help in keeping the engine/ transmission temperatures in check? are the stock ones not good enough once you climb up the levels or the desert heat during the summer? is there any other benefit for this type of mod on the car?

Thanks for the update @Rob S, looking forward to seeing this thread grow. With 99% of prados being used as family cars there is not much info on mods that you can find for dune bashing unlike the FJs, Jeeps and Xterras. I would say the bashplate is a good investment even at newbie level, if after the first couple of drives you feel that off-roading is your calling then get one immediately. As many would have noticed most of the terrains are quite bumpy after the recent rains and especially during the early morning drives when the sand is still quite hard and compact, so you never know when the bashplate might come handy to save your day. You can get 8-10mm Aluminum ones for a reasonable 1100-1200 Dhs from quite a few places. I havent yet done the bumper trim but after my first few fewbie drives feel that thats something to look into going forward. Have had the Dunlop AT20 before i even started this new hobby, so far they are pretty good. But i guess the next tyre change will be to Geolanders.

Congrats @Mo., welcome to the fewbie level hope to see you soon on the drive

any trim with a 4L V6 is fine.

anyone here who can provide feedback on the new Xterra btw? I dont like the shape though but it still looks high enough and robust offroader.

Let the prados give you guys a run and then let @Immortal decide which ones are better 😂

mine is 4L. Its the top range with leather seats and sun roof, the higher spec after that is i believe the VXL comes with KDSS or the air suspension for added comfort. One think you may want to consider with the top spec models upto 2012 is that they are flat backs i.e. the spare tyre is under the car. The mid and basic models come with dual tanks and spare tyre at the back which i believe is a considerable advantage for long drives. From 2013 and above all V6 models come with dual tanks so you dont have this issue there. hope this helps. happy car hunting.

Older models i think upto 2013 used to be TXL and VX or VXL, i think even a GXL. Mine is a 2010 TXL. I dont think there are any diesel prados sold in dubai except for Export only by some showrooms.

Same here, looks like i was late even on the waitlist 😂.

Hello @Shaaz Sha just finished a drive and will have to take the car to workshop. Pls allow someone else in my place.

hi @Shaaz Sha, there is something wrong with the starting point pin. Its not showing the accurate location.