Suneedh Wrangler

@Frans M Thank you.

@M.Seidam Hi, i need to drop out. Seeing too much action in my area. Dont feel safe venturing out.

@Ale Vallecchi I apologise, i need to dropout last minute. Not feeling too well, probably ate something wrong last night. Apologies for the last minute dropout.

Thank you @Ishak it wouldn't be possible without the help of leads like yourself.

The summary so far (with some AI help): Post-Drive Checks Turn off radio, drive slowly on asphalt, listen for new noises Visual walk-around — check panels, tyres, underneath the car Look at garage floor for slow leaks Washing Full underbody wash only monthly to quarterly, not after every drive Blow out engine bay with compressed air — avoid pressure washing near seals Regular exterior wash weekly or biweekly Engine Oil & Filters Oil changes well before manufacturer intervals: every 5,000–7,000 km with full synthetic Air filters cleaned every 10 days to 2 weeks, replaced every 10k km or at each service Transmission, Diff & Transfer Case Fluids Some halve the recommended intervals (Andrew, ChrisW) Others stick to manufacturer schedule if not driving aggressively (Frederic) Wheel Alignment Every 1–2 months — desert driving knocks it out fast Bolt Checks Periodically retighten beadlocks, sway bar bolts, light mounts, and other known loose points Pre-Drive Essentials Check engine oil and coolant levels before every drive Monitor engine and transmission temperature gauges throughout the drive Agency vs. Independent Garages Agency preferred for warranty and reliability (Luke) Trusted garages for older vehicles (Frederic) Mix depending on the job — "trust no one, verify everything" (ChrisW) General Advice Halve on-road service intervals for off-road use Walk through the underside with your mechanic when it's on the ramp Avoid hard drives in summer to prevent overheating Catch problems early by being consistent with checks

Hey guys! 👋 @Gaurav @Luke K P @Emanuel @Ishak @Frederic @Ale Vallecchi @M.Seidam @Simon D @DP1011 @JeromeFJ @Srikumar @ChrisW @Frans M I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while because I’m genuinely curious — how do the Leads and Support crew maintain and look after their 4x4s, especially with all the desert driving? As a newbie, I’m still learning the right balance between “normal maintenance” and “desert maintenance,” and I’m sure I’m not the only one 😄 A few questions I’d love to learn from you guys: After a desert drive, do you always go for a full wash, including underbody? Or do you only do a full wash occasionally and just rinse the important areas most of the time? Do you do anything special after drives (like checking skid plates, suspension, bushings, brake dust, etc.) or do you mostly just wash and go? When it comes to fluids — do you change engine oil and filter earlier than the manufacturer’s recommended interval because of the heat, sand, and harder driving? Same question for transmission oil/filter, differential oils, and transfer case oil — do you stick to the recommended schedule or do you shorten it for peace of mind? Do you use the agency for everything, or do you prefer trusted garages? (And if so, what’s the main reason — cost, quality, speed, or experience?) And lastly — any “must-do” maintenance tips you’d recommend to someone who wants to keep their car healthy long-term while enjoying desert drives regularly? I’m sure a lot of newbies like me would really appreciate hearing what works for you guys. It would honestly help us take better care of our cars, avoid expensive mistakes, and enjoy this sport more confidently. 🙌🔥 Thanks in advance!

Another great drive with @Luke K P and @ChrisW ! Had some refusals, but got sorted quickly (thanks to the expert guidance). The criss-crosses were scary at first but then started getting the hang of it. Looking forward to the next drive!

@Luke K P hi i got late from work. Definitely wont be able to make on time. Will be 15mins late at the mininum. should i still proceed from Dubai?

Thank you @khurramm See you on the next drives soon!

Thank you @Infaz @Eddie-Dune-Glider. Soon you guys gonna be FB+ too! Time flies man.

Thank you @Frederic, wouldn't be possible without good team leads like yourself for sure!

Thank you @Luke K P Excited to join your upcoming FB+ drive. Your lines are 🔥 bro.!!

Thank you @Gaurav and ALL of Carnity Crew/Leads/Support for helping support me in my journey to overcome my fear of the sand and get to this level! Hope to continue and crack the next level in 2026 🫡

@Frederic Apologies, need to stay back today. Mom and dad not feeling well, need to take em to the doc today. Was looking forward to this drive but, it is what it is. Have a good one guys! Post pics pls.

Thanks @Ishak for a nice drive on a weekday and special thanks for bringing the Coffee and Samosa! It was really nice to take break under the stars and talk to other like-minded people. I hope we can continue this going! Thanks to the Support team - @Sam Selim @Frans M for helping with the crests and popout. Thanks to @Jose Luis Campos for a great second lead and @Zulfikhar Naiyar for the sweep! Hope to see you all again in the desert soon.

Hi @Frederic, Excited for this drive! Quick question - Should we expect a technical drive with steps, sharp drops and climbs? or is it going to be more or less like the RAK drive we did a weeks ago? Why I ask is, so I know which car I can bring to the drive.

Congrats @Noufal

@Ishak Okay so i can withdraw my participation from the Abu dhabi drive.

@Ishak Any plans on extending the convoy?

Update (maybe useful for other peoples) So, my spare was actually a tricky one. It was holding 30 psi Without load but, when we put it under load, it would start loosing the air. Even the tyre shop wouldn't believe me that my spare was bad as it was holding air without load when they checked. Only upon requesting them to dip inside the water tub did they notice that there was minor leak where the tread meets the tyre. So it turns out that Only the portion of my tyre which was exposed to the sun (I am missing the top cover for the spare tyre holder), actually deteriorated. And it was only evident under load. Happened with me, but could be with anyone else too. Please have your spare tyre checked properly if it is a older. I bought new spare tyre, new tyre for the beadlock as it had a ruprture, 1 new bottlejack and 1 new air jack. @Luke K P Should i still carry a hydraulic jack? Confused if I need one since i have 2 other new jacks now.

Thanks @Luke K P for the advice. Similar advice was given by a lot of people from other offroad groups to keep the Beadlocks and enjoy minimum-poppit drives.

@Mike M. Hi, wanted to check if there will be any chance for waitlist to join the drive? Thanks. Sounds like a good drive, My friends always ask me for offroad locations to enjoy/camp.

Sane here. Had to avoid Hessa and Umm Sequeim roads. Took Al khail and now Alain road.

Yes @Emmanuel All good to go!

Guys, I need some advice. I have beadlock tyres on my Pajero but thinking of switching to non-beadlock. Somebody is ready to take my beadlocks and give me his non-beads. Both are 17inch and both are Methods. Should i switch? Reason for switching - with beadlocks the car needs spacer and thar makes the tyres stick out more, which is an issue in passing. Secondly, i dont like the fact that i need to pay 100 aed each time to open a beadlock tyre.