Newbie All In

[Fat Rabbit]

Oh what an amaaaazing trip. Hats off to the Marshals and everybody in the club for managing this supersized trip. The organization was brilliant with all the convoys, leads, sweepers, rescue teams etc decided from before.

I was in -5B. The confidence building pep talk given my Mazaaj in the begining was inspiring. He said dont worry if you get stuck, its part of the learning process. Thank you Mazaaj for that, it really does make a difference.


The drive itself was good, lots of fun, met new people and it was good to finally put faces to names... such as Lamboo and Adnan (although I didnt have the chance to speak to them...well, maybe next time). Good to see Armin in his new Wrangler as well. I had the chance of using 4L for the first time. Lost power right on the top of a dune (should have approached it on 1st gear maybe). The rescuer in the FJ (sorry didnt get your name) asked me to switch to 4L and wow... magical moments!

We had three ladies in the convoy, they drove very well. I think I need to change my opinion about women drivers :p

All in all, good fun, thank you everybody for a great trip. Hope to see you in the sand soon.

[TAURUS]

One more successful drive and day with Almost 4x4…


We all around 60-65 off roaders met at our designated meeting point Nazwa and everyone was on time ..

After a small brief we all split into 4 convoys… I was in the 5+A convoy lead by DL and sweep by ABU JIMMY and rescue by HOCKEY & ( White Nissan Patrol) sorry I don’t know his name…

Great tracks with different types of change over from rally style to small and high crests and dunes.

Everyone drove very well!! I think we had only 1 or 2 recovery and a couple of second attempts!

Here are some snaps:
https://www.facebook.com/nibu.varghese. ... 409&type=3

Thanks DL for nice briefing before & after the drive.
Thanks ABU JIMMY , HOCKEY & rest of drives for the wonderful support throughout the drive

Hope everyone enjoyed the drive. Thank you all guys for your support n made the drive successful.

See you all again in sand.

[desert_jellyfish]

It was a great start to my weekend and to everyones as well (i hope).....was about a half hour early at the shops and i really enjoyed that but i dont really know why, it was just a different way of meeting the marshals. After bu salem arrived i was able to get my viking rope+complimentary bag from him which i am in love with and thankful for


I also had the pleasure of meeting many marshals for the first time and getting introduced to them....and as always the post drive conversation and tea was spectacular



I learned a couple of new things about my car and its technicalities thanks to musa and hockey! Learned from the drive and the briefing to be on time, never overtake, always listen to whats being said on the radio, and when marshals say left or right its the drivers left or right not the marshals!! Also don't deflate on arrival unless stated in the PM even if you see others deflating.

i have to admit one thing.....as we were having our post drive tea, i saw some marshalls heading out still deflated. I. Was. Jealous. Imagining the speed and adrinaline rush in an all marshal drive just made me want to go and secretly hide in one of their trunks :p


this was my forth drive and i hope by my next one i will have all tools which i can have a marshal check them and then begin joining 5+ convoys and i look forward to learning more and moving up the ladder in this club


many thanks to all leaders, marshals, sweepers, and participants!

[SINGH]

[quote=Adnan;33347]!!!! Dear Brother, I humbly believe that the responsibility of second lead is to try to avoid the rest of convoy drivers any difficulties or unexpected features done by the leader, therefore, the convoy shall follow the second lead,and the second lead will follow the leader as much as the route is safe.

that's why many times you hearing the leader instructing his second lead to detour his path whenever he face any unexpected issues,then the rest of drivers will follow the second lead.[/quote]

Thanks Brother Adnan for putting some more light on the responsibilities of 2nd lead......your thoughts are well accepted.

[SINGH]

[quote=alshamsi_m;33348]Hi All

Just a small clarification ... Adnan said it correctly but I just need to add " The second lead is going to change based on the leader's instruction "

The first car is a leader & pathfinder so he is doing two jobs to make sure that the track is safe & enjoyable at the same time. He needs to make decisions in milliseconds in some places depends on the level or the terrain. The second lead is his last line of defense to bring everyone to safety.

If you fall in trouble and the leading person didn't give any hint then either he is stupid or he mint to put you in trouble. .. 90% it is the second scenario :like:

Drive safely[/quote]


Thanks chief for detailing it.... & these instructions are imprinted on our subconscious mind, which we always get before every drive starts "Listen & follow instructions given by the Marshal's".....

And this is something new to learn "he mint to put you in trouble. .. 90% it is the second scenario :like:".....:shocked:

[KIMOz]

It was such an amazing successful trip although I think that I had a speed camera fine while I was on my way to the meeting point. lol

This is my 4th trip with ALMOST 4x4 but really I felt that it was the best one as the level of difficulty was slightly higher than the previous ones. I was in the 5-A convoy lead by Alshamsi and Rashid in which they did a great effort with the other marshals and sweepers. I was the 7th car in the convoy (at centre of the convoy). At the first half the the drive I did a mistake which is breaking at the edge of a soft sand dune so I felt ma toy got stuck, so I changed the Gear to R to reverse the car and it seamed to me that the car was at a bad stuck as it wasn't moving at all. so I changed the 4x4 gear to 4L, switched on the differential lock and switch off the attraction control system, then I reversed the car, but this time it was successful :D, so I climbed an small adjacent dune while reversing, then I kicked the car to join back the convoy's track and finally chanced the gear back to 4H to continue the drive. it was such a great opportunity to recover the car my self :D (btw thanks to the marshals for giving me this opportunity). After that, we continued the drive and had crazy time while climbing the big sand dune at the pink rock in which my toy has experienced its torque and power.

After having fun at the desert, I had a strange incident while inflating back the tires; I was using a cheap compressor has been bought from the dragon mart, so while inflating the 2nd tire I found that the compressor's pipe has been damaged, so I cut the damaged area and fixed the pipe again to the compressor. This thing was repeated again while inflating the 3rd tire and I followed the same repairing procedure. while inflating the 4th tire i was shocked when I found smoking coming out from the compressor and the wire was melted while it was connected to the car battery, so I managed to disconnect the wires and throw the compressor on the ground till it cooled down. Finally, after showing the dead compressor to our marshals, I found the nearest trash box to throw it :D. So the lesson learned was that never to buy a cheap un-recommended tools specially if it was from dragon mart :D.

I would like to express my great thanks to all of our Marshals and sweepers for their great effort.

Please find the trip photos in the following link ( https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 202e90cc3d )

Meet you all again in the next ride :D

[caprihorse]

[quote=Fat Rabbit;33349]... I think I need to change my opinion about women drivers ...[/quote]

Do it quickly, otherwise you'll be in trouble... not only with me :killzonesmiley:

[caprihorse]

[quote=2el3aw;33361]..., switched on the differential lock and switch off the attraction control system, ...[/quote]

Attraction system? To attract some girls? :yarr: This system should be always switched on...

If you meant the traction system, it should be disengaged immediately after deflation as the car computer thinks that you are in danger and braking the wheels mainly in soft sand.

[KIMOz]

looooooolll funny on .. yup I meant traction system :P hahaha, actually I'm not sure, but ya it sounds that you are right. It should be disconnected automatically as the tires are deflated and when its showing me on the dashboard 'Low tires'. But tell you what, when I manually switch the traction control sys. off; it was showing me "stability control off" on the dashboard and the skid mark icon was on. So I guess that I need to check this issue, or usually I have to manually switch it off.

[Lijo Lazer Korath]

thanks ABU JIMMY to put me back in th list

one more succesful drive with my Ford Explorer

it was a great almosters morning with 60 plus cars in Naswa shops, with a small briefing we splited to 4 convoys, i was -5A convoy lead by Rashid jaz, Chief Shamsi Second lead, and Ron was sweeping.

even though we started late well maintained the timing.

an incident - (i don't know wether Marshals planned or some one infront of me went throught a different rout) as i am follwing i don't had any doubt while i am taking the dune the very next i realised its a pit fortunately fellow driver infront of me and myself somehow comes out, but unfortunately who was behind me is trapped.

the exciting thing is when we reach home the first i will play the rout we went, playing it and playing again.........

here is the link for the rout we went....

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215962343000262704516.0004f2fdf7d7bcb7da41d
Name: 21/02/2014
08:32

Activity type: Desert drive

Description: Newbies All In -5A

Total distance: 23.88 km (14.8 mi)

Total time: 2:41:24

Moving time: 1:21:52
Average speed: 8.88 km/h (5.5 mi/h)

Average moving speed: 17.50 km/h (10.9 mi/h)

Max speed: 72.15 km/h (44.8 mi/h)

Average pace: 6.76 min/km (10.9 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 3.43 min/km (5.5 min/mi)

Fastest pace: 0.83 min/km (1.3 min/mi)

Max elevation: 176 m (577 ft)

Min elevation: 106 m (349 ft)

Elevation gain: 279 m (917 ft)

Max grade: 14 %

Min grade: -9 %

Recorded: 21/02/2014 08:32