1974 FJ40 back at the Sahara and dunes story

[flx]

This looks like a great trip. It appears you're out in the middle of nowhere. I'm surprised you guys don't use a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire to help reseat the tires bead on the rim. I've blown many tire beads off rims in the past and it works great and I don't have to remove the tire or use the spare.

For the first wheel on the HZJ78 on first day, I'm not 100% sure what was tried on the spot as I was a bit far away but I think mostly tricks around fire. But the evening at camp we tried the ratchet strap to reseat the tire:

With no success... Probably because of the damaged internal bead (but the tire shop back at Douz will have no problem reseating it obviously).

For the guide tire I think it's a lot about time, while when someone from the group has an issue or want to stop for pictures or whatever, they are very chilled and there is no problem taking any time necessary, when the guides are the ones stuck or with an issue they are a lot more speed / stressed and want to be rolling again ASAP. They don't want to be the ones slowing down the group (even if everyone is completely agreeing that it's part of the game and every vehicle can have issues and in this case the group stop and we take all the necessary time).
Here what took the most time was to lift the vehicle digging enough to have the space for a jack + wood plank was not easy without sand falling back in the hole. And even after that the jack and the plank were sinking...
So they just tried to see if it would reseat itself with the inflation from the HZJ78 powerful compressor (AC compressor converted). When it didn't work they immediately went for changing the wheel, considering this pickup had 2 spare and the second one, 1 spare (so 3 in total for the 2 pickups). So they didn't even bother trying to fix it after and they let the tire shop do the work at the end (we did a batch of all the tires to fix ).

 

[MatthewMcD]

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Little winching action to pull up the FJ40 that got bogged in sand.


Obviously drone was up to catch me
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Now I need to catch up with the group.

That "Follow Me" drone video is awesome. I assume your drone is autonomous.

 

[flx]

That "Follow Me" drone video is awesome. I assume your drone is autonomous.

Drone footages are not from me!
It's from the KDJ150, as they were 3 in the vehicle there was always a passenger able to use the drone while we were driving and not lose time to set it up, etc. And it's mostly the only woman of our group that took those footages (as well as the phones pictures/videos showing the FJ40 in action from outside).
Their drone had some autonomous follow mode for sure but I think she preferred to mostly control it manually.

But I agree with you that she took some awesome follow videos and a lot more are to come as she become more and more comfortable with using the drone while being shaken in the dunes!

 

[middlecalf]

The sand in those videos looks surreal!

 

[flx]

The sand in those videos looks surreal!

It does! All those little waves on the dunes, with the low winter sun they almost appear like sculpted by their shadow.
Also, from time to time the sand change, from an orange one to a white-ish one, those sands have different thickness and they tend to separate with the wind so when you are in the transition place you will see small dunes in one color and big ones in another, also top of waves white while the wave body is orange, etc. quite cool! I think I should have a picture of that later on.


Let's continue with me doing some gymnastic

(PS: I'm mostly showing myself stuck but everyone is getting stuck, particularly that day that was the most difficult, technical, and soft.)


And actually, the second pickup that put itself in a bad spot and needs a winching.

And another one from me

 

[flx]

We now arrive to this absolutely giant bowl, the biggest of all, and the guide to say in the radio "this is the test, we will see which vehicles can get to the top".

As always everything looks flat on video (and not even talking about the drone, looks flatter than the Netherland seen from the sky...) but in reality it really feels like you get down a wall and immediately go back up another wall high like 2 Parisian buildings. Guide is saying "gas gas gas" while going down but it really looks like you are just going to crash at the bottom if you do that.
It's not like those guys going up giant dunes but with a mile of flat ground before to accelerate and take as much inertia as possible.

First attempt from inside and from the following vehicle.

Of course after you have to back down all of that in low range trying to stay somewhat straight...

Second attempt... As I knew the drone was up and I didn't had that much faith I didn't turn on my own camera... So I don't have the sound. Which I regret because on this one I went full on the gas and 1/3 of the way up I heard the secondary body of the carburetor opening and felt this kick and change of engine sound, so characteristic of the secondary opening when the vacuum is right (those with one functioning will know). And up it went in absolute fury. This is the very first time ever it opened while in 1st gear...

 

[flx]

Let's show the others.

 

[flx]

And the troopy



Once at the top there is not a spit of wind so we decide to have our lunch up there for once!

 

[flx]

I actually just noticed this last drone picture, you can see the giant bowl we did just before lunch!

 

[flx]

If you looked closely the previous pics you may have noticed that the KDJ150 is parked on its frame, the 4 wheels in the air. So it needs a a little pull to get going, as we have done dozen of times.

Can you spot the problem?
The KDJ120 only stopped because our drone operator yelled high enough!

We came very close of a potential major mechanical issue in the most remote, and difficult of access, part of this desert.
FYI if we were to need a flatbed tow truck (Unimog) service here, cost is 10k€... (obviously long before that option you'd go get the part and fix on the spot)

Better like that...

 

[charliemeyer007]

1st rule don't run over the strap.

 

[flx]

Off we go again!

The troopy stuck the 4 wheels in the air, it happens even to the best xD

And now it's my turn to be stuck...

 

[flx]

And getting down.


And from another vehicle POV to change a little.

 

[flx]

This bowl proved difficult, not the biggest by any means but sand was very soft and no easy way to bypass it. Guide ended up creating a track that goes around the bowl which is kind of scary to drive but that worked!

And down again toward our camp for the night.

Camp

Little gecko

Tonight dinner cooking (Tajine)

Color film is out, so from now B&W film it is

That's it for this day!
But what a day it was, definitively the most technical, difficult, steep but also the most beautiful yet and what a pleasure I took driving in the sand! Stress is mostly gone and now I can enjoy the surf feeling on top of the dunes and the challenges of the difficult parts.
Blisters on my hands palm are now transforming to calluses.

 

[bj70bc]

stunning
that country will forever be part of your truck...literally, that sand will always live in there somewhere

 

[flx]

stunning
that country will forever be part of your truck...literally, that sand will always live in there somewhere

Definitively!

I once heard someone a bit clean freak dismantling his entire dashboard and ventilation conducts on his 80 series to try to remove all the sand. A month later he activated the ventilation while driving and an entire bucket of sand fell back in the car ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[MatthewMcD]

This bowl proved difficult, not the biggest by any means but sand was very soft and no easy way to bypass it. Guide ended up creating a track that goes around the bowl which is kind of scary to drive but that worked!


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And down again toward our camp for the night.


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Camp
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Little gecko
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Tonight dinner cooking (Tajine)
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Color film is out, so from now B&W film it is
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That's it for this day!
But what a day it was, definitively the most technical, difficult, steep but also the most beautiful yet and what a pleasure I took driving in the sand! Stress is mostly gone and now I can enjoy the surf feeling on top of the dunes and the challenges of the difficult parts.
Blisters on my hands palm are now transforming to calluses.

Your hands must be hamburger by now.

 

[flx]

Your hands must be hamburger by now.

2 weeks after the end of the trip

 

[flx]

5th day

And this one start by filling up petrol. I'm so used to it that I can now refill my water pouch at the same time x)

I didn't filmed or take pics myself that much this morning, I was just enjoying the moment. So most pics from others.

 

[flx]

Here we are.

The high dune in the distance, in the shadow, this is the famous Sif Es Souane, we finally have it in view.

This is the last stretch!