Shopping paradise

1/26/24 to 2/7/24

The Emirates were intended to take care of a few points. We needed new tires, had to repair a few things on Globi and were looking for long-term parking for Globi. It didn’t quite turn out that way, but it was successful and interesting.

MAN Dubai

I have been in contact with MAN Dubai for a long time. We would like to leave Globi in the UAE and then have the annual service carried out here. Since we have a few small details to repair, we are driving to the workshop after a precautionary registration. The rearview mirror, which broke due to a mishap, will simply be replaced, and the gas struts on the Ernstli garage are also replaced in no time. Things get more difficult with the two low beam lamps. I had LED installed because the original lights are dangerously dim in the dark where they actually should be most useful. Cyclists and pedestrians without lights, which is practically always the case, are not visible with these lights and would have to be run over. The safe LEDs are not allowed and as a result MAN does not have any replacement lamps in stock, but Dubai wouldn’t be Dubai, if not everything is available here. The lamps are being organized and picked up and we have light again and the cyclists are riding less dangerously on the slopes again.

Happy moment

The best off-road tires for trucks, the Michelin XZL 14.00 R20, are not easy to obtain. Sometimes they are blocked by the military because they are declared war material, sometimes you must order the tires from Michelin months in advance and sometimes you just can’t get them. Travelers from the Emirates and Oman have told us that it is virtually impossible to buy the tires and if they do, they are incredibly expensive and old. We arrived in Abu Dhabi on a Sunday and contacted every possible address we received or googled. Michelin replied after four days that they would clarify what was in stock and where. A contact I had received from a friend of his friend contacted me back. I was able to talk to him on the phone on Sunday afternoon, Sunday is also a day off in the UAE. An hour later he reports back that he has four tires, but no current DOT (production date). However, when he informed me that the year of production was 21, I snatched at the offer. So, we now had the promise of the tires, but he wanted cash! After six different ATMs and four different credit cards, we had the cash we needed. It could start. It was now late afternoon and the salesman had to pray first, then we could drive to the workshop. Tire fitting began at 7:30 p.m. and after three hours the tires were installed and sealed. We were dead tired, even though we only had to supervise the assembly, but after searching for a location in the middle of Abu Dhabi and a very short dinner, we fell asleep on our new tire, unconscious and happily.

Encounters

When we were at MAN Dubai, the foreman informed his customer that we, a fully equipped expedition vehicle, are right now standing at the site. The customer, Denis, obviously dropped everything and immediately appeared in the workshop with his business partner Peter. He is in the process of building a 6×6 MAN himself and had endless technical questions. Denis is a very friendly Moldovan who has been living in the UAE with his wife for thirteen years. We arranged to meet a few days later.

In a hotel parking lot in Dubai, we met Mac & Scott, father and son from Great Britain, they are on their way to India. They also park their MAN in UAE, and we might see them again in the fall.

Christoph, a German-Swiss citizen, has lived in Dubai with his family for many years. He would like to change his living situation, but he is still looking for the best solution.

Debra and Mike are followers of our website and contacted us when they saw we were in the UAE. They also own a 6×6 MAN, which they still optimize according to their wishes. In a few years they will go on a world tour with no time limit. We went to a desert event with them.

Technology Pitfalls

Our Connection to the outside world, our internet router has given up the ghost. Luckily, we were camping at Debra and Mikes place, so we were able to order a new one via their Internet. No router would have been no alternative. The installation was very easy and quick even for me. We have internet again!

For a smile

Globi saw the sandy desert for the first time. We’ve ridden on sand together several times before, but it’s the first time really in the desert on soft sand without a track or piste. I had definitely respect for simply driving over twenty tons into the sand; a heavy tracked vehicle would be necessary for recovery. After an hour of driving, it happened; We got stuck on a dune driveway. It wasn’t possible to go backwards either because we immediately dug in due to the weight. I drove a lot of dunes with the Defender and retrieving it by hand was never a problem, but Globi is a different calibre. With all the differential locks, a little running up and a lot of sweat, we were able to drive backwards down the dune again and climb a less steep dune at full speed. Despite this actual sense of achievement, we made our way out of the soft sand onto the next slope as quickly as possible – it felt like it took forever.