Traversing the desert in a 15-tonne fairground ride

Unfortunately, the cargo of eggs and glassware just did not stand a chance.

The Sherpa might look big, but few can lay claim to travelling across the dunes of the Gulf in a six-wheeler that weighs in at 15 tonnes. And in spite of its size and weight, the Renault Kerax is remarkably light on its many feet, especially when given high air. Indeed, while the Sherpa feels like a speedboat, forcing through a heavy swell, the added power and extra suspension of the Kerax makes the big truck more akin to a small yacht, rising skywards and then leaping down from a great height. This is a truck that will likely contest the Dakar in 2012 at the hands of Dubai-based Frenchman Gilles Chauve. Inside, it feels just like any other lorry, with an expansive view and all the mirrors, dials and buttons of a road-going cab. Fully laden, it starts off sluggishly, the driver working through the 14 gears each time the rev counter hits 1,400rpm. At 70kph and aiming squarely at a towering dune, the Kerax accelerates, hammering into its slope and dutifully rising to the challenge. At the summit, the wide windscreen fills with the sky as the rear continues forward. Suddenly, it buckles, lashing forward like a bullwhip as the rear wheels rise up from the sandy surface and the big truck lurches downwards. The wide view ahead gives you the feeling of being on a fairground ride. Subliminally, the sense of being a passenger in something so big and heavy on a surface is alien and adds to the thrill. It is certainly not uncomfortable, with cushioning from the big wheels and suspended seats, but disorientation grips you when you climb down from the cab, your mind battling with what your body has just done. [e-mail]