Advice for driving on the beach!

[AzScorpion]

Well, if you insist... ?

Drives around all year with all that gear, goes to the beach 1 time!


J/K it does look great! ?

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[Msfitoy]

Drives around all year with all that gear, goes to the beach 1 time!


J/K it does look great! ?

Yea...road ragers won't mess with me when they see that 6 ft shovel... ?

 

[Cmar]

Sand must be different these days. I used to drive the beaches of Galveston Island and South Padre Island back in the 1980s. I never let air out of the old L78-15 tires on that FJ40. I did, however, have a winch and lots of ropes (none of that pansy "recovery" strap nonsense back then, kinetic what?!?), and lots of chain.

I also had a shovel, as mentioned, and that got me out a couple of times.

I did have to get yanked out by two 4x4s once. I thought I was gonna lose that FJ.

I was driving way out in South Padre where the waves were washing up - it was denser sand but then it kept getting steeper and I tried to turn off of it. Big mistake, lost momentum, sunk, and spun towards the Gulf. That sucked. And tide was coming in and the starter was going under. I kept it running on a high idle with a little choke (ah the good old days with a manual choke on the dashboard). =)

I got on the CB and despite being 20 miles from the closest road, a 4x4 van came up. I had already run a rope and he yanked and got stuck. My heart sank ... =(

Then some 4x4 pickup came and hooked up to the van. Both were able to pull me out. Phew!

Ah, to be young and dumb again. I think I was probably 17 years old. =)

not me but my FJ is red too:

Ha Ha yes they actually did manage to drive it across the bottom of Darwin harbour setting a world record in the process. They did bog it in the mud a few times though.

 

[Cmar]

Watch out for sinkholes - this spot is only about and hour and a half's drive from where I live, I've driven and camped on this spot myself many times.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-03/inskip-point-sinkhole-inshore-landslip/103930042

 

[Msfitoy]

Watch out for sinkholes - this spot is only about and hour and a half's drive from where I live, I've driven and camped on this spot myself many times.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-03/inskip-point-sinkhole-inshore-landslip/103930042

Thank goodness, most of us can't afford to drive that far... ??

 

[Cmar]

Thank goodness, most of us can't afford to drive that far... ??

You're gonna need a longer snorkel.

 

[OBX Guy]

If you are not driving down a tidal beach it may not be an issue but if the beach is affected by tides, make sure you know when they are and how much your location will be affected. Everyone likes to go out on Cape Point until there is no way back to the main beach. Then it gets real.

 

[fjwlobo]

Chuck, Don't you mean watch for the bikinis? ?

It should be more like this ?

 

[Cmar]

If it is a remote beach you go on shark patrol - watch out for white pointers.

 

[DasBoot]

So im new to owning a 4x4 went on the beach today aired down tires had it in 4x4 sand mode all went smooth BUT idk if im missing something such as do i lock the rear diff? Do i turn traction control off or all the way off? Should i be in just 4x4 high or the sand mode like i was? Im sure this thread is on here buried somewhere but i can’t find it.

Salt and steel don't go together

 

[Msfitoy]

Salt and steel don't go together

True...but snow belt people do it all the time...although I'm glad I'm outta there and don't have to deal with that slop anymore...

 

[Mikeymac25]

Salt and steel don't go together

Until you get the fishing bug you won’t understand lol

 

[5thranger]

Wherever possible also always try to park with your car at right angles to the beach with the front facing down slope, otherwise it's sooo easy to get stuck when taking off again if the sand is soft. As said above, turn off traction control it may get confused in soft sand, and want to dig you in. A bit of slip in sand is good - momentum is your friend.

Road tyres or AT's are usually better in sand than muddies because the less aggressive tread doesn't want to dig in as much, and they are usually not as stiff in the carcass and bag out better when aired down.

Don't make sudden turns at speed with your tyres aired down, you can easily pull a bead off the rim or have it unexpectedly dig in and roll your truck.
If driving through lots of soft stuff check the inside of your rims for clumps of sand. Or you may find when you hit the tar again you have mysteriously bad wheel balance issues. Watch out for soft spots in the sand, if the sand looks just damp it's usually nice and hard, if it looks a bit shiny beware.

And also as said above, bring a snatch strap, and maxi tracks ( that's what we call em over here) or sand mats, and a small shovel.

A snatch strap? That sounds pornographic

 

[Msfitoy]

A snatch strap? That sounds pornographic

Snatch straps are scary...deadly when used the wrong way like hooking it up to a hitch ball...

 

[Tom_C]

Everything has been covered. I used to drive a lot on the beach. When we got to the area, all of us in the possy would air down to 20 psi, and it would stay there for the duration. When we'd drive on the roads, we'd just drive reasonably but we weren't leaving the general area so it was fine. Once the trip was over, we'd air back up to road psi and go home.

At the time I had a manual 4x4, no locking diff. Very occasionally I would use 4 low, but rarely. And yes, have a tow rope, shovel, and anything else that makes sense, but I never had to use it.

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