PSA: Be careful "off-roading" without the skid plate

[lawrench]

I suppose maybe this should be common knowledge, but just do not overestimate the off-roading capability of the 2WD Ranger with no skid plate. The stock tires lose traction on even fairly tame sand, and the front end can bottom out easier than you might expect. If you'd like the story that taught me this lesson, read below. If not, that's all just a friendly PSA to be careful out there.

Story time. First trip to the beach, I got stuck. This was in Galveston, and on the far end of the island there's a lot of fishing that happens. We decided to travel down there because there is a park on the map and it's a nice, wide open beach area. Anyway, eventually we reach near the tip of the area where cars are allowed (marked by wooden posts) and there's a parking area with quite a few small SUVs and pickup trucks in it, so we pull into there. Well, as I go to turn around, I start losing traction pretty drastically. I manage to get a little bit further but lo and behold, I'm quite stuck. The tires just cannot get traction on the sand, and I had to get pulled out. Like I said there were multiple 2WD small SUVs in that lot that we watched get out just fine, as well as a 2WD Nissan Frontier. Bad driving? Maybe, I shouldn't have lost momentum after noticing the first slipping, but just a heads up that the stock tires get zero grip on even mildly soft sand.

Next trip to the beach I went to the other end of the island where the sand is mostly so hard-packed it's like concrete and anything can drive on it. However, there's been quite a bit of rain lately and so there is quite a bit of standing water in different spots over in this area. One of these patches of standing water was right on the main pathway to get back, and the only other way was a huge detour, so on the trip back we went to this area. We gauged the water and it wasn't too deep, just fine for the Ranger... we thought. Well, after driving through with a decent splash but no bash or bang of any kind felt inside, we discovered that the front plastic lip had been broken off, the radiator had been bent, and (later) discovered that multiple components of the AC system had been damaged as well. You'd think with such damage you'd have felt a bash or thud when the truck bottomed out as it clearly did, but we felt absolutely nothing. Anyway, repairs on this took months as parts availability right now is horrendous.

Above you can see the damage. Very confounded as to how the license plate got bent like that, but the holder and everything at that same level in the car showed no signs of damage at all. Perhaps I'm wrong about the bottoming out and an object in the water did the damage? We'll never know. If I did, in fact, bottom out as suspected, that whole damaged area would have been fine had the skid plate been there.

Just be safe out there, and be very careful with water crossings!

I grew up in the Galveston Bay area, when you are going in the sand, you need to let some air out of the tires. Also, Surfside is the best for playing in the sand and surf. Some of the better fishing used to be the Texas City Dike, but that has been years ago. Next time, try the Intercoastal waterway near Surfside, especially when the Redfish are running. Head to Baffin Bay for spec trout fishing.

Just remember to let air out of your tires next time in the sand. You may want to invest in a small air compressor to air up your tires when you leave the beach.

I think you can still get skid plates to fit on your 2wd vehicle.

Enjoy your fishing trips on the coast, I sure miss it.

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[Cmar]

Yep take it from someone who grew up learning to drive on the beach. ( My parents did a lot of beach camping when I was young)

Drop your tyre pressures to 20-22 lb max, sometimes even lower for really soft sand, if you're in a modern 4x4 like the Ranger, turn off traction control and ESC.
Traction control will just bog you down hopelessly in really soft sand, as it tries to get traction on each wheel, and ESC will cut your engine power without warning, likely when you're going to need it most.

Avoid sudden sharp turns because they can;

1 roll your deflated tyres off the rim (somewhat annoying)
2 dig your outside wheel in and bog you, and in worst case if you're going too fast, might flip your car (really annoying)

Avoiding driving through standing water over sand if at all possible, as it often has a soft bottom and will also rust out your car

Always try to park down slope on the beach, much easier to take off that way.

Never drive diagonally across a dune, if the sand slips, over you go - don't ask how I know this!

Sand is like mud - momentum and smooth driving are your friends ( sorry can't comment about snow- doesn't snow here!)

Carry a long handled shovel, a snatch strap, and some people like em, traction boards like maxi traks, and an air compressor for airing up once you get back to the road.

Grippy tyres like mudders can be less effective on smooth sand, as they can tend to dig in too much, AT's or even HT's are the go if you do a lot of beach work, as they tend to roll over the surface, not plough through it, and HT's tend to bag out better when deflated than LT tyres.

And last but certainly not least - enjoy your day on the beach!

 

[D Fresh]

Sounds to me like you had Traction Control and AdvanceTrak on for the parking lot incident.

The other one, I'm gonna call bullshit on. There is no way possible for you too do that kind of damage without feeling it

 

[Cabose-1]

I second what cmar said

With a few tweaks

I live near south padre island. The giod beach, near Brownsville

4x2 xlt 2020

I dont lower pressure past 25. Because i have stock from factory all season tires. I carry a rope, and shovel. Tires and rim are not meant for low pressure. Beads will come off.

Drive with speed, how much or little you have to judge the sand, traction control off, and good luck

Momentum is king

We drive over frequently. Only on high tide so if i am stuck i know it wont get wet. Haha

You hit something to damage your truck. Ive had grass, tree branches stuck in my front air dam. At the deer lease and through fields while dive and pig hunting. Always very weary of my clearance and no armor

Been 4x2ing off road since my f250 days as a teenager. 48 now. So i did all my mishaps and learning young, and with humvees.

Just keep at it, learn and lots of friendly advice from here. Get ready to pay if your new to off road

Get better tires when you can
I still dint need a 4x4. Thats what jeeps and broncos are for.

Giod luck

 

[SilverSlugger]

LOL.

Learn to drive or buy a 4x4 next time.

 

[silverflash]

I've been on Padre Is. many times with 2 and 4 wheel drive trucks to just drive and beach camp. Never needed 4 wheel drive but also didn't go much past the "4 wheel drive vehicles only" sign. You just have to be aware what you're driving on.

i was on padre island way way way back in like 1991. In my front wheel drive plymouth k-car. I knew better even back then as a 21 year old army dude, not to go past the 4x4 only past this point sign. i do recall some weird vibrations in a couple areas- was the front tires hunting for traction i guess. i wish i lived closer to that. can you still go like 60 miles down the beach PAST the 4x4 only signs? That's how it was back then..

 

[JesseS]

Hitting water at speed with an air dam is like running into concrete, it can't get out of the way fast enough and things break, or you hit a submerged object, only two choices, how fast were you going? I know when I was dune hopping I tended to go way to fast

 

[Cmar]

Hitting water at speed with an air dam is like running into concrete, it can't get out of the way fast enough and things break, or you hit a submerged object, only two choices, how fast were you going? I know when I was dune hopping I tended to go way to fast

This: Not to mention also forcing water into places where it was never designed to go, 6 months down the road when something, usually electrical , fails out of the blue, because it was full of water.

 

[Rviator]

i was on padre island way way way back in like 1991. In my front wheel drive plymouth k-car. I knew better even back then as a 21 year old army dude, not to go past the 4x4 only past this point sign. i do recall some weird vibrations in a couple areas- was the front tires hunting for traction i guess. i wish i lived closer to that. can you still go like 60 miles down the beach PAST the 4x4 only signs? That's how it was back then..

Absolutely you can, until you run out of land, if you don't get stranded. You can see it on Google maps.

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