Oversand/Beach driving

I agree. Maybe not a bad idea to have both. I have wanted a jump box for a while anyway as there always seems to be a flat or low charged battery in the "fleet".

If I were to buy a portable tank, do I need to worry so much about the volume(Harbor Fright has 5,7, and 11 gallon tanks)? I wonder how much volume I would need to re-inflate my tires from 15psi or so to 30 psi? Or am I over thinking this?

I'd purchase one of these from Harbour Freight, it's on sale, seems to get good reviews and it comes with a hose too. 12v compressor It looks very similar to one I own that would inflate tyres from 16-32psi in a couple of minutes per tyre.

Driving on sand is not really expert stuff compared to rock-hopping. Keep your momentum up, and use slightly higher revs than you would normally (1 gear lower) so you can floor it and have power on tap if needed (if you hit a really soft section). Highway terrain tyres are better on sand than gnarly mud tyres as they ride over the sand instead of biting in. I used to routinely deflate tyres to 16psi no problems.

Don't be like these losers I saw on a FL beach the other day:

The guy on the right was stuck, he claims. Words cannot describe the level of lameness on display.

^^ A friend of mine works on Daytona Beach. He says guys in their huge "Brodozers" get stuck ALL the time. The guys driving them don't quite understand that if your wheels are spinning......you are digging. Gradual inputs are needed for sand driving, and an understanding of momentum. Smooth and easy is the way. Not -- foot to the floor shenanigans. Clarkson would not do well.

and yes.....wash every inch of that van each time you come off the beach. Sand and salt get EVERYWHERE. I love beach driving, but won't do it in a vehicle I car about. (too paranoid of rust)

My Clarkson method of power is a bit misleading anyway. A Delica doesn't really have power. I was just keeping the revs up so I had momentum. My delica is an automatic by the way.

Chris

Lightness helps a lot too. If you can pick the vehicle up yourself it's a bonus. I stuck my giant stoopid motorcycle on a river beach 2 weeks ago by stopping before I got across the deep sand to gravel and had the embarrassing experience of having to dig/wet/rocks/drag/expletives/repeat a 600lb motorcycle for 50 feet while kayakers giggled safely from their boats.

Proper tires and technique may have helped also. I mentally said just before "It's only 50-75 feet, what could go wrong" and whacked the throttle having never ridden anything but an ATV with pontoon tires on a beach before. When I let off the throttle the front dug, the rear spun and I was able to get off it without using the stand.

DOH.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Free yourself from the bonds of electricity! Bonus... it's faster to use than the little 12v pumps. They make nicer ones with gauges and more volume - but Walmart has these for less than $20.

Yep, I'm all about these as well. Much more reliable than just about any cigarette lighter pump. Also has many other beach/camping uses (rafts, boats, mattresses, toys, etc).

AND it gives a free workout too.

Beach driving 101

• Air down tires. I've gone as low as 15 psi. No big deal.
• Don't spin the tires. If you're spinning you're digging.
• Watch the surface. Often times you can, with some practice, spot softer sand and/or holes.
• Momentum is your friend when faced with an uncertain surface.
• As mentioned before, smooth inputs of any controls are a good thing.
• Watch the locals and emulate them IF THEY DEMONSTRATE GOOD SENSE.
• If you park, choose your spot wisely. Soft or dicey spots are no where to park.
• Go slow. This isn't the Dakar Rally.
• Don't drive on the dunes.
• Stay out of any water if you can help it. If you have to cross water, know it's depth before entering.
• Get a harbor freight tow strap. It's helpful to add to your current equipment.
• Make sure your 4x4 works before entering any off road area.

I spend a fair amount of time in the Outer Banks (NC) and you can drive on the beach up in Corolla. Back in the 80's when there was nothing around, you had to know what you were doing and be prepared. The locals certainly did. Nowadays, everyone with an AWD sticker on their minivan thinks that they can drive right off the road into the deepest, driest sand and stop for a photo. I can't tell you how many people make it less than 10 feet from the road!

There was a guy in a late-70's Impala wagon back in the day who used to work construction North of Corolla, and he drove up and down the beach to work every day. He put the largest tires he could on the back, picked his line carefully, and never let momentum drop too low. Dude had skills!

(In case you too were wondering what a Delicia was. So cool!)

^^ That is exactly what mine looks like down to the color, minus the alloy wheels.

Xceler8x wrote: Beach driving 101 * Air down tires. I've gone as low as 15 psi. No big deal. * Don't spin the tires. If you're spinning you're digging. * Watch the surface. Often times you can, with some practice, spot softer sand and/or holes. * Momentum is your friend when faced with an uncertain surface. * As mentioned before, smooth inputs of any controls are a good thing. * Watch the locals and emulate them IF THEY DEMONSTRATE GOOD SENSE. * If you park, choose your spot wisely. Soft or dicey spots are no where to park. * Go slow. This isn't the Dakar Rally. * Don't drive on the dunes. * Stay out of any water if you can help it. If you have to cross water, know it's depth before entering. * Get a harbor freight tow strap. It's helpful to add to your current equipment. * Make sure your 4x4 works before entering any off road area.

To your point the "road" on the beach was full of ruts that I was trying to avoid, but the van seemed to be dragged into them. I didn't like that feeling, but I don't think there was much I could do about it either.

Xceler8x wrote: Beach driving 101 * Air down tires. I've gone as low as 15 psi. No big deal.

Lowest I've run is 11 front / 7 rear and that was for a mud obstacle course. Of course, that was in my Samurai, so you can't do the same in a modern SUV with low-profile tires.

pinchvalve wrote: There was a guy in a late-70's Impala wagon back in the day who used to work construction North of Corolla, and he drove up and down the beach to work every day. He put the largest tires he could on the back, picked his line carefully, and never let momentum drop too low. Dude had skills!

That's where I learned. I've been driving in the Outer Banks for....many decades. ( I'm old.).

The guy with the Impala! I remember seeing him. There was a line of 4x4's waiting to get on the beach. He comes rolling up with a dateand hammers the throttle while on the pavement. He then hits the sand and rides on down to the hard pack sand without breaking a sweat. This guy and his co-pilot raise their drinks, howl in triumph, and leave the frustrated tourists at the ramp with their AWD SUV's. This was Carova beach if I remember right.

Go down to 10psi. You've got to go full retard to get stuck. Just don't turn hard at speed. If you're not below at least 15psi you're doing it wrong

I ran my TJ on factory 30x9.5-15 on 8in wide wheels no problem at 10psi.

Same with 33x10.5 on same rims.

Then daily drove 40x16-17s on 17x9 wheels at 11psi, aired to 3-4psi for wheeling/sand. Beadlocks of course to go that low.

I hardwired this compressor under the hood of my Jeep, worked great, about 3min per tire to air up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/flatlander757/Jeep%20stuff/11-06-07%20tire%20carrier%20bracket/000_2020.jpg

Mazdax605 wrote:

Xceler8x wrote: Beach driving 101 * Air down tires. I've gone as low as 15 psi. No big deal. * Don't spin the tires. If you're spinning you're digging. * Watch the surface. Often times you can, with some practice, spot softer sand and/or holes. * Momentum is your friend when faced with an uncertain surface. * As mentioned before, smooth inputs of any controls are a good thing. * Watch the locals and emulate them IF THEY DEMONSTRATE GOOD SENSE. * If you park, choose your spot wisely. Soft or dicey spots are no where to park. * Go slow. This isn't the Dakar Rally. * Don't drive on the dunes. * Stay out of any water if you can help it. If you have to cross water, know it's depth before entering. * Get a harbor freight tow strap. It's helpful to add to your current equipment. * Make sure your 4x4 works before entering any off road area.

To your point the "road" on the beach was full of ruts that I was trying to avoid, but the van seemed to be dragged into them. I didn't like that feeling, but I don't think there was much I could do about it either.

Generally the ruts are where you want to be, especially if the beach is very soft. Previous vehicles will have compacted the sand in the ruts, and it's easier to drive along these than to blaze your own trail.

Sorry, can't resist sharing this pic I took. This is why I love off-roading! Glad there are people with similar interests!

Be careful with cigarette lighter plug compressors. In my expirience, Misubishi 12v outlets don't like them, and blow the fusible link wired into the end. These were on early Eclipses for the most part, but your van probably uses the same part.

When I had the jeep I bought the nicer 12v HF air compressor (the one with alligator clips to connect to the battery, not a cigarette plug) because that was the best/cheapest way to fill the 33" tires. I still have it for autocross and it does such a good job I sometime fill people's air tanks with it.

Lots of good advice here about driving, I'd add: try to only stop when pointed down hill. Uphill and soft sand can be problematic.

Another vote for a thorough washing. Steel seems better these days about rusting but I remember as a kid on cape cod the trucks people took out on the beach would be rusted out in less than three years.

Have fun!

I'm surprised you would drive it on a salty beach after the question about whether or not you should drive your Delica in a snowstorm because of salted roads. That beach sand and salt will never get fully washed off until you strip it down for a frame off restoration. That said however, it's more fun to use your mechanical toys than let them waste away in the garage.

Staun deflators are nice for airing down quickly. A big octopus-like air hose to connect all four at once was always on my list of things to do to air back up quickly. I carry one of those 6 gal portable airtanks and an electric pump to refill it. Waiting on a mini electric pump to air up 4 truck tires is not something I'd like to do while it's hot out and I want to be driving home. With my Tundra I would wait until I got stuck to get into 4WD or air down. Some obstacles I'd switch to 4WD before getting stuck, but I'd rarely have to air down.

I understand what you say about the salty beach, but to be honest with you I decided that it is really well under coated and life is too short to not enjoy the vehicles for what the are meant for. I'm sure it's doing some damage, but to be honest we drove less than a quarter mile on the sand total. We were on a gravel road leading to the beach for quite a while, but very little on the sand.

Just being in the salt air near the beach is bad for your car to some degree. I've never worried about it that much, either.

We were at the beach for 2 hours. I'm not worried.

Okay, guys so I have another question. My son, and I went to the beach for a couple of hours yesterday. My sister was also there before we got there with our niece and nephew. Because we got there at different times I couldn't immediately park near her, so I drove further down the beach. The sand was really soft, and I hadn't aired down. I didn't get stuck, but was worried I may as the sand was super soft. A little while later a spot opened up next to my sister so I decided to move. The van got through it, but I was worried again, and was looking at my exit being through some super soft stuff. I decided to air down the tires.

When I put my gauge on the hot tires they were all around 40+ psi. I know I have them at 30psi cold usually, but the hot sun, and such made the pressures higher is my guess. So beyond the tires sitting in the heat I have another problem. If I decide to air down as soon as I get to the beach with tires that just drove 30 minutes or so mostly on the highway, what pressure should I go to. My feeling is if I go to 15psi hot that the tires will be super soft when they cool. I know it shouldn't be an issue if I have a pump, but I don't yet, and was planning to hit a gas station after leaving the beach. The problem with this is the nearest gas station is miles away, and I don't want to ruin the tires. So what pressure do I use on hot tires? I know the answer is get a pump or air tank, but that isn't in the budget yet.

Brett_Murphy wrote: Just being in the salt air near the beach is bad for your car to some degree. I've never worried about it that much, either.

Having lived/and or worked most of my life less than a mile from saltwater.. it's rare to see a modern car get ruined by the salt in the air. Just do not drive through any flooding (or go on the beach)

In reply to Mazdax605:

I would air them back up to 30, then check them next time they're cold.