Bucket List Item #68: Drive on the beach. - check

[RichD]

Go here.

[mycale]

Love the pic!

[gramadin]

Hi, I always wandered, do you need some mods on your vehicle to drive on sand?
I have a stock LWB Pajero, and I wanna try it, but I am always afraid of getting stuck.
Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks

[RichD]

Depends on the conditions.

In this case, we locked our hubs before entering, just in case. Most of the sand was very compacted and you could walk or drive on it. Some was quite soft.

I can't really explain technique; you have to experiment and learn for yourself.

[jessef]

Nice shot Rich

Hi, I always wandered, do you need some mods on your vehicle to drive on sand?
I have a stock LWB Pajero, and I wanna try it, but I am always afraid of getting stuck.
Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks

http://www.offroaders.com/info/tech-cor ... nd_dri.htm

Sand Driving Techniques

When traveling on sand, you should endeavor to follow in the tire tracks of the vehicle in front as they have already compressed the sand to form a firmer surface than un-traversed ground. Never drive on vegetation as this will destroy it and lead to erosion and environmental damage.

You should avoid rapid changes in speed when accelerating or braking. Braking on sand will cause a mound to build up in front of all wheels and possibly prevent your vehicle from taking off. Rapid acceleration simply digs the wheels in and can actually lead to slower take-off speeds.

Take-off should be performed as smoothly as possible with gear changes done at fairly high revs. Sand driving requires plenty of engine power to get your vehicle "planing" on the sand. It is advisable to use low range as this multiplies the amount of engine torque available and will provide that extra gear if you encounter a particularly soft patch of sand. Check that your tires are pointing straight ahead when taking off to reduce the takeoff effort required.

When stopping on sand, depress the clutch and allow the vehicle to coast to a stop. This will minimize any sand build-up in front of the wheels. If the terrain permits, coast to a stop, rather than braking, with the vehicle pointing downhill as this will aid take-off. Avoid the soft sand at the base of most dunes and gullies when stopping.

When turning, make the turn as wide as possible to reduce the chance of bogging. Your front wheels act more like a rudder in sand and turning too sharp has a similar effect to applying the brakes.

Steep sand dunes can be traversed only straight up or down. If you drive even on a slight angle, the weight transfer is to the downhill side wheels. If the vehicle starts to slip, the downhill wheels tend to dig in and make the angle of the dune even worse, leading to a potential rollover.

If you are traveling straight down a steep dune and the back end starts to slip sideways, it is best to accelerate slightly to try and straighten the vehicle. Never use the brake, as this will cause weight transfer to the front wheels and can increase the back end movement.

If traveling up a dune and you do not get to the top, reverse down the dune in gear, NEVER coast down the dune and NEVER attempt a U turn.

When you return home after a beach trip, it is important to hose down your vehicle to remove all traces of sand and salt. Pay special attention to areas like the mudguards where sand is sprayed around and tends to get trapped. Thoroughly hose underneath your vehicle as well, as there are many nooks and crannies where sand con also get trapped.

[RichD]

Great link. I've never driven on dunes. This is also on the bucket list.

Oh yeah, regarding getting stuck: bring a friend!!

[gramadin]

Thanks for the info.
I guess I just have to try it
If somebody needs company for a little offroading in the area, please give me a shout.

[Firesong]

You can also lower the air pressure in your tires to give a larger footprint.
Don't overdo it, and make sure you have an air compressor to pump them
up before you get back on hardtop

[Mr. Flibble]

Beach Sand?! I would never take Starbug to the beach!

[northvanmatt]

hello, driving on the beach was on my bucket list too. I surf a lot, if you find the right beach you can drive on it for ever it seems like. I travel to Oregon and washington regularly for surf and here are a few pics from driving on the beach. They don't see many delica's down there so it's always pretty funny to roll over the dunes and see nothing but big trucks and then I pull up in the delica The best tip I received for travel on the sand is to lower your tire pressure to about 15 psi. Most of the regular beach goers I chatted with said they have never had an issue getting stuck. In fact from my experience sand is not the problem its the loose gravel/coarse sand beaches are the toughest to drive on. I drove to the queen charlotte island surfing a few years ago and the small round gravel on the beaches there was way harder to tackle than just straight up sand. I have lots of pics and tried to upload a few more but they don't seem to be showing up. the pics were taken with my iphone and an app called hipstamatic.

[phree]

cool photos!

reminds me of islands that are around my island..