Driving in sand

We are going to the OBX next year and have rented a house on the 4x4 beaches. Of course we will be taking the Crewmax but our house is 8 miles up the beach. Everyone advises to let the air out of our tires before you try it. That seems like a PITA to me, however I have been stuck out in the middle of a cornfield when goose hunting and that was no fun. What do you all think about deflating and reinflating every time you go to town? Do you think it's necessary and has anyone been there and done it? Seems like if you stay down by the water, in the hard pack sand it shouldn't be a problem. Dam I put this in the wrong forum.

 

I'd guess it depends how dry the sand is. I lived on galveston beaches for a summer, but stayed in the damp packed stuff because i was in a 2wd 4runner. But at little sahara in OK we had to air down a buddies truck to go recover a sxs because the sand was dry and powdery. I've never been to obx, so i dont know what its like out there.

 

I have been going to the OBX my whole life. Sounds like you are going North of Duck. I have family members who own beach cottages in Corova. I highly recommend slashing your tire pressure down. Pending tires, I normally slashed mine down to about 15 lbs. You can pretty much use 2WD at that point.

There are air pumps locally pending where you are going.


Or you can keep your air pressure at normal psi and find out once you're on the beach and have to let air out than. NOT saying you can't make it through on the beach w/ normal air pressure. It just makes life so much easier.


O.S.T.

 

Airing down on sand is a must. Around 18-20Psi should be good, bigger bulge but not so low to lose a bead. Seen lots of big lifted trucks with huge tires get stuck because they did not air down. Need to increase the tire footprint so you float over sand vs digging in.

 

I know little to nothing about the outer banks, but you're not going to die if you drive around town at 40mph with only 15psi in the tires. Highways speeds you should air back up.

 

Yeah you gotta air down, especially if loaded with gear. Also mind your driving technique and terrain.

Speed is your friend, don't lift unless you have to.

Sand slopes are generally bad, if you're being dragged down or barely creeping forward, just stop and initiate recovery.

Get yourself a shovel and at least one set of traction boards, they don't have to be maxtrax, check out Maxsa on Amazon, I got two of these and they're really good or the price. Funny how I've recovered more vehicles with them than my own (not even once!)

 

Nope, gotta air down. But if you don’t air down super, super low, you can drive the truck short distances on pavement to town. Avoid freeway speeds. Don’t make abrupt, sharp turns or turn while at a full stop, so you don’t pop a bead.

 

Thanks everyone I am going to order a set of the Maxsa so I have them for our trip.

 

So… I have MaxTrax and, just know, they won’t save you if you don’t air down. If you get stuck, you’d need to put one ifo each tire that’s dug in, then right after you get moving, you’d get stuck and have to do it again. Consider, if you get stuck in sand on a beach at anything lower than high tide, you’ll have the added pressure to get unstuck before the tide rises and grabs your truck. Especially if your plan is to drive near the water where the sand is more firm.

Either way, you’ll likely end the vacation aired down. If you don’t have one already, portable air compressors are really inexpensive. What I’d get, if I were headed on that same vacation. Have a great time!

 

In addition to airing down and maintaining momentum to float over the sand, I'd suggest carrying a full size shovel. Comes in handy if you bury yourself and need to dig under the truck at all, or if you need to dig to get traction boards in.

If you bury yourself and have your own kinetic rope/ strap, a good Samaritan will likely stop and give you a tug out. Not familiar with how crowded OBX is, but I probably would stop and help.

 

Such is the truck life! It's full of IF's and BUT's that can be solved quite easily when prepared.

As in my experience, you might not even need the stuff, but if you're willing to use your equipment to help someone then you're spreading good will that may someday be rewarded. Same as having two spares, you don't need them until you do.

 

Honestly, just slash your tires air pressure down, follow the tracks heading either north or south to your rental house. Stay away from the shoreline.

Ez Pz. It's not like you are going to the Sahara Desert. They have air pumps right off the ramps in towns if you are heading to Corova Beach. Speed limit is like 25 mph on those roads. So, nothing to worry about.

Just watch out for the Horses.

Enjoy and have fun!


O.S.T.

 

@dondino agree with above. I drive on the beach all the time. I have never used MaxTrax in the 15 years I’ve been doing it. Air down and if you want get a compressor. Airing down saves your transmission too. Depending on how sugary the sand if you can keep them around 20 psi and still ride around town in the low speed zones.

Best advice is if you are digging and making no forward movement stop and air down some more(not enough to break a bead though) if you bury to your axle you’re done.

 

lol, back in the galveston days, chicks could get a free pull, but it cost dudes $20+.

 

Another benefit to airing down is that you don’t leave big grooves in the sand. Makes a smoother ride for the rest of the people out there.

 

Also look into Deadmans offroad earth anchor if you have a winch
https://www.deadmanoffroad.com/

 

Work smarter, not harder! https://www.pullpal.com/pull-pal.html

https://youtu.be/V8EQqISvDtg?t=636

Or a tire as an anchor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXYgCmufzTE

I like Deadman's stuff though

 

Whos seen a stick strapped to someones wheel?

Tactical traction stick.


ive seen it strapped across the face, but different strokes for different folks.

Also not recommended for highway speeds.

 

Were you wearing this shirt when you were "tugging" dudes?

 

I have and I've done it. Not a stick, just a 6''x 6'' x 2'' H wood block and a ratchet strap, worked great and only takes a few minutes to put on and take off. and cheap

 

No, my junk was 2wd, i rode in the back selling beers hammered like dogshit, heckling.

but if they'd let me drive em out, i would.

 

Accurate?

square patch around 35? I'm more of a 45-50 highway driver, but i'll drop it for the sharp rocks in the yard between 25-35. More scared of some of the cactus out here. Where can i get kevlar puncture proof jelly filled tires?

 

The sands at OBX can be notoriously soft. Some sections of the beach may be nice and smooth but closer to Avon and the end is very soft and deep. Let your airs down to 15 PSI and see how it does,if you start bogging down, let it down to 10.

 

Air down or you will be featured on the Oregon Idiots FB page. The is also a similar page for the northern beaches. You will also need a beach driving permit. You can get it from the NPS. Visit the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association web page. They have maps that include merchants that have air.

 

They were given these out last time I was there.

 

Beach drivers for the OBX, you can get a peak at the festivities here. Someone rolled their nice 4x4 down an escarpment. Not sure of the make.

 

I just took my 2023 trd limited on the sand in Hatteras NC, it's stock. It hasnt rained in several days and the sand is classic soft obx sand. I aired down yesterday to 22 and kept it in 4Lo, it was kinda sluggish. Today I aired down to 26 and kept it in 4hi and it performed phenomenally. Got up to 20mph, cut across ruts, no issues, had 4 people and basic beach gear. It drives better in 4hi in this sand. I used to have an old pathfinder with offroad tires and I swear I could take that thing over a sand dune. 4hi trd stock limited tundra felt close. You definitely do not need to go down below 25psi as others recommend and you shouldn't go to 4lo, it sits at like 3000rpm, 4hi was cruising at 1500. Made an account just to update as the above info isn't practical.

 

On a beach hi should be just fine for most people, I can’t imagine you needing low.

Not airing down is a gamble, it depends on the sand. We hit the Hatteras beaches in April and May from Pole Road all the way up to Avon and soft encountered sand, everywhere. I didn’t get stuck though. Aired down under 20 pounds.

we went up to Bodie to see the horses and the sand started out at the ramp very hard but gradually got softer.

This past weekend was a cluster off the ramps at Buxton, lots of trucks and one Tesla got stuck.

 

Grew up & spent my summers there. I think I drove on the beach before learning on an actual road. 15-20psi depending on your gear/load. MaxTraxx (and the like) are good, a couple of old beach towels are better (and cheaper). 4hi before you get on the sand and keep it there. 4lo if you decide to be foolish and go too close to the dunes (don't go near the dunes; the sand there is mostly placed by the wind and is like quicksand- DON'T GO NEAR THE DUNES). Kinetic 30' rope/strap in case you do get stuck that way you're not hooking someone else's busted chain or whatever up. Not all vehicles are superhuman you can still get stuck, be smart and stay in the main ruts unless they're too deep for your axle clearance. A shovel is a good idea too. An empty 5 gal bucket to walk to the ocean and pour near your tires to pack the sand in some to get you unstuck if you need it and there's nobody around.

Again, just be smart & use common sense. If you think it would look cool on a Red Bull / Monster video with some "I hate my dad music" in the background, it'll probably get you stuck. Have a great time - it's a blast.