Planned trip to Outer Banks - drive on beach ...

[onemanarmy]

I am heading to Frisco the last two weeks of August in my 2001 LC. The National Park requires you to have a jack, jack stand, strap/chain and shovel if driving on the beach. Also, a 7 day permit is required. here is a link.

Permits & Reservations - Cape Hatteras National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)

Yes, you may be stopped and asked to show your permit, but will not be asked about the jack and chains.

A strap and a shovel are VERY good insurance. Airing down is most times not 100% necessary, but your vehicle will thank you. Even 10 lbs less air in the tires is night and day difference in the flotation.

 

[Greenbean]

Edit: Park service had changed the permit to 10-days for 50.00

So I want to bump this thread as I'm down here on Ocracoke Island and have been aired down to 20psi in my stock size 8-ply KOs.

How low can I go? 15psi? I ask as don't I need to go lower due to my sidewall stiffness.

Reason I ask is we go out and park today just fine, as the tide came in we moved the rig forward twice with no issues then I go to move it and she just digs in. Lol... Was kind of on an incline so I guess I had it coming.

Out came the deflator and 20-psi, I had to rock her good in reverse about three times and then drive at an angle to free myself from the hole and then get turned around.

Guess it's the weight? My Tacoma had zero issues when aired down to 20psi,


Also how high does the trans temp need to get before one of the lights will come on on the dash?

I saw 167 on the ScanGuage this afternoon but am curious.

Last question is should I leave it in "2" or "L"? Or just "D"
I never go over 20 anyways, speed limit
What about leaving the center diff locked? I mean it's all sand...

This is motivation alone!
We saw ponies in Corolla Friday evening and a beautiful storm rolling in and the last pics were us today.

 

[labcab]

I'm jealous. Those are beautiful beaches down there. Ocracoke is one of my favorite places.

I've gone down to 10psi with OEM wheels and KOs. I always had to air down with the stock size tires, but don't recall ever having to go down that low on the Outer Banks. After upgrading to 35s, airing down wasn't even necessary.

The key to driving on the sand is to keep moving and avoiding slipping. Wet sand gives better traction than hot, dry sand, and use the ruts, someone's already compacted them for you. When you stop or park, find a high spot, so it's easy to get moving again.

 

[onemanarmy]

just leave it in D, the trans will figure it out.

don't use '2', that means it will start out in second gear

15 psi is not going to cause any issues if the sand gets real soft, but just keep moving to harder ground if that is the case. Having the center diff locked will not cause any issues driving on sand, and will most likely never be necessary.

 

[cwmoser]

Wifey and I explored the Outer Banks and Ocracoke last summer.
Really a neat place.
$50 to drive on the Beach did not make sense for us as we were there only 3 days.
Wish they had a daily rate to drive on the beach.
Found Mile Marker Ramp 27 to be a neat quiet beach spot.
Had high Sand Dunes in the background and a decent hard pack.
Nice quiet place and only 3 or 4 vehicles.

BTW, my LX470 has stock Michelin M/S tires. Do you think I would be OK on the
Beach without airing down? Reluctant to air down as I do not have an air compressor.
Need to prepare for my next visit with a compressor and a recovery strap.

Oh yeah, those are some beautiful pictures you posted.
If you have more, post those too. OBX is a neat place.

 

[Greenbean]

Thanks folks.

FWIW I've read stock tires are perfect for sand.

I have a CO2 tank with me so airing up and down is cake.

I'll leave it in "D" and yeah the harder sand is easier however you have to "commute" mostly in softer stuff. Lol...

We drove as far south as we could tonight after dinner via ORV ramp 72.

 

[4Beast]

I love the Outer Banks but haven't been there in years. Hoping to convince my buddy to skip the Overland East expo and head to the Outer Banks with me instead!
As I said, I haven't been there in years, but last time I was, it was in a stock GMC Jimmy (the smaller 90's version, and with a slight air down, it was great. When I was young and dumb on the Hatteras beach I have also sunk a lifted 78 K5 Blazer on 33x12.5s up to the frame in sand trying to start on an uphill, so be cautious of that. That was a lot of digging, wish I had heard of sand ladders then. I also saw a couple AWD vehicles stuck (Rav4, Subaru) on the paths leading to the main beach, where deep, soft sand piles up. I like to leave a lot of space between myself and the vehicle in front, so I can keep slow momentum, even if they stop briefly.
As an aside, there are usually a few guys in giant rigs (think full size pickups, lifted on 38s) that live to pull other people out, so you can almost always get help if needed, but I'd prefer to go prepared.

 

[tacoduck]

Only thing I will add, if you start to dig. stop!!! air down... Use the shovel. people get in real trouble when they bury the truck to the frame. then you start panicking. watch the high tide line, and if possible stay above it. PS- my bfg's suck in the sand. the michelin LTX's do much better. I also watched my fuel consumption on sand. it was in the 4 mpg range. Finally, Ive seen lots of dead batteries from people leaving doors open/ bumping tunes. start your truck every so often to make sure your battery is good. Have fun!

 

[ed94r]

Great advice about the battery. I switch the interior lights to OFF for this.

Another from me: Allow the truck to stop (especially when perpendicular to the ruts and beach) on its own dragging the brake very lightly or not using at all. There is enough resistance in the sand to stop forward progress without the "digging in" that is a result of using the brake pedal as you do on pavement. Do this and you'll rest on the sand, not dig into it and therefore making the departure process drama-free.