how these do on the beacj in deep sand?

as the title asks, how do these trucks do on sand? any tricks? how about as compared to SUVs? I have always had 4x4 SUV's on the beach, Never pickups with the longer wheel base. Anything to watch out for? I may be going over some slight hills in the sand but mostly will be flat soft stuff..

 

As always, air down and speed up. I’ve nearly bogged out my truck a couple times in really bad sugar sand but still got through it

 

i have been to alot of beaches but in my suv 4x4's. Just asking how do pickups handle with less weight in back and longer wheel bases......

 

They do just fine, never had an issue in soft sand that was caused by the Tacoma being a truck and not an SUV.

 

Just fine. Air down if you don't have aggressive tires.

Not a third gen, but... Duratracs fully aired up. No issues.

 

They're great on soft sand. Since most public beach speed limits are fairly slow it's all about tire contact patch and vehicle weight.
Try 20psi & go lower if needed.

 

i have been to cape lookout a few times in the xterra, air down to 18psi and never had an issue.

 

See the link in my signature?

See 32 psi vs. 15 psi in sand: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...a-beach-4wd-32-psi-15-psi-see-difference.html

The truck works great in the sand, as do most 4x4 vehicles with the tires properly deflated.

If there is no load in the truck, you may even cross deep sand without deflating. It depends on the type of sand and the weather (humidity/ temperature). It will be something you need to discover when you get to the beach or desert.

Just put the truck into H4, and drive with momentum to pass the deepest, dry sand. IF you do bog down... DO NOT SPIN the tires!!! Immediately get out and deflate all four tires. 15 psi is a generally good place to go. The exception is if you have mud or 3-ply sidewall tires. In that case, go right to 10 psi. If you did spin, clear away any built up sand from in front of the tires so you are not blocked to move ahead.

You want a good and fast air pump to refill the tires once you are off the beach or out of the sand. Many of us have the MV-50 pump... It connects to the battery and is very fas without being too expensive (under $80). Get a dial pressure gauge that read below 10 psi to accurately deflate your tires.

 

The MV-50 pump:

 

awesome. yeah, i do all the above and have taken my xterra (awesome on the sand) and 4x4 patriot (awesome as well!) to the deep sand here at the nc coast. I wont take the patriot to cape lookout as it doesn't have a 4lo but i think it would do it. the taco should not have an issue but this being my first 4x4 pickup i wasn't sure how they handled compared to suvs- which i have years experience with and zero getting stucks.

 

You will enjoy the truck... I used to have Subaru 4x4 wagons and a Jeep Cherokee Chief... all used in the deep sand of Baja California's Sea of Cortez beaches. The rear, if unloaded, can have lower pressure than the front... since it is the weight that spreads the footprint and what gives floatation. 12 psi in back and 18 psi in front, for example. I have lots of photos of my truck on the beach in Baja... In the Off Roading forum, trip reports section here on TW.

 

Not to derail the topic, but thats a great tip on that MV50 pump.. is that the best bang for your buck instead of on board air ?
Its something most every offroader could find useful. I may invest in one now✌

 

Even a 2WD sedan can cross sand with the tires deflated... I have rescued many a stuck vehicles, 4WD and 2WD, without ever pulling them... just LOWER the tire pressure!! 10 psi on all four tires usually gets a 2WD car through the sand, just fine.

 

On board air has got to be expensive... otherwise, I would have it! LOL

 

I just air down to 12 - 15psi. We get all kinds of sand on our beaches; everything from hard pack to sugar sand. The truck does well even from a dead stop. Farthest I've gone so far was about 40 miles and we went through some really nasty sections without issue.







Just keep your wheel-spin to a minimum and if you're spinning and not moving, stop spinning and start digging. If you're frame touches you'll be there a while. If you're concerned, a shovel and kinetic strap are a valuable asset.

 

Onboard CO2 is cheap AF and fills way faster.

 

Then you need to have a CO2 source to refill... but I know it is very fast to fill, like at a gas station. The MV-50 takes about 2-3 minutes per tire. No big deal, and again cheap, with no heavy or bulky tank to bring.

 

Take it to a commercial gas exchange. I just swap my whole can for about $30. It will fill from 15-55psi about 20 times.

Strokes for folks, I guess.

 

Most welding shops and fire extenguisher shops will fill them. Just have to get in the habit of weighing the tank before every trip to see how much co2 is left.

 

I use one of these, not that crazy expensive crap Smittybilt makes.



You can find 10 and 20lb tanks on Craigslist all the time for $40-$60. Freeze resistant regulators on eBay are about $30. You could build the regulator for less obviously.