Riding on sand beach

[PW4WHEELER]

Ok….I have a 2012 PW. Stupid question…what steps do I take to properly and safely take it on the beach? Do I turn off traction control? Do I lock the front and rear axle? Thanks for any help….Kinda new!

 

[rule18]

Welcome to RamForum. Air down the tires. When I go out, I air down to roughly 25 front and 20 rear. It helps to have a portable compressor with you (unless you already have OBA) to air up when leaving the beach, unless it's one of those beaches that has an air station.

 

[PolarisCobra]

I did this for a day in August. I have a 1500 Big Horn. Lowered tire pressure to as above, put in 4WD Lock, no issues.

At this beach, we are required to have a 18 X 18 piece of plywood, jack, tow strap and compressor. They do have a big commercial compressor at the exit, with plenty of hoses for people to fill up, so I used that.

 

[chopperman1]

Pretty good video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWoaF3sBlE0&ab_channel=SeekAdventure

 

[Jeepwalker]

Yeah, don't drive too long (or fast) afterwards if you air down much below, say, 22 psi. Can build up heat and be hard on the sidewalls. But if it's just a mile or two to the nearest gas station you should be ok. Better to have a portable compressor like others say.

 

[62Blazer]

Don't over think this as it's not a big deal. Driving on beaches can vary a lot pending the sand conditions. I've seen beaches where people drive regular cars on. For the PW I would probably air down the tires some and just shift it into 4wd and go. In most cases really no reason to engage the lockers unless the sand is really soft and deep.

 

[Phirebeard]

Sand is deceiving; bumps you cant see and might be soft where it looks hard. Keep your speed low and be steady on the gas.

 

[LugsLeadOut84]

As others have said, it varies based on the type of beach. The few beaches around here that still allow driving on have loose, unpacked, deep sand. You have to air down. Polaris's picture looks to be pretty compact - you can see the tire tread imprints, so not too much to worry about there. If you walk and don't leave a clear footprint, it's soft and I'd air down to about 25 lbs. When you drive, you just leave a soft groove in the sand. Usually you "know" the type of sand by looking at it.
I put it in 4x4 High and turn off ESC (not just by pressing the button, but by pressing and holding it for 5+ sec). Pressing it once puts it in "partial mode" even though it says Off. Press ESC to turn it back on.
It may be different for a PW.

 

[2019RamInSC]

All the above is good advice. I would add one important piece of advice. Where you stop is going to dictate if you can get going again. If you maintain steady speed you can get through most reasonable beaches.

Until you get better at it. Do not stop in the soft stuff. It can be very deceiving. When you stop to get out to stick your toes in the water. Pick a spot closer to the water. Where the sand is hard packed.

Ohh and if you do not get stuck. You are not trying hard enough. Have fun.

 

[Dean2]

Very good advice above. My one add:
Keep you truck out of the salt water. All the spray looks cool but it is a real chore to get it washed out of all the nooks and cranies and it will rust a truck REAL fast if you don't get it washed out properly.

 

[PW4WHEELER]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[TomB 1269]

I did this for a day in August. I have a 1500 Big Horn. Lowered tire pressure to as above, put in 4WD Lock, no issues.

At this beach, we are required to have a 18 X 18 piece of plywood, jack, tow strap and compressor. They do have a big commercial compressor at the exit, with plenty of hoses for people to fill up, so I used that.

View attachment 472402

Is that out on the beach at Barnstable? Always wanted to do that, just never had the chance........And I can afford the out of town summer rate for just 1 weekend.

 

[Russ007]

If parking near the water, know your tides

 

[PolarisCobra]

Yes, Sandy Neck Beach. The pass is pricey. If you can manage to get there a few times is doesn't feel so bad. Went again last Saturday. Turned out to be a nice day to hang out. Not so much for swimming, but it is October after all.

 

[gfh77665]

Cut donuts in the sand!

 

[Daniel Ortiz]

If parking near the water, know your tides

Seconded. You can look up tide tables for your area. Record the times of high and low tides, and don't get stuck in an area that will be under water before you can get un-stuck!

All good info so far. If you're in loose stuff, consider tire pressures even lower than recommended here, say 16-20 psi range. Then go easy on your driver input. Easy turning, easy on acceleration, and try not to use brakes at all, just let the sand slow you down. That'll keep you from sinking into the sand too much.

When you're at lower pressures, keep your speed down as well, so you don't overheat your tires and cause permanent damage. 30 mph max is reasonable for the pressures I mention here. Above 20 psi and you could push it a little faster in the 30-40 mph range.

Finally, bring a shovel. There are also some great YouTube videos with sand driving advice. Watch a bunch of them, they're great.

 

[Steve Tokash]

Also when your done hose the living hell out of the frame and everything under the truck to get the sand and salt out. Its crazy how much sand gets jammed in the frame.

 

[gfh77665]

Made the 6 hr. trip down to South Padre, took my old 2004 Avalanche. Ripped up some great donuts in the sand, threw some great "rooster tails" around. Only got stuck once. I was able to dig out with a shovel and reverse out. I washed thoroughly 2X, but sand is still lingering in the cab.

 

[Richard Kim]

I did this for a day in August. I have a 1500 Big Horn. Lowered tire pressure to as above, put in 4WD Lock, no issues.

At this beach, we are required to have a 18 X 18 piece of plywood, jack, tow strap and compressor. They do have a big commercial compressor at the exit, with plenty of hoses for people to fill up, so I used that.

View attachment 472402

Plywood…do they think we are millionaires?

 

[ram1500rsm]

Don’t be afraid to go low on your psi. 15-18psi will give you much better footprint on the sand. Get your own air compressor as well to air up. Get a toolbag with recovery gear. You may have fun pulling people out always good to have a tow strap, kinetic strap, shackles, soft shackles, you already have a winch. Turn lockers when needed, no need to have them on all the time, I’d suggest you a day watching YouTube videos on how to drive on very soft sand and how to use recovery gear. Lots of Aussie videos out there giving your the rundown for example.

Have fun.