Driving in sand? (I’m dumb)

[Scott R Nelson]

You can buy a compressor for under $100 but it will take about 5 min per tire to get it to 37 PSI (Sasquatch tires).

I've seen the SmittyBilt 2781 compressor on Amazon for under $120. That will air up four Sasquatch tires from 20 to 40 in ten minutes.

Sponsored

 

[7722 Bronco]

GT500 on the beach in Daytona,,, didn't air down and survived.

 

[lakesinai]

I have a chance to camp on the beach the weekend. It’s called Oceano Dunes near Pismo in California. You can drive you vehicle right into the beach.

We have a 2021 Bronco Badlands 4-door. I’ve read that you should air down your tires to drive on sand. Is it necessary if I use the Sand mode? I am NOT good with mechanical stuff and would be afraid of damaging my tires or something else airing down then trying to inflate them again. Like pop them or go too low..I can’t exaggerate how mechanically disinclined I am. It is really intimidating, and air pulps also look expensive.

can I drive without airing down, or will I get stuck or cause other problems? It is a regular beach, and I will not go i to the dunes, just the beach front. Thank you for your advice.

I just turned 70, and have been driving on the beaches since I was about 8, starting as a pusher/passenger in friends & relatives vehicles on Cape Cod. Then to Scouts I drove, full-size Broncos, my current OBX Bronco (see my post on OBX driving), and more. We, and you, should always air down, but how much depends on the vehicle and the sand itself.

1. In my youth, airing down was a way to allow the working man with 2wd trucks and vans to take their family on the beach on the weekend. In the 1950's to early 1960's, there were few 4wd trucks. But we could let most of the air out of my Uncle's VW Bus contractor bed truck, widening the stock tires, jump out & push-start it, jump in, and off to our favorite beach spot. It worked.

2. Late 1960's-1970's, we bought a 1966 Scout! 4wd. No lockers. If we didn't let the air out, it would dig in and get stuck on Nauset Beach. Snow tires made it dig in more. 12-15 pounds was typical for a stuck-free ride. In the 1990's, I returned to the Cape with a family and 2 successive Big Broncos to Provincetown. They were better on the beach than the Scouts, but would start to dig in if I didnt air down to 12 or so pounds. These were fairly stock tires.

3. A decade or 2 later, I was in Philadelphia with a stock 4wd Excursion. I discovered that the Entire Delaware Beach was a state park, regulated. The Beach was a bit wider than Cape Cod, and the sand a bit firmer. 18# pressure sufficed to avoid digging in. The same was true in Delaware in my 4wd F150 Crew Cab.

4. Moved to South Carolina, and took the F150 to the NC Outer Banks. Found that some beaches (Corolla) were pretty hard and 20# or more was fine. Other National Seashore beaches were more loose like Cape Cod. So "it depends" meant air pressure between 16 and 22 pounds.

5. Last year i bought a new Bronco OBX and I added my first rear locker! What a change! I could get by with pressures a little higher in the Outer Banks and Amelia Island, FL. However, my education and experience in the fragile beach ecosystems was that airing down, or not, was not just about proving the capability of a given vehicle. It is also about being gentle with the sand, the beach, leaving less of a rut, keeping the noise down, keeping the beaches open for future generations. The vehicle works harder if you dont air down. However, the modern Sasquatch equipped Bronco with 35" tires, 12" wide treads make airing down less important.

6. The OP indicates a Badlands Bronco and a California beach. Each ocean beach is different. Ask the locals for air pressure guidance. Try not to dig in deeply. Watch your speed. Stay off the dunes that protect the beach from erosion. Stay out of the low tide area below the foreshore, it can be like quicksand. Study beach geology and tidal science for your area. Wash off your car gently, underneath, when you get home. Enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth.

7. Above all, enyoy! Practice love, care and courtesy for the beach ecosystem. These are not dune parks or the Baja desert! More and more beaches are closing to ORV driving, due to overuse, bad behavior, property disputes and storm washout. I'm hoping my grandson will still have a beach to drive on!

Heres a good place to start with beach science:
http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Definitions_of_coastal_terms

 

[rtazz17]

GT500 on the beach in Daytona,,, didn't air down and survived.

That sand is like pavement. Slightly different

 

[TMP]

I have a chance to camp on the beach the weekend. It’s called Oceano Dunes near Pismo in California. You can drive you vehicle right into the beach.

We have a 2021 Bronco Badlands 4-door. I’ve read that you should air down your tires to drive on sand. Is it necessary if I use the Sand mode? I am NOT good with mechanical stuff and would be afraid of damaging my tires or something else airing down then trying to inflate them again. Like pop them or go too low..I can’t exaggerate how mechanically disinclined I am. It is really intimidating, and air pulps also look expensive.

can I drive without airing down, or will I get stuck or cause other problems? It is a regular beach, and I will not go i to the dunes, just the beach front. Thank you for your advice.

So I’ve read some of these replies and yes in deep sand you should air down…..but I’ve been to Pismo……Pismo is not deep soft sand……up in the dunes yes but on the ocean front part where you drive and camp you will be fine with full air……last time there we where in a 2012 Explorer with street tires and drove the whole beach in 2wd…..only time we switched to 4wd “SandMode” is when we pulled up to set up camp…….

 

[TMP]

That sand is like pavement. Slightly different

Have you been to Pismo? The sand is exactly like Daytona Beach…..

 

[Kyuberto]

Update from me, the OP…we got a gauge with an air bleeder and took our tires down to 15. Thankfully, because we got there at high tide and waves were literally washing under the tires as we drove toward our site. It was wild.

All the sites nearest the shore were taken, so we had to drive back toward the dunes. And yes, sand was deep and soft. Two vehicles camped near us, a sedan and an F150, and both got stuck and needed to be pulled out. The Bronco sailed over it all like magic.

I used my $35 air pump to fill the tires when we left, easy peasy. All your help is appreciated.

ETA: the punchline…my husband lost his key fob in the ocean (at least we think that’s where it is)

 

[dgorsett]

Update from me, the OP…we got a gauge with an air bleeder and took our tires down to 15. Thankfully, because we got there at high tide and waves were literally washing under the tires as we drove toward our site. It was wild.

All the sites nearest the shore were taken, so we had to drive back toward the dunes. And yes, sand was deep and soft. Two vehicles camped near us, a sedan and an F150, and both got stuck and needed to be pulled out. The Bronco sailed over it all like magic.

I used my $35 air pump to fill the tires when we left, easy peasy. Thanks for the help.

BRACE BRACE BRACE INCOMING!

 

[Carbon Bronco]

Looks like you had a great time in your badlands bronco there sport.

 

[Gil Carolina]

GT500 on the beach in Daytona,,, didn't air down and survived.

Not the same! But funny af.

 

[Gil Carolina]

Not the same! But funny af.

This is Pismo.

 

[805BaseSquatch]

@Kyuberto I’m glad you had a great time, and a learning experience.
Just want to note a couple things for you. Be careful driving where the water is literally lapping at your tires, plenty of people have lost their vehicles to the ocean. Just be cautious.

Second is the cheap air pumps may not be quite capable of filling up 4 tires consistently and can over heat. It’s probably also very time consuming verse using a little bit more heavy duty compressor. There’s a few around $200

Lastly I hope you’re aware of the difference between the Bronco Sport and full size Bronco. If not, I think you’re about to be told haha

Enjoy some more adventure!

 

[dan79]

I just went to race point Friday and Monday wish I could have stayed but no made the 2 hour trip, 145 miles each way plus whatever miles on the beach we did. I had to fill up three times in one long weekend but the kids love it. I guess that's worth it lol

 

[BigGarnet]

Well played OP...you got us all....

 

[David-AK]

I have a chance to camp on the beach the weekend. It’s called Oceano Dunes near Pismo in California. You can drive you vehicle right into the beach.

We have a 2021 Bronco Badlands 4-door. I’ve read that you should air down your tires to drive on sand. Is it necessary if I use the Sand mode? I am NOT good with mechanical stuff and would be afraid of damaging my tires or something else airing down then trying to inflate them again. Like pop them or go too low..I can’t exaggerate how mechanically disinclined I am. It is really intimidating, and air pulps also look expensive.

can I drive without airing down, or will I get stuck or cause other problems? It is a regular beach, and I will not go i to the dunes, just the beach front. Thank you for your advice.

You've received a lot of responses, so why not one more opinion

I deflate to ~20lbs on my 35" Per the ORV permit I purchased for a federal park, deflating to 15-20lbs is a requirement. In my off-road experience, pre-Bronco, I've seen at least 10 trucks & SUVs attempt to forgo deflating, perhaps because they're too impatient, and then get stuck 100ft from the trailhead. The fed park in MD and state parks along the Delaware seashore have air stations to re-inflate.

Fed requirements...

Sponsored