The state of Delaware controls the entire ocean Coast as a state park. There are lots of beach parking lots to park at but to drive on the beach you must have surf fishing equipment and when you're stopped you must be actively fishing. The system is designed to stop strict off-roaders because otherwise the beach would get too crowded. In fact that's what happened and now there are no more permits available for 2022 unless you buy one of the restricted permit that only works during the week and off season.
I bought my non-sasquatch OBX to continue my life-long tradition of Beach ORV use. As a child in the late 1950's, Sundays were spent on Nauset Beach on Cape Cod in whatever work truck we could let the air out of. In the 1960's and 1970s we graduated to International Scouts and when I moved away I returned with the family in the 1990's with Full-Size Broncos. Later, we moved near Delaware in the 2000s and ran those state beaches in an Excursion and then an F-150. Now, living in the Carolinas, it's back to the Beach in the new 2021 Bronco.
We started our trip on Bodie Island, the Northernmost ORV beach in the Outer Banks' Cape Hatteras National Seashore. (There are off-season permitted Town beaches to the North. And then, the Corolla Beach, with its ponys and quirky beach communities, is a full 12 miles long, all the way to the VA border.) We spent the day driving from the inlet to the top, trying the various GOAT Modes, Trail-Turn assist, and examining other air-up & down features, and the ability of the vehicle compared to my previous IH Scouts and Full Sized Broncos.
I've used various air-down proceedures over the years, starting with sticking a key in the valve and graduating to screw-on air down valves and a tire gauge. My 2016 F150 was my first car with a TPMS system, but there was a time lag when letting out air so the dash pressure was not accurate in real time, so I still needed a pressure gauge to check the air down valve. This trip was different. The STAHN air down valves my wife gave me for Christmas worked perfectly. Amazingly, the Bronco dash TPMS reported tire pressure in seconds, and I never used a tire pressure gauge the whole two day trip. The car told me tire pressure in immediate real time.
We went right into the Sand GOAT Mode. Since my OBX does have the rear locker, it automatically turned on the rear locker, off the traction control, and the screen coloring was a sand color. It seemed to work fine, although with beach speed limits at 15mph, it often stayed in a 3000 RPM until I used the shift switch to go into 3rd gear.
Curiously, the front camera won't stay on in Sand mode. The only mode that the front camera, or several cameras will stay on while off-road driving is "Mud & Ruts". That setting worked fine on the beach as well!
I also found that selecting 4H and setting the locker manually worked fine.
I had to try the trail turn assist on the beach. The feature can dig the car in pretty quick, so the trick is to not stop after the turn. Tip: sand drivers know that if almost stuck, backing up, straight, is a great way to go forward. Also, that rear locker is the cats pajamas! I've never had one. No more getting stuck with Spinning Tires.
While lacking the spaciousness of my previous F150, this is a great beach trip car for 2 or 3. The open rear gate stayed open against 20mph winds. The equipment all fit in the back, including my jack planks, full-size, Area51 shovel, extraction bag, small cooler, etc. In summer, I have a Beach gear rack that mounts on my Kuat Pivot Rack. Can't wait to return when its warm in May!
Airing back up, i have a basic pump that clips to the battery and the valve screws onto the tires valve. Using the car TPMS system, each tire went from 17 to 35lbs in 2.25 minutes. No tire gauge needed. I do have ARB system ready to install, but this method works well.
Incidentally, many beach drivers know that the further North you go, the narrower the drivable beach between the fore-dune and the fore-shore, and the steeper the fore-shore, the the coarser (deeper) the sand. Recommended air pressure, by National Park Service, etc: Cape Cod, 12-15 lbs; Delaware, 16-18 lbs; Outer Banks, 20 lbs.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the Non-sasquatch OBX on the beach. To me, airing down, and the rear locker are more important than the 35" tires for MY USE. That gives me a more comfortable road car, with better mileage, than a Sasquatch vehicle. My overall road mpg from Charleston To Nags Head was 22mpg. Two days on the beach in Corolla and Bodie Island, and OBX road travel dropped it to 17mpg.
That's my report! This is a great beach car and road car. Next time, it'll be warm enough to take the roof off!
Yes, the weekend before permits are required. Permits are needed on the Friday before Memorial Day through 11:59 PM Labor Day.
There is difference on opinion on whether mud tire tread or a milder AT tread are better on the beach sand, but I've never heard anyone advocate for narrow tires. The wider the better, since you don't want to sink into the sand. The polarity is you also want a road worthy car, and wider tires effects mpg, and eventually requires wider wheels. Letting out air is rule #1, to widen out the tire, eg. Regular tires: 12# on Cape Cod, 18# Delaware Shore, 20# Outer Banks beaches. Remember all East coast beaches have strict speed limits, 15-20 mph, so we're not talking about desert dune running here. Your Sasquatch will handle any East coast beach I'm aware of quite nicely. Be sure to plan ahead and purchase any permits needed.
I believe you are correct. You have to submit a copy of the registration for the sticker in Orleans, same thing for Chatham on their dump stickers. I had a buddy who works for the same company get a dump sticker for my work truck, he just had to submit proof he works for the company and the company registration.I was hoping to be able to get the Nauset resident sticker from chatham because my parents live full-time there but the way I was reading the applications online the vehicle seemed to have to be registered in the same name as the resident of the townat least that's how I interpreted it, if I were wrong that would be fantastic lol
It's been awhile since I've had a R-O Sticker. I believe that the registration address on the
Yeah I was hoping they could put their info on and apply for me but the vehicle registration part squashed thatIt's been awhile since I've had a R-O Sticker. I believe that the registration address on thevehicle has to be in Orleans or Chatham. Don't think registering vehicle at parents would help, there is the drivers license as well!
lol its okay, the plovers can have the beach lol
There's always the off-season in Provincelands!Yeah I was hoping they could put their info on and apply for me but the vehicle registration part squashed that
Sand mode should do that automatically
