driving on the beach

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

going on my first trip to Fraser for new years ,
just wondering what everyone thinks about what range to be in, ie High-High, High-Low, Low?
I have read all the other tips like letting down tyres and things like that.
my guess was High-Low on the hard stuff, and Low in the soft stuff?

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

Re: driving on the beach

use the search feature mate... big discussions yesterday about this! :shock: :shock:

Beach Driving - Tips and Tricks for all Levels
fraser island, sand driving, need a few tips on gear..

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

Re: driving on the beach

thanks for that,
really helpful.
will search next time.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Re: driving on the beach

High range is all you need, as you will be doing most of your beach driving inbetween high/low tides, and the sand will be flat, hard packed and just like a highway (actually smoother and better than some of our highways), stick to existing wheel tracks and keep up momentum, if you have to stop on the beach, let the vehicle stop on its own or use very little brake, and try to stop pointing down to the water (this makes it alot easier to start off again), tyre pressure will depend on what weight you are carrying, the more weight the lower the tyre pressure, BUT with lower tyre pressures your speed MUST decrease as you run the risk of rolling a tyre off of the rim if you turn too hard. But having said that -
I have never lowered my tyre pressures up there (always at highway pressures)and I have never had a problem or got stuck, watch out for kids/adults when driving on the beach as they don't hear you coming over the sound of the waves. Remember that all road rules apply on the beach also, and that police presence will be abundant at this time of year.

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

Re: driving on the beach

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Re: Beach Driving - Tips and Tricks for all Levels

Postby LiveFreeAndRoam on Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:01 pm

Golly wrote:Awesome information people, keep it flowing in !!

Question ? Manual Diesel, what gear for cruising on beach and what ratio, HL or LL ?

Excellent ideas, so impressed !


Use AWD first (ie unlocked). HL if it's especially soft. LL only when you really need it - which is not very often for most sand driving.

LFaR.

That answers the question

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Re: driving on the beach

One thing you need to keep in mind, is that not all sand/beach driving is the same, some sand cand be soft and very boggy, but other sand areas can be soft but grippy, but generally speaking, the dryer the sand the boggier it becomes, the key rule here is look at what everyone else is doing and where they are going as well as how easy they are doing it, and seek local knowledge if in doubt. You shouldn't have any problems up the beach, except for traffic at this time of year.