SMB in Soft Sand-Help

[arctictraveller]

I travel solo a lot of the time, and sand gives me a lot of concern. I pretty much avoid it unless there is another rig along as an anchor point. I’m at an age where I dislike creating a ton of unnecessary work for myself.

[hogasm]

Start at 12psi
If your rear starts to slip drop to 10 in rear
Only piped a bead when airing down to 8 and pulling a 16’ trailer loaded with plumbing supplies to work on a new house 15 miles up the beach. Never wanted a 4wd since my 2wd did just fine for 675,000 miles with probably 75-100,000 of those miles on the sand
305/70/16

[doublevan2]

Hogasm answered my question - I guess ? What are the odds of popping tire beads when aired down - with a 10,500 lb loaded van ? 2002 Ex Body - with 135 lb Honda gen for StarCool - and a tire swing on the rear. Anybody with first hand experience please reply - thanks !

[REF]

Never popped a bead, but 10/12 psi is pretty low. That wouldn’t necessarily be my starting point to figure out pressures that work for your rig.
I have my Staun auto tire deflator stems set at 30/35 and I adjust from there depending on conditions. That has usually been a good starting point for me off road/dirt roads/mild washboard. I’ve gone down to 20/25 in deeper sand which was plenty for me to get through.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by REF

Never popped a bead, but 10/12 psi is pretty low. That wouldn’t necessarily be my starting point to figure out pressures that work for your rig.
I have my Staun auto tire deflator stems set at 30/35 and I adjust from there depending on conditions. That has usually been a good starting point for me off road/dirt roads/mild washboard. I’ve gone down to 20/25 in deeper sand which was plenty for me to get through.

I've done 20 with lots of big tires for fairly long days and not had a problem but of course experimentation is key. I wouldn't got to 10 either unless the situation was dire.

[Glenn P.]

Lots of excellent info here. I travel a lot in the Mohave and get into some long stretches of soft sand out in Death Valley and in the Mohave Road/River area when carrying a heavy load/trailer with my Quigley van or my F-250 truck. Air down, watch the trans temps and keep up speed if you feel it bogging down. That will cover most soft sand scenarios. Now, when things go bad and you do sink it to the axles, a set of MaxTrax traction boards AND knowing how to use them is a wonderful thing. I have extracted a few other vehicles with them (never my own......yet...) and when used correctly they are amazing in soft sand. I travel as a solo vehicle frequently and I would not do some of the stuff I do without having those on board. I carry 4 of them and having seen what they can do watching Expedition Overland and then my own personal experience I'd put them as a must have for a solo vehicle traveler.

[Lenny]

Most of my driving is on beaches and I got to agree with everything said from airing down to carrying the right equipment.

I also might add that it wouldn't hurt to parallel a steep grade as much as possible and the last thing you want to do is avoid making any sharp turns (snowplow).

[BroncoHauler]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any mention of tire load range in this discussion. I think its almost mandatory to air down Load Range E tires more than C or D tires. E rated tires have less sidewall flex so your tire's footprint does not spread out as much when airing them down. You want the wider tire footprint when traveling in sand.



Just something to keep in mind.



Herb

[dave0718]

When I was on a Texas beach my problem was engine, fighting going through deep sand, overheated. So we raised the hood and took a walk and continued later.

[bolty]

I took a day-long course in sand driving at Pismo Beach with Tom (tom@4x4training.com). I aired down to 18lbs front and rear and had no issues. I did get stuck in this bowl - you can't tell how steep it is. The SMB behind me started before I got stuck so he tried to go above me, got stuck too, and, as you can see, nearly crashed into my van. He broke at least one tire bead sliding down the hill towards me.

My van is 10,500# and I will echo those who suggest air pressure management as the key. Have the ability to air down and air back up and you can get through any sand I've encountered.

When I first got my van I ran 60 front/80 rear on the road and then 30/40 on dirt roads. But then I lost 3 rear tires - one because I was lazy and didn't air up and drove down the highway in Death Valley - and the other two because I was aired too low and and bounced over rocks which in one case broke my wheel in addition to giving me a flat tire. So I pay more attention to my rear pressure now than before. I actually weigh 4700 front 5800 rear so that extra weight in the rear does make a difference. Still, if I hit soft sand, I have no problem going low (18#).

I got stuck in beach sand another time running street pressure in 2WD. As soon as I aired down enough, I drove right out. Oh, I also drive with two spares now so I can keep driving if I get one flat out in the middle of nowhere.