Re-Thinking my Soft Sand Strategy after getting mega stuck....

So, i live fulltime in my rig and have a pretty dang heavy set-up, especially the ass end. Camper weighs about 1Klbs plus my belongings/gear.
(2019 TRD OR w/ 2.5" lift & 33" BFG KO2's + Four Wheel Camper)
I've done a considerable amount of sand driving and am well aware that my rig doesn't drive anywhere near as well in soft sand as it did before I got this heavy set-up. Kinda wants to sink in the rear, obviously.
On Monday I got hella bogged down trying to get out of a camping spot that I'd gotten in & out of successfully 3 times before. I did NOT air down any of the 4 times, which now I know I should have. I got cocky after the 3 successful times.
So, my tactic for soft sand is usually to put it in 4-Hi and hold the Traction button for 5 seconds to turn off Traction Cntrl.
I've never ever used Crawl Control, and have never engaged my rear locker in sand (locked it in other elements tho ).
I'm second guessing that I should be fully turning off traction cntrl, as maybe that's why my rear passenger wheel was able to dig down so far so quickly. Though I've found that if I don't turn off traction cntrl, it seems to not float as nicely. So, now I'm kinda wondering what I should do going forward.
Curious what other folks who have HEAVY rigs do for their tactics for driving in soft sand?

 

sooo 4lo and crawl control arent something youd at least try? I mean there are a lot of videos(ads) showing the taco getting unstuck out of sand using it....Are you lowering your tire PSI?

 

I thought 4lo was bad for soft sand? Maybe I'm wrong. No, I didn't air down (editted my post to mention that). I'll check out some crawl cntrl vids!

 

I use 4lo all the time in the sand, out in the desert you want the slower speed and torque plus you want 4x4 assist option like your craw control unless you have large tires 35 + lowered PSI in them and can run fast, or whatever they call it these days. being a 2 gen I use 4lo and A-TRAC and have never got into something I could not get out of.

 

https://youtu.be/lh7TMwZPQw0?si=nQJAEvS2XIPcmahq

 

Traction boards work great in the sand.

 

Airing down is key! I've had my scout on the sand before, and before that my AT habitat, and was pulling a 16 foot car trailer behind the Habitat. Airing down makes all the difference. I've also found moisture in sand to make it drastically different. Sometimes you don't sink much if there is any moisture down under the top layer helping hold the sand together. Easy sometimes, but after a good long dry spell it can be dry and fluffy way deeper than usual.

 

By the looks of you Taco in the sand it looks like you dont understand how our tacos work, 4x4 is "not" 4 wheel drive, its 2x open differentials and then uses electronic magic to use the ABS to apply torque to the non slipping wheel.
4lo and the locked rear diff may have worked too, however as mentioned, tire PSI is key, mainly.

 

Think "flotation". With that weight airing down is a must, I'm surprised you had three successful tries. You should at least try 4L with the crawl.

 

You could've aired down even after getting stuck instead of getting out the shovel and traction boards. It probably would've worked.

 

Beat me to it.

Taking an overweight rolling house into loose sand in 4hi with 37 psi tires and letting the wheels spin is most def a rookie move.

 

Since everyone is telling you to air down, here is a helpful video on knowing what psi to drop it down to.
Ronny Dahl is a great source of off road information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAXRjNHIUw8

 

You want to get the biggest footprint from your tires to the ground. The bigger your footprint the better your traction will be. Now how you come about that is up to you but whatever you do airing down is a must unless you have trax

 

I got out of a wash (sandy) using the crawl control on my 23 work truck. I didn't have a camper like that though. And my luck 4wd didn't want to lock in initially and I shouldn't have waited until the sand got deeper. I always tell myself just don't slow down.

 

Yeh homie! You stuck! Why not try every tool you got?!
Especially if you got crawl control.

 

wow

 

I need to run at 30 or 32 when loaded in the sand. When on the road I run 60 to 65 with eloads. 37 wouldn't be far off for me, lol. Once I drop the camper it's 19 or so psi.

 

Crawl control is not appropriate for the situation. It maintains a constant speed while driving over obstacles so the driver can worry about other things. That’s not a problem when on flat ground.

MTS/A-TRAC and the rear locker however are very useful in such a situation, albeit the rear locker is situational. There is rarely a reason to not use them.

There is also never a reason to not use 4lo unless you need to drive above ~30 mph, i.e. on the road. All it does is lower your gear ratios, which gives you more torque and more gear options at low speed. It also unlocks your MTS, A-TRAC, and crawl control.

More info here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-traction-control-modes-explained.530695/

 

loose dry sand can be like 11 PSI no issues fyi

 

For sure can go lower. But I save airing down lower for if the going starts getting harder. I like having something to fall back on. And again, it also has to do with the weight of the truck. I'm at or above GVWR empty. Loaded with camper I can be another 1500 over. I find it important to watch the tire as I air down. Get the footprint to where I like it. It can be very different truck to truck based on weight.