Taco's soon to be first time on the Beach

New to the forums, thought I'd say hello and pick your brains.

I plan on taking my new truck out the beach. Let me be clear, this is the first time I have owned a pickup, much less alone taking a vehicle onto the sand.

Any tips or experiences you can share? What tire pressure should I run at, assuming I should be in 4X4 mode, do I need to bring the family along (jk). Will a simple hose wash be efficient enough to clean the truck?

Thanks.

 

air down to below 20psi. This is critical. keep your momentum in the soft stuff. dont ride too close to the water, because if you get stuck, you are out of luck when the tide comes in. BRING A TOW STRAP, and a shovel. if you get stuck, you can shoulder tap a guy to pull you out. I used to pull lots of tourists out when I lived on Ocrackoke. Have fun.

 

This guy.

Why can't all new members be like this This about sums it up though, if you have a compressor with you I'd go for about 17 psi, and momentum is the key when driving in sand.

 

This! You need a way to air back up or a nearby air source also...

David

 

Like others have said air down to 18-20psi,(should be ok in 2wd) if not click it into 4hi. Park on the down side of the slopes if you can, easy on the gas/brake ect. But the most important thing is to just have fun

 

Welcome to Tw as well !!!

 

Ok so im interested, I have a 2wd taco. Never really drove on the sand
With because always thought I would get stuck. So 2wd would be decent
In the sand??

 

Not sure what kind of beaches you have around miami but the few times I was in Daytona you would see 2wd cars out on the beach with no problems. If your sand is loose and rutted then I wouldnt go out with just 2wd.

 

Daytona is ok for everything. OBX, 4x4 and AIR DOWN. I usually go to 20 and leave it there until we go to leave. You drive around the island at 35mph anyways, so it won't hurt anything.


Where are you headed?

 

Where are you driving on the beach in Miami? But 2wd is okay in the sand as long as you air down and do it right...stopping, sharp turns at low speeds, heavy throttle on starts, and parking up hill are things to avoid. Street tires should be aired down to about 20psi, and youd do okay...but like others have said, bring a tow strap and a friend just in case...

Daytona beach is car friendly...I had a friend take his Corvette out there and my old 2012 Camry had no problem either...the sand is soo hard packed that its basically concrete. You dont even leave tire prints in the sand...

 

My 07 taco was 2wd, and a 6 speed. I used to pull out 4wds who were stuck because they were assholes and/or didn't know how to drive.

 

I brought mine onto South Padre Island beaches here in Texas not too long ago for the first time. I didn't stray into any REALLY crazy looking areas and I had no issues. I kept my tires at normal pressure and just kept my momentum when it looked like I was about to go through some soft stuff. 4x4 helped I'm sure, I just kept it in 4H the whole time to be safe. Was a lot of fun!

 

Thanks for the comments all. Heading out to the east end of Long Island. Should be fun.

 

I air down to 12-15 psi down here in delaware...we get some really soft sand in the summer....I grew up on long Island...u should be ok 15-20 psi...4Hi ....
The tacoma's light weight really is an advantage in the sand...mine just glides over the top of the sand.....great choice for the beach ....never got stuck ...so far

 

Haha i wish we had beaches to drive on. I was
Asking more for referance. Want to do a nice road
Trip with the family and get to some different senery
Thanks for all the input very helpful

 

I was in your shoes about a month ago. I took my new-to-me '12 out on the sand for the first time. It was in Delaware where the sand can get real soft. I found that, like everyone else has said, tire pressure is key. In the soft sand 15 psi seemed perfect. I had 4 guys in the cab, 6 guys in the bed, and all our gear (a/k/a coolers of beer) and we didn't even come close to getting stuck. Although I was in 4H and wouldn't recommend trying soft sand without at least 4H. I would also recommend picking up something to help you let the air out of your tires cause that proved to be the biggest pain in the ass. Look around on here, there are a lot of opinions, but it seems to come down to ARB E-Z Deflator vs. Staun deflators. I went with the ARB and will be testing it this weekend for the first time actually. Good luck!

 

Most beaches have regulations on what type (2x or 4x) that can be driven on their beach. All the beaches around me, in NC, require you have 4x4.

 

Packed that truck out! Thanks for the tire pressure deflator tips man.

 

others got it right, air down.

as far as cleaning after, make sure you hose off the undercarriage when you wash the rest of it.

 

keep it in 2wd and floor it.