Beach Off Roading?

The wife and I "might" move from the Arizona desert to an East coast beach.

What is the "must have" gear needed for beach sand off roading?

I plan to roll any gear that I dont already have into the relocation budget.

 

Traction boards and a air compressor.

 

Looks like you have a 3rd Gen. If you have Blind Spot Monitors assume they will get dirty and flash an error code from wet sand. Mine did the one and only time I drove on the beach (lots of desert, snow etc. ever caused any issues) but some direct water spray and air blown behind the bumper seemed to clear it up.

 

Corrosion would be something I'd most be concerned about if moving to a beach town. Moving from a dry area to the east coast humidity along with being on near the ocean, I'd do some research on how this will impact/change the way you maintain your vehicle.

 

Just to tag onto this thread, I'm about to go driving on the beach as well. I have traction boards, but I'm considering a compressor so that I can air down/up at will. I don't necessarily need to wire it in right now, but I might in the end.

I was looking at this compressor (

$68 Viair 00087 87p Portable Compressor

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDWJRZW). Is it sufficient enough for standard 2017 OR tires? I won't be using it every weekend and at most will be using it once a month. Thoughts?

 

Nevermind. After finding some other threads covering the topic, I went with the

$91 Viair 88p Portable Compressor Kit (12V, 120 Psi, Forup to 33" Tires)

Viair 88p (not 87p). Better flow, slightly larger tire capability.

 

What area of the east coast? In Florida, I've taken a rental car out to the water in the Daytona Beach area while the consistency of the sand here in NC makes 4WD mandatory (exceptions being dedicated fishing vehicles with high flotation balloon tires). With Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores covering a good part of it's barrier islands (Outer Banks), NC offers more beach driving opportunities than any other eastern state.

With your truck, the only things I'd consider necessary for our area would be a good on board air source, two or three quality tow straps and a full size shovel. Traction boards and winches look good but aren't of much use. The keys around here are to drop your tire pressure down to 15-20 psi BEFORE hitting the sand and, if you do start to bog down, STOP and try to back up. Don't spin the tires when forward progress has been lost or you'll quickly dig in until the frame hits the sand which will require much more shoveling. Our beaches are crowded enough that, if you do get stuck, someone will soon be over to offer help. A couple of beers is usually considered fair payment.

To the best of my knowledge, a beach permit of some sort will be required by the local government with jurisdiction in each area for access anywhere along the NC coast. For Cape Hatteras NS, the cost is $50 for ten days or $120 for a twelve month pass. I'm not sure what the towns charge. Cape Lookout NS requires a permit but, at this time, there's no fee for it.

If NC is your destination, let me know and I'll be glad to offer suggestions.


Al

 

Tire pressure gauge, a real shovel not a army surplus special, jack, 12x12x3/4 inch plywood board, tow rope.

 

Air Compressor and associated tools for deflating/inflating tires.

Max Trax or something similar is a must and the first recovery item I would purchase.

A good full size shovel.

Snatch Strap

If you have a winch already, a dead man anchor is a nice choice for recovery if you are solo.

I actually drive on the beach a lot, let me know if you have any questions.

 

Awesome, thank you!

 

Not the OP, but loving this info. I'll be driving on Saint Augustine and Crescent beaches north of Daytona here in Florida. Somewhat soft sand, not too compact. Plenty of people, but would be my first.

I've driven in what we call sugar sand out in the woods, but there is generally good traction before and after and enough momentum to carry you through. Excited to park my truck on the beach and grill out with my tailgate facing the ocean.

I used to live so close up the beach, but now I'm inland, so I'm jonesing for it. Thanks for all the info.

 

Just your Tacoma if your coming to NC Outer banks. Lower the tire pressure and ride. I live about 40 minutes from Kitty Hawk NC, and hit the Outer Banks often. Hatteras down to Cape Lookout NC. The first picture is from Cape Lookout last weekend, and Ocracoke Island the weekend before.

 

I bought this at Harbor Freight. It plugs into the bed outlet.

Just need the traction board...However, with Gen 3's we have Crawl Control. If you believe the hype, it should pull you out with no problem.

 

Just curious, was that Portsmouth or South Core and how was the fishing? We were at Frisco Thu - Mon and didn’t see anyone doing much good.

 

I was in Cape Lookout, fishing wasn't great, caught a few small flounder, a few Taylor blue fish, and few sea Mullet, all pretty small, then I switched to attempt to catch some Cobia we saw blasting through the surf at the cape. And came up with these instead.

 

If you can make it up to SLC, we can roll over to the Wendover area sand dunes, and you can get all the practice you want. Its a different experience for sure.