Thread: HOW MUCH WEIGHT HAS EVERYONE CARRIED ONTO THE BEACH.

Have done Simpson numerous times and you would be surprised how low your tyre pressures can co when your driving style changes accordingly ie smoothly.
Recently taken defender, family and fully loaded camper ( over 4 t easy ) up fraiser with nil dramas. I measured tread length when deflated to match front, rear and camper tyres.

Voltron,
I have one basic rule on sand, well actually two. 15psi F and R regardless of load, and just put put around the place. Never rolled a tyre, never blown a tyre, never been bogged, and do it at GVM. Cruise at 50 maybe 60 on the hard pack at the beach, and towed the odd punter out who hasn't got it right.

Defender gearing and articulation make you look good, but at 15psi they seem unstoppable.

Originally Posted by newhue

Voltron,
I have one basic rule on sand, well actually two. 15psi F and R regardless of load, and just put put around the place. Never rolled a tyre, never blown a tyre, never been bogged, and do it at GVM. Cruise at 50 maybe 60 on the hard pack at the beach, and towed the odd punter out who hasn't got it right.

Defender gearing and articulation make you look good, but at 15psi they seem unstoppable.

Ok thanks all for the info.

Have definately taken it it all on board.

Much appreciated.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Lennie_4

Have done Simpson numerous times and you would be surprised how low your tyre pressures can co when your driving style changes accordingly ie smoothly.
Recently taken defender, family and fully loaded camper ( over 4 t easy ) up fraiser with nil dramas. I measured tread length when deflated to match front, rear and camper tyres.

I agree here. I have towed trailers along shelly(not much sand at all) and fluffy dry sandy beaches and the best advice is to let your fronts down untill just before they leave a line in the middle of the track they are making. This is the point at which they are at their widest and longest footprint without bubbling up underneath themself as they go along. (that is what the line is, the edges scooping sand into the middle leaving a line. This is a lot easier on wet sand). Or as low as you are willing to go will do. Then measure the length of the front tyre footprint with 2 straight edges and a ruler and deflate your rear tyres to the same length. Trailers the same. Road tyres are the best for sand. I have had the 110 loaded possibly a little too heavy and been up in the gulf country on a beach (shells) and done circles around many toymotors and bits a missans down on the chassis rails and they had fat tyres!! I was running 265 75 16 Cooper all terrains.

Momentum is your best friend and don't hit the brakes in dry sand. Eyeball marks on the windscreen and all that good fun stuff!

Cheers,
Brian.

I'm not in the "momentum is your friend" category, especially if you are heavily loaded, slow and steady works better for me than charging up things. There always seems to be a big divot where those towing camper trailers have dug a nice hole for those following, and then you either get airborne or if you slow down, your are in the wrong gear and stall. Second gear low, or first gear low and just patience to "paddle" your way up.

Biggest advantage is the 33" tyres, especially when it seems that everyone else runs 31" tyres, then your diff is not dragging in the sand like theirs.

It reminds me a of story, a guy in his 5" Nissan Patrol on 35" tyres challenged a friend of mine in his Unimog

"I can go anywhere you can" he said, so at the first decent mud hole, my friend put his mog into 2wd, dug a nice big hole with his 44" tyres for a bit, then back in 4wd to climb out, and patiently waited until the Nissan bottomed out and was stuck in the bog hole, whilst he sat on the bank waiting to offer him a tow.

Originally Posted by goanna_shire

edit -

Momentum is your best friend and don't hit the brakes in dry sand.

Cheers,
Brian.

I think offroad performance at GVM is the Defender's greatest strength. Also I think it's important to make the distinction between momentum and speed. I find smooth driving as in where the suspension can "cycle" as in move freely without bottoming out, this speed will be different according to load and track but low 3rd works well for me with midrange engine RPM in many soft situations.
Edit; if this is shown to be too fast by either the suspension working too hard or tight corners, I can change down. If it's really soft it's clutch in, (stops quickly without brakes) grab reverse and go back a metre or 2, select suitable gear (mostly low 2nd) and take off gently.

What about angles?? Are they just best avoided at all cost when load at GVM in the sand, sometimes it's inevitable but I suppose common sense should prevail once again.
I usually chew the seat cover when I have the roof top cage loaded to maximum weight and the road tilts to the left or right. Maybe I am being a bit too cautious
not reallyhaving alot of experience in the Defender.

We were at full GVM ( maybe a bit more) on Fraser, the weight helps when pulling out other cars. I drove around him in the even softer sand to get in front of him. Tyres had 15 psi in the front, 22 psi in the back..... quote Iain-b..

Was watching telly last week some travel show ,they showed Fraser island..with a american women hosting it ..saw the local ranger on the island drove a 110 wagon..and yes she called it a jeep!!