Thread: Beach Driving

Wow, those rice cooker drivers really look after each other dont they!

Good on you. I'll bet that Prado owner confuses lots of Defender drivers now when he waves all the time.

Well done. Saved that bloke's bacon.

Originally Posted by NovaRover

My 130 is three weeks old now and after taking the kids to Port Stephen's for soccer on Saturday I thought I might drive home via Stockton Beach with a car full of kids and a dog, I also thought it might be a bit of a treat as they haven't experienced any beach driving ,being a last minute decision I didn't have a shovel or any recovery gear with me.
A just love how well the 130 handles the beach so effortlessly, it doesn't even work up a sweat, I only have the standard narrow continentals on , dropped them down to 15psi.

For those of you who don't know Stockton beach it is one of the most challenging beaches and dunes you will find. It doesn't help when you have up to 50 4wd on the beach on the weekend chopping the hell out of the beach on a high tide.

I showed the kids some of the sites such as tin city and the Signa shipwreck , there must have been a dozen 4wd at the Signa sight. The sand there is especially deep and chop it up with 4wd tyres and it often catches the not so experienced driver.
While we were looking at the shipwreck I noticed a Prado venture down to the waters edge which is a no no as it can be like quicksand. His family got out and frolicked in the sand and water got back in and when trying to drive off and bogged it to the axles. The tide was still rising and I could see the look of panic showing on his face after arguing with his wife and 2 of his kids in tears , I thought I would ask his if he need help.

I was hopping the park ranger would come along and help him , not having any recovery gear and not knowing what Molly's full capabilities were on the beach I didn't want to get myself in the same position.
There were Landcruises, Prado,s and Collerardo,s and even a Hummer there, every one was looking out the corner of their eye but no one offered help, A guy in a Landcruiser lent me his snatch strap and some shackles, I dropped my tyres down to 10psi and hooked him up.
It was a steep rise from the waters edge and I was as nervousness as hell at getting bogged myself in the quicksand with my new Landy. I dropped her in low range and selected an angle to exist and let Molly do her stuff, she was amazing, she just wouldn't bog, after about eight attempts of reversing and snatching him forwards, he was out and I wasn't bogged.

I was the proudest Landy owner on earth having all the 4wd just watching, not one offered to assist in any way. She didn't even work up sweat, she was amazing, all the kids in the soccer team thought she was supper 4wd as when we arrived they were drooling over the Hummer.
I'm in aura of the defenders capabilities.

My son says the same about his,and he has done a heap of off road stuff,even missed a turn and drove through a section of the Simpson,not long ago, at night ,and ended up in the middle of one of those big muddy lakes.Backed out no worries.
I recon it is the KM2's,plus as you did,having the correct tyre pressures at the right times,is critical.

People in other vehicles,often bogged can't believe he just drives around them.

I keep telling him,one day he will get it bogged,and he will probably need a tractor or grader to get it out

Good out come. Funny how it takes a Landy driver to be the only one to offer assistance. (especially in a life and death situation, for the car that is)

I hope this bloke now goes around telling people how good Landies are, instead of bagging them.

I had a case years ago when I could not get uo a dune with 18 psi in the tyres. I dropped them to 12psi and got up.

You sir are a credit to the marque. As a fellow defender driver who knows his duty - I salute you.

I hope the Prado driver was grateful and gave you at least a thank you, and I mean a genuine thank you. There's nothing worse than putting yourself and your own vehicle at risk to rescue someone just to have them drive off with hardly a word said, most are quite good though, even if they do have to put up with the embarrassment of being towed out by a Defender

Cheers, Murray

Well done !




Sometimes I think I should carry stickers "Recovered by a LR Defender" and make people put them on if I help them..... LOL

Or so we can all do it, I was recovered by a Landrover. Great idea Vlad.

How about it Dave. Next time you are doing a sticker run.
I would buy some.