A little confidence gained

[LandyAndy]

Went on a beach without airing down and without sand mode and didnt get stuck:):):):):):):):):)
OK,it had rained alot on saturday and many fishos chasing salmon had squashed the sand hard.I did turn the DSC off and I didnt go far.It was approaching high tide and I had a "high tide" parking bay available.They are bays hacked into the bush where people park their 4x4s after beach launching dingys/small boats,the trailers do get a bit wet,the 4x4 doesnt.
Andrew

[scomac]

Andy, sounds like you are being pulled to the dark side with "pootrol and bruiser brigade" they rush onto to the beach without airing down, chewing up the beach and then burying themselves down to the axles! Then to be pulled out by a passing land Rover. Resist the dark side Andy "air down" :twobeers:

[kenl]

Depends on the beach, if you know your beach is hard enough not to air down then why bother? I personally never do around home, and get quite a giggle out of the guys that spend all the time doing so, only to watch a push bike ride past them and down onto the beach and beyond.

Then again on other beaches I won't even try to go on them, air or no air.

What really bugs me is the lead foot brigade that think the only way to drive on the beach is flat out, thanks to them there will soon be no beaches left to drive on, legally.

[AnD3rew]

It's often about the entry and exit points, on a lot of beaches if there is hard packed and wet sand at low tide you don't even need 4x4 let alone aired down tyres. If you can find a fairly solid entry and exit point then it's fine not to air down.

But I agree of the sand looks soft anywhere, air down or you will just make a mess for everyone else.

[LandyAndy]

Andy, sounds like you are being pulled to the dark side with "pootrol and bruiser brigade" they rush onto to the beach without airing down, chewing up the beach and then burying themselves down to the axles! Then to be pulled out by a passing land Rover. Resist the dark side Andy "air down" :twobeers:

It just so happens a pootrol came down turned around in 2wd and almost got stuck,had to deploy low range and go back and forward quite a number of times before getting going.
I was amazed to see a Camry come down filled with new australians.The managed to turn the thing around but couldnt get back up the gravel track in,was too steep.I had to use low range,they had to get the passengers to push the car up the hill.There was a sign at the top advising 4x4 was needed;););););)

It was safe enough not to air down,the wet sand was hard packed,I wouldnt dare go too far with hard tyres on a D4,experience tells me it will end in tears sooner than later;););););)
Andrew

[scomac]

I always air down regardless of what the beach is like {unless we are talking about sand like Esperance, Cervantes and the like which you CAN drive a camry on} You only have to drop 10psi out and it makes a big difference. For the sake of 5mins airing back up IMHO I think it's worth it.

[LandyAndy]

I always air down regardless of what the beach is like {unless we are talking about sand like Esperance, Cervantes and the like which you CAN drive a camry on} You only have to drop 10psi out and it makes a big difference. For the sake of 5mins airing back up IMHO I think it's worth it.

You may have missed posts about a trip I did to Horrocks Beach with Aaron40 and his new D4 and Tailslide (Ron) as a passenger.We were at 15psi and having lots of dramas.
The post was a bit tounge in cheek about that trip.
As for the run along the beach at Esperance to the National park.Ive done that in my D2 at highway pressures,and there was a time the tides/winds had messed it up,down to 15psi and fingers crossed.Love that run out to Cape LeGrande:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
Andrew

[TerryO]

I took the son in law and grand daughter on to Stockton Beach last weekend when they were up visiting, didn't realise until I got to the beach that I had not taken my tyre gauge and gear so didn't air down, thought it would be OK.

All was fine till we stopped for a swim a couple of kilometres down the beach. Had a good swim and then promptly got bogged as I set off.

So jumped out to air down and was absolutely inundated and I mean inundated with Toynissan drivers coming from all directions all wanting to tow us out and offer advice. I thanked them all kindly and after airing down, which took a bloody eternity while they all waited in anticipation that we would get further stuck I just jumped in and drove back down the beach as if nothing had happened.

Don't mind admitting it was rather embarrassing especially being surrounded by four or five Toynissans all just about begging to snatch us out, or lend us mantrax etc etc. Worse still the bloody son in law owns a Hilux, he didn't stop laughing all the way home and couldn't wait to tell everybody about how the mighty Land Rover Discovery got stuck driving down the beach.

Won't make that totally avoidable mistake again. ... :angel:

[~Rich~]

Doh Terry, brain fade!!

[TerryO]

Doh Terry, brain fade!!

Yep life is full of mistakes and as long as they are all little ones like this was I won't mind to much.

[Celtoid]

Yep life is full of mistakes and as long as they are all little ones like this was I won't mind to much.


What wheels and tyres were you on Terry, as in what size, if I might enquire?

[guthrie]

IThere was a sign at the top advising 4x4 was needed;););););)

Saw your car in Albany at Easter... so I assume you are talking about Mutton Bird beach Andy?

[apachefreak]

being from the central west, I have never driven on any beach before,
out of interest what PSI settings would you guys recommend for reference?

[Celtoid]

being from the central west, I have never driven on any beach before,
out of interest what PSI settings would you guys recommend for reference?


Hi Mate,


Depends on the beach (type of sand), weather conditions (moisture level and temp) and size of wheel/tyre combo.


I do my beach driving on the islands around Brisbane. The sand there is fine and high silica (soft). I run 285/60/18s usually at 16 - 18 PSI for warm dry sand.


Cheers.

[BobD]

Saw your car in Albany at Easter... so I assume you are talking about Mutton Bird beach Andy?


Yeah, I thought he was talking about Mutton Bird as well based on the description of the road to the beach. It is usually fairly soft and chewed up but not too difficult for a Disco. We usually have fun driving through and over the dunes down near the mouth of the Torbay Inlet. That is a bit more challenging and very soft dry sand.


I usually have the fronts on around 18 and the rears about 20 to 22, with no issues in the soft sand.

[LandyAndy]

Saw your car in Albany at Easter... so I assume you are talking about Mutton Bird beach Andy?

Close.Cosy Corner Beach,just near the island,Dingo Beach????
Andrew

[BobD]

Close.Cosy Corner Beach,just near the island,Dingo Beach????
Andrew


Dingo beach is a shocker off the bitumen road at the bottom of the hill up to the Shelley Beach turnoff. I would never take the D4 down there but I have done it in my old Patrol after rain. Did you go down there, Andy, or are you talking about Cosy Corner where they launch boats on nice hard sand and park near the bush? Cosy Corner would be 2 wheel drive friendly and I haven't seen a 4WD only sign. It must just be on the last few metres onto the beach that is a problem I guess.

[Meken]

My 1st go on Straddie (fine soft dry deep - but only from the end of the gravel track to the tide line of hard (2wd-rivable) beach - about 400m - 16psi all round -easy as . Next time I went 20 on the front & 18 on the rear again ate it up - so that's my go to pressure. Mine are 255/50/20

[LandyAndy]

Dingo beach is a shocker off the bitumen road at the bottom of the hill up to the Shelley Beach turnoff. I would never take the D4 down there but I have done it in my old Patrol after rain. Did you go down there, Andy, or are you talking about Cosy Corner where they launch boats on nice hard sand and park near the bush? Cosy Corner would be 2 wheel drive friendly and I haven't seen a 4WD only sign. It must just be on the last few metres onto the beach that is a problem I guess.
The steep track down from the bitumen road that goes to Shelly Beach.We went to the boatramp at Cosy Corner first,there were school kids having surfing lessons there.
Andrew

[BobD]

You did well Andy. When I first went to West Cape Howe we were listening on the radio and three cars got stuck trying to get off Dingo Beach. Because of the deep cutting it was very difficult for them to get each other out. I didn't have a problem in my Patrol when I went down there a year or two later but I'm very wary of that track.

[LandyAndy]

I have upmost confidence in the D4 as long as it has anything but soft powdery deep sand under its feet.
Been to Dingoes plenty of times in the D2.
Went to West Cape Howe last easter.Was realy impressed with its performance on the track at 20psi.The belt rubber made it all so easy.Did see other lesser 4x4s struggling,plus the TD5 D2 we were travelling with kept dissapearing into the distance.Something to do with having to take run ups for the steep hills;);););)
Andrew

[Bandi1950]

Been down to Dingos a number of times. Can be very soft but as long as tyres are down should be no problems. I regularly run as low as 10psi with the 19" rims on some of the beaches down on the south coast.

[BobD]

Andy, is there now a gravel track down to the beach? Your description seems to imply that, hence why we thought of Mutton Bird. When I last went there it was steep sand in a 2m plus deep vertical sided cutting, which looked very dangerous.

[LandyAndy]

Perhaps its not Dingo Beach.
I turn left down a steep gravel track,perhaps around 1000m off Cosy cnr road.At the end it splits into 2 tracks Ive always taken the left one.Its quite steep,ends up on a small beach very close to the island.There is no deep cutting,track is very steep.
Andrew

[Bandi1950]

Sounds like Hartmans. Good spot to launch boats as it is protected by the islands.

[LandyAndy]

Sounds like Hartmans. Good spot to launch boats as it is protected by the islands.
I was lobbing a mulie on a float right on the rocks between the beach and island,couldnt convince anything to bite.Tried a bottom rig but there was too much weed with the the current drift.
I like fishing there,nice and protected.Caught some nice KG whiting there in the past too.
Andrew

[TerryO]

What wheels and tyres were you on Terry, as in what size, if I might enquire?


A set of just about to reach minimum depth 265x60x18" Cooper AT3's. The day before I had just checked and set the pressures and was running 40lb in the rear and 34lb in the front.
The moment I got onto the beach properly I could tell chances are that we would be in trouble if I stopped, while moving it was a bit of a struggle but still ok.
The area I stopped looked reasonably hard packed but I was wrong. As I said previously my bad, won't do it again.

[Celtoid]

A set of just about to reach minimum depth 265x60x18" Cooper AT3's. The day before I had just checked and set the pressures and was running 40lb in the rear and 34lb in the front.
The moment I got onto the beach properly I could tell chances are that we would be in trouble if I stopped, while moving it was a bit of a struggle but still ok.
The area I stopped looked reasonably hard packed but I was wrong. As I said previously my bad, won't do it again.


Thanks mate.


Thought you'd be pretty safe on a tyre that size .... just goes to show.


Better finding out there though than somewhere ugly or dangerous to yourself or car.


Cheers.