Robe for week or so.....

[sniegy]

Hi all,
Just returned from Robe in South Aus, every 2nd year on the Australia day holiday we head to Longbeach Caravan Park.
Had a beautiful time with the family which was good, see the munchkins play & be tormented by me

As you normally do you head off into the dunes & have some fun.
Well this year was a first as a mate has just purchased himself a new VW Amarok, & it has been a while since we had played off road, a long while!
We headed towards Beachport to do the drive back to Robe as I have done many many times before explaining to my mate a few of the sites which were good look outs, Nora Creina & this is where we will pop out & then head to Little Dip Conservation Park etc etc.

Well.... We headed off the black top in Beachport to a lookout, aired our tyres down to 18psi to start with then headed into the sand....we were originally going to go & do some inland tracks & my mate said come on let's to the beach section first, ok I said ! (why oh why) so off he headed about 500m along the top of the beach section following the other tracks as I followed behind & then I see his vehicle slowly going sideways in the SOFT SOFT SOFT sand & as I gently ease off the accelerator to not end up like he did & thinking I would be able to rescue him if need be...but alas my vehicle liked the way my mates looked & proceeded to do the sideways drift towards the ocean

After nearly 3 hours of digging & some sore skin from sunburn (my own fault the tide was coming in) we were eventually rescued by some very helpful passers by. They were about to do the same track & said that this was the softest of all the sand they had driven all day (as they were coming he opposite direction)

A few things I had learnt & seen first hand, the D4 suspenspension can really extend when its chassis is stuck, & I mean extend, I reckon that I could of sat on the wheel in the wheel arch & had lunch!
You must dig, then dig some more, once you have done that DIG some more.
Robe/Beachport sand has very large granules, it likes to fall back from where it once came! Therefore you must dig some more......
Sand gets into everywhere & I mean everywhere, it's strange how granules of sand appear from nowhere & you think to yourself how did you get here!?

I would really like to thank the guys from "Kerang" who stopped & helped.
One very nice 300tdi disco.
Cheers fellas.

Also met a few guys in the caravan park that frequent the forum too which was nice.
Saw lots of Land Rovers driving around which was nice too.

Night all.

[trobbo]

glad to hear you were helped out by some friendly land rover drivers.

How did the two cars go on the sand otherwise?

[mcmanusd]

I was also at Beachport during the long weekend and some sections of sand were extremely soft. I started at tyre pressures of 18psi and then dropped further to 13psi after initial difficulties. Even still I ended up stuck (up to the chassis) with the high tide wetting my feet and the passenger side wheels also feeling the cooling effect of the sea. The sea seemed to have a powerful attraction for vehicles that day (no doubt due to the slope on the beach). The vehicle was sitting on its belly and already effectively in extended mode due to use of the LLAMS addon height controller. Recovered using the Warn 9.5XP winch on the front of my Discovery 3 to other 4WD club colleague vehicles.
I have included two photos - stuck and just winching clear.

[BobD]

Perfect situation for Maxtrax!

[sniegy]

Hey Trobbo,
Apart from the bogging so to speak, they performed sensationally, the dunes were just easy, for me it was just too simple. Air suspension is SO comfortable.
The Amarok has sensational fuel economy, left my D4 for dead!
We had a lot of fun & that's what it is all about.
Cheers

[101RRS]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to hit access height when you belly out and the wheels come up so you can back fill under the wheels, select offroad height then just drive out.

Graeme and/or Gordon - that should be your next project.

Garry

[sniegy]

Garry,
Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

It's also something I never thought about, you may be onto something here

[~Rich~]

Been there done that!!!
Only difference it was on Stockton beach in NSW.

"Oh what a Feeling" NOT! ( I was in a Toyota Hilux when I did it!)

[101RRS]

Garry,
Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

It's also something I never thought about, you may be onto something here

Not for me - my first venture onto a dirt road I got stuck and would have been handy. I was at offroad height and bellied out on the hard centre with wheels in mud - went to extended and the wheels just went deeper into the mud - went to super extended and still bellied with the wheels just being pushed deeper into the mud - I had to ring a friend to bring my Freelander over and rescue me. If the wheels could lift up I would have been able to drive out.

I haven't been on the beach yet in the RRS - might try it when I can talk my brother and his Hilux to come with me - from others comments the cars weight seems to a bit much for the car's systems to overcome at times - but I haven't tried it myself as yet - though I have been on most other surfaces.

[AGRO]

Hi All,

I second the opinion that maxtrax are great for sand recoveries - even better if your mate has a pair as well!!!