Tips for towing in the sand

[doberboy]

I'm thinking about taking the family to Pismo Beach this weekend and was wondering how the Titan would do in the sand pulling a 23' toy hauler. I have a 4x4 with BFG ATs. I'm a little nervous because I drove onto a small patch of sand in Glamis and barely got out. Reading a few posts, it seems like I should lower the tire pressure to about 15lbs. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by doberboy

I'm thinking about taking the family to Pismo Beach this weekend and was wondering how the Titan would do in the sand pulling a 23' toy hauler. I have a 4x4 with BFG ATs. I'm a little nervous because I drove onto a small patch of sand in Glamis and barely got out. Reading a few posts, it seems like I should lower the tire pressure to about 15lbs. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.

don't know about towing but definitely air down to the teens, 15lbs is good. keep it in 4x4, don't ever peg the throttle when at a dead stop. rapid acceleration will only bury you.
for piece of mind i recommend buying a set of these especially since you'll be towing. http://www.terra-trax.com/pb/wp_b9d3...22355354241663
if you weren't towing i'd say you could do without. momentum is key, maintain momentum at all times. at pismo especially always turn from high to low, never low to high. pismo has spots of extremely deep sand, but for the most part you should be able to make it all the way down the coast in either direction on the hard pack portion of the sand.

[red_rider_elsinore]

A lot of people also lower the pressure on the trailer. You have a toybox so the trailer is probably heavy and has thin tires. My trailer has ST225/75r15 tires. That's a tread width of 225mm versus the 285mm tread width you probably have. Just don't be scared of lowering the pressure on the truck & trailer and keep your foot on it. Park in such a way you can pull out down toward the beach.

[Derwud]

15 PSI on all four truck tires,(drop them on the street right before you enter the park). Don't worry about the trailer tires. Put it in 4hi long before you loose traction, (Like when you are near the water and it's somehat hardpacked during low tide and you are going to turn up towards the soft stuff, if you get there during high tide, switch to 4hi as soon as you hit sand). Take your own strap and enjoy.. If you get stuck and someone helps you out, help out other people out...

[Derwud]

Here is my friends 2wd Titan with stock tires inflated to standard pressure on Pismp Beach.. My truck pulled out my trailer from a 3 foot hole after the wind hit.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Derwud

Here is my friends 2wd Titan with stock tires inflated to standard pressure on Pismp Beach.. My truck pulled out my trailer from a 3 foot hole after the wind hit.

sh!t, a honda could drive on that part Der... take it up a few feet and you can easily be buried to the shins in sand... Pismo's cool to romp around in the sandrails!

[Kronos1965]

Originally Posted by hooligan

don't know about towing but definitely air down to the teens, 15lbs is good. keep it in 4x4, don't ever peg the throttle when at a dead stop. rapid acceleration will only bury you.
for piece of mind i recommend buying a set of these especially since you'll be towing. http://www.terra-trax.com/pb/wp_b9d3...22355354241663
if you weren't towing i'd say you could do without. momentum is key, maintain momentum at all times. at pismo especially always turn from high to low, never low to high. pismo has spots of extremely deep sand, but for the most part you should be able to make it all the way down the coast in either direction on the hard pack portion of the sand.

I have sand ladders (perforated metal plating myself)-works great!

I also recommend keeping in others tracks, no sharp turns, a shovel, and don't worry about it. Enjoy the challenge!

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Kronos1965

I have sand ladders (perforated metal plating myself)-works great!

I also recommend keeping in others tracks, no sharp turns, a shovel, and don't worry about it. Enjoy the challenge!

yeah, sand mats, sand ladders, sand bridges, etc... they all work great... even truck ramps work... LOL... good points too Kronos...

let me just say that airing down is a must! i was in a deep sand bowl out at Superstition just east of Ocotillo and north of plaster city and out of 7 GMC/Chevy trucks i was one, the only jap truck there, and the only one with 2wd... all the other 6 were 4wd. only way out was to climb out of this giant sand bowl and the climb out was nothing but deep sand. keep in mind i was aired down the whole time to 15psi on my 35" bfg mudders... suffice it to say, the only one to make it out of the bowl in their first attempt was me!!! the 2wd jap truck! LOL... all 6 other trucks, 4WD mind you, took 3 or more attempts to get out... were they all embarassed i showed them up in a 2wd Titan? you bet ya!

[rynomx785]

You show'em Hoolie! lol When I take my truck to the dunes I run 12 psi in the front and 10 in the rear and rarely use 4wd (until I have to tow broken down sand rails outta the middle of the dunes haha).

[Derwud]

Originally Posted by hooligan

sh!t, a honda could drive on that part Der... take it up a few feet and you can easily be buried to the shins in sand... Pismo's cool to romp around in the sandrails!

I've seen a Mazda compact Sedan go through the river and make it about 20 feet past the high tide mark to our camp..

Sorry the point was, don't be fooled, just becuase it's easy down by the water, as soon as you make the left turn to camp, you are sunk!

Plus it was the only picture of a Nissan on the beach..

Oh wait, I have a picture of one of my Frontiers on the beach along with the Motorhome I had to pull up and down the beach..

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Derwud

nice pic der! is that frontier before the titan?

[Derwud]

Originally Posted by hooligan

nice pic der! is that frontier before the titan?

Thanks Hooli...

Yeah, that was summer '02 I believe.. My families first and LAST tent trip! Been doing the Toy Hauler ever since....

[yamaguy88]

if you want u can even drop tire psi lower to like 10psi, before i had 4x4 i drove on 8psi and never popped a bead, just always look for soft spots and try to avoid them, if u cant, just dont let up on the gas till u feel urself on harder sand, i tow my toyhauler to glamis and gordons all the time soo i know what im talking about, and if u do get stuck, Stop, grab u sholve and start schnigN and get all the sand away from the low spots, and around tires, and wood will work nice to wedge under tires to get traction, other wise have fun, and the water is damn cold still, bring a wet suit and bring alot of WD40 to spray down bare metal, cuz that salt water does wonders,

[HudsonValleyTitan]

Originally Posted by Derwud

I've seen a Mazda compact Sedan go through the river and make it about 20 feet past the high tide mark to our camp..

Sorry the point was, don't be fooled, just becuase it's easy down by the water, as soon as you make the left turn to camp, you are sunk!

Plus it was the only picture of a Nissan on the beach..

Oh wait, I have a picture of one of my Frontiers on the beach along with the Motorhome I had to pull up and down the beach..

Cool pic! You folks are lucky. We have nowhere around here that allows beach driving that I know of.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyTitan

Cool pic! You folks are lucky. We have nowhere around here that allows beach driving that I know of.

you need to move... you're missing out