First time beach/sand driving day trip planned with a Holden Captiva and Honda CRV. To Wilbinga, just north of Perth if anyone knows that. It’s supposed to be easy sand driving, good for beginners.
I know that you should lower the tyre pressure when driving in the sand, but I am wondering what I should do: Am I going to be fine, just trying it one time with the tyres fully inflated. Or should I definitely buy a 12V air compressor, even if it is just for one time?
ask james may about that
Sorry I didn't look up the cars but someone further below commented on it, are these actually 4WD or AWD vehicles??? I'd be very hesitant taking an AWD vehicle on the beach… If you have a proper 4WD to dig you out then maybe try your luck, but if you got AWD recovering AWD there's a good risk both of you are gonna be in for a rough time. :/
Wow, that first paragraph is terrible advise. I have seen cars lost to the ocean along Wilbinga from people doing exactly what you have advised.
Air down before you hit the tracks let alone the beach. Not only does it take a whole lot of strain off the driveline of your vehicle it prevents damage to the tracks. I would recommend between 15 and 20psi as a starting point, you can always air down further from there once on the beach if you find you are struggling. I have had to air down to 6psi on that beach on one occasion in my Land Cruiser as I was crab walking up the beach with the waves lapping at back tyre!
Thanks Faded, you seem to know Wilbinga. Can you drive with a 'soft roader' AWD on some of the tracks there?
No worries! You should be fine on the majority of the tracks out there, it is where a first cut my teeth so to speak, you could easily kill a day doing all the hill climbs and sand bowls out there.
Just make sure you have the proper recovery point and basic gear, strap shackles etc. Oh and a compressor!
Poor advice.
Yes, drop your tyre pressure for sure. I would drop to 15psi as a starting point depending on wheels / tyre profiles.
Subarus rip it up on the sand (with a lift kit to avoid getting stuck on ya belly). A proper 4WD isn't really required but I'm not familiar with Captiva / CRVs transmission system.
Seeing how your car goes in WA is a good idea, it opens up so many fantastic spots if you can drive on the sandy tracks.
A compressor is a good idea, I've got one of the generic 150L minute compressors of ebay and it has been great: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/281295718509?limghlpsr=true&…
You can also use a GOOD quality bike track pump or just drive at low speed (40-60kph) to the nearest servo and inflate there. Be super careful cornering. Best not to go for this especially on your first outing as if you have to play with tyre pressures it is much easier to have something handy to re inflate.
I would honestly take a compressor, the tyres they put on CRV and Captivas are quite narrow.
I mean you could risk it but I would take one, my local tool rental place rents really decent 4x4 stuff for a pretty good price, but I am in Vic so not much use to you
Good luck
Are you sure that the CRV is capable of driving on sand? I used to own a CRV and the 4wd was only activated when the front wheels lost traction which was too late when driving on sand as you are already bogged if that happens.
Thanks everyone, I guess I will get a basic compressor and recovery rope from Supercheap Auto or somewhere before we go. I will find out how the CRV performs on sand!
It will depend on the beach.
If the sand is solid you could easily drive 80km per hour with your vehicle.
If the sand is very soft your vehicle will struggle with clearance and traction.
Make sure you take a shovel & lower your tyre pressure if your vehicle starts to struggle.
If you can go for a drive after rain, or if it has been raining in the last 24 hrs, the sand will be firmer and more compact. If it is dry or has been for while the sand is loose and soft, easier to get bogged.
Ok, so I will get these two items:
SUV snatch kit with a 5000kg snatch strap and 2 bow shackles: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Ridge…
Entry level 12v Air Compressor: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Hurri…
That should be enough to prepare me for my little beach trip? Thanks again.
Also make sure there is a car wash somewhere along the way after your beach trip. You definitely want to give it a good wash after the sand and saltwater. If possible pressure spray underneath is a great idea.
First time beach/sand driving day trip planned with a Holden Captiva and Honda CRV.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but neither of those is actually a 4WD, they might have AWD, but there's a big difference…without a H/L range transfer case they are far from off-road worthy.
I wouldn't take either on the sand…or at least be prepared to require a tow out!!!
In my case with driving the CRV on sand it was a couple of hours digging with a mini shovel in the blazing hot sun. Lesson learnt…
+1 for above comment.
The Captiva is definitely an AWD. Check your cars manual before taking it off-road.
If you are thinking of taking the soft-roader off-road some more I would become friends with a local 4WD club. They are generally nice people and will advise what is achievable and what is not.
I know of course that both cars are not fully off-road capable. That's why we have chosen Wilbinga to give it a try. There are a couple of articles (on gobush4wd.com.au, 4wdingaustralia.com) that recommend Wilbinga for sand driving with a 'soft roader'.
I was just wondering whether you really need to deflate the tyres (which I will do after reading the comments).
Snatching one of these vehicles??? I don't know about that! I guess you haven't considered that you need to snatch from recovery points and not your tow points. I'd say you're better off getting a set of traction aid, like Maxxtrax or TREDs. If this is a one off though, before you go, look for a local that does beach recoveries.
Definitely lower your tyre pressures. I took my X-trail (when I owned it) on the sand. It's only AWD with the centre diff lock. Had no trouble, in the dunes and all, with the correct tyre pressure, which for us was about 18 psi. If the write-ups are all saying "good for beginners", I think you'll be ok just with the right tyre pressure. They will look kinda wrong, but that's the idea.
In all honesty I would not head out there with out rated recovery points a snatch strap and a couple of rated bow shackles as a minimum, especially in an AWD vehicle, I think you may struggle along some of the tracks out there let alone the beach.
Maybe head out there and just have a play in the tracks and sand bowls to see how capable your vehicles are, if it goes well and you get a bit of confidence head out on the beach, but be cautious if you are inexperienced. T
Maybe head up to Wedge for a day trip ? Beach is ALOT firmer up there and you can go have a play in the dunes if you get bored.
I just had a look at Wedge. It looks nice. You think this would be a better alternative for a soft roader day trip?
Really depends on what you want from your day out, if you just want to cruise up the beach and find a nice spot to take a dip and have a few drinks or setup for lunch etc I would go to Wedge, if you want to test out your vehicles capabilities you would be better off at Two Rocks/Wilbinga.
Then it's Wedge! :)
You wont regret it! IMO it is the nicest beach withing 3hrs of Perth. You shouldn't even have to air down at Wedge unless you head into the dunes. The beach there is very firm, you can drive a 2wd up it.
The tracks to and from the beach are always soft sand and impossible to navigate without lower tyre pressure. Once on the beach you're fine but getting there is the problem.
I would try and hire a better pump. Those el-cheapo 12 volts are crap.
Don't drive in the salt water at all. Doesn't matter how much you pressure wash afterwards, the salt will rust your car in places you never knew existed.
Everyone, thanks for your useful advise. Just wanted to let you know how it went. We drove to Wilbinga this weekend (will do Wedge sometime later this year) and had no problem at all. Turns out that the smaller SUVs are actually pretty good on the sand, maybe because they are lighter than large 4WDs.
We were fine without lowering the tyre pressure and even drove on top of the dunes! I was actually quite impressed with what the car is capable of. Had an awesome day out there.
Hi Hikey, those photos are great! Yes, the modern soft roaders are quite capable these days. I had a go at Gnangara Pines over the weekends and the sand is very soft (softer than Lancelin). I took my CRV and went with a local 4WD club - Freedom All Wheel Driving Club of WA. Those guys are fantastic and had a great time out with them. If you are interested, you can always look them up online as they plan both day and long weekend trips throughout the year. Am definitely going again when their next trip comes up.
You should be fine, just keep a bit of speed up on the soft sand and don't stop more than you have to. If you get stuck let the tyres down half way to get out, then fill them up again at ur nearest servo if you dont have a compressor. Don't let them down too much or you'll damage the tyres back on the road.
Also make sure you have at least 2 4WD and that at least one of you has recovery gear. If one of you gets stuck you need someone to be able to pull you out. 4WD basics ;) Also know the difference between a tow rope and a snap strap. Don't be getting a run up pulling someone out with a tow rope, use the elasticity of a snap strap if you are going to be going for a run up. I see so many people not know the difference. And for god sakes dont stand between 2 cars when pulling on the rope/strap.. If it snaps, ur gonna have a bad time.