Beach driving with a truck camper

[NaturalSight]

I have been truck camping for 2 1/2 years now, with a 7 week Alaskan trip and a number extended trips to the South West from my home in the Central Coast of California under my belt, I am planning a couple of beach TC trips and need some recommendations. I am considering purchasing a set of Staun Automatic Tire Deflators. Should I get the Heavy Duty 15-55 PSI or Light Duty 6-30 PSI version, how long and what strength of a tow rope do I need and are a couple of 1x2 foot 3/4 inch plywood sand boards sufficient (I have a shovel already mounted on my camper?
2013 Hallmark Ute
2015 RAM 3500
Goodrich KO2

 

[lqhikers]

My thoughts on sand driving with truck/camper not to be confused
with jeep buggy play.

First you did not mention if your ram is 4x4, type of diff.(locking ?) tire size.
all will effect out come.

When i drove in Baja, beach, soft sand roads always look for your stopping spot
and make sure you are not stopped facing up hill. lower your tire pressure before you
you get in trouble, i would go for the 6-30 psi version.in my opinion you can not go to low.

Soon as you spin your wheels you will be stuck! sand boards of the size you stated
(to short, to light) will not last your rig is to heavy .I used pieces of heavy horse trailer mat
worked for me both with Toyota/fwc and vw,chevy,ford,vans over the years.

You will also need a strong at least 2 foot sq. base for a jack platform as soft beach sand
will swallow your jack with out. most of the time if you are stuck and you need to use sand ladders you
need to jack rig up as frame is almost always in the sand.

Tow straps ; make sure that who ever tows you does not get a running start i've seen front bumpers
ripped off this way. i also would never let my truck towed with chain or cable, stretch tow line only.

Last when you do get stuck ( and you will if you spend much time in soft stuff) take a break and
think where you end up as once you get moving, you could end up in a worse spot.

On beaches beware of sloping area's easy spots to get stuck.

Just my thoughts yours may differ.

Les,lqhikers

 

[OutbacKamper]

lghikers has posted some excellent advice. I only have a few things to add:

1) I would get the heavy duty Staun deflators (that's what I use). You absolutely can air down too low when it comes to a 3500 series truck with a camper. Anything less than 20 psi would be for dire emergencies only for such a large and heavy vehicle and in the single digits you are almost guaranteed to lose a bead.
2) Those small pieces of plywood you are suggesting will be useless in soft sand. I use 2 pieces of old snowmobile track. My second choice would be MaxTrax or similar.
3) Be very careful regarding tides and time your beach trips accordingly

 

[camelracer]

I normally run 20 psi in soft sand and haven't had any problems pulling the Jeep back into the dunes at either Pismo and Glamis. You have to be careful not to make any sharp turns at that pressure. I have the Staun deflators but would recommend the ARB tire deflator tool. This will allow you to air down to any pressure you want and it is as fast as the Stauns for 4 tires.

You have a couple of choices on ropes. Decide if you want a tow rope/strap or recovery rope/strap. The difference is whether they stretch or not. Recovery straps are usually made from nylon and stretch to allow the recovery vehicle to gain momentum. Tow straps don't stretch and are made of polyester material. A recovery strap can be used for short distance towing but a tow strap shouldn't be used for a momentum type recovery. The strap should be rated at least 3 times the vehicle weight and normal lengths are 20 to 30 ft. Also make sure you have a solid frame mounted attachment point on each end of your vehicle - not a tow ball.

 

[smlobx]

I agree with OutbackKamper.
Although my experience is on the East Coast the sands of the Outer Banks of NC are some of the softest around.

In order to drive on the beaches there you have to have a permit which, in part, requires you to have a tow strap, shovel etc.

If I take my F-350 diesel on the beach I start out at 30/25 (street inflation per placard is 65/80) and if I detect ANY slippage I stop immediately and drop another 5 psi. I have never needed to go to 20 psi.

If you are looking for some mildly entertaining videos of people getting stuck on the OBX look up Oregon Inlet Idiots of Facebook...but be careful, you may loose a few brain cells...

 

[NaturalSight]

Thanks for all the info in your replies. A bit more info on my TC:
4x4
Camper wet weight approx. 2100 lbs
18 inch tires
Lockable differential

Under what conditions should I lock the differential?