How to exit a beach when towing a caravan

#trailertowing #beachdriving #caravan #trailersanddriving #sanddriving
How do you exit a beach when towing a trailer? It can be hard enough to get off some beaches without a trailer, but with? In this video I explain why towing a trailer on a beach is difficult, and show one technique that might get you off a beach without towing or digging. Other options are Maxtrax and reducing tyre pressures...but this works too.
Post questions as comments!
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[@druspork7737]

As others have said, and you also say in the video, pressures would have been my first call. Still, what a wonderful video and fabulous display. I'll be adding that technique to my driving for sure.

[@andrewwiltshire2689]

Always good to have another technique up your sleeve, thanks Robert.

[@brentonl1746]

Thanks for this excellent explanation found this incredibly helpful.

[@L2SFBC]

Very glad to hear that, please share :-)

[@nicknick7052]

Well, it depends. Narrow beach? dry sand? soft sand? shallow slope? Sometimes the momentum could exceed the tracks drag. It's really difficult to apply the same technique all the times. But your video is still a good mental exercise. Thank you

[@L2SFBC]

Definitely. There are a range of techniques and this is just one and one which is not often used. Mostly people just use momentum or dig out. Both are valid techniques.

[@BenMitro]

That is such a great principle to highlight and illustrating that technique Robert - thanks. I was thinking that you could make a very long and gradual turn way before the exit (so you get most of the wheels in the same two tracks, but then realised the other part of the idea is to compact the sand, so that long, gradual turn approach will not give you that. (In addition, the long gradual technique is heavily dependant on the distance from the exit to the water line - how big can you make the radius). I can't imagine how many times it would take getting bogged before one woke up to the technique you illustrated? You've saved me a lot of frustration.

[@L2SFBC]

A long, gradual turn will create less drag / rolling resistance than a sharp one, but still more drag than a straight line, and you're spot on about not compacting the sand. How long did it take me to come up with this? First time I went sand driving, it's just logical to me. Same thing can work in other terrains such as mud and snow. I'm not the only one to use this technique before someone says they were doing it in 1947, but nobody taught it to me.

[@ianmac2963]

Excellent - thanks Robert

[@L2SFBC]

My pleasure glad it was useful 👍

[@downhill64]

Air down all the tires to around 12 psi, makes a unbelievable difference.

[@L2SFBC]

Sure does, and if I'd have done that, then it'd have been easier. However, I wanted to show another technique. This video shows the effect of tyre pressures - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3-ThZlomr6De5o

[@michaelsecomb4115]

I try to choose an existing continuous straight set of wheel tracks and follow them, as previous vehicles have already compacted the sand, improving traction.

[@L2SFBC]

Absolutely!

[@andrewahern3730]

Interesting technique. I notice all your videos pretty much come down to patience and minimizing energy

[@L2SFBC]

Hmm, you're not entirely wrong! There is an alternative to 'send it' :-)

[@iandibley8032]

Low tyre pressure 15 psi and momentum is the secret always works for me, traction control off. Go up behind Indian head on Fraser much more difficult than that beach.

[@L2SFBC]

And there's places in that area more difficult than that exit. Yes momentum, ramps, pressures could have worked too...but I chose to use and demonstrate that technique.

[@jerrymyahzcat]

Please try to use a camera with stabilisation when recording. That was difficult to watch. An iPhone will fix that for you. Camera shake makes for a super distracting and hard to watch video. Thanks. Note: If the beach is deep enough from water to exit, you may be able to make your entire turn on the compact sand and then exit straight through the softer stuff all in one go.

[@kathyl67]

Great video! Think I'd struggle reversing straight each time though or maybe not? :)

[@L2SFBC]

Anyone can be taught to back a trailer. Never met anyone I can't teach to do that.

[@kathyl67]

@@L2SFBC Challenge accepted then Robert? 🤔

[@snakeo99]

Great video as usual Robert! What is your after beach cleaning regime for the car and camper? Any rust prevention on the car? I cover the underside in lanox a few weeks pre-trip and the usual hose out every nook and cranny afterwards.

[@L2SFBC]

Just lots of fresh water. Ideally, you drive through a rainstorm on the way home :-)

[@orangejuicepony6881]

I just wait until low tide and make the turn on the hard sand and don't slow down, not worries. High tide exits, no thanks.

[@L2SFBC]

I've heard other people just wait for the tectonic plates to shift.

[@tempestv8]

🤣

[@awkawk]

great videos!, would love to have a video about Manual gearbox usage in dunes/sand , shifting correctly, rpm etc... , Im using a manual gen 4 jimny for example.

[@L2SFBC]

Just finished filming How to Set up a Jimny for Sand - coming soon!

[@simonr23]

in a jimny? just flat out in whatever gear can reach 4500-5000rpm! maybe high range 1st, or low range 3rd?

[@L2SFBC]

Nope drop pressures and cruise...trick is Jimny pressures are lower than normal cars.

[@awkawk]

@@L2SFBC Thank you, looking forward to see the new video, considering the dune im trying to climb is a very steep 35meter monster.. "flat out" approach fails, my issue is shifting while climbing i seem to lose traction if i don't nail the timing and it's not easy due to the bouncy coulisse others left there..

[@L2SFBC]

Hah I've covered that exact point in the video! The Jimny auto 'box is, unfortunately, about as smart as a bag of sticks and has only four gears. However. There are things you can do. First is figure out which gear you'll ascend in and lock out the rest e.g. if it's a 2nd hi range gear climb lock out 3rd and 4th to save the downshift. Also consider using low range for a differnet set of gears, and ensure you disable ESC with a long press - comes back on over 30km/h, but I'll show you a hack for that. Finally, pressures pressures pressures. My rule is halve the placard to start with, so for a Jimny 13psi max. Then drop further - Jimnys can run around all day on sand at 10 and even lower. Watch this for effect of the last 2-3 psi below 15. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3-ThZlomr6De5o

[@SanoyNimbus]

I have a question. If the size are equal on the trailer, does it mater what tires you use? Street, all terrain, mud terrain?? (on the trailer)

[@L2SFBC]

I'd go all-terrain on an offroad trailer. Don't see the need for muds for most cases unless you want to tyre-match the towcar.

[@paulvictor9368]

No one can answer this question. Maybe you can. Is a double axle or single axle the best van for sand given the weight and wheel size is the same??

[@L2SFBC]

In a straight line, the tandem. Turning...maybe the single, the tighter the turn the better the single performs. Reason being the tandem offers greater contact patch and therefore flotation. However, the tandem must be a proper and full load-sharing system - check this one out kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqi4Zndrq9yFp8U

[@paulvictor9368]

@@L2SFBC thank you! 👍🏻

[@darrinevans6858]

You mentioned MaxTrax have you looked at Truck claws as an alternative?

[@L2SFBC]

No I haven't. I would expect such a device to be useful in mud but not sand, but who's to know till it's tested.

[@darrinevans6858]

@@L2SFBC There are some KZbin videos of them being used in Sand. I’m just looking for anyone that’s used them for first hand stories. Far less bulky than maxtrax. Thanks

[@zampara236]

can you tell weight of trailer/ranger?

[@L2SFBC]

5.3t

[@danielwhite3898]

You tripping off ya head cobba? Drop your tyre pressures for a start!

[@L2SFBC]

They were already down - as I said in the video I could have lowered them further, or used recovery ramps, but I chose to demonstrate this technique instead. If there was another vehicle I could have used that for a snatch recovery too.

[@rodhayman7258]

Just send mate😂

[@L2SFBC]

I did....lots of little sends!

[@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120]

Good video ✔️. Just some advice get some diff locks and it will eliminate that problem.

[@L2SFBC]

Unfortunately not. The reasons; the cross-axle lockers (difflocks) will increase your turning radius and that's exactly what we're trying to avoid. The problem they solve is one wheel having more traction than the other but on flattish sand that's not a problem overall traction is a problem. I do have a rear difflock in that car but certainly did not engage it for this operation.

[@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120]

@@L2SFBC l drive on the sand dunes in beach port and along the shore lines with both diff-locks on in My 80series and never looks like stopping,and high country when muddy to slippery road in NSW towing an off road tralier with excellent traction

[@teeanahera8949]

@@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120 you’re forgetting the considerable cost of diff locks compared with zero cost of better technique.

[@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120]

@@teeanahera8949 cost does not come into it when you don't have to worrying about getting bogged. I never had a winch on my car, but Carry Army mud chain's incase.

[@L2SFBC]

Teen, an excellent point, thanks!

[@JimmyStewpot]

Too much logic. It is much "better" to have 5 x the horse power and get stuck on camera blocking the path out. Sarcasm based on what I see on beaches across Australia

[@L2SFBC]

There's other channels you can see the 'send it' approach in action, or solving the problem with bigger tyres and power. Yes an advantage I didn't think of is that the exit is never blocked, you can always let someone in or out.

[@BenMitro]

Well said. Add to that the the horsepower and the bigger tyres make it harder and more risky to deal wiith the other conditions on the way to and from that beach.

[@technopsychobedlam]

I think avoiding taking caravans on beaches in the first place is a better approach

[@L2SFBC]

Or even driving on beaches at all?

[@technopsychobedlam]

@@L2SFBC Ummm, no. Towing caravans on beaches was what was referred to.