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Has anyone taken their Bronco and driven on the Beach Access? First time taking a 4WD on beach, want to take the family down a bit and get a decent spot. What should I air down to? Any other considerations?
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You know, that's what I tell everyone up here...
As a kid in HS, living in Corpus Christi, we were routinely able to take our personal cars out on the beach. In fact, we would 'cruise' the beach looking for friends (and that ever elusive 'topless chick' somebody swears they saw earlier). LOL
Where I live now, you need to cough up annual fees to drive out of the massive remote parking lot onto the beach and even that's limited to certain areas.
The local off-road group does a seminar showing folks what they need to know about beach/sand driving. If you haven't been to one of the off-roadeos offered, I suggest you head there for a very good tutorial of the general capabilities of the Bronco.
At the Off-Roadeo we went to, all the Broncos were aired down to about 26 PSI. We spent the whole day in 4L (your Big Bend has 'Sand' mode also). We didn't have a need to demonstrate any recovery techniques as the Bronco was able to get out of just about any 'stuck' situation we encountered without using any specialized tools.
Check with friends locally, but I hear Traction Boards are handy. At ANY sign of a loss of traction, get out, assess the situation, and come up with a plan. In some cases, backing up will help, in others locking one or both differentials will help. Never off-road alone, unless you're very experienced or fully equipped to get out of just about any situation.
In the meantime, stick to the hard-packed 'roadway' out of the water and soft sand. Don't show off and be safe. I'll just remain jealous (and a little homesick).
As a kid in HS, living in Corpus Christi, we were routinely able to take our personal cars out on the beach. In fact, we would 'cruise' the beach looking for friends (and that ever elusive 'topless chick' somebody swears they saw earlier). LOL
Where I live now, you need to cough up annual fees to drive out of the massive remote parking lot onto the beach and even that's limited to certain areas.
The local off-road group does a seminar showing folks what they need to know about beach/sand driving. If you haven't been to one of the off-roadeos offered, I suggest you head there for a very good tutorial of the general capabilities of the Bronco.
At the Off-Roadeo we went to, all the Broncos were aired down to about 26 PSI. We spent the whole day in 4L (your Big Bend has 'Sand' mode also). We didn't have a need to demonstrate any recovery techniques as the Bronco was able to get out of just about any 'stuck' situation we encountered without using any specialized tools.
Check with friends locally, but I hear Traction Boards are handy. At ANY sign of a loss of traction, get out, assess the situation, and come up with a plan. In some cases, backing up will help, in others locking one or both differentials will help. Never off-road alone, unless you're very experienced or fully equipped to get out of just about any situation.
In the meantime, stick to the hard-packed 'roadway' out of the water and soft sand. Don't show off and be safe. I'll just remain jealous (and a little homesick).
OP
OP
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- #3
Thanks for the feedback! I am not looking to do anything crazy, just drive down to find a good spot, park, unload and enjoy with the family !
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Taken the Bronco down to Port A a few times and honestly never aired down. I'm sure if you go down to the Padre Island area that is a little less traffic you might want to look at that. But 4H everytime in PortA has been good for me!
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You're welcome! Enjoy the beach!
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Airing down: on soft sand the lower the better, you should be able to get down to 15 psi without too much worry about rolling a bead, but single digits are best when the sand is super soft.
Things to bring: a shovel, doesn’t have to be huge, just a little mini ET type one is fine to dig with if you need. If you don’t have traction boards, some old carpet can work, also bring a bucket to get water in to wet the sand if you get stuck which will compact it more and make it easier to get unstuck.
Other things to consider: remember, your actions have impact on the future accessibility of the beach for future beachgoers. The area between the dunes and the water is considered a state highway in Texas, so remember it’s not a free for all out there. STAY OFF THE DUNES - these are the protection from future storms, and driving in the dunes reduces the vegetation, which reduces the size of the dunes and the protection they give. It’s also illegal. If you decide to mess around on the bay side, stay on established trails and especially stay out of the tall grass, the ground is softest there usually.
When you pick your spot, pay attention to where the last high tide was and don’t leave your rig parked below there unattended.
Things to bring: a shovel, doesn’t have to be huge, just a little mini ET type one is fine to dig with if you need. If you don’t have traction boards, some old carpet can work, also bring a bucket to get water in to wet the sand if you get stuck which will compact it more and make it easier to get unstuck.
Other things to consider: remember, your actions have impact on the future accessibility of the beach for future beachgoers. The area between the dunes and the water is considered a state highway in Texas, so remember it’s not a free for all out there. STAY OFF THE DUNES - these are the protection from future storms, and driving in the dunes reduces the vegetation, which reduces the size of the dunes and the protection they give. It’s also illegal. If you decide to mess around on the bay side, stay on established trails and especially stay out of the tall grass, the ground is softest there usually.
When you pick your spot, pay attention to where the last high tide was and don’t leave your rig parked below there unattended.
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Heck, I've driven on the beach at Port A in a sedan many times. No need to air down, and really no need for 4wd. The sand is pretty well packed in the driving area. Just don't go off into the dunes - doing do is illegal anyway.
You do need to buy a county beach permit or risk a fine.
You do need to buy a county beach permit or risk a fine.
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