Outer Banks (OBX) Beach Driving Success!

We just got back from a wonderful week at Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. The Ridge literally made the trip a success for us. I bought it with beach driving in mind, but not as the principal factor. Then I saw some posts about the VSA coming on when you lower tire pressure (a must for the soft sand), and almost decided not to try it. But, we'd already booked the week in the OBX, so what the heck! We got the number of the local beach towing service and headed out!

Hatteras is known for having some of the softest, tire swallowing sand on the east coast. It's like powder. Hoping to avoid the VSA issue, I first tried it with normal tire pressure, VSA off, and VTM4 ON in 1st gear. That got me all of 40 feet into the beach before I was stuck! We dug a short path with our shovel, and made it another 5 feet before stopping. One more try and I made it near the water - oops - too close! Here, my inexperience almost caused an awful situation. I tried turning to face away from the beach and with the slight slope, the tires on the drivers side sunk in up to the rims! Now I'm really sweating it since the tide is coming in, slow but sure. One wave got to within a couple of feet of us.

My son and I jumped out and dropped the tire pressure to 15psi all around. Thank goodness for Staun Tire Deflators. I put it in 1st gear, VTM4 ON, and prayed. Just a light touch on the gas pedal, and she jumped out of the holes and was rolling again! After that, we could go anywhere out there. VSA being on at low tire pressure just was not a problem for us.

Lessons learned:
- Air pressure, air pressure, air pressure! 15psi was like a miracle for us.
- Be extra aware of where the beach begins sloping. Combine a little slope with some semi-wet sand, turning parallel to the beach, and you've got a very scary situation.
- Most any kind of vehicle can get stuck out there, and it's usually because they didn't air down. I saw F-150s, a CRV, an Explorer, and yes, even one rented Jeep Wrangler get stuck, and it was all because of not lowering the tire pressure. The people with the Jeep nearly burned out the clutch trying to get out before they dropped the pressure. Once they did that, the 4WD worked well. A guy working at a local surf shop says the sand is especially soft this year for some reason, and that everyone needs to air down.
- If you're going to Hatteras, there are gas stations with free air within a mile of the beach.
I'll try to post some pictures, but I'm new at that too! :)
It was difficult to get a good picture showing the sand softness, but take my word for it, it was impressive.

Here's a couple more pics

And finally, this attempts to give you a feel for the sand quality

Looks like a great time was had by you all! The truck looks awesome out there in the sand :)

Hope you washed off all that sea salt!

I used to fish there many years ago. Had a late '70s Jeep Cherokee Chief. Saw many people stuck just like you. That is some pretty tough sand to get through. Nice pics, looked like you had a great time.

Ok, I just dont get it... Why does lowering the pressure make a difference? All I've ever heard was that this was an "old wives tale". Obviously you will get a slightly different foot print in the sand, but with the reduced pressure, wont you also get a distorted pattern in the middle of the tread?

Ok, I just dont get it... Why does lowering the pressure make a difference? All I've ever heard was that this was an "old wives tale". Obviously you will get a slightly different foot print in the sand, but with the reduced pressure, wont you also get a distorted pattern in the middle of the tread?

No, lowering tire pressure to drive on sand is not an old wives tale. It works!

In areas with deep loose sand you need to lower the pressure so you "float" on top of the sand. If you don't lower the pressure you will "cut" thru the sand rather than float on it. Once you start to cut thru the sand you're finished. There's nothing under the surface to offer better traction... it just gets worse.

We just got back from a wonderful week at Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. The Ridge literally made the trip a success for us. I bought it with beach driving in mind, but not as the principal factor. Then I saw some posts about the VSA coming on when you lower tire pressure (a must for the soft sand), and almost decided not to try it. But, we'd already booked the week in the OBX, so what the heck! We got the number of the local beach towing service and headed out!

Hatteras is known for having some of the softest, tire swallowing sand on the east coast. It's like powder. Hoping to avoid the VSA issue, I first tried it with normal tire pressure, VSA off, and VTM4 ON in 1st gear. That got me all of 40 feet into the beach before I was stuck! We dug a short path with our shovel, and made it another 5 feet before stopping. One more try and I made it near the water - oops - too close! Here, my inexperience almost caused an awful situation. I tried turning to face away from the beach and with the slight slope, the tires on the drivers side sunk in up to the rims! Now I'm really sweating it since the tide is coming in, slow but sure. One wave got to within a couple of feet of us.

My son and I jumped out and dropped the tire pressure to 15psi all around. Thank goodness for Staun Tire Deflators. I put it in 1st gear, VTM4 ON, and prayed. Just a light touch on the gas pedal, and she jumped out of the holes and was rolling again! After that, we could go anywhere out there. VSA being on at low tire pressure just was not a problem for us.

Lessons learned:
- Air pressure, air pressure, air pressure! 15psi was like a miracle for us.
- Be extra aware of where the beach begins sloping. Combine a little slope with some semi-wet sand, turning parallel to the beach, and you've got a very scary situation.
- Most any kind of vehicle can get stuck out there, and it's usually because they didn't air down. I saw F-150s, a CRV, an Explorer, and yes, even one rented Jeep Wrangler get stuck, and it was all because of not lowering the tire pressure. The people with the Jeep nearly burned out the clutch trying to get out before they dropped the pressure. Once they did that, the 4WD worked well. A guy working at a local surf shop says the sand is especially soft this year for some reason, and that everyone needs to air down.
- If you're going to Hatteras, there are gas stations with free air within a mile of the beach.
I'll try to post some pictures, but I'm new at that too! :)
It was difficult to get a good picture showing the sand softness, but take my word for it, it was impressive.

WOW!! Looks like fun I need to have soon. She sure is pretty sittin' out there against the ocean. Nice job VaVet.

Nice pictures, brought back many memories.

Thanks for all the replies. CSIMO's explanation of airing down is exactly right. I even saw a small study of sorts where some guy on a fishing site had actually done the measurements of how much extra surface area you get at each pressure level. The real increase in width on the sand comes at the 15psi to 12psi level. Before that, the tire is maintaining most of it's normal shape. You have to be careful of going too low though. Turns for example with really low pressure (8-10) can pop the rubber off the rim. Then you've got a really bad day! The Staun deflators were a godsend. Someone else on ROC had recommended them, and while they're not cheap ($40-$50) for a set of 4, they are fast, and go to the exactly the pressure you've set every time. We could've done it the normal way, but when it's hot out there, ease and speed count.

Hatteras is indeed a very special place. As is the small island of Okrakoke. You take a ferry from Hatteras to Okrakoke, and the ride is in itself worth going there. I've attached a picture of my RL taking a ride on the ferry. We went over and back twice. You're really packed in there, but surprisingly nobody banged their doors into my truck! The seagulls did score a couple of direct hits, but my son, my #2 RL fan, quickly got that cleaned up :)

I used to fish there many years ago. Had a late '70s Jeep Cherokee Chief. Saw many people stuck just like you. That is some pretty tough sand to get through. Nice pics, looked like you had a great time.
I think there were more Jeeps out there than anything, for obvious reasons. There's a dealership up in Nags Head (on the way to Hatteras) that will rent them - a good alternative if you'd like to keep your RL on the road. Jeeps and Silverados - they were everywhere. At least the folks in the Silverados drove slowly. The kids in the rented Jeeps drove like it was a thrill ride at Six Flags - just because they could I guess. It was good to see how helpful people on the beach were though when someone got stuck. It wouldn't be but a couple of minutes before folks would show up to offer advice, and push. Surprising how well a push from 2 or 3 folks works.

Looks like a great time was had by you all! The truck looks awesome out there in the sand :)

Hope you washed off all that sea salt!
Yes indeed. I'm still a little nuts about keeping it cleaned. It got a good wash each evening, including the undercarriage, and a thorough cleaning when we got home yesterday. We brought back a bunch of sand in the carpets, but there's still plenty left for all :)

Great info and super pics, VaVet96! Makes me long for the beach! Thanks!!! :D

Wow, I guess there's all kinds of sand. Thanks, that was a good post with excellent info. I haven't had to air down in sand yet. I've done pretty well just in the normal AWD mode in deep dry sand. it's good to know the magic 15psi number if I need to. I guess people should bring a tank of air so they can air back up when they hit the pavement.

Just curious, what did your NAV system say on your last picture? Great story, great pictures, great info. Thanks for sharing it with us. Again, I learned something today on the ROC. I never would have known about the tire pressure issue. Knowing that just may get me out of a jamb some day. Thanks again!

Wow, I guess there's all kinds of sand. Thanks, that was a good post with excellent info. I haven't had to air down in sand yet. I've done pretty well just in the normal AWD mode in deep dry sand. it's good to know the magic 15psi number if I need to. I guess people should bring a tank of air so they can air back up when they hit the pavement.
I thought about taking an air tank, but instead bought one of those portable units that run off your lighter ("not a lighter?") outlet. Well, it worked fine on the first and 2nd tires and then overheated. It was even labelled as being for truck and SUV tires. Guess that really means for one truck tire. After a 10 minute cool down, it would go again, but not for long. After that first day, I just drove the half mile or so to the gas station real easy to bring the tires back up. Much easier and so much faster.
There are a lot of Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach access points that are not close to any stations though, so the air tank would probably be a good idea. I knew I would be going on the beach right at that point, and I also wasn't sure how many of the tires a tank would bring back up. Might try it next time.

Just curious, what did your NAV system say on your last picture? Great story, great pictures, great info. Thanks for sharing it with us. Again, I learned something today on the ROC. I never would have known about the tire pressure issue. Knowing that just may get me out of a jamb some day. Thanks again!
Thanks! I've learned so much on the ROC from all of you, so I went down there with the intention of coming back with some good info.
As to the NAV, I wish I could tell you. I'm one of those folks that didn't spring for the NAV when I bought my RL, and now wish that I had. We were out walking around the ferry most of the time, but my son informed me that we had lost the XM signal for part of the ride. I think that happened because of the large tower on the ferry blocking the satellite's signal though.

You took your girl for a ride on a boat!! SWEET!! I'm jealous. I will not be showing this picture to Lady Ridgena. :D
Thank you for posting all this valuable information.
Direct hit huh?? Too funny!!!!
Have a great day!

You took your girl for a ride on a boat!! SWEET!! I'm jealous. I will not be showing this picture to Lady Ridgena. :D
Thank you for posting all this valuable information.
Direct hit huh?? Too funny!!!!
Have a great day!
I hope my Ridge enjoyed it as much as we did! The ferrys are really something. Okrakoke literally relies on them for absolutely everything. In the summer, one arrives at each end at least every half hour, and more frequently sometimes. The ride lasts about 20 minutes and just as pretty as you could hope for. This year was unusual because the tip of Cape Hatteras (a favorite fishing spot) had no fishermen or their trucks on it. The last mile or so has been closed because an endangered bird species, the "piping plover" had some baby birds. It's driving the fishermen crazy, but apparently this bird likes to take refuge in low places (like tire tracks) when it's scared. Until they've grown up a little, the Park Service closed the area. Still plenty of beach to go out on though.
From Okrakoke there are ferries to mainland NC, but those rides last 2-3 hours.

You took your girl for a ride on a boat!! SWEET!! I'm jealous. I will not be showing this picture to Lady Ridgena. :D
Thank you for posting all this valuable information.
Direct hit huh?? Too funny!!!!
Have a great day!

I'm not sure all RLs are girls, but then again I'm not sure how to sex a Ridgeline. How is this done?

The Staun deflators were a godsend. Someone else on ROC had recommended them, and while they're not cheap ($40-$50) for a set of 4,
I've been looking at those, but they usually go for nearly $60. WHere have you seen them in the $40 range?

I thought about taking an air tank, but instead bought one of those portable units that run off your lighter ("not a lighter?") outlet. Well, it worked fine on the first and 2nd tires and then overheated. It was even labelled as being for truck and SUV tires. Guess that really means for one truck tire. After a 10 minute cool down, it would go again, but not for long. After that first day, I just drove the half mile or so to the gas station real easy to bring the tires back up. Much easier and so much faster.
There are a lot of Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach access points that are not close to any stations though, so the air tank would probably be a good idea. I knew I would be going on the beach right at that point, and I also wasn't sure how many of the tires a tank would bring back up. Might try it next time.

I'm pretty sure your standard $20 air tank will take all 4 tires from 15 to 32psi almost as fast as the pump at the filling station. Those little 12 volt air pumps are just for dire emergencies, but I still keep one in the trunk.

I've been looking at those, but they usually go for nearly $60. WHere have you seen them in the $40 range?
You are absolutely right. I got them from http://www.eco4wd.com/products/Hardware/StaunDeflators.htm#top
and they currently go for $66. I bought them about 6 months ago, but they were probably near that cost. That was during the time leading up to buying my RL, and it's kind of a blur looking back on it now. Still, worth every penny.

This beach in NC looks just like Nausett Beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore.

This beach in NC looks just like Nausett Beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Can you drive on the one in Cape Cod? We were actually surprised at how easy it was to sink down in the sand at Hatteras. Walking is somewhat difficult, and there are areas in the actual wet shoreline where it's a real chore to walk. It was beautiful though.

VaVet96 You mentioned the VSA being on. Was their a noise or alarm that sounded or anything like that?

Thanks for bringing up the thread again. Hadn't looked at it in many months and it sure brought back some good memories.
I don't remember any VSA alarm going off (nothing audible anyway). The low tire pressure lights were all on of course. Some folks have since written about pulling the appropriate fuses to disable VSA - which they also say lights up the dash like a Christmas tree. Whatever works I guess.
We're heading back to Cape Hatteras in the OBX in late June. Man, I can't wait to get back out there!

I live in Moyock, which is not too far from OBX and just recently got my Ridgeline and plan on going down there several times this summ, thanks for the tip, maybe I'll see you there.

Just returned from our most recent trip to the OBX and beach driving on Hatteras. Pulled the 20amp VSA fuse for the first time as some have suggested. What a difference! The BRAKE, VSA and ABS warning lights came on and stayed on, but that was not a problem. Having the VSA computer god take a well deserved rest allowed the truck to perform as it should on sand. In prior trips, we did ok with tires at 15psi, 1st gear and VTM lock, but there was a bit of mushiness. It must have been from the VSA trying to compensate for the slipping. With VSA off, it just rode like a tank out there. A very pleasant experience.

By the way, in contrast to our trip last year when we were the only RL out there, we saw four other RLs this time. Of course the beach was still swarming with Silverados, F-150s and Jeeps. Only saw two vehicles stuck up to their frames this time - both Jeep Wranglers. One had a mechanical failure and could not re-engage 4wd. The other driver just had no clue of how to drive on sand. Ah, good times for one and all!

Just returned from our most recent trip to the OBX and beach driving on Hatteras. Pulled the 20amp VSA fuse for the first time as some have suggested. What a difference!


What is the difference between turning the VSA off vs pulling the fuse? It seems if you turn it off, it would not work, so why pull the fuse?

Doug

I have never driven the RL in sand before, but this is what I have heard about VSA. If one or more tires causes the tire pressure sensors come on, and airing down to 15 lbs would do this, the VSA system comes on and cannot be overriden with the switch on the dash. The only way to override the VSA at this point would be to pull the proper fuse to cut power to VSA. So basicly, if wanted to air down and be able to "romp" on the gas and pwer through or over something, you would have to do this to make the VSA turn off. At least thats what it seems like to me.

Can you drive on the one in Cape Cod? We were actually surprised at how easy it was to sink down in the sand at Hatteras. Walking is somewhat difficult, and there are areas in the actual wet shoreline where it's a real chore to walk. It was beautiful though.



You can go to many beaches on the Cape but you must pay each town for a sticker and it can be expensive ( I dont think you can just get a one day pass, you have to buy for the season). That is the way it was when I grew up on the Cape. If you like deep sand, you will like the Cape.

I have never driven the RL in sand before, but this is what I have heard about VSA. If one or more tires causes the tire pressure sensors come on, and airing down to 15 lbs would do this, the VSA system comes on and cannot be overriden with the switch on the dash. The only way to override the VSA at this point would be to pull the proper fuse to cut power to VSA. So basicly, if wanted to air down and be able to "romp" on the gas and pwer through or over something, you would have to do this to make the VSA turn off. At least thats what it seems like to me.
You're absolutely right CJMDwyer. I've never actually tried to "romp" on the gas in sand. Just slow and steady for me. But, being able to keep the VSA off when it desperately wants to come on (deep sand is really just a continual slippage situation after all), makes the whole process a lot easier and sure footed. At least that's my experience over the past two years.

Well that does make sense. I haven't been on the sand in a while, back when I was living in Eastern NC in the 80's and driving my '83 F-150 with manual locking hubs. I would air down and take it slow and steady and never had a problem, and that truck was very very simple.

In fact it is is so simple, I still have it. Straight 6, manual hubs, no carpet, manual window cranks, split seats, cracked dash, faded paint, no A/C, black smoke, leaky transmission, warpped brake rotors. Not a pleasure to drive. It is now my dump truck, goes to the dump and back.

Doug