Feature by Michael Sean Walters
Coastal Sand
1. Do your research. Don't assume all beaches are alike. Each has its own quirks. Beaches with an offshore reef are generally better protected from erosion, whereas beaches in tight coves, where the swell's energy is narrowly focussed, can result in a beach with a pronounced side-slope and danger writ-large all over it.
2. Be aware of time and tide. If you go in, can you come out later with an escape route?
3. Release the pressure. A low tyre pressure is integral to success – it lengthens the tyre's footprint creating a greater surface area to support your vehicle's weight. For coastal sand, start at 18psi/120kPa. As the sands become progressively more difficult, keep letting air out. Incremental reductions of 2-3psi make a big, big difference in mobility. But be aware, anything below 15psi/100kPa needs to be accompanied with a very fluid driving style – big wide turns, gentle application of the brake or accelerator to prevent a tyre coming off the wheel – and as soon as normal running is restored, pump them back up to a more appropriate pressure for the trail ahead.
4. Steer straight and true. A big rookie mistake is to lose sight of where dead-ahead is. In sand you want to preserve momentum by barely using the brakes and steering straight. Any unwarranted steering will place your front wheels at odds to the direction of travel and cost momentum.
5. Be aware of bogging. At the first hint of forward motion ceasing and engine speed increasing, get off the accelerator. Persisting with a heavy right foot will ensure that you spin those wheels and gradually sink into the sand. If the chassis hits the deck there will be plenty of digging to do, so preserving undercarriage clearance means you'll likely still be able to self-retrieve without the assistance of another vehicle.
6. Low gear is your friend. Plenty of folk are reluctant to explore the potential of their vehicles. One of the best bits about 4WD ownership is LOW range. LOW range multiplies the torque (which = grunt) that the engine can deliver. It can be your get-out-of-gaol-free card when the chips are down.
7. Traction Control (TRC) is not your friend. Modern electronics are good but off-road and on sand Traction Control isn't. Find the button on your dashboard and disable it to stop autonomous braking, thus preserving that all-important momentum. Ditto if your vehicle runs (ESC) Electronic Stability Control.
Four wheel driving on the beach near Port Gregory, by Isuzu Australia
Desert Sand (as above)
1. Change your tyres. Standard issue 4WD vehicles off the showroom floor are fitted with (P) Passenger car tyres as 90% of 4WD buyers enjoy an urban existence and with no intention of going bush. The smart money is to swap to (LT) Light-Truck in an (A/T) All-Terrain pattern. Better puncture resistance means any contact with timber, rocks or spinifex doesn't sustain damage and that buys significant peace-of-mind when you're ages away from help.
2. Even softer sands require less pressure. Unlike coastal sands, desert sands usually miss out on moisture. Apart from the chance of some overnight dew in winter and spring, desert sands are likely going to be bone dry unless there's been a recent rainfall. The sand will be soft, so lower pressures will be the norm and likely too, LOW range will be the requirement to keep the ponies pulling to their best potential.
Four wheel driving on the beach near Port Gregory, by Isuzu Australia
Jump-Up Country
1. Take your time. Climbing up and down steep craggy hills is not something you want to do quickly, so get it into LOW range and pick your way carefully over the lumps and bumps. That way there'll be no undercarriage scars and your passengers won't be thrown around.
2. Kick your navigator out. Some tracks through the rocks are difficult to pick from inside the truck, so when a particularly technical part of the trail presents itself, get your navigator to be your outside eyes and direct you out of difficulty.
3. Let the air out… again. Reducing tyre pressure works in the rocks as well. 18psi/120kPa gives a tyre plenty of flexibility to mould itself to the rocks its clambering over while providing a more comfortable ride with better grip. There's also less likelihood of punctures!
4. Steep descents demand respect. Always present the vehicle, whether its climbing or descending, in a vertical pathway. Going cross-country on the diagonal increases the risk of rolling over. Going downhill demands the lowest of the low gears to slow the descending speed to a snail's pace. Some supplementary foot-brake added for extra composure is OK, but a slower speed enables a good grip and gives you time to steer around the bumpier bits without fear. Some vehicles also use electronics to help the cause and one called (HDC) Hill Descent Control can add an extra layer of speed management that's helpful.
Photo by Isuzu Australia
If you found this article interesting, you might want to put these tips to the test with our range of Western Australian road trips.
Published March 2020.