Getting stuck.

[konradh]

So what do you do if you gunned the engine to get out and are sunk? Well, before things get to this point, the best thing to do is to be sensitive to the car’s sinking. You want to stop before the car is axle deep in sand. The other important thing is to never go 4 x 4ing alone- it’s much more fun to go with a buddy, and you may need his help at the end of the day to get yourself out of a tricky situation.


Covered in Sand

The first thing to try is to put your car or truck in reverse and try to gently back up along your tracks, as they provide a compacted path for your wheels. Another trick is to rock the car back and forth, remembering not to spin your wheels, so that the car compact about 4-6 inches at a time. Each time you try this, it will compact the sand a little more, hopefully providing the stability you need to get out.

You can also try deflating your tires down to a PSI of 13-20 and clearing some of the sand away from behind the tires or from the underside of the vehicle. If necessary, lower the psi to 10. Why deflate them? The softer the sand, the lower the pressure that is needed. This will give your tires a bigger area that will allow your tire to float over the sand, rather than dig down into it. The more tire rubber you have on the sand, the more support your tires will have if one of them gets stuck. You must deflate all four tires, because the front two create sand hills that the rear must climb continually

If you are still stuck and your tires are down to the minimum pressure, you will have to resort to a tow strap, winching or jacking to extricate yourself. The easiest method is usually by tow strap, but this relies on your buddy being present. Make sure that you have secured tow points to the front and back of your vehicle, which is where you’ll be attaching your tow strap for your buddy to pull you out of the mess you’ve made. If you are by yourself you will have to resort to winching (if you have one!) or jacking.

Before leaving home, take along a shovel, bucket, and a pair of 2x10s. A shovel is probably all you need because you can use it to dig away the sand that is between your tires, by digging a rut in front of at least two, if not all four tires. You can also use a bucket to scoop up ocean water and pour it on the sand. This will harden the sand and give your tires a bit more friction to use when digging itself out. Wood planks also can be used by putting them under a tire or two for added friction. I remember using this method to take my family out camping.