Jeep da Beach

7280 Views 44 Replies 15 Participants Last post by JustinS, Oct 4, 2013

Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · Sep 2, 2013 (Edited)

As a follow-up to my recent thread asking about airing-down for "Jeeping" on the beach, I'll say we had a great time last week while on vacation in Kure Beach NC adding that activity to our itinerary.

Wednesday morning, we drove a couple miles south from our rented duplex and bought a beach pass for the magnificent Fort Fischer park. After squatting on the hot pavement to let a whole bunch of air out of my tires

we headed out into "sand land". It was an interesting experience, but my Summit negotiated things well in "Sand" mode. There were places where things were pretty bouncy (the teens enjoyed that for sure

) but otherwise it was smooth sailing. The Jeep did work pretty hard for the couple hours of actual driving in the loose and deep sand...temps were up for sure. And it was sucking fuel like it was enjoying a really good milk shake.

At any rate, here are some nice photos of my largely-a-highway-monster playing on the beach and getting a nice "tan"...

This dude came flying by where we were enjoying the sand and surf...

The first and likely last time my Summit will actually spend a night inside of a garage. LOL

The traveling rig...we felt that things were way too crammed on the way down, so we stopped at a Northern Tool store in Hampton VA and bought a hitch-mounted carrier (assembled in a hotel parking lot...) and at Lowes for a bin to put all the beach stuff, etc., in for the remainder of the trip. It worked out well and is a nice accessory to have when the utility trailer is too big for a small shopping excursion.

Oh...22mpg for the trip, despite the fuel economy heading into the toilet while on the beach. I can live with that, considering there were four adult sized people and "stuff" along for the ride.

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Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #21 · Sep 5, 2013

Yes, there were many endangered sea turtle nests staked out during our visit and there were nightly vigils as it was time to hatch.

willjeep

· #22 · Sep 5, 2013

here in N.Y. access gets closed off due to the endangered Piping plovers. I hear they taste like chicken.

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torifile

· #23 · Sep 23, 2013

Heading out to Kure this weekend. Looking forward to it! Is there a checklist I can use to help me make sure I don't get stranded?

Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #24 · Sep 23, 2013

Well, I'm next to zero experience with beach Jeeping, but it's not a bad idea to have a shovel, a length of board and anything else you might need to get "un-stuck". The park service will not rescue you, although they will cheerfully call a towing company that undoubtedly charge a lot of change for the service! And the usual stuff...water, snacks, sunscreen, a beach chair and a good book. LOL Seriously, you'll really enjoy Kure and the Ft Fischer beach.

bill_de

· #25 · Sep 23, 2013

willjeep said:
here in N.Y. access gets closed off due to the endangered Piping plovers. I hear they taste like chicken.

At Smith Point they direct "traffic" to drive along the top of the dunes until you bypass the nesting area.

In '03 I drove to Newfoundland. We got off the ferry at Port aux Basques, checked into the hotel and went to the beach. We were greeted with signs that the beach was closed for Piping Plover nesting season.

torifile

· #26 · Sep 24, 2013

Jim_in_PA said:
Well, I'm next to zero experience with beach Jeeping, but it's not a bad idea to have a shovel, a length of board and anything else you might need to get "un-stuck". The park service will not rescue you, although they will cheerfully call a towing company that undoubtedly charge a lot of change for the service! And the usual stuff...water, snacks, sunscreen, a beach chair and a good book. LOL Seriously, you'll really enjoy Kure and the Ft Fischer beach.

I bought a few things in preparation today. Those expensive tire deflators, a pump, a d-ring thing for my hitch.

Then I got some crazy idea about safety. Is it safe out there? I mean from no-goodnicks and whatnot? If I weren't traveling with my family, I wouldn't be concerned about but...

Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #27 · Sep 24, 2013

It's safe...almost deserted. No worries. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy it on the beach with your family along the way. Do note the time for high tide as there is one narrow place about half-way down that "may" be a problem at absolute high tide. Otherwise, it's a "drive on the beach". Put your jeep in Sand mode and take your time--drive steady. Watch your temps...I found that the deeper sand was tough on the drive train.

BTW, your family may spot porpoises out in the water...keep eyes out for them!

willjeep

· #28 · Sep 24, 2013

Besides the "D" ring, bring:
1. folding shovel
2. 3/4 x 3x3 wood jack board
3. 18" wide x 4' long strips of old carpet ( optional)
4. tow strap
5. Garbage bags, Leave no trace carry out more that your brought in
6. fishing pole / tackle / bait or lures
7. Have fun!

dudefromflorida

· #29 · Sep 24, 2013

The Jeep looks great on the beach. I frequent Carolina Beach, Freeman Park, on the north side. I have a year pass and take my WJ out there at least 4 weekend a year and camp there.
In a few weeks I will be headed to Ft. Fisher for the final beach run of the year since they opened it to 24hr now that the peak season is over.. hopefully going to catch the fall run of fish and doing some much needed surf fishing all weekend.
Glad you had a good time at Fisher. It is a very nice beach year 'round. (Freeman Park is a zoo in the peak season and do not recommend sleeping there May-August)

Best,
Steven

dudefromflorida

· #30 · Sep 24, 2013

torifile said:
I bought a few things in preparation today. Those expensive tire deflators, a pump, a d-ring thing for my hitch.

Then I got some crazy idea about safety. Is it safe out there? I mean from no-goodnicks and whatnot? If I weren't traveling with my family, I wouldn't be concerned about but...

Kure beach and Ft. Fisher is a great place, even for the family. Mostly locals live there and most everyone is very friendly. Now that it is the off season for the beach you will mostly run into locals and people fishing. I frequent that area and can vouch that it is very friendly, and you will have a great time, most will happily lend a hand if you are in need of help or advice.

See my earlier post about Freeman Park, I would use caution for family adventure at the north end of Carolina Beach where there is 4x4 access (Freeman Park) it is not very family friendly during the summer, and I honestly bring my trusty 4 legged friend for a little bit of deterrent from some of the drunk college folks on summer break. From mid September- End of May it is a nice place to go though since it is mainly locals once school starts back up.

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Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #31 · Sep 25, 2013

Steven, we really did have a great time in the area, including our beach drive in Ft Fischer. (Which was only a few blocks south of the great duplex we rented for the week) Since we were there the last week of August, it was already "just locals fishing" for the most part, since virtually all college kids were back and many younger kids go back earlier in the south, too. My wife's brother and his wife live in Wilmington as do both of his kids and his three grand-kids, so it's likely we'll be back again sometime in the future.

torifile

· #32 · Sep 25, 2013

These might be some stupid questions, but how far do I drive on the beach?

And how do I keep an eye on my temps?

And, finally, is it going to be a problem that I don't have skid plates installed? Will the sand screw up my engine?

dudefromflorida

· #33 · Sep 25, 2013

torifile said:
These might be some stupid questions, but how far do I drive on the beach?

And how do I keep an eye on my temps?

And, finally, is it going to be a problem that I don't have skid plates installed? Will the sand screw up my engine?

Drive as far as you would like. There are signs that tell you how far you can go.. South end of Ft. Fisher meets up with Bald Head and there are signs that line the beach restricting access.. Cant miss them.

Just watch your Temp Gauge.. don't let it get too high. If it does, just take a break and let it cool off before you go any further.

No worries about a skid plate, you will be fine.. Just don't drive like you are in the Baja 500. Be sure to thoroughly rise the under side, wheel wells, and drivetrain after the beach. (I sometimes run a lawn sprinkler for about 10 minutes under the Jeep after a good long fresh water rinse to ensure I did not miss anything)

Some tips for beach driving-
-Keep a steady speed and stop slowly.. no need to go fast just find a speed that you feel the jeep is easily moving through the sand and stay at that speed.. start slow and steadily increase your speed that you feel comfortable with. Too slow and your Jeep will be fighting itself too fast and it will be unsafe. I usually cruise at about 10 mph.. fastest I ever go is about 15ish.
-Air down your tires to help with traction.. It is easier to stick your finger through the sand than it is your fist. Low tires have a wider tread path. I usually travel with about 20 PSI in the sand and lower it by 4-5 psi if I feel the Jeep is still digging/spinning or if I get stuck.
-IF you start to feel some wheel spin, or you start to bog down.. DO NOT panic. Straighten out the wheels and keep constant pressure on the gas until you re-gain traction. DO NOT stop or punch the gas... you will dig yourself to China in half a heartbeat
-As stated above: a carpet or floor mats can help aid in re-gaining traction if you do get stuck.. Try backing up in the tracks you came in on.. They will be the most packed form the weight of the Jeep.. Do not attempt to keep pushing forward if you get stuck, you will always lose if you try to plow the sand.. Back up first to build speed before trying to move forward again.
- Things to bring to aid in Recovery/Safety. Folding shovel, Carpet, Properly rated tow strap (never use a chain!!!!), and a D-Ring to ensure proper tow point.
-Most important thing.. Have FUN! :thumbsup:..
-Locals there will usually give a helping hand if needed.

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torifile

· #34 · Sep 30, 2013

We had an awesome time! It was REALLY windy out there so we didn't say as long as we would have liked but the drive was a blast. I got a little crazy on the way out cutting across some ruts a couple of times but aside from that, I was a good little driver.

We saw an F150 or 250 stuck in the sand pretty close to the water and the tide was coming IN so I hope they were able to dig it out. There were no fewer than 5 guys with shovels working on it and it wasn't floating in the water when we left so I'm pretty sure it made it out.

There were TONS of other Jeeps out there but I think all of them were Wranglers. If my son wants a Wrangler when he starts driving, I will have the hardest time saying "no" to that. When I was his age I really wanted one and after getting my Jeep my love for them has returned pretty strongly. But I digress....

The JGC performed amazingly well. The sand was really thick and I felt like I was steering a boat at times but I never lost traction or felt like I was getting stuck. My kids loved the bouncing up and down while we were going in and out. I felt like a badass so that was good too.

The Staun deflators were worth every penny. They made airing down so easy. They were preset to 18 PSI so I just left them at that.

We will definitely do it again.

I've attached one photo from my iPhone but I've got better ones from my real camera. Those will get posted soon.

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dudefromflorida

· #35 · Sep 30, 2013

torifile said:
We had an awesome time! It was REALLY windy out there so we didn't say as long as we would have liked but the drive was a blast. I got a little crazy on the way out cutting across some ruts a couple of times but aside from that, I was a good little driver.

We saw an F150 or 250 stuck in the sand pretty close to the water and the tide was coming IN so I hope they were able to dig it out. There were no fewer than 5 guys with shovels working on it and it wasn't floating in the water when we left so I'm pretty sure it made it out.

There were TONS of other Jeeps out there but I think all of them were Wranglers. If my son wants a Wrangler when he starts driving, I will have the hardest time saying "no" to that. When I was his age I really wanted one and after getting my Jeep my love for them has returned pretty strongly. But I digress....

The JGC performed amazingly well. The sand was really thick and I felt like I was steering a boat at times but I never lost traction or felt like I was getting stuck. My kids loved the bouncing up and down while we were going in and out. I felt like a badass so that was good too.

The Staun deflators were worth every penny. They made airing down so easy. They were preset to 18 PSI so I just left them at that.

We will definitely do it again.

I've attached one photo from my iPhone but I've got better ones from my real camera. Those will get posted soon.

Whoot Whoot! Glad you had a good time! I'll be down there in a week or 2. :thumbsup:

Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #36 · Sep 30, 2013

'Glad you and the family had a great time on the beach, torifile! And yea...that "bouncy thing" going in and out was something else. Very weird feeling!

I hear you on the Wrangler...my 14yo has an eye on a bright orange one that cruises in this area. LOL She's love to have one, I'm sure...

bill_de

· #37 · Sep 30, 2013

Jim_in_PA said:
I hear you on the Wrangler...my 14yo has an eye on a bright orange one that cruises in this area. LOL She's love to have one, I'm sure...

Are you sure she doesn't have her eye on the 16yo driving it? :lol:

I second your comments to Torifile :thumbsup:

torifile

· #38 · Sep 30, 2013

I think I might have left a part of my jeep on the beach...

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Jim_in_PA

Discussion Starter · #39 · Sep 30, 2013

D'oh! Must have been the "bounce-a-rama" in that going in/coming out stretch....

torifile

· #40 · Oct 1, 2013

Jim_in_PA said:
D'oh! Must have been the "bounce-a-rama" in that going in/coming out stretch....

I think so. Oh well. Now the question is where do I get that part???

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