# 2WD on da beach



## PoBenda

OK, I've seen this thread on here before, but it kind of digressed into a rather nasty discussion between the haves and the have-nots (of 4wd that is)

The Bottom Line is I want to hear intellegent and rational discussion on the 2wd on the beach issue.

My story: I can't afford a 4wd right now. My wife is in school, and I'm busting A$$ to pay the bills. I have a toyota tercel that i used to ROCK on the beach in Hawaii, (illegally, but f*ck off I was 17) and on the beach in Oregon. 9 years later (in the same beater) I'm wondering if it's worth giving it a shot at Hatteras. Back then I used to pass stuck 4wd's all the time cuz guys were stupid and had the lead foot. 4wd without lockers is 2wd anyway, it just gives you a tire up front.

Not being from this coast I wisely (like the people who don't get there A$$e$ kicked in Hawaii) want to find out what the locals think.

So how about it? Any of "Da Boys" rock out in the hoopdies on tha sand? What's your .02?


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## southerlytide

Oh try it...... One us ole southern boys will have a winch or tow strap cost ya some beer


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## AbuMike

In Hatteras you won't get 30' into the ramp and you will be stuck blocking it. Don't try it...............


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## skamaniac

Not trying to highjack the thread, but i was interested in the same thing in Hatteras. Will any 4 wheel drive pick up work? What about ATV's and do you need an NC ORV permit/sticker if there is such a thing?


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## jasonr

Your Toyota tercel is esentially a one wheel, front wheel drive car. As stated, you won't get past the ramp leading to the beach.


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## AbuMike

skamaniac said:


> Not trying to highjack the thread, but i was interested in the same thing in Hatteras. Will any 4 wheel drive pick up work? What about ATV's and do you need an NC ORV permit/sticker if there is such a thing?



No ATV's

No permits......YET....

Not any old 4WD will work. You need a fair amount of ground clearence.

You do need to airdown, I don't care what you have.

This is not FL. The sand here is soft and deep.


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## Shooter

I have heard all the stories of I don't need 4x4 cause I have a little truck with big tires and so forth and so on,,, 

There are only 2 kinds of trucks that drive the beaches around here,,, ones that have been stuck and ones there are gonna be stuck.

99% of the ramps are baby powder soft and a lot of them are on up slopes


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## dudeondacouch

Bwahahaha... I was expecting something along the lines of "will my 2WD Toyota Pickup be OK with 285s if I air down to 15psi?"

A Tercel? Seriously?


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## PoBenda

yeah, seriously. and that 87 beat ta sh*t rotted out pos has been on the beach in hawaii, oregon, mexico......... across the country twice, to mex and back 3 times from oregon, up the mountain on days that a lot of guys in big 4wd's ended up in the ditch.

soft sand, i don't stand a chance. gotcha. don't insult my rig, it's got almost 500,000 miles on it and 300,000 or so of them are mine.


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## dudeondacouch

i'm not doubting that a Tercel will take a beating and run forever, i've seen it before.

but OBX beaches are no place for a FWD car.


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## Garboman

Why not put your wife to work in between classes and get that new GMC with lockers and 403 HP? It will look Bad ass and you can pull out other inferior 4x4's if you feel the need.... Your wife will appreciate not having to get out and push....

Give that beater a break and buy from a company you are all ready a shareholder in....


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## PoBenda

Gotcha, I just get a lot of crap about the car and I'm a little bit of a vaj about it sometimes. 

She is working, but they're internships and they don't pay a whole lot. She's also working on her MBA. Graduate school tuition is a b*tch, and the loans aren't cheap. Either we take out loans, or we sacrfice a little. I'll walk to the surf and sleep in my car.


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## skamaniac

Ok, but i would still like to know if my 4x4 Silverado will get this old retired guy out on the beach fishin'? It gets me on and off the hard water in Jan/Feb here in da great white north, but i know it ain't sand.


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## oldsalt737

*On the beach in Hawaii*

For the money you spent shipping that car, you could have bought a truck. Just sounds funny.


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## Garboman

"I'll walk to the surf and sleep in my car."

Nothing wrong with that, if you come down to Hatteras after plover season opens, you would have to walk out to the Point or False Point any way.

Be careful where you plan to nap, Dare County has an ordinance about sleeping in vehicles, even on the Beach,

When your wife receives her MBA and Corporate America comes calling, remind her of all your sacrifices, and also of the wisdom of locking rear differentials for family safety concerns, on the way to the GM Dealership.....

As far as retired guys and old Silverado 4x4's they work great on the Beach, they even work for people who have to work, air down and hit that ramp.


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## windy

*2wd*

There used to be a man who had a 2wd pickup he used to pull people out who were hung up on the beach. I saw him do it about half a mile north of 34. I think he run a garage just below Buxton.


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## dudeondacouch

oldsalt737 said:


> For the money you spent shipping that car, you could have bought a truck. Just sounds funny.


some people get to ship cars for free.


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## skamaniac

windy said:


> There used to be a man who had a 2wd pickup he used to pull people out who were hung up on the beach. I saw him do it about half a mile north of 34. I think he run a garage just below Buxton.


That wouldn't be you now would it Garboman? 

Thanks for the info, i was hoping we would be able to get around some on the beach, but i will make sure we have a shovel and strap too. I'm guessing an air tank or compressor too so as to fill em back up once off the beach. I think we are staying in Avon.


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## dawgfsh

No need for an air tank or compresser.

Just lower your air to around 18# when you arrive an fill back up at one of the many stations when you leave.


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## PoBenda

dudeondacouch said:


> some people get to ship cars for free.


 yep, they do.


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## dudeondacouch

no OCONUS PCS for me yet, but i'll definitely be taking advantage!


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## Garboman

Buy Gas at Dillion's if you are worried about your tires, Dillions is the first station north of the Point, and if you buy some gas, you do not feel guilty about free air. When I am on the Island and season calls for fishing the Beach I just leave the tires aired down most of the time. 

Rather than an air compressor bring a 2'X3'X3/4" piece of plywood and 2' foot sections of assorted 2"X4"'s and 4"X4"'s to block up a stuck vehicle and either a shovel and tow strap or a heavy rope along with a good jack that will lift a full size Suburban. Plywood is to support the Jack.

There are all ways Pilgrims out on the sand that do not air down...... and you can make friends if you care to help them out. You bring the shovel to hand to the Pilgrim, who has framed out his vehicle. If you air down, you have no need for the shovel.....if Pilgrims are elderly or are babes in Bikini's, well then I guess the shovel is for you.... I never carry a shovel.

Courtesy calls for assisting those in need, or they can call a wrecker from Buxton or Mac's in Rodanthe who will get them out, if the tide is coming in and vehicle is really buried up it can get expensive.....every year someone experiences a total loss, especially during times of heavy surf. You have to pay attention to the tides, a few places are prone to washing over the entire beach....

Air down and stay out of the Brown gravelly sand near the water on an incoming tide and you will float over the beach.......


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## Hooked Up

*gmc*

make sure u get a bag of daytime running lamp bulbs with ur purchase


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## chris storrs

AbuMike said:


> You do need to airdown, I don't care what you have.
> 
> .


might be surprised how many "regulars" dont airdown..ever...know one runnin 60 psi..and he/they aint contributing to the bumpy ruts either

of course others just keep the tires at 18 year round ha

never aired down my 95 yj and that thing would float on the sand..granted it had 14.5" wide baja belteds...and only had 30 pounds in them on the street anyway

new jeep done just fine goofin around a few times as well at 38 psi...no bumps in my ruts either..heck could harldy tell where id driven...thing weighs next to nothing and the nitto terra grapplers dont dig a bit


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## fishingeek

chris storrs said:


> might be surprised how many "regulars" dont airdown..ever...know one runnin 60 psi..and he/they aint contributing to the bumpy ruts either


It can be done, but I guarantee their engine and transmission are working A LOT harder than if they did air down.


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## Garboman

"new jeep done just fine goofin around a few times as well at 38 psi...no bumps in my ruts either..heck could harldy tell where id driven...thing weighs next to nothing and the nitto terra grapplers dont dig a bit
Reply With Quote"

Your Jeep is a light vehicle not a full size truck or Suburban 

If you do not air down a larger vehicle you are as stated over taxing the trans/motor

I being an ex construction worker I have all ways had full size trucks or Suburban's, they need to be aired down, it does a disservice to the beach/and vehicle to do otherwise. It makes a huge difference in handling the fellas I know/knew who lived on the Island ran at 15-18 and only put it in 4 wheel when it started to bog down. We would term someone who insisted at running 60 pounds a "Barney"


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## AbuMike

chris storrs said:


> might be surprised how many "regulars" don't airdown..ever...know one runnin 60 psi..and he/they ain't contributing to the bumpy ruts either
> 
> of course others just keep the tires at 18 year round ha
> 
> never aired down my 95 yj and that thing would float on the sand..granted it had 14.5" wide baja belteds...and only had 30 pounds in them on the street anyway
> 
> new jeep done just fine goofin around a few times as well at 38 psi...no bumps in my ruts either..heck could harldy tell where id driven...thing weighs next to nothing and the nitto terra grapplers dont dig a bit


I have no dout some do not...............But, I'm guessing your Jeep did not weigh what my Tacoma does. This truck is well over 4000lb and I can feel a real difference when not aired down.


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## 2000Chevys104x4

any 4 wheel drive can make it on the beach.. it depends on the driver. an experienced beach driver can do it with ease.. even the softest sand is conquerable.. 2wd's are a stupid idea.. even for the best of drivers.. and a 2wd car will bottom out.. the ruts are deep and the walls are soft.. i had my little s10 out there (it is 4wd but it was stock height).. it was easy for me but a risky move.. i did lift it and put on tires (where the true clearance is) for clearance just in case.. but ur tercel cant handle what we got.. buy a beater truck for the beach.. something you can fix using junkyard parts


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## pier pressure

*Samurai warrior*

Is the sand at the beach up there as soft as the sugar sand here in our FL orange groves?  Just curious, because I had an '80s model Suzuki Samurai that would absolutely waltz over the sugar sand in the grove.

And before anyone starts in on the "ruts" issue p), consider that the grove sees tractors galore, and during picking season the ubiquitous "goat" that hauls fruit from the interior of the grove to the fruit trailers on the periphery, making certain areas a breeding ground for ruts.


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## 2000Chevys104x4

softer probably. never been there so i dont know for sure but i hear we got the softest stuff around..


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## pier pressure

*Someday...*

I'd like to make it up that way sometime to wet a line. Sounds like the makings of a plan. :fishing:


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## ribs54

ok i have to finally chime in on this.... I had a 99 ram 1500 and i drove on the sands from corolla to ocracoke. it was 2 wheel drive and the only time i got stuck was the fist time i ever went out and that was cause i didn't air down enough. the biggest thing is not hitting the gas to hard and if you are in the soft stuff make sure that no one is close to you so u don't have to stop. many people on this board know me and know that me two wheel drive dodge did just fine in the sand. i air down to about 12-15 psi and drove on the sand like everyone else


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## PopsBoy

I have a little experience here. I'm approaching 40 (far to fast for my taste, but I digress) and have been hitting the sand for most of my life. I also own Zuwharrie.com, the world's largest Suzuki 4x4 website, and have a family of six. I have been an avid offroader for years to include rock crawling competitions, mud bogs, snow wheeling, all kinds of sand, crawling my truck on top of other vehicles, trail rides, and legally making new trails in never driven land, etc. These facts will explain the experiences to follow:
#1, Down at the north end of Carolina Beach, there was an older gent who drove a, I think, late 60's Impala up and down the beach to fish pretty regularly. It was 2wd and I suspect it was locked in the rear. I NEVER saw him get stuck, ever.
#2 I have driven all kinds of makes and models on the sand. These include: Stock height and lifted to the max Suzuki Samurai's running everything from street tires to 35/15.50/15 Super Swampers and everything from stock gearing to somewhere around 220:1 in 4 low.
Stock height and lifted Geo Trackers up to 33" tires
Stock height Kia Sportage
VW beetle
1990 all stock Suburban
1993 Lifted Suburban on 35's with 6.5" of lift
1989 F-150 4x4 on 33" BF Goodwrench radials
1998 Stock Ford Expedition 
???? Ford Excursion
Others I don't remember
#3 My father has driven a stock Samurai on both ends of Pleasure Island, year round, for the last 15 years.
#4 I've driven the beaches from south of Hatteras to Corolla and all over Pleasure Island.

All this info has lead me to state that ANY 4x4 can be used on the beach at any time by someone with a little bit of knowledge. The ones who get stuck almost always are the ones who did something stupid. I got the 1990 Suburban stuck because I crossed the ruts at a 90* angle to park on the beach. I didn't plan to hit them at 90* but my buddy cut a little short and I tried to give him some extra room. I also got stuck pulling someone out and once when the 4x4 went out in my Suburban while out on the North End of CB.
My favorite stock height vehicle on the beach is a Suzuki Samurai on bald street tires, aired down to about 12 psi. Absolutely unstoppable due to the weight and gearing. 1 tire in the rut, the other on the center between the two ruts, they aren't wide enough to hit both ruts most of the time.

As to the quesion of 2wd on the beach? I wouldn't recommend it. The older gentleman mentioned above had most likely lived there his whole life and had set up the car to do the job. I'm as helpful as I can be, but I often rode right past able bodied men who drove past the 4x4 only sign in their 2wd cars and trucks and ended up stuck. Readers are leaders and if you can't understand that the sign is there for a reason, I'm not going to risk doing damage to my vehicle trying to pull you out. 
Po Benda, I would say no my friend, and if you decided to try it, take a friend with a 4x4 to pull you out as most people I've met have the same train of thought as mine above.


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## Mark H.

Anyone seen this thing rolling along up near Corolla? What's the story?


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## Mark H.




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## Cdog

Mark H. said:


> Anyone seen this thing rolling along up near Corolla? What's the story?


You talking about the Bus?


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## surf rat

*Wow*

You got to be kidding.If I saw someone dumb enough to try to drive a car on the Hatteras beaches I don't think I would even pull them out. You need to put down that bong now and then...


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## Mark H.

Cdog said:


> You talking about the Bus?


Yep!,picture is .bmp, couldn't get it to load.


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## FishyFingers

Ive pulled off many fwd cars and 2wd trucks. bottom line dont try it. you'll get stuck 95% of the time


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## gtodave

FYI when the 4wd went out on my silverado, I made it out to my fishing spot before I got stuck. Rode fine on the way out through deep ruts and super-soft sand, but once I tried to turn around to back into my spot, I dug down and got stuck. Luckily the fishing was slow and I had pleanty of offers to get pulled out


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## PoBenda

surf rat said:


> You got to be kidding.If I saw someone dumb enough to try to drive a car on the Hatteras beaches I don't think I would even pull them out. You need to put down that bong now and then...


Put down the bong 9 years ago when I decided to stand up and serve my country. Now I'm on the other side of the planet working my ass off to put a roof over the head of my family and food on the table. It's been so long since I've been home and I've moved so much that I have to be reminded where I am on a regular basis.

See, I'm not a dumbass. I know I'm not home, and I ASK BEFORE I DO SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT. If you don't want to show some Aloha...... Well karma's a b*tch.


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## chest2head&glassy

Mark H. said:


> Yep!,picture is .bmp, couldn't get it to load.


Here's the link
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h458/mhussey19/untitled-1.jpg


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## chest2head&glassy

I had a stock 95 Jeep Wrangler 4x4, 4-banger, stock 15" wheels. This was years ago but I thought I put it in 4 wheel drive when I stopped to air down. I made it to the Point and back in 2wd. I didn't realize I was in 2wd until I got back to pavement and tried to shift out of 4x4. 
It helped that the old bucket of bolts jeep was so light and it just floated without getting bogged down.
I remember seeing an old VW Bug on the Point but wasn't sure of it's drivetrain.


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## spydermn

I did an "experiment" one day while the fishing was slow.

I was aired down to 18 psi, going back to the beach from RDT. I wanted to see how far I would make it in 2wd. I made it farther than I thought I would, about 1/4 mile. Then I have to slow down to "switch lanes". At this point i started to spin and dig. Threw on the 4x4 (full locker) and I was going again. 

Long story short, even on the best beachs on the OBX you are not going to make it far. Now try some of the softer sand further north! BWAHAHAHHAHA! NO CHANCE IN HELL.


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## chriscustom

In the late 60s my friends dad and Tommy from Tommys VW hacked a old station wagons rear fenders and put AIRPLANE tires on it and would ride all over the beach....in 2 wheel drive and didn't get stuck.


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## spydermn

No Sh!^...Really...a purpose built beach buggy that is 2wd is good in the sand The question is about something that could be driven daily and on the beach. How do you think those balloon tires would do in a heavy NC rain on a nicely rutted highway that are so prevalent in NC?


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## chriscustom

Thats how they got it there.They drove it All the way from Portsmouth Virginia down the old rt.#158 rt.#168 when it was only 2 lanes. . It was leagle then just like slicks were.


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## plotalot

I have driven 2wd in RWD and FWD in all sorts of terrain beyond what a normal person would be capable of. I have driven 4wd vehicles as well. Aside from driving up a rocky incline, driving in sand is the hardest thing to do in 2wd and try to keep up with a 4wd. It can be done, but you and your ride had best be ready.


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## oldsalt737

While I only use 4wd, 2wd should not be discounter all together. Anyone ever been to Cape Lookout? Ever see a Winnebago on the beach? Go to www.DrumWagon.com. Quite a few unusual rides 4wd and 2wd.


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## Carolina Rebel

With smooth/wide/properly aired down tires and plenty of weight over the drive wheels it can happen. When I fished New River Inlet (north end of Topsail) there was a giant Cadillac, probably a '79 or '80 model, that would cruise through pretty regularly. This was a front wheel drive car, on a pretty smooth beach, though the sand was soft where he was going. Wouldn't recommend it in a 2wd car just because of the ruts in more heavily travelled spots.


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## jkcam

PoBenda said:


> don't insult my rig, it's got almost 500,000 miles on it and 300,000 or so of them are mine.


And it's good for another 500K if you want to keep it that long!!!

Come on down to Florida. We are having Bluefish blitz's daily. I doubt they are doing that on "The Point". You can park 50ft from the beach, no parking cost, no beach permits, no ramp fees (just in case you are towing your boat down with the Tercel)

All you need is your fishing license, and in some counties, public beach access is about every 100 yards.

Where you can drive on the beach down here, your Tercel would do fine.

No Plovers to screw up your day either. We ate them all.

Screw that cold weather up there anyway.

Forget your heavers too. Top water and the occasional metal is the way to go.opcorn:


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## fishnuttz

I'm an agreement the car not a good Idea. I will say if it's a truck with enough clearance .I've been there an done that in a two wheel drive ( f150)
I never got stuck did have too air down to10psi one day but most of the time
it was18psi . I'm am one of the ones in the nasty discussion long ago . Since 
then I have got a 4x4 tahoe .I have made to the point in it in 2wd ( 6500lbs) not advised but if you have no other ride and have some sense it's possible .
You will get frowned upon but :fishing: If I see someone stuck that is trying (got there shovel ,tow strap, some boards for there jack) I'll pull you out!!!
There are some on here I will pass by laughing though


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