Beach Driving

[Virgin 4x4]

I was told that Freelanders don't like beach driving. Can anyone clarify this?

[LR90]

I'm not sure salt water and sand is good for any vehicle and wouldn't expect a freelander to be any different.

If the Q is more about the freelanders abilities on sand then I'd have thought with the ETC aired down tyres they would do quite well but the lack of ground clearance puts them at greater risk of bogging in the soft stuff. Plenty of right foot and momentum is likely to be the best technique

[BogMonster]

Salt water is VERY bad for ANY vehicle and will ruin the electrics quite apart from corrosion to everything else but apart from that, no reason it should be any different to any others.

These two Freelander 2's were happy enough in the surf

...though I wouldn't have bought either of them afterwards

TBH if you get into beach sand in any vehicle where you are sinking in to a depth that would ground a Freelander then you are probably f***ed anyway!

[cols110]

Beach driving is not all that hard on vehicles at all, apart from the salt etc, a freebie should have no probs what so ever, deflate to 18psi or lower and you should fly along it.

[jules]

Sand is fine but if you stop on soft sand you will need plenty of welly to get going againg and don't splip the clutch to get going.

[reads90]

Hey Virgin 4x4

Don't know if asking people in the Uk is going to be off much use. Most of them don't know what a real beach looks like

and if they did you are not allowed to drive on them in the UK anyway

The freelanders are ok for beach driving seen loads at Fraser Island. But as jules said you have to remeber they don't have low ratio so don't stop on really soft sand

[DEANO3528]

Most of them don't know what a real beach looks like

and if they did you are not allowed to drive on them in the UK anyway

Hmm not totally true squire.

One of our members on Black Rock Sands, Wales last year.

[Bush65]

I don't have any experience with Freelanders, but make the following general comments.

On soft sand you will probably want less than 18 psi, more like 12 psi.

Letting the vehicle roll to a steady stop, to minimise the wedge of sand that builds in front of the tyres, will make starting off easier.

Rarely use low range on sand - speed/momentum is your best friend.

Here is a link to some pics from last weekend on a local beach in Aus

[Abe]

Yep Deano

I remember as a kid we used to ride on the bech at Blackrock or pendine in the south or even southport sands

as well as Dune trailing at talacre on the coast accross from the wiral.

The chap fron the colonies has a point they have "coast to coast beach" beach & very little between

if you dont believe me "steal a sheep & have a peek"

happy trails

Abe

PS whats the law concerning beach driving at the momment in the UK? is it still left up the discression of the local council?

PPS if you want to see good beach/ dune facilities try Oman or the UAE although its mostly all big petrol-engined landcruisers & low tyre presures, was out there recently (although after the first hr or so its monotonous)