Towing in Soft Sand

[Paul#25]

Go relax and enjoy nature at its best while out of cellphone coverage.

[Bugger]

Just Do.it

And enjoy the rest

[iandvl]

I'm back from my trip to the Northern Cape. I am really not sure why I was worried about towing. I deflated the truck to 0.6 all around, and the trailer to 0.8. Trailer because it has a little more road-biased tyres on at the moment. I shall fix that soon....

I had two issues with the trailer...

1: The jockey wheel. I always remove it, but for some reason I decided to keep it on on the leg between Augrabies and Nieuwoudtville. Bad call. I lost it somewhere on the dirt road between Kakamas and Kenhardt. It also bent the bracket (I did not feel it at all - there is no replacement for displacement). I got a replacement in Nieuwoudtville.
2: I've gathered that my double spare wheel carriers protrude a little far for proper reversing with a trailer. I bent the nose box a little. No - I did not jack knife the thing. They just stick out too far. I shall have the nose box fixed and focus more on the occasions I need to maneuver the trailer somewhat...

Although I thought I would stuck myself, there were no issues - despite towing in soft sand - even in the middle of the day. No sand anchor issues - it was a breeze...

Any "stuck" issues during the trip were definitely not with me - the old man bogged his truck down in a perennial estuary requiring a snatch recovery.

Anyways, I learnt quite a bit and feel more confident towing the trailer in sand....

[grips]

If you bog down in sand you have not deflated enough, With 0.6 and 0.8 the Patrol should not even notice that you were doing soft sand.

[iandvl]

If you bog down in sand you have not deflated enough, With 0.6 and 0.8 the Patrol should not even notice that you were doing soft sand.

It did not....

Edit: consumption-wise it did....

[henris]

I am forced to tow in thick sand on a regular basis.
Careful of going to soft. Some tyres will de-bead on you.
So what do I do?
Momentum momentum momentum and over compensate.
Down on the tyre pressures.
Keep the motor in the power. If you can see you won't get out the next dune in 3rd, then start in 2nd.
If you might need lockers, use them.
If you do bog down in a dune, drop the trailer. Go to the top and attach a strap to the tow hitch and pull it out.
If you start spinning, stop immediately. Try and reverse.
In sand you use torque. Not horsepower. Running dunes you use rpm and horse power.

[Mad Manny]

Once I have lifted and secured the jockey wheel, I feed a chain through the wheel and around the chassis, it has a clasp, takes 30secs. I then jack the wheel down half a turn to make sure that chain is taught....

[iandvl]

Thanks Manny. That is a good idea. I shall try it.

[BushWacker]

… the first time I towed my MiniMetalian I lost
the bottom half of it : wheel and threaded shaft.
I had wound it up and lifted and locked the upper half
but never interlocked the two parts securely
and , evidently, the wind has an uncanny way
of unwinding the wheel and shaft until it detaches.

When I replaced that Jockey Wheel I bought a double
wheeled version which is great in soft/wet surfaces etc.
and its easier to move and re-position the trailer by hand.

[iandvl]

… the first time I towed my MiniMetalian I lost
the bottom half of it : wheel and threaded shaft.
I had wound it up and lifted and locked the upper half
but never interlocked the two parts
and , evidently the wind has an uncanny way
of unwinding the wheel and shaft until it detaches.

When I replaced the Jockey Wheel I bought a double
wheeled version which is great in soft/wet surfaces etc.

Quoting for context:

Chas - I am speaking about the trailer. Not the Landrover. We know you miss bits on every trip....

[BushWacker]

I’m also talking about a trailer…
maybe you missing bits on every thread.

[iandvl]

?

I meant.... I lost my trailer jockey wheel. Not the bottom half of the LandRammel whilst towing my Metallian....

Just the jockey wheel. From the trailer.

PS: I don't drive Land Rammels...

[BushWacker]

… yes , as I was saying , … ref #26 …

[iandvl]

… yes , as I was saying , … ref #26 …

No, Chas. I think you are missing things on every trip...

#StayOffTheDrugs

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[BushWacker]

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