Towing in Soft Sand

[iandvl]

I've done soft sand a gazillion times. I've actually only got stuck once to the point that another vehicle had to recover me. That was on my first river trip, and the vehicle was still moving, but it was moving into a line which would have got me into more difficulty. So I opted to accept a helping hand to get me back on to a better line...

I am stuck with a predicament, however. We're doing our Namaqua trip in a couple of weeks. And since space is super limited (we're 4 up in my truck), we've eventually decided to tow the XT65 with...

We're coming back via the coastal section of the Namaqua park, and we all know what the roads like that are - especially in the bitterfontein dune fields....

I've never really wanted to tow to out of the way places etc. And my towing in sand experience is therefore somewhat lacking. I know of the various tricks in terms of recovery (ie: the shovel under the jockey wheel / similar little things).

But... What tips do the serious sand towers have that can perhaps be of help. Tyre pressures etc.

Thanks in advance.

[HenriSteyn]

If anything do that strip as early in the morning as possible before the sand gets hot.

That and tyre deflation no harder than 1 bar of course.

Then lastly, don't stop if you don't have to.

[Mad Manny]

I have towed my heavy Conqueror in thick sand.
Here's what little I know:
1. In thick sand an off road trailer becomes a Sand Anchor.
2. Deflate the trailer tyre's too ~ just not as much.
3. It's hard to tell when any of the 6 tyres gets a flat, so when you find stable ground stop to check all 6 wheels and let everything cool down.
4. Obviously low range and try avoid gear changes.
5. If you do get stuck tell the passengers to get out and push the trailer ~ their pushing won't help but by getting out the rig will be lighter.
6. Weight is your enemy, lighten you load by dumping anything you don't need like water and passengers.
7. And finally.... Make a video...

[AndreasR]

Deflate, keep momentum and only unhitch trailer as an absolute last resort if needing a recovery.

[Paul#25]

You must have some interesting stories from your time talking people on trips Andreas.

[grips]

Really no skill involved. 0.6 - 0.8 on both trailer and vehicle.

[AndreasR]

Paul. Nope. Only nightmares.

[Trolly Fan]

If anything do that strip as early in the morning as possible before the sand gets hot.

That and tyre deflation no harder than 1 bar of course.

Then lastly, don't stop if you don't have to.

Also, don't brake. Allow the resistance of the sand to do the breaking for you.
If you press the brakes you create a little sand wall in front of your tires.

[Disco Nic]

My advice…

Don’t. 🤣

[Disco Nic]

I have towed my heavy Conqueror in thick sand.
Here's what little I know:
1. In thick sand an off road trailer becomes a Sand Anchor.
2. Deflate the trailer tyre's too ~ just not as much.
3. It's hard to tell when any of the 6 tyres gets a flat, so when you find stable ground stop to check all 6 wheels and let everything cool down.
4. Obviously low range and try avoid gear changes.
5. If you do get stuck tell the passengers to get out and push the trailer ~ their pushing won't help but by getting out the rig will be lighter.
6. Weight is your enemy, lighten you load by dumping anything you don't need like water and passengers.
7. And finally.... Make a video...

I don’t often agree with manny, and it makes me sick having to say this…

But everything he said here is correct.

[Bugjuic]

Towing in sand is fairly straightforward, follow all the rules you would normally apply when driving in sand.

Only time I was bogged down to my chassis was in loose sand (nxai pan) and that was due to the trailer acting as an anchor. As Manny mentioned, try and avoid gear changes, my opinion , don’t change gears! Stupid Diesel vehicle ran out of torque, tried to change from 3rd to 2nd, sand anchor almost stopping me dead in my tracks, bogged myself and had to dig for an hour and deflate vehicle more…

Also do not assume if there is oncoming traffic and you are going to climb up the bank to pass each other that the trailer will always follow, sometimes it stays in the rut and person oncoming thinking “that idiot”…

Spread your load evenly, don’t go below 1bar on the trailer, keep momentum, only change gears on harder soil. My experience.

[grips]

I have towed caravans and trailers all over the West Coast and the Kalahari never ever bogged down. Will stop and pull away in any sand with a trailer in tow. But I do the thing that every one is afraid of heaven knows why. When ever I enter thick sand I stop and go down to 0.8, 0.6 on both the vehicle and trailer.

Have done the Namaqua park trail about 5 years ago. At least 3 4x4`s with trailers were stuck most of them did not even deflate.

Remember One Bar or Bar One is a chocolate and has nothing to do with 4x4

[Mad Manny]

There are two things I can't understand; Why Christo has a compressor and why he Braais on wood.
He always runs very low Pressures, he cooks meat so rare, he just wastes the wood he burns...

[Redman]

Once you are bogged don't try and free it "one more time" by going backwards and forwards.
Unhook le-trailer and get the vehicle out. Seen my fare where they've just totally buried the tow vehicle.
Get something under the jockey wheel and recover trailer like normal recovery. There's some nice specific items for this, but I've used a shovel for this in the past.
Take no picture of said predicament

[iandvl]

Thanks for the feedback folk. Appreciated. I normally try not to have to tow on trips like this, but I do not really have an option this time around. Will summarise when I am back.