Inskip Point soft sand, the complete story.

[rotare]

Not having a go at anyone here, I'm not saying this IS anyone here, nor is it everyone that gets bogged, BUT, it is happening a LOT more often. So the next time you're bogged on the soft sand and someone drives right on past you, they may well be a self absorbed pr!ck who gives a sh!t about no one, or they may well be over the last week of towing people out of what is usually a self inflicted situation. Remember, we're on holiday too..........

You can understand why some people don't bother helping others out.  Slightly off topic, but along the same lines I remember as a teenager my dad stopping to help two young blokes in a V8 Torana that had got stuck just off the side of the road.  It was wet and muddy and these guys were just spinning their wheels trying to get back on to the bitumen. We were on the way to a party, so Dad was dressed in his Sunday best, but tip toed through the mud to give the back of the car a bit of a push and get them out of strife.  "Just take it real easy on the gas" said Dad.  His pushing at the back of the car was just enough to get them moving, and once they got momentum the driver decided to show Dad his full gratitude by giving the clutch a bit of a flick to get the wheels spinning and the revs up to redline.  Consequently he got covered head to toe in mud and these blokes never stopped to say thanks or even sorry and simply roared up the road with their air horn playing "la cucaracha"..... 

After that incident it was a long time before he stopped to help someone again, and it's no wonder!       

[Squalo]

That was a hilarious read

[Jeepers Creepers]

Geez i miss that Torana. 

[Swannie]

Surely that couldn't be a Torana driver

Greg

[pmturnbull]

I was at inskip point camping last week on my trip around oz and while trying to find a camp spot in the multiple camping areas in and around the trees I got stuck going down a track that turned to crap and ended up coming to a stop with my caravan on weighting in at 5ton gcvm (as per weight bridge darwin) well tyre pressures right down and a lot of go forward as far as I can followed by going back and repeated with every time going 1 metre further forward until I was out. anyway my boring story with no picture of the bogging as I never think of it when I am deep in it. lol

[JU5T1N]

nice read. I pulled up the moment traction was depleting to air down the Patrol & caravan I we took on their a couple of years back. While I was out letting the tyres down a group of 4wds came past only to slow & laugh...oh to soon. Once I had the Patrol & the caravans pressures down I put it into low range & primed the air without engaging the locker to feel if there was enough to get going. Since I had stopped before digging it was an easy take off. The kids even got a chance to call out to the 4wds that had a good laugh, "thanks." Once at the landing point for the barge I unhooked then returned to assist the no longer laughing treasure hunters....well they were doing a lot of digging. All made the ferry in the end but was amazed to see the guys that wanted to laugh not realising we weren't in trouble as yet, didn't have a single snatch strap or shackle between them & asked why I was letting air out? Once we got on the barge I let SWMBO know about the new finding so she would understand the urgency of breaking free of the mayhem.
Must say the Island is always a favourite would hate it to be ever closed on us

[Beachman]

Great story and I can picture Panhead and his Brother in-law.

I do a lot of beach driving/camping and that 100m sprint through the road to the barge is up there when it comes to a challenge. This stretch of sand gets more 4WD's bogged than any other place I know. This 100m really does deserver respect otherwise your could well be it's next victim.

We Holiday at Rainbow beach at least once per year and we use to spend each morning at Inskip Point with the kids. But I use to spend more time helping others who were bogged then time with my own kids, so while this sounds selfish we had start going around the corner.

Seeing Inskip is so chewed up and when it hasn't rained for months, the sand gets really dry and soft. So when someone is bogged you can't use snatch straps and once you stop to help, your also stuck. I've seen people stuck have been the most experienced 4WDer with well set up rigs. I have also seen others believe what the car salesperson told them about there All Wheel Drive being just as capable as a Cruiser/Patrol. Or my favourite is the ones who believe there 4WD is superior and they don't need to let air out of the tyres

Good thing about Inspkip is it's a wake up call to a lot of drivers, so they then normally take time to assess the upcoming challengers of Fraser. That plus if the barge guys see you trying to get yourself out, then after about 30 minutes they then offer there maxitracks. 

[Footy Shorts Shane]

We Holiday at Rainbow beach at least once per year and we use to spend each morning at Inskip Point with the kids. But I use to spend more time helping others who were bogged then time with my own kids, so while this sounds selfish we had start going around the corner.

That was exactly my point earlier. I'm the first to offer assistance if it's needed. But by the end of a week, it wears very thin.

The profile pic I'm using was taken in the very spot this thread is about, this time last year. We towed so many people out at the point, that it prompted me to make a sign out of a beer carton, "Will tow for beer." Obviously no-one offered any beer, most can't even thank you for your time or effort. It did however make a few unhappy bogged travelers smile, even the local coppers.

Shane.

[Bird]

most can't even thank you for your time or effort.

... thats the killer for me...

[Jeepers Creepers]

Now that's one helluva pile of grass clippings 

Yeah, ta mate. I do mow a lot of lawns. 

We'll be going out on it for the week-end if the weather report is still on the money.
Its nice inside too, lashings of white leather, all the fruit and all that.

Refuelling can be a bitch though, i've been known to burst into tears half way through at the marina bowser. 

[nbd73]

I'm quitting my job to take up mowing lawns. (after investing half my super in BP)

[kranky al]

 when i read threads from eastern staters about beach driving and the general consensus being that letting tyres down to 18 psi because the sand is really soft is really pushing it -  i dont know what to think  -    theres a beach a few k's from here where 12 psi might get you through with a heap of berries =- but 8 psi gets you through no worries - and if i get bogged i just keep letting them down till i get traction.  you can see when someone doesnt want to let their tyres down enogh as there are whoop de doos all the way down the track - bloody annoying

i read these threads and you mob will spend 1/2 an hour digging yourselves out - id rather let my tyres down a bit more and pump em up a bit down the track

as long as you keep your speed down and dont turn sharply you dont roll tyres off the rim - i dont actually know anyone over here that has with modern 4wd tyres and weve been in bad spots where we have been down at 4psi.

[Rumpig]

when i read threads from eastern staters about beach driving and the general consensus being that letting tyres down to 18 psi because the sand is really soft is really pushing it -  i dont know what to think  -    theres a beach a few k's from here where 12 psi might get you through with a heap of berries =- but 8 psi gets you through no worries - and if i get bogged i just keep letting them down till i get traction.  you can see when someone doesnt want to let their tyres down enogh as there are whoop de doos all the way down the track - bloody annoying

i read these threads and you mob will spend 1/2 an hour digging yourselves out - id rather let my tyres down a bit more and pump em up a bit down the track

as long as you keep your speed down and dont turn sharply you dont roll tyres off the rim - i dont actually know anyone over here that has with modern 4wd tyres and weve been in bad spots where we have been down at 4psi.

yes it'a amazing how many people think 18 -20 psi is a low tyre pressures isn't it. 2 years ago i was running 10 psi rears and 8 psi fronts to get over Big Red in the Simpson Desert. i watched for ages as vehicles tried and tried again to get over the sand dune, and one of them was running 12 psi rear and 10 psi fronts. after a while i went down the bottom and deflated to pressures already mentioned, it took 3 attempts but i got over, all because i was prepared to lower the pressures far enough. the vehicle running 12 and 10 psi pressures who had failed numerous times previously then dropped to the same pressures i was running, and drove straight over the dune also.
at Inskip i have dropped to 14 psi previously when i got bogged towing a caravan coming off of the island, i was running 25 psi before getting bogged and had forgotten to deflate for the soft sand back on the mainland. once i knew i was going to get bogged i stopped immediately and deflated the tyres to 14 psi, chucked some Maxtrax under the rear wheels of the fourby, tooted at the nice man in front of me who was reversing back to snatch me out to please get out of the way, then drove straight out from where i was stopped.

[nbd73]

Kranky, you're dead right about the deflating worries. My father used to run 12-15psi in his series 2A landie, never had a problem (mind you, with a top speed of 80km/h on a flat road there was hardly an issue with overpowering the wheels!) and had to go to 8psi a few times on the north western beaches of Fraser which have now been closed for many many years. It's really that simple, and until you've done it you won't realize how much difference every 2psi makes. It's a question of heat build up and how far and fast you intend to drive. A 12v portable air compressor should be as mandatory as a bull bar (or any other accessory all the popular 4wd mags tell you that you need) when driving on sand, and then it's not really an issue. Which would you rather do - spend 10mins deflating your tyres the extra 4-6psi, then 20 mins re-imflating, or ???hrs digging yourself ( and others if you're in the mood) out of a preventable situation in the heat. I'd choose the first option and enjoy a few coldies in the mean time....

[Kirky]

Sicilianmama, I did Fraser last year with a Jayco Swan OB, 4 more sleeps and I will be on there again with the Swan.  I drive up the beach to Dilli villiage and use it as base and explore from there.   I'm in agreement with everyone else here.  I drop the tyre pressure down to 18 psi.  Last year we got to the entrance to Dilli, there were two Prado's one with a CT and one without.  Both were bogged.  I offered to help, they told me they were fine.  I watched them for about 10 min then dropped the tyres to 15 psi and drove past both of them without a problem.  Everytime I go to the island I go to 18 psi and thats about where they stay the whole time I'm there, never have any problems.

[Footy Shorts Shane]

Tyre pressure is obviously vehicle and conditions related. But the biggest issue I see is times change, but a LOT of people don't.

"18 psi is what Dad ran when he was still alive back in the 90's and he was a beach driving Guru. So that's what I'm gunna run cause Dad knew his stuff. Dad would have forgotten more than you'll ever know. I'm sticking with 18 psi."
You hear it all the time.

One of the vehicles I drive runs 5.5 psi in 32"s, just to get down a concrete path!

Shane.

[Mallory Black]

It's not so much the amount of air in the tyre it has more to do with getting the right sized shape into the tyre itself
Just so happens that for the average loaded 4WD 18psi is just right.
However if you have a very hard tyre carcass, or not as heavily loaded you probably need to go lower to get the same shape if faces with really soft sand.
I've found that for our 90 Prado loaded with CT on the back, having the tyres at 18 rear, 16 front and (I think) 14 in the CT is OK

as far as driving approach, for patches like Inskip and Indian head 2nd low, maybe 3rd low and keep the engine spinning at app 5,000 rpm gets us through on just the right balance of speed and having access to maximum available power instantly if I have to floor it

[Beachman]

as far as driving approach, for patches like Inskip and Indian head 2nd low, maybe 3rd low and keep the engine spinning at app 5,000 rpm gets us through on just the right balance of speed and having access to maximum available power instantly if I have to floor it

Agree that the tyre pressures need to be adjusted depending on how much weight is in the 4WD to balloon the tyres. Plus getting to places like Inskip point is 3+ hour trip on the blacktop. So 18 PSI in hot tyres will give a totally different reading if I checked them cold the next morning.

For years I use to do the 2nd or 3rd low but didn't always find it to be that successful especially if bumps were involved. Now I do the slow and steady approach with 1st high and it's less bumpy and I find I have more control over the torque band. But each 4WD and driver are different, so whatever works   

[Jeepers Creepers]

Its good input on this.

Until now, i would've been a bit wary to go under 18, but i would now with the information that has come forward.

[Mallory Black]

it's a V6 petrol beachman, they have no torque so a few revs is all we have to go by. after al it's just sand LOL!
Plus.. we are always conscious of our C of G, never carry anything on the roof, all heavy stuff is a low as possible. I thik that's also a very important consideration for dealing with deep sand

[Footy Shorts Shane]

Its good input on this.

Until now, i would've been a bit wary to go under 18, but i would now with the information that has come forward.

Running up and down the beach with low pressures in soft sand at low speed generally wont cause an issue. It's not ideal for the side wall of the tyres though.

But, don't ever try to drive through the inland tracks with tyres that low, as the first tree root will almost certainly put the rim through the side wall.

Shane.