I am interested in driving my 2018 CRV AWD choose the Delaware State Park beaches to do some surf fishing. I have seen lots of back-and-forth on other social media stating that you must have FWD, and that the CRV will get stuck. Even with lowering the tire pressure to 15 to 18 psi. Does anyone have any conclusive evidence, or advice about this?
Beach Driving with 2018 CRV?
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
"Must have FWD" ???
I'd think AWD would do better, but I wouldn't know, the nearest beach is over 1000 miles away.
Joined
·
6,159 Posts
Hope someone that has done some Beach driving will come in, and offer advice, Beach is a mile down the road, and Permits required to be on the Beach. Deflate the tires, its not a 4X4. that said good luck on your trip, I be careful about Sand , and Salt.
Yikes! I meant to say 4WD! Four wheel drive..
Joined
·
43 Posts
I have been there several times and have seen AWD vehicles driving on the packed sand. However, I did not see a CR-V so I would not know. But yes, deflating the tires is a "must" and I would not go in to sand without doing so---secondly, we had a 4WD Explorer and used to go to the OBX all the time and drove on the beach---we only went on at low tide. It's almost impossible to get stuck on packed sand.
Also, my BIL lives in Lewes,DE and has a 4WD Tacoma. He could not get a permit and is on a waiting list as there's a limited amount they allow---so this all might be a moot point anyway.
Regardless of the vehicle one chooses to ride to at/on the beach. Please verify the tires (sidewalls) will not be damaged by lowering when lower pressure to 15, 18 whatever psi. That is a very low pressure. Remember the Explorer/Firestone fiasco from years ago. IIRC, Ford Explorer recco was 24 psi tire pressure, Firestone tire minimum psi spec was 24 psi. No room for error.
good point. Thanks..
Sand is ALWAYS a possible hazard. Some vehicles mitigate the hazard better than others.
As others have noted.. you will need to lower pressure on the tires (carry a portable inflator to re-inflate the tires back up to spec before driving on the road). AWD is also pretty much compulsory.. except for very hard packed sand that will carry regular autos (like the good old days on Daytona Beach). And.... learn in advance how to, and how NOT to, drive on sand.. because most sand related stranding is self-inflected via bad driving behavior.
Personally, I would avoid driving on sand unless it truly is hardpack sand, and NOT water logged, in a CRV. That said.. you will do better with a gen5 AWD CRV on sand than on earlier generations because Honda really has upgraded the AWD drive and traction control systems in the gen5.
As others have noted.. you will need to lower pressure on the tires (carry a portable inflator to re-inflate the tires back up to spec before driving on the road). AWD is also pretty much compulsory.. except for very hard packed sand that will carry regular autos (like the good old days on Daytona Beach). And.... learn in advance how to, and how NOT to, drive on sand.. because most sand related stranding is self-inflected via bad driving behavior.
Personally, I would avoid driving on sand unless it truly is hardpack sand, and NOT water logged, in a CRV. That said.. you will do better with a gen5 AWD CRV on sand than on earlier generations because Honda really has upgraded the AWD drive and traction control systems in the gen5.
Joined
·
6,159 Posts
Wood not a Board be helpful if stuck. or if what if a flat, how would you get the jack under, so the question is, what kit do you have for being on the beach for safety wise.
I was thinking same thing, shovel and something like:
BUNKER INDUST Off-Road Traction Boards with Jack Lift Base, 2 Pcs Recovery | eBay
You can get vehicle unstuck from any situation. You Can get vehicle unstuck from any situation. 【Easy to Carry】Works with any vehicle! 4 Comfortable side-handles for easy portability. Working Temperatures-7.8°C (18°F) - 55°C (131°F).
www.ebay.com
BUNKER INDUST Recovery Track 2 Pcs Red Sand Snow Tracks Traction Mat | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BUNKER INDUST Recovery Track 2 Pcs Red Sand Snow Tracks Traction Mat at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
You guys take all the fun out of an adventure 😧
Heh.... well this comes down to being proactive vs reactive, in my view. Proactively plan for problems and have viable contingencies, OR... to all reactive when/if you have problems. I generally live in the proactive camp in this equation. Then again.. I have absolutely no good reason to ever take my CRV out across beach sand either.. but that does not change my approach and thinking to the issue.
Where driving on sand is concerned, with the possibility of being genuinely stuck on a sand beach, with the tide coming in while you scramble to dig out .... I think proactive is the better approach here.
The basic common sense rule is never put yourself into a situation where you cannot get out of it or manage it. So.. when taking a CRV off-road... always best to plan for the worst, and then enjoy your trip. If you plan for the worst.. either it never comes to pass, or it does and you have a plan to quickly move past it... because you may otherwise not have the ability to save your vehicle from harm.
Joined
·
728 Posts
You certainly don’t want much wheel slip on sand; you can quickly dig yourself in. Not at all like in snow where sometimes turning off the traction control is the only way to make an icy hill with 2wd.
I've driven my wife's '99 in the Imperial Sand Dunes and also in the dunes near Las Vegas and St George.
Half the tire pressure is fine (15#)....let them down on pavement so you can see how much of a bulge you have.
Turn the traction control off.
Keep the beast rapped up. The higher the gear, the less likely it is to spin the tires, but you need them spinning...if the going is tough, if it is packed sand, it won't matter either way.
Half the tire pressure is fine (15#)....let them down on pavement so you can see how much of a bulge you have.
Turn the traction control off.
Keep the beast rapped up. The higher the gear, the less likely it is to spin the tires, but you need them spinning...if the going is tough, if it is packed sand, it won't matter either way.
Joined
·
14 Posts
I love our CRV. But it is only an AWD vehicle, not a 4 wheel drive. There are significant differences. I might take it on a hard pack sand beach, but not a beach made up mainly of loose sand. You may at the very least get stuck and at the very worst cause damage to your AWD system.
Like you, your sister state south, Oregon, offers plenty of opportunities to drive on a beach. Although I haven't taking my 2018 CR-V T on one, I use to drive my 65 VW Bug and 72 Celica on them. They were RWD only but I never had any problem so I'm thinking an AWD vehicle shouldn't have any issue. Best advice I can give is...go slow.
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
