Getting stuck in sand

huachuca wrote:



Do not attempt the Moki Dugway on the western end with your camper. It is an awesome drive though with just your vehicle.

Hope you'll forgive me...but the Mokee is one of the best things to do. Low gear and drive with your eyes...cattle and semi's can impede one's travel. I have done it maybe 6? times..all my VW Westy's, and my two C's.




Gary Haupt

If you watch this vid...there are several references to the trouble one can find with the washes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SAKWDVIaX8


Gary Haupt

garyhaupt wrote:

huachuca wrote:



Do not attempt the Moki Dugway on the western end with your camper. It is an awesome drive though with just your vehicle.

Hope you'll forgive me...but the Mokee is one of the best things to do. Low gear and drive with your eyes...cattle and semi's can impede one's travel. I have done it maybe 6? times..all my VW Westy's, and my two C's.




Gary Haupt

No offense taken. I highly recommend driving the Moki as well and have made several trips in both directions in my Tacoma. But I wouldn’t want to so so while pulling our camper, especially if descending. Could be I’m just getting cautious in my old age.

garyhaupt wrote:

huachuca wrote:



Do not attempt the Moki Dugway on the western end with your camper. It is an awesome drive though with just your vehicle.

Hope you'll forgive me...but the Mokee is one of the best things to do. Low gear and drive with your eyes...cattle and semi's can impede one's travel. I have done it maybe 6? times..all my VW Westy's, and my two C's.

Gary Haupt

Gary,

Would I need low gear in my 24 foot Class C ... or only keep the tranny in Tow/Haul mode and let it do it's own downshifting whenever I tap the break pedal?

(I've really become a fan of using the push button Tow/Haul mode on Ford's 2005-on-up Torqshift transmissions .. the only thing I do with the gearshift lever itself is put it into "P" or "D".)

Hey Phil...I go down in low. Because it is gravel, if the speed got built up and you had to slow or stop in a hurry...you stand the chance of sliding. There are some hard corners, so slow is safe. It's always easy to go up a gear if you are going too slow...it can be a son-of-a-gun to get it down

If you go...about 1/4 way down, you'll have a pull off to your left? Same place the pic was taken. You want to get in there and follow the path. Incredible view.


Gary

Dessert sand?

Others have mentioned a lot of good advice. I'll add a few things.

1. Safety in (smart) numbers. Qualified and experienced off road drivers

2. Minimum 3 vehicles, each able to pull the other 1 on 1.

3. Each vehicle carries recovery and survival gear.

4. Each vehicle sufficient condition and space to carry ALL PASSENGERS in an emergency. Know what stuff you might need to keep with you in case of injury/danger bugout.

5. Fluids. Water, trans fluid, oil, fuel.

6. Know WHEN to abandon a vehicle. Expensive tows or long recovery hours with help is a whole lot better than life-threatening survival mode ;)

7. When possible, try not to be the smartest, most experienced, or best prepared person on the trip. If you can bring someone who knows MORE, do it ;)

8. Be medically prepared with supplies and gear. I've set joints and done minor surgery (to avoid potentially life threatening or permanent damage) on survival style trips, recently in fact ;)

9. Bring your Can-Do, Let's-have-fun attitude and leave anyone without it at home ;)

Have fun!

Oh- I'll add this. Ford 4x4 trucks usually have ability to MANUALLY turn front hubs in, clockwise.

Make sure your 4x4 works BEFORE you need it ;)

Taking a truck through sand is hard enough. Pulling a trailer or taking a motorhome through sand is a bad idea unless is packed like the beach at Daytona.

I used to go to Burning Man in the 1990s when it was smaller and I was younger. It was adventures in stuck vehicles. RVs, trailers, motor homes, rental Ryder trucks, you name it.

I camp on outer beaches of the ocean in sand a lot. Knowing where we have to go to get to our site I air down the truck to 13 pounds in the front 15 pounds in the rear and 20 pounds on the trailer. That way the fronts flatten out the sand more for the next set and the next set. This is ocean sand nice and soft which might be different where your going. If stuck, stop gassing it and digging down as it will always take you longer to get out. The worst that ever happened to me was coming over the dunes and many before me did not air down and rototilled the "ramp". What that does is add lots of air so I drove down the ramp and sunk. Thanks guys! Disconnected, jack up truck fill in hole on all fours. Same on the Trailer. Then create a pathway with a shovel so that the tires would be free from sand mounds for at least a truck length. You need some forward momentum, and made it out. Don't be misled, just because you put big wide tires on, they still need to be aired down.

pnichols wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:

huachuca wrote:



Do not attempt the Moki Dugway on the western end with your camper. It is an awesome drive though with just your vehicle.

Hope you'll forgive me...but the Mokee is one of the best things to do. Low gear and drive with your eyes...cattle and semi's can impede one's travel. I have done it maybe 6? times..all my VW Westy's, and my two C's.

Gary Haupt

Gary,

Would I need low gear in my 24 foot Class C ... or only keep the tranny in Tow/Haul mode and let it do it's own downshifting whenever I tap the break pedal?

(I've really become a fan of using the push button Tow/Haul mode on Ford's 2005-on-up Torqshift transmissions .. the only thing I do with the gearshift lever itself is put it into "P" or "D".)

I just went down this route last week in my 31ft Class C with a motorcycle carrier on the back which increases my length to 34FT. I had the transmission in 2nd gear and didnt go over 3 - 5 mph. It is a beautiful view, but i wouldn't do it again...EVER