Camping on Sand

[MNRon]

We’re at Mustang Island SP (Corpus Christi) in the conventional campground. Just walked along the beach and looked at the primitive beach campsites. I’m intrigued, looking out over the waves and listening to the breakers sounds inviting. DW is less enamored, especially after just watching a class c being pulled out because he’d buried it up to the axles.

How many of you camp on the beach along south TX (S Padre Is has similar camping I believe). How risky is it with a 16k 5er, and an SRW 4wd truck? Am I just being too cautious, or too risky to think about it? Also, any tips or tricks?

As always, thanks for your insights.

[Veebyes]

I actually live about 100yds from the ocean. At most all I have to do is open a window to hear it.

There is no way that I will be taking my 5er or TV onto a beach. A spot overlooking a beach in an area that has offshore breezes is fine. A place where the waves are crashing onshore & the wind is blowing a fine salty mist inland, no way to be found there.

[dedmiston]

You really should read your policy. It’s easier than you think. Your carrier can’t violate their policy. Plus it’s a “contract of adhesion” where the tie goes to the insured (the policy holder).

Your agent can’t speak for the carrier though. They can’t extend coverage beyond the policy language.

Trust me. I’ve spent a lot of time doing this. The agent is just a sales guy. The only exception is that the agents occasionally pay out claims out of their own budgets to keep their best customers happy. That doesn’t happen so much anymore though.

The policy is the policy. And the whole business model is built on insuring negligence and stupidity. They can cancel your policy or raise your rates, but they have to pay the claims covered under the policy. It’s very straightforward.

[valhalla360]

dedmiston wrote:
I would never trust the agent. Just read your policy. It’s a very clear contract.

The policy likely won't clearly state "beach camping is OK and we'll cover a loss if the tide washes your RV away."

It will be in much more generic legal language, written by lawyers with caveats and here-to-fors, etc.... An email with response on the other hand can address the specific concern in layman's language. As an authorized agent, the insurance company will have difficulty fighting the claim if you show them the response.

[dedmiston]

I would never trust the agent. Just read your policy. It’s a very clear contract.

[valhalla360]

dedmiston wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

BurbMan wrote:
Gotta have insurance, because if you have to evacuate, you ain't taking the trailer with you...

Have you confirmed (in writing) with your insurance that they would cover you if you parked in the tidal area and lost the rig?

I would be very surprised to see a No Beach Camping exclusion in the policy. I used to work in claims and we covered everything but fraud.

Read your policy though. They're pretty simple to read.

I doubt they get that specific but I do know if you take a jeep off roading many policies won't cover it, so beach camping, you may need to consider the nature of the access. Some are officially roads, so in theory you should be OK. Others, it's allowed but not considered a road and if they decide you did something obviously stupid, they may try to deny the claim.

Again, better to check with your actual agent (in writing) rather than hope for the best.

[gkainz]

We were at Mustang Island last week but camped on the paved campground. I had the same thoughts about the unimproved camping on the beach as the OP. We walked the beach area and it didn’t look like anyone was having issues on the sand (except for wind driven sand blowing everywhere!).

[BurbMan]

valhalla360 wrote:
Have you confirmed (in writing) with your insurance that they would cover you if you parked in the tidal area and lost the rig?

This is a Suffolk County Park, they charge a nightly use fee, issue a permit to camp here and it's patrolled by State Park Police. This pic happens to be in early April, it's not like this in the summer....The county operates many campgrounds in the same fashion and if it represented undue risk to property or occupants they would not permit camping activity at this location. I could be at a park 1000 miles inland and have a tree fall on my camper...no trees here at the beach. Risk is not greater, just different, that's why we have insurance. I'm insured with USAA for 45 years, they have always been a stand up company (although now their RV insurance is through progressive.)

[dedmiston]

valhalla360 wrote:

BurbMan wrote:
Gotta have insurance, because if you have to evacuate, you ain't taking the trailer with you...

Have you confirmed (in writing) with your insurance that they would cover you if you parked in the tidal area and lost the rig?

I would be very surprised to see a No Beach Camping exclusion in the policy. I used to work in claims and we covered everything but fraud.

Read your policy though. They're pretty simple to read.

[valhalla360]

BurbMan wrote:
Gotta have insurance, because if you have to evacuate, you ain't taking the trailer with you...

Have you confirmed (in writing) with your insurance that they would cover you if you parked in the tidal area and lost the rig?

[BurbMan]

When we lived on Long Island our regular camping spot was the beach at Montauk. Used to pull the 34' TT out into the soft sand with the Suburban. The trick is to air down the tires on the truck AND trailer to 15 psi, 12 if the sand is really soft. Use 4WD LO range and go slow, You can start/stop with ease.

Avoid what looks like hard-packed sand down by the waterline, if you hit a soft spot it will be like quicksand and 10x harder to get out of vs. getting stuck in dry sand.

Way2roll, we have been woken up a few times to water under the trailer when storms at sea combined with a full moon to create a tidal surge making an unusually strong high tide. Gotta have insurance, because if you have to evacuate, you ain't taking the trailer with you...

All that said, there is nothing like camping on the beach! The memories are truly lasting, since you never ever quite get all of the sand out of the camper...

[NamMedevac_70]

Sounds like challenging fun for the DAAHNW. I will pass

[way2roll]

Plenty of CG's at the beach without actually being on the sand. I know Myrtle beach has several just in one town. You can still hear the ocean and if your site is right, see it over the dunes. Given the recent high tides and beach erosion on the east coast I would be afraid that you might run out of beach at a bad time, like in the middle of the night. Recently, around here King tides and unusual high tides come in right at the foot of the dunes.

[dedmiston]

We camp in the desert every New Year and this year we had heavy rains the week before our trip. We got out to camp late in the week and all the usual spots were taken, so we had to improvise. I pulled out into a mostly empty area with some light brush.

It turned out that the soil was softer than it looked and the rain made it softer. Our tires sunk in six inches, not too bad but not good.

The problem with the soft stuff is the turns. Your front wheels dig in deeper if you turn too sharply. We have a triple axle 20k fiver and each set of tires has to cut its own track if you turn too sharply instead of tracking behind the next wheel. It makes the truck work that much harder.

I knew our leveling jacks were going to sink in, so I made wide pads out of four leveling blocks kind of like snowsboes. We still sank and settled after three nights. The fiver was four inches lower than the truck.

I packed up the night before and we left early the last morning while the ground was still frozen and used 4WD-Low to get out.

Great trip and even a good spot, but the soft stuff made it a lot more work.

[MNRon]

OK. Thanks all. You’ve brought me to my senses. Long ago I accepted the maxim that I wouldn’t drive my truck out on the lake no matter how thick the ice was, the risk/reward just wasn’t worth it. Period. No need to think about it each year. Similarly I’ll just accept that I’m not pulling my 5er on the beach, risk/reward (including salt) just doesn’t make sense. No need to overthink, I’ll just accept that.

Reaffirms why DW is sometimes called SWMBO…