Taking the Explorer to the beach!

[shooter49]

2014 explorer sport on OBX beach

i have driven for many years on the beaches of the OBX with 4x4's but my new Sport is AWD and I am wondering how it will do. I will lower tire pressure and set the knob for sand. It has 20 inch tires and decent clearance and I would like to know how it will fare.

 

[LukerDooker]

i have driven for many years on the beaches of the OBX with 4x4's but my new Sport is AWD and I am wondering how it will do. I will lower tire pressure and set the knob for sand. It has 20 inch tires and decent clearance and I would like to know how it will fare.

There is a post on here about that and the driver got stuck, not sure what tires they had but I would do a search, there isnt much to let out of the 20".
I think it was an XLT with 18".

 

[soulpatch]

I had no problems with my sport at OBX this summer. I preferred my Grand Cherokee in the sand as the 4x4 was better served but I did not get stuck nor have any oh crap moments with the explorer. I still have the stock tires and those were the biggest issue since even on the road they stink so their grip in the sand left a ton to be desired.

By the time I return next year I should have new tires on to help with better grip in the looser dry sand.

 

[shooter49]

thanks

Thanks. I know it is not like Wranglers I have have on the beach before but should do better then my old Astro AWD which did get on and off -BARELY.

 

[shooter49]

Handkook

I had no problems with my sport at OBX this summer. I preferred my Grand Cherokee in the sand as the 4x4 was better served but I did not get stuck nor have any oh crap moments with the explorer. I still have the stock tires and those were the biggest issue since even on the road they stink so their grip in the sand left a ton to be desired.

By the time I return next year I should have new tires on to help with better grip in the looser dry sand.

Do you have the Handcook Optimos as well?

 

[soulpatch]

yes the hancooks are on my explorer. Some of the worst tires I have ever had on a vehicle. They will be replaced this winter.

 

[tmg19103]

I wouldn't be so concerned about tires on sand - unless they have a too aggressive tread which will dig in. The ideal sand tire is bald and aired down to provide a wider surface area so you roll over the sand and don't dig in.

As for how the Ex with 20" or 18" will do in the sand, it all depends on the beach.

There are beaches on Nantucket where my XLT with 18's is fine, and I'm sure 20's would be OK too. There are also beaches that are very soft and mucky where I won't take my Ex. No doubt there are differing beach conditions out OBX way too.

The Ford AWD system is fine. My beach buggy is a 2009 Escape with AWD (the previous model, which is much better than the latest model for beaches). It has 16's, high sidewall tires and good clearance since I ripped off the front plastic air dam (which is a concern on the Ex depending on conditions). My Escape handles the toughest Nantucket sand better than my previous true 4x4, locking differential Pathfinder as it is lighter and "floats" over the sand better.

I will note Nantucket, a small island 30 miles out at sea where just about everybody drives on the beaches, has one car dealer - a Ford dealer. As far as Ex's go, they mostly stock loaded XLT's with 18's and they remove the front air dam.

EDIT: If you click below you will see Don Allen Ford on Nantucket deletes the the side parts of front air dam that hang the lowest due to all the beach driving.

http://www.donallenford.com/new-inv...40&zipcode=02554&sort_by=price_desc&view=list

 

[Halwg]

whatever you do, DONT pull in head first towards the water. park perpendicular, you won't have a problem getting out that way.

I've noticed people parking perpendicular on our downtown streets!

 

[jarettp]

Driving on Sand / Tire PSI

Just took a look at the manual to refresh myself before this year of beach activities and saw this passage "When driving over sand, try to keep all four wheels on the most solid area of the trail. Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shift to a lower gear and drive steadily through the terrain."

Why would the manual say to not lower the tire PSI when almost everything else I read says I absolutely should?

 

[Explorin'VA]

I guess they just don't want people forgetting to refill their tires before driving on the road. If you want to avoid burying your tires in the sand you'll have to lower your tire pressure. It helps to either ride on the hard packed sand near the shoreline or follow other peoples ruts.

 

[jarettp]

Thanks man. Hey, are there any good trails up in Shenandoah / GW that you're aware of?

 

[tmg19103]

Just took a look at the manual to refresh myself before this year of beach activities and saw this passage "When driving over sand, try to keep all four wheels on the most solid area of the trail. Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shift to a lower gear and drive steadily through the terrain."

Why would the manual say to not lower the tire PSI when almost everything else I read says I absolutely should?

Liability. Like posted above, Ford does not want you forgetting to air up - and then get in an accident on some highway that can be blamed on your under inflated tires.

Most all 4WD owners manuals say this, and I am sure it has caused many a newbie to get stuck.

 

[13.]

Just putting this out there as a testament to the ability to handle sand. It doesn't look to be aired down too much. Keep in mind that in situations like this you are putting a lot of stress on the transmission which builds heat. Is it the most efficient tool for the job? Nope, but it will get the job done if you keep your foot out of the pedal.

Video

MoreVideo

 

[peterk9]

Not sure what the first video has to do with this thread topic. It explains the 4matic system which the Explorer doesn't have. The second video link doesn't work.

Peter

 

[13.]

I fixed the second link. This thread is about current gen Explorers performance in/on sand. I thought that the videos contributed to the conversation as they are showing a stock current gen Explorer trudging through sand without getting stuck.

 

[peterk9]

The first time I clicked on the 1st video it was a clip about Mercedes Benz 4matic system. Now it shows the 'beached' Explorer as does the 2nd one. Thanks.

Peter

 

[tmg19103]

Just putting this out there as a testament to the ability to handle sand. It doesn't look to be aired down too much. Keep in mind that in situations like this you are putting a lot of stress on the transmission which builds heat. Is it the most efficient tool for the job? Nope, but it will get the job done if you keep your foot out of the pedal.

Video

MoreVideo

It's hard to tell if the tires are aired down just looking at them in sand. Your first video shows either the AWD not effectively working or he is afraid to give too much gas and dig in and bottom out if the tires are not aired down. My guess is the tires are not aired down in the second video due to the wheel spinning. My guess also is that there is a hard bottom to that soft sand or the spinning wheels would just dig deeper and the EX would bottom out and get stuck. When you air down it increases the surface area of the tire as well as making the tire softer so you float over the sand as opposed to digging in - which is what happens if you don't air down in soft sand.

The deeper and softer the sand, the more you air down. I'd be 12 psi in the below YouTube. Even then, the Ex is not going anywhere in real soft stuff unless you remove the front air dam.

https://youtu.be/ubHpbpemEE8

 

[ocracokeBound]

I like the "wiggle" technique in the first video, I might try that some time if I need to. On the tranny heat, the all wheel drive is going to cut out if you over extend the Ex, and you have to wait 20 minutes for it to cool down. This self preservation mode probably saves the tranny as well.

Oregon inlet is not that bad, it is just it is the first ramp on the OBX and there are a lot of novices that don't air down making the place a mess. Note how the 4X4 with aggressive tires just dig holes, and nobody in the Jeep had a shovel... The air dam hasn't been that bad for me, I do plow a bit in the soft stuff, but it is flexible that seems to help. If you have a tow package the cowl going back to the tranny is going to fill with sand. I am unusual though as I use the 17" steel wheels for just this purpose.

 

[tmg19103]

I am unusual though as I use the 17" steel wheels for just this purpose.

That's practical. My beach buggy is my Escape. 16" wheels and high sidewalls so when you are aired down you sill have a lot left. The Ex is just fine on most beaches, but there is some stuff on the southeast shore and up Greet Point I won't take it. Outside of the soft stuff, lot of dips where you need clearance. However, the Escape with the standard AWD (no TMS) does just fine in the soft, boggy stuff. I ripped off the plastic air dam and it helps that it is a lighter vehicle with smaller wheels.

 

[13.]

The Minivan Goes to the Beach

So a smoked transmission in my Bronco has left our Explorer as our primary beach vehicle. I had reservations about this because as we've all read, the newer explorers are minivans that can't go off road.

I trimmed the air dam a bit this morning, loaded up all my recovery gear, threw my boy in the truck and headed to the beach we frequent with the softest sand to see how it worked out. My father in law met us out there with his S10 in case things got interesting.

I'm sure some of you know this but I didn't. Every time you shut the key off the terrain management defaults to "Normal". I had put it in sand mode then shut it down while I aired down to 18psi.

We headed down the dune path on our way out to the beach. It was really windy so a good amount of the ruts were leveled out. I was surprised. It wasn't as good as my Bronco or past pick ups but it was getting the job done. We got out on to the beach and stopped. My father inlaw though it was pretty neat how you could see when the rear wheels engaged... thats when I noticed I wasn't in sand mode.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going up and down dune hills and trying to get into a situation that may challenge the truck. I was really impressed overall. The thing drove great on the sand. Kept nice and gentle on the throttle and had no issues. I even got on it a bit and it went right along without digging down.

Takeaways: Ground clearance is an issue. She would drag her belly in deep ruts but never hung up.

I preferred leaving the terrain management in "Normal" with the shifter in "M" and not letting it shift out passed 3rd. The "Sand" setting obviously worked well and was welcomed when it was needed but the revs stayed pretty high and if wasn't needed why put the engine through it.

Overall not bad for a minivan