If you’re like most 4X4 owners who are also avid outdoor adventurers, you want nothing more than to head out of the city to unwind and go sand driving. At the beach, you get to soak up the tropical sun and swim to your heart’s content. You can pitch a tent and just hang out with friends or family. Even better, you get to test the full power of your 4-wheel drive on tricky terrain like sand.
But navigating the terrain can get trickier if you have a teardrop camper hitched onto your ride. While you love the camper’s compact size and the ease with which it can be manoeuvred, you’re still worried that it will get bogged down once you drive on squishy sand.
Don’t fret! Here at Hitch Campers, we’ve mastered the art of driving on difficult terrain like sand. In this blog, we’ll teach you how to tow a teardrop camper while sand driving, as well as how to recover when it gets stuck. Here are our tips.
Tip 1: Prioritise safety and brush up on your driving skills
The good news is there are other resources that you can check out to master driving on sand and safely navigating it with your teardrop camper in tow. The Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia, for example, launched a driver safety program aimed at recreational vehicle owners and enthusiasts. Simply visit their website and read everything you can before you go sand driving. The content can be accessed on your desktop, or via your Android or Apple smartphone.
Tip 2: Read (and reread) your vehicle’s insurance policy
You trust your vehicle wholeheartedly when it comes to its durability. But are you sure that your insurance is willing to cover any and all damage incurred during your sand driving adventure? So before you pack your bags and head out, we recommend that you read your policy and check the fine print.
Tip 3: Be aware of your teardrop camper’s tyre pressure
Checking and adjusting your 4X4’s tyres are things that need to be checked before heading out on an adventure. But it’s also a must to check your teardrop camper’s tyre pressure and adjust it accordingly before you go sand driving.
For smoother and hassle-free sand driving, we recommend that you lower the tow vehicle’s tyre pressure to 18 psi as this is ideal for driving on softer sand. Next, check the length of the tyre tread as it touches the sand. Try running two lines out and measure between each line.
Next, lower your camper’s tyre pressure gradually and continue doing this until you get the same length as your vehicle. Take note of the vehicle tyre pressure and use that as a starting point for your camper tyre pressure. Adjust the pressure whenever you add weight to the teardrop camper.
But keep in mind that the tyres you use are important, too. Don’t skimp; choose durable and stable tyres that give you more bang for your buck in the long run. It’s also a good idea to check the tyres’ mileage warranty before you purchase them.
Tip 4: Keep a steady pace
When driving on unstable and soft sand, we always tell drivers to keep a steady pace. It’s tempting to accelerate, but trust us, that’s the last thing you want to do if you want to avoid getting stuck. Make sure that the tyres of your teardrop camper are aligned with the tyres of your 4X4 as you drive so you can take advantage of that compacted ground.
Tip 5: Don’t leave your TRED recovery boards behind
It can be tempting to just leave your recovery boards at home. After all, you don’t want to add some extra kilograms to your vehicle. But a good pair of recovery boards are all that stand between you and being bogged down in the sand for several hours.
Haven’t purchased your TRED recovery boards yet? Then order yours now. Splurge on the best and most durable ones you can find. Make sure that they are designed not just for sand, but for mud and snow, too. They’ll be handy in case you’re bogged down in soft and wet sand.
A NAVIGATOR GEAR shovel is going to be useful, too, so make sure to bring one the next time you’re sand driving.
Want more tips like these? Or do you want to know more about Hitch Campers’ teardrop campers? Then take a look around our website to shop and learn more about our exciting products.