If you have driven your SR5 on the Beach or in the Sand......

T4RT

T4RT

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....... I could really use some personal feedback today before 4PM EST concerning how well the 4WD system works in sandy beach conditions. I am so close to pulling the trigger on the purchase of a used 2012 SR5 with leather and nav I can almost taste the payments! I know it is last minute to ask for feedback but I have last minute jitters on making this purchase. :scared: Beach duty in the Outer Banks of NC and family hauling will be this runners sole purpose in life!

Thanks for reading and for your feedback

T4RT
 
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T4RT said:
....... I could really use some personal feedback today before 4PM EST concerning how well the 4WD system works in sandy beach conditions. I am so close to pulling the trigger on the purchase of a used 2012 SR5 with leather and nav I can almost taste the payments! I know it is last minute to ask for feedback but I have last minute jitters on making this purchase. :scared: Beach duty in the Outer Banks of NC and family hauling will be this runners sole purpose in life!

Thanks for reading and for your feedback

T4RT
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I haven't with mine... but here you go. :) Happy reading and best wishes!

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/search.php?searchid=3356238

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/search.php?searchid=3356228
 
[MENTION=96409]Canazes9[/MENTION] drives a LOT on the beach. Maybe he will see this and chime in.
I have driven in the sand in NC and you should have no worries. I have AT tires and they did just fine aired down to around 15 psi or so. As a matter of fact I just shifted into 4HI and never had any issues at all. No 4LO, didn't have to lock it in, etc. Toyota has VSC that can be disengaged if you need to and ATRAC which is a emulation of LSD. I have the TE model with PT 4WD. SR5's have the same drivetrain. The LE models have FT4WD and that would be fine too. Hope this helps.
 
I drove my '03 Tundra quite a bit in the Glamis Imperial Sand Dunes. It was 2wd, but that was never a problem. Air down sufficiently, and be careful where you stop the vehicle - point it downhill or at least on even ground. The only time 4wd was ever necessary was if someone was very dug-in and needed to get unstuck. A lot of the time, a quick pull from another 2wd truck would do the trick. Does this answer your question? Not really, and so I apologize. I guess where I'm going is that it's as much driver and knowledge of the terrain as it is the vehicle. I love my 4r, and I think you will, too. I'm planning a trip to the obx later this spring, and I have no worries that my bone-stock setup will be just fine out there on the beach.
 
That's all I do with my 4runner, my wife drives it the rest of the time! I go surf fishing on the beach on matagorda bay , as well as all the way up to Freeport. It does awesome in sand! I hardly ever need the 4wd although I have started using it more just so it gets a work out.
 
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1engineer said:
[MENTION=96409]Canazes9[/MENTION] drives a LOT on the beach. Maybe he will see this and chime in.
I have driven in the sand in NC and you should have no worries. I have AT tires and they did just fine aired down to around 15 psi or so. As a matter of fact I just shifted into 4HI and never had any issues at all. No 4LO, didn't have to lock it in, etc. Toyota has VSC that can be disengaged if you need to and ATRAC which is a emulation of LSD. I have the TE model with PT 4WD. SR5's have the same drivetrain. The LE models have FT4WD and that would be fine too. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

[MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] - Thanks! It does help. Hopefully [MENTION=96409]Canazes9[/MENTION] will be able to chime in soon! The buying hour is quickly approaching. If everything goes though today, I will be posting pictures and providing additional details.
 
Sand

Go buy it and have fun.

I have been on very soft sand dunes with OEM tires aired down to 15 and went up and down anything I wanted to. Last trip I had aired back up and was in 2WD on the way out and went through a deep patch. It boged down and started to dig in. I put it in 4WD and drove out.
 

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T4RT said:
....... I could really use some personal feedback today before 4PM EST concerning how well the 4WD system works in sandy beach conditions. I am so close to pulling the trigger on the purchase of a used 2012 SR5 with leather and nav I can almost taste the payments! I know it is last minute to ask for feedback but I have last minute jitters on making this purchase. :scared: Beach duty in the Outer Banks of NC and family hauling will be this runners sole purpose in life!

Thanks for reading and for your feedback

T4RT
Click to expand...

I am located in VA Beach and I head down to OBX to fish often. I have a 2010 Limited and even with the skinny factory wheels the Limited's come with, the 4runner does great. I air down to ~25psi and only have to put it in H4L when I am exploring over the dunes :bump:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/attachments/5th-gen-t4rs/99793d1381353958-post-your-shoreline-blues-here-photo-2-.jpg
 
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Americas High Five said:
I am located in VA Beach and I head down to OBX to fish often. I have a 2010 Limited and even with the skinny factory wheels the Limited's come with, the 4runner does great. I air down to ~25psi and only have to put it in H4L when I am exploring over the dunes :bump:
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Thanks for your response!

I never got the nerve up to go exploring over the dunes in Corolla. Maybe now I will give it a shot. I still need to make sure I have proper gear in the truck. Tow strap, tow D-Rink in the hitch... etc.

First warm weekend I get I might ride down and get my beach pass for the summer to allow access to Oregon Inlet and further south. Might also ride up to Corolla to see the horses. The kids would love that. Good Photo Op too. Just need to get some better tires when the OEM's wear out. The OEM Tires make it look docile.
 
It depends on the sand. If you are driving along a wet flat beach like Pismo any vehicle can do it. People drive their motorhomes on it. If you drive on the big dunes away from the beach it is a whole new ballgame. If the sand is dry you sink in easy and low tire pressure is mandatory. If it recently rained you get a lot more flotation and traction in the sand. If you do go back to the big dunes you will have to have a big flag so you can be seen cresting the big dunes. Most people just drive on the smooth beach and take a few pictures thinking they did pretty good and avoid the big dune area. If you go to the big dunes you better make sure someone is with you to pull you out when you get stuck and you better have a tow strap. Mostly there are Jeeps, atvs and dune buggies back there.

Check out this link to the area. It says passenger cars can easily be driven on the beach. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=406
 
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T4RT said:
Thanks for your response!

I never got the nerve up to go exploring over the dunes in Corolla. Maybe now I will give it a shot. I still need to make sure I have proper gear in the truck. Tow strap, tow D-Rink in the hitch... etc.

First warm weekend I get I might ride down and get my beach pass for the summer to allow access to Oregon Inlet and further south. Might also ride up to Corolla to see the horses. The kids would love that. Good Photo Op too. Just need to get some better tires when the OEM's wear out. The OEM Tires make it look docile.
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Corolla is beautiful and if you head far enough north you will hit Corova. There is an old Coast Guard Station up there and tons of wild horses. Good thing I brought my tow strap the last trip we took, my father in-laws Wrangler got stuck :lmao:

I am pushing 60K miles on the OEM tires, now i might have a good excuse to pull the trigger and beef up those 20's
 
I've probably racked up close to 1000 miles on the beach. I've driven almost the entire coast of Texas (there are some spots you cannot drive) and some of Mexico as well as OBX. I've even been caught in very high seas where the tide had pushed to the dunes and I was basically driving in the surf. I do have duratracs and they're amazing in soft/wet sand.

In my opinion it's all about technique, but the T4R does very well in sand.
 

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No problems on the beach. I didn't even air down and had no problems. And this was on the OBX. In Frisco to be exact. Do it these things are awesome
 
T4RT said:
....... concerning how well the 4WD system works in sandy beach conditions.
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It's just traditional 4wd (that's a good thing). The "system" part will probably never come into play in sand.

Works great. Buy it, air down, enjoy.
 
I live in FL and have spent a lot of time on beaches on both coasts and the 4Runner has been stellar. Occasional 4Hi needed in very soft, deep sand but always feels more than capable.
 
J-BlickPhoto said:
I've probably racked up close to 1000 miles on the beach. I've driven almost the entire coast of Texas (there are some spots you cannot drive) and some of Mexico as well as OBX. I've even been caught in very high seas where the tide had pushed to the dunes and I was basically driving in the surf. I do have duratracs and they're amazing in soft/wet sand.

In my opinion it's all about technique, but the T4R does very well in sand.
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Alright, you posted some nice pics, but did you drive your brand new 1984 4Runner SR5 (in 1984) on the same beach as you did your 2012 TE? I bet I got you there lol. I wish I could take pictures like you guys though. No, don't tell me it just takes good equipment either. It takes something else which apparently was left out when I was being assembled.
 
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