4x4 F-350 Dually in sand?
 

Hi all! I'm wondering if a 00 F350 crew cab Dually Diesel 4x4 will go out on the beach in OBX? and if so with how much ease? I want to take mine down there, but don't want to get stuck. any thoughts?
Thanks, Brent

Brent it SHOULD do ok. The only drawback is the tires an F250-F350 runs (narrow, tall, stiff sidewall). I have an 85 F150 that has never came close to getting stuck down there. But I had a buddy follow me out there once with a Chebby 2500HD and promptly buried it. The secret is to air down your tires and use a guage. My tires with 20 lbs. of air did great. He aired his down to where they looked ok but still had something like 35 lbs. of air. We let more air out, dug him out a bit and he walked right out of the hole. I've heard it said that duallies do great in the sand because of the double width of the tires. Best thing to do is take it easy and don't go anywhere near soft sand until you've gotten the feel of things. And carry a chain just in case. There's plenty of folks that will glady hook to you to help you out.

I am from Cape Hatteras and I have seen my fair share of rigs frame deep. Let your air out. Also do not go into L range as it will dig a hole. Stay 4HI and put it in 2nd gear to minimiz spin...If you notice that you are stuck back up as your tires pack sand better in Reverse.

Where you going to?

Sand is deep and soft.

Brent,

I go down to the dunes alot in cali and see all kinds of dually's out there (usually loaded to the brim with trailers and quads. mmidgett has the best idea, air down and keep your speed up. If you have to park, don't mash on the brakes, come to a slow stop. You shouldn't have any problems though. Good luck!

btw- i'm bored at work so i'm going through all the message boards/chapters/etc, thought i'd put in my .02!

AIR DOWN!!! SECOND GEAR!!! DON'T PUSH IT!!!
I learned the hard way. First time out on the sand after purchasing my dually everything went great, I was in O/D, been a long time since I had a automatic. Got home found out t/p was at 50 psi all the way around. So I did the good deed thing and aired up tires. Second time out fishing, smoked trans.!!!!!! Front seal let loose and I tried to make it the last 500 yards back to pavement, guess what...SMOKED IT!!! DON'T PUSH IT!!! Another F-350 came by, said come with him, he took me to several local stores, purchased all trans. fluid they had, correct stuff. Returned to vehicle with wife and kid playing in the sand, poured in first quart and it ran out the front seal again. Let it set for 20-30 mins. and it held fluid to get it home. Next day payed the BIG BUCKS. The T/C and case on the trans. was gun metal blue.HOT, HOT, HOT. Oh, I forgot to mention, when I checked the fluid level the first time after getting stuck, it looked like a freshly fired shot gun with all the smoke pouring out the dip stick tube. AIR DOWN, 2ND GEAR, DON'T PUSH IT. These things weigh around 4 tons, but I can now say they will do very good in sand, I have even pulled trailer with lots of gear and loaded truck to several fishing trips and all the budys are inpressed. The other brands they have don't seem to keep up.

We just sold our house at Kure Beach (about 20 min west of wilmington), and both ends of the island are open for a lil wheelin on the beach. I've got an 97 f150 never had any problems but i got 32" All T's :). But my dad has a Dodge 3500 with michelins and he never got stuck, close but not stuck. Like the other guys said definately be sure to let the air out, and if you really wanna be safe, weather permitting go after it rains cause the rain packs the sand in nice n good. Normally the day after it rains I dont even need the 4x4, just keep it in two wheel. Put it this way, after it rained I saw a tarus out there, he did get stuck when he was leaving though, only because he decided to gun it from a dead stop. Hope it helps and have fun on the beach.

fordman,
how long have you been 4wheelin on the island? I started two-wheelin down on the south end when I was, well lets say, way too young to drive, drink, or anything else in a 1965 AMC Rambler. Yep, me and the buddys would go ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTH END, about 60 MPH in a tank. That's where i learned to drive. I grew up at Kure. Sure Sucks about the south end. But that's what happens when people do not take care of the mother space ship!! Man there use to be dunes 30 feet tall down there. Yea, two-three stories tall. By the way, when we hit 15 post mail me and let me know where your house at K/B was...we still have ours and will keep it until the island is completely full of Yankiees (spelling)...Later

Yea man i was bummed out when i heard what was happenin with the south end. Lots of good times out there. I think we bought our first house in '96. We sold that one after a couple years and moved up to second row from ocean, but we sold it this past september cause the prices went crazy high and it was a vacation house so wed been crazy not to sell. WE still go down there though, i think were're goin down for new years. Ill talk about it more when i can email...Peace man

Kure beach is the best place for wheelin'. Last time i was there the north end was really badly rutted out and the sound end was open, but you had to pay. The sand was so nice on the south end my moms crapota highlander didnt even have a hard time. Is the south end still only acdesible by permit, or did they shut it down completely?

For all of those who cruse Pleasure Island (Kure and Carolina Beaches). Both the North End and South End you have to have a pass for now. The North End (Freemond Park, Freemond is the family who ownes the North End) is $10.00/day or $40.00/12 months, money goes to C/B town. The South End $40.00 Jan 1 thru Dec 31 (State Owned Park now). Over July 4th weekend I read in the Island Paper they let 9,146 vechiles into the North End. North End is now patroled by C/B police and South End is patroled by State Park Rangers, you have to be out of the South End by 8:30 pm, North End is still 24 hours. South End no fires, can still have fire at North End.

from what i remember the north end was really crappy, but the south end was nice, that was last summer. do they do any grading or anything since its pay to drive?

No grading or anything. On the south end you can only drive on the inlet side between crossovers 1 and 2 and between 4 and 5. If you remember, corncake inlet was where the southend ended and Ball head island began, that was the water seperating the two. Now they are one and the inlet has closed up, you have to drive mainly on the ocean side now and at high tide with full moon you can't get to the south end unless you want to get your rig wet.

For the North end, they have put trashcans out and porta potts out there, north end is still kinda rough so far as rasin' he** but it is partolled by carolina beach police so most of that is gone, except for aftere midnight when the people who sit at the gate are gone. Still rough so far as driving, there are so many people going out there is stays tore up and soft.

Going down in August and Sept for the surf fishing tournament, if you're on the North End look for me in a green F-350 CC dully with Southern Green on the back window, somewhere close to the point on the North End. fishing tournament is Sept 5,6,7, but I will be there from the first to the seventh or somewhere about then...later.

im going down sept 19 to the 25, so i guess ill just miss ya. if you are there, i probally wont have my truck down there but i will keep a lookout for ya.

Hey guys, Can a dully climb uphills on sand easily or They get stuck as compared to Non Dullys?

With stock tires & not aired down.....you are looking to get stuck easily.