Hi all,
I have a 2017 Superduty 6.7 4x4. I use the truck half on the street, and half to drive to a remote cabin in southern Arizona. The latter requires some minor rock crawling, 10 miles of dirt road, loose rock, and a 2-mile drive down a dry wash bed that is very sandy. This is a very dry part of the country, so wet abilities aren't paramount.

The truck does great through all of these sections except the sandy stretch, where I barely get through. I'm losing a ton of traction, tires are slipping, and yesterday I nearly got stuck. I have the FX4 package, and I have tried with and without the rear diff locked through this section. No matter what I do, I am still having lots of issues. In the near future, I'll be pulling a loaded offroad trailer up to the cabin, so will need to solve my traction problems soon.

I'm currently running the factory 275/R70/18 OWL A/T tires at the factory pressure settings.

For ground clearance reasons, I'm probably going to need to also upgrade to somewhat taller tires. At least 35-inch, but more likely 37-inch tires are in my future, with either a leveling kit or small (~4-inch) lift. (In the crawling sections, I am bottoming out on a few boulders in various spots, so need the extra ground clearance.)

While I'm doing this upgrade, I need to also solve the sand traction issue.

Do you guys have any suggestions for this driving scenario? I'm open to hearing thoughts on tire brand, models, things to look for, avoid, etc as I start the shopping process. Thanks in advance!

 

In the dry, loose stuff; I had good experience with BFG AT KO tires, E-rated.
Only stuff they struggle in is mud and muck.

 

The key to running in very loose sand is air pressure. I've run the beach and dunes for a long time. I've seen bone stock trucks out there going everywhere. It probably would be a pain for you air-down and air-up for a particular area but you won't get stuck. I used a nice 12V air pump that did a quick job of re-inflating offroad.
I like the Cooper AT3, they offer a 295/70/18 which would be a nice size bump for you. The 35x12.50 and 305/70/18 are also a good option.

 

Relative to the 12V air pump, I've had two different ones go bad on me (must have not spent enough). What kind do you use?

 

I have had the same one for about 12 years. I originally purchased it at an auto parts store for about $100. I don't remember the brand but it is a pretty heavy duty little pump that has some weight to it.

 

Doing a quick online search, mine is similar to this one:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...hoCHgUQAvD_BwE

I will also add that my compressor hooks directly to my battery under the hood.