towing camper trailer in sand

All 6 tyres down to 15psi (or so) and you should be okay.
Make sure you've got a good compressor.
Make sure you've got a snatch strap.
Try to go with someone else (so you can pull each other out of trouble if need be).
Have fun.

Freezer
I see Roachie gave you a reply and i have to disagree with him on 1 part of his answer, not 6 down but i would say only the 4 on the car, reason being the trailer wheels are not driving , just rolling along so if they are baggy then that will cause unwanted friction/drag, if they are tight no friction/drag, and thats the method i applied when I towed an off road trailer over the Simpson 1997,worked well

On sand whether it be beach or desert, 15psi in the GQ tyres and 10psi in the trailer tyres works very well for me. I have taken my trailer weighing up tp 850kgs on various offtrack adventures and have only come to grief once. On that occasion I dropped the trucks' tyre pressures down to 10 as well and drove out of the sand bog unassisted.

I think that you may have to experiment with your Navara to find the right combination of tyre pressures for it and the trailer. In general, tyres that bag with less pressure in them, leave a bigger footprint and more floatation on sand.

Cheers

Been to Fraser, Morton and Straddie with the camper (1.2t with water) and haven't come unstuck and that was with the Disco - The Nissan should do it no probs.

ALWAYS had the tryes down to 16-18psi, trailer to 22-23.

One thing I was told on here once was to turn off your trailer brakes (if applic), you won't need them and they would be a hinderance if anything. Worked for me.

You'll be more confident with someone else but if you've got the right recov equip there is always someone to help.

Great spots, go for it.
John

Its years since I used to tow a trailer in the desert, but I'd let air out until the tyres are well bagged out - whatever that pressure may be. Can't roll a tyre off a trailer rim - lets face it its not steering and its not driving, so going down to very low pressures in sand wouldn't bother me.

Freezer - I agree with what Roachie and the others said make sure you let down the pressure in all tyres. You didn't say what type of campertrailer you have - a piece of advice I was given many years ago as a young bloke in the Army was to make sure that your trailer has the same rims/tyre set up as your vehicle and that they have the same track width, which is important when towing in sandy conditions as it means your trailer tyres follow in your vehicles tracks which helps in keeping up momentum when on the go.

Hope this helps and best of luck with your camping.

Karl

First time my 04 Navara STR went FWdriving was to Double Islnd Point.
It was 3 weeks old and we towed a Jayco Swan Camper that was not an offroad jobby and was on 165/78/14 trailer tyres.
We let the tyres down to 18 psi on the STR and 20 psi on the camper. We towed it up behind the dunes through the soft sand without a problem. Nearly got stuck trying to get back off the beach as the wheel tracks by this stage where quite deep and the draw bar was like the bow of a boat with the amount of sand it was moving . You let air out of tyres to increase the size of the footprint. Do it to all of them.

The only problem you will have anywhere is when you're in the soft stuff and you let it get off the boost

As with tyre inflation under any conditions, it is important to factor in the load being carried. If the trailer is 2000kg on a single axle more inflation will be required than a 500kg trailer.

Principally you want the trailer tyres bagged to "the necessary extent" to reduce the depth of depression it makes in the sand and thus reduce the height of ramp it needs to be pulled up by the vehicle thus reducing it's drag.

Similarly for tyre pressures - when loading up your vehicle from unladen with recommended tyre pressures (for normal black top running), the extent you should inflate your tyres is the extent necessary so that the tyres adopt the same shape as when unladen at the recommended pressures.

Forget about what type car, or trailer you are using. Forget about what brand tyres tyres, width of rims etc. Forget about how much weight in the car, or trailer or how much water is in the washer bottle.

Determine the optimum tyre pressure for YOUR vehicle in your CURRENT configuration on a particular stretch of sand like this.......Drive the car/trailer at something like a fast jogging speed, engage the clutch (or toss the auto into neutral) if the vehicle comes instantly to a dead stop then the tyres have dug in, air some out. repeat this process til the car rolls to a gentle stop which indicates adequate floatation for that vehicle configuration on that sand. With trial & error you will soon develop a good knowledge of what pressures for differing conditions.

As an aside, when driving on beach sand, this is common knowledge to most experienced beach drivers but new ones are coming in all the time so is worth repeating - driving at correct speed is vital. Too slow encorages digging in, too fast is dangerous both for other beach users and for you maybe rolling a tyre off the rim. The idea is to travel just fast enough to create a 'bow wave' of sand in front of the front tyres. The tyres ride this wave much as a surfer rides his wet wave staying up out of trouble. In my 80 series 30 - 35kmh seems to work ok.

Hope this helps someone.

Regards

Neil

Freezer, the most important thing is to get the pressure on the driven wheels down. I reduce the CT pressure by the same amount, but given the variety of responses here, that is probably less important.

I generally go to around 18 lb, but if the going is tough, go lower. If you get stuck, don't be afraid to go to 10lb to help get out.

You are probably thinking of a bit more than tyre pressure though. When towing in dry sand, momentum is important. If your vehicle is manual, select the right gear before you hit it, and don't try to change gear while crossing. I drive a 3 lt TD Hilux (manual) and my CT weighs 1,500 KG if fully loaded with water, fuel etc.

When crossing the dry sand to get to the beach at Inskip Pt, Fraser, Indian Head (Fraser) etc, where the dry sand run can be quite long and deep, I generally go to 2nd or 3rd low range, get the revs up to around 3,000 before I hit the dry stuff, and don't let off until I'm through. This varies with conditions, and you will quickly learn the right gear, speed, and revs required.

Don't confuse momentum with speed. You don't need to go fast, just get the right speed and revs and maintain it.

It shouldn't happen, but if you do get stuck, don't stress. As soon as you come to a stop, get off the gas or you will dig in. Let a bit more air out, clear the sand away from the front of the tyres and you should be able to work your way out. But make sure you have good recovery points, snatch strap etc before you go. Others will help if necessary.

A couple of years ago, I hadn't towed through dry sand either and had similar concerns. What I have posted is the advice I got (including on this forum) and it has worked fine. Been to Fraser a number of times and going again in early Oct.

You will have a ball.

G'day Freezer,

I'm not wise but I have done this a couiple of times. What the others have said is true, just get your tyre pressure down to around 18 and don't be afraid to go a little lower in need. Recovery gear is also useful as is the ability to use it. Get a decent compressor then letting your tyres down stops being a hurdle. Remember you're there to have fun so don't stress or kick the dog.

Do all of this before you get on the soft stuff and remember to engage 4WD (lock hubs if they are manual). You should have no problems with the car but remember to select the right gear before you attempt driving over a rise - you'll know which one that is when you've tried it a couple of times, the engine should rev comfortably and operate in its power zone. As a rule most people will say 2 low.

Kind regards

!MPG:13! Hi freezer, i have a 2004 navara and tambo c.t and towed in the simpson and didn't have a problem. I had the tyre pressures at 16 and 18 on the trailer. We also went with another 4wd.
cheers Lance