Towing in sand..

Just buy 2 sets of maxtrax . I found that my troopy is quite heavy and without much power it can bog down easily . I just throw a set of maxtrax under the front wheels . Make sure that your tyres have good lugs on them to grip the maxtrax .

Gday troopy1,

Not sure how tight your budget is but why not entertain the Idea of fitting a turbo.
There are a few different manufacturers around, bounce some prices off them all.

Charging it will make a massive difference in towing abilities and make it a much better truck to drive. Worth the $$$$ IMO

Cheers

Hi Troopy1,

For some good experienced information look herehttp://www.direct4wd.com.au/tours/trailers.htm

And bear in mind that you can always leave the camper-trailer parked at the campsite whilst you take the troopy up that difficult track.

Hi Troopy 1
Another good thing is tyre pressure. In the real soft stuff, make sure you drop you tyres right down and the camper a good 2 - 4 psi lower that your vehicle.
Like above, MaxTrax are great.

Cheers

Stephen

Checkout the latest 4x4 monthly.

There is a similar product called Sand trax?????? which were a damn sight cheaper than Maxtrax.
Was in the new product section if I remember correctly.

Ta muchly everyone! I think maxtrax are the go and am definitely going to look at a turbo conversion if the signs the appropriate forms. Have heard around 5 grand for turbos however will endeavour to shop around. Cheers.

Troopy 1
I have a non turbo troopy and crossed the Simpson Desert 5 times and the old girl did it easy. OK I didn't drag a trailer over and never would. it's not good for the tracks. If you are concerned go drive the dunes at Stockton. no no, not the beach get into the dunes, now if the troopy can handle that with the trailer you'll go anywhere. Best leave the trailer at the caravan park and tent it over the desert


Cheers.....................Trouper

MaxTrax can be useful. I carry a pair but have never needed them on my own Troopy. Only on other people.

Troopy1 said "am concerned of repeatedly getting stuck" so really MaxTrax are not the answer. The thing is to not get stuck in the first place! Not to be repeatedly using MaxTrax. They are a last resort.

troopy 1,

I have been towning a camper trailer for 13 years now. I have towed it in all kinds of terrain including soft sand. I have done thousands of kilometres in soft sand and have not been bogged. I am not saying it has always been easy and there have beeen times that I thought I might need to find an alternate route, but I have always got through.

While I agree that the turbo is a good idea I don't think it is the ultimate answer. It will be a good thing and in your situation I would fit one, but not just for the sand.

When driving on sand and particularly when towing you need to remeber two things. Keep the tyres soft. I run my trailer at the same pressure as the car. It works, I figure the trailer is about half the weight of the car and it has half as many tyres on the ground to carry the weight, therefore it should have the same pressures.

The second thing, and this is at least of equal importance to tyre pressures, don't spin your wheels. Once you have stopped going forward if the wheels are spinning you are only going down, so stop. You want to keep your rig moving with the lightest throttle opening you can. Keep it at mid rev range so you can power on if you need to but also so that it wont stall if you back off.

Sometimes you don't have the choice of leaving the camper behind while you do a day trip across the sand. Sometimes you come across sand where you did not expect to find any and sometimes you just want to take your trailer with you. Learn how to drive in the sand do it right and you won't have any problems.

Duncs

Maybe think about internal beadlocks to allow you to really drop tyre pressures 6psi will get you heaps further before you have trouble when compared to 14psi. I don't have them but do remember where my dad's beach buggy used to go and he always did it with very low tyre pressure but did not have the weight problems of the bigger 4x4s rolling tyres off rims when they run low pressures.

I ran 10psi in the front and 14 in the back of my loaded patrol to get over big red in the Simpson a few years back but someone with me had dramas trying to do the same dune with 20psi.

Hope it helps, Trevor.