Got Question for the Beach Cruisers out there

General Lee 01 · January 28, 2003

When I get my 4x4, one of the things on my "to do list" is to go down to the Outer Banks of NC, and cruise on the beach. I have some questions.

Will I need to wash the Truck afterwards?

Is it illegal to "graze" the water in a Vehicle? (Reason I ask, Whenever I'm down there I don't see people doing it, always wondered if there were laws against it or something)

lrymal · January 28, 2003

In my case, I can recommend only by experience on the Texas coast. Our salt concentration in the water is fairly extreme. You definitely will want to run the truck through the wash afterwards and use one that sprays underneathe, also.

And, there is a reason your pals down there don't "graze" the water. You don't want to do that. You definitely don't want salt water going through body panels, frame, connectors, computer sensors.

Don't let my signature photo fool you (assuming it shows up). My truck wasn't splashing in the water nor were waves splashing on it. You just don't want to do that.

timk49 · January 28, 2003

Hi General Lee

I dont live at the beach but I've ben there enough. Used to surf in my early years. I can tell you this, it doesnt take driving through the surf to rust out your vehicle. Cars that are parked near the beach for long periods rust to. The salt spray just ruins the paint. I'd stay clear if I were you.

99silveradoz71 · January 30, 2003

Neighbor was on vacation somewhere on the East coast in his early 90's s-10 several years ago and parked along the shore. Thing ended up dying on him and he needed radiator or spark plug work due to the salt water blowing in the air.

95whtZR2 · January 30, 2003

lyramal- whereabouts on the Texas coast do you go? ever been to Port Aransas? My parents own a little house down there, I love playing around in the sand even though I have gotten stuck a fare share of times.

General Lee- The only thing I can recommend is washing it off thoroughly, on your hands and knees under the truck, whenever you leave( like when you're not going back for a while, otherwise you waste time and money washing it that thoroughly each time) What we do when we go down to the Texas Coast, is soon as we are done for the day, we rinse off the truck; they have a 50 cent wash that sprays in all directions, the bottom too, that you just drive through. When we leave to go back to our home, in Central Texas, we wash it off really good, get down and spray everything off under the truck and the body. We have never had any rust on any of our vehicles, even the ones we had for about 7 years, and took it down to the coast about 20 times each year, and played around down there alot. Good luck and have fun.

lrymal · January 30, 2003

Lumberjack..., I grew up in Galveston and during winter,like to play around in the dunes that are typically not accessible during summer months. Been doing this since the late 60s!!!!! A few times of year, we do family reunions waaaaay south on Padre and play around there, also.

Regarding salt and vehicles. In Galveston, we call car rust, "vehicle cancer". It would attack the chrome bumpers and decimate them, and would cause rust to occur from UNDERNEATH, causing fenders to rust out.

Well, our defense was constant washing underneath and waxing at least once a month. None of my cars ever rusted out, other than a Honda Civic in which a fender bracket rusted through to the fender's outside.

Also, I had a Chevy Corvair in which the FRAME rusted through. Found that out in the early 70s when changing a flat. The tire jack went through the frame. Oh yeah, the floor boards were rusted out, also.

Well, these events were YEARS and AGES ago. Today's vehicles are far better made. Very little chrome, very little unprotected metal. Hardly any metal clips, lots of 3M tape holding things together. And the bed and fenders have rust prevention.

A couple of our old farm trucks are beat up from hard use, but with waaay over 150,000 miles on them. They still work. None have rust damage on them and were used for years in hauling bay boats out of Galveston Bay. NO RUST. But, admittedly, these trucks were regularly pressure washed.

Finally, a long time ago, ALUMINUM window screens on houses in the Galveston area. Within five years, the screen webbing totally would crumble away, due to the salt spray in the air from the Gulf of Mexico.

clk7711 · January 31, 2003

ever been to Port Aransas? My parents own a little house down there, I love playing around in the sand even though I have gotten stuck a fare share of times.

I been going down to Port A for the last couple of years. Its a lot of fun runnin up and down the beach. Its also real easy to get stuck if you get off the packed road. Theres always someone stuck in a car that you can pull out.

95whtZR2 · February 1, 2003

CLK7711, Have you ever been to Charlie's Pature in Port Aransas, Great Wheelin', there is a big "pasture" that is nothing but sand, no ocean there either. Then there are some really cool trails, and sandy hill to climb. Plenty of areas for 4 wheelers too. Makes me want a 4 wheeler really bad! Also there is another small place to go wheelin' across from the hotel/condo(?) Port Royal. As far as I know both places are legal. Good lcuk if you ever find the places, I wish i could live down there so bad.

lrymal I have never been to Galveston before, but I have heard it is pretty nice. I thought it was illegal to drive in the dunes in TX, I know it is for Port A. I like South Padre alot too.