Terrain Mode on beach?

thegrizz · August 21, 2020

I just purchased my 2020 silverado 3.0 LT. I did not get the Z71 package since I rarely off road and only used 4Lo on my previous Silverado twice in 10 years.

Of course now that I opted to not get the 4Lo package and only have the terrain mode feature the wife wants to drive on the beach next weekend. Anyone have an experience running 4Hi or terrain mode on sand?

I don't want to be the idiot out there stuck in my brand new truck. Of course I'll be airing down.

Jav_eee · August 21, 2020

The trick, in sand, is momentum. No hard stop/starts. And just run it in 4hi as soon as you get on the sand, engaging it after the fact and trying to get unstuck is usually just a waste of time. Depends on the sand, of course...

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oldmann · August 21, 2020

Just take the tires down to 16PSI. You will be fine.

Gangly · August 21, 2020

So many people say that you want 4-lo for sand or deep mud because of the extra torque.....blah! It has nothing to do with the extra torque, it has everything to do with traction. 4-Lo wont blow the tires away when you give it gas and allows you to smoothly get on your way without digging down and creating a berm in front of your tires. That can easily be accounted for with throttle control so don"t worry about not having 4-lo, it will serve you little-to-no aid in soft sand.

The most important rule of thumb, as mentioned in posts above, is to air down. 16 PSI is a common PSI for off-road use in sand, but you'll probably find that 20 PSI will work fine. Just make sure you put air back in your tires at the first gas station you see. If possible, bring your own mini compressor so you don't have to worry about it.

Two other important keys to driving in/on sand:

1. Keep your speed up, and don't do any sudden accelerations or deccelerations (technically not a word)and you will be perfectly fine. What that means is don't use your brakes to stop, just let off the gas and let the sand bring you to a stop. When you apply the brakes in sand, a small berm will form in front of your tires and when you get ready to leave you will have to climb that small berm vertically before you ever get going horizontally. So again, let the sand stop you, don't use brakes unless the sand is hard packed.

2. When you get back in your vehicle and your ready to leave, roll into the throttle easy, don't stab the throttle or you will dig straight down into the sand. As mentioned above, keep your speed up since momentum will get you through most any soft spot as long as you are moving.

If by chance you do find your self getting stuck, stop immediately! Put the vehicle in reverse and you can sometimes back your way back out slow and easy.

A cheap, and FANTASTIC tool to keep in your truck for sandy drives are traction boards. They are EXTREMELY easy to use and are worth their weight in gold for people who do a lot of sand driving. Don't get caught up in names/pricing, they ALL work well in sand/mud/etc. Check out X-Bull gen 3 boards, they are legitimately good boards for a good price. Read the reviews and watch the videos, the are cheap life savers.

https://www.amazon.com/X-BULL-Recovery-Traction-Tracks-Ladder/dp/B07R5HYGDN/ref=asc_df_B07R5HYGDN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343269704531&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11524841838034955101&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027723&hvtargid=pla-782022922254&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69167827335&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343269704531&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11524841838034955101&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027723&hvtargid=pla-782022922254

thegrizz · August 22, 2020

Awesome thanks for all the replies everyone. I have an air compressor that I will bring on board so I will air down to 16 and stay in Auto just to be on the safe side.

I have been in the beach tons of times in the past, just not in my truck, so was a bit unsure of what selection to use. Looking forward to getting some fishing in.