Help for equiping a vehicle that will be left on a beach

[Buliwyf]

-Boat anchor or pull pall for the winch.
-Use balloon tires from the steer axle of a farm tractor. Almost slicks, no tread. Will go through anything. Google search for the Michigan sand dune tour trucks.

Tread just digs in IME. Tractor tires float right across and are dirt cheap. Can't sink in, if there isn't any tread to dig with. It's just a POS sand truck, don't put real tires on it.
-dielectric grease every single connector
-keep the whole truck hosed down with paint. Flat black works best IMO. You could also coat the truck with Monsterliner "Chassis Saver" before painting it.

 

[AFBronco235]

That's a good point on the flotation tires. If you want any tread on it, you'll want turf tread, which is the same as used on large equipment used to tend to sod. Its very low damage and floats like a dream on sand and loose soil. Where I grew up, all the fields were more sand than soil, and thanks to the river flooding, could become quicksand very quick. Floatation tires will literally float across this stuff so I can't imagine you'd have any problems with it.

As far as security, have you considered locking down the driveshaft? I really don't know much about troopers, but maybe you could disconnect the shaft from the transfer case and find some way to bolt it into place so it not only prevents it from being driven, but also from being rolled, even on accident? The way it sounds to me, that would be the ideal situation for securing it. Just reconnect the shaft, install the battery and go whenever you're out there.

For rest prevention, look into getting some heavy machinery or trailer paint to spray over it when you're leaving. Since it will be a junk rig eventually, I'd even spray the moving pieces. The heavy duty paint will help prevent the worst of the rust from hitting critical areas until the body falls off or the frame snaps in two. Speaking of the frame, if you see any bulging spots under the paint, scrape those down and then seal them with the paint I mentioned. Doesn't have to be bare metal, but get as much of the flaked rust off as you can. Then you just touch it up whenever you're out there. Make sure the engine gets a similar treatment, especially on the heads/muffler, but use high temp paint obviously. Especially the OIL PAN! and put a good air intake filter or three on there to help keep salt out of the intake. Three air filters in line are better than one. Do you plan on changing the oil every time you go out there?

 

[BlindingWhiteTaco]

For tires you should just make sure you have 5 decent tires. You don't need big knobby tires, any moderately priced LT tire will do. Even some cheap used tires would work. Since it's staying on the beach lower the tire pressure to 12-15 psi and leave it there.

I wouldn't spend money on a winch. Even a cheap one. It's obvious that it's on the vehicle so inevitably somebody will try to steal it and whether or not they get it off they may damage the electrical system, at best shorting something out or worse, burning it to the ground. Plus you need quite a bit of kit to make it useful on the beach. Now you have more gear to stash, transport, maintain, and risk loosing. In that environment a cheap winch that is seldom used will probably turn into a corroded block of metal that doesn't work when you need it.

For recovery equipment I would keep an inexpensive air compressor and tire repair kit in the truck along with an exhaust jack. You should be able to find a few storage cubbies or out of the way hiding places to keep those hidden from view. A single pair of max tracks or treads and a shovel should be all you need. Bury the ramps under a foot of sand and park the truck with one wheel directly over them. Bury the shovel just under the sand beneath the vehicle to deny anybody a convenient window breaking tool.

Hopefully the windows have no tint so anybody can look inside and see that there is apparently nothing there. Leave the glove box empty and open. Other than the compressor, repair kit, and x-jack all hidden away under the seats leave it completely empty. I would opt to lock the doors and install a kill switch, or maybe just pull the fuel pump fuse. Anybody joy riding in the vehicle could bring it back or leave it somewhere else nice and safe on the island, or they could leave it on the beach just below the high tide line. You could also stash all the hidden recovery equipment in a sealed box with the ramps and leave the truck unlocked, but you're making the assumption that if somebody opens the doors, they will be courteous enough to also close them. I'm sure you don't want to ride around in a petri dish of mold and mildew.

If it is sitting for long periods of time the battery will probably die. You could install a small rooftop solar panel in a janky ghetto home made roof rack (with also no apparent value) to conceal it or you could just bring a micro start jump battery with you every time. Micro start makes a plug in adapter that you can leave hardwired to the battery so that if the main batter dies you can just plug in the micro start and leave it installed for the duration of the visit.

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

I got it home last night... Got my first real look in daylight today. It's not a peach. Rust in the rockers, 289k mile motor with some tinkering necessary before she's beach worthy. Tires appear nearly brand new, Yokohama geo something's. So that's the tires she'll have for now. I think we're going to strip the carpet, put a quick patch on the rockers and then start cleaning/rustoleum spray bombing everything we can reasonably hit.

Thanks very much for the thoughts. Is there a way to post a picture in the post?

 

[dlh62c]

TruckCamperMagazine has a good article on beach camping. You can search their site and find others.

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/off-road/beach/how-to-truck-camp-on-the-beach/

 

[Wilbah]

I wonder if you would do better to strip a lot of the metal off it. If all u want is a way to go up and down the beach fenders, doors and all the body parts will trap moisture and enhance rusting. Why not strip it to a sand rail like vehicle? Easier to paint the frame that way too. Just throwing out ideas.

As to problems with people coming and causing problems, I am not sure if this thing will be visible from passing boats but I think a vehicle on an uninhabited beach might invite people to stop and check it. Can it be hidden from site/parked where people can't see it? Would a tarp of some sort decrease the chances of it being seen? I realize you are parking it near a friend's place, has he had difficulties with people coming to "visit"? Love to see pics. Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[smlobx]

Sure would like to know where you're planning on leaving this thing....

I'll second the Fluid Film treatment and running the truck on tires that have as little tread as possible and are as wide as possible. Almost worn street tir s are the best, least expensive way to go here. You don't want LT tires as they have stiffer sidewalks and you'll want to have as much flexibility in your sidewalls as possible.

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

Got a minor tune up done just to see what difference simple stuff made in running condition. After plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, smog pump removed (for sake of space under the hood and losing about 6' of rubber hose in varying sizes), a few particularly worn out vacuum lines replaced and a fresh tank of fuel she seems to start more readily and idle settles out around 1,000RPM. Clutch doesn't work at all. Hydraulics appear to the be the problem, and I've purchased a master and slave cylinder, but after starting it in gear and banging through the gears to get to the gas station, I started smelling what I'd swear was clutch...so maybe it's an actual clutch problem. Only other planned work is address some exhaust leaks and check valve clearances and then change all of the fluids and drive it for a little while to see if I can shake out any issues here in the real world...

I will say, thus far, the parts have been cheap and the truck seems overall simple to work on. I'd really like to read up on what, if anything, can be simplified in the rats nest of vacuum lines under the hood. They all seem to tie into the EFI system and I can just picture having the one impossible to see hose out of the 30ft of rubber under the hood getting a crack and have to troubleshoot while horseflies and mosquitoes make a feast out of us...

Only picture I have handy is from the day I picked it up at my buddy's house, and I can't seem to figure out how to attach it..

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

 

[BBsound]

sacrificial zinc anodes will help keep it from rusting away as fast

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

sacrificial zinc anodes will help keep it from rusting away as fast

I've got a few weld-on zincs laying around from a barge build...not sure it'll help, but I'm sure it won't hurt. Might pop one on each frame rail. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

which is why I'd figured on a winch and a sand-anchor of some description. I have a Chinese 9k lb winch left over from a previous wheeling truck, figured that on a simple hitch mount would be useful.

If you get stuck, unspool your winch cable all the way and then bury your spare tire at the end of it, about 3' in the sand. Hook the cable to the spare tire...and pull yourself out. "Redneck sand anchor"

 

[SaltH2OHokie]

If you get stuck, unspool your winch cable all the way and then bury your spare tire at the end of it, about 3' in the sand. Hook the cable to the spare tire...and pull yourself out. "Redneck sand anchor"

I'd already sorta figured that we were in at least one boat, maybe two or three to get there.. Anchors shouldn't be something I necessarily add to the truck. You've just introduced a whole new option for not having to carry more kit.

 

[BigSwede]

I will say, thus far, the parts have been cheap and the truck seems overall simple to work on. I'd really like to read up on what, if anything, can be simplified in the rats nest of vacuum lines under the hood. They all seem to tie into the EFI system and I can just picture having the one impossible to see hose out of the 30ft of rubber under the hood getting a crack and have to troubleshoot while horseflies and mosquitoes make a feast out of us.

Have you checked in at the planetisuzoo.com forum? The first gen Trooper guys over there should be able to help you out.