Drive on the Beach?

[FPTelly]

This post is old but the information is still relevant. I drove my Telluride on the beach and the sand was soft. Let's just say the outcome was not good. Drove less than 15 mph, had center diff on, and put on snow mode since there's no sand/mud mode. Just to give it more of a 50/50 power load. Long story short, the transmission got fried

The car is definitely mis-commercialized. However, seemed like there were few symptoms I didn't catch prior. Such as the car jerking when going from 1st to 2nd, or the loud sound when putting it into reverse.

 

[2020Telly]

The car is definitely mis-commercialized.

I did think this ad was a bit overzealous:

Definitely sounds like you had a problem before hitting the sand that got worse. I wonder if you had a Canadian Telluride with Sand Mode if it would have made any difference.

 

[FPTelly]

I did think this ad was a bit overzealous:

Definitely sounds like you had a problem before hitting the sand that got worse. I wonder if you had a Canadian Telluride with Sand Mode if it would have made any difference.

The car went up long hills like a champ so didn’t think there was a crazy issue. My fathers mini van does the same thing when going into reverse or drive when it has a cold start, so thought it was normal

Either ways, thank God they didn’t give me a hard time with the warranty. Does kill the purpose of why I bought this car though

 

[2020Telly]

The car went up long hills like a champ so didn’t think there was a crazy issue. My fathers mini van does the same thing when going into reverse or drive when it has a cold start, so thought it was normal

Either ways, thank God they didn’t give me a hard time with the warranty. Does kill the purpose of why I bought this car though

Give it almost everything. The problem with that bold marketing tagline using "everything" is that everyone is different.

______________________________

 

[M Markey]

I have a Telluride and drove it on corova beach in the outer banks for 45 min each way to the house and it did great! did push some sand in a few deeper ruts but pushed right through it. taking it again in two weeks

I will be buying a Telluride and taking it down to Corova in July. I was thinking about not parking it and just driving behind the other families with 4WD going down to the same house. Do you need to lock it in? Also is the sand packed or a mix of small dunes and packed? Thanks.

 

[PSF]

Can I drive this car on the beach? I think it has a AWD with a locking differential. Is can it shift into 4WD low or 4WD high?
I had a 2014 Touareg that was fine in the sand.

I would be careful, if you got stuck in sand and needed a tow there is a issue of hooking up straps on front end. It will do damage to your bumper etc.

 

[richie45]

I took my 2023 x-pro on the beach (Fort Fisher) with very soft sand and deep ruts. I definitely was pushing sand in a few areas especially when parking. Lowered tires to 15psi. I tried various settings. Started in snow mode and awd lock. It felt like it would bog down and turning off traction control made it feel much better. I'm the end, I could not tell any difference between snow, or smart modes and even forgot to turn on AWD on the way back. The biggest difference was turning off traction control. I think a 2"lift kit on this thing will work wonders! Definitely impressed with the capability of the power/transmission. I inspected the under carriage to see if I'd damaged anything and didn't see any scratches or anything. The lip under the front fender probably took all the beating but even driving slowly, you tend to bounce and hit the bottom occasionally. I will say there were at least 5 vehicles I passed that were stuck (jeep, ram, pilot..) although I think it was the driver's and not the capability of the vehicles they were driving. Bottom line, the telluride will make it on the beach but you will be holding your breath the entire time. There's no low range or some other trick to try if you get stuck. There's no full spare, no recovery rated front hook... All those factors doesn't ooze confidence out there but if you stick to reasonable lines and don't drive like a moron, a stock Telluride will be just fine on the beach.

 

[goldenstonemike]

I think it all depends on the speed of the ride and also on the things you want to do on the beach. But if you're just driving past the coast on the sand, you'll be fine

______________________________

 

[Snowfall]

I took my 2021 Telluride on the sand in the Cape Cod National Seashore ORV area in Provincetown, Massachusetts today with no problems at all. It’s an SX with 20” wheels.

I lowered the tire pressure to 11 psi (recommended by signs on the national seashore). I also used snow mode with the center lock turned on. The terrain was rolling, but no long uphills.

I kept the speed low, usually under 10 mph. The speed limit on the sand corridors is 15 mph, which seems fast in any vehicle on this terrain. I was worried about bottoming out the suspension with all the bumps. Also, I had 4 adults and 2 children in the vehicle.

The Telluride was the least off-road capable vehicle I saw all day though. The other vehicles were Wranglers, 4Runners, Defenders, etc.

 

[PittPa]

I took my 2023 x-pro on the beach (Fort Fisher) with very soft sand and deep ruts. I definitely was pushing sand in a few areas especially when parking. Lowered tires to 15psi. I tried various settings. Started in snow mode and awd lock. It felt like it would bog down and turning off traction control made it feel much better. I'm the end, I could not tell any difference between snow, or smart modes and even forgot to turn on AWD on the way back. The biggest difference was turning off traction control. I think a 2"lift kit on this thing will work wonders! Definitely impressed with the capability of the power/transmission. I inspected the under carriage to see if I'd damaged anything and didn't see any scratches or anything. The lip under the front fender probably took all the beating but even driving slowly, you tend to bounce and hit the bottom occasionally. I will say there were at least 5 vehicles I passed that were stuck (jeep, ram, pilot..) although I think it was the driver's and not the capability of the vehicles they were driving. Bottom line, the telluride will make it on the beach but you will be holding your breath the entire time. There's no low range or some other trick to try if you get stuck. There's no full spare, no recovery rated front hook... All those factors doesn't ooze confidence out there but if you stick to reasonable lines and don't drive like a moron, a stock Telluride will be just fine on the beach.

Just got back from Fort Fisher! We have a place in Kure. I drive the Wranger at the beach. Nice thing is I don't even half to mess with the tires, I goes anywhere. But I do agree that you could drive the Telluride there. I saw plenty of all wheel drive pick ups, suvs, etc that were parked. The sand was very deep, soft and rutted. I find that vehicles like the Telluride with a softer suspension make the driving very unenjoyable. At times, you will be almost bouncing your head off the roof hitting ruts. I am in the process of having my transmission in the Telluride looked at, I am having a problem many other have had with the rear differential. I have never taken the KIA off road or on the beach and with its current issues, I wouldn't recommend others to do it either.

 

[NCBill]

If the beach is on the ocean, you should realize the sand is FULL of salt water. Sand is not dry. So you are tossing salt laden sand onto the under carriage of your car. Me I would only do it with a rental car.

Why Beach Driving Is Bad for Your Car and How to Protect It

Discover why driving on the beach can harm your car and learn essential tips to safeguard your vehicle from potential damages caused by beach driving.

www.91wheels.com

 

[adamscreek]

I took my 2023 x-pro on the beach (Fort Fisher) with very soft sand and deep ruts. I definitely was pushing sand in a few areas especially when parking. Lowered tires to 15psi. I tried various settings. Started in snow mode and awd lock. It felt like it would bog down and turning off traction control made it feel much better. I'm the end, I could not tell any difference between snow, or smart modes and even forgot to turn on AWD on the way back. The biggest difference was turning off traction control. I think a 2"lift kit on this thing will work wonders! Definitely impressed with the capability of the power/transmission. I inspected the under carriage to see if I'd damaged anything and didn't see any scratches or anything. The lip under the front fender probably took all the beating but even driving slowly, you tend to bounce and hit the bottom occasionally. I will say there were at least 5 vehicles I passed that were stuck (jeep, ram, pilot..) although I think it was the driver's and not the capability of the vehicles they were driving. Bottom line, the telluride will make it on the beach but you will be holding your breath the entire time. There's no low range or some other trick to try if you get stuck. There's no full spare, no recovery rated front hook... All those factors doesn't ooze confidence out there but if you stick to reasonable lines and don't drive like a moron, a stock Telluride will be just fine on the beach.

New member here. Picking up a new-to-me 2020 Telly in a couple of days. Good to hear that someone else has made it onto FF Beach and back without damage or getting stuck.....I've seen many badly stuck at the "dog leg" as you enter the beach. I've been out there many times in my Excursion without issue at 20PSI and never needed low range. Agree that on FF Beach there seems to be more of a "bounce factor" than there is at Ocracoke, for example.

______________________________

 

[PittPa]

If the beach is on the ocean, you should realize the sand is FULL of salt water. Sand is not dry. So you are tossing salt laden sand onto the under carriage of your car. Me I would only do it with a rental car.

Why Beach Driving Is Bad for Your Car and How to Protect It

Discover why driving on the beach can harm your car and learn essential tips to safeguard your vehicle from potential damages caused by beach driving.

www.91wheels.com

I've had my jeep completely undercoated so I'm not concerned. The roads in western PA in mid winter have a higher salt content then any beach.

Home

NH Oil Undercoating's protective coatings are made to extend the life of all vehicles. Contact us today if you want to add safety and value to your vehicle.

nhoilundercoating.com

I think it cost $200

 

[PittPa]

New member here. Picking up a new-to-me 2020 Telly in a couple of days. Good to hear that someone else has made it onto FF Beach and back without damage or getting stuck.....I've seen many badly stuck at the "dog leg" as you enter the beach. I've been out there many times in my Excursion without issue at 20PSI and never needed low range. Agree that on FF Beach there seems to be more of a "bounce factor" than there is at Ocracoke, for example.

I've talked to the rangers there and as traffic permits, you can drive on the high tide area for a smoother ride.

 

[ditchdoc]

Beaches are different, sand varies.....every vehicle can get stuck.....if you get get too close to the water at the wrong time....the ocean can take it.

I drove an 83 Trans Am on Daytona Beach....you can take almost any thing on some beaches.

 

[adamscreek]

Beaches are different, sand varies.....every vehicle can get stuck.....if you get get too close to the water at the wrong time....the ocean can take it.

I drove an 83 Trans Am on Daytona Beach....you can take almost any thing on some beaches.

Anything can drive on Daytona......I drove an 84 Cutlass on that one myself

______________________________