Community Forums

duckboatking · 12-05-2018, 04:57 PM

Hi,
Has anyone taken their rig out on the beach at the Corpur Christi national seashore park ? I'm concerned about getting stuck, I'm driving a '01 38' Diplomat. If I did get stuck, where could I hook onto to tow it out ?
Thanks
Michael

PeteandDeb · 12-05-2018, 05:31 PM

Jut spent 5 days on the beach a few miles east of there at Port Aransas beach. Super hard packed so little possibility of getting stuck. We were in our 40 footer and had a 42 ft coach nearby as well as multiple 30 to 36 ft coaches.

Remember to get your coach washed, especially the undercarriage, afterwards.

followingsea · 12-05-2018, 06:01 PM

I have gotten stuck twice including Corpur Christi national seashore park. I would attribute it to being over confident after not having any problem the first few times.

I now drive onto old carpet when I park. Also carry tow straps and chains because someone will offer to help but may not be packing the right gear.

Crystal Beach east of Galveston has 22 miles of beach you can drive and free parking after you get a $10 permit. The ferry is free too.

Terry L T · 12-05-2018, 07:47 PM

Duckboatking, I saw several pulled out of the mud a couple of years ago at the FMCA rally in Indy. they were pulled from the rear using the trailer hitch.

barmcd · 12-05-2018, 07:53 PM

I would not drive my coach on that beach, the line between hard packed sand and loose sand is very fine and pretty close to the water. There is an asphalt parking area close to the end of the pavement near the facilities that you can park on.

dix39 · 12-05-2018, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barmcd

I would not drive my coach on that beach, the line between hard packed sand and loose sand is very fine and pretty close to the water. There is an asphalt parking area close to the end of the pavement near the facilities that you can park on.

I would agree. We were there years ago with a 4wd 11.5' TC. I kept following the "road" in the sand until I started to see holes where people had dug themselves out. That was where I turned around and headed back. I don't remember if we camped there or not, but that was the plan. It would be a good trip for a 4wd toad, but be prepared to shovel out.

We did overnight once at Galveston years ago, although I don't know if it was legal or not. I parked some distance from the houses on stilts and what I thought was a safe distance from the water. The next morning I looked out the window and the water was about 3' from the camper wheels. I don't think the tide changes that much but the sandy beach is very gradual. Be aware of this.

Enjoy!

Steve

Skidaver · 12-08-2018, 10:13 PM

Our 40 ft. DP was pulled out of a muddy campsite by a John Deere track tractor this year, from the front. There are horizontal links about 3-4 ft long that run from near the front of the chassis back to the front axle. I hooked the log chain around the front end of the RH link. It did very slight damage to the bottom edge of the front cap but it was down underneath where it isn't visible. There was no structural damage to the chassis. I now carry a heavy duty nylon tow strap. The strap should reduce the jerking forces on the motor home.

jsmmonaco · 12-09-2018, 06:01 AM

an old farmer taught me this years ago.......DON'T GO ANYWHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT GET STUCK, AND YOU WON'T GET STUCK.............live by that motto....................

duckboatking · 12-09-2018, 06:31 AM

Thank You all for your responses, I will do my best to stay off the beach when I go at Christmas............

Dupdyke · 12-09-2018, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duckboatking

Thank You all for your responses, I will do my best to stay off the beach when I go at Christmas............

Worse than getting stuck is what the salt in the sand will do to the undercarriage of your rig. I had a friend trade his in after two winters on south padre beach campground it was rusted so bad

followingsea · 12-09-2018, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dupdyke

Worse than getting stuck is ....

Is being afraid to do anything and worry about everything.

Life is adventure. The consequences of getting stuck or corrosion are very minor and easy to mitigate

The consequences of riding a motorcycle is death, one of the top five risky behaviors.

I am not going to tell anyone not to ride a motorcycle or drive on the beach if that is what they enjoy. I am retired, it is the job of our government employees in DC to tell us what we can not do even if the risk is small and the enjoyment large.

Jim.B1 · 12-09-2018, 09:09 PM

We tried it for 1 night in Port Aransas a few years ago in a Class C.
A friend who Winters down there later said the sand blows into the brake rotors and pads causing damage.
There are automatic car washes that do only the undercarriage.
Nice experience, but never really felt safe on the sand.

duckboatking · 12-10-2018, 05:20 AM

I see everyone worried about the salt........I'm from Ontario Canada, where it snows and they dump salt all over our roads....how can the beach be much different than driving on a snowy salt covered road ? I do try to avoid that, but it has happened in the past

dix39 · 12-10-2018, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by followingsea

Is being afraid to do anything and worry about everything.

Life is adventure. The consequences of getting stuck or corrosion are very minor and easy to mitigate

The consequences of riding a motorcycle is death, one of the top five risky behaviors.

But, in my opinion there is a learning curve for both that is pretty steep in the beginning. A bit of caution (not fear) with either should be observed, in my opinion.

I've ridden bikes for 61 years and, thankfully, never had a serious accident. Perhaps I was just lucky??

I've also been stuck more times than I want to remember, although mostly in my younger days and not with a MH. I learned enough with smaller 4wd vehicles to know that I wanted to avoid that with a large vehicle if at all possible. I also learned enough in my younger days to know what to avoid, well, most of the time. :-))

I guess I've learned over the years that it is better to approach something new with a bit of caution (not fear), than to jump right in without a care in the world.

Steve