Great video, I lived in Corpus during high school . I remember a bunch of us took our 4x4’s down there. We didn’t go all the way down, but it was a fun day. The water looks fantastic down there. I live in Sugar Land now, so all we have up here is Galveston and the surrounding area. I went from a Jeep to a 4Runner in 21. I’m watching your Big Bend Ranch State Park video now.
Wow, I guess I was lucky with the tides! I checked them and even though they occured around the time I set up camp on both nights, they must not have been experiencing any really high tides this time, for some reason. It's definitely a haul to make it to 60! You basically have to double the miles you think it takes, because you have to come the same way back.
Thanks for picking up some trash.Saw a YT video from some guy from NY he did not like it because of the trash .He thought that the park should pick up the trash for the whole 65 miles.
We took our Gladiator Mojave down there last year. I always love going there. The Rangers took us to a spot to watch a sea turtle laying eggs. Very cool experience!
I live in Flour Bluff you came through that town. I do remember on my way home a couple of weeks ago there was one of those unusual afternoons at about 5:00 it's a 6:00 that I could see the clouding over the island. What is the formula? When the humidity is the same as the temperature it creates fog
@@weswalker1208 Yes. Well, more specifically, when the dew point and air temperature are equal. It means the air is “saturated” (100% humidity) and cannot hold the moisture any longer at that temperature, so clouds begin to form from condensation. The weather was very peculiar that day as a cooler sea breeze was blowing in but from the northeast and not the usual southeast, meaning it was a cooler, continental air mass and not the warm tropical air mass that normally blows in across the Gulf of Mexico. It was fascinating to witness it go from warm and sunny to cool, breezy and cloudy. What other sort of weather phenomenon have you witnessed on the island? Meteorology and climatology fascinate me!
@@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuy I think I put my post in the wrong place LOL yeah you heard the term Coastal fog I think it generally happens overnight but once in awhile you will see it roll in
@@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuyyeah! Actually not too far down the beach from the entrance. A couple of park rangers in a side by side pulled up and asked if we wanted to watch a turtle laying eggs. I was surprised they were so inclusive with something like that. They spent time educating.
Nice video. My wife and I were in the gray diesel gladiator at the 60 mile mark. When driving in we played around in 2H at 24lbs then aired down to 17 for the last part. Significant difference in fuel usage. We used half a tank to make it to the end but not even a 1/4 getting out after airing down to 12lbs and sticking with 4H.
Thanks! I am so glad you were able to find this video! I was curious to how yours did on fuel. I think had I aired down some more (mine were around 15psi), I might not have been spinning in the sand as much. The trailer was probably the biggest factor for mine getting what it did. Normally it'll get a lot better mpg off-road than what I saw. Also, with the 392, it doesn't have a 2wd only option on it's transfer case. It's either 4hi Auto (normal driving) or 4hi Part-time or 4 Low. I had put it in 4hi Part-Time for the sand because low traction conditions can wear out the clutch packs it uses for 4hi Auto, on extended use, and they've been known to fail. It also forces it to use the chain driven part of the transfer case, at least from what I understand. This is one of the known flaws of the 392. I think if I ever went back to a gladiator, I'd want the ecodiesel.
Less air made a huge difference. Also finding a good speed to stay up on the sand instead of just pushing through it. Imagine you had to hunt around for a good speed with the trailer.
@@user-sn8fw5kb6x Yeah. My speed on the way down was around 20mph. On the return it varied between 12 and 16. Any faster than that and the trailer was bouncing all over the place. What all have you done to your Gladiator?
I really enjoy your vids brother I can imagine the hard work that goes into each one setting up the camera coming back picking up the camera thank you for your dedication keep up the good work.
Great video we took our jeep last year and camped on the beach. I enjoyed it but my wife and daughter thought it was ok. We camped around the 10 mile mark.
Thanks! Nice! That sounds about like my wife and daughters. We've all done it before together but they probably won't do it again unless it's in an RV. Lol!
I would have (and actually did for awhile) but there was an awful lot of wood branches and other debris located in the wet sand area. Also, the trailer would bounce really bad whenever I got it over 20mph.
Please don't do this, smh. There is a speed limit for a reason. I've seen a number of rollovers and accidents from people driving too fast, not to mention you will get a big ticket.
You can't drive TOO close to the water either though. As it will get soft and your vehicle could possibly sink if your tires are (TOO CLOSE) to the water...
HI 👋 LOOKS GORGEOUS THERE . LOVED WATCHING THE PELICANS FLY BY & FEEDING . THE OCEAN WATER WAS 🌊 💧 BEAUTIFUL . BE SAFE ! HAVE FUN ! ENJOYED ❤️ GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS ON YOUR ADVENTURES 🙏 THANK YOU ☺️ 🙏
Only been once. The sand was extremely loose because of the huge crowd last June. We didn't wander far, but it was awesome. Thanks for this video! Gives us great perspective on how long that beach really is. Everyone else just shows a little driving then camping. Props!
I was just over there a week and a half ago and it was beautiful. Just so you know you can go to the visitor center and get these yellow bags for free. They keep them at the front entrance
Endless sand, not my favorite park, we almost got trapped when the tide came in, had to drive thru water to get to the exit road :o Andy Bowie Park(?) Safety in numbers :) Sweat is a feature of going to the coast :p An open drink will end up with a 1/2 inch of sand on a windy day, and hot dogs get a nice crunchy coat :p MIle marker 11 in Pt A, my usual spot ;)
Raised in Corpus. Have driven to Mansfield many times. During low tide you can run along the waters edge. Much better for your gas mileage and the ride. Pulling a trailer on sand is a pain. In the early 80,s I would work HF from a IC-737 and a dipole. You can always find help on HF if you need it. That's my selling tool I use on the XYL.
You must have some amazing stories along that stretch of coast! I would have driven closer to the water but there was a lot of debris in that area and I didn’t want to deal with changing a tire. I really need to work up to my Extra class, or at least the General. Seeing HF work out at Big Bend is a real motivator! Thanks for chiming in!
Great video. I was on the other side of the cut last week. Came up from South Padre. Watched a guy reel in a 8 foot hammerhead. I love it there. Also, @ 16:45 appears to be a salt marsh/wooly bear caterpillar.
Thank you! 8 foot hammerhead, wow! I’ve been wanting to come up the south side of the cut. And I thought that it looked like a caterpillar. Just didn’t think they hung out on the beach.
Thanks for the tip! Yeah, I did try that for a little while. There was a lot of debris the closer I got to the water, so I err'd on the side of caution.
You can't drive TOO close to the water either though. As it will get soft and your vehicle could possibly sink if your tires are (TOO CLOSE) to the water...
@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuy I felt it though...when I was at PINS when I was driving (too close) to the water it felt "softer". So I had to steer away from the water. People had sunk their vehicle in the wet sand before by driving (too close) to the water before...
@LTZ_Z71 closer to water = hard pack sand CORRECT. But IF you are in the water. You could possibly sink your vehicle though. Wet sand can be soft too. IF you are too close to the water.
Came across your channel will subscribe. I have a trailer like yours - not done anything with it as I have planned - will probably sell it. Anyway keep adventuring.
392 is awsome but hell the fuel milage is horrible hahaha. ill stick to my 2023 high tide with its poopy v6. never ventured to the north side but i do go to south padre island ocasionaly to the east cut since im from the rgv. Awsome vid by the way!
It was only that bad because the sand was thick and I was pulling a 2000 lb trailer. A V6 pulling the same setup would probably had been the same if not worse. Without the trailer, on dirt roads, I got around 14mpg on a recent trip.
5.9 mpg :D That couldn’t end nice without extra fuel. My Tundra was doing higher mileage in that place but all depends of sand. The more dry it is the higher friction it gives
Yeah I normally get much higher mpg when off-roading. Usually around 10-11 😂. It was definitely fighting the sand and especially with the trailer in tow. I was aired down to 15 psi and I probably should have been down closer to 10.
I'm pretty sure that area you passed with metal flags around it at around that station was a sea turtle nest. When I was down that is how they marked them so you wouldn't drive over them.
Wow, that is pretty interesting. You're the second person to mention this. Although it so happens to be right at the location of this feature that is marked on Google that I never ran into. I think the rusted metal sticking out of the sand is indication that this was where this feature (called "The Big Tank") once was located. maps.app.goo.gl/rWpZRKBYxgmaw8gr8
I have no doubt that they use the similar markers to mark where the turtle nests are. That is really cool and I'd really like to see them hatch someday.
@@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuy Thanks for the prompt reply! I just want to go far enough to put some distance between me and other campers. Sounds / looks like it gets sparse after the 5 mile mark and the views don’t seem to change that much until you get to the cut. Pretty sure my Airstream Basecamp 20X (3,500lbs & factory lifted with truck tires) is up for the trip regardless of the distance. Thanks to you, I’ll be adding the journey to my short list!
@@mikedowling3569 Yeah you should be fine! And as I mentioned in the video, people try to stay pretty spread out if they can. Enjoy the journey and thank you!
It definitely was. I checked the weather maps once I got back to cell service and a mini “cool” from had shifted the winds from the east northeast, blowing them off the gulf but with some cooler air as well. Cooler air blowing in off the warmer gulf water caused the condensation to form. It was pretty cool to witness the drastic change in weather. I’m a meteorology geek (studied in college but changed degrees lol) and am fascinated with meteorology and climate.
Where was “Marco” on this trip? 🤣.. jk looking forward to setting up camp with you next time now that you did some scouting! Also.. pretty sure I had your paper towels from Big Bend State Park 😅
What size tires on your jeep and trailer ? I’m curious I’m building out the same trailer for the beach and mountains . Don’t burn pallets it leaves nailes in the sand after the wood burns .
I wonder if my Maverick Tremor could make it. It has 4 wheel lock and rear diff lock. 29" all terrains. I mostly worry about clearance as I only have about 10" of clearance.
I think it could make it. How well might depend on the sand conditions (ie: how wet the sand is, amount of debris, etc). I think you have ample clearance but if you air down (which would be advisable for having more traction), you'd probably lose about a half inch to an inch of ground clearance. Just something to keep in mind.
I did a mix of both. If you watch the Timelapse at the end, I went on the wet sand more. But there was a lot more wood and debris, so I went back on the softer sand. And I made sure to wash my undercarriage thoroughly afterwards as the salt can cause rust. Good suggestion!
Thanks! They had slight forward rake sometimes when they were towed by HMMWVs. I used to use a riser to level it out more but that also had its drawbacks. Once I lifted the Jeep to its current height I just decided to call it good. The pintle hitch has no problem at that angle and the trailer pulls straight and smooth.
I had around a quarter of a tank after I hit the pavement. It was enough to make it to the west side of Corpus Christi before filling up at a gas station. I put in 9 gallons at the beach (4 from two rotopax and 5 from the one jerry can) and I still had two more 5-gallon jerry cans remaining, for a total of 19 gallons of extra fuel I was carrying. Great question!
Thank you! 🙏🏽 The Jeep has factory rear and forward facing cameras. What’s on the dash is mainly for navigation and communication. There’s my person phone iPhone14, Kenwood D710GA ham radio, Garmin Montana 600, Garmin inreach satellite communicator with SOS, and an iPad mini 5 that I use Gaia GPS and On X Off-road apps.
My tires were aired down to around 15 psi. Looking back, I probably should have lowered them to between 10-12. Might have added some traction and enlarged the footprint, keeping them from digging in the sand as much. And I absolutely had it in 4hi the entire way. The 392 has an AWD t-case that needs to be in 4-hi part-time in order to keep from wearing out the internal clutches.
The tide does change the beach conditions for sure. But the tracks I had driven on, both on the way down and the way back, were not affected by the tide on this trip. The winds did pick up and were gusting really strong by the time I aired up. And you can clearly see the drifting sand on the return drive, versus the lack of drifting on the way down.
Question; how has the AEV lift been doing that you installed 3 months ago? , I was curious because one trac bar was very close to rubbing, and have the springs keep the rear up ?
The AEV kit has been great! It holds weight very well and adds stability to the Jeep when under load. No rubbing issues with any of the parts or other concerns that I had.
@@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuy Thanks that’s good to know. My 2021 Jeep 392 isn’t the ER one and the springs sag too much when I’m loading for a off road trip . Thanks for the fast response, it’s says a lot about you and your channel. Semper fi
Why did you reduce the tire pressure in your trailer? Unless those tires are somehow powered, increasing the surface contact is just going to increase the rolling resistance of the trailer.
That's a good point. The recommended pressure on the M1102 trailers is 17 psi. I had it around 25 psi for the highway and figured I should air them down for the trail. But, what you bring up does make some logical sense. Less rolling resistance might be less drag in the sand. Anyone else want to chime in? I think maybe the larger footprint by airing down, would allow the trailer to float across the top of the sand instead of drag into it though.
Not to mention, the M1102 has a pretty stiff suspension as it is. And airing it down would decrease how much it bounces. Which was exactly the reason why I could not driving very fast.
On this trip I had both the trailer and Jeep’s tires at around 15 psi. Looking back, I probably should have had them closer to 12 psi, just to provide a larger footprint in the sand and less fighting (tire spinning).
I have been wanting to take the family out to South Padre. Since you obviously have more experience than I, how do you think a Willys Gladiator would do? I do have the anti-slip rear diff and I have some traction boards.
I’ve run everything from old broncos, to Cherokees, to old 4-runners, to my F250 powerstroke down to the cut. As long as you air down and are not scared of the right pedal, you can make it. Drive close to the water where the sand is packed and you can haul arse and save fuel. Just lookout for debris and “black sand” which is a soft spot where water has collected.
Yes! It’s around mile 25, I believe. I think a stock 4 Runner would do fine. Just be mindful if getting close to the dunes as the sand can be deeper. There was at least one two-track to follow for the entire 60-mile stretch, but significant rain, wind, or tides could change that.
I did that for a little bit. But there was a lot more wood and debris there. And I wanted to avoid possibly driving through the water as much as possible.
It probably would depend on a number of factors, but in my opinion, if you aired down and had ample ground clearance, it probably could make it on a good day. I personally wouldn’t want to risk it without at least 4WD. Especially considering how remote you are. There is no other way out there than the 60 miles of soft sand that can be changed by wind, rain and the tides. Any emergency towing would be costly and not immediate.
Yes for about 20 miles but stock close to the water where the sand is packed . But don’t park where the water hits your tires it will sink your vehicle . I used to do this with my 96 f 150 and 2004 Tahoe both 2WD
I did! I knew that running out of fuel was a distinct possibility so I had 19 gallons of extra fuel at my disposal. What I didn’t realize was how slow I’d be going because of the trailer bouncing and how poor of gas mileage it would get in the sand. Normal off roading (aka rocky and dirt trails) I usually get much better mpg than what I observed at PINS.
Just wanted to make sure it wasn't South Padre Island....you don't wanna go there....noooooo! Horrible place!😝 Horseback riding, para sailing, dolphin watch, fireworks, fishing, surfing, ...... OH!.....and Space X across the channel. You'll be doing yourself a favor....STAY AWAY!!! 😎😏
According to the National Park Service website, it doesn't say anything about it being illegal. "Discouraged" but not illegal. www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/sanddunes.htm
@@TheNotSoOrdinaryCarGuy Uh, so you understand it’s “discouraged”, and clearly most people stay off, but you don’t care? Got it. Remember “tread lightly”?
