How To Recover Your Bogged Car From Sand
By TRED Outdoors
Unfortunately, getting your car bogged in sand is one of the realities of exploring the beach, desert or the outback. While it can be inconvenient, there are several ways you can recover your bogged car from sand and get back on the track exploring.
After all our years of adventuring, we’ve picked up a few handy tips for getting yourself out of sand. No matter your skill level, there are some things you should always keep in mind if you bog your car in sand.
Here are some tips for getting yourself out of soft sand, with and without a pair of TRED recovery boards.
Step 1 – Figure out how you got bogged
The first step in any recovery situation is to safely stop accelerating and take a moment to figure out why you’re not moving.
Generally, if you’ve bogged your car in sand, it’s because your tyres are not getting enough traction. In other words, when you accelerate, your tyres are spinning but they’re not gripping on to anything.
Therefore, you’ll need to create traction to recover your car from sand.
Step 2 – Creating traction
You will need to create traction between your tyres and the sand if you want to recover your car from being bogged. It is possible to do this both with and without a set of recovery boards.
Creating traction without TREDs
There are several ways you can create traction in sand. While the easiest option is using a trusty pair of TRED GT recovery boards, they may not always be available. Situations like if you’re exploring in someone else’s vehicle, you forgot to pack them or you don’t own any yet.
Dropping Tyre Pressure
Okay, ideally you would have done this before you start driving on sand, but dropping your tyre pressure while you're bogged can sometimes help free your car from sand. Reducing the pressure in your tyres increases the surface area of the tyre and, in turn, creates more traction. Just remember, you will need to put air back in your tyres before you begin driving on harder surfaces, like sealed roads or dirt tracks.
Digging
This method is pretty self-explanatory. By digging the excess sand away from around your tyres, you may be able to create enough room for your tyres to grip and pull your vehicle out. Ideally, you will have a shovel, spade or something similar in your car ready, as part of your road trip essentials. If you don’t, just use your hands.
Rocking the Vehicle
You could also try rocking your car side to side or back and forth to try and create momentum. By rocking the vehicle, you may be able to accelerate as your car moves slightly forward, ideally pulling your vehicle out of the bog. To do this, however, you will need a few extra pairs of hands and you need to be very careful of the person(s) rocking the vehicle. Obviously, this is not the most efficient recovery method in the world. If it’s not working, don’t keep trying. If you are stranded in a hot, isolated place, physically exerting yourself could potentially be dangerous.
Using a vehicle jack
Using a vehicle jack you can jack up each corner of the bogged vehicle and fill the holes in where you were bogged. Sometimes it can be hard to access the jacking point so you might need to shovel, and you most likely will need a base to place under the jack to create a stable surface or the jack will sink into the sand.
Remember: NEVER get under or place any part of your body under a raised vehicle if using this method.
Two vehicle snatch recovery
If you are exploring with others, and have a snatch strap, you could attempt a two vehicle snatch recovery.
Snatch strap recoveries, however, can be extremely dangerous without the correct experience or equipment. That’s why we would only recommend this recovery method to experienced drivers.
If, however, you are considering this method, remember:
- Never EVER use the tow ball as an anchor point, as it can easily turn into a miniature cannon ball.
- Recovery vehicle should always have 4x4 traction.
- Never use a conventional chain or rope, as these can easily break.
- All onlookers should be standing a safe distance away, past the maximum length of the rope.
- Remember to arrange the snatch rope in an ‘S’ shape along the ground between the two vehicles, and ensure there are no twists along the strap.
- Always use a damper when attempting a snatch strap recovery. Dampers reduce the potential radius of a snapped strap.
Creating Traction with TRED Recovery Boards
The best and easiest way to recover your car from sand is to keep a trusty pair of TRED recovery boards attached to your vehicle.
Using a pair of TREDs is one of the easiest and most efficient ways of recovering your vehicle from sand.
TREDs are the world’s most advanced recovery board and have been meticulously designed to provide the ultimate traction between your tyre and the ground.
To perform a recovery with a pair of TREDs, you simply remove the sand from in front of your tyres and wedge the TRED boards underneath them. Remember, all TRED models come with dedicated entry and exit points, so make sure you align it correctly.
Once all your boards are in place, carefully accelerate and pull yourself out.
A set or two of TREDs should get you out of most sand recovery situations. They are lightweight, designed to handle intense pressure and give you the greatest traction surface area.
When you purchase a set of TREDs, you can explore with confidence, knowing you have the world’s most advanced recovery board at the ready. Plus, with a lifetime warranty, they’re the only board you’ll ever need.
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Do you have any questions?
Please, contact our friendly team on 0800 102041 or email: website@burnsco.co.nz
We provide general information on products, not personal advice. Always seek the help of a relevant tradesperson if you have a technical query.
