Bornholm Beach

[Red XS]

I finally gave Bornholm Beach a go in the Subaru Forester. I found out abou the place by Google searching "Most difficult offroad sand dune in Australia". A few places came up as everyone has their own opinion. (Including Calcup which I have done) But many stated that Bornholm Beach exit was another level, calling it the hardest beach to get off in Australia.

These guys had a bit of trouble on the northern exit.
4 Wheeling Australia's attempt

These guys had better luck on the Southern exit. The damp sand would have helped, but the beach looked worse!
4x4 Prides attempt

On the way down there a few people called me crazy for taking a small car

Any way, the Southern exit was relatively easy thanks to 7psi and rear locker. A little more power would have been useful on the Northern exit. But got there on the third attempt. Really should have done a proper run up but it worked out with 7psi. Started in 1st high and needed to shift to low on the Northern hill. Excuse the rubbish filming while driving. I need a dash cam...
Subaru attempt

Looking back at Bornholm beach from West Cape Howe. It is a steep coastline and if you don't get up either of the two exits you are in trouble.

Hilux winching up

Subaru looking good.

Random other shots plus mates Ranger getting bogged compilation to come!

 

[jf1sf5]

Nice !

That must be very hard on the engine saying you have a EJ253 with a 1,447:1 low range.

 

[Ben Up North]

Subaru attempt

That's the most exciting footage I've seen for ages! The hand held effect works well!

 

[Red XS]

Engine temp rose to almost the 2/3 mark by the top. Was struggling to hold rpm in first high as it is steep and soft. Tyre traction was pretty good. The 1.2 low range probably would have been a better gear for this one...

 

[ABFoz]

@Red XS, it looked like you had plenty of traction on your Southern Exit run! You made the climb look easy.

I think they were crazy to think you were crazy to have brought a small car with a good AWD system. The weight is one if the reasons you made the climbs.

EDIT: Traction instead of action.

 

[Red XS]

The traction going up was amazing! Even better then I thought. There were a few large holes (can't really see in the video) that I thought I'd loose some traction, but the car kept going effortlessly.

The tracks around West Cape Howe. Just a few Km down the coast from Bornholm.

The cliffs at West Cape Howe

 

[Red XS]

Stop blocking the track

Lots of roos around during night Ranger shenanigans.

The inland Foresters are a nice place to be.

Broke inlet

 

[Red XS]

We camped near the beach for a few nights.

Plenty of good beaches in the area

There was a larger school of KG whiting in trapped in here.

 

[Red XS]

Fernhook falls

 

[Red XS]

The Ranger was almost an incredible vehicle, however the traction control kept killing power at the worst times and we couldn't turn it off. There were many times when it would make it most of the way up a dune and seem like it's got plenty more go, however would cut all power. It's not like the new Subaru's that would hold high rpm but not move. The Ranger would be doing high rpm and then the rpm would just drop to nothing. Usually just before the top.

First casualty was here. Was quite tricky to reverse down from as the camber pulled the car back to the plants. Ended up using track s a few times to go forwards.

Similar thing happened here, it nearly made it, then cut all power.

Unfortunately he messed up the reverse down. Once again camber taking him bad places.

One random bog just for fun.

Each time the Ranger does this hill he gets to the point where it starts to level out then the rpm dies.

Quite a long hill and can easily hold high rpm for the bulk of it.

Basically it would be a much better offroader if there was a way to disengaging traction control entirely. Pressing the OFF button doesn't do it. Traction control appeared to be worse when rear diff was locked...

 

[scalman]

Rangers TC should work with ABS so taking abs fuse off should kill tc too. They make them for safety not for offroading anymore
Thats why i wouldnt buy newer subaru on cvt and newer vdc . On mine its still off when you tell it to be.

 

[ABFoz]

Thanks for sharing us the photos, @Red XS.

The camber/drainage on sandy hills can be worse, especially with heavier vehicles. Our SGs are relatively lightweight and those drainages, when they are fresh can just suck the vehicle into them. I had an encounter with such in my last sand trip. The SG, as usual, would float on sand but it would suddenly go sideways like it was being sucked, even if I treaded on the harder, more compacted upper part.

Did he get body damage when he got stuck on post #10?

Rangers TC should work with ABS so taking abs fuse off should kill tc too. They make them for safety not for offroading anymore
Thats why i wouldnt buy newer subaru on cvt and newer vdc . On mine its still off when you tell it to be.

I think the Ford Ranger's traction control button is related to the engine power traction control and ECU, hence it may not truly turn off. This system should be common to most FWD and 4x4 vehicles as when with just 2wd, traction is so very easy to break. It's also very cheap to implement. As far as I know, it is not fully turned off in modern pickup trucks as many people tend to have a happy right foot with it turned off. If it does turn off, it will turn on back again at a certain speed. Cheers.

 

[scalman]

So same as most newer cars subarus as well. It works just until 20kph speed or something.

 

[Kevin]

Great pics @Red XS thanks!

it is not fully turned off in modern pickup trucks ............ If it does turn off, it will turn on back again at a certain speed.

In my Triton I can turn off Anti Slide Control (until 40 klm/hr I think) but I cannot turn off traction control. On some vehicles there are modules in the engine bay that can be removed to disable traction control. I've not tried this as yet.

 

[ABFoz]

So same as most newer cars subarus as well. It works just until 20kph speed or something.

Great pics @Red XS thanks!

In my Triton I can turn off Anti Slide Control (until 40 klm/hr I think) but I cannot turn off traction control. On some vehicles there are modules in the engine bay that can be removed to disable traction control. I've not tried this as yet.

Yes. I noticed this behaviour around 2000 to 2002 and with 2wd vehicles or those with 2WD selection like pickup trucks. When I drove a 1999 Toyota Mark II JZX101 with a 2JZ-GE, when I turn off the traction control, I could properly go sideways (in a controlled environment, of course). The Mark X or GRX120 does not allow that anymore in the press of a button. There is some sort of a sequence with the hand brake and keys to disable TRC and VSC but they would turn on again after a certain speed. When turned on, there is still some throttle control by the ECU so the electronics are not truly turned off.

The always-on traction control may be a safety requirement for manufacturers to make sure that the cars are as safe as possible on the road. Imagine a Ford Ranger, for example, where the driver turns off the traction control before hooning or doing donuts off road, forgets to turn it on again once on the road and the TC did not turn on by itself. When he exits the corner, the driver will just break traction and loose control with all that diesel torque. I think it's a safety feature/requirement. Cheers.

 

[scalman]

Still old cars driving on roads without any tc or even abs and they dont have problems, so why not give option if car is made for off roading like Ranger. They making them shoping cars more and more.

 

[Red XS]

Did he get body damage when he got stuck on post #10?

A few scratches to the paint, comparable to the pin stripping you get driving through dense bush. No dents, he stopped just in time and didn't roll back at all during take off on the maxtrax.

In my Triton I can turn off Anti Slide Control (until 40 klm/hr I think) but I cannot turn off traction control. On some vehicles there are modules in the engine bay that can be removed to disable traction control. I've not tried this as yet.

Have you ever had the electronics hold you back when doing something like a sand dune?

 

[scalman]

Could be that tc turns off properly just in 4low mode if it has one? Many others works this way.

 

[Red XS]

^Will try this next time Thanks!

 

[Kevin]

Have you ever had the electronics hold you back when doing something like a sand dune?

Nope; even hard tracks on Big Red were no issue.