Category Archives: Dunes and Sand

Dunes and Sand

Amargosa Dunes Rollover

Recently bought my 2014 RZR4 900 earlier this year. Been having fun tearing it up in the desert on trails. Even took it to the baby dunes at Apex. Been itching to take it to some real dunes. This past weekend the high was only mid 90’s so decided to take it out to Amargosa. Just me and the family. One rzr. No one else. Get there and it’s a ghost town. Not one other vehicle. In hind sight, I realize just how dangerous this was. If I would have totaled the rzr or gotten either it or my truck stuck in the sand, there was nobody around to help.

This was my first time riding around any dunes of substance. No experience what so ever. Another hind sight no no. And I’m not typically afraid to try things or be risky. So just cruising around with my daughter, decide to go off the side of a 20-30′? dune. Didn’t have a second guess about it, just figured the RZR could do it. Oops, guess not. Rolled it front end over. Luckily it landed on all four. Again, nobody around to help if it didn’t. Me and my daughter are perfectly fine. No injuries. The RZR just has a dented roof and the light bar bracket it bent.

So, did I just do it wrong? Too slow? Too fast? It was in four wheel mode. Was that wrong? Or just shouldn’t go over a dune that large?

Also, it just didn’t seem to handle as well as I expected. Any tips and pointers in overall dune riding would be appreciated. It had rear paddles but front knobbies. I have front smoothies, but one is flat and needs replaced, so I left the knobbies on. I kept getting it stuck in the sand. Rear wheels would just spin. Would smell burning, don’t know if it was the belt or the tires. Putting it in four low would usually unstuck it. Sometimes I would have to go in reverse. I had the shocks set at the stiffest setting and the tires at 15lbs. Would less tire pressure have helped with not getting stuck, different shock settings?

Still had fun and would like to spend more time there. Left around 11:30 when it started getting hot. Next time playing with shocks and tire pressure will be necessary in hopes of getting a better ride.