Pismo Beach Trails

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Permalink Reply by Briman on July 20, 2011 at 12:56pm

do you plan on wheeling at the oceano dunes?  if you drop the tire pressures to 12 lbs, put the thing in 4 low, and use your head, you can go anywhere out there.

 

the main thing about pismo is that if you are unsure, get out and look.  you can go down anything in 1st gear 4 low as long as you dont put yourself in a bowl.  up takes a little more skinny pedal.  2nd and 3rd gear WOT on the way up for steep dunes.  back off before the top to set it down easy and not launch yourself.  

 

there are always easy ways out if you follow the ridges.  my friend broke his back 2nd day there on a dirtbike.  had a good outcome with surgical cement being implanted in his vertibrae.  he stayed the rest of the trip.  sore, but couldnt even get a note for work because it was supposed to be a permanent instant fix.  my point to the story is, he wanted to go for a ride out in the dunes and i followed the ridges and took it easy.  went all over the whole park at 5-10mph without breaking a sweat.

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Permalink Reply by The Josh on July 20, 2011 at 1:22pm

I 2nd Oceano Dunes and the advice to go along with it. The dunes are a great place to get comfortable offloading and to learn your vehicle

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Permalink Reply by Bz on July 20, 2011 at 2:23pm

wish I could join ya and show you around out there...

 

I Love Pismo!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Schlumpf on July 20, 2011 at 2:29pm

Thanks for all the advice.  I have been out there before last October the 3rd day I got the FJ.  Took it jumping which was pretty fun!  other than that, that is the only time it has seen dirt, which I am terribly ashamed to say.  Thats why I joined here. Hope to meet up on some trail runs in the future and meet some people to go off on camping/trail runs with. 

 

I am planning on maybe two days in Pismo, but wanted something to do on the drive down as well.  That way it just isnt freeway driving all the way down.  I was looking at some trails on the coast off Highway 1 but they all say in the description that a passenger car could do them.  So basically it is a flat dirt road.  That kind of sucks but I guess I'll get my fun in dunes. 

 

One other quick question.  I am looking into getting a portable air compressor so that after I air down I can pump the tires back up again when I leave.  Any recommendations?  I am lookining into Viair ones, but they are about $150 at the cheapest.  Is it worth it, or should I get one at like a local car parts or walmart?

 

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by opg4759 on July 20, 2011 at 3:47pm

Cheap air compressors take forever to air up large tires, and have been known to burn out before you finish.

 

The Viair compressors are worth the cost. 

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Schlumpf on July 21, 2011 at 3:45pm

Just ordered this bad boy... Viair portable compressor .  I wanted to do an on board air system, but this way i can take it around with me.  Thought that would be a little more useful than having it bolted in the FJ.  Also, not an expert but from my reading the duty cycle on these is what you want.  this one has a 100% so I could technically run it for hours at 100psi.  Not bad.  Anyway I hope it gets in before i head out to Pismo in a week and half. 

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Permalink Reply by Bz on July 20, 2011 at 9:26pm

or when in Pismo go to the Chevron station they have air at the pump! the easiest way to go!

 

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Permalink Reply by Briman on July 21, 2011 at 12:04am

most of the air hoses are thrashed.  nozzles dont work, etc...  that was as of last sept.  dont know if they replaced them.  if you contine down grand a little farther, there is another chevron on the other side of 101 that also has free air.  

 

we are trying to get the group together for a pismo trip this year.  its an annual thing, but sometimes things just fall apart.  we usually go third weekend in sept.  too bad i wont have my stereo in this year.  ranger came from over a mile out to yell at me.  too bad a peace officers peace cannot be disturbed.  it was pretty gnarly.  had kids last year that didnt even want to sit in it.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Schlumpf on July 21, 2011 at 9:40am

Thanks for the info.  A group trip down there sounds fun.  If you get the dates down let me know.  I am traveling for work in september but might be able to do a weekend thing. 

 

As for the stereo, I have two JL 10's in the back of mine.  It is LOUD but judging from what you said about hearing if from that far, yours is probably far superior!

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Permalink Reply by Briman on July 21, 2011 at 10:02pm

i was running a pair of zapco 6.5" competition components up fronts powered by a zapco c2k 6.0 and tuned by a zapco SP7-SL eq.  mid bass was like an infant punching you in the jewels.  the bass end was a pair of DD (digital designs) 2510's tuned at a 1/4 wave to the headrest.  it was absolutely insane.  flexing the roof, rear door, windshield wipers were jumping.  it was so energetic and in your face.  those were powered by a zapco c2k 9.0 delivering 2200 rms.  those amplifiers are known to put out over twice their rated power.  its amazing what so little cone area was doing in that vehicle.

 

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Permalink Reply by Kyle Schlumpf on July 22, 2011 at 9:59am

wow... I am speechless.  That must make my system sound like a stock car haha

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Permalink Reply by potatomutato on July 21, 2011 at 12:20am

hi Kyle...try pinging the Step Cal folks. i know you mentioned you didn't really want to do dirt trails, in which case Oceano Dunes is the way to go as the others have recommended, but if you change your mind there are a few trails over by Pozo. i don't recommend Garcia Ridge if you don't want pinstriping.

 

also, there are a few easy trails out by Big Sur (e.g. Old Coast, Prewitt and South Coast...fire roads really). i believe they are all open now (they were closed after the fire a few years ago), but you may want to call Los Padres National Forest to make sure. you can find their contact number on the Northern California National Forest Information page.

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