So, basically beach driving (miles of sand without hidden obstacles) should be fine for low 20’s on 20’s then. Seeing as many ranger stations will require this for entry, that’s good to know. 20 psi worked great at Assateague island, but I think I’ll at least keep it at 22 next time, or even see how it does at 32 first. Gotta use that expensive compressor for something.

 

Our guidance is not to deviate from our recommended pressures- we offer a "comfort range" and a "normal range" and we try to keep it simple for our owners.

I'm genuinely shocked that law enforcement in your community would require a specific tyre pressure. Tyre pressure requirement for a vehicle is entirely dependent on the tyre dimensions and the vehicle weight. Creating an arbitrary rule of 20psi is not grounded in science or facts (unless this rule was created in the 1970's) in which case it needs to be updated.

As for TFL, they know they manipulated their video somewhat (clicks mean money) but have been reluctant to properly address it. The milk is spilled. They did this despite going out of our way to help them on multiple occasions with their vehicle and special requests. They have very strong personal views and opinions on off-roading (often not grounded in proper theory or science) and that can cause us a great deal of frustration. They are not professionals and they do not have to play by any particular rules (or consult with us). They are not malicious people, but they also are not providing the full perspective.

 

@The Insider the < 20 psi law in Corolla NC was only formally enacted in the last few years. Before then it was just common knowledge/practice to air down.

But yes laws aren't always based on science or data and that's as far as I think we should comment on that.

And yes I understand your points regarding liability and recommendations/labels labels etc

To be honest, I'm sure I was in the low to mid 20's last time we went with the Defender. And we're on the 19" Pireli street tires.

I must say comparing it to my Jeep Wrangler with locking rear on 18" A/T's or 17" M/T's I was quite impressed how well the Defender performed. It was both effortless and drama free. Made me question everything I thought I knew and loved about my Wrangler.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go install a new slave cylinder in said Wrangler in the hope that I can drive it again this week. 🤫

 

Yes, please do use the compressor!

Beach driving is very different depending where in the world you reside. I have visited beaches in the northeast part of the United States (Massachusetts, Maine) and I would not qualify that as anywhere near appropriate conditions for pressure below 32psi/1.5 Bar. Rocks were just about everywhere in those areas and there were plenty of sharp objects and debris under the sand.

Another note: LR owners need to remember our vehicles are quite heavy compared to something like a Jeep Wrangler or Grand Cherokee. This impacts your contact patch at similar tires sizes and pressures.

 

@johnsonmc2000 - Always love @The Insider 's opinion and hope he posts. In the meantime, check out this page from Land Rover: Link. (If you haven't already)

 

Thanks for weighing in on so many topics. As a long time conventional off-roader, the Defender turns a lot of my experience on its head and is counterintuitive. A full day at Asheville was great at getting to play with all the settings in low-traction situations, but it was just one day. I haven't built all of that into my muscle memory yet, like the various conventional tricks that have been my off-roading bread and butter for years. I have to think about everything I'm doing still. Conciously competent (at best), where I was unconciously competent in Jeeps and Toyos.

One big difference that bugs me a little is how often I have to take my eyes off the trail to set up various things because they are screen-based and pretty non-tactile. On the Jeep my right hand knew exactly where the big beefy 4WD transfer case lever was; my left hand knew where the front and rear locker switches were, and my right hand knew where the gear shift lever was and exactly what gear I was in by where my hand was.

The new tech is a little more eye-intensive to get set-up, but then requires little to nothing once you're going.

 

You missed my point. I was saying to put a warning label NOT to air down the stock tires for driving offroad and DO flag a warning on TPMS when multiple tires are aired down.

 

I think the legal argument is a cop out and your understanding of legal risk is a bit backwards. If I was JLR I’d be more worried about lawsuits from people who do air down and then lose tires or crash off road because nobody told them it’s a bad idea on a low profile tire. There are all kinds of ways lawyers can write in caveats, but to just ignore it, knowing that the majority of off roaders will air down off road is verging on negligence. Especially if it’s so clear that JLR is aware of the issue from things like the TFL video. JLR clearly knows it’s vehicles are used off road, so choosing to not address this issue is really quite nonsensical and exposes JLR to the very risks you say they are trying to avoid. Even just a caution that airing down can expose the tire to potential punctures would be a start. Of course all this is complicated by the fact that JLR’s own online guide for driving in sand mentions a 15 psi minimum.

Anyway, JLR would do a real service to it’s customers if it would provide some additional cautions about airing down. There is clearly a very small number of owners who are aware that airing down with the oem off road package is a bad idea.

 

Sir, I'll make one last attempt at this for clarity.

As someone who has both spent far more of his time giving depositions and assisting on automotive legal cases than I would care to think about- I am fully aware of what could be an issue for the organization. We've been operating in the US market since 1987 and you're not bringing up some new undiscovered subject or opinion. There are actually people who spend their time reading through owners manuals in an attempt to find an angle for a lawsuit.

Off-roading means different things to different owners. For some it's driving down a gravel fire road, for others it's big muddy fields or wading through deep water, some live their lives exploring rocky coastlines and some just like to overland and focus on the scenery. In most of these cases we'd prefer you use the pressures in the manual which will protect the tyre and wheel and get you safely to your destination. Then there's sand. Sand needs a good foot print and lower pressures can help. However, the new vehicles do fairly well without a lot of tyre manipulation and all the hazards that come with it. It's a complicated subject and just putting a blanket number out there isn't ideal. As I always say, the answer often depends on many variables. People who are properly trained or versed in off-roading will know what to do.

I just took a moment to download the owners manual for a new US-spec Jeep Grand Cherokee (all 368 pages), as I was genuinely curious how they have handled this subject. Jeep is far more connected to the hardcore community in the US than Land Rover. Unsurprisingly, it would appear they have not addressed it all. Despite a lengthy 14 page section in the owners manual on tire pressure and tire choice (pages 337-350 for those interested) they have done exactly what we have done and recommended the use of the standard pressures on the B-pillar. In a separate off-road sections which address driving on sand they choose to focus on transmission gearing, approach and limiting wheel spin to 30 seconds.

 

I have no way to verify, but I suspect most Jeeps that go off road, do so on 15-18 inch rims with a heck of a lot more sidewall than the Defender OEM options.