First of all, I, don’t want to besmirch anyone who drives a minivan. Especially one with two kid car seats, a dog kennel, and a stick family represented on the rear window. You folks have all you can do to mop up the food and drink spills from the soccer team you are always hauling around. Our family did two tours with the minivan, and they were great for people moving. They weren’t very good in soft sand. Remember Puerto Penasco before most of the roads were paved? It was possible to get stuck (in a minivan) almost anywhere in town.
As a fly fisher I would take the minivan to La Pinta the Second Estuary, a good fishing spot with no end to the soft sand. I would deflate the tires down to 15-20 pounds air pressure so they wouldn’t bury themselves. Not making sharp turns is helpful, and once you get moving keep going until you find a firm place to stop. I had a really good plug in tire inflator once I got back on the paved road. Even with these precautions a good tow strap is still useful. I currently drive 4-wheel drive vehicles because I like to drive on the beach, and launch my kayak into the surf.
This weekend several of my fly-fishing buddies will be in town and the ones driving minivans will probably get stuck. But that’s OK I have a tow strap and 4 WD. I saw two trucks strapped together towing a truck and a boat out of the water. Sometimes you need to get creative to get out of the sand. Hope to see you on the water soon, December fishing can still be rewarding.
Vince Deadmond The Retired Fly-Fishing Hardware Guy can be reached at vincehasgonefishing@outlook.com or 480 818 1796.
