Sandrail

In 1958 Pete Beiring of Oceano, Calif., took the body frame or "pan" from a damaged Volkswagen and shortened it into a new machine that eventually became the precursor to the dune buggy.

As the late 1960s and early '70s approached, enthusiasts developed lighter and more powerful sand vehicles capable of ascending steeper and higher dunes.

Many started experimenting at home by building super light weight vehicle frames from metal tubing, often without a roll cage.

Because of their versatility, light weight and simplicity the air-cooled Volkswagen engine and transmission were the power plant of choice for many owners.

By placing the motor and transmission in the rear of the frame it allowed the front of the sandrail to remain extremely light and thus able to "float" over the sand dunes.

An added value of placing the engine in the rear of the vehicle was that heat created by the motor did not blow into the face of the driver and passengers.

When it comes to serious sand dunes, most off-road vehicles including those with four wheel drive are relatively top heavy and can only safely climb or descend steep hills with a mostly perpendicular approach to inclines or downhills.

These include: larger pistons, turbochargers, dual racing carburetors, fuel injection, and high performance cylinder heads.

However, today an entire industry is built around all kinds of accessories such as HID and LED headlamps, radios, passenger communications headsets and GPS navigation devices.

In these states, sandrails registered for on-road use usually must meet the minimum insurance coverage required by normal vehicles.

In many dune areas, all sand vehicles (motorcycles, quads, sandrails, UTVs and sandcars) are required to use an eight-foot antenna whip and flag.

More advanced safety features sometimes include: arm and wrist restraints, netting for large frame openings, automatic fuel cut-off switches and horns.

Sand associations along with state and federal land management agencies work to provide dune safety information through pamphlets, online and in classes.

Due to its economical cost to build and maintain, access to new parts and good balance between weight and power, the sandrail continues to be used by many enthusiasts today.