Hitting the dunes with your UTV is sure to be a blast! However, there are a few things that are a must to help you stay safe. Some are even required by law at most sand dune OHV parks. In addition, there are many other top UTV accessories for the sand dunes that you may want to consider for the best experience.
UTV accessories for the sand dunes to help keep you safe
The sand dunes can be unpredictable at times and visibility is often limited when cresting hill tops. Consider this list of top UTV accessories for the sand dunes to ensure that you keep you and your passengers safe.
Helmets and Eye Protection
A helmet with a face shield or helmet with goggles is highly recommended in the dunes. It is often windy at the sand dunes. Getting sand in your eyes can make it difficult to see, and can also be very uncomfortable. Click here to explore our helmets. Click here to explore our goggles.
UTV Safety Flags for the Sand Dunes
Most sand dune OHV parks require UTV's to have a Red or Orange safety flag that extends 8-10 feet above ground level. They are available in different lengths (typically 4-6ft) and many different mounting options. The length of the safety flag will depend on where you plan to mount it on your UTV. Just be sure that it will meet the height requirements of the areas you plan to ride. Safety flags are not only the law in most sand dune areas, but they also make it much easier for riders to see each other to avoid collisions. They are especially helpful when cresting a hilltop. Click here to explore our safety flags.
UTV Lighted Whips for the Sand Dunes
Lighted whips are a cool addition to any UTV but they are also very important for safety if you plan to ride at night. Like the safety flags, lighted whips are available in different lengths and mounting options. It is very common to utilize a lighted whip as a safety flag simply by adding the required Red or Orange flag. This way you have the added safety day and night. Keep reading to learn more about lighted whips.
UTV Accessory Lighting great for the Sand Dunes
The factory headlights on a UTV are ok, but in the dunes they leave a lot to be desired. If you plan to ride at night, adding additional lighting is almost a must for safety. Keep reading to learn more about accessory lighting.
Fire Extinguisher
Every UTV should have a fire extinguisher no matter where you plan to ride. Many sand dune OHV parks require them. Click here to explore our fire extinguishers.
Seatbelt Harnesses
Many UTV's come from the factory with standard automotive style seatbelts. We highly recommend upgrading to seatbelt harnesses for all types of riding but especially the sand dunes. The sand dunes can be unpredictable. It is also easy to find yourself traveling at higher speeds than you might in other riding areas. Click Here to checkout our blog on seatbelt harnesses and learn everything you need to know before making a purchase. Click here to explore our harnesses.
UTV accessories for the sand dunes to help keep you from becoming stranded
As with any terrain, the sand dunes can be unpredictable at times. They can also put added strain on certain components. Here are some of the top UTV accessories for the sand dunes to help keep you riding and help ensure you don't get stranded.
- Tool Kit - be sure to carry a tool kit. We offer tool kits that are specific to UTV's and that do not weigh a lot or take up much storage space. Click here to explore our tools and tool kits.
- Spare Drive Belts - we always recommend carrying at least 2 spare drive belts. The reason we recommend 2 is because we have had belts break very early into a ride. With only 1 spare, we would be riding the rest of the day without a spare and risk becoming stranded. The sand dunes are very hard on drive belts due to the additional load created by the sand. Also, due to running at higher RPM's for longer periods of time compared to riding in dirt. Click here to explore our drive belts.
- Tow Strap - in the event that you do breakdown in the dunes and cannot drive yourself out, be sure to have a tow strap with you so that a buddy or another fellow rider can tow you out. Click here to explore our tow straps.
UTV Sand Tires
Standard knobby tires will allow you to get around the dunes for the most part. However, tires designed for the sand have many benefits and should be considered when looking for the top UTV accessories for the sand dunes. Click here to explore our sand tires.
- Improved Traction - tires designed for the sand dunes are wider for better floatation. They help keep you on top of the sand vs digging down in. They also have paddle shaped lugs for the rear tires vs knobs like a traditional stock tire. The paddles scoop the sand allowing for far better traction. The front tires can also have paddles, just a single rib down the middle or a combination of a rib and paddles. The rib design for the front is to allow for improved turning. The rib cuts through the sand while going straight and will push against the sand while turning.
- Lighter Weight - tires designed for the sand are typically much lighter than a standard knobby tire. They are often manufactured much thinner or with a lighter ply such as a 2-ply vs a 6, 8 or 10 ply knobby tire. The reduced weight helps improve wheel speed and handling. It also reduces the overall stress on the UTV.
- Click here to checkout our tires blog where you can read a bit more on sand tires.
UTV Aftermarket Spring Kit
Overall ride quality and handling really comes into play at the sand dunes with all of the chatter, whoop sections, small drop-offs and steep approach angles on many of the hills. An aftermarket spring kit is always top of our list of accessories no matter what type of riding but even more so for the sand dunes. The factory shocks are pretty amazing, however they leave quite a bit on the table with low quality springs. A high quality aftermarket spring kit allows the shocks to work at their full potential offering greatly improved ride quality and handling that is very noticeable when cruising at the dunes. Click here to explore our spring kits.
UTV Lighted Whips
Lighted whips are extremely popular and definitely on the list of top UTV accessories for the sand dunes. As mentioned above under safety, lighted whips offer a ton of additional safety at night and even help a bit during the day so that you can be more easily noticed by other riders. The other reason lighted whips are so popular is the cool factor. They are available in different colors, can be controlled with a remote or a cell phone app, can flash in several different colors, combination of colors and patterns. Some can even flash to your favorite beat. They allow to you easily add a bit of additional personalization to your UTV. Click here to explore our lighted whips.
UTV Accessory Lighting
Additional lighting to help light up the dunes is almost a must if you plan to ride the dunes after dark. The factory headlights just don't cut it out on the sand dunes. It can be very difficult to see a big hole or a sudden drop off at night and the factory headlights do not allow you to see out far enough to be able to react in time.
Accessory light POD's on your bumper or A-Pillar or a lightbar on your bumper or roof will be a game changer out in the dunes after dark. Accessory lighting is available in different light beam patterns. We recommend a driving beam pattern to start with which consists of a combination of wide and spot beams. This allows additional near field as well as longer distance visibility.
If you're a faster driver or just want the ultimate visibility, add a couple of POD lights with just the spot beam pattern and to get even more near field wide angle visibility you can add some lighted mirrors. Click here to explore our accessory lighting.
UTV Audio System
Audio systems are also very popular in the sand dunes. Jam out to your favorite music while riding around or while stopped and just hanging out. Audio systems are available in a lot of different configurations and stages from mild to wild. You can get a simple sound bar that easily mounts to your roll cage and connects to your phone via bluetooth. Or, if you want to be the loudest out on the dunes, you can go all out and get a complete audio system kit. The higher end complete systems include sub woofers and the install is very clean for a factory look that flat out rocks! Click here to explore our audio systems.
Add more horsepower to your UTV for the sand dunes
The sand dunes can really rob your power with the additional load created by trying to propel through the sand. Power mods to your UTV can make a huge difference in the sand dunes. Here is a list of some great power mods to look at when considering the top UTV accessories for the sand dunes.
UTV Aftermarket Exhaust
An aftermarket exhaust is one of the first things we recommend when looking to add more horsepower to your UTV. The aftermarket exhaust alone will allow better flow and increased horsepower. Furthermore, the factory exhaust will limit how much power you can add to your UTV. The restricted flow of the stock exhaust will cause too much heat build up when you start adding additional horsepower. Click here to explore our exhaust systems.
UTV Performance Tuning
Tuning your ECU is one of the best and most popular ways to add horsepower to your UTV. Depending on the level of tune, an aftermarket exhaust as well as some other aftermarket components may be required. Click here to explore our engine performance upgrades.
UTV Turbo or Supercharger kit
Adding a turbo or supercharger kit to a UTV that comes from the factory naturally aspirated will give you the biggest boost in power. Or, if your UTV is turbo charged from the factory, you may be able to go with a larger turbo kit if you're really in search of more horsepower. Click here to explore our big turbo kits and supercharger kits.
If you need any additional help at all as you're considering this list of top UTV accessories for the sand dunes or have any other questions, please click here to reach out to our team of experts. At Fueled UTV we have a slogan…No Salesmen, Just Enthusiasts! We answer our phones. We walk through options that fit your needs, application, and budget. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals, whether that is keeping your buddies in the rearview, or maximizing comfort and safety for the family. Give us a shout or check out our website, we’d love to help you out!