V6E14 – Holding Sway over the Tide Written By: Chris Shontz / @Venture4WD

Two months prior, I traversed the Mojave Road, which spanned a stretch of desert from Eastern California to Nevada. It was an epic overland adventure that came at a cost, as I passed through some deep water that shorted out my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon’s electronic sway-bar disconnect system. I gave it time, disconnected the wiring harness, and cleaned the contacts. I gave the sway-bar actuator weeks to dry out, but to no avail. The button on my dashboard was unresponsive, and the “SWAY BAR” light in my gauge cluster blinked indefinitely. Fast forward to present day - I sourced a used sway-bar actuator and had it shipped to my friend Jason’s house, near Dallas, Texas. During my visit, we spent quality-time in his driveway, swapping the old component with the new one, and then hoped for the best!   Swapping the Sway-Bar Actuator I’m grateful for my friend James, Adventure Use Only, for donating the piece, because a new replacement costs approximately $1,300 based on my findings. It’s a small electronic component, seemingly simple on the outside. If I were to have guessed its price by looking at it, I would’ve estimated between $150 and $250 USD. The process of swapping it is extremely simple. You unplug the wiring harness, remove three bolts, and the old piece is easily removed. You reverse the process for the replacement piece, and the whole ordeal takes no longer than 20 minutes. With the new component installed, we fired up the Jeep, engaged low-range, pressed the “SWAY BAR” button, and voila! The new actuator worked like a charm! A note to Wrangler Rubicon owners - be wary of deep water. These actuators are sealed, but depending on the age and miles on the piece, that seal might be compromised.   The Southern Tip of Texas Throughout the winter, I’ve been looking forward to a vehicle-supported adventure on the beach, to soak up some sun and surf. I could think of no better place to do this than on Texas’ Gulf Coast, on South Padre Island!   South Padre Island is a vacation destination on Texas’ southern tip. It consists of hotels, resorts, clubs, restaurants, and is a popular spot for students on Spring Break. If this isn’t the experience you’re looking for, South Padre Island also offers miles of drivable beach where one can travel north and find a secluded place to camp or to go fishing. There is a footnote to that, however... If you do visit South Padre Island during its peak season, or around Spring Break, you will likely encounter extremely crowded and bustling beaches. This was the experience during my visit, as upon my arrival, the dunes were lined with cars and trucks, and the main thoroughfare, which consisted of bumper-to-bumper traffic, passed directly through the surf. While I was intrigued by everything South Padre Island had to offer, both in its city and on its beaches, mid-April was the wrong time to visit for a secluded beach experience. Subsequently, my visit to the island was brief, and I continued north to try another destination.   Camping at Port Aransas My alternative plan for a primitive camping experience was along the Padre Island National Seashore, a stretch of beach directly north of South Padre Island, but only accessible via Corpus Christi, 200 miles to the north. Prior to setting off for the National Seashore, I opted to spend one night on the beach in Port Aransas. This still wasn’t the primitive beach experience that I was seeking, but it was still a highly enjoyable camping destination! To camp on the beach in Port Aransas, one needs to buy a $12 Beach Parking Permit, which is readily available at countless stores throughout the area. That permit is valid for the remainder of the calendar year, and once the sticker is applied to your windshield, you can drive onto the beach and camp or picnic to your heart’s content. It’s a popular beach, and you will have neighbors, whether they’re picnicking or staying for the weekend, but it’s spacious with plenty of room to enjoy your own patch of sand! Padre Island National Seashore As soon as I arrived at Padre Island National Seashore, I knew I came to the right place for my primitive beach camping experience, as the beach is protected by the National Park Service, and it is located miles from developed areas.   At the Visitor’s Center, I explained to the rangers what it was that I wanted to do - enjoy a secluded section of beach for a couple of evenings - and I also described my equipment. They encouraged me to travel south along the beach for 60 miles to the less-traveled areas, and they provided me with a tide chart so I knew exactly when I’d have safe passage. They were extremely informative and instilled a ton of confidence as I was heretofore unfamiliar with Texas beaches and didn’t want to unwittingly put myself in a dangerous situation. I aired down my tires very slightly, though the sand was hard-packed, so it may not have been necessary, and I spent the next few hours traveling south along the beach. Aside from the public beach at Port Aransas, the beaches I experienced along the Gulf Coast of Texas were not very wide. At times, I barely managed to fit the Jeep between the surf and the dunes, although there were plenty of opportunities to seek refuge from the high tide, should the need arise. When I reached the 60 mile mark, further travel south was blocked by a jetty and a channel. It is there that I set up camp and enjoyed two nights of amazing, secluded beach camping. It was everything that I had hoped for - campfire and all! One important thing to note about Padre Island National Seashore is that litter and debris washes ashore there due to the currents in the Gulf of Mexico, so certain sections of the beach have abundant trash strewn about. This was disheartening, but I filled a trash bag during my stay, keeping in mind that every little bit helps.   A Break from the Sand Having enjoyed spending time on a number of beaches throughout the week, the elements began to take their toll. My arms, legs, and the top of my feet were sunburnt, and the interior of my Jeep was filled with sand. I decided to head inland, and continue traveling east. I wrapped up the week in Sam Houston National Forest, north of Houston, Texas, on the shore of Lake Conroe. This setting was vastly different than the one I had just experienced on the Gulf Coast. It consisted of serene forests, tall grass, dense green canopies, and smooth gravel lanes that wound their way around the lake. As I sought a place to camp near the lake, the trees by the water were adorned with Spanish moss, indicating that I was making my way into an entirely different biome. [gallery link="file" columns="5" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/v6e14-20.jpg|"]