How many current / near future CT owners have never owned a truck before?

[edc]

While I agree no neeed to be sour.
For me it's opening a whole new hobby and the CT will be my first truck. I've always wanted to go off roading and now I'm contacting all these off roading ytbers to collab with and learn.

That's the goal right? To have fun? No matter what? For some people it's driving it around for people's reactions. For me its being able to bring my dog with cancer to places I couldn't before.

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[HaulingAss]

Off highway is off highway. It's what trucks have been doing since the beginning. The TransAmerica Trail is still going to be graded dirt paths. Why? Because people have been in North America for tens of thousands of years; it's just highly unlikely someone hasn't built a road where you're going before.

Exactly! "Off-road" means whatever your use case requires. And 99% of that is on backcountry roads. If you are driving where there is not a road at all, you probably don't want to be in any stock, road-legal vehicle. Sure, something like a Wrangler tries to straddle the road/trail/off-road vehicle use case, and it's not that great at doing it all. If you've ever droned along the Interstate for three hours (200 miles) non-stop in a Wrangler with off-road tires, you will know exactly what I mean.

It'll be a great off-roader for me, which is just carting my camp deep into the mountains on forestry roads. I already do this with a front-wheel-drive Mazda 3. Not being hemmed in by ruts or wash will be great. I was on one recently where the grading of one road created a berm I couldn't go over. I ended up driving ten miles around the other side. I made it, but it was annoying.


...And that's totally true. It's not a little thing. But it'll do all the truck things expected. It'll get to nearly of the mines I'm allowed to drive to, and that's all that matters.

Yup. I've pushed the limits of what my various sedans, vans, pickup trucks, hatchbacks and compact SUV's could negotiate plenty of times. And I know how to use driving skill to maximize the capabilities of all of those vehicles. The Cybertruck will exceed all the limits I've found in those vehicles by a huge margin. The Cybertruck will not be able to go on as tight of a trail as my two 1969 Nissan Patrols could navigate (but it will also exceed what they could do in many other scenarios, where Cybertruck's larger size does not automatically disqualify it). Every scenario is different and different types of off-road capable vehicles will do better or worse depending upon the requirements of each type of scenario, No vehicle does it all well but the Cybertruck has a lot going for it in the most common off-road scenarios in which you are simply trying to access the backcountry that is inaccessible to most road-going vehicles.

There's just very few places left you can't take a bigger truck that you also wouldn't just be banned from bringing a motor vehicle in the first place.

Absolutely true. And the Cybertruck, with a skilled off-road driver, will even be able to navigate most of the most popular "Jeep trails"in places like Colorado, New Mexico, etc.. Sure, many of the tighter, more technical expert-only Jeep trails will have a pinch points that would disqualify Cybertruck based on its bigger size, but those are edge cases (and the rear-wheel steering will make Cybertruck drive like a somewhat smaller vehicle).

Where Cybertuck will particularly excel is in covering the miles on backcountry roads without having to slow down to the excruciatingly slow speeds that is required by normal road-going vehicles at every rough section, every wash, every unnamed creek, every drainage swale, every rugged rocky section, every downed branch, every section with a sharp break, etc. The Cybertruck will just roll over many rugged spots that require technical driving skills to navigate in a less capable vehicle. In fact, the travel speed and comfort of the Cybertruck will put a Jeep Wranger to shame on most rugged roads. People who don't off-road often don't understand this point.

Off-roading is not all about rock-crawling. If that's what off-roading means to you, you probably want a purpose built off-road vehicle that is towed on a flatbed trailer on the highway to access the few places where this kind of off-roading is still legal. The use case of true off-road vehicles that are still road legal (like a Wrangler) is relatively narrow. The Cybertruck will go most places someone in a road-legal vehicle would want to go, and it will do it with better speed, ride comfort and efficiency than a Wrangler. No vehicle spans all use cases, not even a Wrangler or a short-wheelbase Land Cruiser.

Ironically, most people who buy Wranglers never use them to anywhere near their actual potential, nor do most Wrangler owners have off-road driving skills. I run into Jeeps all the time on backcountry roads I am carefully navigating with my non-off-road vehicles (including my Model 3) and it's not uncommon that they are not going anywhere I can't go in a non-off-road vehicle (albeit more slowly).

One last point: The people talking about the limitation of the Cybertrucks "breakaway angle" don't know what they are talking about. The Cybertruck has enough ground clearance, compared to other stock road legal vehicles, that it would be a very rare situation that it's appraoch or departure angles would be the limiting factor. Increasing the height of the air suspension improves appraoch and departure angles. Sure, a Wrangler would be better, you might scrape or drag the front or back of the vehicle, especially if you drop or enter into a challenging situation with too high of a speed, but I mean, it's a pickup truck and has better approach and departure angles, and higher ground clearance, than even most reasonably lifted pick-up trucks have. And a lower center of gravity to reduce roll-over risk. If Cybertruck's approach and departure angles are a limitation for you, you are buying the wrong class of vehicle and apprach and departure angles are the last thing you should be harping on about. This is what happens if most of your off-road knowledge is book knowledge.

It has become apparent to me that many people who pretend to be experienced off-roaders, actually have very little, and are using that exaggerated knowledge to try to denegrate Cybertruck's abilities. I mean, it's pretty obvious to anyone who looks at it that it's not a Wrangler. So what? It will out-wheel my 2010 F-150 4x4 SuperCab by a good margin. That might not be saying much (the F-150 is terrible at technical off-road challenges).

I believe in learning through all available means, but when it comes to off-roading, book knowledge will only get you so far. The only way to truely become competent is though actual experience over hundreds and thousands of miles, pushing the limits of various vehicles and tires, and covering a wide variety of terrain and unique situations. With a skilled driver, the Cybertruck will excel at the tasks most commonly asked of vehicles far from paved roads. The pretenders don't get that, they don't understand that off-road driving skills, gained only through experience, and good decision making/problem solving skills, go a lot further than simply having a vehicle with better approach and departure angles. They want their vehicle to make up for their lack of skills.

 

[Cybergirl]

I've owned a Datsun RWD pickup and a Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup. I passed over full-size pickups mainly because they're expensive to drive. Both pickups were daily drivers, and as a long time DIYer, I made use of the bed very often. When I donated my Ranger with 230,000 miles I found not having a truck a great inconvenience. I ended up using my Sprinter 2500 conversion van as a truck for hauling things, but with a lot of limitations (you don't carry mulch or a dethatcher in an RV).

The notion of buying a full-size pickup was still a no-go for me. I rented a couple from Menard's home center when the need arose, and found them unacceptable in terms of daily ease of use, maneuverability, and economy. Just getting into and out of a 4x4 F-150 is a pain. The controls are bulky and heavy, and the engine noise and exhaust is a nuisance to me and everyone nearby.

The Cybertruck is a full-size pickup that overcomes many of the disagreeable characteristics of traditional full-size pickups. I was particularly glad when Tesla added all-wheel steering for improved maneuverability. Having an air suspension with a low entry/exit setting is perfect. A 50 cf weatherproof vault will be put to good use, and the ability to handle moderate off-road travel is going to open up a whole new world of adventure camping.

I saw a Cybertruck for the first time in person yesterday at Tesla in Glendale, AZ Tesla. Wow! It's big! It's beautiful! I can't wait till it's mine!

 

[Cyber Man]

Exactly! "Off-road" means whatever your use case requires. And 99% of that is on backcountry roads. If you are driving where there is not a road at all, you probably don't want to be in any stock, road-legal vehicle. Sure, something like a Wrangler tries to straddle the road/trail/off-road vehicle use case, and it's not that great at doing it all. If you've ever droned along the Interstate for three hours (200 miles) non-stop in a Wrangler with off-road tires, you will know exactly what I mean.



Yup. I've pushed the limits of what my various sedans, vans, pickup trucks, hatchbacks and compact SUV's could negotiate plenty of times. And I know how to use driving skill to maximize the capabilities of all of those vehicles. The Cybertruck will exceed all the limits I've found in those vehicles by a huge margin. The Cybertruck will not be able to go on as tight of a trail as my two 1969 Nissan Patrols could navigate (but it will also exceed what they could do in many other scenarios, where Cybertruck's larger size does not automatically disqualify it). Every scenario is different and different types of off-road capable vehicles will do better or worse depending upon the requirements of each type of scenario, No vehicle does it all well but the Cybertruck has a lot going for it in the most common off-road scenarios in which you are simply trying to access the backcountry that is inaccessible to most road-going vehicles.



Absolutely true. And the Cybertruck, with a skilled off-road driver, will even be able to navigate most of the most popular "Jeep trails"in places like Colorado, New Mexico, etc.. Sure, many of the tighter, more technical expert-only Jeep trails will have a pinch points that would disqualify Cybertruck based on its bigger size, but those are edge cases (and the rear-wheel steering will make Cybertruck drive like a somewhat smaller vehicle).

Where Cybertuck will particularly excel is in covering the miles on backcountry roads without having to slow down to the excruciatingly slow speeds that is required by normal road-going vehicles at every rough section, every wash, every unnamed creek, every drainage swale, every rugged rocky section, every downed branch, every section with a sharp break, etc. The Cybertruck will just roll over many rugged spots that require technical driving skills to navigate in a less capable vehicle. In fact, the travel speed and comfort of the Cybertruck will put a Jeep Wranger to shame on most rugged roads. People who don't off-road often don't understand this point.

Off-roading is not all about rock-crawling. If that's what off-roading means to you, you probably want a purpose built off-road vehicle that is towed on a flatbed trailer on the highway to access the few places where this kind of off-roading is still legal. The use case of true off-road vehicles that are still road legal (like a Wrangler) is relatively narrow. The Cybertruck will go most places someone in a road-legal vehicle would want to go, and it will do it with better speed, ride comfort and efficiency than a Wrangler. No vehicle spans all use cases, not even a Wrangler or a short-wheelbase Land Cruiser.

Ironically, most people who buy Wranglers never use them to anywhere near their actual potential, nor do most Wrangler owners have off-road driving skills. I run into Jeeps all the time on backcountry roads I am carefully navigating with my non-off-road vehicles (including my Model 3) and it's not uncommon that they are not going anywhere I can't go in a non-off-road vehicle (albeit more slowly).

One last point: The people talking about the limitation of the Cybertrucks "breakaway angle" don't know what they are talking about. The Cybertruck has enough ground clearance, compared to other stock road legal vehicles, that it would be a very rare situation that it's appraoch or departure angles would be the limiting factor. Increasing the height of the air suspension improves appraoch and departure angles. Sure, a Wrangler would be better, you might scrape or drag the front or back of the vehicle, especially if you drop or enter into a challenging situation with too high of a speed, but I mean, it's a pickup truck and has better approach and departure angles, and higher ground clearance, than even most reasonably lifted pick-up trucks have. And a lower center of gravity to reduce roll-over risk. If Cybertruck's approach and departure angles are a limitation for you, you are buying the wrong class of vehicle and apprach and departure angles are the last thing you should be harping on about. This is what happens if most of your off-road knowledge is book knowledge.

It has become apparent to me that many people who pretend to be experienced off-roaders, actually have very little, and are using that exaggerated knowledge to try to denegrate Cybertruck's abilities. I mean, it's pretty obvious to anyone who looks at it that it's not a Wrangler. So what? It will out-wheel my 2010 F-150 4x4 SuperCab by a good margin. That might not be saying much (the F-150 is terrible at technical off-road challenges).

I believe in learning through all available means, but when it comes to off-roading, book knowledge will only get you so far. The only way to truely become competent is though actual experience over hundreds and thousands of miles, pushing the limits of various vehicles and tires, and covering a wide variety of terrain and unique situations. With a skilled driver, the Cybertruck will excel at the tasks most commonly asked of vehicles far from paved roads. The pretenders don't get that, they don't understand that off-road driving skills, gained only through experience, and good decision making/problem solving skills, go a lot further than simply having a vehicle with better approach and departure angles. They want their vehicle to make up for their lack of skills.

Wow! Very well said. Thanks for taking time to share your detailed thoughts. As a beginner off roader, I have been looking for an expert off-roader to share in depth analysis on CT and you nailed it.

Another cool factor about CT is not about what it can do now but what potential it can unlock because of the hardware that already exists now. I won’t be surprised if Tesla adds crab walk feature through software update. Dual/Tri motor Torque vectoring will continue to get better. I think CT can get ahead of any good off roading vehicles purely by improving software. The only limitation will be the length. I’ll just put an ATV in the truck bed if I ever need to climb a very challenging terrain that CT can’t do because of its length.

 

[HaulingAss]

I’ll just put an ATV in the truck bed if I ever need to climb a very challenging terrain that CT can’t do because of its length.

I'll probably go with electric mountain bikes in the bed (or maybe even electric trials bikes).

 

[Cyber Man]

I'll probably go with electric mountain bikes in the bed (or maybe even electric trials bikes).

There you go! That’s even better and cool.

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

Seems like most of the early deliveries have been to people that have never owned a full size truck much less a truly off-road capable vehicle. Guys like DennisCW seem to enjoy filming their CT more than they enjoy driving it. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but his ilk is not exactly what I'm looking for in a valuable opinion. Nothing but influencer tripe.

I'm gonna give you my realistic .02. First, I have a CB CT on order and I am excited. But honestly its for local running around and some local off-roading. I have owned 5 trucks.. of which 3 I own now... a Jeep Gladiator, a Ford F150, and a Ford F350 (diesel). I live in Durango, CO and have a house in Moab, UT, about 2.5 hours away. My Gladiator is my local Moab off-roader. I use that on all the trails. During the summer, I take it to Durango to do the local trails in southwest CO and northern NM that I woudn't dare even attempt my Fords. My Fords are the haulers. I use those to haul trailers semi-long distance, my main raft trailer pullers, and my usual Home Depot weekend project vehicles. I went from being a SUV owner to a full on truck owner in 2006 and never looked back.

The CT was going to be a replacement for one of the Fords.... until it wasn't. After getting the specs, the range and especially the range under hauling, I did indeed think twice whether I wanted to go there. It took some time for me to figure out what it was, what it wasn't, what I could do, and what I really would enjoy about it. I realized I did indeed want it because it could be a great local vehicle, a great Home Depot runner, save me some diesel fuel (expensive), and some maintenance. I made a decision not to trade in the ICE trucks because the tech isn't there yet. I would gain some amazing benefit from the CT, but locally. You can forget RVing. That's out. Anyone who thinks it will be a reality on this first iteration, is smoking something less legal than the substances that the great State of Colorado allows. DO NOT buy this to pull an RV unless you are looking for a seriously local experience... like less than 80-90 miles one way... and you better have a generator on your person or be very close to a SC.

That said, it can be an amazing off-roader. Last July I took my Jeep on the White Rim in Canyonlands and by the end of the day, I saw a Rivian going the opposite direction. I thought instantly, "Wow... that guy has some guts! Going where he has no chance of getting out without calling Matt's Offroad Recovery!" Then I saw that the entire White Rim is really about 100 miles. For the range, thats simple. For a CT, thats most certainly a possibility. Thats when I thought... "Wait... for local off-roading... this may actually work out great!" But yeah, Tesla needs to enable the lockers because the places I frequent most certainly will need those. But I saw that this could be a great off road vehicle. That said, off-roading for the CT is local to where you are and you have to be careful. You may want to forget the about the 1 week back country trip into the San Rafael swell without some form of generated power.

So in a nutshell:

1 - Forget RVing long distance. It aint gonna happen unless you want a really slow trip.

2 - Forget hauling big heavy stuff unless its really local

3 - Enjoy local hauling and Home Depot runs. Even carrying toys like motorcycles and ATVs will work pretty good.

4 - Enjoy local offroad trips.

5 - Forget about long term back country trips without some form of power generation.

Thats pretty much it... from a long time truck owner.

Again, I am excited about it and recognize its pros and cons. But be sure you know as well if you have never owned a truck. Expectations are key for this as you need to understand its capabilities and what you want to use it for. Thats just my .02 to those who have never owned a truck.

Oh and I have photos to rival @Sleipnir , he is a fellow Utahn, and I am sure he has even more... he knows what I am taking about (Red rocks FTW)

 

[CyberTruckeeTheOne]

For those thinking of using CT for off roading.

I owned a WW II jeep. And several times, when maneuvering, on a sharp dog leg and staring at eternity, I felt that even that jeep is just too long.

My question is, are you serious?

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

For those thinking of using CT for off roading.

I owned a WW II jeep. And several times, when maneuvering, on a sharp dog leg and staring at eternity, I felt that even that jeep is just too long.

My question is, are you serious?

You are mostly right... except....

Potato Salad Hill... Moab, UT. That is where the CT will kick some butt due to wheel base and that trail is the slaughterer of all things 2 door.

Here is a Ram 3500 Dually doing it:



Short wheel bases have a rough time!





But for the most part, I am 100% in agreement with you!

 

[Cyber Man]

You are mostly right... except....

Potato Salad Hill... Moab, UT. That is where the CT will kick some butt due to wheel base and that trail is the slaughterer of all things 2 door.

Here is a Ram 3500 Dually doing it:



Short wheel bases have a rough time!





But for the most part, I am 100% in agreement with you!

OMG! I’ll never ever take my 120K precious CT to climb these type of trails, even if it’s capable.

If I ever have to climb a dangerous steep sharp dog leg, I’ll just use my two legs . Best off roading all terrain accessories that nature has bestowed! 4 million years of Torque vectoring has happened on these babies!

 

[CyberTruckeeTheOne]

You are mostly right... except....

Potato Salad Hill... Moab, UT. That is where the CT will kick some butt due to wheel base and that trail is the slaughterer of all things 2 door.

Here is a Ram 3500 Dually doing it:



Short wheel bases have a rough time!





But for the most part, I am 100% in agreement with you!

Whoa!

Take me there with you!

But shall we wait for the crawl mode to be available first? lol

 

[Diveflyfish]

This will be my first “Pickup Truck.”
Qualifying that I have owned a Suburban which was about as expensive as lunch meat per pound, but would only achieve 14 miles per gallon going up hill, down hill, drafting a semi, off a cliff, etc, only improved by contemplating placing JATO bottles on a specially modified bike rack……..
So a vehicle that is as efficient as the CT is, will be a very nice improvement. That being said, my decision to purchase a BEV over ICE was 500 mile range…….. so life is a never ending string of compromises…….. the CT may with time achieve parity with what was originally promised…… and it will have the ability to float……… can’t pass that up.

 

[SentinelOne]

I've had 6 trucks since I got my license in 1986 and will always have a truck for the general utility! Use case is commuting, general purpose, dirt bike hauling, off-road camping, pull toy hauler (short distances), all around hooligan ride! Plan has changed, the CB will now replace my M3P and im keeping my 2500 for towing / range.

M0unt41nm4n nailed it with his "in a nutshell"

 

[HaulingAss]

For those thinking of using CT for off roading.

I owned a WW II jeep. And several times, when maneuvering, on a sharp dog leg and staring at eternity, I felt that even that jeep is just too long.

My question is, are you serious?

Use the right tool for the job. A WWII era Willy's Jeep had a maximum cargo capacity (including people, extra fuel, water and supplies) of 660 lbs. It's top speed was 55 mph. Real world range was just over 200 miles. Adding extra fuel cut into the 660 lbs. maximum cargo capacity.

These are very serious limitations for anyone that needs to bring some gear with them, even if it's just some boots, cooking and sleeping gear, a dog, and some food and water (let alone extra fuel). Don't bring any friends either, this is a two-person vehicle, max.

Of all the miles ever covered by Willys Jeeps, I would be willing to bet that 99% was on roads, paved or gravel. The point of an off-road vehicle for most people is not to get bragging rights for scaling a new rock formation, but to simply have off-road capabilities so it can cross washouts, creeks, negotiate around damaged sections of road, or get around a stalled vehicle.

Sure, if you want more extreme off-road capability you are going to pay for it with a shorter wheelbase, less cargo capacity, less towing capacity, a less composed ride on rugged roads, less passenger capability, etc. Off-road vehicles run the gamut, but the one thing they all have in common is they have more capability than a vehicle designed only for paved roads.

Pick the one that gets the jobs done that YOU need it to do. Yes, the Cybertruck has off-road capabilities, anyone who doubts that can go back to off-road driving school.

 

[CyberTruckeeTheOne]

@Hauling Ass

Am not into off-roading for extreme off-roading itself.

Just my experience hunting, which I am always just by myself and in my farm in mud and muck.

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