My Experience After First Week with Cybertruck, including off-roading @ Sand Hollow Utah

[SGAstros]

I ordered on Dec 19, got VIN early March, took delivery in Las Vegas March 20. I've been daily driving and have about 400 miles so far, including some off roading near Sand Hollow Utah. For context, this is my first Tesla, and my other cars are a Ram 1500 and a Ford Bronco.

Things I love:

• Steering - After getting used to how tight it turns at low speeds, one handed driving (I rest my left hand on top right of squircle) feels effortless. Driving in general is great, feels smooth and plenty of power.
• Off Road Mode - creeped over tough obstacles, having 1-2 wheels off ground at different times and it manuevered extremely well and was easy to control power at very slow speed. Also, the front video was awesome as I'd go over crests or navigate rocks. (video attached)
• Light Show - The Arrival light show blows people's minds about what a vehicle can be. I've downloaded xLights and beginning work on custom one - I'll post here when done.
• Movies - watched a movie in pitch black garage at night, and with the accent lights and reflections on glass windows/roof, it feels like you're in a spaceship - plus the audio is amazing.

Things bugging me:

• One of my bed lights doesn't work, just doesn't ever light up when the other one does. Plan to service at some point.
• Dust gets in the bed with tonneau closed off road. Will have to look into gaskets.
• My two biggest things by far:
  • Front motor makes a higher pitched whining sound, constantly engaging and disengaging (at variable lengths of time) when coasting around the same speed. It's not super loud, but once I point it out to someone, they can't unhear it. Anyone else have that?
  • Every 1-2 minutes there's a hum sound that engages for 1-2 seconds in the front of the truck. Can hear it outside and inside easily. I'm pretty sure it didn't do it the first few days, and now it's every drive. Anyone else have that (video with sound attached - although it doesn't come through great on my phone)? Does it even while just sitting parked. Perhaps something with AC compressor, or computer trying to do something with air suspension?

Overall, this thing is an amazing feat of engineering and blows my mind every time I drive it. People go nuts about it, and it's especially fun to see kids get so excited when they see it. Very happy so far.

Here's a video of going up a sandy hill. It was making it ok, but at the same point twice in a row, it just stopped putting power to any of the wheels. I could imagine it detected all 4 wheels spinning in sand and cuts power to prevent getting dug in, but it felt like it was going to make it before it gave up.



Here's a video of general off roading with some of my thoughts narrated.



Partial Light Show.



Here's the hum sound - have to turn sound way up. I caught the last second of it, so it's the sound from the start and fades out over the video.

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[MacGyverdude]

Hoping they get the center differential locks going soon that should help with the sand.

A software update should be able to fix the power cut off in the sand. That would be frustrating as H*** to have all that power and not be able to put it to the ground.

 

[TXCYBRTK]

Agree 100%. Have had my CT for a couple of weeks now.

As to the humming sounds, one of the sounds that I noticed actually turned out to be my seat ventilation. May want to check that. Another humming sound I suspect is the tires. Separate from those, I agree that the humming from what seems to be the motors is louder than I expected. Certainly louder than what I experienced in my Model 3. Of course my model 3 was not pushing around so much weight, so that could be a difference too.
In any event, the CT is incredible and it still blows my mind that it exists.

 

[bongulous]

That light show was so damn sick lol. Is that an app where you configure the lights to do a certain song you want? Can’t wait to try this!

 

[SGAstros]

That light show was so damn sick lol. Is that an app where you configure the lights to do a certain song you want? Can’t wait to try this!

It comes with three built in ones from the factory. Then you can download an app called xLights, along with files from Tesla’s github, to create your own. Once you have a custom one, you load it on usb stick that is in the glovebox, put it back in and there should be a new “custom” option in the menu. At least that’s what I’ve read. I’ve got xLights and the Tesla files - will post once I get a custom one made.

 

[bongulous]

It comes with three built in ones from the factory. Then you can download an app called xLights, along with files from Tesla’s github, to create your own. Once you have a custom one, you load it on usb stick that is in the glovebox, put it back in and there should be a new “custom” option in the menu. At least that’s what I’ve read. I’ve got xLights and the Tesla files - will post once I get a custom one made.

Thanks for the info man, can’t wait to see what you create !

 

[heems]

Same sentiment here on the front motor. Our Y is way more quiet in that regard. Nothing I would try to service but like you I can’t unhear it. Have restored to listening to more music for my rides.

 

[SlegMD]

They should make the front light bar customizable for standard driving. Doesn’t have to change while driving, as that could be distracting.

 

[Cybergirl]

There's a 1/2" gap at the base of the gate on my CT that I'm sure is the reason dust gets into the vault when driving on dusty gravel roads. I'm not sure how best to install a gasket to close this gap.

 

[scottf200]

There's a 1/2" gap at the base of the gate on my CT that I'm sure is the reason dust gets into the vault when driving on dusty gravel roads. I'm not sure how best to install a gasket to close this gap.

Have you checked

• other CTs or
• the EPC or
• the service manuals

to see if that gap is normal? Seems odd but maybe intentional for water or dirt to slide out.

 

[Cybergirl]

Have you checked

• other CTs or
• the EPC or
• the service manuals

to see if that gap is normal? Seems odd but maybe intentional for water or dirt to slide out.

There's no indication of a seal at the bottom of the tail gate in either the service manual or the parts catalog.

 

[countryboy]

There's a 1/2" gap at the base of the gate on my CT that I'm sure is the reason dust gets into the vault when driving on dusty gravel roads. I'm not sure how best to install a gasket to close this gap.

Wow that's a huge gap compared to most trucks, but it does seem relatively flat and smooth, and therefore not to hard to plug. Question is, would something like this work, or would it get ripped off when you lower the tailgate? Might need something that just sits there by gravity or form-fit that you can move out of the way when you want to use the tailgate. Either way thanks for the heads up will definitely be looking for solutions for this when my CT comes in.

 

[SGAstros]

There's a 1/2" gap at the base of the gate on my CT that I'm sure is the reason dust gets into the vault when driving on dusty gravel roads. I'm not sure how best to install a gasket to close this gap.

Same

 

[FutureTruck]

That tailgate gap is a serious oversight but an example of the truck being designed for city streets where that is not an issue. Anyone working with a truck that has driven down a dirt road could look at that during the planning or testing phase and realize that is a dust vacuum.
Add that tailgate gap to the list of adjustments that need made at the factory and on future versions of the truck.

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