Tested the Off-Road Mode Update on black trails and it's EPIC

Fabville said:

Had mine in off-road mode this weekend, but not to extreme test yours went through!. I quickly realized you have to be in park to switch to off-road mode.

I was concerned about the off-road worthiness (or lack there of) when news started coming out about some deficiencies, but I’m quite impressed with what’s been added with this single OTA so far.

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Cf400ex said:

Tried out Off Road Mode this weekend as well. Truck does awesome! I felt in the old off road mode I would rather be a little lower in height so I would have more down travel and the new Baja mode Smooth setting is perfect ??

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Derektsla said:

Great post! For those who do a good bit of off-road. What are some good resources to learn some things before hitting a course/trails? I think this would be a lot of fun to do with my kids. I’m a pretty technical person. So detailed articles don’t scare me.

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aaronsurfs said:

About 20-30 miles of green to black difficulty trails with a buddy driving an TRD Pro 4Runner and it held up like a boss. In and out of Baja and overland mode multiple times, lots of donuts, lots of engaging and disengaging lockers, zero issues. The only thing I didn’t do was jump it, couldn’t find a jump that didn’t send my off the edge of a cliff. But slept in the back, camping mode was awesome. Very fun experience and nothing broke!

Bonus - Was too lazy to hand wash when I got home so said F it and took it through the car wash, TWICE. You pay once annd can go through ans many times ans you want. Not touchless either, those brushes spin against it pretty good. Again.. no issues. 10/10 would recommend and do again.

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HaulingAss said:

I find the Cybertruck has so much ground clearance and traction in most common situations it spoils me. That's because I learned to drive off-road in vehicles not made for off-road driving, with limited ground clearance. That taught me all kinds of tricks for getting though sections that required more ground clearance than I had. Picking the right line, at very slow speeds, can do wonders when you think ground clearance will be an issue.

Some of the vehicles I pushed beyond their limits off-road were only FWD or RWD. This forced me to learn how to maximize traction, how to use momentum without building so much speed that I bottomed out hard, or broke things. Off-roading can get expensive, but I come from the school that says you don't have to break things to have fun. Use your head. It's fun to push the limits of your vehicle, but only if you are not actually trying to do something impossible!

An important skill when traversing sections that challenge whatever vehicle you are in is managing your momentum to the correct level for each micro-section of the trail. At first you will try it at a slow speed which will tell you if you need to adjust your line or your momentum at a particular spot. As you gain experience you will be able to more easily see how your vehicle will respond to various challenges just by looking at them. It's very important to become good at actually seeing what you are looking at in three dimensions, with an accurate idea of side slope, up or down slope, and how that changes as your vehicle negotiates each micro-section. It's more feel or a visualization than a verbal calculation. You will learn faster if you pay attention to how the seat moves under your butt too. It's all about visualizing what your vehicle is doing, where every tire is at every moment (and where they will be next).

That applies most strongly to hard surfaces. Soft surfaces contain a lot of unknowns. I'm more of a fan of hard, more technical surfaces than deep mud and sand, which I find kinda boring. The Cybertruck is so capable, with so much ground clearance, I'm not getting the technical enjoyment out of it that I got when I had lesser vehicles, even ones designed for off-road like my two 1969 short-wheelbase Nissan Patrol.

Also, I've never had the benefit of cameras (except for the side and rear cameras on my Model 3 and backup cameras on other vehicles), so I'm still learning to make good use of the cameras. When you first look at them, it will look foreign, you will not make a lot of sense of what you are seeing. But as you use them, especially while moving slowly forward or in reverse, you will learn how to process the images, they will start to make increasing sense to you, the more you familiarize yourself with their peculiarities. The learning has happened faster than I expected, the cameras are very useful, but I'm still learning to process them and integrate their information with what I can see.

Most of the vehicles I have off-roaded were worth less than $3,000 at the time, so there was not as much $$ on the line. I will probably not be bringing the Cybertruck to it's off-road limits, simply because it's so naturally capable it won't be necessary in order to get to where I want to go. But all my previous experience will be put to good use avoiding getting myself into bad situations and doing serious damage. Becoming a good off-road driver is mostly a matter of learning by doing, but there are plenty of writings that can discuss the basics, preparedness, specific techniques, etc.

If I could impress one thing on off-road newbies, it's to be cautious, pay the utmost attention to what you are doing, try to know what the potential pitfalls of any scenario are before you attempt it, to give you the best chance of avoiding those pitfalls. Secondly, speed is a last resort, and only for experts. The forces you put on your vehicle are immense, even when going slow. Doubling the speed can quadruple the forces.

Go slow and have a plan if your progress is stopped. Always get out and inspect first, no matter how sloppy or deep it is out there, rather than trying to spin your way out. That may very well be the best way out, but you need to get out and inspect your situation before you make it worse. One rock moved, or a shovel of dirt removed, can be worth 9 rocks or shovels of dirt, in time. You know, the same concept as "a stitch, in time, saves nine". Don't make it worse.

Go slow, there is never any shame in not making it over an obstacle the first time. As soon as you realize you are not making forward process, don't just spin your tires faster, it may or may not work, but many times it will make it worse. It's better to reverse and use your learnings to do it a little better, back into a slightly different line. It's amazing how adjusting your line by a tiny amount can make it easy. Use your brains, not your brawn. Technique over power.

Sometimes you might be covering big miles on easy trails, so you will be going fast. Don't become complacent, keep an eagle eye for situations that require slowing way down. If the light is flat you may not be able to identify such hazards as readily, so slow down. It's very easy on fast trails to damage your vehicle because you didn't react to a hazard in time. Pay attention at all times and assume a possible hazard IS a hazard, until you KNOW it's not. There is no shame in momentarily slowing down for something that didn't require slowing down!

Respect deep water, it is very dense if you hit it at speed and can rip parts off your vehicle. I've always had good luck hitting it a fast walking clip, which is pretty slow in a vehicle, and then maintaining power to maintain that speed. Of course we have Wade Mode in the Cybertruck, use it for any water deeper than your ground clearance.

Above all, have fun and don't get yourself in over your head. Wherever you go, you need a plan to get back out, I've never had to walk out, but if travelling solo out of cellular range, that may be necessary if you don't have a satellite phone that works. I always plan on being ready and able to camp and hike, as a last resort. I've never needed to, but it's nice to know that option is available, especially when travelling with only one vehicle.

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aaronsurfs said:

About 20-30 miles of green to black difficulty trails with a buddy driving an TRD Pro 4Runner and it held up like a boss. In and out of Baja and overland mode multiple times, lots of donuts, lots of engaging and disengaging lockers, zero issues. The only thing I didn’t do was jump it, couldn’t find a jump that didn’t send my off the edge of a cliff. But slept in the back, camping mode was awesome. Very fun experience and nothing broke!

Bonus - Was too lazy to hand wash when I got home so said F it and took it through the car wash, TWICE. You pay once annd can go through ans many times ans you want. Not touchless either, those brushes spin against it pretty good. Again.. no issues. 10/10 would recommend and do again.

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cardad said:

Did they fix the 2 foot pedal situation? Because I find that to be pretty problematic. Rivian lets you roll in rock crawl mode vs “hold”. I haven’t tested the CT off road modes but I’ve heard it still cuts power when you have input both brake and gas.

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HaulingAss said:

The way the dual motor electric drivetrain meters out power and regen via the accelerator pedal, and the fact that it has mechanical lockers on both differentials, pretty much eliminates the need to apply power when braking, or to brake while applying power. That kind of "pedal dancing" and finagling was something that came with the territory of a gas powertrain but it's simply not needed, nor is it beneficial with the Cybertruck. The amount of instantaneous control the driver has over the torque applied is so controllable that I can't imagine a situation where it would be advantageous to apply friction brakes while applying power. This is a major advantage of an electric powertrain over a gas powertrain.

One feature that will undoubtable make tricky sections easier and more enjoyable is the off-road cruise control (I forgot what Tesla calls it officially). I haven't used it yet, but it's like a slow speed cruise control that can be adjusted faster or slower in (I believe) 0.5 mph increments. It can be used to climb or descend steep, rugged terrain. Pushing on the brake while it's engaged will cut power for as long as you remain on the brakes but smoothly blend back to the set speed when the brake is released. Same with the throttle. It can be turned off by coming to a complete stop and holding firm pressure on the brake for a short time.

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• Electric air compressor seems like a must:
  • https://www.amazon.com/TK1-Inflator-Portable-Compressor-Inflation/dp/B0CPM68VXC/
• Is something like a sidewall and tread puncture patch kit enough?
  • https://www.amazon.com/GlueTread-Complete-Off-Road-Puncture-Emergency/dp/B0C79QCPNX/
• Or should folks be investing in a jack, tire change tools, emergency spare, or even a full size spare?

fishtek said:

Thanks for all the tips. I haven't done a ton of extreme off roading, but have enjoyed plenty of camping in CO, WY, and MT, that required 4 wheel drive and some decent clearance to get where I wanted to go. I've always owned half ton trucks, like the f150 and silverado, so the one thing that makes me a little concerned if I was up in the mountains is the lack of a spare tire.

What is everyone doing to make up for the missing spare tire?

• Electric air compressor seems like a must:
  • https://www.amazon.com/TK1-Inflator-Portable-Compressor-Inflation/dp/B0CPM68VXC/
• Is something like a sidewall and tread puncture patch kit enough?
  • https://www.amazon.com/GlueTread-Complete-Off-Road-Puncture-Emergency/dp/B0C79QCPNX/
• Or should folks be investing in a jack, tire change tools, emergency spare, or even a full size spare?

And I suppose maybe it even comes down to risk tolerance ?

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