Mark, your the man! I commented on your last video because there were so many great tips and I was really looking forward to this video. We currently have a Jeep Trailhawk and I’ve learned some of your lessons from your previous video the hard way. Originally I got it stuck in the dunes on early morning duck hunts with my poodles (yes poodles, and they are fantastic retrievers). Mostly my mistakes were novice mistakes. Number 1, as you said previously, it’s important to keep momentum. Secondly, I knew it was helpful to decrease tire pressure, but I didn’t want to do that because it was going to be such a pain in the ass to drive all the way back to town to air my tires back up (not an issue with the Rivian). Luckily, I knew enough not to bury my tires too much and my trusty lacrosse stick always dug me out. I saw your latest video this morning and I was super excited to watch it. But that was going to be after I took my dogs out into the dunes to give them a workout (I’m in North Bend/Coos Bay Oregon). I haven’t got the Trailhawk stuck in probably two or three years. So I got cocky and made a stupid mistake. The next thing I knew I spent an hour digging and repeatedly using the floor mats as traction (I’m definitely going to purchase the traction mats you recommended). Long story short, eventually I got free. I did use my thumb nails to decrease tire pressure today. That was slow and tedious so I will use your recommendation on those tire pressure decreasing instruments. The tow rope and tail hitch are very important recommendations. I learned (again the hard way) to keep a tow strap in the Jeep. Last year myself and a truck coming the opposite direction got trapped by some young people trying to go four wheeling in a Toyota Camry. They didn’t make it very far but they blocked the sand road. I didn’t have a tow strap and neither did the truck. Eventually the young folks in the Camry found a weak vinyl strap in their trunk and we Jerry rigged it to the Trailhawk and I was able to free them. Anyone reading this, listen to Mark, the tow rope he recommends will work better than a strap. Lastly, one of the biggest issues we have had is attaching a flag to the Jeep. We have had the same issues you had Mark. Most people either drill holes in their vehicles or attach it to bumpers like you pointed out. We haven’t done that because of the same reasons you mentioned. We didn’t want permanent holes in our vehicle or the lower mounts allow the flag to whip against the vehicle. Like you, we tried coming up with our own design that attached to the roof rack. Unlike you, we don’t have a friend who is a machinist who made his own attachment for a flag (yours is beautiful by the way). This is a super common issue but we have not found any commercial companies that build flag mounts that go on roof or trunk bed racks. Anyone reading this who knows of such a company please provide a link. But great tips (your safety tips on driving in dunes are spot on). Keep up the good work (our Rivian is in transport). It’s such a new technology that these tips that you and other experienced owners give are very helpful.
Thanks Brad for all the comments. I would recommend spending the $60 and getting those recovery boards and keep them with you when you're out with the dogs in the mud. All those stories you have are great lessons for the audience here. Maybe you should be getting those onto your own TH-cam channel? I'd watch. :) For your flag mount, assuming you have a rack with a channel on it, look on Amazon for s-slot bolts and use them to attach a small pate to your rack, and attach the pole. For my Yakima on the R1T, i measured and the bolt head I would get would have a square head with the dimensions 20 x 20 x 4 mm. That should slide nicely into my rack.
Great video Mark, awesome tips, your Dad sent me your video, I live down in HBI have my truck for a month and love it but need to head up to Pismo to play. You should make that flag holder and sell it on the Rivian forum... just an idea. I have a Glacier white and have a 1000 miles on it. I look forward to heading up to play in the sand.
Well that's fantastic. I would love to see that color up close. Pismo is such a great spot, get out there and enjoy it with the Rivian. I'll tell my buddy Yuri to get on it and make a ton of Rivian flag holders!
You and me both! Sorry I didnt connect with you, it was a last minute trip, we decided about 48 hours prior, and we had to coordinate some family get-togethers. So my time here in the Dunes was rushed, running back and forth to town and the hotel. I hope we can meet up the next time, which should be in the next month or at most two.
@@marksevlife no worries. I live 2 hours away so I’m not easily available myself. I’ll see you out there eventually. Keep up the videos. I think what you’re doing is great. To me I think our governments stance on Green Energy is pushing people away from adopting EV’s. And I think your videos give those who are hesitant a glimpse of how cool EV’s can be. Let’s get real. Power is king in the dunes. Your Rivian gots the power lol. I’m pretty sure all the Tacoma/Ranger prerunner guys would love an instant 800hp in their trucks.
For just hooligan sliding around, sand mode is fun, but for actually ripping through the dunes at higher speed with *some* slip angle but under control, rally mode is what you want...
I usually drop to 10 pound on my truck in sand for the last 20 years and gets way better traction and less fatigue on the truck in your case the battery
I was too afraid to go that far past the manufacturers recommendations. Concerned because the Rivian weighs almost 2X that of a normal truck, and that weight on the rims with reduced protection from the tires could cause a crack. But I agree on your approach, I read from several sites recommending 15 lbs being ideal.
Great video Mark, just what I wanted to know about the R1T on sand. One question that I still have and hoping you can help, is how long did it take to inflate each tire from 30 back to 48? Appreciate all the tips and suggestions.
I believe it was between 3-4 minutes each. It can depend on how "taxed" your compressor is, maybe even how hot it is, since I overheated the thing once doing a video on the Air Suspension on a hot summer day. I can time the tire inflation next time and get back to you.
We live here (AG/Pismo) and I just had my Lightning delivered and was trying to understand how it might do out there. Our R1S should be here in 2023. How did it do going up the hills and flying sideways in the bowls? That’s what I enjoy the most. Guessing too heavy and just dug in? Great videos, both of them and thanks for sharing a little of our area with TH-cam.
It did not dig in, so to speak, it stayed above the sand and kept moving. I was worried before I first went there that the weight would be a problem, but it really wasn't. It was a bit heavy at times, but very minor, and the power more than compensated for that and gets you going.
Hi Mark. I loved your input on what settings to used on sand, I am planning to take my R1T truck to Pismo Beach next year, I want to bring a trailer inside the dunes it is possible if you test what’s like to drive to the dunes with a trailer hook up to the truck? I would be very interested on what happens. Thanks Gerald
For recovery boards, I went with a cheap brand on Amazon, only $60, called STEGODON. The decision was made for me simply due to shipping speed, I needed something in 2 days time. If not for that, I probably would have gotten the MaxTrax. We'll see how they hold up. I demonstrate using them in my first Pismo video, called "Soft Sand Driving". Check that out if you havent already.
if you watch the two videos I did in Pismo, together they show all you need. And they both have the table of contents in the Description, so you can click right into those sections.
rally mode has less tire spin then drift, it allows the driver to reach high rates of speed off road conditions. I like to use it when i'm jamming down the forest trails. Rally mode doesn't fish tail like drift does.
Sand mode is designed specifically for preventing the truck from getting stuck in deep soft sand traps, thats why the ride height is set to high, because the truck is likely sunk into the sand. It also turns regen braking down. in sand you want to get the tires spinning fast to paddle through the sand and keep forward momentum. i think sand mode does have a speed limit. That sand was probably too firm for the sand mode to be full appreciated. TBH for most off roading, all terrain is fine, just turn off traction control if you want tire spin. You should combine this video with this one, th-cam.com/video/z-0bF_EoMiI/w-d-xo.html. I think they would go well together.
Thanks JS, appreciate the input and the comments. Yes this is basically "part deux" of my Pismo videos! In the ending "cards" of my first video, I'll be sure to add a link to this one. Thanks!
Dude send those overpriced tire deflators back. You can find the same ones on Ebay for $10, probably Amazon too. They are just basic brass relief valves. You overpaid for a name & a bag
Mark, your the man! I commented on your last video because there were so many great tips and I was really looking forward to this video. We currently have a Jeep Trailhawk and I’ve learned some of your lessons from your previous video the hard way. Originally I got it stuck in the dunes on early morning duck hunts with my poodles (yes poodles, and they are fantastic retrievers). Mostly my mistakes were novice mistakes. Number 1, as you said previously, it’s important to keep momentum. Secondly, I knew it was helpful to decrease tire pressure, but I didn’t want to do that because it was going to be such a pain in the ass to drive all the way back to town to air my tires back up (not an issue with the Rivian). Luckily, I knew enough not to bury my tires too much and my trusty lacrosse stick always dug me out. I saw your latest video this morning and I was super excited to watch it. But that was going to be after I took my dogs out into the dunes to give them a workout (I’m in North Bend/Coos Bay Oregon). I haven’t got the Trailhawk stuck in probably two or three years. So I got cocky and made a stupid mistake. The next thing I knew I spent an hour digging and repeatedly using the floor mats as traction (I’m definitely going to purchase the traction mats you recommended). Long story short, eventually I got free. I did use my thumb nails to decrease tire pressure today. That was slow and tedious so I will use your recommendation on those tire pressure decreasing instruments. The tow rope and tail hitch are very important recommendations. I learned (again the hard way) to keep a tow strap in the Jeep. Last year myself and a truck coming the opposite direction got trapped by some young people trying to go four wheeling in a Toyota Camry. They didn’t make it very far but they blocked the sand road. I didn’t have a tow strap and neither did the truck. Eventually the young folks in the Camry found a weak vinyl strap in their trunk and we Jerry rigged it to the Trailhawk and I was able to free them. Anyone reading this, listen to Mark, the tow rope he recommends will work better than a strap. Lastly, one of the biggest issues we have had is attaching a flag to the Jeep. We have had the same issues you had Mark. Most people either drill holes in their vehicles or attach it to bumpers like you pointed out. We haven’t done that because of the same reasons you mentioned. We didn’t want permanent holes in our vehicle or the lower mounts allow the flag to whip against the vehicle. Like you, we tried coming up with our own design that attached to the roof rack. Unlike you, we don’t have a friend who is a machinist who made his own attachment for a flag (yours is beautiful by the way). This is a super common issue but we have not found any commercial companies that build flag mounts that go on roof or trunk bed racks. Anyone reading this who knows of such a company please provide a link. But great tips (your safety tips on driving in dunes are spot on). Keep up the good work (our Rivian is in transport). It’s such a new technology that these tips that you and other experienced owners give are very helpful.
Thanks Brad for all the comments. I would recommend spending the $60 and getting those recovery boards and keep them with you when you're out with the dogs in the mud. All those stories you have are great lessons for the audience here. Maybe you should be getting those onto your own TH-cam channel? I'd watch. :) For your flag mount, assuming you have a rack with a channel on it, look on Amazon for s-slot bolts and use them to attach a small pate to your rack, and attach the pole. For my Yakima on the R1T, i measured and the bolt head I would get would have a square head with the dimensions 20 x 20 x 4 mm. That should slide nicely into my rack.
Again, fun watch. I'm definitely giving this a shot once my R1T shows up. Thanks for posting this.
My pleasure. Get out to the beach as soon as you take delivery!
Great video! Thanks for all the helpful information. I need to take my R1S out there
Oh, and also, bonus points for the Whitesnake reference.
LOL i thought that was funny, my wife was like "mehh", but what does she know about 80's hair bands!
Great video Mark, awesome tips, your Dad sent me your video, I live down in HBI have my truck for a month and love it but need to head up to Pismo to play. You should make that flag holder and sell it on the Rivian forum... just an idea. I have a Glacier white and have a 1000 miles on it. I look forward to heading up to play in the sand.
Well that's fantastic. I would love to see that color up close. Pismo is such a great spot, get out there and enjoy it with the Rivian. I'll tell my buddy Yuri to get on it and make a ton of Rivian flag holders!
@@marksevlife I'll buy two from him, LOL
Solid video!!! Glad you took that bad boy out on the dunes. I was curious to see how it would handle on the sand weighing 7k lbs.
You and me both! Sorry I didnt connect with you, it was a last minute trip, we decided about 48 hours prior, and we had to coordinate some family get-togethers. So my time here in the Dunes was rushed, running back and forth to town and the hotel. I hope we can meet up the next time, which should be in the next month or at most two.
@@marksevlife no worries. I live 2 hours away so I’m not easily available myself. I’ll see you out there eventually. Keep up the videos. I think what you’re doing is great. To me I think our governments stance on Green Energy is pushing people away from adopting EV’s. And I think your videos give those who are hesitant a glimpse of how cool EV’s can be. Let’s get real. Power is king in the dunes. Your Rivian gots the power lol. I’m pretty sure all the Tacoma/Ranger prerunner guys would love an instant 800hp in their trucks.
Great video! Super informative🤙
Glad you liked it! thank you
For just hooligan sliding around, sand mode is fun, but for actually ripping through the dunes at higher speed with *some* slip angle but under control, rally mode is what you want...
Im trying Rally for sure next time, thank!
I usually drop to 10 pound on my truck in sand for the last 20 years and gets way better traction and less fatigue on the truck in your case the battery
I was too afraid to go that far past the manufacturers recommendations. Concerned because the Rivian weighs almost 2X that of a normal truck, and that weight on the rims with reduced protection from the tires could cause a crack. But I agree on your approach, I read from several sites recommending 15 lbs being ideal.
Great video Mark, just what I wanted to know about the R1T on sand. One question that I still have and hoping you can help, is how long did it take to inflate each tire from 30 back to 48? Appreciate all the tips and suggestions.
I believe it was between 3-4 minutes each. It can depend on how "taxed" your compressor is, maybe even how hot it is, since I overheated the thing once doing a video on the Air Suspension on a hot summer day. I can time the tire inflation next time and get back to you.
how you will engage the diff kock?
Is that color El Cap?
What did you air down to?
We live here (AG/Pismo) and I just had my Lightning delivered and was trying to understand how it might do out there. Our R1S should be here in 2023. How did it do going up the hills and flying sideways in the bowls? That’s what I enjoy the most. Guessing too heavy and just dug in? Great videos, both of them and thanks for sharing a little of our area with TH-cam.
It did not dig in, so to speak, it stayed above the sand and kept moving. I was worried before I first went there that the weight would be a problem, but it really wasn't. It was a bit heavy at times, but very minor, and the power more than compensated for that and gets you going.
Whats the battery life like on soft sand?
Hi Mark. I loved your input on what settings to used on sand, I am planning to take my R1T truck to Pismo Beach next year, I want to bring a trailer inside the dunes it is possible if you test what’s like to drive to the dunes with a trailer hook up to the truck? I would be very interested on what happens.
Thanks
Gerald
Gerald, what kind of trailer is it?
That is a burly, beautiful truck.
It is. Thank you.
Great post! Where did you end up charging after your dunes outing? Pismo or somewhere close?
At our hotel in Pismo. We stayed at "Inn at the Pier" and they have an onsite charger. We almost always stay at hotels now that have them.
Thanks for the video! I was just wondering the color of your R1T..what color did you pick?
That is "Launch Green".
Great video. What brand of recovery gear did you buy?
For recovery boards, I went with a cheap brand on Amazon, only $60, called STEGODON. The decision was made for me simply due to shipping speed, I needed something in 2 days time. If not for that, I probably would have gotten the MaxTrax. We'll see how they hold up. I demonstrate using them in my first Pismo video, called "Soft Sand Driving". Check that out if you havent already.
@@marksevlife saw them and they seemed to work just fine. Wondering about the rope and receiver hitch.
hi
its possible for you to send me all that need for dune trip
if you watch the two videos I did in Pismo, together they show all you need. And they both have the table of contents in the Description, so you can click right into those sections.
Have you tried rally mode? I heard it allows more tire spin and is actually a little better for drifting like this.
I have not, but when edited this video I was thinking "i should have tried Rally mode!'
rally mode has less tire spin then drift, it allows the driver to reach high rates of speed off road conditions. I like to use it when i'm jamming down the forest trails. Rally mode doesn't fish tail like drift does.
Sand mode is designed specifically for preventing the truck from getting stuck in deep soft sand traps, thats why the ride height is set to high, because the truck is likely sunk into the sand. It also turns regen braking down. in sand you want to get the tires spinning fast to paddle through the sand and keep forward momentum. i think sand mode does have a speed limit. That sand was probably too firm for the sand mode to be full appreciated. TBH for most off roading, all terrain is fine, just turn off traction control if you want tire spin.
You should combine this video with this one, th-cam.com/video/z-0bF_EoMiI/w-d-xo.html. I think they would go well together.
Thanks JS, appreciate the input and the comments. Yes this is basically "part deux" of my Pismo videos! In the ending "cards" of my first video, I'll be sure to add a link to this one. Thanks!
2.7x heavier than my car.
Dude send those overpriced tire deflators back. You can find the same ones on Ebay for $10, probably Amazon too. They are just basic brass relief valves. You overpaid for a name & a bag
Oh well, they're now used and a sunk cost. Thanks for the tip for others though.