DEFLATE TIRES FOR BEACH DRIVES?

[CharonPDX]

The OP is the same guy who rage quit Rivians about two months ago. Take his complaints with a grain of salt.
https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...ruined-vacations-a-120k-safety-failure.53310/

Oh yeah, the LLM-written rant.

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[raylepper]

Didn't we use to call that RTFM?

 

[Morgan J]

Uhhhh? Where does Riv state not to air down?

This is from the owners guide.

Thank you for this. I called support and they said the vehicle was designed to not need air pressure reduced for soft sand -- that is why it has that mode. I'm glad this is in the manual and will do this now. Funny note -- using KickTurn digs you in further... not sure how to use it in soft sand, but will try with air pressure reduced. It works on a large dirt area, but we don't have many of those -- we have tons of beach to explore, as long as we can do it safely.

 

[Nixapatfan]

Thank you for this. I called support and they said the vehicle was designed to not need air pressure reduced for soft sand -- that is why it has that mode. I'm glad this is in the manual and will do this now. Funny note -- using KickTurn digs you in further... not sure how to use it in soft sand, but will try with air pressure reduced. It works on a large dirt area, but we don't have many of those -- we have tons of beach to explore, as long as we can do it safely.

You probably should look into taking some sort of off roading course to get a basic understanding of physics before you break things or worse.

Kick turn relies on wheels spinning in place to make it turn. Spinning wheels in place in sand, snow or mud will make you sink.

 

[bryanmtl]

On 20" tires and very soft sand, I'd go closer to 20 or 25.

 

[Rivianero]

Yeah, I have no idea what the OP was talking about. We drive out R1T with OEM 21s on the beach every other weekend.

Never been stuck. Never deflated the tires. We do carry recovery boards, auto deflators, a shovel and tow strap just in case. Just throw it into soft sand mode and it does great.

Have pulled a half dozen other vehicles out that were stuck in the sand.

Those must be some beaches made from powdered sugar rather than sand.

 

[R1TCntrlMaIzzy]

Yeah, I have no idea what the OP was talking about. We drive out R1T with OEM 21s on the beach every other weekend.

Never been stuck. Never deflated the tires. We do carry recovery boards, auto deflators, a shovel and tow strap just in case. Just throw it into soft sand mode and it does great.

Have pulled a half dozen other vehicles out that were stuck in the sand.

Those must be some beaches made from powdered sugar rather than sand.

What?? Your post agrees with the OP, since you, “Never deflated the tires.”

I will listen to those that are more experienced, like the park rangers that require me to deflate. And for some odd reason the owners guide for my T.

In the end you decide how much risk you are willing to take and the time you may need when stuck.

 

[Bob R1T]

Depends on how soft the sand is but yes you want to deflate on sand. 22's don't have enough sidewall to make a lot of difference so if you have 22's might be better to get smaller wheels. No you don't want to be driving around town with deflated tires a pothole will cause a puncture due to the weight of the truck.

EV tires have stiff sidewalls, so deflating is of limited use. We used to drive old school 50's Buicks & Olds on split rims and crap tires at 8 lbs. These heavy tanks never got stuck, due to the wide tire stance. Of course we lost a few to quicksand at the waterline. Good luck! Rely on the computer to dumb down the torque and take it easy. Don't drive like a 4 wheel drive SUV owner.

 

[Time2Roll]

Thank you for this. I called support and they said the vehicle was designed to not need air pressure reduced for soft sand -- that is why it has that mode. I'm glad this is in the manual and will do this now. Funny note -- using KickTurn digs you in further... not sure how to use it in soft sand, but will try with air pressure reduced. It works on a large dirt area, but we don't have many of those -- we have tons of beach to explore, as long as we can do it safely.

Above it clearly says no sharp turns and keep your momentum. A 4WD course will explain same.
This advice would specifically exclude kick turn by definition.

 

[Zoidz]

EV tires have stiff sidewalls, so deflating is of limited use.

This may be the most hilarious thing I have read online today. Thanks for the laugh!

 

[Time2Roll]

This may be the most hilarious thing I have read online today. Thanks for the laugh!

I fine some truth in it with my F150 with E rated LT tires. Pressure has to be extra low for them to squat as much as a P rated tire. Go too low and the bead can be lost.

 

[Zoidz]

I fine some truth in it with my F150 with E rated LT tires. Pressure has to be extra low for them to squat as much as a P rated tire. Go too low and the bead can be lost.

OK, I agree with the bead concern - that's why Rivian has specific recommendations. Also, you don't need them to squat as much as a P rated tire for deflation to be effective. A significant part of the deflation benefit is that it allows the tread face to flex and conform to the surface and ride over as opposed to "slicing" through the sand. I have tried various pressures from normal down to 30 psi in sand. It does make a significant difference.

 

[mkhuffman]

 

[Zoidz]

PSA - Keep in mind that the common 15 to 18 psi recommendation is for tires with a normal pressure of 30 - 35 psi. Follow Rivian's guidelines for air down pressure.

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