About this event
PCA SDR Off-road Adventure Tour
Saturday March 9th, 2024
sponsored by:
This March, the PCA-SDR's Cayenne/Macan Off-Road Adventure Tour will head off the pavement in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park which is located about an hour and 45 minutes from Coastal San Diego. The Tour's plan is to enjoy a half day of off-road driving along a route that consists of varying terrain of mostly single car-width dirt and rock trails with some wider sand wash areas that cover a 3000' elevation change. The trails are very scenic especially in the rainy season and will mostly require very low speeds to manage tight turns, uneven surfaces, steep grades, and slippery rocks and deep dirt/sand. The best part of this event is the opportunity to share this drive with your family and friends, while learning and experiencing the very capable off-road abilities of your Cayenne.
***Due to the trail conditions from the season's weather, this event will be limited to Cayennes only.***
The event will have about 2.5 - 3 hours of off-road driving, departing our meeting point near Julian, CA, around 9:00AM. At the end of the drive, those who are interested can meet up for a no-host lunch at a local restaurant in Ramona, CA.
***The morning meeting location, and route specifics, will be provided the evening before the event***
Due to trail conditions and possible closures, the actual route might change even the day of the event, but in general you should plan for being in the Julian area around 8AM on March 9, 2024, gassed up and ready for a briefing/pre-drive meeting that starts at 8:15AM. Following a few hours of off-road driving, join others who are interested to hang out and have a no-host lunch in Ramona, CA.
The roads are a mix of rocky dirt roads, loose sand washes, narrow rutted dirt roads, with some areas where the vegetation makes the trail pretty tight. The trail requires an attentive driver to avoid obstacles that could be of harm, like protruding big rocks, deep dips, or paint-scratching twigs. If all goes favorably, at the end of the route, having a dirty Porsche SUV is expected, which a healthy car wash session should be all that is needed to return it to its garage queen status. If you want someone else to bring your Porsche back to its like-new look, or give it a make-over, hit up our event sponsor One of One in San Diego - they can help!
Event requirements
Primary requirements:
1: A gassed up Porsche Cayenne with no mechanical issues, with at least all-season tires, and a careful driver. The drive should not take more than a third of a tank of gas from start to finish. Due to the challenging terrain, this event is limited to only Porsche Cayennes.
2: Appropriate tires are one of the most important pieces of equipment for this event: All-terrain tires on smaller diameter wheels are preferred for decreased puncture risks, but good condition all-season tires on wheels up to 20-inch diameter, will be adequate. Old tires with little to no tread depth may get you stuck in the loose dirt climbing portions of this drive, or result in a flat tire if you hit a rock, so please check your tires, and regardless of the tires you have, plan to drive carefully. Low-profile summer street type tires and wheels 21" or larger in diameter have a higher risk of punctures, and/or expensive wheel damage. Despite the risk of tire damage, if you still want to try to drive your Cayenne on summer tires, or on 21" or larger wheels, come prepared with a spare tire that fits your vehicle, along with the appropriate tools your vehicle needs, to do a tire swap.
3: Off-road driving experience is not necessary as we hope to aid new drivers to help manage any situations that may be uncertain. And thanks to the Porsche off-road programming and control systems, challenging terrain can usually be passed with little effort. Overall the trails should be handled by any version of Cayenne that is carefully driven with tires that have decent tread remaining, set to the partial load pressures.
4: The driver should have a working knowledge of the Off-road programming features specified on their Cayenne. The owner's manual is the best place to familiarize yourself on the suspension settings, Off-road programming settings, and other features like Porsche Hill Control/Hill Descent - read up before the event, or email the event organizer and ask any questions you might have. Using the FRS Radios during the drive, recommendations will be given regarding which driving mode to use, and when, so you can experience these capabilities.
5: A well-maintained vehicle is essential, which includes:
- Tires in good condition with tire pressures set to the lower partial load setting; the full load setting may work, but will be less comfortable on the bumps and have a tendency to slide off or launch rocks, and would have reduced traction compared to lower pressure setting of the partial load range. Make sure valve stem caps are installed, and if you have a full-sized spare, please bring it, as the collapsible spare is not off-road capable.
- Ensure fluids are at proper levels as steep grades will angle the vehicle, and if fluids are low, it may cause issues, or warnings at a minimum.
- No known suspension or chassis control faults should exist: we will be utilizing the traction control functions of your Porsche, so properly functioning vehicle systems are necessary.
- Due to the bumpy terrain and ruts, remove or restrain all loose items inside and outside.
6: Waviers: This is a special kind of PCA SDR event since the whole family can come along for the drive. All adults in attendance, driver or not, will need to sign the paper waiver at the drivers meeting held before departing. Please note, only the main registrant needs to register for the event, but everyone in a car needs to sign the waiver the morning of the event.
If minors will be attending the event, which they are absolutely encouraged to do, a Waiver for Minors must be signed by both parents. If only one parent will be actually attending the event, download the waiver PDF, print it, and have both parents sign the waiver, and bring it to be turned in at the morning tour briefing. Both parents need to sign the waiver for any minors in attendance.
Once you register for the event, you will get a confirmation email with links to download the Self-Inspection Checklist, and a link to the Minor Waiver. Then the day prior to the event, you will get an email from the event organizer with detailed information of the meetup location, and time, as well as SUV preparation information, and driving tips to consider.