About this event
Saturday, December 14, 2024
PCA-SDR Off-road Tour
Sponsored by:
Join the Porsche Club of America San Diego Region to enjoy a half day of off-road driving just outside of Ramona, CA, followed by a no-host lunch in Ramona following the drive. This event lets you learn and experience the capable off-road abilities of your Cayenne or Macan while enjoying the beautiful back country scenery of San Diego.
The event will have about 2 hours of off-road driving, and required equipment includes a mechanically reliable Cayenne or Macan with all-season tires at a minimum. The purpose of this event is to permit any well maintained Cayenne or Macan to participate without needing any special off-road equipment or preparation. And off-road driving experience is not necessary, either!
The plan is to enjoy your Cayenne or Macan on a route that results in a very dusty and possibly muddy Porsche SUV, where a healthy car wash session or complete detail from the event sponsor One of One, should be all that is needed to return your ride to its garage queen status. This is not an event designed to beat up and/or break your beloved Porsche; it's designed to safely let you experience its capabilities without harming its daily driver and family hauler dependability. The vegetation tends to encroach on the trail - see the pictures below for examples of the trail conditions we may see. If there has been no rains leading up to the event, there should not be any water crossings to do. But there is a good chance that small branches can rub the sides of your vehicle!
The event is rain or shine, but if heavy rains have been occurring in the days leading up to the event, the trails will get muddy and slippery and may limit passage of Macans and possibly Cayennes which have limited ground clearance and street/road focused tires and wheels. The morning meeting time and location in Ramona will usually be around 8AM, with the drive beginning around 9AM. The route specifics will be provided the evening before the event due to trail conditions and possible closures. Please register for the event as soon as possible, since attendance will be limited, and the week prior to the event date you'll receive further information via email about car preparation. If you have any concerns about the event and/or your Porsche SUV, please contact the event organizer to discuss.
Event requirements
WHO is this event for?
This event is limited to Porsche Cayennes or Macans, with no mechanical issues, be equipped with at least all-season tires, and a careful driver.
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 big rock, so check your tires, and regardless of the tires you have, plan to drive carefully. Tire inflation at the lower "partial load" setting is recommended, as airing down to a setting lower than "partial load" should not be necessary for this drive. Low-profile summer street type tires and wheels 21" or larger in diameter have a higher risk of punctures, and/or expensive wheel damage.
Off-road driving experience is not necessary as the purpose of this event is to give new drivers the ability learn the off-road features of their Porsche SUVs, and actually use them. On-the-fly tips will be given during the drive making this a great venue to familiarize yourself with your Porsche SUV as well as its traction control capabilities that the Porsche engineers have proudly implemented. Overall the trails should be handled by any version of Cayenne or Macan that is carefully driven with tires that have decent tread remaining, minimally set to partial load pressures.
The driver should have a working knowledge of the Off-road programming features specified on their vehicle. 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 so you have a basic understanding of these functions, and please email the event organizer and ask any questions you might have.
FRS Radios will be used during the drive to give recommendations regarding which driving modes to try and when to try them, so you can experience the exciting functions the Porsche SUVs possess.
So you are not sitting on a distant dirt road wondering how to get home, a well-maintained vehicle is essential. These are complicated machines so do not show up with a vehicle with known systems issues. PCA National requires performing a self-inspection of your Cayenne or Macan prior to the event to help assure its readiness: please download the Self-Inspection Checklist here. Regarding the form, this event is NOT considered a CAT 3 event.
If you are wondering about whether you, or your SUV is up to the adventure, come to one of our Club's SUVs-n-Donuts events to ask questions as well!
Below is a list of the main things to check before showing up:
- Tires in good condition with tire pressures set to the lower partial load setting. Make sure valve stem caps are installed, and if you have a full-sized spare, bring it, as the collapsible spare is not off-road capable. If you have non-factory sized tires, ensure you have a spare tire that fits your vehicle!
- 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 that may significantly angle the vehicle, remove or restrain all loose items inside and outside.
This is a special kind of PCA SDR event since the whole family can come along for the drive. All adults in a vehicle 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 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. PCA requires that both parents need to sign the waiver for any minors in attendance.