A Tesla Cybertruck owner from Rigby, Idaho, shared his experiences using the vehicle for three hunting trips in central Idaho, where its 300-mile range dropped to about 120 miles while towing a trailer through mountainous terrain. He relied on a Harbor Freight generator to add limited range and successfully harvested one deer and two elk. The owner described the trips as 'just barely' successful due to charging limitations and cold weather impacts.
Steve, a Cybertruck owner from Rigby, Idaho, used the electric pickup for three hunting trips in central Idaho near Mt. Borah and Arco during the fall season. He towed a homebuilt cargo trailer for camping and gear, hauling back one deer and two elk. The vehicle's advertised 300-mile range reduced to about 120 miles when pulling the trailer and ascending elevations, compounded by cold nights that drained an additional 15 miles overnight.
The journey involved driving 85 miles to a remote 125 kW charging station, a government-funded infrastructure point in the middle of nowhere, where Steve stopped for 60-75 minutes to reach 100% charge. From there, it was another 50 miles on paved roads before turning onto 1-2 hours of slow, rocky, unpaved terrain. To manage range anxiety in this off-grid area, he brought a 4,750-watt Harbor Freight inverter generator on each trip. With about 23 amps of usable output, it added 5-6 miles of range per hour of operation. In evenings, he ran it for a couple of hours to offset battery drain, and for 3-4 hours in the mornings while packing up, arriving back at the charger with 10-15 miles remaining.
Steve praised the truck's performance on nasty terrain, including air suspension that allowed raising the vehicle even with the trailer attached by digitally disconnecting it to avoid dips. He also slept one night in the bed with the cover cracked open during a September trip, finding it doable despite the cold. However, he criticized the glass roof for reflecting interior views rather than enhancing mountain vistas and nearly being damaged by a gun barrel; the lack of grab handles, which made off-roading uncomfortable for passengers; and the need to carry a spare tire, jack, and tools, which took up bed space. He would forgo features like the glass roof and four-wheel steering to save $1,000-$2,000 each and reduce potential repair costs.
Overall, after nearly a year of ownership and these hunts, Steve loves the driving experience, technology, and space but remains open to a redesign with a larger battery. 'Overall, it worked. But just barely,' he reflected, highlighting real-world challenges for electric trucks in remote hunting scenarios.