Cape Point in October is a truck beach. The sand is deep, the drive in from Ramp 44 is long, and the gear that comes with a serious surf-fishing trip — rods, spikes, a cooler of bait, a cart — does not belong on the back seat of a family SUV. Beach4x4 now rents two full-size 4WD pickups built for exactly that trip: a Ram 1500 Rebel and a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss, both with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit already on the windshield and the recovery gear in the bed.
The Trucks
Ram 1500 Rebel
The Rebel is Ram’s factory off-road trim: lifted suspension, all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential from the factory, with a real low-range transfer case underneath. Air it down at the ramp and it walks through the soft stuff south of Ramp 44 without drama. Full-size bed for the rods and the cooler, full-size cab for the crew.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss
The Trail Boss is Chevrolet’s answer to the Rebel: a factory-lifted Silverado on all-terrain tires with a locking rear differential and the Z71 off-road suspension. Same idea, same job — a big, comfortable truck that was built to leave the pavement, with a bed that swallows wet gear and sand without ruining anything.
Both trucks rent for the same flat rate as every other vehicle in the fleet. There is no truck upcharge, no pet fee, and no permit line to stand in.
Where the Truck Takes You
- Cape Point (Buxton). Ramp 43 or Ramp 44 into Cape Hatteras National Seashore, then the long run south to the Point where the Labrador Current meets the Gulf Stream. This is the trip most of our truck renters are making.
- The Tri-Villages and Avon ramps. Wide, open ORV beaches on the north end of the Seashore, closer to the Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo and Avon rentals.
- Frisco and Hatteras Village. Quieter sand at the south end, an easy drive from the Frisco campgrounds and the ferry terminal.
- Ocracoke. Roll the truck onto the free Hatteras–Ocracoke car ferry — the Cape Hatteras ORV permit covers Ocracoke too. South Point is the well-known spot; the north-end ramps see a fraction of the traffic.
- Oregon Inlet and Bodie Island. Ramps 2 and 4 are the closest Seashore beach to our Kill Devil Hills shop for a quick day.
Our surf fishing 4x4 guide covers the ramps, the tides and what is biting by season. The Hatteras rental page covers the island itself.
The Fall Drum Run and the Off-Season
The trip people plan a year around is the fall red drum run — big drum at Cape Point on cut bait from October into early December, with striped bass arriving as the water cools. The permit on the truck covers night driving on the designated ORV routes from November 16 through April 30, which matters because the drum bite is largely a night and early-morning bite. From October 15 the seasonal ORV routes in front of the villages reopen as well, so there is more beach to drive in the fall and winter than in July. Bird and turtle closures still move through the year; the Park Service posts current access and it is worth a look the morning you go.
What Comes With Every Truck
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit, pre-installed on the windshield
- Currituck County beach parking permit as well, if the trip runs north to Carova
- Air-down walkthrough at pickup, with a tire gauge and portable air compressor in the truck
- Recovery gear: jack, jack support board, shovel and tow strap
- Free parking for your own vehicle at our Kill Devil Hills lot for the whole rental
- Dogs ride free — no pet fees, all sizes
Pricing
Same flat pricing as the rest of the fleet: $1,338 for a full week, $202.50 per day for three to six days, $225 per day for two days, and $325 for a single day. The price includes the permits, the gear and the parking. Full details are on our pricing page.
How to Book a Truck
Reserve online through our booking page for two days or more. One-day rentals run 7 AM to 8 PM and use a separate request form that opens two days before your pickup date. We are open seven days a week, 7 AM to 8 PM, year-round, at 2101 Colington Road in Kill Devil Hills — on your way down Route 12, about an hour and a half to two hours north of the Hatteras ramps. October weeks fill up first, so if the drum run is the goal, book the truck before you book the bait.