Tow hitches with Model 3 [discussion]

[a2t2]

So you don't think the OEM Tesla hitch is specifically designed to replace the crash bar?

Not any more so than the drawtite version. Heres the tesla hitch, tell me whats different than the drawtite ??

 

[DayTrippin]

The main reason I went with the factory bar was their will be no warranty issues and the integration with the system itself. Considering how picky Tesla is about warranty claims, I'd rather not give them any other reasons to deny a claim, no matter how specious their logic might be on it. The integration with the car itself and having the MY activate the towing mode was important, more from a liability perspective. It reduces the temptation to use AP while towing. It clearly isn't designed for towing and it would be my luck, it would do something stupid while towing and create a big mess. Also who knows if down the road they might not actually do something more worthwhile with the software to actually aid when towing. From what I understand, if I don't have the factory hitch, they won't enable the tow mode.

I don't like to throw money away but saving less than about $700 (I bought it with the car) was a no brainer for me. Not to mention, if it is from the factory, my insurance covers it. If an add-on, then I have to have a separate rider to cover any accessories. Even if I had to do it over again, and my car didn't go come with a hitch, I'd still go with the factory one. When I already have 60k in the car, another grand for the peace of mind is well worth it. My wife is an attorney and they are taught all kinds of creative ways to make sure they have an edge in litigation. Having a complete factory system is once less attack vector so to speak if it ever came to it. That is another reason we bought the MY to go with the MS. Towing with the MS would have opened up even more potential issues (at least in the USA). YMMV of course. I'll pay the small Tesla tax on this one and call it a day.

 

[DanDi58]

The main reason I went with the factory bar was their will be no warranty issues and the integration with the system itself. Considering how picky Tesla is about warranty claims, I'd rather not give them any other reasons to deny a claim, no matter how specious their logic might be on it. The integration with the car itself and having the MY activate the towing mode was important, more from a liability perspective. It reduces the temptation to use AP while towing. It clearly isn't designed for towing and it would be my luck, it would do something stupid while towing and create a big mess. Also who knows if down the road they might not actually do something more worthwhile with the software to actually aid when towing. From what I understand, if I don't have the factory hitch, they won't enable the tow mode.

I don't like to throw money away but saving less than about $700 (I bought it with the car) was a no brainer for me. Not to mention, if it is from the factory, my insurance covers it. If an add-on, then I have to have a separate rider to cover any accessories. Even if I had to do it over again, and my car didn't go come with a hitch, I'd still go with the factory one. When I already have 60k in the car, another grand for the peace of mind is well worth it. My wife is an attorney and they are taught all kinds of creative ways to make sure they have an edge in litigation. Having a complete factory system is once less attack vector so to speak if it ever came to it. That is another reason we bought the MY to go with the MS. Towing with the MS would have opened up even more potential issues (at least in the USA). YMMV of course. I'll pay the small Tesla tax on this one and call it a day.

 

[DanDi58]

Not any more so than the drawtite version. Heres the tesla hitch, tell me whats different than the drawtite ??

Don't know, I'm not an automotive engineer. But you can do whatever you want with your car. I went with what I felt was the safest, most complete option. It's costing me $16/month.

 

[a2t2]

Sounds good, multiple decent options on this. i wanted my post in there for future reference as there is alot of people looking for aftermarket options and all the info is scattered/incomplete.

 

[helpmerick]

I ordered my MY with the hitch and so far no regrets.

Are you doing any towing with your Y? We just got ours installed yesterday and hope to tow a small travel trailer. thanks!

 

[LNVT]

My Model 3 should be delivered this week (he said hopefully). Does anyone have up-to-date info on which aftermarket hitch will fit it? Stealth?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[°_VeGa_°]

Hello,

I have an M3 2020 with tow bar.
We would like to transport our electric bikes but the max load on the bar is 50kg (Tesla manual).
A classic bike rack weighs easily 15kg, plus two bikes of 27kg each (without battery) is too much ...
Anybody who has a solution?

 

[glide]

Buy a vehicle more suited for towing.

You cannot make the hitch any stronger. You could possibly make the bikes lighter if the batteries are removable. Either way you’re cutting it close. You never want to be right up to the hitch limits.

 

[eglove]

I haul around 2 ebikes with my stealth hitch and my north shore rack no problem

Haven't got around to getting a pic with both of them on

Rack has been adjusted as well so it snugs in a bit closer to the car, and trimmed a bit of the aluminum so I don't strike curbs as much

My bike is 51lbs, my gf's is 46lbs and the rack is 60lbs and the stealth hitch has a 350lb tongue weight

Suggestions for towing 2 ebikes with model 3 LR

I have a 2021 Model 3 LR and this October, the wife and I are going to drive from Georgia to Florida and I would like to take our new ebikes with us. The problem I'm encountering so far is that the bike racks I see for the M3 are either ones that hang off the trunk, to which all I can think is...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[KenC]

Hello,

I have an M3 2020 with tow bar.
We would like to transport our electric bikes but the max load on the bar is 50kg (Tesla manual).
A classic bike rack weighs easily 15kg, plus two bikes of 27kg each (without battery) is too much ...
Anybody who has a solution?

The OP is from Belgium so he's looking at the European OEM hitch. I think the difference is that the OEM drawbar is not as robust as 3rd-party solutions, so the weight rating is far lower for the OEM than for 3rd-party hitches.

I'd ask in the European forums to see what they do over there. Here you're going to just get answers about 3rd-party hitches.

 

[glide]

I haul around 2 ebikes with my stealth hitch and my north shore rack no problem

Haven't got around to getting a pic with both of them on

Rack has been adjusted as well so it snugs in a bit closer to the car, and trimmed a bit of the aluminum so I don't strike curbs as much

My bike is 51lbs, my gf's is 46lbs and the rack is 60lbs and the stealth hitch has a 350lb tongue weight

Suggestions for towing 2 ebikes with model 3 LR

I have a 2021 Model 3 LR and this October, the wife and I are going to drive from Georgia to Florida and I would like to take our new ebikes with us. The problem I'm encountering so far is that the bike racks I see for the M3 are either ones that hang off the trunk, to which all I can think is...

teslamotorsclub.com

Tongue weight is for towing. Vertical hitch weight is what you should be concerned with when hauling bikes.

The vertical hitch weight on the MY factory hitch is ~150lbs. Due to the stealth hitch design, the vertical weight is probably a bit lower.

So 51+46+60 = 157 which is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[elbenson]

Tongue weight is for towing. Vertical hitch weight is what you should be concerned with when hauling bikes.

The vertical hitch weight on the MY factory hitch is ~150lbs. Due to the stealth hitch design, the vertical weight is probably a bit lower.

So 51+46+60 = 157 which is an accident waiting to happen.

So you are saying exceeding the weight by 7 lbs is an accident waiting to happen? I promise, there is a much greater safety margin put in place on the hitch. Not saying you should throw a 250 motorcycle on a carrier on the back, but this does not appear to be significantly overloaded. If you think that is scary, you should look carefully to what folks are towing with their 1/2 ton trucks.

 

[glide]

So you are saying exceeding the weight by 7 lbs is an accident waiting to happen? I promise, there is a much greater safety margin put in place on the hitch. Not saying you should throw a 250 motorcycle on a carrier on the back, but this does not appear to be significantly overloaded. If you think that is scary, you should look carefully to what folks are towing with their 1/2 ton trucks.

Yes. I am saying that. And also, Op is exceeding the limit by significantly more than 7lbs. The stealth hitch rating is assuredly lower than 150lbs because of the design.

You should never come close to max ratings for towing. It is advisable to stay 10-15% below. So yeah…going over by any amount is unsafe.

I see what people tow with their half-ton trucks. They are idiots too. What’s your point?

 

[elbenson]

Yes. I am saying that. And also, Op is exceeding the limit by significantly more than 7lbs. The stealth hitch rating is assuredly lower than 150lbs because of the design.

You should never come close to max ratings for towing. It is advisable to stay 10-15% below. So yeah…going over by any amount is unsafe.

I see what people tow with their half-ton trucks. They are idiots too. What’s your point?

I hear that 10-15% on all the towing forms all the time with absotuly nothing to back it up. Engineers design these specs with design margin so that you can use 100% of the specified value. The stealth hitch is the same design held in by 6x large bolts with metal frame and has a rack rating of 350 lbs. Where are you getting your information or engineering analysis to back this up. Sorry, I hear this time and time again on the towing forums with no actual information to clarify why they think the margin is not correct.

Are you overloading the frame, is the bolts shear load being exceeded, welds, metal tube thickness, etc. You are posting random facts with no data to justify why your are scared.

Have you ever hauled 4 large adults + luggage in your car. If so you are most likely over your 825 payload and therefore "unsafe". Please, don't alarm people and try to use facts to help them make educated decisions.

 

[glide]

I hear that 10-15% on all the towing forms all the time with absotuly nothing to back it up. Engineers design these specs with design margin so that you can use 100% of the specified value. The stealth hitch is the same design held in by 6x large bolts with metal frame and has a rack rating of 350 lbs. Where are you getting your information or engineering analysis to back this up. Sorry, I hear this time and time again on the towing forums with no actual information to clarify why they think the margin is not correct.

Are you overloading the frame, is the bolts shear load being exceeded, welds, metal tube thickness, etc. You are posting random facts with no data to justify why your are scared.

Have you ever hauled 4 large adults + luggage in your car. If so you are most likely over your 825 payload and therefore "unsafe". Please, don't alarm people and try to use facts to help them make educated decisions.

Stealth hitch is not the same design. Especially when it comes to the downforce applied. Either you don’t know what that is or you’re ignoring that fact.

And no, I’ve never hauled 4 adults + luggage in my car. Maximum load on the S is over 1000lbs. I’m not sure how much 4 adults in your family weigh, but I’ll be just fine if I did. It’s another reason I don’t own a 3.

And your last sentence really sums it up. Don’t use facts to help people make educated decisions? Okay.

You feel free to be unsafe on the road all you like. But you sound absolutely foolish advocating for people to ignore safety protocols. Maybe you could tell OP to drive without a seatbelt too.

 

[elbenson]

Stealth hitch is not the same design. Especially when it comes to the downforce applied. Either you don’t know what that is or you’re ignoring that fact.

And no, I’ve never hauled 4 adults + luggage in my car. Maximum load on the S is over 1000lbs. I’m not sure how much 4 adults in your family weigh, but I’ll be just fine if I did. It’s another reason I don’t own a 3.

And your last sentence really sums it up. Don’t use facts to help people make educated decisions? Okay.

You feel free to be unsafe on the road all you like. But you sound absolutely foolish advocating for people to ignore safety protocols. Maybe you could tell OP to drive without a seatbelt too.

I own a stealth hitch and installed it myself. It is also rated at 350 lbs in rack mode. Please explain why you think it will not meet its rating. If you look at the Tesla site weight rating is dependent on the tire selection. The performance has 55kg rating with 2 adults and 1/2 that with 4. So all of you fear of the hitch to frame has nothing to do with the rating. See what I did. Facts. Tire choice is the limit. Air them up to max and don’t exceed your gross axle rating and you will not have problems.

You would be suprised how fast weight adds up. I know a I have a family of 6 and used to pull a 30’ trailer. Payload was always an issue and no one ever actually weights their car. If I leave one kid behind and put 5 in the car that is 550 lbs. 5 30 on suitcases and some food I am right at the limit. Way easier than you realize. Plus it is not like if you put a few extra hundred pounds in your car it will careen out of control. It will still out handle and out brake 98% of the cars on the road.

My rv plus toad comes in at 36k lbs. that is a entire different animal than a Tesla with a 100 lbs over the limit. So I ask again. What are you really worried about? Is your car going to explode and have your family fly off the cliff.

 

[glide]

I own a stealth hitch and installed it myself. It is also rated at 350 lbs in rack mode. Please explain why you think it will not meet its rating. If you look at the Tesla site weight rating is dependent on the tire selection. The performance has 55kg rating with 2 adults and 1/2 that with 4. So all of you fear of the hitch to frame has nothing to do with the rating. See what I did. Facts. Tire choice is the limit. Air them up to max and don’t exceed your gross axle rating and you will not have problems.

You would be suprised how fast weight adds up. I know a I have a family of 6 and used to pull a 30’ trailer. Payload was always an issue and no one ever actually weights their car. If I leave one kid behind and put 5 in the car that is 550 lbs. 5 30 on suitcases and some food I am right at the limit. Way easier than you realize. Plus it is not like if you put a few extra hundred pounds in your car it will careen out of control. It will still out handle and out brake 98% of the cars on the road.

My rv plus toad comes in at 36k lbs. that is a entire different animal than a Tesla with a 100 lbs over the limit. So I ask again. What are you really worried about? Is your car going to explode and have your family fly off the cliff.

You are confusing towing weight with vertical hitch weight.

The stealth hitch is absolutely not rated for 350lbs vertical.

Please understand what you are talking about before spouting off.

 

[elbenson]

Also, I am trying to ask you (and you have not replied

You are confusing towing weight with vertical hitch weight.

The stealth hitch is absolutely not rated for 350lbs vertical.

Please understand what you are talking about before spouting off.

I absolutely know what I am talking about. Go to the Stealth Hitch Website (2017-2022 Tesla Model 3) and it states the "Rack Receiver Capacity is 350lbs". Yes, I understand that vertical and torque arm physics come into play, but that is not how any tow hitches are rated. If I missed some fine print on the stealth website or my owners manual, please show me where they indicate vertical weight (or maximum torque). Vertical weight is an incomplete metric. The true metric would be torque (moment arm plus center of mass). That way you gat the correct stress on the hitch and car frame.

Once again, please help me understand exactly what you are worried about failing. You just say "margins" and "unsafe". Does the braking increase, handling decrease, tires explode. Help me understand your concerns.

Like I asked before, you say it is not rated, you can't show any documentation. Here is the official Tesla manual info that breaks apart regular and performance. They also do not indicate vertical weight, but moment arm. Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

 

[glide]

Also, I am trying to ask you (and you have not replied

I absolutely know what I am talking about. Go to the Stealth Hitch Website (2017-2022 Tesla Model 3) and it states the "Rack Receiver Capacity is 350lbs". Yes, I understand that vertical and torque arm physics come into play, but that is not how any tow hitches are rated. If I missed some fine print on the stealth website or my owners manual, please show me where they indicate vertical weight (or maximum torque). Vertical weight is an incomplete metric. The true metric would be torque (moment arm plus center of mass). That way you gat the correct stress on the hitch and car frame.

Once again, please help me understand exactly what you are worried about failing. You just say "margins" and "unsafe". Does the braking increase, handling decrease, tires explode. Help me understand your concerns.

Like I asked before, you say it is not rated, you can't show any documentation. Here is the official Tesla manual info that breaks apart regular and performance. They also do not indicate vertical weight, but moment arm. Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Show me where vertical tongue weight is advertised at 350lbs on the stealth hitch. You can’t because they don’t advertise that number. They stick with 350/3500 for towing capacity and that is all. Hitching up a bike rack is NOT TOWING.

For context, Tesla Model X factory hitches are 120lbs vertical. And they are most akin in design to the stealth hitch.

So whatever. You do you. But what you’re doing is dangerous.