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Question is how much time I'd need to charge at the Vernon RV park? If I can only charge about 25 RM/hour at the RV park, I may do just as well going through OK City on the interstates.
Oy, quite the journey! Glad you survived, sorry it was so painful. Sounds like you coulda used those snow socks on your feet!I've delayed posting on my trip from Dallas to Crested Butte (It's taken this long to get over the trauma, lol)
My plan was to drive from Dallas to Ardmore to Childress to Dumas (where I'd charge overnight at the Hampton Inn), then to Trinidad. I took Reddy's counsel that Ardmore to Childress would be less problematic than Denton to Childress and was glad I did, The weather conditions were quite bad for EV battery range: it was about 10=15 degrees plus a strong North wind throughout the time I was in Texas (1st day and a half), and with blowing snow part of the second day.
I had to spend an hour in Ardmore to fill up at the supercharger. It may have been more efficient to have driven slower to Ardmore and spend less time filling up, but I was just starting out and didn't know any better. Anyway I ate at the restaurant where the supercharger was, Classic Interurban Grill. The service was great and the food probably could have been worse,
I made Ardmore to Childress but not without serious range anxiety. Had to keep the cruise control set mostly between 55 and 61. I drove without heat as much as possible (in 15 degree weather!), may have drafted behind a truck for a while, and made it to Childress with 5% of the battery left (which is about 10 RM I guess). I had to charge about 70 minutes in Childress. (The computer said I could get away with 20 minutes less charging but given the weather conditions and my experience thus far, I wanted to play it as safe as possible.
When I plugged Dumas in as my next destination, the computer predicted I'd get there with about 7% of the battery as I recall. I considered going out of my way to hit the Amarillo supercharger instead of routing around Amarillo and going directly to Dumas. But as I drove--again 15-20 mph below the speed limit, heat mostly off, drafting behind trucks more than before--the remaining battery prediction held steady or got marginally better. And it was already way later than I'd expected and a huge blizzard was moving into the Panhandle. So I went straight to Dumas and arrived with the predicted 7% or about 14RM left.
It was snowing pretty hard by the time I checked into the Hampton Inn around 9:30 pm. After I settled in, I checked my app and saw my car was only charging about 13 mph and at that rate would need to stay plugged in at the hotel until noon the next day. I went outside and sure enough, a Model 3 had arrived after me and had plugged into the same charging station as me, instead of using an available one that would not be shared. So I moved my car to the other station which was not easy because the parking lot by now was covered in so much ice and snow that I nearly got stuck trying to move my car. Fortunately the charge rate doubled after I located to the empty station so I got my full charge overnight.
The second day was the worst. I avoided leaving the Hampton until 9:30 or so to be sure the roads were cleared. Snow was still coming down and there was ice on the sides of the road. I set the cruise at 55 mph. The computer predicted I could reach Trinidad with 5% battery at first, but moved down a percent or two on my way to Dalhart. I decided to stop at the public Dalhart RV Park Reddy had mentioned and even given me directions to in a post. But instead of reading his directions carefully, I navigated to "Dalhart RV Park." Bad mistake. I was directed to a private park several miles from where I should have turned off for the public one. I wasted 15-20 minutes there trying to get a charging station to work before figuring out I was at the wrong place. It is a private RV park with no one onsite.
So I got back on the road planning to charge in Clayton at Coyote Keeth's which was mentioned favorably as having 50 volt chargers for a $10 usage fee. Just to be sure, I called them on my way. I was told the fee was $15, and just put the money in the envelope and plug in. But Coyote Keeth's was a fiasco. After I paid my $15 and plugged into an empty charger, I was getting no more than 10 RM per hour. Plus my dash gave me an error message stating my charging cable was unlatched and to fully insert cable into the car. WTF? The cable was inserted properly and locked in. I moved to another station, same result. I called Tesla and after a long time on hold reached a rep who had me try several ineffective troubleshooting ideas. Basically she had no idea what was going on and reminded me that Tesla wasn't responsible for 3rd party chargers. I called the Coyote Keeth woman again who could only tell me that different EV cars charged at different rates. All in all I wasted between 30-60 minutes before moving on.
I should note that my feet got so cold both days that I needed to alternately take one shoe off and massage my toes to get feeling back in them. Turning the heat up full blast on my feet wasn't enough. Ah, the joy of a road trip in a luxury vehicle.
By now, the computer told me to slow to under 50 mph and I could make Trinidad with 3% battery left. I used the PlugShare app to locate my next option, Capulin Camp & RV Park. That place was closed for the winter apparently. No one around. So I consulted PlugShare again and proceeded to the Raton KOA.
Bingo! Great place. The couple who ran the place were great. The gentleman actually walked me over to the station and plugged me in, and the lady gave me tea and a comfortable room in which to wait (their internet didn't work though). Their 50v station worked properly and charged me at 24RM/hr. Charged for an hour and a half. I didn't know how much battery Raton Pass would drain and again I didn't want to take any chances. I'd stopped at McDonald's on way into Raton and ate my lunch at the KOA. There are better dining options across from the KOA, fyi. I highly recommend Raton KOA.
By then the storm had passed and there was even some sunshine though temps were still in the mid-teens. Raton Pass was a breeze. I charged over an hour in Trinidad Again, the computer said I could reach the next supercharger in Poncha Springs with less charging but I didn't want to chance it. By the time I left Trinidad it was 5:45 pm and I still had to cross Monarch. The trip to Poncha Springs was mostly uneventful (except for a small stretch of road that was completely covered in ice and snow to connect me from I 25 to Hwy 69 just past Walsenberg).
The Poncha Springs supercharger is not connected to or near any restaurant, convenience store, etc., so I sat in the car while charging another hour or so and then backtracked to Salida and checked into a motel for the night. By then it was after 10 pm. Luckily for me I hit Monarch in between two major storms and the pass was sunny and clear when I crossed it and drove on to Crested Butte the next morning. Very glad I did not need to use the "snow socks" I'd purchased in case chains or equivalent were required to cross Monarch. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RWU7QK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Been here over 2 weeks. Great snow and great skiing and the temps have warmed so I expect a much easier journey back to Dallas when I leave (unless another major storm hits, of course). Thanks again to Reddy and others who contributed to this thread. Praying for installation of superchargers in Wichita Falls and Clayton (and warmer weather) before I do this again.
If there's a lesson to be learned, I would take it as: don't skip any Superchargers in that kind of adverse weather. You need to make that Amarillo SC on the way back.
Um, Hampton Inn won't let you just pull in and charge for a few minutes.. The DC is for paying guests only.I don't really regret skipping Amarillo SC and don't plan to stop there on my way to Childress from Dumas (after charging full up at the Hampton Inn). The computer's prediction that I could make it with at least 7% remaining battery was accurate even in the most adverse conditions, so I should be fine going from Dumas to Childress which is only 160 miles. (OTOH, if I did stop in Amarillo, I could have driven faster and with heat; heat hopefully won't be an issue on the return).
My issue on the return is whether I might fill completely in Childress, skip Ardmore and go directly to Denton (208 miles). I think I'll start out with that as the plan and see how the computer is acting when I get to the cutoff I'd take for Ardmore, just past Vernon. Also, per PlugShare as of 6 days ago, the Vernon Hampton Inn destination charger is working so I could charge 30-60 minutes there or at the Rocking A and still come out ahead vs.the detour to Amarillo. And there are also a couple of other RV park charging options in Wichita Falls and Bowie I plan to scope out before leaving to be sure they're still viable.
Um, Hampton Inn won't let you just pull in and charge for a few minutes.. The DC is for paying guests only
Recent PlugShare post says non-guests can use it for $10. I'll call ahead to the various options beforehand to see which ones are viable.
As a warning to those also looking to charge at RV parks, the 30A is a NEMA TT-30 receptacle not a 10-30 or 14-30. Be sure you have the correct adapters if you want to use it. For TT-30, you'll have to find a 3rd party one because Tesla doesn't currently offer them.Each charging stand has your choice of 110 V, 30 amp, or 50 amp (14-50) plugs
Also realize your charge rate will only be about twice that of a regular 120v wall outlet.As a warning to those also looking to charge at RV parks, the 30A is a NEMA TT-30 receptacle not a 10-30 or 14-30. Be sure you have the correct adapters if you want to use it. For TT-30, you'll have to find a 3rd party one because Tesla doesn't currently offer them.
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/supercharger-clayton-nmAnyone has any idea on the status of the Clayton SC?
Yeah, the TT-30 is 120V/30A.Also realize your charge rate will only be about twice that of a regular 120v wall outlet.