Any guesses on when the Model 3 hitch will be available in US.

[Zoomit]

Several times, once from DC to NJ and once from DC to Summit Point. Also twice for the test. It did better going to Summit Point because there is a lot of time off the highway. DC to NJ use was 400, DC to SP was 375.

Bigger spoiler on the model 3 to push the air up and away from the trailer. My goal with the cardboard was to keep the air off of the box. I also closed off the floor to keep air from coming up from underneath.

If anyone has any other ideas I'm game to try it.

400 wh/mi isn't as bad as I thought. That's only about a 33% increase over the 3P at highway speeds. I was thinking you were seeing 500-600 wh/mi, basically double the normal consumption.

I wouldn't even bother testing a big spoiler on the car. In a trailer scenario, that's used to "soften" a blunt-nosed trailer. In your case, the rounded wheels at the front of the trailer aren't that bad and they're primarily in the wake of the car anyways.

I suspect the trailer wheels are significant contributor to the drag. Having a leading and to a lesser extent trailing fairing would be helpful, but not trivial to design and attach to the trailer. I'm not aware of any that you can buy. One thing that might be easy to try would be a Moon hubcap over the wheels. Something like this: Speedway Snap-On 15 Inch Wheel Moon Cap Hubcap I can't say how much they'd help, but it wouldn't hurt.

 

[Daniel in SD]

That’s really good. I get 400wh/mi with a bike on the back of my car (at 80mph).

 

[Misterbee]

Whats the hit to your range with it? (when towing)

It really depends on what you are towing. Aerodynamics seems to matter more than weight. My teardrop is six feet wide, and six feet tall. I find that on relatively level road, at about 60 mph, I lose about 1/3 of range. Faster speeds cause a dramatic range hit, and hills have a lesser effect.

 

[Misterbee]

What causes a lot of drag? 4 wheels and a box? I’m talking about the trailer pictured not a cargo trailer.

A cargo trailer would likely be more aero than the trailer pictured. I have found that aero matters more than weight.

 

[Misterbee]

I love your teardrop trailer, it looks very kool!

I have seen on YouTube several installations of a hitch on a model S or Model 3.
It seems that the hitch would be used to install a bicycle carrier or so because they don't show any wiring.

So, would you mind describing how you did the wiring?
- Did you split the cables or use a wiring sensors kit? If so, where did you get the 12 V power from?
- What kind of plug did you use to connect your trailer, and where did you attached the socket to your car?

- What kind of lightning do you use inside the trailer?
- Do you have a battery inside the trailer or do you tap the power from your car?

I installed a Stealthitch, which can be ordered with a wiring harness. I took it to a hitch shop that was recommended by Stealthitch. He did the wiring, which he said was pretty straightforward, except for running a 12 volt wire all the way up to the 12 volt battery in the frunk.

The wiring kits provides a 4 pin connection, which will control brake lights, running lights, and turn signals on the trailer.
The trailer has a 7 pin connector, so we used an adapter to connect the 4 pin to the 7 pin. There is a battery in the trailer, which gets charged from a solar panel on the roof.

The trailer itself is fully equipped, with LED lights inside and out. It is a T@G XL, manufactured by NuCamp.

 

[Misterbee]

I *really* want to do a hitch and tent trailer or a motorcycle trailer for track days but I’m worried about the insurance implications if there’s a collision while I’m towing with a vehicle not rated for such use.

Have any of you addressed this or just hoping for the best?

Check with your insurance company. I did, and both my car and trailer are covered.

 

[chuppi]

Related question. Will the hitch receiver be available on Model S as well or just Model 3.
My needs are only to carry bikes. I have read a story about aftermarket hitch corroding the metal in the car.

 

[Fresnel]

Has anyone heard if the hitch is coming to the US?

 

[DetroitBlinky]

Does installing a hitch void the vehicles warranty?

 

[Knightshade]

Does installing a hitch void the vehicles warranty?

There's no such thing as "voiding" a new vehicle warranty other than a salvage title.

However they're not obligated to fix any damage specifically caused by aftermarket parts.

Install a hitch and screw up the suspension- that's not covered. But they'll still fix your radio if it has an unrelated issue.