Any Hesitations Taking Kids on Long Road Trips?

[ajay]

Hi MassX1317,

I'm not a road trip person by nature, but I'm married to one. We've made the near Boston to DC trip a handful of times now, and for that corridor I think it's a breeze (if a longish day) whether you take the Tappan Zee or the GWB (there's another thread about the best route through to the GWB, Merritt vs. 95, etc., that's worth checking out). We usually have to take some quick stops between superchargers (not too hard to find rest stops, but then, adults can give a lot more heads up for a stop than a little one can) and we bring snacks and lunch options.

I'd be more concerned about the age and temperament of the kids than the Tesla. Were the kids on the 5 hour trip? How did they do?

For the folks talking about car sickness: I really recommend driving like a chauffeur (gentle transitions, no sudden launches) rather than your usual style when you have kids in the car. It's not as much fun, but evidence of carsickness is really difficult to successfully clean, especially out of the rug or if you have fabric seats. You don't want that reminder every time there's a rainy day... In case of queasiness, sometimes a stop with a little fresh air and some ginger ale or a sweet snack can help. I use uncrystallized candied ginger (Trader Joe's) but I'd be surprised to find a 3 year old who'd eat it.

If you're going to be so concerned that it'll keep you from having any fun, maybe fly this time and then take a few day long road trips with the kids, see how that goes, and re-evaluate for next time?

Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[Alysashley79]

I did 1500 miles over the summer in my girl with my two kids 6 and 8 and my mom (who is anti EV) and a good 250 mile stretch of it was done without the use of supercharges. Like some of the others have suggested buy one of Teslas fix a flat and carry it with you. While it won't fix the bad stuff it will patch up w small nail leak until you could get to a tire store.

When i planned out our trip the way I looked at it was an adventure. If something truly awful happened and the worst case scenario had to be flat bedded back to tesla somewhere...ok...I could always get a round trip plane ticket from there to where I needed to be and tesla would have my girl flat bedded to them and they would take care of her for me and I could pick her up later after my trip...and then it would just be something to giggle over later....just another part of the adventure...

 

[nolngrgrsngslde]

If you take a 12 Volt air compressor and a can or two of fix-a-flat you could limp to a tire store. Tesla sells this as an accessory, or get them at an auto parts store.

That and Tesla's roadside assistance number should be good for any trip.

GSP

PS. The last time I had a flat, I used my 12 Volt air compressor to just add some air and drove to the Goodyear store for a permanent fix (patch inside of tire). No need for the goo most of the time, since leaks are usually slow.

I simply used a plug, it took all of three minutes. The tire still had air so I put the plug in without removing the wheel.

You should get a warning that you are loosing air, get out quickly and plug it. Bring a kit with you.

- - - Updated - - -

One more thing, if your spouse is not supportive don't do it. It is one thing to deal with an emergency, its another to deal with an emergency while your spouse is saying, "I told you so".

 

[MassX1317]

A lot of good advice here, thank you everyone!

-We already have the fix a flat kit. I also have a spare damaged but running fine tire (no rim), that could be used at a local tire shop until we reached a Tesla service center. I am thinking about buying a full set of rims and winter tires, maybe we could bring one of those along just in case of an emergency.

-My wife is on board. She hates to fly. As a previous poster mentioned, adding a stroller, car seats, diaper bags, extra luggage, losing one set of hands to hang on to the kids, etc., makes flying very challenging.

-We enjoy staying in hotels, eating at new places, seeing new things, etc. Not looking to get to Florida in a day or give up sleep.

The in-progress plan is:
Day 1 - Drive to NJ (3pm-9pm) (Charge in CT)
Day 2 - Drive to NC (Charge in NJ, DE and VA)
Day 3 - Drive to GA (Charge in NC, NC and SC)
Day 4 - Drive to FL (Charge in GA and FL)
Day 5-8 - Stay in FL (Working on where we will charge, trying to find a couple of hotels through PlugShare)
Day 9 - Drive to SC (Charge in FL and GA)
Day 10 - Drive to VA (Charge in SC, NC and NC)
Day 11 - Drive to MA (Charge in VA, DE, NJ, CT and RI) ....may stay over in CT depending on how we are feeling
Day 12 - Recover before going back to work on Day 13

 

[loganss]

I took a roadtrip from MD to FL with my 7 year old son and it was the most relaxing roadtrip I've ever taking. I took one of my spare tires (no rim) and put it in the frunk just in case. In other road trip I try and squeak out every little distance and stay in the car way too long. Since the Superchargers force me to take a break and stretch my legs I was a lot more relaxed. One the way back from FL I was much better at predicting how long I'd need to stay at the Supercharger before moving to the next. I gave myself a 50% extra rated mile buffer than I needed. That resulted in 10-15 minutes max needed at a Supercharger. I'm looking forward to my next roadtrip and now there's unlimited mile drivetrain warranty Woohoo!

 

[dsm363]

Thank you for the sarcasm. Good suggestions may have been to carry a spare tire in case of emergency, get the car inspected before leaving or sticking to the major highways.

We've already had to replace two tires (1 cotter pin, 1 curb). They were replaced at the service center, not a local tire shop. I don't think local tire shops would have the matching tire either.

It's not really the easiest thing to be stuck on the side of the road with a 1 and 3 year old waiting for AAA. It's not as simple as hopping in a cab when you have two car seats. I was looking for advice from people who have done it before, not snooty replies.

I think you might be over reacting here as well. Likely just meant as a lighthearted joke, not making fun of you or your question.

If you don't feel comfortable take a different car but many people have done this kind of road trip. Sure something could happen but something could happen with your older ICE too.

 

[dsm363]

Sounds like you have a good trip plan in place. Best of luck.