Big trip coming up - with a big trailer

[pdk42]

Maybe I'm mad... but next Mon I'm taking my glider (9m long trailer weighing ca 1000kg) to Bruschal in Germany. Here's the combo:

Based on a previous trip (Towing experiences with the Model 3) where I got 373Wh/mi when towing, I've dialled in 400Wh/mi on ABRP and it's come up with this:

So, five stops. Not too bad, but the problem is I'll have to hitch and unhitch each time. Not a huge PITA - unless it's honking it down!

I reckon if I can manage this, then I'll truly be a real EV convert.

Wish me luck!

 

[SirRob]

Isn't the car only rated for a 900kg trailer?

Re-charging every 90 or so minutes does look pretty tedious, though - but I wish you the best of luck.

 

[pdk42]

Isn't the car only rated for a 900kg trailer?

It's probably only about 900kg TBH. In any case, limit on M3 is 950kg.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Some superchargers have stalls positioned especially for cars with trailers - common in Norway / Netherlands I think.

 

[CMc1]

Good luck. Keep us updated with a little blog please

 

[ACarneiro]

The hitching/unhitching before every SuC session is gonna be such a ball ache...
Probably worth not quite following teslafi and topping up to 90%+ at each supercharger (might be able to skip one or two stops)

 

[pdk42]

The hitching/unhitching before every SuC session is gonna be such a ball ache...
Probably worth not quite following teslafi and topping up to 90%+ at each supercharger (might be able to skip one or two stops)

Yeah - I was thinking that too.

 

[Avendit]

Maybe I'm mad... but next Mon I'm taking my glider (9m long trailer weighing ca 1000kg) to Bruschal in Germany. Here's the combo:

View attachment 494510

Based on a previous trip (Towing experiences with the Model 3) where I got 373Wh/mi when towing, I've dialled in 400Wh/mi on ABRP and it's come up with this:

View attachment 494511

So, five stops. Not too bad, but the problem is I'll have to hitch and unhitch each time. Not a huge PITA - unless it's honking it down!

I reckon if I can manage this, then I'll truly be a real EV convert.

Wish me luck!

Good luck! Did your planning including limiting top speed too? This may offset some of your losses? My boat tows quite happily at and above the limit, but it's half the length and a quarter the weight of your glider, so where I might still go quite quick I imagine you need to stick to the limits when towing?

 

[tess19]

The hitching/unhitching before every SuC session is gonna be such a ball ache...
Probably worth not quite following teslafi and topping up to 90%+ at each supercharger (might be able to skip one or two stops)

That is provided you can get to it. Some SuC are in hotel carpark and would not like to maneuver that glider around the car park. Hitched or unhitched. I would suggest looking on google earth/map to see if you can do it before setting off.

 

[tess19]

I remember the SuC at maidstone is at the back of a pub so good luck

 

[pdk42]

I remember the SuC at maidstone is at the back of a pub so good luck

I'll probably top up at Oxford then and go to Channel Tunnel chargers direct. Thanks!

 

[pdk42]

So, it's 7am and I'm at the chunnel terminal at Folkestone. Left in the early hours and pootled at around 50mph. Topped up at Oxford and then straight to here. 356 Wh/mi so far - about what I was expecting. Car now charging at 115kW. No drama so far with range or with unhitching. Convenient parking for the trailer close by at both Oxford and the tunnel.

Fingers crossed it keeps going like this!

 

[gangzoom]

Good luck!

 

[pdk42]

Somewhere on the M25 at 5:22. 84 minutes from Oxford. 347 Wh/mi.

At the chunnel. Supercharging at 110kW.

With the trailer.

And another glider here to keep me company. Coincidence - but they're heading to the same place. They have a Discovery as the tow car though

 

[pdk42]

Well, arrived in Bruschal without any particular problems, aside from just a lot of driving in one day.

No drama. Only slight annoyance was the Brussels supercharger (yes, there's only one) which was busy and gave poor charge rates. Other superchargers worked flawlessly and delivered 120kW or more, at least during the early charge phase.

So, I can't see any particular reason not to use a Tesla to tow a big trailer across Europe, even in the winter. Average consumption at a steady 50-55 mph was about 360-370 kWh/mi. I think that's pretty good actually.

If anyone's still awake and interested, I'll do a more structured write up of the ordeal. I learned a lot about Tesla long distance driving through it.

 

[Markblox]

Well done

 

[jimbo_hippo]

Great little piece. interesting to see a different kind of deployment.

I’ve been all over Europe in my American RVs (current one is 35ft, 12.2tonnes and 3.9mtrs high at max UK road width) so I really do get the planning and extra thought and advance planning you’ve had to put into this journey. Great that it all came together!

 

[MrBadger]

Glad you got there. Woke up thinking that you hadn't posted for a long time and hoping all was well. Hope you also get on well with the gliding event. Interesting to see a more structured writeup - real world examples are always useful I feel and give us an indication as to what to expect.

 

[Mr Miserable]

Interesting to see a more structured writeup

I had a former boss who used to write things like that!
Please don't be him.
Please.

 

[Avendit]

To resurrect this old but informative post, I'd like to add another data point for people considering towing with an M3.

I've a P- with its 500kg limit towbar, but that's fine as I only really want to use it for a bike rack and towing a dingy. I sail a Musto Skiff, which is about 5m long, and around 200kg when packed on its trailer. I did a few 100 miles over the weekend with my ABRP profile telling me I'm getting a calibration figure of 316wh/miles Vs 267 for my normal driving, a bit under a 20% penalty for towing.

But I also drive slower, which helps even it back out to actually more like a 10% impact on motorway travel.

Solid towing tool tho, the car is so heavy I certainly don't notice the boat and the boot load of junk that goes with it!