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Racerx22b
@unplggdd on Instagram
Was back at Tesla today for an unrelated item. While there, I had them inspect my "accessory hitch" to determine if it is the real Tow Pkg or just the accessory hitch. Good news! I have the full tow pkg. He put in a request to have the towing software sent to my vehicle OTA. Fingers crossed that is going to work.
They also ordered the trailer wiring harness adaptor thing as it was missing when I took delivery. Does anyone have a pic of this harness?
The only question remaining is how much can you carry using the hitch without a trailer. The service manager was going to discuss with engineering to figure out.
Jason
They also ordered the trailer wiring harness adaptor thing as it was missing when I took delivery. Does anyone have a pic of this harness?
The only question remaining is how much can you carry using the hitch without a trailer. The service manager was going to discuss with engineering to figure out.
Jason
Yinn
Active Member
stillageek
Member
Yinn
Active Member
I did some testing tonight using a one person Bluetooth trailer tester:
Model X 75D
Build Date: 9/16
Build Sheet: Accessory Hitch
Location: USA
Picture of the bumper cover:
Picture of the hitch:
Hitch tag: Max tongue weight 500lbs
Dash Recognition: Yellow trailer shows up. (Ignore the frunk warning, I was parked and had it opened)
Confirmed all lights work and wiring harness is functional:
I checked every screen, and did not have any additional options for towing. None of my existing settings changed either.
I will try to request the OTA update on my next service trip.
Model X 75D
Build Date: 9/16
Build Sheet: Accessory Hitch
Location: USA
Picture of the bumper cover:
Picture of the hitch:
Hitch tag: Max tongue weight 500lbs
Dash Recognition: Yellow trailer shows up. (Ignore the frunk warning, I was parked and had it opened)
Confirmed all lights work and wiring harness is functional:
I checked every screen, and did not have any additional options for towing. None of my existing settings changed either.
I will try to request the OTA update on my next service trip.
Attachments
Racerx22b
@unplggdd on Instagram
Racerx22b
@unplggdd on Instagram
I did some testing tonight using a one person Bluetooth trailer tester:
Model X 75D
Build Date: 9/16
Build Sheet: Accessory Hitch
Location: USA
Picture of the bumper cover:
Picture of the hitch:
Hitch tag: Max tongue weight 500lbs
Dash Recognition: Yellow trailer shows up. (Ignore the frunk warning, I was parked and had it opened)
Confirmed all lights work and wiring harness is functional:
I checked every screen, and did not have any additional options for towing. None of my existing settings changed either.
I will try to request the OTA update on my next service trip.
Did you get a carrying case for your trailer hitch?
stillageek
Member
Same for us. I'll hit up the SC at some point for the software update. Ours is 2017 60D built in February 2017
Yinn
Active Member
Yup. Rectangular lunch box looking case with a lot of foam inside. You can see it in the hitch picture, it's still in the case.
Great stuff.
I think the big unanswered question is do accessory hitch MX's, with the 2" bosal receiver, have the reinforced bumper necessary for the higher tow rating?
Short of removing the bumper cover I haven't seen anyone mention how to determine this.
There is no reinforcement in the bumper. The hitch connector is attached to a bar. That bar spans the inside of the bumper and has 8 bolts that bolt into recessed sections on the back of the X. Four bolts on each side. Those holes are standard on the X body, so the only difference would be, potentially, a different bar that spans that distance. Considering that Bosal makes these specifically for Tesla, I find it hard to believe there is more than one version of this bar.
Racerx22b
@unplggdd on Instagram
The service center just looked under my car and confirmed I had the full tow pkg. Either that or they know what ohmman said... All MXs have the full tow pkg and a second less beefy Bosal tow bar never existed.
Jason
Jason
As @MP3Mike noted above, Bosal has a different view on this. I also initially thought that tongue weight and carrying weight would be the same, but I realize that's not the case. I have done a lot of tongue weight analysis in the weight distribution thread. This is a similar situation. The tongue weight rating on the Bosal hitch is for a point load no more than 8" horizontally from the hitch pin. As soon as you start going out farther than 8", you're adding a linearly greater moment force upon the receiver.
The hitch pin is actually about 5.5" from the connection point on the X. So at 8", you can point load 500#. At 21.5" from the hitch pin, you could point load 250#. At 36", 187.5#, etc. The easy formula is 6750 in-lb / (distance in inches from pin) = available point load.
Now, loads are distributed. You're unlikely to put a bike rack on, then stack all of the bikes as far from the receiver as possible. But you see how the rating drops quickly as you increase the distance from the receiver.
Sorry for the post flood, but I ran across this image I found a while back of the Bosal bar bolted to the X. Low quality, but you can see that it is mounted to predetermined spots on the vehicle. This is worth remembering when considering any potential for a difference between an "accessory" hitch and the full package.
Yinn
Active Member
So I was going along this assumption as well, but I think Post #109 on Page#6 changes this. Based on the picture, there is very clearly Tesla branding on the bar with a part number of 1027584-00-A / 0111.0112.001. It looks to be a european class A50-X bar with Bosal Type E519. Using their European Approval sheet (http://www.catalogue.bosal.com/pdf/prelim/pp_tow_eu_en.pdf) shows that the S rating is the tongue weight or vertical weight rating of 90kb = ~200lbs, significantly less than the 500lbs on some of the US bars shown here under part # 1027582-00-A / hitch part # 1027581-00-D.
I know the US crash tests are different from many EU ones. With the bar, this essentially replaces the bumper as a reinforcement bar and would have an impact on crash safety. I wonder if there was originally 2 bars from Bosal, but one did not pass resulting in them going with the 2" all around. Either way, I think that post shows that another part # does exist with different ratings, so we can't say universally all X's have the same bar.
But the good news is that based on the catalog, it seems the important things are what the bar has stated as the weight limits. The only sections that take into account vehicle weight limits is the actual vehicle towing capacity.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that part number (1027584-00-A) appears to be from the swan neck insert, not the bar. A50-X is a towball specification from what I can tell. My response to that post was what I continue to believe, which is that the swan neck has limitations that are tighter than the tow bar specification.
I cannot tell where that third picture was taken, but you're right that it shows an S rating of 90kg. If that bar shipped with the swan neck attachment, it could be based on that limitation.
I concur that there is still some ambiguity here. Shame on Tesla for not being more clear. But more specifically, if one is able to insert a 2" receiver fitting into a tow bar that only supports 90kg of vertical load, shame on Bosal for making those receiver/swan neck fittings interchangeable.
OzSimon
Member
Guys, the photo with the A50x is the bar across the rear of the car, under the plastic bumper. Tesla did tell me we Aussies got the euro tow kit. According to the instructions on how to decipher a tow bar part number on Bosal web site, this bar is not certified. However my SC told me yesterday it will be sorted when my car goes in for repair in two weeks...we shall see.
Yes the lower limits had me confused as well, there are obviously 2 set ups using Bosal equipment, and the ski/bike rack receiver they called a accessory hitch never made it out the factory door.
Yinn
Active Member
That's correct. From what I understand the tow bar (a A50-X) is the class of bar indicating a fit for a 50mm ball. There were a number of A50-X bars available on eBay UK that were from other manufacturers fitting multiple cars.
Best I can tell, the "Type" is the bar product number. One of the Bosal catalog and support site I did find an input for the Type to select the bar. There were a number of Type E5xx bars but not the 519.
Oz, is there a Tesla sticker anywhere on the bar itself? I'm curious to see if the lower tongue rating is because of the swan hitch as per ohm.
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