Do I need Tow Bar package if I will only use to carry bikes.

[V13MKE]

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not, My model Y did not have tow package from factory. I plan to travel with a couple of ebikes and would like to carry them on the back. I dont ever plan to tow anything (caravan, trailer etc).

Do I still need to have the full tow bar package - Quite pricey. or is there an aftermarket alternative to getting a bike rack on the back.

Thanks in advance

 

[UkNorthampton]

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not, My model Y did not have tow package from factory. I plan to travel with a couple of ebikes and would like to carry them on the back. I dont ever plan to tow anything (caravan, trailer etc).

Do I still need to have the full tow bar package - Quite pricey. or is there an aftermarket alternative to getting a bike rack on the back.

Thanks in advance

If planning to buy/resell at some point, a towbar might help resale.

Also useful for putting luggage on (streamlined, maybe easier compared to roofrack/bars).

 

[Cloggie]

A consideration is the weight of the ebikes over 'regular' bikes. Most bike racks only support a limited weight

 

[Mrklaw]

US tow package doesn't come with a ball - just the receiver. It says it can take a max vertical weight of 160 pounds - about 72kg. I'd assume the Euro spec tow hitch is the same, although that one comes with a tow ball.

The official UK spec tesla bike carrier fits the ball so assumes an official tesla tow hitch install, and says it'll take up to 54kg payload. So my guess is it must therefore weigh less than 18kg to fit under the 72kg overall limit?


to your specific question - there are third party options but I don't know if they impact tesla warranty etc. I'd assume vertical load limits are similar as they'll bolt into the same .locations as the official one

 

[V13MKE]

A consideration is the weight of the ebikes over 'regular' bikes. Most bike racks only support a limited weight

Hi, yes it would be an Ebike rack. Usually all my bikes have gone on the roof racks, but weight means that's not possible. Each bike is around 25KG.

 

[Avendit]

Legal wise on the Y you can retro fit. Model 3 if you don't get the tow package it is rated for 0kg towing, eliminating all but the most determined retrofits. Model Y should be badged to its normal limit with or without the package and you should be fine to get one fitted and then use it for whatever you want (bikes or towing).

2x ebikes + a carrier will be near the weight limit, but within it. Get a 2 bike mount that keeps their weight as close to the ball as possible to help, and make sure the total is < 72kg.

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn how to safely use your vehicle to carry accessories and tow a trailer.

www.tesla.com

 

[V13MKE]

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciated. So looks like I will need the tow package to carry the bikes. Just a shame there wasn't a cheaper option available aftermarket.

 

[Zilla91]

Can the factory fit towbar be added and removed? I'd be interested in getting it to carry bikes but I'd want it off when I'm not

 

[Avendit]

In the UK they are all hidden ball types. ie remove when not using. The 'tow bar system' (no idea what the formal name is) is a bumper spanning hunk of metal with various electrical connections that stays attached, which the ball hooks into. You just add and remove the actual ball part when needed.

nice picture:

Detachable towbars – Westfalia-Automotive

Der Bestseller: Die abnehmbaren Anhängerkupplungen von Westfalia-Automotive sind flexibel, sicher und unkompliziert in der Montage. Jetzt mehr erfahren!

www.westfalia-automotive.com

 

[LiamPope]

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciated. So looks like I will need the tow package to carry the bikes. Just a shame there wasn't a cheaper option available aftermarket.

I didn't get the vibe that you need to go to Tesla and pay £1200 including fitting. From a very quick search seems there should be aftermarket options available you can fit yourself for much less. Just depends on your appetite and competence for taking apart interior trim and splicing wiring, the complexity of which varies depending on whether the aftermarket kit has vehicle specific or universal wiring available. Any aftermarket solution presumably wont have the trailer mode boxes ticked in the Tesla software, so you'll maybe get USS (if you have them) going mad in reverse.

Another option could be sourcing OEM parts used or from Tesla. See this thread (it's a 3 but probably very similar)...

2021 M3P OEM Tow Bar retrofit

Howdy folks! Not sure if this is the correct place to to post up the info. Basically, i'm going down the route of installing the tesla OEM tow bar on my M3P. Yes - the m3 is not homologate, but I won't be using it for towing, just for a bike rack. I've managed to source: * m3 tow bar (used) -...

teslamotorsclub.com

That guy got lucky and the trailer software was already enabled (or perhaps it just always is with OEM wiring and trailer ECU??).

Another possibility could be aftermarket hardware but the OEM wiring and trailer ECU from Tesla. Looking at how much the guy above paid, it seems cheaper to get the OEM wiring/ECU than the aftermarket 'vehicle specific' kits typically cost!

 

[ThornOfCamorr]

The factory tow bar on my model Y (2023) is a Oris Fix4Bike one. Gives you nice options for bike racks. I wrote about it in a thread but can’t figure out how to link it using the TMC app. Search for ‘

Fix4Bike tow bar bicycle carrier’​

With two e-bikes, you put quite some weight on the carrier which might exceed the max weight for the tow bar.

 

[WannabeOwner]

wrote about it in a thread but can’t figure out how to link it using the TMC app

Fix4Bike tow bar bicycle carrier