How bad is someone asking for trouble by towing with a Model 3 LR (with tow bar fitted from factory) a 400kg trailer with 1100kg car on it? I'm not talking about the obvious legal issue due to over-exceeding the 1000kg rating. I'm more interested if the the car can suffer major frame, motor, battery damage.
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Exceeding the 1000kg towing rating by 500kg
- Thread starter Stefan Voinea
- Start date
Soul Surfer
Cancervivor, tech geek & musician
I've seen a video of a person who set up their M3 to toy am Airstream caravan. That thing weighs A LOT! The owner had to modify the towing setup to be directly connected to the frame. This was done be modifying the car and going through the "under-trunk".
Here is the video:
Here is the video:
You'll need at least 150kg on the tongue, and you'd have no trailer brakes. I'd put money on the receiver twisting the body where it mounts after a short while. That's serious mass pushing/pulling on it.
If you are towing around the block...maybe you'd be fine. Maybe. You couldn't pay me to go any distance at speed.
If you are towing around the block...maybe you'd be fine. Maybe. You couldn't pay me to go any distance at speed.
Well, I would say it could end up bad that's 1500kg or 3500lbs so roughly 50%(KG)-75%(LBS) more than it's rated for.
I would highly recommend finding something else to tow the car with.
Even with a tow dolly they weight ~317kg you would be well over the rating, for instance uhaul in the states won't let you rent one of those dollys without a vehicle having a Class 2 tow hitch (3,500 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating), and if its an actual trailer they state Must have a towing system that has a 5,000 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating.
Hitches and cars by tesla
Class 1 2000lbs(1000KG) max Model 3 non us
Class 2 3500lbs(1500KG) max Model Y
Class 2 per tesla studio but Class 3 per weight 5000lbs (2000KG) max Model X
I would highly recommend finding something else to tow the car with.
Even with a tow dolly they weight ~317kg you would be well over the rating, for instance uhaul in the states won't let you rent one of those dollys without a vehicle having a Class 2 tow hitch (3,500 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating), and if its an actual trailer they state Must have a towing system that has a 5,000 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating.
Hitches and cars by tesla
Class 1 2000lbs(1000KG) max Model 3 non us
Class 2 3500lbs(1500KG) max Model Y
Class 2 per tesla studio but Class 3 per weight 5000lbs (2000KG) max Model X
Lindenwood
Active Member
Are you pulling it 2 miles on a back-road at a calm 30mph to help a friend one in a one-time deal…..or are you planning on dragging your race car on the highway across the county twice a month?
I’m not going to sit here wagging my finger about never exceeding any limit posted by the ‘thorties.
-I understand that speed limits do have to account for 90-year-old drivers in 50-year-old bald-tire’d pickup trucks as much as hyper-modern self-driving EVs with the lowest center of gravity of any sedan ever built.
-I understand roof rack weight limits are designed around dodging a moose at 70mph without failing.
-And I understand tow limits are designed around being able to fully control the trailer under emergency avoidance maneuvers.
So yes, occasionally I exceed speed limits, and I have carried or towed excessive loads at low speeds for short distances as necessary.
So…..what is your use case?
I’m not going to sit here wagging my finger about never exceeding any limit posted by the ‘thorties.
-I understand that speed limits do have to account for 90-year-old drivers in 50-year-old bald-tire’d pickup trucks as much as hyper-modern self-driving EVs with the lowest center of gravity of any sedan ever built.
-I understand roof rack weight limits are designed around dodging a moose at 70mph without failing.
-And I understand tow limits are designed around being able to fully control the trailer under emergency avoidance maneuvers.
So yes, occasionally I exceed speed limits, and I have carried or towed excessive loads at low speeds for short distances as necessary.
So…..what is your use case?
rpiotro
Active Member
There are also handling and breaking issues factored into the max towing rating. Proceed at your own risk.
I wonder how much fun a lawyer could have with this in the event of an accident?
I wonder how much fun a lawyer could have with this in the event of an accident?
Lindenwood
Active Member
Your rates can go up, but the only documented case I have ever found of someone getting in real trouble for towing above limits was someone
1) towing several thousand pounds above limits,
2) while driving 15mph over the interstate speed limit,
3) in a truck lifted 12”.
He took out a van and those persons’ family successfully sued him in civil court.
1) towing several thousand pounds above limits,
2) while driving 15mph over the interstate speed limit,
3) in a truck lifted 12”.
He took out a van and those persons’ family successfully sued him in civil court.
I must dearly thank you all for your replies. I asked because the 1000kg towing rate on a model 3 LR is very low, below my ancient mk5 Golf GTI. I was thinking that maybe this is due to range or god knows what regulation that limits the rating to 1000kg. But now it is clear that I should be looking for something else to tow with
rpiotro
Active Member
My son has a 2021 model Y. He has a 2,500 lb. camper trailer. The Towing rating with the tow package is 3,500 lb.
The camper is very tiny but tall. A lot of air resistance. The car pulls it like it is not even there except it knocks about 40% off of his range. But, he's made it work through careful planning. He considers his purchase a fail. He may sell it and get some kind of popup.
Maybe consider a model Y for you?
Lindenwood
Active Member
One interesting anecdote is how heavily trailer brakes factor into total towing capacity.
The 2023 Ford F150 can tow up to 13,000lbs. But, without trailer brakes that is limited to a mere 1650lb!
Still, subframe strength at the receiver attachments on an aluminum unibody is obviously different than a box-framed pickup, so don’t assume I am saying we can tow 13k by wiring in a trailer brake system
. That, and suspension geometry (I.e. squat resistance) are also going to be factors.
My point? The more we understand about the various limits we might be trying to push, the more safely we can push them.
The 2023 Ford F150 can tow up to 13,000lbs. But, without trailer brakes that is limited to a mere 1650lb!
Still, subframe strength at the receiver attachments on an aluminum unibody is obviously different than a box-framed pickup, so don’t assume I am saying we can tow 13k by wiring in a trailer brake system
. That, and suspension geometry (I.e. squat resistance) are also going to be factors. My point? The more we understand about the various limits we might be trying to push, the more safely we can push them.
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rpiotro
Active Member
Too big
.I'm surprised it did so much though, was the towbar just attached to the bumper and nothing else, I'd have thought the subframe would take it (unless the driver tried booting it to start with).
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
Whoa !!! It looks like the trailer wheel got stock in some kind of pothole?
Note: This is not the official Tesla tow hitch. It seems that this tow bar was bolted to the bumper beam hidden behind the bumper cover.
Normally the full tow bar is bolted to the bumper anchor on each side of the car, but I wonder if this would had made any diffference?
I noticed that the European (Made in China Model 3) tow hitch has only three bolts on each side:
But the US version has four bolts:
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
There was a previous discussion under: Towing a 26-foot Airstream with a 15-foot Tesla Model 3? Are We Crazy!?
Here is a detail (extract from the video) of the custom tow hich connected to the Model 3 frame:
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Yeap... this is perhaps the best option. To flip the model 3 for a model y. I didn't want to go thru the hassle because I plan anyhow to upgrade my current race car (Honda Civic type-r ep3 - 1000kg) to a Radical SR1 (500kg). So even with the model 3 lr I should be able to pull it.
My trailer is braked, 2 axes, woodford lwt102 The Lightweight Flatbed Trailer | Woodford Professional Vehicle Transportation
If I upgrade the towbar to a towbar that is rated for 3500lbs https://etowbars.com/uk/Towbars/Tesla-Towbars/Tesla-Model-3-Towbars/Tesla-Model-3-Invisible-Towbar I still ask for trouble? I mean the limiting factor on the vanilla model 3 with the OEM towbar (1000kg rated) was the towbar class itself or the car structure is not designed for such a load (like we got on display above)
Lindenwood
Active Member
If I read that right, your trailer weighs 320kg, the Radical SR1 weighs 500kg, and the M3LR weight limit is 1000kg? I guess that would work, no?
Of note, while the 3 and Y share a lot of parts, I also wouldnt be surprised if the Y has additional body stiffening where the receiver mounts.
Stealth Hitch is rated for 3,500lbs on the Model 3 (1,500kg). Not clear whether this is just a limit on the hitch or whether they believe the car can handle 3,500lbs. Hitch manufacturers are kind of intentionally vague about this IMO, I've asked them here:
I've pulled probably that much or more and nothing broke, although I took it slow (55-60mph). Probably was pushing it a little more than I realized given that picture of the rear coming off of a Model 3 lol.
I've pulled probably that much or more and nothing broke, although I took it slow (55-60mph). Probably was pushing it a little more than I realized given that picture of the rear coming off of a Model 3 lol.
For sure. I gave the SR1 future plans to motivate why I would not considere straight away the switch to model y. I was thinking maybe by upgrading the towbar I can keep the model 3 and also move around the ep3. But you pretty much answered this as well...
Today I went to the MOT equivalent with the trailer in order to have it registered so I wanted to revive the thread maybe I find some solution that does't imply getting a new car or replacing the current one
Today I went to the MOT equivalent with the trailer in order to have it registered
so I wanted to revive the thread maybe I find some solution that does't imply getting a new car or replacing the current one Similar threads
