Extra ventilation for dog in rear compartment

[SUM-EV]

We've had our 2016 MS for almost three years now and have loved every moment of it. The one area for improvement we noticed was for our four-legged "flight engineer" who rides in the rear luggage compartment (dog in the "trunk" just sounds cruel). During our many road trips up and down west coast, we've tried several ways to increase the ventilation/cooling for our 45 lb. pup: disabling recirculation on the AC, tint on liftgate window, added the Tesla liftgate sunshade, and jury rigging a USB/battery powered fan to the back seat.
While these have definitely helped, I was never quite satisfied especially with the fan always falling down. Now with the extra down time COVID-19 has provided, I decided to build a better mousetrap!
My requirements were:

1. the ability to easily remove the equipment if needed,
2. a clean/"professional" look, and
3. most importantly to improve the airflow to the rear luggage compartment.

I found the following items on Amazon for my setup:

Qty 2: LEMOISTAR 5V USB Car Fan & Desk Fan, 360 Rotatable Car Cooling Fan with Strong Suction Cup
Qty 1: Cable Matters Combo-Pack 90 Degree Left and Right Angle USB Adapter Gender Changer
Qty 1: Micro USB Cable 90 Degree Right Angle [3 Pack / 10FT]

Fan mounting:
My ideal mounting location was the small rear windows just forward of the C-pillar, but since those also have window tinting film, I felt it best not to put suction cups on them. Next I tried using the included adhesive pad for the fan's suction cups on the small window ledge, but the weight of the fan plus the rounded ledge caused the pad to un-stick and fan to fall down. I ended up attaching the adhesive pad to a flat vertical plastic surface just above where the parcel shelf installs.

USB cable routing:
I measured that about 10 feet of cable was needed to easily route the wiring around the edges of the rear seat and up to the center console. Also, I wanted 90 degree connections to minimize bent connections if fan happens to fall down. To make this look clean and easy to remove, I simply tucked the USB cable around the bottom edges of the seat and then underneath the rear carpet mat. To hopefully prevent the USB cables from being bent or accidently unplugged, I connected them to the 90 degree left and right angle adapters.

The fans have four speeds and put out a pretty good breeze, plus they are not too loud. So far I am quite happy with how this has turned out.

After our TBD next road trip up to Oregon/Washington, I will make sure to post how this setup has held up and how effective it ends up being. Hope this helps others with furry companions find a more comfortable ride.
Cheers!

 

[SUM-EV]

 

[EVortex]

Nice job! Your pup looks happy.

 

[SUM-EV]

Nice job! Your pup looks happy.

Thank you! She's ready for a trip to the beach

 

[SUM-EV]

Adding a minor update to my original post...

After about 2 days, the suction plates' adhesive un-stuck from the walls and the fans fell down

Undeterred, I decided to remove the foam adhesive from the back of the suction plates and try a more heavy duty adhesive. The old adhesive was a little stubborn to remove, but some Goo Gone and a Bojo scraper got the job done.

Next I applied Gorilla Heavy Duty Double-Sided Mounting Tape to the back of the suction plates. Then re-applied the suction plates in the same spots as before, pressing them in place for 60 seconds as Gorilla recommends.

After re-installing the fans, they have been holding strong for several days and hopefully they will continue to stay in place.
Cheers!

 

[bons]

How about a cooling gel pad you can pull from the fridge right before the trip? or a battery powered cooling pad?

 

[Trunk Gap]

Good for you, looks great!
I just drive with the backseats down, so basically the dog has the back 70% of the car to roam and do as she pleases She hates when the seats are up, good solution.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Cute "one ear'd Dog"

 

[luvacoustic]

Looks great! I use a similar setup with USB powered fans that have clamps for my kids. It’s also helpful to make sure the recycle air option is off - as that will open up vents in the very back of the car for air to flow from the front all the way to the trunk and out.

 

[FatherTo1]

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Thanks for your post and sharing! I am preparing to travel with our Labrador in the S. I ordered the same K&H pet cargo cover a few days ago (based on a video on YouTube of a Model S owner and his two Golden Retrievers).

I have been searching for a method to cool the cargo area. Even with recirculate off, my thinking is the airflow will be blocked by the walls of the cargo cover. The fans you linked to are no longer available but I appreciate you sharing the idea. Your setup gives me great hope for directing cooler cabin air into the cargo space. Thanks again!

 

[FatherTo1]

@SUM-EV, for the mode fans you installed, do they automatically turn on when you power on the car? The fans you used are no longer available. I ordered a different set of fans, that also happen to be the same Lemoistar brand, but they don’t have full 3-axis articulation. Furthermore, they don’t automatically turn on when the car powers on. Instead, I will have to keep hitting the fan’s power button.

 

[Matty Bumpo]

We've had our 2016 MS for almost three years now and have loved every moment of it. The one area for improvement we noticed was for our four-legged "flight engineer" who rides in the rear luggage compartment (dog in the "trunk" just sounds cruel). During our many road trips up and down west coast, we've tried several ways to increase the ventilation/cooling for our 45 lb. pup: disabling recirculation on the AC, tint on liftgate window, added the Tesla liftgate sunshade, and jury rigging a USB/battery powered fan to the back seat.
While these have definitely helped, I was never quite satisfied especially with the fan always falling down. Now with the extra down time COVID-19 has provided, I decided to build a better mousetrap!
My requirements were:

1. the ability to easily remove the equipment if needed,
2. a clean/"professional" look, and
3. most importantly to improve the airflow to the rear luggage compartment.

I found the following items on Amazon for my setup:

Qty 2: LEMOISTAR 5V USB Car Fan & Desk Fan, 360 Rotatable Car Cooling Fan with Strong Suction Cup
Qty 1: Cable Matters Combo-Pack 90 Degree Left and Right Angle USB Adapter Gender Changer
Qty 1: Micro USB Cable 90 Degree Right Angle [3 Pack / 10FT]

Fan mounting:
My ideal mounting location was the small rear windows just forward of the C-pillar, but since those also have window tinting film, I felt it best not to put suction cups on them. Next I tried using the included adhesive pad for the fan's suction cups on the small window ledge, but the weight of the fan plus the rounded ledge caused the pad to un-stick and fan to fall down. I ended up attaching the adhesive pad to a flat vertical plastic surface just above where the parcel shelf installs.

USB cable routing:
I measured that about 10 feet of cable was needed to easily route the wiring around the edges of the rear seat and up to the center console. Also, I wanted 90 degree connections to minimize bent connections if fan happens to fall down. To make this look clean and easy to remove, I simply tucked the USB cable around the bottom edges of the seat and then underneath the rear carpet mat. To hopefully prevent the USB cables from being bent or accidently unplugged, I connected them to the 90 degree left and right angle adapters.

The fans have four speeds and put out a pretty good breeze, plus they are not too loud. So far I am quite happy with how this has turned out.

After our TBD next road trip up to Oregon/Washington, I will make sure to post how this setup has held up and how effective it ends up being. Hope this helps others with furry companions find a more comfortable ride.
Cheers!

BRAVO!!!!!!

 

[SUM-EV]

@SUM-EV, for the mode fans you installed, do they automatically turn on when you power on the car? The fans you used are no longer available. I ordered a different set of fans, that also happen to be the same Lemoistar brand, but they don’t have full 3-axis articulation. Furthermore, they don’t automatically turn on when the car powers on. Instead, I will have to keep hitting the fan’s power button.

Unfortunately the fans do not power on automatically- I have to press the power button and turn up the fan speed. It's a little annoying, but I started to get used to it during road trips as something to do before taking off from a SC stop.

This looks like the best alternative fan:

https://www.amazon.com/SENPAIC-Portable-Cooling-Vehicle-Quietness/dp/B086JP1PRC/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B086JP1PRC&psc=1

It appears to have quite a bit of articulation and the switch appears to be mechanical, so it would most likely turn on when the car powers on.
In fact I'm going to get one of these to see if I like it better than my original fans.

There's also this fan:

https://www.amazon.com/QIFUN-Adjustable-Powerful-Ventilation-Cigarette/dp/B085NTNGR5/ref=dp_prsubs_2?pd_rd_i=B085NTNGR5&psc=1

It plugs into the 12v plug, so it might be a bit more powerful, but the downside is that it will take up the 12v port if you have any other accessories plugged.

 

[FatherTo1]

Unfortunately the fans do not power on automatically- I have to press the power button and turn up the fan speed. It's a little annoying, but I started to get used to it during road trips as something to do before taking off from a SC stop.

This looks like the best alternative fan:

https://www.amazon.com/SENPAIC-Portable-Cooling-Vehicle-Quietness/dp/B086JP1PRC/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B086JP1PRC&psc=1

It appears to have quite a bit of articulation and the switch appears to be mechanical, so it would most likely turn on when the car powers on.
In fact I'm going to get one of these to see if I like it better than my original fans.

There's also this fan:

https://www.amazon.com/QIFUN-Adjustable-Powerful-Ventilation-Cigarette/dp/B085NTNGR5/ref=dp_prsubs_2?pd_rd_i=B085NTNGR5&psc=1

It plugs into the 12v plug, so it might be a bit more powerful, but the downside is that it will take up the 12v port if you have any other accessories plugged.

I almost ordered the Senpaic last week. Instead, I went with this one, which for sure turns on as soon as power is applied. It should arrive tomorrow.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B083LX4JKP?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

 

[FatherTo1]

The fans got delayed and haven’t arrived yet but the high today is only 70 degrees. I left a thermometer in the trunk, parked in the sun, and left dog mode on for 20 minutes as a test. The trunk stayed at 73 degrees while AC was set at 72. I had parked with trunk facing the sun but I also have the Tesla sunshade, in addition to tint. I felt comfortable enough to bring our Labrador on a test run from my parents’ house to our home.

Our dog did remarkably well and was much calmer than when riding in the backseat of my wife’s Lexus ES with hammock-style pet cover. I bought a dog step but he didn’t even use it and had no trouble jumping in and out in his own (he’s still young and full of energy at a little under two years old). The step will probably be needed later in life. So far I’m very happy and relieved he didn’t tear up the Model S.

 

[FatherTo1]

Finished installing the fans. I used some strong Velcro tape to make it easy to remove the fans and put back the parcel shelf. To test cooling I parked in the sun (82 degrees F outside), crawled into the trunk, and closed the hatch. I also have window tint in the rear hatch, as well as the Tesla hatch sunshade. I set AC to 72 and stayed in the trunk area for 10 minutes without sweating.

While the fans automatically turn on when the car powers up, I noticed the rear USB ports do not power up when Dog Mode is used. Maybe this is caused by Sentry Mode being off when I’m parked at home. Camp Mode definitely keeps all the USB ports on and fans spun up as expected.

Even though I felt comfortable enough with the fans I still had concerns about our furry friend back there, especially during Sacramento summers with over 100-degree weather. I took some cardboard, shaped it into an air vent adapter, and connected it to a pool pump hose. This allows AC air to flow directly into the cargo area. Thanks again to @SUM-EV for the inspiration!

 

[greatdanehugs]

Hi, I'm a new MY owner and I was looking for extra ventilation and stumbled upon this awesome thread about a month ago. The original fans weren't available so I just wanted to post my config in case if helps anyone + helps to keep cool any furry family member

We bought 2 of these and they work v well:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091YHPDM6?th=1