Far West Texas Charging

[Dr. J]

Again, a TT-30 outlet is only 120 volts, and will only add 9 miles of range per hour of charging. I have an adapter and use it occasionally, but don't plan to charge for a few hours and then do a lot of driving. It has its place in the charging scheme, but not really a valid option except in certain circumstances. Twice as good as a regular wall outlet.

Miles of range depends on the model, right? Model 3 LR RWD (~320 mile range, 75 kWh pack) makes 15 miles of range per hour. 30*120/1000 = 3.6 kW / 75 *320 = ~15.

 

[nwdiver]

Miles of range depends on the model, right? Model 3 LR RWD (~320 mile range, 75 kWh pack) makes 15 miles of range per hour. 30*120/1000 = 3.6 kW / 75 *320 = ~15.

Don't forget you can only get 80%. A 14-50 only gives 40A. A TT-30 will only give 24A. So ~12 miles/hr at best.

 

[Dr. J]

Don't forget you can only get 80%. A 14-50 only gives 40A. A TT-30 will only give 24A. So ~12 miles/hr at best.

Ah. Good point.

 

[BerTX]

Miles of range depends on the model, right? Model 3 LR RWD (~320 mile range, 75 kWh pack) makes 15 miles of range per hour. 30*120/1000 = 3.6 kW / 75 *320 = ~15.

It would be higher for a Model 3, but @eadsd who started discussing the TT-30, has a Model S.

 

[PLUS EV]

Cibolo Creek Ranch informed me that their 2 HPWCs were operational.
Have not been able to personally verify. Please call first. Kinda remote.
Spectacular place with appropriate pricing. Worth it I think. Bucket list place.

Fun to compare: spend one night at Chinati Hot Springs and the next night at CCR.

Be sure to ask for the Scalia Room!

 

[eadsd]

I want to thank everyone for their help here. I had an awesome trip to Big Bend, even thought it was as hot as 117 at Santa Elena on Sunday. It was in the high 80s at elevation in the Chisos and about 107 at Rio Grande Village.

Probably because of the heat, I was able to get an RV spot reservation at Rio Grande Village and it worked out perfectly. It was $35/night and every spot as far as I can tell has a working NEMA 14-50 connector. I cruised by the other parks in Marathon and in Terlingua/Study Butte and I’m glad I stayed where I did. Marathon, Marfa, Alpine and others seem like they’re too far away in all but desperate situations.

It took me 9.5 hours from Austin. I supercharged at Junction, Ozona, and Ft Stockton to be safe. I have a Model S 100D and can get 335 miles of charge. I kept it in Range Mode and with Chill acceleration most of the time. Between Austin and Ft Stockton, I generally ran 5 mph above the speed limit. I think there was a strong headwind going west on IH-10 between Ozona and Ft Stockton because over 100 miles I arrived with only 10% charge even though I charges up to 250 miles in Ozona. I averaged ~450 Wh/mile.

There was a situation where a big diesel pickup pulled out into the left lane to block me and then “coal rolled” me spewing black smoke and accelerating to 90 mph. When he moved over, I punched it and immediately went to 102 mph and left him quietly in the dust. I was in Autopilot so it put me in the Penalty Box until I stopped at Ft Stockton. It was worth it.

I was impatient at Ft Stockton and only charged to 250 miles again thinking that was 100 miles more than I needed to get to Rio Grande Village (20 miles from Panther Junction and I guess 45 miles from the park entrance on US 385). I’m glad I did because I only arrived with 20% even though I was driving 5 mph under the speed limit after I noticed it discharging faster than expected after Marathon, TX.

Generally Autopilot and the speed limits were spot on. The speed limit between Marathon and the park is now 75 and the car thought it was still 70. Also in the park it didn’t know the speed limit in most cases, so I had to get to the speed I wanted and then engage Autopilot.

I was impressed with Autosteer in the Chisos (and everywhere else). There were two hairpin, 10 mph curves that Autosteer bailed on consistently, but otherwise it worked nearly flawlessly. I basically was a passenger for the entire trip from Austin and back and throughout the park and into Terlingua.

Note that on the road from Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction both times I drove it, there were massive grasshopper-like insects crawling across the road. I went off Autosteer and drove manually looking close to the hood of the car to miss them. Unfortunately I hit both a roadrunner and a partridge while there because they got in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them, even though I did the speed limit or slower the entire time in the park. Be careful.

I camped in my car and found that it made a really good RV for one or two people. I plugged in and left the Climate on set to 73 and disabled Range Mode and turned off all the lights to not bother other campers every time I had to open a car door or walked too close to the car. I’m about 6”3” and found the best sleeping position was with my head at the back corner of the car (looking out the window at the amazing stars!) and with my feet up on the back seat headrests (the seats were folded down of course). There’s about a 2” lift where the floor of the trunk area meets the folded seats. That was somewhat uncomfortable. I think an air mattress will fix that perfectly on the next trip.

Lastly, I did Old Maverick Rd from Santa Elena to Maverick Junction. It’s unpaved and very rough. I met a park ranger in a 4x4 who encouraged me strongly to turn around but I considered it and went on anyway despite the heat. I had a full back country pack, plenty of water, and food, so I thought it was OK. It was slow but well worth it. You get solitude and views of the entire mountain range. There are multiple creek crossings that were dry when I did them. There were very big rocks. I went slow and kept the suspension in Very High mode.

All in all, it was an amazing trip! Thanks again for your guidance.

 

[BerTX]

I want to thank everyone for their help here. I had an awesome trip to Big Bend, even thought it was as hot as 117 at Santa Elena on Sunday. It was in the high 80s at elevation in the Chisos and about 107 at Rio Grande Village.

Probably because of the heat, I was able to get an RV spot reservation at Rio Grande Village and it worked out perfectly. It was $35/night and every spot as far as I can tell has a working NEMA 14-50 connector. I cruised by the other parks in Marathon and in Terlingua/Study Butte and I’m glad I stayed where I did. Marathon, Marfa, Alpine and others seem like they’re too far away in all but desperate situations.

It took me 9.5 hours from Austin. I supercharged at Junction, Ozona, and Ft Stockton to be safe. I have a Model S 100D and can get 335 miles of charge. I kept it in Range Mode and with Chill acceleration most of the time. Between Austin and Ft Stockton, I generally ran 5 mph above the speed limit. I think there was a strong headwind going west on IH-10 between Ozona and Ft Stockton because over 100 miles I arrived with only 10% charge even though I charges up to 250 miles in Ozona. I averaged ~450 Wh/mile.

There was a situation where a big diesel pickup pulled out into the left lane to block me and then “coal rolled” me spewing black smoke and accelerating to 90 mph. When he moved over, I punched it and immediately went to 102 mph and left him quietly in the dust. I was in Autopilot so it put me in the Penalty Box until I stopped at Ft Stockton. It was worth it.

I was impatient at Ft Stockton and only charged to 250 miles again thinking that was 100 miles more than I needed to get to Rio Grande Village (20 miles from Panther Junction and I guess 45 miles from the park entrance on US 385). I’m glad I did because I only arrived with 20% even though I was driving 5 mph under the speed limit after I noticed it discharging faster than expected after Marathon, TX.

Generally Autopilot and the speed limits were spot on. The speed limit between Marathon and the park is now 75 and the car thought it was still 70. Also in the park it didn’t know the speed limit in most cases, so I had to get to the speed I wanted and then engage Autopilot.

I was impressed with Autosteer in the Chisos (and everywhere else). There were two hairpin, 10 mph curves that Autosteer bailed on consistently, but otherwise it worked nearly flawlessly. I basically was a passenger for the entire trip from Austin and back and throughout the park and into Terlingua.

Note that on the road from Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction both times I drove it, there were massive grasshopper-like insects crawling across the road. I went off Autosteer and drove manually looking close to the hood of the car to miss them. Unfortunately I hit both a roadrunner and a partridge while there because they got in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them, even though I did the speed limit or slower the entire time in the park. Be careful.

I camped in my car and found that it made a really good RV for one or two people. I plugged in and left the Climate on set to 73 and disabled Range Mode and turned off all the lights to not bother other campers every time I had to open a car door or walked too close to the car. I’m about 6”3” and found the best sleeping position was with my head at the back corner of the car (looking out the window at the amazing stars!) and with my feet up on the back seat headrests (the seats were folded down of course). There’s about a 2” lift where the floor of the trunk area meets the folded seats. That was somewhat uncomfortable. I think an air mattress will fix that perfectly on the next trip.

Lastly, I did Old Maverick Rd from Santa Elena to Maverick Junction. It’s unpaved and very rough. I met a park ranger in a 4x4 who encouraged me strongly to turn around but I considered it and went on anyway despite the heat. I had a full back country pack, plenty of water, and food, so I thought it was OK. It was slow but well worth it. You get solitude and views of the entire mountain range. There are multiple creek crossings that were dry when I did them. There were very big rocks. I went slow and kept the suspension in Very High mode.

All in all, it was an amazing trip! Thanks again for your guidance.

Sounds like you had a great trip -- thanks for the report.

Most air mattresses are very thick these days, so it tends not to leave enough clearance at the rear of the car. My wife has slept back there and didn't like the air mattress. We tried a foam pad, but she didn't like the slope from the seats ( she had her head toward the front). Next time (if there is one) we'll try putting something under the pad in the rear trunk to level things a bit.

 

[eadsd]

Sounds like you had a great trip -- thanks for the report.

Most air mattresses are very thick these days, so it tends not to leave enough clearance at the rear of the car. My wife has slept back there and didn't like the air mattress. We tried a foam pad, but she didn't like the slope from the seats ( she had her head toward the front). Next time (if there is one) we'll try putting something under the pad in the rear trunk to level things a bit.

Thanks for the tip! I agree, putting a pad in the cargo area to even up the surface would probably be ideal. Keep us posted.

 

[purplewalt]

I want to thank everyone for their help here. I had an awesome trip to Big Bend, even thought it was as hot as 117 at Santa Elena on Sunday. It was in the high 80s at elevation in the Chisos and about 107 at Rio Grande Village.

Probably because of the heat, I was able to get an RV spot reservation at Rio Grande Village and it worked out perfectly. It was $35/night and every spot as far as I can tell has a working NEMA 14-50 connector. I cruised by the other parks in Marathon and in Terlingua/Study Butte and I’m glad I stayed where I did. Marathon, Marfa, Alpine and others seem like they’re too far away in all but desperate situations.

It took me 9.5 hours from Austin. I supercharged at Junction, Ozona, and Ft Stockton to be safe. I have a Model S 100D and can get 335 miles of charge. I kept it in Range Mode and with Chill acceleration most of the time. Between Austin and Ft Stockton, I generally ran 5 mph above the speed limit. I think there was a strong headwind going west on IH-10 between Ozona and Ft Stockton because over 100 miles I arrived with only 10% charge even though I charges up to 250 miles in Ozona. I averaged ~450 Wh/mile.

There was a situation where a big diesel pickup pulled out into the left lane to block me and then “coal rolled” me spewing black smoke and accelerating to 90 mph. When he moved over, I punched it and immediately went to 102 mph and left him quietly in the dust. I was in Autopilot so it put me in the Penalty Box until I stopped at Ft Stockton. It was worth it.

I was impatient at Ft Stockton and only charged to 250 miles again thinking that was 100 miles more than I needed to get to Rio Grande Village (20 miles from Panther Junction and I guess 45 miles from the park entrance on US 385). I’m glad I did because I only arrived with 20% even though I was driving 5 mph under the speed limit after I noticed it discharging faster than expected after Marathon, TX.

Generally Autopilot and the speed limits were spot on. The speed limit between Marathon and the park is now 75 and the car thought it was still 70. Also in the park it didn’t know the speed limit in most cases, so I had to get to the speed I wanted and then engage Autopilot.

I was impressed with Autosteer in the Chisos (and everywhere else). There were two hairpin, 10 mph curves that Autosteer bailed on consistently, but otherwise it worked nearly flawlessly. I basically was a passenger for the entire trip from Austin and back and throughout the park and into Terlingua.

Note that on the road from Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction both times I drove it, there were massive grasshopper-like insects crawling across the road. I went off Autosteer and drove manually looking close to the hood of the car to miss them. Unfortunately I hit both a roadrunner and a partridge while there because they got in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them, even though I did the speed limit or slower the entire time in the park. Be careful.

I camped in my car and found that it made a really good RV for one or two people. I plugged in and left the Climate on set to 73 and disabled Range Mode and turned off all the lights to not bother other campers every time I had to open a car door or walked too close to the car. I’m about 6”3” and found the best sleeping position was with my head at the back corner of the car (looking out the window at the amazing stars!) and with my feet up on the back seat headrests (the seats were folded down of course). There’s about a 2” lift where the floor of the trunk area meets the folded seats. That was somewhat uncomfortable. I think an air mattress will fix that perfectly on the next trip.

Lastly, I did Old Maverick Rd from Santa Elena to Maverick Junction. It’s unpaved and very rough. I met a park ranger in a 4x4 who encouraged me strongly to turn around but I considered it and went on anyway despite the heat. I had a full back country pack, plenty of water, and food, so I thought it was OK. It was slow but well worth it. You get solitude and views of the entire mountain range. There are multiple creek crossings that were dry when I did them. There were very big rocks. I went slow and kept the suspension in Very High mode.

All in all, it was an amazing trip! Thanks again for your guidance.

Thanks for your write-up!
Sounds like you had an amazing trip.

One thing I did on my first road trip into the unknown on my way to South Carolina (Oct./Nov. '13) was I used fairly thick/rigid sheet cardboard to help "level" and minimize the 2" offset for the folded down rear seat. I also used a thinnish inflatable pad, which could also be rolled up.

Not a perfect set-up, but it worked well enough in order to lay-out and sleep in back of my Model S with my Sleeping bag when I made it to RV Parks for charging.
6'-3" here also, move the front seats forward, close the rear hatch, watch the stars. And there is a small shelf in the rear that you can use to store your glasses (if you need to).

 

[eadsd]

Thanks for your write-up!
Sounds like you had an amazing trip.

One thing I did on my first road trip into the unknown on my way to South Carolina (Oct./Nov. '13) was I used fairly thick/rigid sheet cardboard to help "level" and minimize the 2" offset for the folded down rear seat. I also used a thinnish inflatable pad, which could also be rolled up.

Not a perfect set-up, but it worked well enough in order to lay-out and sleep in back of my Model S with my Sleeping bag when I made it to RV Parks for charging.
6'-3" here also, move the front seats forward, close the rear hatch, watch the stars. And there is a small shelf in the rear that you can use to store your glasses (if you need to).

Thanks. That's a great idea!

 

[ACExpress]

The write up from @eadsd has me wishing I stayed an extra night at Rio Grande Village and just slept in the car. It felt like a massive inconvenience to charge at the RV park for 8+ hours in the afternoon/evening just to get back to the Chisos lodge and Fort Stockton in the morning, and I would’ve been better off not paying for the last night at the Chisos lodge only to leave early the next morning.

I’ll have to employ these tips next time.

 

[SammichLover]

I think there was a strong headwind going west on IH-10 between Ozona and Ft Stockton

It’s a notable day when there isn’t. All those wind turbines aren’t there by accident and prevailing winds out of all the western NA mountains are headed East.

Also keep in mind that the speed limit is 80mph, so +5 is pushing some serious air drag even in dead calm.

PS I’m not sure about the elevation profile details of Austin to Fort Stockton, but it is generally uphill, also.

 

[SammichLover]

Thanks for your write-up!
Sounds like you had an amazing trip.

One thing I did on my first road trip into the unknown on my way to South Carolina (Oct./Nov. '13) was I used fairly thick/rigid sheet cardboard to help "level" and minimize the 2" offset for the folded down rear seat. I also used a thinnish inflatable pad, which could also be rolled up.

Not a perfect set-up, but it worked well enough in order to lay-out and sleep in back of my Model S with my Sleeping bag when I made it to RV Parks for charging.
6'-3" here also, move the front seats forward, close the rear hatch, watch the stars. And there is a small shelf in the rear that you can use to store your glasses (if you need to).

The Model 3 seems to be better set up for closer to even surface with rear seats down, even if sloped overall, but I’ve found a 10mm yoga mat (a thicker on) under a sleeping bag/duvets does the job nicely. That on top of a cardboard shim sounds about right.

To work around an overall slope you can park selectively so car is sloped, leaving you even.

 

[Azlope]

We will be staying a night on the 2nd on our way back from tour trip to Santa Fe.
Taking the northern route through Amarillo on the way out, then south along I10 back home

We will be staying a night on the 2nd on our way back from tour trip to Santa Fe.
Taking the northern route through Amarillo on the way out, then south along I10 back home

charged in Amarillo going and coming back from Alabama. Both times no charging fee for a model 3

 

[mckemie]

charged in Amarillo going and coming back from Alabama. Both times no charging fee for a model 3

About a year ago I knew they were not "charging for charging" in Amarillo. I'm surprised they are not yet charging.

Coming west to east with fair conditions and with a 300+ mile 3, I found it is possible to go from Gallup to Tucumcari skipping both ABQ and Santa Rosa. From Santa Rosa, one can skip (and by pass) Amarillo and get to Sweetwater. Then, to Austin or beyond if that is your destination. Tucumcari to Austin area with a single charge stop!

 

[AZGirl]

So great to hear recent reports of trips on here. Driving back to Phoenix from east coast and want to swing down to Big Bend Nat’l Park for a quick visit. One night, end of October, driving with full charge from Marfa (staying at hotel with destination charger) to Rio Grande RV park (“camper mode” in car) overnight - glad to hear we can use NEMA14-50! Driving up to Fort Davis the next afternoon and staying the night at the Fort Davis Inn & RV park. Can anyone confirm what type of electrical outlets that RV park has? The front desk want very helpful and not a lot of info online. I’d like to know if NEMA 14-50 will work there too or if a TT-30 adapter will be needed. Thanks, in advance.

 

[mociaf9]

Driving up to Fort Davis the next afternoon and staying the night at the Fort Davis Inn & RV park. Can anyone confirm what type of electrical outlets that RV park has? The front desk want very helpful and not a lot of info online. I’d like to know if NEMA 14-50 will work there too or if a TT-30 adapter will be needed

Their website lists it pretty prominently, so I'm not sure what the challenge is? It says they have 20/30/50 amp hook-ups in the RV area. The 20A is a regular wall receptacle, and in the RV-ing world 30A is the TT-30 and the 50A is the NEMA 14-50. If you speak to the front desk again, you should ask whether you need to reserve a spot with a 50A hook-up as, while it's listed as being offered, there may be limited numbers.

 

[BerTX]

So great to hear recent reports of trips on here. Driving back to Phoenix from east coast and want to swing down to Big Bend Nat’l Park for a quick visit. One night, end of October, driving with full charge from Marfa (staying at hotel with destination charger) to Rio Grande RV park (“camper mode” in car) overnight - glad to hear we can use NEMA14-50! Driving up to Fort Davis the next afternoon and staying the night at the Fort Davis Inn & RV park. Can anyone confirm what type of electrical outlets that RV park has? The front desk want very helpful and not a lot of info online. I’d like to know if NEMA 14-50 will work there too or if a TT-30 adapter will be needed. Thanks, in advance.

Hopefully you were able to reserve a spot in the RGV RV Park. Last I checked, they only have 25 spots, 20 reservable and 5 first come first served.

Don't be thinking "it's the off season, I can get a spot". They have no off season.

 

[AZGirl]

Thanks for prompt responses. We did get a spot at RGV RV park, one of only two left when we called last week.

And I know what the Fort Davis RV place website says, just was wondering if anyone had any actual experience there regarding hookups. Never tried “camping” in the M3 before and not experienced with RV parks. Guess I will try calling them again Will also go ahead and buy a TT-30 adapter just as a backup and to have for future trips.

 

[rideincircles]

Any status updates on chargers in the area? I was thinking about hitting big bend ranch, but I think El cosmico is closed for now. Not sure what options are available, but wanted to hit it up while I have free time and before it gets hot out. I know bbnp will reopen soon, but i would prefer charging somewhere else.