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First long-ish distance trip for the MS on its 1st bday....to Wisc. Dells

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So this coming weekend is our family and friends' 7th annual summer pilgrimage to Wisc. Dells (Wilderness Resort).

This year we will be taking up our P85+ Model S. It will be our and the car's first single long distance trip. Over the course of the year of ownership we have run the 'tank' down to 20 miles doing short trips here and there without charging until needed (more due to my wife not plugging in than trying to run the batteries down).

In anycase, we are driving up from Algonquin, IL (about 50 miles east of Rockford). I know there are SCs in Rockford, Madison, and [news to me], Mauston. I don't drive our Tesla conservativley like how I see so many other owners in my area driving them. I'll throw it around in corners, I accelerate....hard, I get on the brakes....moderately because "hey, brakes make you go slower and my intent is to drive faster". In short, I'm not trying to conserve/reserve energy; we've not needed to in this last year.

I know many of you have traversed WI with little to no issues, but being our first trip and with our young kids (5 and 7), I've got a little angst. I'm trying to figure our whether on a full charge, I should stop in Rockford on our way up, in Mauston sometime over the weekend and then in Rockford on the return trip, or something else.

Any suggestions from those that have visited any or all of those chargers?

If I90 is congested, I'll probably take 20 from Elgin to Rockford....and maybe try to stay local to Madison. This will be a great one-year anniversary drive for our Tesla....it's been a great year of ownership (gone are the $600 - $900/month fill ups the wife use to do). If anyone is around up in Lake Delton and want to meet up for a drink, bite, or some pictures of the cars, let me know!
 
Yeah, 160 there plus whatever driving while in the Dells (couple of beer runs, dinner run, grocery store run, and then downtown Delton on Sunday to the alligator farm, upside down whitehouse, etc.)

....need to make sure I have enough juice to make it back to Madison after the weekend.
 
Your first trip is always the scariest. You'll be fine. As other said, fill up in Madison and no worries. If you really want to have some reassurance check out PlugShare for other charging options around the Dells, I know there's at least 1 HPWC up there.

Once you've done a couple of these trips, you'll think nothing of rolling into a SuperCharger on...um.... e-'s :)
 
So this coming weekend is our family and friends' 7th annual summer pilgrimage to Wisc. Dells (Wilderness Resort).

This year we will be taking up our P85+ Model S. It will be our and the car's first single long distance trip. Over the course of the year of ownership we have run the 'tank' down to 20 miles doing short trips here and there without charging until needed (more due to my wife not plugging in than trying to run the batteries down).

In anycase, we are driving up from Algonquin, IL (about 50 miles east of Rockford). I know there are SCs in Rockford, Madison, and [news to me], Mauston. I don't drive our Tesla conservativley like how I see so many other owners in my area driving them. I'll throw it around in corners, I accelerate....hard, I get on the brakes....moderately because "hey, brakes make you go slower and my intent is to drive faster". In short, I'm not trying to conserve/reserve energy; we've not needed to in this last year.

I know many of you have traversed WI with little to no issues, but being our first trip and with our young kids (5 and 7), I've got a little angst. I'm trying to figure our whether on a full charge, I should stop in Rockford on our way up, in Mauston sometime over the weekend and then in Rockford on the return trip, or something else.

Any suggestions from those that have visited any or all of those chargers?

If I90 is congested, I'll probably take 20 from Elgin to Rockford....and maybe try to stay local to Madison. This will be a great one-year anniversary drive for our Tesla....it's been a great year of ownership (gone are the $600 - $900/month fill ups the wife use to do). If anyone is around up in Lake Delton and want to meet up for a drink, bite, or some pictures of the cars, let me know!


For starters, you'll be fine. That trip is literally a breeze. Especially with your 85 pack. Supercharge in Madison at East Town Mall,
Next, I am in the Dells EVERY weekend. My family runs Sandrift Resort - The Peach on the Beach in Wisconsin Dells, WI and we have a HPWC available. Due to electric rates in the Dells, it's $2/hr for non-resort guests and free for guests, and includes waterpark passes with each non-Guest Charge-up. Only Level 2 in the Dells. 80 Amp HPWC (Though, due to power company's lack of proper size wiring on the poles, and undersized transformer that they wont upgrade you'll get current limited to 60 Amps, sometimes can keep it set at 70 and no current limit).

Give me a call if you would like, 414-852-7526. I'll be up Saturday Afternoon, as I am displaying my Model S at a car show in Milwaukee, and possibly have a photo shoot with Harley Davidson and their Livewire Electric Motorcycle Saturday Afternoon (Thats Pending).

Next, DO NOT GO ANYWHERE IN THE DELLS WITHOUT FIRST STOPPING BY SANDRIFT AND TALKING TO MY MOM!!! She has coupons for EVERYTHING!!! If their is not a coupon for it, YOU DONT DO IT! And she will steer you away from places you should not go (rip off's, scams, over priced etc...).
And lastly, make sure you visit RIVERSIDE & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD Riverside & Great Northern. Your kids WILL LOVE IT!!! (I'm now on the board of directors for the Railroad as well hehe and BUILDING there new Locomotive, which will be 100% electric).
 
We made the trip to the Dells this winter in our 60 kWh Model S. 140 miles from our house to Madison in 20F not a problem. We charged to 19x miles at Madison, had the car unplugged for 3 days in single digit temperatures, some driving around and had enough to make it back to Madison. It was our first roadtrip in the winter, so did consider going 20 miles in the other direction to Mauston.

Keep an eye on the projected range and you should be fine.
 
So this coming weekend is our family and friends' 7th annual summer pilgrimage to Wisc. Dells (Wilderness Resort).

This year we will be taking up our P85+ Model S. It will be our and the car's first single long distance trip. Over the course of the year of ownership we have run the 'tank' down to 20 miles doing short trips here and there without charging until needed (more due to my wife not plugging in than trying to run the batteries down).

In anycase, we are driving up from Algonquin, IL (about 50 miles east of Rockford). I know there are SCs in Rockford, Madison, and [news to me], Mauston. I don't drive our Tesla conservativley like how I see so many other owners in my area driving them. I'll throw it around in corners, I accelerate....hard, I get on the brakes....moderately because "hey, brakes make you go slower and my intent is to drive faster". In short, I'm not trying to conserve/reserve energy; we've not needed to in this last year.

I know many of you have traversed WI with little to no issues, but being our first trip and with our young kids (5 and 7), I've got a little angst. I'm trying to figure our whether on a full charge, I should stop in Rockford on our way up, in Mauston sometime over the weekend and then in Rockford on the return trip, or something else.

Any suggestions from those that have visited any or all of those chargers?

If I90 is congested, I'll probably take 20 from Elgin to Rockford....and maybe try to stay local to Madison. This will be a great one-year anniversary drive for our Tesla....it's been a great year of ownership (gone are the $600 - $900/month fill ups the wife use to do). If anyone is around up in Lake Delton and want to meet up for a drink, bite, or some pictures of the cars, let me know!
Very nice meeting you and your family today! Hope to see you in the Dells again!