Model X towing a Safari Condo A-2124 trailer

[Nilnoc]

Safari Condo has a new fixed roof Alto trailer model: A-2124. The 'A' is for 'Aerodynamic'. It is very pointy on the front end extending all the way to the hitch. It's very angular overall; no rounded front and real like the F-1743 that ecarfan has. The new model's roof slopes down slightly in the front and rear. The roof's center section is flat and level. In the rear of the trailer they sliced off the corners at what appears to be a 45 degree angle, leaving a flat, upright section in the rear center. The wheels have flat 'aero covers'. All this results in some compromises in the inside seating/sleeping areas. There is a facebook video by the the manufacturer. They say they did virtual wind tunnel modeling and this trailer has 50 percent less drag than other Altos and will enable the tow vehicle to get 13 percent better fuel efficiency. The model A-2124 has not shown up on the Safari Condo website yet. It is reported that the first trailer was sold to the owner of a Tesla Model X.

 

[Nilnoc]

Tha A-2124 is not exactly a beauty....View media item 119902

 

[ecarfan]

Safari Condo has a new fixed roof Alto trailer model: A-2124

I was not aware of that. That model is not shown on the Safari Condo website, and a web search does not find any references to it.

I don’t use Facebook. There must be information about it somewhere else.

 

[ecarfan]

Tha A-2124 is not exactly a beauty....View media item 119902

The link to that image doesn’t work for me.

 

[Morristhecat]

I saw the new trailer on Facebook too. Here is the A-2124 from there. Not my pix, hopefully posting here is ok. Interesting trailer.

 

[Nilnoc]

Boy I sure would like to know if towing advantages of the A2124 outweigh its interior compromises vs the F2114.

 

[Nilnoc]

I'd never seen an Alto before today, when a nearby, new owner allowed my wife and I to tour his 21 ft model A2114. He tows with a Mercedes ML350.

We really like this trailer. The build quality is superb. It's very bright and airy inside. The owner and his wife love it.

I took a picture of my car pretend hitched to the blue F2114. The silver would be a better trailer color for my MSM colored Tesla.

 

[Nilnoc]

I saw the new trailer on Facebook too. Here is the A-2124 from there. Not my pix, hopefully posting here is ok. Interesting trailer.

Was this posted in a Facebook Alto group? I'm a member of two such groups, and I've not seen these photos there. Anyway, I would love to be able to ask the new A2124 owner some questions.

 

[Nilnoc]

The link to that image doesn’t work for me.

I have trouble posting pics. Sorry. Anyway, the photos Morristhecat put up are better than what I posted.

Also, I've asked Safari Condo when their website will show the A2124.

 

[ecarfan]

They say they did virtual wind tunnel modeling and this trailer has 50 percent less drag than other Altos and will enable the tow vehicle to get 13 percent better fuel efficiency

Thanks for that info. Hopefully the Model X owner who purchased the A-2124 will start a thread here and post his Wh/mi numbers and the driving conditions associated with them.

Tha A-2124 is not exactly a beauty.

We are in agreement on that.

 

[Nilnoc]

A few pictures taken at the Safari Condo factory by the administrator of a facebook fan group for the fixed roof Alto trailers. The A2124 is a bizarre looking creature. Somehow the rear reminds me of the submarine Nautilas from the 1954 Disney movie "Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea." The front reminds me of the US Navy Zumwalt class destroyers.

 

[Morristhecat]

Here's some crazy efficiency data that safari condo posted on Facebook today. The efficiency is a bit unbelievable....

"Alto A2124: real life test, loaded caravan

Tractor Vehicle: Tesla Model X
Tesla and alto owner: xxxxxxxx
Temperature: 24-28 C, side wind 15-30 km / hr./
75-82F, cross-wind 9,3-18,6mph
Speed: 89 km /h (55 mi /h)
Distance: 410.9km / 255,3 mi/h
Energy consumption: an average of 310.5 WH / km
,
Xxxxxxxx owner of a Tesla X and dreaming of an ultra-Aerodynamic Caravan, worked in collaboration with Daniel Nadeau, founder of safari condo, to the realization of the project A2124."

 

[redgt]

Here's some crazy efficiency data that safari condo posted on Facebook today. The efficiency is a bit unbelievable....

"Alto A2124: real life test, loaded caravan

Tractor Vehicle: Tesla Model X
Tesla and alto owner: xxxxxxxx
Temperature: 24-28 C, side wind 15-30 km / hr./
75-82F, cross-wind 9,3-18,6mph
Speed: 89 km /h (55 mi /h)
Distance: 410.9km / 255,3 mi/h
Energy consumption: an average of 310.5 WH / km
,
Xxxxxxxx owner of a Tesla X and dreaming of an ultra-Aerodynamic Caravan, worked in collaboration with Daniel Nadeau, founder of safari condo, to the realization of the project A2124."

what isn't believable? 498 Wh/mi at 55 mph for a aerodynamic single axle camping trailer seems about right

 

[bob_p]

As more SUV EVs capable of towing hit the market, the trailer manufacturers should have more incentive for addressing aerodynamics.

When we were looking at a Bowlus last summer, we asked them if they had done any testing on their aerodynamics - and the answer was no (at that time).

Tesla (and other vehicle manufacturers) measure Cd (drag coefficient) - would be helpful if the trailer manufacturers did something similar, to quantify how aerodynamic their trailers are - though actual aerodynamics likely requires measuring the combination of a specific tow vehicle and trailer, which might require taking the measurements using a specific reference vehicle.

The A2124 is probably better than a trailer with a square front - but how does it compare to an Airstream with curved surfaces or a Bowlus with curved front and tapered rear?

Without any estimates provided by manufacturers, then we only have measurements by owners - which are not as reliable, due to the various factors that impact energy consumption measurements (speed, wind, elevation changes, surrounding traffic, …).

 

[AltoGrayhound]

Safari Condo has a new fixed roof Alto trailer model: A-2124. The 'A' is for 'Aerodynamic'. It is very pointy on the front end extending all the way to the hitch. It's very angular overall; no rounded front and real like the F-1743 that ecarfan has. The new model's roof slopes down slightly in the front and rear. The roof's center section is flat and level. In the rear of the trailer they sliced off the corners at what appears to be a 45 degree angle, leaving a flat, upright section in the rear center. The wheels have flat 'aero covers'. All this results in some compromises in the inside seating/sleeping areas. There is a facebook video by the the manufacturer. They say they did virtual wind tunnel modeling and this trailer has 50 percent less drag than other Altos and will enable the tow vehicle to get 13 percent better fuel efficiency. The model A-2124 has not shown up on the Safari Condo website yet. It is reported that the first trailer was sold to the owner of a Tesla Model X.

Hello Everybody it is me on the picture my avatar is @AltoGrayhound Grayhound I had a Alto F1743 like ecarfan ecarfan and did aerodynamic test. After talking with SafariCondo I worked with them on this new prototype. I did comparison test with F1743 and F2114 on the same day and same trip at the beginning in April. Now that I have mine the test are real life with all the stock in. the results are fantastic: 499.8wh/mi. It is comparable with Bowlus test from Jack and idoco. I will post more info in the coming days with pictures. I will follow-up with my experience.

 

[AltoGrayhound]

Thanks for that info. Hopefully the Model X owner who purchased the A-2124 will start a thread here and post his Wh/mi numbers and the driving conditions associated with them.

We are in agreement on that.

Hey gang, beauty is personnal and you should see it in person. It is not as sexy as the F1743 but it is a move in the good direction on the consumption side. The interior is spacious and very nice. I should post some picture this week. I already informed @ecarfan, @ohmman , @idoco and @JimVandegriff . So thank you @Nilnoc for starting this and for @Morristhecat the numbers are real. As some of you have posted we try to keep real scientific information. I did ride about 15,000km with my F1743 and I can tell you that the A2124 is at least 10% more efficient with almost 800lbs surplus and 4 feet longer. As most of you have talked the important thing is AERODYNAMIC!!! Will be happy to read you and maybe one day meet in a SC near or a camping.

 

[ecarfan]

Here's some crazy efficiency data that safari condo posted on Facebook today. The efficiency is a bit unbelievable

Speed: 89 km /h (55 mi /h)
Distance: 410.9km / 255,3 mi/h
Energy consumption: an average of 310.5 WH / km

I think you missed that the figure is Wh/km, and as @redgt noted that is equivalent to 498Wh/mi.

Test conditions were posted as temps in high 70’s, moderate crosswind, and I assume a flat dry road.

 

[ecarfan]

Hey congratulations on your new one-of-a-kind Alto! Thanks for posting your energy usage numbers. I look forward to seeing photos of the interior and learning more about the A2114.

Hello Everybody it is me on the picture my avatar is Grayhound I had a Alto F1743 like ecarfan ecarfan and did aerodynamic test. After talking with SafariCondo I worked with them on this new prototype. I did comparison test with F1743 and F2114 on the same day and same trip at the beginning in April. Now that I have mine the test are real life with all the stock in. the results are fantastic: 499.8wh/mi. It is comparable with Bowlus test from Jack and idoco. I will post more info in the coming days with pictures. I will follow-up with my experience.

 

[AltoGrayhound]

Bonjour @ecarfan thank's for the follow-up. Looking forward to share more info. For now here is a promotional picture from SafariCondo

 

[Misterbee]

That’s a nice trailer! What is the empty weight, and the hitch weight?