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Model Y towing/tongue capacity with 20" wheels

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It's frustrating that Tesla has made this subject so confusing, and I'm not sure if anyone will have an answer. For the Model Y tow hitch, Tesla initially said that with the 20" wheels the towing capacity was reduced from 3500 to 2300 lbs, and the tongue capacity was reduced from 350 to 230 lbs. This seems like a pretty dramatic reduction. On their website though, they seem to have removed this distinction (see here: UPDATE: Tesla Model Y Towing |20-In Wheels Don't Reduce Weight Capacity.). I assume they just corrected the specifications, or maybe they changed the hitch itself?

Of course I have the Model Y with 20" wheels. I'm considering putting a dirt bike carrier on the back, so clarifying this is pretty important. What worries me is the manual still has the old specs listed. Any ideas?
 
Towing over the years, if you have the vehicle check the sticker inside the door jamb, it should state the younger weight and vehicle load capacities. If you don't, if near a dealer see if they will let you check the stickers on ones they have on the lot. I'm still waiting for mine so can't add additional help.

Tires really are a limiting factor when towing, if it is a major concern see if you can get higher load capacity tires after purchase.
 
Re reading your post, if putting a full dirt bike on the back, I would recommend a trailer. I have seen so many of those hitch mount racks break at the tracks. Maybe they have gotten better, but you also have to factor in the farther from the hitch the higher the load. So even if the bike weighs under 250lbs, depending how from the hitch may actually be more of a load, especially when going over bumps etc.
 
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Re reading your post, if putting a full dirt bike on the back, I would recommend a trailer. I have seen so many of those hitch mount racks break at the tracks. Maybe they have gotten better, but you also have to factor in the farther from the hitch the higher the load. So even if the bike weighs under 250lbs, depending how from the hitch may actually be more of a load, especially when going over bumps etc.

I think you're probably right. Would still like to know the true towing capacity of my car. Appreciate the insight!
 
Regardless of the towing capacity, tongue weight limit is not the same as hitch weight limit. If you're putting a carrier with no wheels (i.e., not a trailer) into the receiver, the weight limit will be way lower than the tongue weight capacity, like half of it.
 
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Regardless of the towing capacity, tongue weight limit is not the same as hitch weight limit. If you're putting a carrier with no wheels (i.e., not a trailer) into the receiver, the weight limit will be way lower than the tongue weight capacity, like half of it.

I recently learned that as well. I wonder how people determine how much weight they can safely put on the trailer with bike carriers. That capacity doesn't seem to be listed typically. I suppose it depends on how far from the tow hitch the carrier sticks out, like Frank1 mentioned.
 
According to the MY manual, the accessory weight limit is 160 lbs regardless of tire size. In the examples they give, they simply add up the weights of the carrier and cargo (e.g., bikes), so I would guess this capacity has enough leeway to allow for variances in leverage depending on how far the load ends up being from the receiver. At least to a reasonable extent.
 
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FYI, I have a LR Dual Motor Model Y. I also have a 20 ft. dual axle Carson racecar trailer. The trailer is listed by the mfgr. as approximately 2500 lbs. I have towed it twice now with the MY without drama. The Tesla has ample torque. I towed over the local Santa Cruz mountains (1,800 ft.) with no issues whatsoever. I towed it only with my spare engine and parts (about 700 lbs) additional and have not tried towing it with the race car, which would likely exceed the 3500lb stated ratings. I take care to keep the hitch weight balanced. The Tesla seems quite capable to tow this, even more so than a former BMW X5 I had (with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs). The trailer has 4 wheel electric brakes which were Plug n Play with the Tesla installed tow package. I did not install a brake controller, but rather used the Smartphone based ECHO controller, which plugs between the vehicle and the trailer. No installation necessary, and the brakes work perfectly. The downside is that it uses at least 3X electric consumption, and provides about 1/3 the range. I charged to 300 mi range to take a 57mi trip. When I arrived, I had a bit less than 100 mi remaining. Had to recharge, and then got the same result
IMG_7756.jpg
for the return trip.
 
FYI, I have a LR Dual Motor Model Y. I also have a 20 ft. dual axle Carson racecar trailer. The trailer is listed by the mfgr. as approximately 2500 lbs. I have towed it twice now with the MY without drama. The Tesla has ample torque. I towed over the local Santa Cruz mountains (1,800 ft.) with no issues whatsoever. I towed it only with my spare engine and parts (about 700 lbs) additional and have not tried towing it with the race car, which would likely exceed the 3500lb stated ratings. I take care to keep the hitch weight balanced. The Tesla seems quite capable to tow this, even more so than a former BMW X5 I had (with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs). The trailer has 4 wheel electric brakes which were Plug n Play with the Tesla installed tow package. I did not install a brake controller, but rather used the Smartphone based ECHO controller, which plugs between the vehicle and the trailer. No installation necessary, and the brakes work perfectly. The downside is that it uses at least 3X electric consumption, and provides about 1/3 the range. I charged to 300 mi range to take a 57mi trip. When I arrived, I had a bit less than 100 mi remaining. Had to recharge, and then got the same result View attachment 588578 for the return trip.
Oh yes, and I have the 20" wheels/tires.
 
FYI, I have a LR Dual Motor Model Y. I also have a 20 ft. dual axle Carson racecar trailer. The trailer is listed by the mfgr. as approximately 2500 lbs. I have towed it twice now with the MY without drama. The Tesla has ample torque. I towed over the local Santa Cruz mountains (1,800 ft.) with no issues whatsoever. I towed it only with my spare engine and parts (about 700 lbs) additional and have not tried towing it with the race car, which would likely exceed the 3500lb stated ratings. I take care to keep the hitch weight balanced. The Tesla seems quite capable to tow this, even more so than a former BMW X5 I had (with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs). The trailer has 4 wheel electric brakes which were Plug n Play with the Tesla installed tow package. I did not install a brake controller, but rather used the Smartphone based ECHO controller, which plugs between the vehicle and the trailer. No installation necessary, and the brakes work perfectly. The downside is that it uses at least 3X electric consumption, and provides about 1/3 the range. I charged to 300 mi range to take a 57mi trip. When I arrived, I had a bit less than 100 mi remaining. Had to recharge, and then got the same result View attachment 588578 for the return trip.
That’s awesome to see...bummer about the range hit but to be expected.
I’ll be towing motorcycles to the track so won’t be towing as much weight. In fact, my trailer is super light (I live in the city so don’t have space for an enclosed trailer).
 
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For what it's worth, I contacted Tesla support to clarify. They said the towing capacity is the same regardless of tires. They basically just regurgitated the updated product page for the tow hitch.

Also, the product page for the official Model Y bike rack says the weight limit is 120 lbs (the carrier itself is 40 lbs). So the weight limit seems to be 160 lbs (at least for this carrier), just as LNL_HUTZ said earlier: Model X/Y Hitch Rack. It does not differentiate between tire sizes.
 
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For what it's worth, I contacted Tesla support to clarify. They said the towing capacity is the same regardless of tires. They basically just regurgitated the updated product page for the tow hitch.

Also, the product page for the official Model Y bike rack says the weight limit is 120 lbs (the carrier itself is 40 lbs). So the weight limit seems to be 160 lbs (at least for this carrier), just as LNL_HUTZ said earlier: Model X/Y Hitch Rack. It does not differentiate between tire sizes.

Note: When carrying bicycles or other items on the Model X/Y hitch, always check to ensure that the maximum weight is not exceeded. The Model X/Y hitch is designed to support loading of up to 120 lbs.

Note: they said "hitch" here, not "hitch rack". Thus the max bike load is 120 lb - 40 lb (rack weight) = 80 lb max.
Unless this was a typo, and they meant to say "hitch rack is designed to support loading of up to 120 lbs."

If you're going to contact Tesla support again, it's a good value to clarify.
 
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What kind of ball mount did you use?

My 2" Ball mount is 11.75" long and I was worried that the ball is rather close to the rear bumper. I am wondering if need either a longer ball mount or an extension tube.

Thought?
I just used my standard ball mount I've used previously on a Suburban, Tahoe, BMW X5, Ford Escape, and now the Y. It is tucked close to the bumper, but works just fine.
 
I posted this on another two hitch post in this forum somewhere but wanted to share it here. It is a screenshot from the in-car manual and it clarified the 3500 vs 2300 etc. I had checked it after the install as I wanted to buff up on the towing package. It says the 20" wheels with up to 3 passengers is good to go for the 3500 lbs and that 4th person will be the turning point to the lower rating. Again odd, but that is what it states. I will be towing a 2k lbs trailer next week and will keep you posted. Also, about the actual ball mount, the manual says no more than 8.5" in length and more than a 3/4" rise.

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