Most common additional adapters?

[scaesare]

For the sake of preparedness, I'm planning on purchasing the additional adapters Tesla makes available and adding them to my charging kit over time. I figure spending a couple of hundred bucks over time will pay for itself the first time I'm stranded somewhere and an adapter (slowly) saves the day...

It so happens that I have a service center appointment in a couple of days and they stock the additional adapters. There are now four AC adapters available: 10-30; 14-30; 6-50; and 5-20.

The 5-20 will probably be my last, only because it would be a last-resort type of charge, and my 5-15 will already work in most 5-20 receptacles (albeit at slightly lower current). Of the others, any recommendations as to the ones that might most come in handy out in the wild?

I might as well start with whatever likely has the most bang for the buck.

Thanks...

 

[Benjamin Brooks]

For the sake of preparedness, I'm planning on purchasing the additional adapters Tesla makes available and adding them to my charging kit over time. I figure spending a couple of hundred bucks over time will pay for itself the first time I'm stranded somewhere and an adapter (slowly) saves the day...

It so happens that I have a service center appointment in a couple of days and they stock the additional adapters. There are now four AC adapters available: 10-30; 14-30; 6-50; and 5-20.

The 5-20 will probably be my last, only because it would be a last-resort type of charge, and my 5-15 will already work in most 5-20 receptacles (albeit at slightly lower current). Of the others, any recommendations as to the ones that might most come in handy out in the wild?

I might as well start with whatever likely has the most bang for the buck.

Thanks...

I have all the adapters.

The ones I've used most often (in order)-
14-50
10-30
14-30
5-15

Ones I've never had the opportunity to use (yet) are the 6-50 & 5-20

 

[Lloyd]

It's funny, but I have used the 6-50 the most as I have them installed in my garage and shop for welding, then I installed additional 14-50's. If you are around shops where welding equipment is used, this is the most common plug.

 

[ElSupreme]

10-30 works in my dryer outlet, my grandparents dryer outlet, and my brother dryer outlet! I am also using this for the Female portion of my extension cord.
14-30 works in new (1990) house's dryer outlets.

6-50 I work in a shop that has welders. And well, they don't have these outlets. I haven't seen one of these in the wild ever. So I don't have one.
5-20 probably isn't worth much.

 

[wraithnot]

Here is an example of a 6-50 adapter saving the day: EV Charging Location - Chiriaco Summit - Chiriaco Summit, CA (see saprolf's July 14th comment). I plan to charge at Chiriaco summit on my upcoming road trip to New Mexico so spending $45 on a 6-50 adapter was a no-brainer. While I was at it, I bought the rest of the $45 adapters I didn't already have just in case.

 

[scaesare]

While I was at it, I bought the rest of the $45 adapters I didn't already have just in case.

That's probably the best thing to do... just grab em and have em....

 

[gimp_dad]

For the sake of preparedness, I'm planning on purchasing the additional adapters Tesla makes available and adding them to my charging kit over time. I figure spending a couple of hundred bucks over time will pay for itself the first time I'm stranded somewhere and an adapter (slowly) saves the day...

It so happens that I have a service center appointment in a couple of days and they stock the additional adapters. There are now four AC adapters available: 10-30; 14-30; 6-50; and 5-20.

The 5-20 will probably be my last, only because it would be a last-resort type of charge, and my 5-15 will already work in most 5-20 receptacles (albeit at slightly lower current). Of the others, any recommendations as to the ones that might most come in handy out in the wild?

I might as well start with whatever likely has the most bang for the buck.

Thanks...

You honestly have a $90k car and are concerned about how to stage the deployment of $180 in order to maximize your chances of being able to use it? Just get all 4. I'm sure you have already saved more than that in gas. I think I have a total of 12 different adapters (purchased or built) just to cover all the crazy scenarios my mind comes up with.

 

[Tacket]

14-50, then 6-50 for me. Got an Uncle with a shop and a 6-50 for his welder. Then built a 50' 6/3 SO extension cable with 6-50 ends. Much lighter than commercial RV 6/4 cables with 14-50 ends.

 

[scaesare]

You honestly have a $90k car and are concerned about how to stage the deployment of $180 in order to maximize your chances of being able to use it? Just get all 4. I'm sure you have already saved more than that in gas. I think I have a total of 12 different adapters (purchased or built) just to cover all the crazy scenarios my mind comes up with.

LOL, see the post I just made above...

 

[Chas F]

It's more important to consider the location of those rarely used outlets. For example, if you're going to get a 10-30 or 14-30 dryer outlet adapter you also have to consider how close you can get your car to said outlet. If no less than 20 ft, then you're going to need an extension cable anyway so the adapter on the UMC isn't going to do you any good. I would invest in a 50 amp RV extension cable and buy a set of adapters around that (esveadapters.com, for ex). At least then, you'll be able to use those with or without the extension cable. You'll. only need the Tesla 14-50 adapter in that case which you should already have.

 

[SCW-Greg]

I have a 10-30, a 14-30, and one of these Amazon.com: Conntek RV Adapter TT-30P 30A RV Plug to RV 50A 125/250V Female Connector: Sports Outdoors

My brother (in central Oregon) has an unused dryer outlet right by his garage, so I thought one of these would work. Turns out he had some other outlet all together. So I went down to Home Depot and put in a 14-50 for him (me), and just draw 24amps instead. Suppose I should put in a proper 14-30, but the car remembers the setting at his house... so I'm not in a rush.

A 5-20 would be helpful at my Mother-in-law's home (Seattle). There's the Centralia Supercharger about halfway between, but this would give just a bit more while we stay for weekend trips.

Only thing I've used so far is my 110, and 14-50 adapters.

 

[ElSupreme]

14-50, then 6-50 for me. Got an Uncle with a shop and a 6-50 for his welder. Then built a 50' 6/3 SO extension cable with 6-50 ends. Much lighter than commercial RV 6/4 cables with 14-50 ends.

This is what I did (I asked for 55' and got 75' because it was precut!) I am using a Female 10-30 where I use the 10-30 adapter, this assures that my cord will be rated at 30A. Then I am using a NEMA L6-30 (twist lock) end that I can put any adapter I want on the end. I get an additional 65' of charge distance!

I only have 10-30, 14-30 and 14-50 adapters made up right now.

And remember kids you need to label your home made adapters if they are not connected as someone would expect.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I have a 10-30, a 14-30, and one of these Amazon.com: Conntek RV Adapter TT-30P 30A RV Plug to RV 50A 125/250V Female Connector: Sports Outdoors

That adapter almost certainly will NOT work with the Tesla for charging. What those adapters do is to provide the single 120V hot from the TT-30 onto both the 240V hots of the NEMA 14-50. That works in RVs for powering all its 120V appliances. But the Tesla will simply see 0V across the NEMA 14-50 hots, so it will not work.

If you want a TT-30 adapter ready made that will work, then get the one from EVSEAdapters.com - they rewired it to make it work properly for the Tesla: http://evseadapters.com/adapters-for-tesla-model-s.php

You could also rewire yours to work correctly. Use the instructions in this PDF to guide you on what pins are connected to what (the Tesla cares which hot of the 240V 14-50 has the 120V): http://cosmacelf.net/Home Made Adapters.pdf

And finally, due to a software limitation of the Tesla, you can only draw 20A from the TT-30 rather than 24A. Given the usually abysmal state of the wiring in RV parks, that's probably just as well.

 

[CanuckS#69]

I have a 6-50 that I got early on. I have a 6-50 outlet and a heavy duty extension for a welder, so if my 14-50 goes tits up I have a backup outlet and wiring. My neighbor also has a 6-50 welder outlet, so there's a backup to the backup. I've never used it on the road, but I figured that with most shops having one of the two 240v plugs, it might eventually come in handy.

On the road, I've used the 110v and J1772.

 

[wraithnot]

I have a 6-50 that I got early on. I have a 6-50 outlet and a heavy duty extension for a welder, so if my 14-50 goes tits up I have a backup outlet and wiring. My neighbor also has a 6-50 welder outlet, so there's a backup to the backup. I've never used it on the road, but I figured that with most shops having one of the two 240v plugs, it might eventually come in handy.

On the road, I've used the 110v and J1772.

My rear end is currently being saved by the 6-50 adapter I purchased a few weeks ago. There are currently THREE model S's at Chiriaco summit. The person using the HPWV needs several more hours, but I'm currently charging from the 6-50 outlet in the nearby garage