Not confident this is a good road trip vehicle for me...

[SFOTurtle]

I've driven over 55k miles in two different MS, including half a dozen long (more than 400 miles each way) distance road trips (and often on imperfect roads that believe it or not, are pretty common here in CA). All of these miles are on 19s, and knock on wood, no flats to date.

We also have rear-facing seats in our MS 85 which we just started being able to use. But for long road trips, we bring car seats for our 3 kids. No way I'm putting our twin 3 year olds in the rear facing seats for hours at a time. We bought our MS 85 on the second-hand market specifically because it had the third row seats, but we only plan to use those on short-haul trips, like hauling 5 kids around town or we have two adults and need to put the twins in the rear facing seats and two adults and the baby in the back seats.

 

[gavine]

Carry a can of Fix-A-Flat.

 

[kirkbauer]

Either put both kids in the second row when travelling far from home (we do this anyhow as we need the rear space for luggage and the jump seats aren't all that comfortable for long trips), or throw a booster seat in the frunk just in case. If a kid is big enough to ride in the jump seats, they'll be fine with a booster in a pinch.

That's a great point; my older child is just barely in the range to sit back there so we don't have a booster seat for her yet and honestly hadn't looked into it.

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GOOD NEWS! I have a solution to your problem:

1. rename this thread "why I shouldn't have ordered 21 inch high performance wheels on a family car"
2. sell your 21 inch wheels and put on the Tesla 19s.
3. resume use of Tesla as a family car with very little chance of a flat tire ever again.

Sure, until a drive unit fails, or any other thing that might go wrong.

Look, I understand the 21" are higher risk, however I have lost three tires in the past on my Acura and those were 205/60R16 so compared to those one could argue the 19" wheels on the MS are high risk.

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As for tire shops, there's nothing magical about tesla tires, any tire shop can fix them, same as on the mini van.

That's great to know, thanks. My understanding is there are different bolt patterns for wheels -- if I had lost a wheel would a random tire shop have a wheel that could work, at least temporarily, in a pinch?

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Carry a can of Fix-A-Flat.

I have a tire repair kit with this type of stuff in it, but when the tire is ripped open and I can physically hear the air coming out my assumption is it wouldn't have helped, however I didn't try so I could be wrong?

 

[Moonwick]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad roadtrip. Glad you were able to get back home without any further trouble. Your point about needing to carry a spare child seat on road trips is a valid one; the storage penalty that comes with those seats is something that people might not consider when they elect to get them. It wouldn't be a bad idea for Tesla to make it more clear that there's less storage available when choosing that option.

 

[kirkbauer]

Agree with others. This is a tire issue, which can happen on any vehicle, particularly those in the same class as the Model S. I'm not sure I see how this is a Tesla issue.

This would be my suggestion for Tesla:

1) Yes, their preferred roadside assistance providers should carry spare tires since their vehicle doesn't come with a spare tire. It would save a lot of hassle and possibly money for Tesla and/or us owners.

2) Being that Tesla is unique in that it offers built-in car seats, their preferred roadside assistance providers should carry two booster seats to use in an emergency.

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I'm sorry to hear about your bad roadtrip. Glad you were able to get back home without any further trouble. Your point about needing to carry a spare child seat on road trips is a valid one; the storage penalty that comes with those seats is something that people might not consider when they elect to get them. It wouldn't be a bad idea for Tesla to make it more clear that there's less storage available when choosing that option.

Yes, thank you, I agree, it is just something that didn't dawn on me until I was on the side of the road

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We also have rear-facing seats in our MS 85 which we just started being able to use. But for long road trips, we bring car seats for our 3 kids. No way I'm putting our twin 3 year olds in the rear facing seats for hours at a time. We bought our MS 85 on the second-hand market specifically because it had the third row seats, but we only plan to use those on short-haul trips, like hauling 5 kids around town or we have two adults and need to put the twins in the rear facing seats and two adults and the baby in the back seats.

In my case my older daughter loves the rear seat and she has spent a lot of time back there, including now two road trips. I'm curious why you say "no way I'm putting our twin 3 year olds in the rear facing seats for hours at a time". Thanks!

 

[green1]

Sure, until a drive unit fails, or any other thing that might go wrong.

Again, not unique to Tesla, there are MANY possible failure points on all vehicles, Tesla actually has far fewer than most as the EV drive train is quite simple in comparison to an ICE. All vehicles are prone to possible failure.

That's great to know, thanks. My understanding is there are different bolt patterns for wheels -- if I had lost a wheel would a random tire shop have a wheel that could work, at least temporarily, in a pinch?

The bolt patterns are different on basically every vehicle out there, though I gather the MS may share with some BMW model? The odds of a random tire shop having a new wheel for ANY vehicle just sitting on the shelf is exceedingly low, but any shop can order ones that will fit, again, no different from any other vehicle on the road.

Basically it sounds to me like you had a break down, these happen in EVERY vehicle, and there's nothing special about a Tesla in this regard. They suck, and there's little you can do about it. Doesn't matter if you drive a chev, a mercedes, a kia, or a Tesla, you have exactly the same possible issues.

 

[kirkbauer]

Again, not unique to Tesla, there are MANY possible failure points on all vehicles, Tesla actually has far fewer than most as the EV drive train is quite simple in comparison to an ICE. All vehicles are prone to possible failure.


The bolt patterns are different on basically every vehicle out there, though I gather the MS may share with some BMW model? The odds of a random tire shop having a new wheel for ANY vehicle just sitting on the shelf is exceedingly low, but any shop can order ones that will fit, again, no different from any other vehicle on the road.

Basically it sounds to me like you had a break down, these happen in EVERY vehicle, and there's nothing special about a Tesla in this regard. They suck, and there's little you can do about it. Doesn't matter if you drive a chev, a mercedes, a kia, or a Tesla, you have exactly the same possible issues.

I don't disagree, however this is the first time I've ever been stuck without a way to get home in my 25 years of driving. So much of my concern might be due to the novelty of the event more than something specific to the MS. Yes part of it is the 21" wheels. Part of it is the (hopefully) unlikely event where I lost two tires at once. Part of it was exaggerated by the fact that I couldn't legally/safely transfer my children to a different vehicle. Etc.

In this case it wasn't all that bad, but I think about the scenario where my wife was with us, then how would we have got home? One adult drive 1.5 hours with the tow truck to Atlanta, then drive 1.5 hours back up with the alternate vehicle, then 1.5 hours back home? Or hitchhike/Uber to a hotel and drive with a stranger with no car seat for our kids? A lot of the issue revolved around not having a removable car seat for our children, that really limited our options in an unexpected way.

I do assume that if you break down in a Honda Accord you have a lot more options for shops that can fix you up, some of which might be open on Sundays for example.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Rear facing seats are not unique, rear facing child seats are.

As for tire shops, there's nothing magical about tesla tires, any tire shop can fix them, same as on the mini van.

The rear facing jumps seats in the E350 wagon are for children. Max height is 4.5 ft. Unless there's some other distinction you're citing, the Model S is not unique in this.

 

[Sasmania]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. But I think my S is the greatest road trip car ever. I would never have 21" wheels on any car. And almost all cars in the S market class don't have a spare.

Agree...

Greatest Road Trip Car! When I got mine, it had 21's.... and wow did they look great! However, before my 27,000 mile trip, I switched to 19s. I hit plenty of potholes, and thankfully, not one issue.

PS - anyone want my set of 21" Turbines? Hahaha

 

[mwulff]

I would agree with everyone that says switch to 19" rims.

Also think of the situation as a lessons learned thing:

1. Carry a spare booster seat in the frunk.

2. The good thing about booster/child seats is that the problem solves itself given enough time

 

[David_Cary]

Leaf doesn't have a spare. Pretty sure the civic didn't either. So it really isn't a market class.

I have a quick run flat story from a BMW 545 with 18 in rims. I can't remember the sidewall dimension which is the real issue, not the diameter of the tire. But diameter is a lot easier. I hit a pothole on a road I drive everyday. In an upper middle class area with usually zero potholes. Bent two rims, had to get a flatbed and had all sorts of inconveniences. Cost well over $1000 (but I strangely had bought their rim/tire insurance).

So it can happen anywhere and sucks when it happens - no doubt. Runflats are not a panacea - they held air but you wouldn't want to drive far with bent rims. It was so bad, a flat tire wouldn't have been much worse.

Last tidbit - there is an inflatable booster seat. Bubble bum I think. We actually use it daily in a 3 in the back of a Lexus SUV situation. Not ideal but tiny when not inflated. It is DOT certified.

Sorry you've gotten a little picked on. I think people can get a little sensitive and your title is an issue.

 

[jerry33]

From DFW to Seattle and back, 19" tires no flats. I've hit some really bad potholes and no damage in the 62K miles I've put on the car. But, you have to keep some air in your tires. Use the vehicle placard pressure as the pressure you never want to go below. The air is your protection from potholes, and the 21" tires are particularly sensitive to this because they have almost no sidewall to cushion the shock. It's almost 100% certain that you wouldn't have had a problem with 19" tires.

 

[kirkbauer]

I would agree with everyone that says switch to 19" rims.

Also think of the situation as a lessons learned thing:

1. Carry a spare booster seat in the frunk.

2. The good thing about booster/child seats is that the problem solves itself given enough time

I do agree that a spare booster would be necessary but I do wish roadside assistance could have a spare one as part of supporting our vehicles. In my case with one car seat in the rear seat and one child in the third-row seats it really limits my storage space. But I haven't explored booster seats, perhaps they can be pretty small.

 

[BertL]

OP, sorry for the problems. I agree with others and think it's been pounded into the ground about the 21" vs 19" wheels, so i won't go there.

I do think a couple of recent posts are on to the more important (IMHO) points:

• Other problems you encountered are not unique to MS
• The issue about child seats with any tow company having enough in a single vehicle at any point in time is something honestly I think you need to determine alternatives for your family situation, should a tow truck be unable to help you. IMHO, AAA is likely going to have the same issue you ran into with Tesla's tow service if you're not in a metropolitan area with their larger fleet of providers -- I believe AAA uses their own authorized companies first, but just like other services Tesla and others use, goes to the same secondary market in areas perhaps less traveled. Also, FWIW, even in metropolitan Los Angeles, I one time had to wait over 90 minutes for AAA service to arrive because I suspect it was at the end of morning rush hour and all tow companies were swamped, but if I had a special circumstance (like car seats) that would possibly limit the number of trucks that could help me, well, I may have waited even longer.
• Traveling in rural areas can be problematic in any vehicle. Some of the places I've passed-through I doubt could have helped me with anything except the very basics on any of today's vehicles. I've had friends living in those areas telling me to pray my former Lexus RXh didn't break down there, as local shops wouldn't be able to help. Is it an option, even if it's further, to change your future route so there are more metropolitan areas where broader assistance may be of future help?
  
• Honestly, I don't believe my MS would be any more problematic on road trips -- just some different potential points of failure compared to other vehicles I've owned. Considering the route I'm going to take based on what and how much I'm carrying, along with checking the weather forecast, is something I generally try to do -- but then again, I'm a bit of a planner and like to have a Plan B in my head and Plan C partially cooked should something go wrong -- e.g. before my MS, when I had a SUV and a 2-seater MBZ in my garage, even going solo, I've been known to switch vehicles and take my former SUV when it looked like nasty weather may happen or throw a blanket into the back of either one just-in-case...

Good luck!

 

[green1]

Sorry you've gotten a little picked on. I think people can get a little sensitive and your title is an issue.

I'm sorry if I'm one of the people who is "picking on" the OP. But there are enough legitimate complaints about Tesla (and I am not at all shy about pointing them out!) that we don't need to add issues that exist on every single vehicle ever made to the list.
Stuff happens, there isn't a single thing in this story that's unique to Tesla, and to blame Tesla for it just doesn't make any sense. This is all part of road tripping in ANY vehicle.

 

[brkaus]

Just to throw another option out there, rental car companies have car seats available with car rental and one way drop off. Some even pickup.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Would a spare wheel fit in the Frunk?

We have Winter / Summer tyres and when we go on a long trip (not often) we always take one of the other-type as a spare. We haven't owned a Make/Model of car in UK that had a spare for quite some time now - the saving in weight gets them some Green Eco points which reduces the Tax on the vehicle etc. etc. etc. Of course the first time you have a flat and have to get a tow truck out you've probably used up all the possible Planet Saving that was on offer.

 

[jgs]

Regarding the car seats, I have a couple of these on order: http://www.mifold.com. If they pan out, they seem ideal. Right now I carry one of these in my frunk: Inflatable childs booster seat by BubbleBum (UK) Ltd. Also gets the job done and is very lightweight and compact. (I don't have the third-row seats, it's a guest seat.) Given the price and size for either of these options, I can't see a reason for someone with kids not to have one on hand, doubly so since they're also useful for travel.

 

[Max*]

You should look up the safety rules, IIRC the law is 40lbs and 4 years old minimum age to use a booster safely. Also the "backless" boosters are for much older kids (6-7?).

So if your kid is 3 years old (based on the just big enough to ride the RFS), a booster is better than nothing, but it doesn't give you the support or safety of a carseat.

 

[kirkbauer]

Regarding the car seats, I have a couple of these on order: http://www.mifold.com. If they pan out, they seem ideal. Right now I carry one of these in my frunk: Inflatable childs booster seat by BubbleBum (UK) Ltd. Also gets the job done and is very lightweight and compact. (I don't have the third-row seats, it's a guest seat.) Given the price and size for either of these options, I can't see a reason for someone with kids not to have one on hand, doubly so since they're also useful for travel.

That's perfect, she just turned 4yo, I'm going to order one as a backup.

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Would a spare wheel fit in the Frunk?

No, unfortunately not on a P85D.

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Just to throw another option out there, rental car companies have car seats available with car rental and one way drop off. Some even pickup.

I think that would have been my backup option had my wife not been available.

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there isn't a single thing in this story that's unique to Tesla, and to blame Tesla for it just doesn't make any sense.

Incorrect. No other vehicle (that I'm aware of) has built-in car seats that can't be moved to another vehicle if there is a breakdown.

I also hear (through the forums, not personal experience) that unlike most other vehicle brands it is difficult or impossible for third-party repair shops to get parts. This would require at least some work to be done only in Tesla service centers of which there are a lot fewer than third-party repair shops.