Ohmman's Airstream Adventures

[steilkurve]

Until you get into a situation where your trailer is swaying significantly I would think the Tesla sway control will not activate. That could explain why you have yet to experience it.

Of course. But I’ve not read any f anyone who has either. Either way, it would only attempt to mitigate sway, not prevent it. Latter is better. And if it’s indeed only the car’s brake that it applies, it’s not the best way to control sway.

 

[steilkurve]

Thanks to steilkurve, @Human and @JimVandegriff. All of my questions answered.

Etrailer suggested this WD hitch: https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/Reese/RP66086.html

Less $$ than weigh-safe but no scale.

I've not tried Reese Straight Line myself but they do seem popular.

What trailer hitch are you going with?

 

[Hblick48]

I've not tried Reese Straight Line myself but they do seem popular.

What trailer hitch are you going with?

Probably the Resse. It will be a while before I'm ready to pull the trigger. Thanks to you guys, I know what I'll need.

 

[ohmman]

On Sunday, 9/27/2020, I took delivery of a new 2020 X LR+ to replace my 90D. Advertised EPA range is 351 miles, and that's about what I'm seeing, extrapolating from a 90% charge. My estimates were that I'd see about 175 miles of total range while towing, based on the consumption with my 90D. However, there were a number of questions in the air, since a lot of the additional range is due to the Raven drivetrain efficiencies, which may or may not translate to towing efficiency.

The timing was fortuitous, as we were in the midst of wildfires in the Sonoma area and the air quality was terrible, making us ready to escape. I also had a potential trip to Utah and Arizona booked starting the following week, and wouldn't have been able to make some of the stretches with our 90D. A friend was purchasing my 90D and was flying in from Texas to do so; this and the pending trip/desire to evacuate early from the poor air quality made delivery a bit of a "must-do" unless the car was inoperable. Not an ideal situation, but this wouldn't be my first go with a sub-par Model X.

At delivery, I noted two main issues and one minor issue. One major issue was that the driver's side door was misaligned, and the window made contact with the B pillar when closing. That also caused a lot of wind noise at the front of the window. I had this same problem with my 2016. The other is that there is a longish paint chip on the side of the hood. The minor issue is a misalignment of chrome trim on the passenger side. Also something I've seen before. EOQ vehicles + Tesla = same results for me.

I accepted the vehicle, my friend took my 90D to drive back to Texas, and I installed the Draw-Tite hitch the next day. We departed two days later, heading out on 80 to Truckee. First problem in Truckee was that the Supercharger handle got stuck in the vehicle. After an atrocious support experience with Tesla, and two hours in the parking lot, I wrangled it out and headed to camp. We continued to Wells, NV the following day, and SLC for a few nights after that.

Consumption reporting from the IC has been astoundingly low in comparison to my 90D. This, despite having a new front-mounted bike rack on the camper. At 57mph, we were stable below 530Wh/mi. Much of this trip has been towing at 60mph, something I barely dared to do with my 90D. I haven't yet charged to 100%, the max being about 93%. And I haven't dipped below 10%. That said, I do see a discrepancy between the IC consumption readout and the rated miles consumed. I know this can vary, but it always seems to be optimistically reporting consumption. I haven't spent the time yet to calculate the difference, but will strive to pay more attention as our trip continues. I just know that rated miles are decreasing more rapidly than consumption would indicate. If the IC reports 575Wh/mi for a trip, and EPA rated consumption is 300Wh/mi, I should be consuming slightly less than 2x as many rated miles over the leg, but I'm seeing slightly more. Again, I'll try to quantify this at some point.

We have continued to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Kanab for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (longish hike tomorrow) and Wire Pass (today). We will go on to Page, AZ and Sedona before returning home in a little over a week.

The most challenging stretch of our trip is coming up, going from our campground in Page, AZ to the Flagstaff Supercharger. 140 miles, 3200 feet of elevation gain should test the limits of our new X and rig. I may move the bikes inside the camper for that stretch.

Some photos from the trip are attached. I'll try to get more details on consumption and report them. So far, so good.


Truckee overnight + bike rack:

Dropping the camper to charge in Beaver, UT in the expansive adjacent space:

Cedar Breaks area:

Cedar Breaks NM:

East Zion:

Zion Narrows:

Zion Observation Point:

Hoodoos at Bryce:

 

[mspohr]

On Sunday, 9/27/2020, I took delivery of a new 2020 X LR+ to replace my 90D. Advertised EPA range is 351 miles, and that's about what I'm seeing, extrapolating from a 90% charge. My estimates were that I'd see about 175 miles of total range while towing, based on the consumption with my 90D. However, there were a number of questions in the air, since a lot of the additional range is due to the Raven drivetrain efficiencies, which may or may not translate to towing efficiency.

The timing was fortuitous, as we were in the midst of wildfires in the Sonoma area and the air quality was terrible, making us ready to escape. I also had a potential trip to Utah and Arizona booked starting the following week, and wouldn't have been able to make some of the stretches with our 90D. A friend was purchasing my 90D and was flying in from Texas to do so; this and the pending trip/desire to evacuate early from the poor air quality made delivery a bit of a "must-do" unless the car was inoperable. Not an ideal situation, but this wouldn't be my first go with a sub-par Model X.

At delivery, I noted two main issues and one minor issue. One major issue was that the driver's side door was misaligned, and the window made contact with the B pillar when closing. That also caused a lot of wind noise at the front of the window. I had this same problem with my 2016. The other is that there is a longish paint chip on the side of the hood. The minor issue is a misalignment of chrome trim on the passenger side. Also something I've seen before. EOQ vehicles + Tesla = same results for me.

I accepted the vehicle, my friend took my 90D to drive back to Texas, and I installed the Draw-Tite hitch the next day. We departed two days later, heading out on 80 to Truckee. First problem in Truckee was that the Supercharger handle got stuck in the vehicle. After an atrocious support experience with Tesla, and two hours in the parking lot, I wrangled it out and headed to camp. We continued to Wells, NV the following day, and SLC for a few nights after that.

Consumption reporting from the IC has been astoundingly low in comparison to my 90D. This, despite having a new front-mounted bike rack on the camper. At 57mph, we were stable below 530Wh/mi. Much of this trip has been towing at 60mph, something I barely dared to do with my 90D. I haven't yet charged to 100%, the max being about 93%. And I haven't dipped below 10%. That said, I do see a discrepancy between the IC consumption readout and the rated miles consumed. I know this can vary, but it always seems to be optimistically reporting consumption. I haven't spent the time yet to calculate the difference, but will strive to pay more attention as our trip continues. I just know that rated miles are decreasing more rapidly than consumption would indicate. If the IC reports 575Wh/mi for a trip, and EPA rated consumption is 300Wh/mi, I should be consuming slightly less than 2x as many rated miles over the leg, but I'm seeing slightly more. Again, I'll try to quantify this at some point.

We have continued to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Kanab for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (longish hike tomorrow) and Wire Pass (today). We will go on to Page, AZ and Sedona before returning home in a little over a week.

The most challenging stretch of our trip is coming up, going from our campground in Page, AZ to the Flagstaff Supercharger. 140 miles, 3200 feet of elevation gain should test the limits of our new X and rig. I may move the bikes inside the camper for that stretch.

Some photos from the trip are attached. I'll try to get more details on consumption and report them. So far, so good.


Truckee overnight + bike rack:
View attachment 599208

Dropping the camper to charge in Beaver, UT in the expansive adjacent space:
View attachment 599213
Cedar Breaks area:
View attachment 599212
Cedar Breaks NM:
View attachment 599214
East Zion:
View attachment 599215
Zion Narrows:
View attachment 599216
Zion Observation Point:
View attachment 599217

Hoodoos at Bryce:
View attachment 599218

Beautiful trip. Glad it's working out for you.

 

[ScottieLV]

WOW, really great pics. I have the same 2020 MX we have had no issues, so I would be interested to know what kind of range you are getting in miles between charges. Are you getting the expected 175 miles driving 55mph or is it more like 150 miles range? I realize this will vary for many reasons, so I am asking for average range. FYI: The distance from Flagstaff SC to Kingman SC on I-40 is 147.2 miles. However it is downhill somewhat going west.

 

[dmurphy]

On Sunday, 9/27/2020, I took delivery of a new 2020 X LR+ to replace my 90D. Advertised EPA range is 351 miles, and that's about what I'm seeing, extrapolating from a 90% charge. My estimates were that I'd see about 175 miles of total range while towing, based on the consumption with my 90D. However, there were a number of questions in the air, since a lot of the additional range is due to the Raven drivetrain efficiencies, which may or may not translate to towing efficiency.

This is some seriously fantastic stuff! And those photos - my goodness. Just stunning... I'm wholly jealous!

Looking forward to seeing some final stats on your next leg of the trip. In my mind, anything over 150 miles when towing would be a win. That should be plenty to Supercharger-hop in a vast majority of the country.

Enjoy the rest of your trip - I'll save the zillion questions for when you return.... LOL.

 

[ecarfan]

The distance from Flagstaff SC to Kingman SC on I-40 is 147.2 miles. However it is downhill somewhat going west.

That westbound route has a major elevation loss and I made it easily while towing.

That is not the same route that @ohmman posted:

The most challenging stretch of our trip is coming up, going from our campground in Page, AZ to the Flagstaff Supercharger. 140 miles, 3200 feet of elevation gain should test the limits of our new X and rig.

 

[steilkurve]

At 57mph, we were stable below 530Wh/mi.

That is some amazing consumption.

Can I ask what brand of bike rack you added? Big hit on tongue weight?

Also, noticed you have a bumper. Never noticed it in your photos before. I assume that was dealer added?

Would you have considered adding the bike rack there? Easier on the tongue and likely helping WD a bit.

P.S.: To pile on, these photos are amazing!

 

[ohmman]

Are you getting the expected 175 miles driving 55mph or is it more like 150 miles range?

Since I haven't yet charged to 100% or come anywhere under 10%, it's hard to say. And I haven't been too careful with range considering that I've had lots of buffer on this trip so far. I think the big test will be this Wahweap (Page) to Flagstaff stretch. I'll definitely report.

I'll save the zillion questions for when you return

Ask away, I'll answer when I have time!

Can I ask what brand of bike rack you added? Big hit on tongue weight?

Also, noticed you have a bumper. Never noticed it in your photos before. I assume that was dealer added?

Would you have considered adding the bike rack there? Easier on the tongue and likely helping WD a bit.

Bike rack is the Jack-It 2. A rear mount bike rack is desirable, but Airstreams aren't really built for hanging anything of substantial weight off of the back, as you may know. The only bike rack that is approved for use is the Fiamma, and it is designed for 8' or 8'6" trailers. Mine is the "traditional" width of 7'3", and would require some fiddling. It also restricts access to the bumper, which you are correct - the dealer installed. My model of Airstream has a dearth of exterior storage, so I liked having the additional space. However, since the Sport is so low and long for a single axle, you may notice that I've bottomed that bumper out numerous times and it's due for repair. I'm not sure if the trade-off is worth it.

I purchased a Clam gazebo (photo attached of my daughter using it as a remote classroom), since we have four in a tiny camper. I have been storing that in the bathroom, tethered to some anchors I put in for towels. That offsets any weight at the front of the camper. My tongue weight continues to be in the 420-450 range.

And since some of you enjoyed my photos (all taken with an iPhone XS, FWIW - I brought my "good" camera but I'm too lazy to take it hiking), here are a few from this afternoon at the Wire Pass slot canyon.

 

[steilkurve]

Bike rack is the Jack-It 2. A rear mount bike rack is desirable, but Airstreams aren't really built for hanging anything of substantial weight off of the back, as you may know. The only bike rack that is approved for use is the Fiamma, and it is designed for 8' or 8'6" trailers. Mine is the "traditional" width of 7'3", and would require some fiddling.

Interesting that it doesn’t add TW. Not having a bumper to hold the Fiamma and fearing adding load to my already front heavy unit, we went ahead and bought two Brompton folding bikes. They easily fit in the X. I could even put them under the bed.

My model of Airstream has a dearth of exterior storage, so I liked having the additional space. However, since the Sport is so low and long for a single axle, you may notice that I've bottomed that bumper out numerous times and it's due for repair. I'm not sure if the trade-off is worth it.

Extra storage is why your added bumper caught my eye. The Sport/Bambi is indeed quite limited in that department. I can see the bottoming out issue. I’ve come awfully close to scraping the underside recently backing into a site with a steep, sudden incline (only afterward did I think of lowering the suspension to raise the back of the trailer).

And since some of you enjoyed my photos (all taken with an iPhone XS, FWIW - I brought my "good" camera but I'm too lazy to take it hiking), here are a few from this afternoon at the Wire Pass slot canyon.

You may get a call from Apple. They’ll want to put these on billboards. ;-)

 

[mspohr]

And since some of you enjoyed my photos (all taken with an iPhone XS, FWIW - I brought my "good" camera but I'm too lazy to take it hiking), here are a few from this afternoon at the Wire Pass slot canyon.

View attachment 599394
View attachment 599390View attachment 599391View attachment 599392

The best camera is the one you have with you.
Beautiful photos.

 

[juliusa]

Great pics! Wondering why you don't always put the bikes inside when driving, and why the Draw-Tite instead of the standard X hitch.

 

[rasheemo]

On Sunday, 9/27/2020, I took delivery of a new 2020 X LR+ to replace my 90D. Advertised EPA range is 351 miles, and that's about what I'm seeing, extrapolating from a 90% charge. My estimates were that I'd see about 175 miles of total range while towing, based on the consumption with my 90D. However, there were a number of questions in the air, since a lot of the additional range is due to the Raven drivetrain efficiencies, which may or may not translate to towing efficiency.

The timing was fortuitous, as we were in the midst of wildfires in the Sonoma area and the air quality was terrible, making us ready to escape. I also had a potential trip to Utah and Arizona booked starting the following week, and wouldn't have been able to make some of the stretches with our 90D. A friend was purchasing my 90D and was flying in from Texas to do so; this and the pending trip/desire to evacuate early from the poor air quality made delivery a bit of a "must-do" unless the car was inoperable. Not an ideal situation, but this wouldn't be my first go with a sub-par Model X.

At delivery, I noted two main issues and one minor issue. One major issue was that the driver's side door was misaligned, and the window made contact with the B pillar when closing. That also caused a lot of wind noise at the front of the window. I had this same problem with my 2016. The other is that there is a longish paint chip on the side of the hood. The minor issue is a misalignment of chrome trim on the passenger side. Also something I've seen before. EOQ vehicles + Tesla = same results for me.

I accepted the vehicle, my friend took my 90D to drive back to Texas, and I installed the Draw-Tite hitch the next day. We departed two days later, heading out on 80 to Truckee. First problem in Truckee was that the Supercharger handle got stuck in the vehicle. After an atrocious support experience with Tesla, and two hours in the parking lot, I wrangled it out and headed to camp. We continued to Wells, NV the following day, and SLC for a few nights after that.

Consumption reporting from the IC has been astoundingly low in comparison to my 90D. This, despite having a new front-mounted bike rack on the camper. At 57mph, we were stable below 530Wh/mi. Much of this trip has been towing at 60mph, something I barely dared to do with my 90D. I haven't yet charged to 100%, the max being about 93%. And I haven't dipped below 10%. That said, I do see a discrepancy between the IC consumption readout and the rated miles consumed. I know this can vary, but it always seems to be optimistically reporting consumption. I haven't spent the time yet to calculate the difference, but will strive to pay more attention as our trip continues. I just know that rated miles are decreasing more rapidly than consumption would indicate. If the IC reports 575Wh/mi for a trip, and EPA rated consumption is 300Wh/mi, I should be consuming slightly less than 2x as many rated miles over the leg, but I'm seeing slightly more. Again, I'll try to quantify this at some point.

We have continued to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Kanab for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (longish hike tomorrow) and Wire Pass (today). We will go on to Page, AZ and Sedona before returning home in a little over a week.

The most challenging stretch of our trip is coming up, going from our campground in Page, AZ to the Flagstaff Supercharger. 140 miles, 3200 feet of elevation gain should test the limits of our new X and rig. I may move the bikes inside the camper for that stretch.

Some photos from the trip are attached. I'll try to get more details on consumption and report them. So far, so good.


Truckee overnight + bike rack:
View attachment 599208

Dropping the camper to charge in Beaver, UT in the expansive adjacent space:
View attachment 599213
Cedar Breaks area:
View attachment 599212
Cedar Breaks NM:
View attachment 599214
East Zion:
View attachment 599215
Zion Narrows:
View attachment 599216
Zion Observation Point:
View attachment 599217

Hoodoos at Bryce:
View attachment 599218

Hi Ohman! I've searched through many threads but one question i havent seen answered. Does autopilot or at the very least lane-keep and steer assist work with your airstream?

 

[ecarfan]

Great pics! Wondering why you don't always put the bikes inside when driving, and why the Draw-Tite instead of the standard X hitch.

He has discussed that extensively in a thread he created for that topic, see Draw-Tite Aftermarket Receiver Package

 

[juliusa]

He has discussed that extensively in a thread he created for that topic, see Draw-Tite Aftermarket Receiver Package

Thanks - I figured that had been covered somewhere.

@ohmman living the dream!!

 

[ohmman]

Extra storage is why your added bumper caught my eye. The Sport/Bambi is indeed quite limited in that department.

The bumper is great for storage. I use it to keep my sewer wash hose, coupling, and wheel chocks. It also adds a little weight to the back, which counterbalances weight on the tongue.

Wondering why you don't always put the bikes inside when driving, and why the Draw-Tite instead of the standard X hitch.

@ecarfan answered the Draw-Tite question. Regarding the bikes, this is the first trip with a rack. Carrying them inside is ideal from a weight distribution and aerodynamic perspective, but since there are four of us, it basically makes the dinette unusable during Supercharger or quick overnight stops. I always have to take the bikes out and in. They also bring a lot of dirt with them.

Hi Ohman! I've searched through many threads but one question i havent seen answered. Does autopilot or at the very least lane-keep and steer assist work with your airstream?

Only TACC works when in trailer mode. Auto-steer is disabled. I might email Tesla and offer to beta test auto-steer with towing..

 

[juliusa]

Carrying them inside is ideal from a weight distribution and aerodynamic perspective, but since there are four of us, it basically makes the dinette unusable during Supercharger or quick overnight stops.

I didn't consider that. Makes sense.

 

[ThomasD]

With less energy consumption any plans to go larger or longer trailer? Do you plan on doing any wintertime camping?

 

[rasheemo]

The bumper is great for storage. I use it to keep my sewer wash hose, coupling, and wheel chocks. It also adds a little weight to the back, which counterbalances weight on the tongue.


@ecarfan answered the Draw-Tite question. Regarding the bikes, this is the first trip with a rack. Carrying them inside is ideal from a weight distribution and aerodynamic perspective, but since there are four of us, it basically makes the dinette unusable during Supercharger or quick overnight stops. I always have to take the bikes out and in. They also bring a lot of dirt with them.


Only TACC works when in trailer mode. Auto-steer is disabled. I might email Tesla and offer to beta test auto-steer with towing..

Never been tempted to manually turn off hitch mode to enable autosteer?