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Planning trip to Carlsbad Caverns
- Thread starter mwoz
- Start date
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- Mountain & Southwest USA
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
.... soon...
We pulled permits for Roswell last week. Xcel say the lead time for a transformer is April. The host I found required a new service drop for the HPWCs.
.... soon...
We pulled permits for Roswell last week. Xcel say the lead time for a transformer is April. The host I found required a new service drop for the HPWCs.
Tell your host that my whole family is having Big Macs when the project is done.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Tell your host that my whole family is having Big Macs when the project is done.
Will do!
.... soon...
We pulled permits for Roswell last week. Xcel say the lead time for a transformer is April. The host I found required a new service drop for the HPWCs.
I saw the coming soon. Now I know who is behind it. Thanks for working on this!
Brief trip report. I recently (February, 2020) drove from Los Angeles, CA, to San Antonio, TX, and back, in an M3 LR RWD with 18" Aeros with two passengers. In both directions I did side trips into SE New Mexico. Outbound, I visited Carrizozo, turning off the I-10 at Deming (I-10), driving via Truth or Consequences to Carrizozo, staying the night, then proceeding to a hotel with free charging in Las Cruces before continuing on along the I-10 to Texas. On the return trip I turned off the I-10 at Fort Stockton, stayed at a hotel with free charging in Pecos, and then drove to Carlsbad Caverns before heading back to the I-10 in El Paso. A feature of note was that the Fort Stockton supercharger was out.
In Carrizozo we camped at the BLM Valley of Fires campground, and used 14-50 charging intended for RVs. There was an element of risk and anxiety, as reservations are not possible and so charging spots are not guaranteed, but there were fortunately two open spots with charging and so I was able to charge fully overnight for a mere $18 including camping and water. As a backup plan I'd have driven back to Truth or Consequences and stayed in a hotel, or driven further to the Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, both of which necessitated a >90% charge in TorC. The campground was well maintained, with hot showers and a bookstore, plus the morning views were striking. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys camping in their Tesla (or a tent).
The one time I had range anxiety was from Pecos, TX -> Carlsbad Caverns -> El Paso, 261 miles with no other chargers en route and a 1500 ft net elevation gain. I started at 99% and pulled into the free Whole Foods Market charger in El Paso, TX with only 4%. The roads most of the way from Pecos to Carlsbad Caverns were particularly rough, and efficiency was worse than expected even at the modest 45-70 mph speeds. While drafting is possible, there was a lot of dust and gravel on the roads, and so not recommended unless you want rock chips on your windshield and/or paintwork. I went so far as to turn sentry mode off at Carlsbad, to reduce vampire drain while we explored the caves, and was considering my backup plan of going via Van Horn, which would have added up to an hour of travel time but given us more margin. Also of note is that there are border checkpoints on some roads around here, and so at certain times of year you might get additional drain due to having to idle with AC on. On the way down to El Paso I did admittedly drive fast, because there were some good drafting opportunities and I was tracking my energy usage VERY carefully. I suspect that, with cautious speeds, at times below the speed limit, I might have saved a few percent, but I had travel companions and a long way to drive, and wanted to ensure it was positive for them. In any case, I'd say that one is not for the faint of heart, and be prepared to draft and/or slow down. From El Paso on to Tucson, AZ was fine.
The places I stayed at were:
Staybridge Suites Las Cruces
- 2 J1772, 200V/32A ~ 6 kW, Chargepoint but free with front desk instructions; I was the only user.
- Hotel quality was as expected.
- Backup plan was to use the El Paso supercharger.
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/b...s-chalet-hotel-suites/propertyCode.44640.html
- 1 Tesla Destination Charger, 240V/40A ~ 10 kW, free (just plug in).
- Hotel was especially nice for the region, with a beautiful pool.
- Backup plan was to use the Pecos supercharger nearby, but this saved a lot of time due to 99% target.
Valley of Fires | Bureau of Land Management
- Multiple 14-50 slots for RVs, at a very reasonable price ($18, incl. camping, water and hot showers).
- Good quality campground with decent features (hot showers, etc.)
- No pre-bookings, but availability is generally good except for peak tourist times.
In brief, SE New Mexico remains the wild frontier for EVs, but by careful planning and use of routes including hotels and parks with RV slots there are options available for certain routes.
In Carrizozo we camped at the BLM Valley of Fires campground, and used 14-50 charging intended for RVs. There was an element of risk and anxiety, as reservations are not possible and so charging spots are not guaranteed, but there were fortunately two open spots with charging and so I was able to charge fully overnight for a mere $18 including camping and water. As a backup plan I'd have driven back to Truth or Consequences and stayed in a hotel, or driven further to the Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, both of which necessitated a >90% charge in TorC. The campground was well maintained, with hot showers and a bookstore, plus the morning views were striking. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys camping in their Tesla (or a tent).
The one time I had range anxiety was from Pecos, TX -> Carlsbad Caverns -> El Paso, 261 miles with no other chargers en route and a 1500 ft net elevation gain. I started at 99% and pulled into the free Whole Foods Market charger in El Paso, TX with only 4%. The roads most of the way from Pecos to Carlsbad Caverns were particularly rough, and efficiency was worse than expected even at the modest 45-70 mph speeds. While drafting is possible, there was a lot of dust and gravel on the roads, and so not recommended unless you want rock chips on your windshield and/or paintwork. I went so far as to turn sentry mode off at Carlsbad, to reduce vampire drain while we explored the caves, and was considering my backup plan of going via Van Horn, which would have added up to an hour of travel time but given us more margin. Also of note is that there are border checkpoints on some roads around here, and so at certain times of year you might get additional drain due to having to idle with AC on. On the way down to El Paso I did admittedly drive fast, because there were some good drafting opportunities and I was tracking my energy usage VERY carefully. I suspect that, with cautious speeds, at times below the speed limit, I might have saved a few percent, but I had travel companions and a long way to drive, and wanted to ensure it was positive for them. In any case, I'd say that one is not for the faint of heart, and be prepared to draft and/or slow down. From El Paso on to Tucson, AZ was fine.
The places I stayed at were:
Staybridge Suites Las Cruces
- 2 J1772, 200V/32A ~ 6 kW, Chargepoint but free with front desk instructions; I was the only user.
- Hotel quality was as expected.
- Backup plan was to use the El Paso supercharger.
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/b...s-chalet-hotel-suites/propertyCode.44640.html
- 1 Tesla Destination Charger, 240V/40A ~ 10 kW, free (just plug in).
- Hotel was especially nice for the region, with a beautiful pool.
- Backup plan was to use the Pecos supercharger nearby, but this saved a lot of time due to 99% target.
Valley of Fires | Bureau of Land Management
- Multiple 14-50 slots for RVs, at a very reasonable price ($18, incl. camping, water and hot showers).
- Good quality campground with decent features (hot showers, etc.)
- No pre-bookings, but availability is generally good except for peak tourist times.
In brief, SE New Mexico remains the wild frontier for EVs, but by careful planning and use of routes including hotels and parks with RV slots there are options available for certain routes.
Last edited:
.... soon...
We pulled permits for Roswell last week. Xcel say the lead time for a transformer is April. The host I found required a new service drop for the HPWCs.
I'm glad to see that you are making progress. Go Fund Me for EV Charging in SE NM It looks like you could use a few more contributions.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
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