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Please don't do this...(park blocking multiple Supercharger spots)

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I was at the Burlington Supercharger the other day and selected the nose in spot as I am sometime still challenged in backing up straight with MS.

And on my return another MS had backed into a charging spot with a bike rack when it would have been so much easier for him to use the nose in spot if I hadn't taken it, which definitely made me feel guilty!!!

PS. Been known to put my Ford F250 into compact spots if that's all that is available, still adjusting to the MS.
 
I trust in Tesla to come up with creative solutions, I just hope that it doesn't take 3 years to implement.

You guys are creating a problem where I assure you none really exists. Perhaps a lack of experience with trailer towing or even SC usage has bent you out of shape. Tesla has already come up with one fine solution: the head-in SC bay. The other solution they have come up with is: put lots of free space around the SC. Like at the aforementioned Mishawaka SC which is way way out in center field. Landover's photo hides the setting but I recognize it as Mishawaka IN. :smile:

Mishawaka.MS.trailer.jpg

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You guys are creating a problem where I assure you none really exists. Perhaps a lack of experience with trailer towing or even SC usage has bent you out of shape. Tesla has already come up with one fine solution: the head-in SC bay. The other solution they have come up with is: put lots of free space around the SC. Like at the aforementioned Mishawaka IN which is way out in center field. ___'s photo hides the setting but I recognize it as Mishawaka.
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The admittedly small number of SCs I have been to have neither of those attributes. I expect that newer ones will.
 
You guys are creating a problem where I assure you none really exists. Perhaps a lack of experience with trailer towing or even SC usage has bent you out of shape. Tesla has already come up with one fine solution: the head-in SC bay. The other solution they have come up with is: put lots of free space around the SC. Like at the aforementioned Mishawaka SC which is way way out in center field. Landover's photo hides the setting but I recognize it as Mishawaka IN. :smile:

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If you have to disconnect the trailer to use a Supercharger, then hitching back up should be very easy with the HD backup camera. :cool:
 
Not if they're in relatively congested areas.

How about SJC (#2 in KWHs pumped) or Newark DE one of the busiest in the Northeast Corridor. Both these have the leftmost nose-in bay. At Newark I did the 'hard left curve-in' approach which positioned the trailer angled against traffic. This provided extra clearance. Even a bus had no problem going past. The busses pretty much stay off to the south anyway and don't bother the SC.
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You guys are creating a problem where I assure you none really exists. Perhaps a lack of experience with trailer towing or even SC usage has bent you out of shape. Tesla has already come up with one fine solution: the head-in SC bay. The other solution they have come up with is: put lots of free space around the SC. Like at the aforementioned Mishawaka SC which is way way out in center field. Landover's photo hides the setting but I recognize it as Mishawaka IN. :smile:

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This is not an option at the newest SC in Chattanooga. There is no pull in slot and the Intermediate Parking Area is always quite crowded. You would NOT be able to leave the trailer out in the traffic lane. One would either have to disconnect or block several charging bays in order to charge.
 
Disconnecting a trailer is about a minute max, assuming you have a jack (as you should). Reconnecting is the same since the usual PIA is solved by Tesla's back-up camera. Keep that chrome ball nice and shiny!

Re Drive-In bays: It seems to me that Tesla includes one of these if it is easy to do, since there are so many of them in the SCs I've visited. But many locations have physical limitations so they stick with a simpler linear layout.
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You guys are creating a problem where I assure you none really exists. Perhaps a lack of experience with trailer towing or even SC usage has bent you out of shape. Tesla has already come up with one fine solution: the head-in SC bay. The other solution they have come up with is: put lots of free space around the SC. Like at the aforementioned Mishawaka SC which is way way out in center field. Landover's photo hides the setting but I recognize it as Mishawaka IN. :smile:

View attachment 59248
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OT: Did you try to make the trailer more aerodynamic by jamming an upside-down mixing bowl on top of a Rubbermaid bin and sticking it onto the front?!? :biggrin:
 
OT: Did you try to make the trailer more aerodynamic by jamming an upside-down mixing bowl on top of a Rubbermaid bin and sticking it onto the front?!? :biggrin:

Yes. I originally had the (new) tarp stretched over it which assumed a nice aerodynamic shape. But after hours of gust pounding it stretched up against the solid surfaces. Better to have built a plywood vee nose in the first place. I searched for ready made fiberglass noses (4ft and 5ft wide) but nada. I'd like make a rough mold of the MS nose and then lay up a cheesy mat/epoxy/bondo aero nose for my next trailer pull. Or else some energetic enterpriser perhaps??
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I am considering a long road trip with 5 bikes on a hitch-mounted Thule "roadway 915XT". Already have the Thule rack but was planning to buy the Torque-lift eco hitch...until I read this post.I generally try to avoid doing things in the Tesla that would label me a D-Bag but also don't want to have to load and unload the bikes at every (at least all the ones without a pull-in space) supercharger on an 800 mile round trip.

Has anyone successfully used a larger rack like this at a back-in Supercharger?
 
Hmm. While I wasn't looking for this particular issue, after visiting about 60 Superchargers I think you will be OK at most of them. Some have the chargers on the side so you're OK; even the ones with the Superchargers at the back usually have a spot at one end where you can back in just to the side of the charger with bikes overhanging the curb and still have the cable reach. Sometimes the ones with most chargers at the back will have one in a side position.

There probably will be a few where it just won't work. If nobody's there and you can stay with the car, go ahead and park across them. If there's not room or you can't stay with the car...well, then you will have to unload the bikes. The big question is how often will that happen...I would go ahead and take the trip and not worry about it, but I'd hate for you to have to unload them at every stop and hate me for it. Given your starting point you may hit a lot of Superchargers that I haven't yet.
 
So my road trip went well. Had 5 bikes on the eco hitch and other than a serious range penalty at highway speeds, things were pretty smooth. Of the 4 superchargers I visited (Glen Allen VA, South Hill VA, Lumberton NC, Rocky Mont NC), only one (Rocky Mount) had a front-end pull-in charging spot. On the other 3, I did my best to park in a non D-Bag manner despite mostly unoccupied chargers. Also posted contact information on dash while away from car. The signs between supercharger stalls really limit the ability to back in at an angle. It would help if the signs were installed further away from the curb. Here's the photos (sorry for the iPhone orientation). First photo is Glen Allen, second is Lumberton.



 

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It is a stupid design to have the charge plug socket in the back. Period.

The reason specified at that time was that placement would mimic ICE cars. Nonsense.

We have angled parking in our office parking lot and it is funny and a bit silly to watch the lone Model S owner struggle to get the Charge Point cable reach all the way and plug in. And then one day he decided to back in and that was even more struggle because of angled parking spot and one way lanes. It almost takes him 10 minutes to get it parked and plugged in.

On the contrary the Leaf, Volt and Energii drivers, zip in, plug in and get going without a fuss
 
Another vote for 'keep it in the back'. Nothing stupid about it.

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We have angled parking in our office parking lot and it is funny and a bit silly to watch the lone Model S owner struggle to get the Charge Point cable reach all the way and plug in. And then one day he decided to back in and that was even more struggle because of angled parking spot and one way lanes. It almost takes him 10 minutes to get it parked and plugged in.

Really? Ten minutes? That sounds like a driver lacking basic skills, not an outcome of plug placement.