Rear Liftgate Sunshade - Model S

[ZoeDog]

Has anyone had experience using the Rear Liftgate Sunshade on their Model S? I will be taking delivery of my refreshed 90D with rear facing child seats later this month. As the weather gets warmer and being aware of the ventilation issues (i.e. lack of) with the rear facing seats area, I have considered purchasing the sunshade so my kids don't get cooked on longer summer trips.

1) Any problems driving with it installed (e.g. impairment of vision, etc)?

2) Do you feel it reduced the heat in the rear compartment or will I need to get the windows tinted?

Thank you...and now back to refreshing My Tesla page about 20 times a day hoping for a status update...

 

[Alex D]

I am not an owner yet, still waiting for delivery. But in your case I would definitely tint the windows in the back and on the sides to protect your kids.

 

[thecloud]

I have the Rear Liftgate Sunshade and just leave it installed all the time, since I haven't had my windows tinted. It does keep the heat down. Visibility is reduced slightly but it quickly feels normal and that part has never been an issue.

However, with the rear-facing child seats, I'd consider tinting the rear window instead to provide better UV protection. And there's also this consideration: the sunshade springs open and wedges into place around the frame of the liftgate window, so it's something for small hands to pull on and perhaps pop out of the frame while driving.

 

[Kandiru]

I have the rear pano and the liftgate shades. Fit is iffy on close inspection but passes casual.
They work well to keep privacy.

 

[FlatSix911]

I highly recommend the rear sunshade. No need to tint the other vertical side windows with this option and it is easily removable.

Has anyone had experience using the Rear Liftgate Sunshade on their Model S? I will be taking delivery of my refreshed 90D with rear facing child seats later this month. As the weather gets warmer and being aware of the ventilation issues (i.e. lack of) with the rear facing seats area, I have considered purchasing the sunshade so my kids don't get cooked on longer summer trips.

1) Any problems driving with it installed (e.g. impairment of vision, etc)?
2) Do you feel it reduced the heat in the rear compartment or will I need to get the windows tinted?
Thank you...and now back to refreshing My Tesla page about 20 times a day hoping for a status update...

 

[mikeash]

I have the sunshade as well. I leave it installed permanently. It does affect rear vision a bit, but it's acceptable. It's kind of like looking through a screen door. It's harder to read someone's license plate in the rear view mirror, but the stuff you need to see is still fine.

I'd also recommend a fan for the kids in the summer. Something with batteries would work, or you can get fans that run off of USB and plug it into one of the car's USB ports. My kid still gets hot sometimes but having a fan helps a lot.

 

[PaulR]

My experience is that it is ventilation which is more problematic in those rear seats than the heat... but both are a problem. I use the sunshade and it helps.

Ran into another problem though, when I installed a rear facing camera (Blackvue) its placement interfered with the spring loaded rear sunshade. Before the camera installation the sunshade worked well. As others have mentioned a fan does seem to help.

My solution is both tinting and a fan, I guess.

 

[khalkhin]

I have a 90% (of visible light passing through) tint, the sunshade, and rear seats. The tint is supposed to cut heat by 50% or so and I believe it. The tempered glass in the back passes a lot of UV as well, so the 99% UV rejection on the tint is important to me, too.

The sunshade works great and we put it in whenever we have kids in the back. Visibility is of course affected, but you can see what you need to see to drive, and I don't have an issue with it. (I find the pillars in the back and overall situational awareness, with or without the sunshade, to be much more of a problem and it's the only thing I miss from my old Honda Accord. Thank goodness for the rear facing camera and huge touchscreen.)

I would say that the only downside is that one of my two kids tends to get carsick sitting in the back and I'm suspicious that the sunshade makes things worse, as there's less incentive to look outside.

I got my car last year and so far have not needed any special rear cooling or fan.

 

[SoccerMan94043]

For those who have kids in the back and want a fan (or USB/IPAD):

I would think a sunshade would reduce your kids carsickness.

 

[FlatSix911]

For those who have kids in the back and want a fan (or USB/IPAD):
I would think a sunshade would reduce your kids carsickness.

Cool link. A sunshade reduces the view of the horizon and general outside awareness and is likely to increase car sickness ...

 

[SoccerMan94043]

Cool link. A sunshade reduces the view of the horizon and general outside awareness and is likely to increase car sickness ...

For me the issue is looking at something up close (locking your vision) with the periphery moving past. For example, I don't get car sick in a big air plane, but will if I try to read something in a small two seater.

 

[FlatSix911]

For me the issue is looking at something up close (locking your vision) with the periphery moving past.
For example, I don't get car sick in a big air plane, but will if I try to read something in a small two seater.

Good point ... the rear facing seats don't help either, YMMV.

 

[trils0n]

I have the rear sunshade because the dog often rides in the back, and it makes it much more comfortable for him. Doesn't impact visibility much, and have left it in since I got it. Seems to make the car require less AC, and makes the back seats slightly more comfortable (less heat bleeding in from the rear).

 

[ZoeDog]

For those who have kids in the back and want a fan (or USB/IPAD):

Thanks for that link! It's good to know that this option exists if the sunshade + tint combo aren't adequate. I wonder if anyone has ever actually used this product. I'd be curious to know the fan noise level (although a kids are loud enough to drown out any noise - but if they are watching something on a tablet without headphones, will the fan and road noise simply make the tablet unusable?

 

[shonline]

Has anyone had experience using the Rear Liftgate Sunshade on their Model S? I will be taking delivery of my refreshed 90D with rear facing child seats later this month. As the weather gets warmer and being aware of the ventilation issues (i.e. lack of) with the rear facing seats area, I have considered purchasing the sunshade so my kids don't get cooked on longer summer trips.

1) Any problems driving with it installed (e.g. impairment of vision, etc)?

2) Do you feel it reduced the heat in the rear compartment or will I need to get the windows tinted?

Thank you...and now back to refreshing My Tesla page about 20 times a day hoping for a status update...

I've had it installed since I picked up my new Model S and while it does reduce vision slightly, it is not that large of an impairment. The added reduction in heat benefit far outweighs it. Especially in a car that can be a bit stingy in cooling when set to "Auto".

As noted here, the fit is not perfect, but not noticeably poor in any way.

 

[Max*]

1. Not really. Not enough to complain about. So basically, no.

2. Yes.

2b. It's still too hot for my kids (see emphasis, MY kids) when it's above 80F back there and sunny. If there's no sun, they'll sit there up until maybe 85F weather. Then it gets too hot again. I have solar reducing tints, rear sunshade, and handheld fans for them.

If I had to do the RFS again, I'd think twice about it. My son loves it, my daughter gets car sick back there.

 

[Cowby]

Daytime ok with reduced visibility....Night time not so good....so I take mine off at Dusk....this was all before I had my windows tinted as much as legally possible....Photosync 35%

 

[mikeash]

Funny, I find it to be the opposite. Daytime suffers from some reduced visibility, but it's pretty much unnoticeable at night. I think it's because headlights shine through well, and I don't expect to see a lot of detail anyway. I wonder what makes the difference there....

 

[Superloud]

I have the rear facing seats and the rear sunshade was the first accessory I purchased! However...it's pretty much remained in the frunk!

I installed it, and I found it did obscure more vision than I liked. However, I do also have tinted windows, so it could be the combined effect is too much. I also know my kids, and am sure they would pull it out.

Im thinking of giving the screen another shot this summer. It's also nice knowing I have it at all times, just in case the sun ever gets really bad on a long drive. But I can't say I'm a huge fan.

Another thing. One service tech once told me that nobody understands how to keep the 3rd row cool. He said, that most people logically assume they should keep the HVAC system on recirc mode for maximum cooling. But this tech told me the opposite is true. Apparently there are passive outlet vents in the trunk that open when recirc is off. He said keeping it in that mode helps air flow into the trunk. And if it gets really bad, he said crack both back windows exactly 2" and the air will flow through and cool the kids.
I'm just repeating what I was told. I can't say I've verified all this through experimentation.

 

[Cowby]

I have the rear facing seats and the rear sunshade was the first accessory I purchased! However...it's pretty much remained in the frunk!

I installed it, and I found it did obscure more vision than I liked. However, I do also have tinted windows, so it could be the combined effect is too much. I also know my kids, and am sure they would pull it out.

Im thinking of giving the screen another shot this summer. It's also nice knowing I have it at all times, just in case the sun ever gets really bad on a long drive. But I can't say I'm a huge fan.

Another thing. One service tech once told me that nobody understands how to keep the 3rd row cool. He said, that most people logically assume they should keep the HVAC system on recirc mode for maximum cooling. But this tech told me the opposite is true. Apparently there are passive outlet vents in the trunk that open when recirc is off. He said keeping it in that mode helps air flow into the trunk. And if it gets really bad, he said crack both back windows exactly 2" and the air will flow through and cool the kids.
I'm just repeating what I was told. I can't say I've verified all this through experimentation.

Save the sunscreen for when Tesla gives u a loaner car that doesn't have the tint back there. I too no longer use it as I have my windows tinted, but it sure came in handy with this current loaner I have!

Agree on the fresh air mode....do not recirculate air for the 3rd row passengers....

More freebie tips:

Direct the vents to up and rearward.
Max pre-cool the car before getting in also helps as the seats will be cooler overall.
Tint the front windows to lightest tint possible (typically 70-90% VLT)....yes I know it's illegal in most, if not all states, but a good tinter can hide it easily so it'll be extremely hard to detect.