Hi All, I wanted to document a recent 2,200 mile road trip with my Thule hitch-mounted cargo box for anyone who is interested.
Notes:
Notes:
- 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD with 18" Aero wheels. 5.8% battery degredation. Roughly 70 kWh usable at 100% SoC.
- Stealth Hitches hitch with trailer package + Thule Transporter Combi Hitch Box. I shortened the hitch stinger by 8" to improve aerodynamics and how it looks.
- Energy consumption for 2,200 miles was great at 259 Wh/mi. I was constantly surprised by the efficiency numbers. I was significantly over the speed limit most of the time and drafting 3-4 car lengths whenever possible. Temperatures were mid-40s on the coldest nights and low 80s for the highs.
- No problems fitting into any supercharger stalls or parking spaces. I added a wireless FPV camera to the box so I could see behind me.
- Autopilot still works with the rear parking sensors blocked. I used AP for ~80% of the miles.
- Got overnight Level-2 charges in 5 places we visited--Los Angeles, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion, Grand Canyon South Rim.
- The cargo box clears high curbs, but the Stealth hitch does not. Ground clearance isn't good with the Model 3 and gets worse with the hitch attached. The hitch bottomed-out two times on steep driveways. Take dips, bumps, and transitions to steep inclines at an angle.
- The hitch box is easier to access than a roof box. Both the trunk and hitch box can be opened and accessed at the same time.
- Car camped only one night in Death Valley. I'm a fan, but lady friend is not.
- Overall, I like it a lot. I can say definitively that a hitch box is much better than a roof box in terms of accessibility, efficiency, and wind noise. The only benefit of a roof box is it doesn't block the rearview camera when reversing. I've been on two road trips with my Thule roof box and the impact to efficiency is severe.