Road Trips and Cargo Pods

[NovoCasGreeny]

Hi all,

I am eagerly expecting delivery of my S P90D in a few weeks time and in a head snap we have decided to put everything in storage and head off on a road trip to visit friends and family (Between Brisbane and Melbourne) for a few months in the new year. We have a 10 month old daughter and I want to pack up her cot to take with us rather than a travel cot. Does anyone have any suggestions for cargo pods and any thought on the impact on range? The car is going to be quite loaded on travel days with us, the little girl and our golden retriever. I am getting a P90D so whilst not the highest range model I don't think I will be too range limited within the SC network?

Novo

 

[meloccom]

You'll be fine between Superchargers as you will be traveling in summer, just slow down a bit if the range prediction tells you. I understand that the Tesla roof racks are manufactured by Whispbar who also make roof boxes to suit.

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

You'll be fine between Superchargers as you will be traveling in summer, just slow down a bit if the range prediction tells you. I understand that the Tesla roof racks are manufactured by Whispbar who also make roof boxes to suit.

I am just sending a note off to send if St Leonards have roof racks available. I think the Whispbar cargo pods are pretty sleek but I don't think they are quite wide enough to fit the cot. There is a Yakima one that suits and from what I can tell Yakima own Whispbar, or vice versa.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Get a trailer hitch and one of these Rola® - Adventure System Carrier

 

[rw86347]

If I was you I would try and see if I could fit everything inside. It has lots of space inside and it will save huge on power.

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

If I was you I would try and see if I could fit everything inside. It has lots of space inside and it will save huge on power.

I will be trying that but I think my daughters cot will be just too big (like 4")!! We need to keep the seats up to fit the pooch and my daughter in the otherwise I would have stacks of room if I was merely transporting things and not road tripping.

 

[Mark E]

I'd expect that the pod on the roof would have quite a bad effect on power consumption at 110+.

 

[Dborn]

I suggest you contact roof rack world here in Sydney, pretty much around the corner from Tesla St Leonards. They sell Whispbar and Thule and, I think Yakima. They were also cheaper than Tesla for the roof rack. They would do the fitting when you collect your car. You just need a bit of patience with them, took about 1.5 hours to do mine but at that time two years ago they did not have the cars specs and it was a trial and error deal. I think it would be a lot shorter now.
A roof box will certainly affect range to a point. The racks do make a whistling noise. I remove them when not in use. I use it to carry a bike carrier. I only ride about once a week.

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

I suggest you contact roof rack world here in Sydney, pretty much around the corner from Tesla St Leonards. They sell Whispbar and Thule and, I think Yakima. They were also cheaper than Tesla for the roof rack. They would do the fitting when you collect your car. You just need a bit of patience with them, took about 1.5 hours to do mine but at that time two years ago they did not have the cars specs and it was a trial and error deal. I think it would be a lot shorter now.
A roof box will certainly affect range to a point. The racks do make a whistling noise. I remove them when not in use. I use it to carry a bike carrier. I only ride about once a week.

Any idea how much impact on range? The Port to Macadamia Castle is the only one that's looking iffy to make from SC to SC. I also found roof rack world in an online search. I was going to give them a ring tomorrow.

 

[LGGD]

I presume you have the pano roof.

 

[LGGD]

I'd expect that the pod on the roof would have quite a bad effect on power consumption at 110+.

With Superchargers every 180km approx along the route it shouldn't matter.

 

[Dborn]

With Superchargers every 180km approx along the route it shouldn't matter.

Agree.
I don't have a figure, but given that they say having flush door handles gives a few percent improvement, it is clear that anything in the slip stream is going to have a significant effect. The rack itself is a lot bigger than handles, so adding a box....
also the whistling sound I mentioned clearly implies some drag, and I hear it even at city speeds.

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

I presume you have the pano roof.

Yes, I haven't received the car just yet but it was bought with pano with road trips in mind.

 

[NovoCasGreeny]

Agree.
I don't have a figure, but given that they say having flush door handles gives a few percent improvement, it is clear that anything in the slip stream is going to have a significant effect. The rack itself is a lot bigger than handles, so adding a box....
also the whistling sound I mentioned clearly implies some drag, and I hear it even at city speeds.

I guess I'm going to be a guinea pig and see just how much, I will keep notes for future tours that people may make. The only part of my current planned route that may be problematic is the SC not currently installed at Coffs. If this gets infilled by end of January as per Tesla's plan then I'm quids in.

 

[possum22]

I guess I'm going to be a guinea pig and see just how much, I will keep notes for future tours that people may make. The only part of my current planned route that may be problematic is the SC not currently installed at Coffs. If this gets infilled by end of January as per Tesla's plan then I'm quids in.

See this video

he using a pod on a Model S with wife & 4 kids(2 in the dicky seats in the back, going from Calgary, Canada to Disneyland in LA, use 322Wh/km @ 115 kph, This in their winter 4 degrees C.
The next Sc stop he used 216 Wh/km @ 110kph @ 2 degrees.

 

[Dborn]

See this video

he using a pod on a Model S with wife & 4 kids(2 in the dicky seats in the back, going from Calgary, Canada to Disneyland in LA, use 322Wh/km @ 115 kph, This in their winter 4 degrees C.
The next Sc stop he used 216 Wh/km @ 110kph @ 2 degrees.

Yes, but again many other variables such as, especially, hills? Also, how much stop/start, type of roads, traffic and so on.

 

[raynewman]

I guess I'm going to be a guinea pig and see just how much, I will keep notes for future tours that people may make. The only part of my current planned route that may be problematic is the SC not currently installed at Coffs. If this gets infilled by end of January as per Tesla's plan then I'm quids in.

Might be worth getting the Tesla three phase adapter and Oz converter to pick up a few ergs at the Coffs show ground.
The CHAdeMO adapter is probably required to charge in Brisbane.

 

[Mark E]

With Superchargers every 180km approx along the route it shouldn't matter.

Agreed - but the trip between Port Macquarie and Knockrow is 350km or so, making a stop along the way a good idea. With a single charger this would be a relatively long stop, and you'd probably need a portable charger setup to do 16A 3 phase, so 50km/h.

 

[LGGD]

Agreed - but the trip between Port Macquarie and Knockrow is 350km or so, making a stop along the way a good idea. With a single charger this would be a relatively long stop, and you'd probably need a portable charger setup to do 16A 3 phase, so 50km/h.

Yep, there is no Tesla charging infrastructure at all between Port Macquarie and Ballina.

There is a supercharger promised to be in Coffs Harbour by the end of this year though.

 

[possum22]

Yes, but again many other variables such as, especially, hills? Also, how much stop/start, type of roads, traffic and so on.

He did make a comparison trip video

with no thule box and thule box and car loaded running higher heat, the difference was about 15%.

As you said, road conditions, weather will have bigger effect on economy.