Service options in the middle of nowhere on road trips...

[camalaio]

I returned to Maui a year ago after completing a 4-month 50 state 33,000 mile drive in my 2015 P85”D”.

One of the many reasons I ordered a “D“ is because it lessened the chance of not being able to get to my next destination if one of the motors broke down as I crossed each of the 50 states. Fortunately I did not have any major problems. I considered carrying a spare tire which I have at my house, but I decided to bring tire plugs and a battery operated air pump on my trip instead. I started with 4 brand new tires from the Seattle Service center and never had any flats on the journey.

if you haven’t yet configured your M3 yet, I suggest you get a Dual Motor model, and bring along tire plugs and a battery operated air pump as a back-up in case the Tesla air pump fails in the middle of nowhere.
I also suggest you install a fridge in your car. Comes in handy on long drives. Message me if you have questions about preparing for your cross country journey. I will gladly share tips that might benefit you.

Aloha

Despite them directly marketing it as such, the dual motor Model 3 usually cannot continue if the rear drive unit fails (only the front) due to how the motor works. Anecdotally via these forums, the rear drive unit seems to fail more often as well.

The front motor is more like the old S/X motors (induction motor), but newer S/X also use the same type of motor as the Model 3's rear motor so probably would run into the same issues. But the X has the new motor type up front and induction in the rear instead, so it's flipped.

 

[AxlxA]

Hey OP,

After learning about model 3 issues, I would say if you're a new owner and planning on an extended road trip within the first 5000miles, I'd do the following
1) figure out what you need for tire repair as there is no spare. Tire plug kit and a 12v inflator is what I'd recommend. The slime stuff is not good on these insulated tires. And figure out how to use it to plug a tire. If it's a sidewall, SOL

2) 12v battery might fail early from bad batch. I'd consider swapping to that ohm lithium 12v early or have it as a spare in the trunk. Also carry a 9v battery on your person in case the 12v dies and you can't open the frunk. There's many yt videos on how to jump the frunk and then swap the battery.

3) PPF immediately if you want to spend $1000+ on PPF. I did not and don't regret it. I have many rock chips already but oh well! Still not worth the several thousands the shops want.

4) CAA or AAA membership like others have mentioned. It doesn't cost much and that tow can save you. Towing to supercharger because you drove too fast and used up those electrical charge, doesn't look cool when you arrive on a flat bed but lol it's part of Tesla life.

5) make sure your charging adapters are good to go. Nema 14-50 and maybe a TT-30 special adapter. Bring an extension cord for the 120v nema 5-15. Bigger gauge heavy duty ones preferred.

That's all I got for now.

 

[TheRFMan]

Unfortunately this is all par for the course. You've basically bought a car with the service availability of a Ferrari, but actually worse because it's an EV and Joe's garage on the corner of middle-of-nowhere and plains-for-days won't touch your fancy high voltage parts. And that's despite the fact Tesla sells many more vehicles.

I haven't actually bought it yet, and I don't think that this scenario would keep me from buying one, but it does make EVs by more mainstream manufacturers more appealing. I'm leaning towards the P version, so the only real contender would be the Mach-E GT. At least they have Ford dealers in the Prairies, but most of them probably not trained/certified on EVs.

On a completely different note, your hometown of Vernon BC would be one of our destinations My wife was born in Oyama, and has family and friends in Vernon and Lake Country. We'll probably head out there permanently when we retire in a dozen or so years.

1) figure out what you need for tire repair as there is no spare. Tire plug kit and a 12v inflator is what I'd recommend. The slime stuff is not good on these insulated tires. And figure out how to use it to plug a tire. If it's a sidewall, SOL

My current car is a 2012 Volt, also no spare, so nothing new there. But at least I should be able to find a tire shop within CAA towing range of pretty much anywhere in Canada. I'm not too worried there. I expect it would be a fact of life on the 20" wheels of the P3D. It's too bad the "Stealth" performance version was so short-lived.

2) 12v battery might fail early from bad batch. I'd consider swapping to that ohm lithium 12v early or have it as a spare in the trunk. Also carry a 9v battery on your person in case the 12v dies and you can't open the frunk. There's many yt videos on how to jump the frunk and then swap the battery.

I have to admit, that's a weird issue. I read about it here a few times. I would never have thought of it. The 12V battery in my 9-year-old Volt is still the original from the factory and never had issues. Similar as for tires, finding a 12V replacement within CAA towing range should be doable. I don't need Tesla service for that.

3) PPF immediately if you want to spend $1000+ on PPF. I did not and don't regret it. I have many rock chips already but oh well! Still not worth the several thousands the shops want.

I'm not super picky about it. I like my car to look nice, but I buy it for its utility and driving pleasure, not to keep it pristine for ever. My black Volt was keyed in the first year I owned it (not too bad, but pretty much across the back door and read quarter panel), and I never really bothered to have it professionally repaired. I don't see that side of the car very often

I will also probably take the car to the track to have some fun with it on occasion, which is likely to cause more paint damage than a cross-country road trip . I'm not getting another black car though, too hard to keep looking clean. It'll be white for me this time.

4) CAA or AAA membership like others have mentioned. It doesn't cost much and that tow can save you. Towing to supercharger because you drove too fast and used up those electrical charge, doesn't look cool when you arrive on a flat bed but lol it's part of Tesla life.

Already have the CAA membership. I've seen a few posts from folks driving west through the prairies that didn't make it because the navigation system didn't factor in the headwind. I'd make more stops to be safe.

5) make sure your charging adapters are good to go. Nema 14-50 and maybe a TT-30 special adapter. Bring an extension cord for the 120v nema 5-15. Bigger gauge heavy duty ones preferred.

I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage, so I'd have that adapter regardless. TT-30 is new to me. I already have a heavy gauge 5-15 extension that I use with the Volt when staying over with friends and family. I'd probably also get the ChaDeMo adapter. Off the Trans-Canada, superchargers are not very common at all, but 50kW DC chargers are becoming more common.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...Already have the CAA membership. I've seen a few posts from folks driving west through the prairies that didn't make it because the navigation system didn't factor in the headwind. I'd make more stops to be safe...

I can't speak for other cars, but the Tesla nav gives real time energy use by displaying the estimated battery percentage at the destination. If that percentage left at destination is dropping you might want to slow down — driving slower saves a lot of energy per mile. If the percentage at destination is stable or going up you will be ok. It really is as simple as that. The trick is, when facing headwinds and the percentage at destination is dropping, you need to slow down a little right away, not wait until the numbers get quite low and you have to slow down a lot to make it to the destination. Driving 100 kmph in a 110 speed limit zone early on is better than having to do 80 later on because you didn't adjust for the headwind as soon as the percentage started dropping. IME.

I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage, so I'd have that adapter regardless. TT-30 is new to me. I already have a heavy gauge 5-15 extension that I use with the Volt when staying over with friends and family. I'd probably also get the ChaDeMo adapter. Off the Trans-Canada, superchargers are not very common at all, but 50kW DC chargers are becoming more common.

I recommend buying a TT-30 adapter if you are willing to camp at RV parks and charge overnight. Unlike in the USA, a lot of Canadian RV parks have only "30 amp" electrical service, which is RV code for "TT-30" (120 volts, 30 amps; be sure to limit current to 24 amps). Camping areas with "50 amp" service are the ones that take the 14-50 adapter.

Here in the USA I prefer to camp at state parks because the campsites tend to be nicer than commercial RV parks and the latter sometimes don't allow tents (I just sleep in the car). If you are going to be sticking to hotels, then adapters may not matter, but it sure is nice to have that option. Be aware that TT-30 is pretty slow — 2.88 kW (120 V x 24 A) — so it really only works for overnight charging.


^ RV pedestal with 14-50 outlet (left) and TT-30 outlet (center).

 

[RayK]

I've yet to use it, but I purchased this a couple of weeks ago just in case I end up needing one:

https://www.amazon.com/ONETAK-Charger-Compatible-Connector-Connecter/dp/B07XNPHXV2

 

[camalaio]

I haven't actually bought it yet, and I don't think that this scenario would keep me from buying one, but it does make EVs by more mainstream manufacturers more appealing. I'm leaning towards the P version, so the only real contender would be the Mach-E GT. At least they have Ford dealers in the Prairies, but most of them probably not trained/certified on EVs.

On a completely different note, your hometown of Vernon BC would be one of our destinations My wife was born in Oyama, and has family and friends in Vernon and Lake Country. We'll probably head out there permanently when we retire in a dozen or so years.



My current car is a 2012 Volt, also no spare, so nothing new there. But at least I should be able to find a tire shop within CAA towing range of pretty much anywhere in Canada. I'm not too worried there. I expect it would be a fact of life on the 20" wheels of the P3D. It's too bad the "Stealth" performance version was so short-lived.



I have to admit, that's a weird issue. I read about it here a few times. I would never have thought of it. The 12V battery in my 9-year-old Volt is still the original from the factory and never had issues. Similar as for tires, finding a 12V replacement within CAA towing range should be doable. I don't need Tesla service for that.



I'm not super picky about it. I like my car to look nice, but I buy it for its utility and driving pleasure, not to keep it pristine for ever. My black Volt was keyed in the first year I owned it (not too bad, but pretty much across the back door and read quarter panel), and I never really bothered to have it professionally repaired. I don't see that side of the car very often

I will also probably take the car to the track to have some fun with it on occasion, which is likely to cause more paint damage than a cross-country road trip . I'm not getting another black car though, too hard to keep looking clean. It'll be white for me this time.



Already have the CAA membership. I've seen a few posts from folks driving west through the prairies that didn't make it because the navigation system didn't factor in the headwind. I'd make more stops to be safe.



I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage, so I'd have that adapter regardless. TT-30 is new to me. I already have a heavy gauge 5-15 extension that I use with the Volt when staying over with friends and family. I'd probably also get the ChaDeMo adapter. Off the Trans-Canada, superchargers are not very common at all, but 50kW DC chargers are becoming more common.

Nice spent a couple years living in Oyama too.

If you want to drive around BC much, I'd extra highly recommend getting the CHAdeMO adapter since you're already considering it. It's expensive but lets you go many, many more places. BC is going nuts with CHAdeMO/CCS stations. It's also an extra safety net in general between Superchargers (I had to stop at CHAdeMO stations twice trying to make it to the Spokane Supercharger in winter).

Regarding the 12V thing, there's some truth to it but it's a bit overblown. There is no need to get the Ohmmu brand battery or anything like it - they're lithium ion batteries, and don't have the greatest track record in Canada due to issues in the cold. Any normal 12V with a half decent warranty will do just fine and cost a fraction.

I can't speak for other cars, but the Tesla nav gives real time energy use by displaying the estimated battery percentage at the destination. If that percentage left at destination is dropping you might want to slow down — driving slower saves a lot of energy per mile. If the percentage at destination is stable or going up you will be ok. It really is as simple as that. The trick is, when facing headwinds and the percentage at destination is dropping, you need to slow down a little right away, not wait until the numbers get quite low and you have to slow down a lot to make it to the destination. Driving 100 kmph in a 110 speed limit zone early on is better than having to do 80 later on because you didn't adjust for the headwind as soon as the percentage started dropping. IME.

I recommend buying a TT-30 adapter if you are willing to camp at RV parks and charge overnight. Unlike in the USA, a lot of Canadian RV parks have only "30 amp" electrical service, which is RV code for "TT-30" (120 volts, 30 amps; be sure to limit current to 24 amps). Camping areas with "50 amp" service are the ones that take the 14-50 adapter.

Here in the USA I prefer to camp at state parks because the campsites tend to be nicer than commercial RV parks and the latter sometimes don't allow tents (I just sleep in the car). If you are going to be sticking to hotels, then adapters may not matter, but it sure is nice to have that option. Be aware that TT-30 is pretty slow — 2.88 kW (120 V x 24 A) — so it really only works for overnight charging.

View attachment 584607
^ RV pedestal with 14-50 outlet (left) and TT-30 outlet (center).

I think you're underestimating the prairie winds. The Tesla Nav is too optimistic for things like sudden very high winds and/or cold temps, though it is generally very helpful (just too hopeful). The best is advice is what they said they would do - charge more, have a safety net.

 

[toolman335]

Personally I wouldn't buy a new M3 and then take off across the country. No way. I firmly believe in the bathtub curve for cars like this(obviously with exceptions!). I know a lot of people with this car. Like mine, any issues that popped up showed up relatively soon. I had a rough first 1,000 miles with some wiring issues and window stuff that were factory errors. Once I got that out of the way it has been a flawless 12,000 miles and I don't expect any issues for a very long time(well other than this 12V topic that keeps popping up!).