Tesla friendly campgrounds

[GreenDriver]

I wish there was a resource that told me the following:

Campgrounds where I can plug in with a pleasant spot for either setting up a tent or sleeping in the Tesla. This means bathrooms not too far away, and a spot with privacy. This is very different from pulling up in an RV.

Primitive campgrounds, which I prefer by far, usually BLM/USFS ones, with your typical site set-up without electricity, but with two features: a road accessible to sedans, and a workable distance from charging infrastructure.

Furthermore, I wish for a future set-up of dedicated EV spots at campgrounds with electricity.

At the moment, I'm not sure how I can tell what my options are. I'm not a guy so certain things matter more to me than to men, if you know what I mean.

 

[mk677]

www.rvparky.com might be what you are looking for. ask for 50amp service. they usually don't know what a 14-50 means

 

[saltsman]

We did a fair amount of camping in our Chevy Volt and now with our Tesla. We usually stay at state or federally managed campgrounds that have toilets and power. 50 Amp works for our Tesla but we could make 30Amp work with the Volt. Reserveamerica.com makes it pretty easy to see what is available and be able to reserve a spot close enough to a restroom. Never felt out of place.

Private, RV-centric campgrounds (KOA, Good Sam, etc) tend to be more for long-term stays and are not really set up for car camping.

 

[dhrivnak]

I hate to say it, but this is why we got a RAV4 Prime. We also like National Forest, BLM, State parks and National Parks. Most have no electricity and the State parks that do few have 240v service. And I unfortunately do not seeing that changing any time soon.

 

[GreenDriver]

www.rvparky.com might be what you are looking for. ask for 50amp service. they usually don't know what a 14-50 means

Thank you - I just took a look. I don't think you can tell from this site if the park is pleasant or really doable in a car. The difference being that in an RV, or if you have a trailer, you can disappear inside. Without these, you can't just park in a parking lot setting. That's one issue.

 

[GreenDriver]

We did a fair amount of camping in our Chevy Volt and now with our Tesla. We usually stay at state or federally managed campgrounds that have toilets and power. 50 Amp works for our Tesla but we could make 30Amp work with the Volt. Reserveamerica.com makes it pretty easy to see what is available and be able to reserve a spot close enough to a restroom. Never felt out of place.

Private, RV-centric campgrounds (KOA, Good Sam, etc) tend to be more for long-term stays and are not really set up for car camping.

I'm looking at the site now. I've never reserved a campground before, btw. Is there any way to filter for tents and also to tell if there's privacy? For example, I want to overnight somewhere between Reno and Bridgeport, CA in a couple of days. I did have a dispersed camping spot I used to go to in my Jeep, but I don't think it's accessible at this time of year, if ever, in a sedan.

 

[GreenDriver]

I hate to say it, but this is why we got a RAV4 Prime. We also like National Forest, BLM, State parks and National Parks. Most have no electricity and the State parks that do few have 240v service. And I unfortunately do not seeing that changing any time soon.

I understand. I just sold my old Jeep. Now I'm committed to the Y till the cybertruck comes along (or perhaps something else if it works as well). However, I'm desperate to get away...

 

[mk677]

Thank you - I just took a look. I don't think you can tell from this site if the park is pleasant or really doable in a car. The difference being that in an RV, or if you have a trailer, you can disappear inside. Without these, you can't just park in a parking lot setting. That's one issue.

all the places listed I believe are RV parks not just a parking lot

 

[Uncle Paul]

Most RV parks have Primitave (no water/electricity) and other areas that have water (pump or faucet) and 120V electricity on a post. The 120V is often 30 amps or 15 amps.

I have plugged my X in on many overnight camps. It easily gives me enough juice to explore the area around the camp. It is slow, but I get to use it for many hours a day. Always keeping my eyes open for places to plug in while I am doing something.

 

[Silicon Desert]

This thread reminds me that the wife doesn't understand why I like going out to live like a person from a thousand years ago with state of the art auto technology

 

[wraithfive]

Your best bet is to call the campgrounds. Use the sites suggested above to find one that looks promising then call them up. Explain to them what you want. The folks who run campgrounds are often very friendly and helpful and if they don't have what your looking for they may know of another campground in the area that would. Lots of campgrounds aren't easily found online at all still so their may be something perfect that you haven't found that they could suggest.

You could also stop at campgrounds close to superchargers so you charge up before you stop for camping. You could camp for quite a while on a full charge and then just stop at the supercharger again when it's time to get on the road before you head out.

 

[bozer]

I would love for someone to just tell me a good place to go that's in the NY/NJ area. Up by Lake Tiorati/Harriman State Park would be great. Someone should make an app for this.

 

[GreenDriver]

I would love for someone to just tell me a good place to go that's in the NY/NJ area. Up by Lake Tiorati/Harriman State Park would be great. Someone should make an app for this.

I wish there was an app, or at least a category on other apps. Many RV oriented campgrounds lack any privacy, thus don’t work. I find that the vast majority of travelers sleep in an RV or camper, therefore most campgrounds cater to them. It’s always been difficult to find a nice spot for a tent. Now there’s the added difficulty of the charging needs, plus doing this in a sedan instead of a high clearance 4WD.

I would really like to sort by ‘pleasant for EVs with tents’.

 

[rhumbliner]

We often camped in the back of our Model S using a custom mattress and an SUV tent from Napier:
https://www.napieroutdoors.com/shop/suv-minivan-tents/sportz-cove-61000/

These are the websites I used:
Recreation.gov - Camping, Cabins, RVs, Permits, Passes & More
RV Parks, Caravan Parks and unique RV Camping locations - Campendium

Happy camping!

 

[Impaler]

I wish there was a resource that told me the following:

Campgrounds where I can plug in

Quick story...last August, the missus and I decided to take a weekend and go "camping" in the Model Y. We got the mattress set up, the 14-50 and TT-30 adapters, and hit the road. We booked a campground. When we showed up, the guy at the RV place said we couldn't stay there, due to "liability" concerns about camping in the vehicle, as opposed to a camper, due to "emissions" and the fact that we could die from CO inhalation. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told him, yes, we're staying in our vehicle, but it's a Tesla..all-electric, and emission-free. He just wouldn't hear me out, and insisted they were liable if we died. Bizzare. All that said, we called around and found another campground where the owner was happy to have us, with electric hookups. Solved. And the one we went to was far better, quieter, and easier to stay in. Their loss. Moral of the story...if you decide to camp in your Tesla, recommend calling ahead and explaining what you plan to do, to avoid the headaches I had upon showing up.

 

[Impaler]

I wish there was an app,

‎RV LIFE - RV GPS & Campgrounds

 

[wraithfive]

Quick story...last August, the missus and I decided to take a weekend and go "camping" in the Model Y. We got the mattress set up, the 14-50 and TT-30 adapters, and hit the road. We booked a campground. When we showed up, the guy at the RV place said we couldn't stay there, due to "liability" concerns about camping in the vehicle, as opposed to a camper, due to "emissions" and the fact that we could die from CO inhalation. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told him, yes, we're staying in our vehicle, but it's a Tesla..all-electric, and emission-free. He just wouldn't hear me out, and insisted they were liable if we died. Bizzare. All that said, we called around and found another campground where the owner was happy to have us, with electric hookups. Solved. And the one we went to was far better, quieter, and easier to stay in. Their loss. Moral of the story...if you decide to camp in your Tesla, recommend calling ahead and explaining what you plan to do, to avoid the headaches I had upon showing up.

The funny thing is that there is probably more danger of death from emissions in the camper. Propane based fridges and heat on most of them. Propane stoves and ovens. Carbon Monoxide is a serious risk in a camper. Still, no sense in arguing with the camp ground people. As you say, call ahead and check. This is true when doing any kind of camping. How helpful and friendly they are on the phone is a good indicator of how much you will enjoy your time there.

 

[acarney]

The funny thing is that there is probably more danger of death from emissions in the camper. Propane based fridges and heat on most of them. Propane stoves and ovens. Carbon Monoxide is a serious risk in a camper. Still, no sense in arguing with the camp ground people. As you say, call ahead and check. This is true when doing any kind of camping. How helpful and friendly they are on the phone is a good indicator of how much you will enjoy your time there.

I kinda wonder if that might be he doesn't want to deal with a pissed off RV owner yelling at him that a "car" is taking up a spot that was designed for an "RV" if someone showed up after you and the site was busy...

 

[wraithfive]

I kinda wonder if that might be he doesn't want to deal with a pissed off RV owner yelling at him that a "car" is taking up a spot that was designed for an "RV" if someone showed up after you and the site was busy...

More likely he just really didn’t understand that the car has no emissions. Many people really don’t understand EVs yet. I have to explain all the time that my MY really does not take gas or have any ice engine at all.

 

[bozer]

Thank you all for sharing links to potential help here. Unfortunately I still have no idea what I'm doing. If anyone knows of a good spot in the tri-state area, where I can bring my Tesla, sleep in it with my family, have a camp fire near the car and super duper bonus points bring our little puppy, that would be a huge help. This is way more difficult to figure out than I imagined.