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AndrewGR
Member
My factory fitted tow bar came with a 13 pin socket - only 7 pins wired. 13-7 pin socket adapters available cheaply on eBay.
Reading on other forums some drivers in the eu safe stating their tow hitch nose weight to be 91kg - why is it so much lower in the uk? The cars are the same I thought so is it a regulatory thing?
also I bought a Thule velospace xt 4 specifically to carry 4 bikes but if the weight is 55kg, we have no chance and could only carry 2. This would be crazy.
Have I got this right?
Final question the electrical hookup for the bike rack is 7 pin. It plugs into the Tesla fine and the lights work, but it feels very lose and low (risk of hitting speed bumps) should it feels loose? Or is there a clip or some way to lock it in?
This is a fab resource and any help would be great as I certainly don’t want to damage the car or the mew bike rack.
Thanks in advance
also I bought a Thule velospace xt 4 specifically to carry 4 bikes but if the weight is 55kg, we have no chance and could only carry 2. This would be crazy.
Have I got this right?
Final question the electrical hookup for the bike rack is 7 pin. It plugs into the Tesla fine and the lights work, but it feels very lose and low (risk of hitting speed bumps) should it feels loose? Or is there a clip or some way to lock it in?
This is a fab resource and any help would be great as I certainly don’t want to damage the car or the mew bike rack.
Thanks in advance
MrBadger
Badger out
Its stated in the Software version: 2020.44 Europe manual - https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/model_3_owners_manual_europe_en.pdf
It's the same in the French version, so I suspect other European versions too, so not just a UK thing.
The nose weight is iirc 91kg, but thats for supported loads, not necessarily the same as for non supported accessories.
That is right. Similar story for my Model X. People get confused between nose weight for a wheeled trailer and weight for an unsupported accessory like a bike rack. The difference is that the latter puts an offset, leveraged load (torque) on the towball.
So 55 kg is your limit and that includes the weight of the bike rack itself. 4 bikes are quite likely to put you over limit, so you need to pay attention. In reality there will be a huge safety margin built into the 55 kg limit, but I wouldn’t risk going very much above it.
Agree. Our bike rack, Her's MTB bike, my MTB and a 7 and 10yo's bikes are 65kg, checked using a luggage scale handle thing. I'm happy at this, but I suspect I'll move one onto the roof with the next upsize (or bike to work might get me a lighter bike). We are sensible tho and put the heaviest closest to the car etc - the teeny 7 y/o's bike hangs out the back.
MrBadger
Badger out
Not related to the weight issue, but I initially purchased the Velo Compact 2 but returned it swapping it for the Easy Fold XT 2 - it was a bit more expensive (mitigated by getting a bank holiday flash sale on top of a price match at Halfords) but much easier to store/transport. The Velo Compact box took up most of the rear cargo area of our then Passat Estate so I could foresee issues with it in the back of the pending Model 3. Not used it in anger, but do not regret the decision - far easier to store away when not being used. The 3 bike version of the Easy Fold even has wheels to make moving it around easier. Its going to be slightly heavier than the Compact though.
That's currently top of my short list. How much room does it leave in the boot when folded?
MrBadger
Badger out
Not tried it I am afraid, we purchased it before we got the Model 3. I can say that it wont fit inside a Fiat 500 as when I went to collect, I had to call for my wife to come to the rescue and collect it in the Passat Estate
Best I can do is say that iirc the carrier was a snug fit in the box so if you could find box dimensions that will give some idea. They are surprisingly bulky though irrespective of folding or not.
MrBadger
Badger out
We got our Easyfold 2 for not much more than £400 from Halfords - iirc the 3 was not hugely more, so probably still under 500. We benefited from a pricematch, plus an additional 10% for AA membership then lucked in on a further 10% bank holiday flash sale. When we purchased we were not in any hurry as we didn't have the car, so were able to wait when stock was delayed for the spring 19 period. But whilst waiting, it did allow me to keep an stock and pricing - I was surprised at the significant price matching going on - it only took one supplier to drop prices and Halfords followed suit. One day it was £6x0 or so, next day under £500 base price, plus the aforementioned discounts. So worth keeping an eye on pricing.
If the model 3 wiring has no brake control then that must mean in the UK you can never tow above 750kg, so the 910kg limit is irrelevant. Unbraked limit only applies, which is 750kg
Just noticed that the official 2 bike tow hitch rack has a stated 54kg max cargo weight. How does that tally with the 55kg limit inclusive of rack weight (assuming the rack weighs more than 1kg!!)? Seems to suggest the 55kg limit in the manual is just wrong.
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If you've still not used it in anger, I can tell you it's a fantastic rack. Easy to load/unload and fits in the boot with enough space around it.
Braked trailers do not depend on control from the car. It's a mechanical system that compresses when the car decelerates and causes the brakes on the trailer to activate. You can tow with a braked trailer up to the car's limit.
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