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Tesla Pickup Truck

Drewsky84

Member
Sep 20, 2018
25
2
Buckley
What are they planning for Superchargers when towing? I use my truck for work the MX can’t come close to doing a lot of which is trailering. How am I supposed to take a family camping trip or haul load for work with a trailer and get a charge?
 

Xenoilphobe

Active Member
Jan 2, 2014
4,572
4,267
Fairfax County, Virginia
What are they planning for Superchargers when towing? I use my truck for work the MX can’t come close to doing a lot of which is trailering. How am I supposed to take a family camping trip or haul load for work with a trailer and get a charge?

Towing a caravan with a Tesla Model X - Thomas Bensmann

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Lasairfion

Member
Jul 24, 2018
491
538
UK
How am I supposed to take a family camping trip or haul load for work with a trailer and get a charge?

Stick a ton of batteries in the floor of your trailer ;)

I actually think it won't be long before that becomes a serious option for large caravans and trailers, along with solar rooftops on them.
 

jerry33

(S85-3/2/13 traded in) X LR: F2611##-3/27/20
Mar 8, 2012
19,516
21,709
Texas
I actually think it won't be long before that becomes a serious option for large caravans and trailers, along with solar rooftops on them.
It will have to be one heck of a large vehicle to have enough solar power to do more than create just a tiny amount of the energy required. Thirty 4x8 solar panels only produce 7.5 kW. That's just a bit more than enough to run the A/C at full power (6 kW), and doesn't account for the extra weight or the additional tipsiness with the solar panels on the roof. If solar panels were 100% efficient, seven 4x8 panels would be required to generate 6 kW. Solar panels belong on the roof of a building, not on a vehicle.
 

Lasairfion

Member
Jul 24, 2018
491
538
UK
It will have to be one heck of a large vehicle to have enough solar power to do more than create just a tiny amount of the energy required. Thirty 4x8 solar panels only produce 7.5 kW. That's just a bit more than enough to run the A/C at full power (6 kW), and doesn't account for the extra weight or the additional tipsiness with the solar panels on the roof. If solar panels were 100% efficient, seven 4x8 panels would be required to generate 6 kW. Solar panels belong on the roof of a building, not on a vehicle.

I was thinking more of batteries in the towed trailer/caravan to extend car range, and rooftop solar for that extra bit of juice for modern camping activities like charging electronics and low voltage lighting.
 

jerry33

(S85-3/2/13 traded in) X LR: F2611##-3/27/20
Mar 8, 2012
19,516
21,709
Texas
I was thinking more of batteries in the towed trailer/caravan to extend car range, and rooftop solar for that extra bit of juice for modern camping activities like charging electronics and low voltage lighting.
Except for the drain hookup, that would make them more independent of RV parks. As long as the drain hookup needs to be there, I'm not sure the advantage is that big. I could be wrong about this.
 

Qbenjamin

Frugal But Classy!
Jan 7, 2017
1,139
673
Braavos
My major concern was always the starting price...At under $50K for the base model, I'm sure that there will be demand for it.
 

purplewalt

Active Member
Jun 9, 2013
1,628
577
Dallas, Texas
Just returned from road trip, and my observation of some other vehicles on the road:

Cannot count how many modified pickups have doolies, (twin wheels at each rear hubs) I saw.
Some trucks are for work (construction or similar), some for hauling 5th wheel type trailers to the bed of the truck, not at the rear hitch.
So the frame is probably reinforced to carry the extra load.

For pickups to be a serious work or camping vehicle, might need to have doolies as an adaptable Option.

And they have huge flared fenders (Fritz just sighed deeply, how is THAT going to impact his design?)
 

ricohman

Member
Dec 31, 2018
470
316
Saskatchewan
Just returned from road trip, and my observation of some other vehicles on the road:

Cannot count how many modified pickups have doolies, (twin wheels at each rear hubs) I saw.
Some trucks are for work (construction or similar), some for hauling 5th wheel type trailers to the bed of the truck, not at the rear hitch.
So the frame is probably reinforced to carry the extra load.

For pickups to be a serious work or camping vehicle, might need to have doolies as an adaptable Option.

And they have huge flared fenders (Fritz just sighed deeply, how is THAT going to impact his design?)

DRW trucks are not "modified" from SRW trucks. It's an entirely different truck.
My new F450 shares no running gear with SRW one ton. Even the DRW 350's have a different rear axles, brakes, gearing and suspension than the one ton SRW trucks.
The frames are not modified for a goose neck or fiver hitch. They are built for them.
If this truck is a serious truck it will have a solid rear axle.
 

wdolson

Well-Known Member
Jul 24, 2015
7,418
9,916
Clark Co, WA
Just returned from road trip, and my observation of some other vehicles on the road:

Cannot count how many modified pickups have doolies, (twin wheels at each rear hubs) I saw.
Some trucks are for work (construction or similar), some for hauling 5th wheel type trailers to the bed of the truck, not at the rear hitch.
So the frame is probably reinforced to carry the extra load.

For pickups to be a serious work or camping vehicle, might need to have doolies as an adaptable Option.

And they have huge flared fenders (Fritz just sighed deeply, how is THAT going to impact his design?)

Dual rear wheels are a factory option on 1 ton or heavier pickups. Some people get the biggest pickup they can find for bragging rights, but it does have a legitimate use too. My sister got a pickup with dual back tires when she started hauling a 3 horse trailer into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There are a lot of legitimate work uses too.

Tesla would be smart to aim for the work segment before the recreational segment of the pickup market. The work truck market is far less brand loyal. Especially large organizations that buy fleets of trucks. For a work vehicle cost of ownership combined with utility is the winner. If Tesla can come out with a line of trucks that are at minimum equal to ICE trucks for utility, they will kill the competition on cost of ownership.

Once well established in the work truck market, demand for recreational Tesla trucks will follow organically.
 

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snort

Member
Jun 27, 2015
164
74
Seattle, WA
Tesla would be smart to aim for the work segment before the recreational segment of the pickup market. The work truck market is far less brand loyal. Especially large organizations that buy fleets of trucks. For a work vehicle cost of ownership combined with utility is the winner. If Tesla can come out with a line of trucks that are at minimum equal to ICE trucks for utility, they will kill the competition on cost of ownership.

Once well established in the work truck market, demand for recreational Tesla trucks will follow organically.

Hear Hear!

Tesla seems to be going all in on appearance, neck snapping performance and carrying lots of people. That's fine and a popular segment but it's not the only one. If I'm carrying a stack of lumber or pipes, or a refrigerator or something, it's worse than useless. Now Rivian comes along with a truck that's ok for towing, and lots of fun options for off-roaders, but has a tiny box and is all but useless for the jobsite.

Electrics have extremely low operating cost, incredible, smooth, low end torque, and small, out of the way motor (s) which presents opportunities for a work truck like no other. Put the cab way forward like an old microbus, put an 8 foot or longer box in the back, put lots of battery weight low down, and you have a smallish jobsite pickup that can haul plywood or drywall /in the box/. With the right suspension and frame, it should be able to have a towing capacity of 3 or 4 tons while being only 14 feet long or so. (for comparison, the current F150 is 17.5 to 21 feet long).

-Snortybartfast
 
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wdolson

Well-Known Member
Jul 24, 2015
7,418
9,916
Clark Co, WA
Bollinger has produced a truck focused on work, but production volume is low. Tesla had the flashy looks, but hopefully they will deliver on performance.
 
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