I havent read this whole post but someone posted a 160 lbs max weight limit on the hitch receiver ? That is idiotic. Was that for the Tesla bike rack itself, that it can only hold 160# ? Or were you trying to say the hitch receiver itself (made out of 1/2" thick cold rolled, bolted into the frame with bolts large enough to also incorporate the tow eye suitable for about 10,000 lbs vertical load) can only hold 160 ? What the hell are you guys smoking ? Ive carried prob 500 lbs of dirtbikes on the receiver, and then jumped my fat 200 lb ass up and down on it ... it doesnt move, its prob the strongest thing on the whole car since they didnt optimize weight.
I believe it if you told me Telsa has under-engineered their gourmet over-priced bike hitch, and it only holds 160 lbs worth of bikes ... but i ASSURE you the hitch receiver itself could take probably take double the weight of the entire vehicle. Remember, the rear tow eye is incorporated into the rear bumper, which mounts using ... gasp ... the exact same bolts that also install the tow hitch. They had to design that connection to lift a 5,000 lb tesla vertically up a cliff, sometimes filled with mud and water.
The hitch receiver is designed per industry standards, you would NEVER distort or otherwise inflict damage on the receiver, or its mounting bolts into the frame. You would bottom and crush the rear suspension LONG before that receiver or its mounting bolts would yield. You are seriously off by a factor of like 100 here on the amount of load that receiver could take before it failed ...
What is entirely likely, however, is if you load the hell out of the rear end of the vehicle, it upsets the weight/balance of the vehicle and at high speeds the front end could get light, causing the sine wave to occur (which is never fun). Bottom line - you are more than safe to load vertically to to the rated tongue weight of 350, and most likely far beyond. But ... dont be stupid and load it heavy in the rear then go into full track driving mode on the street. If you load it up to 350 or so, you drop the rear end ride height, so big bumps at high speed could cause you to hit the bump stops and make for an even worse ride than usual.
I believe it if you told me Telsa has under-engineered their gourmet over-priced bike hitch, and it only holds 160 lbs worth of bikes ... but i ASSURE you the hitch receiver itself could take probably take double the weight of the entire vehicle. Remember, the rear tow eye is incorporated into the rear bumper, which mounts using ... gasp ... the exact same bolts that also install the tow hitch. They had to design that connection to lift a 5,000 lb tesla vertically up a cliff, sometimes filled with mud and water.
The hitch receiver is designed per industry standards, you would NEVER distort or otherwise inflict damage on the receiver, or its mounting bolts into the frame. You would bottom and crush the rear suspension LONG before that receiver or its mounting bolts would yield. You are seriously off by a factor of like 100 here on the amount of load that receiver could take before it failed ...
What is entirely likely, however, is if you load the hell out of the rear end of the vehicle, it upsets the weight/balance of the vehicle and at high speeds the front end could get light, causing the sine wave to occur (which is never fun). Bottom line - you are more than safe to load vertically to to the rated tongue weight of 350, and most likely far beyond. But ... dont be stupid and load it heavy in the rear then go into full track driving mode on the street. If you load it up to 350 or so, you drop the rear end ride height, so big bumps at high speed could cause you to hit the bump stops and make for an even worse ride than usual.
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