Tow hitch bike racks

[pmg102]

Moderator comment - thread merged from "M3 + Tow hitch + Atera Strada DL 3"

To avoid potential legal and warranty issues hread should be read in conjunction with Tow Hitch Waiting Room and Exceeding maximum weight on towbar when using cycle rack

After waiting an extra 6 months for my model 3 to arrive with its tow hitch - I thought I’d share my thoughts on the tow bar and bike carrier combo.

So I’ve got the official Tesla tow hitch. Pretty impressed - works fine, feels very substantial, quick to fit once you’ve done it a few times, and the cover means you’ve no idea you have one when removed.

I’m still getting used to the bike carrier. A bit fiddly to fit the first couple of times - I’m sure this’ll get easier over time. Solid once fitted. Bikes feel secure to carrier, and there are locks everywhere to keep the carrier attached to towbar, and bikes to carrier.

Best feature is the slide - which allows access to the boot without taking the carrier or bikes off.

I’ve included photos of car before, with carrier, with bikes and then using the slide.

Overall - happy with the setup - just wish it had arrived sooner. And very pleased that I’m not having to put bikes on the roof again.

 

[Maz0]

Looks awsom. Glad its working out for you. Boot size amazed me as well when I seen a friends.

Anyone know if the performance can be upgraded with a tow bar?

Thanks for sharing

 

[MrBadger]

Anyone know if the performance can be upgraded with a tow bar?

Official tow bar cannot be retrospectively fitted no matter what car. However the official tow bar is vertically detachable version of Detachable Towbars – Westfalia-Automotive and they offer fitting to other vehicles - but not Tesla. I think it comes down to towing capacity - non tow Model 3's are 0kg which may well cause third party fitting issues. The other issue with third party solutions is the construction of the Model 3, and some third party solutions are having major rust issues due to insufficient protection between steel and aluminium parts causing severe galvanic corrosion in a matter of a few years.

Officially tow bar is option on non performance, but unofficially, never say never and there are some odd balls that have appeared on P- albeit at lesser towing/carrying capacity.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

There seems to be some issue over Type Approval and tow bars, which for the Model 3 is a bit odd. Often manufacturers don't bother to Type Approve EU (or UK) cars for use with a tow hitch, but have no problem with tow hitches being fitted to effectively the same model in other countries. I'm not at all sure why this is, although in the past it's been rumoured to be associated with the way EU/UK fuel consumption/emissions testing works. I've never been sure this is true, but the rumours are that if towing is Type Approved, then some of the testing has to include the impact of towing on performance, emissions etc. The thing that makes me think this isn't true is that, in the past, one or two manufacturers of towing equipment have managed to get TÜV approval for their equipment to be legally installed on vehicles that the manufacturer hasn't approved for towing within the EU.

It's easy enough to buy an after market tow hitch that will both fit the Model 3 and which meet US and EU standards, like this one, for example: Tesla Model 3 (2019)

The problem is that it's illegal to fit one of these, as unless Tesla supplied the car with the hitch then it is not Type Approved for one and so one cannot be legally fitted and used (at least for towing).

There is a get-out if all you wish to do is fit a bike rack, though, as there is no requirement, AFAIK, for a car or hitch to be Type Approved if all it's going to be used for is mounting a bike rack. If doing this, then I very much prefer the US standard square receiver hitch mount, as it makes for a very stable bike rack fitment (much easier to fit and more stable than a 50mm ball hitch bike rack, IMHO). I still have a 1 1/4" US-type receiver hitch bike rack, that I used to use on an imported US hitch I fitted to the last two Prius cars I owned. It isn't possible to easily adapt this fold-down bike rack to fit a 50mm ball hitch, so I've been tempted to import one of the US receiver hitch kits.

 

[Adopado]

Anyone know if the performance can be upgraded with a tow bar?

Certainly not by Tesla. I always assumed that part of the problem is the lowered ride height. However, Tesla don't even offer the towbar on any of the non-performance versions either unless it's installed at the factory.

 

[MrBadger]

I always assumed that part of the problem is the lowered ride height.

The latest Eur manual has tow info specific for 20" wheels - reduction in overall load, just like the P-. So at some point, it was, or will be an option.

 

[rotor2k]

After waiting an extra 6 months for my model 3 to arrive with its tow hitch - I thought I’d share my thoughts on the tow bar and bike carrier combo.

So I’ve got the official Tesla tow hitch. Pretty impressed - works fine, feels very substantial, quick to fit once you’ve done it a few times, and the cover means you’ve no idea you have one when removed.

I’m still getting used to the bike carrier. A bit fiddly to fit the first couple of times - I’m sure this’ll get easier over time. Solid once fitted. Bikes feel secure to carrier, and there are locks everywhere to keep the carrier attached to towbar, and bikes to carrier.

Best feature is the slide - which allows access to the boot without taking the carrier or bikes off.

I’ve included photos of car before, with carrier, with bikes and then using the slide.

Overall - happy with the setup - just wish it had arrived sooner. And very pleased that I’m not having to put bikes on the roof again.

View attachment 491468 View attachment 491469 View attachment 491470 View attachment 491471 View attachment 491472 View attachment 491473 View attachment 491474 View attachment 491475 View attachment 491476

Thanks for the great pics! I have a tow bar but haven't even tried to fit it yet.

 

[Avendit]

After waiting an extra 6 months for my model 3 to arrive with its tow hitch - I thought I’d share my thoughts on the tow bar and bike carrier combo.

So I’ve got the official Tesla tow hitch. Pretty impressed - works fine, feels very substantial, quick to fit once you’ve done it a few times, and the cover means you’ve no idea you have one when removed.

I’m still getting used to the bike carrier. A bit fiddly to fit the first couple of times - I’m sure this’ll get easier over time. Solid once fitted. Bikes feel secure to carrier, and there are locks everywhere to keep the carrier attached to towbar, and bikes to carrier.

Best feature is the slide - which allows access to the boot without taking the carrier or bikes off.

I’ve included photos of car before, with carrier, with bikes and then using the slide.

Overall - happy with the setup - just wish it had arrived sooner. And very pleased that I’m not having to put bikes on the roof again.

View attachment 491468 View attachment 491469 View attachment 491470 View attachment 491471 View attachment 491472 View attachment 491473 View attachment 491474 View attachment 491475 View attachment 491476

Just looking at your pics, and pretty sure we have the same carrier as you (not had it on the 3 yet tho). Shouldn't the clamp handle go down to almost horizontal? It very much did on my old car/tow.

Did you do the cacs to work out the max amount of bike you should be carrying? The pic of the official carrier from the manual in your other thread looks like a 2 bike strada which is reassuring, wonder how my 4 bike one will get on! Only little kiddie bikes on the outer positions, but my MTB, even on the closest position, is a lump :/

 

[pmg102]

Shouldn't the clamp handle go down to almost horizontal?

That was as far as it would go without me sitting on it. It did lock into one of the bike carrier positions (i.e. grey button clicked out). Maybe it will loosen over time?

 

[P3dStealth]

Wow looks good. Now I want one.

 

[pmg102]

Did you do the cacs to work out the max amount of bike you should be carrying?

Carrier is 15 kg. My gravel bike is carbon so only around 10 kg. So another 30kg to play with. And there's only me and the wife. If I'm taking my MTB - then that's definitely heavier - but likely just to be mine on the carrier.

 

[gidster99]

I am looking at help from anyone that has experience of fitting a 4-bike carrier to the Tesla 3 Official Tow Hitch... I see the OP has a great set-up for 3 bikes (even though likely only using two of them). But for me, the idea is to encourage the whole family to go on cycling trips... but there are 2 adults and two kids in the family. And I don't mean small kids (one of them is already taller than me!) So I really need something that can handle 4 adult sized bikes.

Please let me know if you have done this. And also if I have to be concerned about weights: I note that a lot of the bike carriers say 60kg weight limit. But I assume that is for the actual bikes (so an average of 15kg per bike) But clearly the bike rack itself will weigh a decent amount, and I want to be sure the Tow Hitch can take it... I have really struggled to find any of these limits written down

Thanks for the help.

 

[MrBadger]

Tesla tow hitch has a weight limit of 55kg when used for 'accessories' such as bike racks. iirc our bike rack is 18kg, so you don't have much spare from 55kg.

Its all in the eur manual* - watch out for the 7/13 pin mistake. Its 7 active pins in a 13 pin socket. So you want 13 pin electrics.

* The eur manual can be accesses by replacing 'north_america' with 'europe' in the manual linked from your account. Why is not the default manual I have no idea, but it is the one relevant to UK market.

 

[gidster99]

Urgh. Does that mean it's effectively impossible to take 4 bikes on a Model 3?

 

[Avendit]

4 adult size booked is going to be a push. My last 2 are still small bikes. When they get bigger will prob go 2 on the back and 2 up top.

Or do it and hope. Depends how far over your world be.

 

[beansnchips]

I am looking at help from anyone that has experience of fitting a 4-bike carrier to the Tesla 3 Official Tow Hitch... I see the OP has a great set-up for 3 bikes (even though likely only using two of them). But for me, the idea is to encourage the whole family to go on cycling trips... but there are 2 adults and two kids in the family. And I don't mean small kids (one of them is already taller than me!) So I really need something that can handle 4 adult sized bikes.

Please let me know if you have done this. And also if I have to be concerned about weights: I note that a lot of the bike carriers say 60kg weight limit. But I assume that is for the actual bikes (so an average of 15kg per bike) But clearly the bike rack itself will weigh a decent amount, and I want to be sure the Tow Hitch can take it... I have really struggled to find any of these limits written down

Thanks for the help.

Will be in a similar situation at some point in future (pending M3, 2 kids growing up). At the moment I would be ok with 2 small bikes but I envisaged that if all 4 of us had proper sized bikes I will more than likely get a small light (and aero) trailer and fit some bike mounts to it. Another reason why I went for the LR so that I had a bit more flexibility with range.

 

[gidster99]

I like the idea of a small trailer such as you describe - but I haven't been able to find one ! Have you had any luck?

Will be in a similar situation at some point in future (pending M3, 2 kids growing up). At the moment I would be ok with 2 small bikes but I envisaged that if all 4 of us had proper sized bikes I will more than likely get a small light (and aero) trailer and fit some bike mounts to it. Another reason why I went for the LR so that I had a bit more flexibility with range.

 

[beansnchips]

I like the idea of a small trailer such as you describe - but I haven't been able to find one ! Have you had any luck?

Not yet. I've got some time before my kids get to that stage (looking at watch and thinking it will come a lot quicker than I am expecting!)

 

[gidster99]

True that !

 

[sofarso]

For going slightly over the weight limit is there any scope for attaching straps to far side of bike carrier and then inside boot. This would lessen pressure on tow mount maybe?