Tow Hitch Waiting Room

[MrBadger]

Anyone got a sniff of a car with tow hitch vin or delivery?

Tow hitch looks to be a bit of a blocker on delivery, even though when they were announced in early May that they were available immediately.

Whilst we are waiting, what are you planning on using your tow hitch for?

I purchased a Thule EasyFold bike rack to carry my e-bike - e-bikes are hefty things so regular racks don't have the weight capacity and lifting it on to the roof was a mare even before worrying about glass roof on a new car. Its not cheap, but there is plenty of price matching available plus Halfords give a further 10% off for AA members. I originally purchased the VeloCompact, but I didn't even have to take it out of the box to realise that it would probably be too large to fit in the Model 3 boot - needed the rear seat down to fit the box in a Passat estate. My only concern is how high the bike rack will be off the ground as my drive is on a slope so not convinced its going to clear when car is at an angle. I've yet to do the maths.

I know you can get adaptors for the electrics, but does anyone know how many pins the Model 3 tow hitch has? In the manual, it says 7 pin, but image and pin descriptions looks like 13 pin with 8 pins used. 13 pin would be good for me, no adaptor needed.

Electrical Connections
Regulations require all trailers to be equipped with tail lights, brake lights, side marker lights, and turn signals. To provide power for trailer lighting, a built-in 7-pin wiring connector is provided near the hitch support's wiring plugs for most types of trailers.

1. Left Turn Signal
2. Rear Fog
3. Ground for pins 1-8
4. Right Turn Signal
5. Right Tail Signal
6. Stop Lamps
7. Left Tail Lamp
8. Reverse Lamps

Note: Pins 9-13 are not supported at this time because Model 3 is not currently equipped with brake controllers.

 

[Peteski]

13 pin I believe, or at least my MX has. I think the manual might be a typo from US translation, as I think they may have 7 pin over there. My UK supplied bike rack plugged straight in and worked no problem.

 

[Avendit]

Waiting too. Will alternate between bike racks and towing one of these:

I don't get why all the hot/fast cars drop the tow bar option. Many of the people I know that like fast cars also like fast boats, jet skis or bikes. If it wasn't for this i'd have probably had a golf R estate, or cupra at by now. And the gap between quick and actually fast is growing. My FR Leon was the fastest towing car in its class when I bought it 2011 with 210bhp, chipped easily to 240. Now the R's etc are up on the 300's and the step down that can take a bar top out at 180 :-(

Luckily the '3 turned up with power and a bar. Eventually. Maybe.

 

[MrBadger]

I use to sail. Only thing I ever towed was my old Laser 2 - not as extreme as that but still plenty of fun, except when doing the Bloody Mary when 6 ft of main sheet could be held out straight in front. Ironically I could get that on roof of my car on my own even though it was significantly larger and heavier than my e-bike.

Interesting to know what sort of range hit you get towing one of those. What exactly is it btw? Hydroplane by looks of it.

 

[Avendit]

Just an 'exciting' picture. Musto skiff, about a laser 2 size, but single handed. It's only ~200kg on the road trailer, and folds down to quite an aerodynamic shape so hoping the hit isn't too bad. Am plotting semi-rigid covers to reduce flapping and therefore drag.

Actually worried about the bikes more. My MTB is pretty huge and stands proud above and to the sides of my current hatchback, if only a bit. No idea how bad it's going to look on the saloon shape of the '3. I've seen some US cyclists convert to a laydown cycle rack, but it didn't look solid enough to be allowed here. Am considering trying to bring it with the wheels off and so tucked in a bit more. Will see how it goes.

What are you/others intending? I can't see a caravan on an EV being viable yet...

 

[pmg102]

Really don’t like the look of the roof rack. Previous cars have had proper points to screw the rack into. The M3 doesn’t have those - so the Tesla one kind of clamps to the roof panel. Don’t fancy doing that to my new car...

Want to be able to transport a couple of bikes when the car is full of luggage. So a tow bar it is. Haven’t quite decided which one. The Buzz Rack ones look pretty good, along with the standard Thule or expensive Atera Strada one with the funky slide back mechanism.

 

[Avendit]

We have a 3+1 Atera. Been pretty good, 1000x faster to get the bikes on and off than the old hanging one and because of the slide thing I can load the bikes up the night before (it locks them, kind of) and put the final bag or 2 in the boot in the morning. Worth every penny more than the £60 one I had before (all be it had that since I was a student).

Will probably have the roof rack on too tho once they are available from whisperbar direct. Damn kids and outdoor holidays. Can' wait to see what the range is like fully loaded :/

 

[-DB-]

2 FB users have said they have vins this morning for Tow Bar orders. Hopefully you guys get word soon.

 

[richard9131]

I added a tow bar to mine and I got an email last night saying estimated delivery is first week of September. Collecting from Bluewater.
I intend to carry bikes so your posts above have given me some ideas to pursue since I’ve never used a bike rack on my other cars

 

[dan223]

I added a tow bar to mine and I got an email last night saying estimated delivery is first week of September. Collecting from Bluewater.
I intend to carry bikes so your posts above have given me some ideas to pursue since I’ve never used a bike rack on my other cars

I assume you mean Dartford not bluewater

 

[Peteski]

For those planning to carry multiple bikes on the towbar, be really careful not to exceed the nose weight limit. Even on the Model X, you can only carry a maximum of 54 kg on the towbar and that includes the actual bike rack itself. It's obviously not the same limit as when you are towing a load supported on its own wheels. I have no idea what the nose weight limit is on the Model 3, but I would check it first if you are planning to fit a 3 or 4 bike rack on there or carrying a couple of heavy e-mtbs.

Exceeding maximum weight on towbar when using cycle rack

 

[electricspace]

I am going to use the tow bar for business use, hauling fresh produce.

 

[electricspace]

I have no idea what the nose weight limit is on the Model 3, but I would check it first if you are planning to fit a 3 or 4 bike rack on there or carrying a couple of heavy e-mtbs.

Exceeding maximum weight on towbar when using cycle rack

I believe it's 910kg on a wheeled trailer.

 

[Peteski]

I believe it's 910kg on a wheeled trailer.

But I'm not talking about wheeled trailers, I'm talking specifically about bike racks supported only by the towbar. It most definitely isn't 910 kg for those!

 

[Avendit]

I believe it's 910kg on a wheeled trailer.

That's the trailer weight, most of which should be on the trailers wheels. The nose weight is the weight on the tow ball. On a trailer you can tune it by moving the balance, on a bike carrier you don't have that option.

My 4 bike is at or near a 50kg limit, but I make sure to load it with the heaviest bike nearest the car - kids bikes go on last. With a50kg limit (current car, likely on the 3) I couldn't put 4 adult bikes on.

 

[MrBadger]

Nose weight is 90kg iirc - let me find the reference

here we go. 91kg - referred to as tongue weight page 73 of the 2019.16 euro manual

obviously, this weight comes off the approx. 400kg occupant and cargo limit

 

[Avendit]

Wow, that's more than an A4 etc if right! And a significant % of available loading!

 

[Peteski]

Nose weight is 90kg iirc - let me find the reference

here we go. 91kg - referred to as tongue weight page 73 of the 2019.16 euro manual

Tongue weight is not the same thing as nose weight either. Again that's related to towing trailers, not unsupported bike racks bouncing up and down directly on the ball. For example the max tongue weight on the Model X is 500 lb (226 kg) but the max nose weight is only 120 lb (54 kg). So that doesn't actually bode well for carrying bike racks on the Model 3.

 

[Avendit]

If it's a straight ratio that is going to be pretty poor. Wonder what it's attached to, the plastic bumper only!?

 

[Peteski]

If it's a straight ratio that is going to be pretty poor. Wonder what it's attached to, the plastic bumper only!?

Looks like Tesla haven't got round to publishing what the max nose weight actually is on the Model 3. I had a very quick Google and didn't see anything official. Hopefully the 54 kg limit on the X is governed by the quick release ball attachment itself (there are some reports of them developing excessive play if overloaded - mine is still rock solid after a year of hauling several mtb enduro rigs around) rather than the chassis mounting hardware, in which case it should be the same rating for Model 3. But obviously you need that to be confirmed before loading up 4 bikes on a rack!