I have a simple question. Anyone towing stuff with their Model X over some distance that requires charging along the way, How do you do it? The cables on the super chargers are short. If you had a boat or something behind your car, do you basically have to unhook and hook at at every charging stop? Is there some sort of extension that can be added to a trailer so that I can plug in in the back of the trailer and then plug the other end into the car?
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Towing and Super Chargers
- Thread starter RecklessFury
- Start date
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
While a few Superchargers are pull through most will require you to unhitch and then plug in. Does not take all that long. Many Superchargers will have a side stall that will allow you to pull straight in and charge with out unhitching as well.
I have seen pictures that some with trailers will pull in horizontal to many empty stalls. Allow you to plug in while hitched, but takes up many stalls when doing.
The backup camera in an X allows pretty easy hooking back up, even if you are alone.
Many have traveled long distances, pulling items. While the car has plenty of power for the heavy loads, aerodynamic forces can cut your range in half at higher speeds.
I have seen pictures that some with trailers will pull in horizontal to many empty stalls. Allow you to plug in while hitched, but takes up many stalls when doing.
The backup camera in an X allows pretty easy hooking back up, even if you are alone.
Many have traveled long distances, pulling items. While the car has plenty of power for the heavy loads, aerodynamic forces can cut your range in half at higher speeds.
Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
This has been a sore spot with me for the last 3 years. If I have to tow something long distance, I always use my ICE car. I've suffered too much time unhooking and re-hooking on long trips. Yes, there are some locations where I can pull through without unhooking a trailer, but most of the stalls are not well thought out to consider towing, in my opinion. I wish there were more. It would be nice if the nav unit had a feature to show and select locations suited for cars towing trailers.
Yinn
Active Member
Not every station has the side stalls. If they don’t have them, one option is to pick one with a lot of side room almost as if you’re parallel parking. Then cut the wheel to angle as much towards a 90 degree as possible. I’ve pulled in before taking up 2 stalls (station that wasn’t busy/completely empty) but most of the time I can get in the side stall and take up non-SC parking spots like this.
Just completed a 2500 mile trip with Model S (Michigan to Arizona) modified with a Drawtite Model X hitch towing 7 thousand pounds. Total weight of everything 12,240 lbs. Had to do a variety of things to charge including jack knifing in. Attempted to use 8 electrify America chademo (6 worked). With EA only one station did we encounter pull through. Bottom line is most EA stations need a layout redesign and so do many Tesla Superchargers. Trucks are a coming....
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Rossy
Member
Agree.
EV America AND BLINK chargers are only 80% reliable so ALWAYS have a backup charging plan while towing Incase the CHaDemo station is down or won’t work. Been testing local CHademo stations around Oregon last 2 years and had about 2-4 cases where just couldn’t charge. But never problems while towing. Recommend that one practice charging with Chademo to learn the hiccups that can happen. You don’t want your first experience with a CHADeMO fault to be 10:00PM in the rain at some god forsaken place with 2% cellphone charge and poor cell coverage.
I’ve had to unhitch about 3 times total while towing.
RV SITES **throttle down your max charge current with UMC, you don’t want to trip a remote RV site breaker at 10:00PM. Many RV sites have 50 AMP NEMATODE plugs but rarely see more than 30Amp loads...so be cautious. If you trip the remote breaker the staff may be hard to find who can reset the breaker feeding your RV panel.
Yinn
Active Member
Rossy
Member
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