Winter long term Storage Model 3

[ProudJiddo]

I live in New England, US, and have a new Model 3 dual motor and I'm thinking about taking it to an UNheated storage facility for the winter months(3 or 4 mos), to keep the road salt etc off of it.
What are the pros and cons of doing this?
What type of charger should I get that is portable?
I currently have the 48 amp wall mount at home, so Im wondering if there's something that would plug into a normal outlet
since I won't need a much charging power.

Even though I have another car for the winter a friend tells me that this is not necessary as the Tesla has a well sealed underbody and won't be bothered by winter driving?
Appreciate all responses. Thank you

 

[jjrandorin]

I live in New England, US, and have a new Model 3 dual motor and I'm thinking about taking it to an UNheated storage facility for the winter months(3 or 4 mos), to keep the road salt etc off of it.
What are the pros and cons of doing this?
What type of charger should I get that is portable?
I currently have the 48 amp wall mount at home, so Im wondering if there's something that would plug into a normal outlet
since I won't need a much charging power.

Even though I have another car for the winter a friend tells me that this is not necessary as the Tesla has a well sealed underbody and won't be bothered by winter driving?
Appreciate all responses. Thank you

No, its not necessary. There are plenty of people who drive these cars in the winter, in real winter months and real winter weather. I am aware of at least one regular member who has tesla vehicles and lives in Alaska. With that being said, if thats what you want to do, thats completely up to you.

As for "what charger do you get", you get the tesla mobile connector if you dont already have one:

Mobile Connector

Stay charged on extended trips or when you need it most with Mobile Connector. Using a standard outlet, you can recharge up to 3 miles of range per hour with the NEMA 5-15 Adapter or up to 30 miles of range with the NEMA 14-50 Adapter depending on your vehicle. Includes: 1x Mobile Connector -...

shop.tesla.com

 

[RayK]

Being on the Left Coast and not subject to that white stuff falling from the skies or the salt spread on the roadway, I'm not one to offer any useful comments on that aspect.

That being said, a mobile connector is something which is portable and can be plugged into a standard 120VAC outlet and can get you 4 miles per hour of charge (in otherwise optimal conditions). There are also adapters which can plug into 240V outlets and will get you up to 10X that much range.

 

[ProudJiddo]

Thank you.
Which adapter should I get?
The nema 14-50 you link above? or 5-15?

Will this hook up tp the the charging adapter that came with the car?

 

[jjrandorin]

Thank you.
Which adapter should I get?
The nema 14-50 you link above? or 5-15?

Will this hook up tp the the charging adapter that came with the car?

If you mean me, what I posted a link to was the tesla mobile connector that used to come standard with every tesla vehicle, but was removed as standard equipment sometime this year by tesla.

If you have a mobile adapter already you dont need another one. As for "what adapter should you get" that depends on what the garage has for you to plug into, so its not something we can recommend. The mobile adapter comes with a 5-15, and for winter storage that should be sufficient and is the most likely outlet to be available in the garage, but you will need to check with the parking garage.

 

[cgell]

The main concern with road salt getting on a vehicle is rust. Generally the underbody of the vehicle takes the biggest hit. The thing about Teslas is that the underbody is basically a giant plastic shield. There aren’t really as many parts exposed. It also uses aluminum for some of the body, which also helps. So if anything, a Tesla needs less consideration when it comes to road salt. Not that it’s not an issue. Just less than with ICE vehicles.

The other thing is that Tesla makes great vehicles, but besides the roadster these aren’t exactly collectors items. They are made to be driven and enjoyed.

 

[KenC]

I live in New England, US, and have a new Model 3 dual motor and I'm thinking about taking it to an UNheated storage facility for the winter months(3 or 4 mos), to keep the road salt etc off of it.
What are the pros and cons of doing this?
What type of charger should I get that is portable?
I currently have the 48 amp wall mount at home, so Im wondering if there's something that would plug into a normal outlet
since I won't need a much charging power.

Even though I have another car for the winter a friend tells me that this is not necessary as the Tesla has a well sealed underbody and won't be bothered by winter driving?
Appreciate all responses. Thank you

You must see hundreds of Teslas if you are in Mass. I would treat it like any other car, it's expensive, but not that precious. The underbody is not sealed, but the battery is sealed. This is the start of my 5th winter, and my car lives outside, and I've had zero issues with winter. Just make sure you have the appropriate tires, and put on mudflaps to prevent grit from sandblasting your rockers.

 

[Sophias_dad]

"Charging adapter that came with the car" probably means the j1772 adapter. If its smaller than a soda can, that's what OP is talking about.

You need a UMC and the 5-15 adapter which is supplied with it. I vaguely recall its $200 these days.

 

[Resist]

If your are storing the car then just use the mobile connector and adapter for a 120 volt outlet, as others have said and then set the charging amps to the lowest setting. The car doesn't need fast charging since it will be in storage for months.

 

[ProudJiddo]

"Charging adapter that came with the car" probably means the j1772 adapter. If its smaller than a soda can, that's what OP is talking about.

You need a UMC and the 5-15 adapter which is supplied with it. I vaguely recall its $200 these days.

thank you