Towing with Electricity and a Model X

[out of sight]

Tesla should fix this problem. It seems easy, and there is a nice market there.

Charging up at a campsite is another problem that has not been considered very much.

[ohmman]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Charging up at a campsite is another problem that has not been considered very much.

What's the problem?

[out of sight]

If I ran a campground I wouldn't want to pay for someone's vehicle operating cost.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by out of sight

If I ran a campground I wouldn't want to pay for someone's vehicle operating cost.

But it is OK to pay for their heating and cooling costs? Why would they care what the power was being used for?

[DewTheDew]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Looking thru the Tesla owners manual I also notice that it cannot be towed (the spinning wheels generate electricity and heat and could cause the vehicle to burst into flames). I had thought perhaps a model 3 would make a great daily driver for a class A motor home, but apparently not.

Just put it on a trailer :-)

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by jcl

But it is OK to pay for their heating and cooling costs? Why would they care what the power was being used for?

It’s a red herring. You wouldn’t even know someone was charging. Just like the BS about the lithium mines that have been around for 200 years.

[Rocinante]

We now have an EV (not a Tesla, not for towing), and if we were in a jam, desperately needing a charge with no charging stations within range, we’d absolutely check with an RV park or an RV dealer who has a 50-amp outlet to see whether we could arrange a charge. We’d be fine with paying something. This assumes we have our level 2 charger with us, and that we’d “borrow” an empty spot or outlet just long enough to get us to a DC fast-charger location.

[Tomzstream]

Not sure what campgrounds y'all have been frequenting, but a lot of the upscale resorts, catering to Class A RVs already meter electricity and charge you for it. Here in Florida it is quite common. Any destination resort has that requirement as extended stay reservations (2-3 months) are treated much like rental properties and charge for utilities. Nothing wrong with that, and worth it if you have a sufficient feed to charge a BEV (50 Amp 240V Level II.) I can see it becoming a desired feature for attracting those with EV toads and BEV TVs.

[OTRA15]

Exactly . . . well said Tom.

Peter

[ohmman]

Agreed with the sentiments above. Metering electricity is probably the best idea for an RV park in the end, but usage discrepancies already exist. We take care not to run the AC at all if possible, and we have a small 22' trailer with 30A service. We'll often be parked next to big 50A units that have multiple AC units running all day, even when nobody's home. You'd be surprised how well an EV driver compares in electricity consumption.

On this forum, I learned of another member who was told not to charge his EV in an Oregon State Park campground. I followed up on this with the Oregon Parks and Recreation department and got a letter confirming that it is indeed fine to charge an EV in that spot. Their rule is that the space AND the electricity are available for the camper's use as they see fit. I got the letter, printed it, and took it with me on our recent trip through Oregon. It's because of perception and the novel status of EVs that people suddenly treat their usage differently from any other appliance. So I knew there was a chance we'd encounter a ranger that had the same unintentional bias and I'd have an insurance policy. We never needed it, but got close once when we tripped a breaker at one of the parks. (This despite cranking our draw down to 25A on a 50A circuit).

Five to six years ago when I was driving an EV without a huge charging network, I charged at RV parks for pay. They'd accept $10, usually, for a stop and a fill up. The electricity is a tiny portion of that, but I pay $10 to dump my tanks, and there's nearly no marginal cost to that.

[out of sight]

I've never noticed a readily available 220 volt supply in an RV park.

[Rocinante]

Each 50-amp RV outlet is a 220/240 volt outlet, with two legs that make up the 240, each leg at 120.

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Each 50-amp RV outlet is a 220/240 volt outlet, with two legs that make up the 240, each leg at 120.

Good to know.

[idoco]

Originally Posted by out of sight

If I ran a campground I wouldn't want to pay for someone's vehicle operating cost.

We just towed our 24 foot aluminum trailer with our Tesla back and forth through Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Charged almost exclusively at campgrounds.

We get plenty of foot traffic through our campsite since lots of people are intrigued by towing electric. This includes campground owners and park staff (both private and public parks). No one ever said anything about not charging. In fact just the opposite. When they do comment it's glad we could help!

As for cost, if I arrive with 20% "in the tank" I need to add ~64kWh to get to "a full tank". That's $6.40@ (assuming ten cents per kWh).

For comparison a Class A with a 15,000 BTU air conditioner requires ~1500W per hour. Or 36kWh in a day. That's $3.60 for A/C alone. Not including other electric use.

[Ray Eklund]

Ohmman... a wonderful 'pushing the Frontier Thread' and excellent explanations. You must love the relationship between current, voltage and resistance... it is electrifying!

First gasoline station in the USA- 1905 St. Louis
Second gasoline station in the USA- 1906

First EV Tesla station just outside the City of Boulder City, Nevada- 2018, Railroad Pass Casino.

The Second Tesla station just outside the City of Boulder City, Nevada '2020' Hoover Dam Lodge and Casino.

There were as of September 2019 14,081 Supercharger Stalls at 1,604 locations.

"One Small step for Man. One giant leap for Mankind." July 20, 1969

There are forward thinkers and nay sayers. Ohmman is an example that thinking outside the box will catch comments from those who do not understand.

Great post.

Sent your Tesla and Airstream setup photo to a neighbor, with his first Tesla... who, in his 70's, has become a 12 year old adventurer with that new Schwinn Bicycle to anywhere he desires. He can plug into any Tesla Supercharger at no cost with his new Tesla... and can access any location, at will, in the network.

If only we all can draw 'power' on your enthusiasm. I will remain a spectator and enjoy your posts!

[out of sight]

LOL. I just got off the Rock. Never had to use my AC.

Originally Posted by idoco

We just towed our 24 foot aluminum trailer with our Tesla back and forth through Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Charged almost exclusively at campgrounds.

We get plenty of foot traffic through our campsite since lots of people are intrigued by towing electric. This includes campground owners and park staff (both private and public parks). No one ever said anything about not charging. In fact just the opposite. When they do comment it's glad we could help!

As for cost, if I arrive with 20% "in the tank" I need to add ~64kWh to get to "a full tank". That's $6.40@ (assuming ten cents per kWh).

For comparison a Class A with a 15,000 BTU air conditioner requires ~1500W per hour. Or 36kWh in a day. That's $3.60 for A/C alone. Not including other electric use.

[ohmman]

Originally Posted by idoco

We just towed our 24 foot aluminum trailer with our Tesla back and forth through Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Charged almost exclusively at campgrounds.

Very covert mention of that sweet Bowlus...

Good to hear that you had a nice trip!

[idoco]

Originally Posted by ohmman

Very covert mention of that sweet Bowlus...

Good to hear that you had a nice trip!

Shhh....;-)

[idoco]

Originally Posted by out of sight

LOL. I just got off the Rock. Never had to use my AC.

Were you with the AS Viking Caravan? We weren't with them but took the ferry over with them. Also ran into them multiple times during our two months in NF.

[Bill M.]

So how long would one have to run the Honda 2200 to recharge a TV?