I took my TM out on a weekender. So fun! I love all the amenities! As I mentioned in my other post, my TM delivery was delayed as I did not want the cassette toilet it was built with. Dealer got the parts from TM factory to remodel and I was thinking they were going to give me a Thetford (although I read that they had discontinued them, I was unsure of what to expect.) I got a Dometic flush toilet installed. Very happy with that. Also experienced some minor electrical issues. Although fine before, the electric slide doesn't work off the battery (works when plugged in to shore power) and the electric tongue jack also doesn't work. That was a fun learning experience....although I don't think my husband would have used the word "fun."
We will be troubleshooting that this weekend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chunker
I'd love to hear what kind of range you get with your model Y towing the TrailManor.
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So just like a gas vehicle's efficiency drops when towing, so does my Tesla's range. By 50%. A 3 hour trip (about 200 miles) that normally would require one charging stop, required two stops. That may be an issue for some, but I'm a bit of a gypsy so it's not about rushing to the destination for me. Towing a Trailmanor with a Tesla is quite a conversation starter, it seems. Both are very unique and lots of people have questions. It's fun to share tips and tricks, so I don't mind my road time being extended to chat. I mean, who buys a travel trailer to rush around? This is leisure, right? Overall, it adds time to the trip, but still costs a fraction. My four charging stops (total for the trip) cost me about $45. I charged my car at home before leaving and also charged it before we left as we were hooked up to a 30 amp post at the site.
Wavery - Regarding your comments related to WDH and risers (sorry I have to figure out how to put two people's quotes in here) your picture is scary! I hope no one was seriously hurt for sure. I definitely agree there is a lot one has to account for related to weight and safety when towing, regardless of your trailer and TV. I know that, for the most part, towing with a bit of a drop isn't a big issue and it is recommended to just leave it if your are within 2" or so. My discrepancy is 10 inches though. That's just too much of a nose dive for my comfort level. Not to mention my propane tanks are horizontal on this model and really shouldn't be bouncing around at that decline.
I got a hitch rated for 8000# as I agree that a lift/drop reduces hitch capacity by up to 50%. I intend to get an even higher capacity hitch to ensure I am well within my limits. For this particular trip I did not have 1000lbs of cargo so I was ok. I am not sure if I will add weight distribution or not, I am still researching. Once I was pulling my trailer level, there was improvement in the leveling of the car...but not completely. I can see the benefit of doing that just to save your rear end tires alone!
There is a great video on Youtube by Can-Am where they put an Airstream on a Tesla using a weight distribution hitch. This Tesla is smaller than mine too. Pretty cool stuff. Check it out.
https://youtu.be/JrgCNR6HvRI
Also, the Rivian is ok, but Ford's EV truck is far superior in my humble (albeit newbie) opinion. The biggest hurdle with other EV's right now is the lack of a strong charging station network. It's really tough going to some areas because of that. I know there is talk about Tesla sharing its network and if they do, I hope they add pull through charging. I do have to disconnect my TM to charge. Another potential pitfall for some, I would agree. Definitely have to not be in a hurry.