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Old 01-14-2023, 09:58 PM   #1
Twinkee75
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Default 2023 2518 kd

I did it!

Here's my new toy. Pulled by my other toy, 2021 Tesla model Y.

Cannot wait to take it out next weekend.

Interior pics to come.
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Old 01-15-2023, 10:01 AM   #2
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Congratulations! Both toys look great!

Perhaps it is just the camera angle, but the TM appears to be nose-low. If so, you need to adjust it to be level when packed up for camping.

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Old 01-15-2023, 10:30 AM   #3
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Thanks Bill!

You're right. Way too low. Rookie move. Fixing that today so I am towing level for sure.
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Old 01-24-2023, 11:36 AM   #4
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I'd love to hear what kind of range you get with your model Y towing the TrailManor.

I have a 2518 as well, and I'm towing with an Honda Odyssey but would love to upgrade to some kind of EV at some point.
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Old 01-27-2023, 10:31 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twinkee75 View Post
Thanks Bill!

You're right. Way too low. Rookie move. Fixing that today so I am towing level for sure.
That may be a challenge. I doubt that a WDH would work on the Tesla. Using a drawbar with a 4-6" lift on a hitch that has a 3500# rating and 350# tongue wt rating is really not a good idea. Those lift/drop extensions place a lot of torque on the trailer hitch and lower the hitch rating dramatically. I had a 6,000# rated hitch break while towing a 4,000# trailer with a 6" drop hitch. The insurance company refused payment on the claim (the trailer hit another car) because of the drop hitch. They claimed that the 6" drop lowered the rating on my trailer hitch by 40%.

If you are going to tow with the Tesla, you may be better off towing bow down. It's really not a big deal. Towing bow up, is a big deal.
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Old 01-27-2023, 10:41 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by chunker View Post
I'd love to hear what kind of range you get with your model Y towing the TrailManor.

I have a 2518 as well, and I'm towing with an Honda Odyssey but would love to upgrade to some kind of EV at some point.
You may want to look at the new "Rivian" it has a tow rating of 7,000#.
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Old 01-27-2023, 01:13 PM   #7
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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.

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I'd love to hear what kind of range you get with your model Y towing the TrailManor.
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.
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Old 01-27-2023, 02:05 PM   #8
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Those lift/drop extensions place a lot of torque on the trailer hitch and lower the hitch rating dramatically. I had a 6,000# rated hitch break while towing a 4,000# trailer with a 6" drop hitch.
Wavery - If I am seeing your photo correctly - and ISTR from an earlier discussion - the part that failed was not the hitch (meaning the ball, the drawbar, and the ballmount), but rather the hitch receiver that was bolted/welded to the tow vehicle's frame. Is that correct? If so, buying a stronger ballmount won't help. It needs a stronger attachment to the tow vehicle.

Quote:
The insurance company refused payment on the claim (the trailer hit another car) because of the drop hitch.
With great respect, may I ask the name of your insurance company? Did they give you notice of any kind that this would be a non-reimbursable situation? It probably would have been buried deep in the verbiage of the policy in a section called "We do not cover ..." or similar. But given that you were doing everything well within the advertised ratings of the equipment involved, it should have been there.

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Old 01-27-2023, 03:08 PM   #9
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Yeah I’d like to know who used a drop hitch as a reason weasel their way out of paying, too. I assume you mean a drop ball, to lower the ball and level the camper? That’s just shady whether it’s in the fine print or not. If the trailer isn’t riding level, that’s asking for an accident. I might’ve called a lawyer on that one.
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Old 01-27-2023, 03:50 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkee75
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
This is one of the best WDH setup videos I have seen. Andy Thompson of Can-Am RV, an Airstream dealership, shows a great deal of understandable detail on proper setup of a weight-distributing hitch. He uses a 2019 Airstream Tommy Bahama 19’ trailer for the demo, hitching it to a Tesla. I don’t know much about Teslas, so I didn’t recognize the model. When it was done, I was left with one question. That trailer has a dry weight of 6400 pounds, including battery and propane. Once you add all your camping stuff (food, water, clothes, tools, furniture, bedding, chairs, etc etc,) it will exceed easily 7000 pounds. Is that Tesla rated to tow anywhere near 7000 pounds? I can’t find a Tesla rated for anywhere near that. Maybe the video is just using the Tesla because, as Andy says toward the end, it shows well on the camera.

But then the same guy has done another Tesla-and-Airstream video here
https://www.rvlifemag.com/long-dista...-an-airstream/.
In this case he is towing a 27’ Airstream with a 2021 Model S Long Range Tesla. He doesn’t name the Airstream model, but it is quite likely a Flying Cloud. That trailer is actually a bit lighter than the Tommy Bahama, with dry weight coming in at about 5900 pounds. Again when you add your stuff, it will weigh at least 6500 pounds. The info I find says that this Tesla has a tow rating of 1600 kg (about 3500 pounds).

This video spends a lot of time talking about power, acceleration, hill-climbing, range, charge time, distance between chargers, and all the other things that occupy most discussions of EVs. It says exactly nothing about weight of the trailer or towing capacity of the vehicle. So what is going on? Is there something about Teslas that I don’t know? Does tow rating mean something different for EVs than it does for a gas/diesel vehicle? Will this seemingly-excess weight damage the Tesla after while? Are these towing setups even safe?

I’m confused. But I'm pretty sure that if someone on this forum put a 10,000-pound trailer behind one of the 5000-pound-rated vehicles that many of our members use, there would be an outcry.

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