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RE: towing with a Tesla
Interesting the different experiences people have with different trailers. We are in the middle of a long BC camping trip touring thru the Okanagan right now. We are seeing around 328 watt hours per kilometre so far on this trip. Headed up to Hedley today for a few days of old mine snooping, then on to manning park for a few days and then just outside of hope for one or two. It’s more mountainous driving. We’ll check it again tomorrow. We see north of 340 watts in the prairies where speeds are more steady. Surprisingly mountain driving in BC tends to be lower consumption but thats because the average speed tends to be lower.
Our trailer is only 18 feet but just looking at all the other medium sized SUV’s pulling trailers I would say it’s average sized for this size of suv. Lots of combos this size on the road here but that’s probably a reflection of the site size in a lot of the parks around here. We will be on Vancouver island within the week and the last time we were there we noticed quite a few EV RV combos. And they have been improving charging infrastructure there for the last year. It will be interesting to see the changes. I know a lot of the single charger sites are now dual charger. Hopefully they are continuing to add trailer friendly sites. Tesla is in the process of adding a couple more supercharger locations on the island but I don’t think they’ll be up and running when we are there. Maybe the port Alberni location.
Anyway. Here is us at the Kamloops supercharger. I think there are 8 chargers there but they separated one by about 15 metres so trailers can just kinda pull up alongside. Nice. Dump station there as well. It’s at a touristy booth thingy.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52387203690_56dcf7ca64_c.jpg
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Reisender
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06/01/23 08:37am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Sway Bars
Also keep in mind that some trailers and or compact SUV’s don’t allow or recommend weight distribution hitches because of their design. Both our SUV and trailer are like this. We don’t need then anyway but just saying. Read the manual.
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Reisender
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05/24/23 09:34am |
Towing
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RE: towing with a Tesla
Power and weight not an issue, as the car weighs close to 4000 lbs. For me the real deal breaker is a travel cycle of 2 hours driving and 1 hour stopped to charge, and that's with removing the A/C from the roof of the Airstream to improve aerodynamics. 200 miles on a charge towing would be livable, but many, many towing videos I've watched show that reality is more like 100 miles per charge.
Charging at a V3 supercharger would be typically 20 to 30 minutes. At least that’s our experience. And yep, when towing we charge every couple hours…or sooner if that’s where the supercharger is. Kinda depends on supercharger spacing. Not a big issue for us as we just build lunch breaks or chihuahua walk breaks around it.
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Reisender
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05/23/23 09:38pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: towing with a Tesla
That Airstream is bit too large
Something like this drop top would be my choice
https://youtu.be/zcni_Rp7csA
Kinda cool. Obviously a work in progress but should be interesting.
Thanks for posting.
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Reisender
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05/22/23 07:34pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: towing with a Tesla
That’s a big trailer. I’m thinkin that would be outa my comfort zone but he seems to be making it work.
I’ll stick to our little tear drop. :).
Thanks for posting Don.
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Reisender
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05/22/23 07:11pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Sway Bars
Try it without and see how it goes. We don’t use a weight distribution hitch (what I think you are calling sway bars). Our trailer is 3400 fully loaded. No issues. Tows solid and no squat on the car. Give it a shot and make a decision from there. It’s nice to not have to deal with a WDH. Takes 60 seconds to hook or unhook.
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Reisender
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05/22/23 06:27pm |
Towing
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RE: How common are fold-up vs "standard" sinks in wet baths?
We have one in our [email protected] Works well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51964351962_da9cdc499e_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51965637084_4aeba3c120_c.jpg
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Reisender
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05/21/23 07:15am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: They are not Scamp, Casita or Teardrop
We noticed a huge uptick in teardrops on the road this year already. Many seem to be built pretty high off the ground. Ours is just the opposite. Sits pretty low. We noticed in the campground last week that a lot have kitchens in the rear of them. Kinda cool.
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Reisender
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05/12/23 04:52pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: How critical is it to have a perfectly level trailer?
You could take your trailer to a welder and have him remove the coupler, then weld another coupler to the underside of the frame. It looks like you would pick up 5-6 inches.
I believe this is a unibody vehicle...ie: there is no frame to weld to.
He might be talking about the trailer side. Not sure.i
Yes, that is why I wrote to take the trailer in. Many trailers (generally heavier) have the front "A" section welded to the underside of the trailer's main frame. There are couplers on Amazon perfectly suited to be welded to the underside of your frame moving the hitch ball height down a number of inches. Problem solved; trailer tows level. Much simpler than trying to work on the SUV side of the equation.
Makes sense. Especially with these raised suspension “Boondock” packages you see nowadays with the big goofy off road tires. :)
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Reisender
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05/07/23 02:02pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: How critical is it to have a perfectly level trailer?
You could take your trailer to a welder and have him remove the coupler, then weld another coupler to the underside of the frame. It looks like you would pick up 5-6 inches.
I believe this is a unibody vehicle...ie: there is no frame to weld to.
He might be talking about the trailer side. Not sure.
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Reisender
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05/07/23 12:50pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: How critical is it to have a perfectly level trailer?
Aaah, now I understand. The maximum lifting height here is 1/2 inch. What am I supposed to do now? Can I drive with the trailer lowered down?
As far as I understand, with a single-axle trailer, I can tow it with the tongue tilted forward. I just need to remember about the tongue weight and the clearance.
What do you mean by capacity for weight? Sorry, I didn't get it. It shows the tongue weight and the max trailer weight
The top two rows of the table appear to be the max towing and tongue weight if you use a WDH (weight distributing hitch).
The bottom two rows are if you are using a weight carrying hitch (which is what you show in your first post on the thread).
It's odd that there is no rating shown for weight carrying. Typically it will be lower (often much lower) but I would typically expect some rating. Hence the suggestion to get confirmation from Audi.
As far as how level the trailer is, that's a separate consideration. But if the table on the hitch is correct, Audi doesn't want you towing any trailer without a WDH regardless of how big the trailer is or how level it is (again needs confirmation from Audi).
Will it instantly rip the hitch off? Probably not but no guarantees.
I think this is an error in the table's naming. Neither the Audi Q5 nor the Audi Q7 models support the installation of a weight distribution hitch. The data in the table coincides with what Audi writes when using a regular hitch:
https://www.waltersaudi.com/blog/2017/december/21/can-the-2018-audi-q5-tow.htm#:~:text=But%20the%20Premium%20Plus%20and,Q5%20may%20just%20be%20it.
I agree and it is what I recall from interacting with Audi for someone else a few years back. Basically audi doesn’t recommend or support weight distribution hitches for a few models.
Going a different direction. It seems odd that the trailer is that high. Does the trailer have some sort of off road package that lifts it? Common nowadays. They call it a Boondock package or whatever.
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Reisender
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05/07/23 08:11am |
Tech Issues
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RE: How critical is it to have a perfectly level trailer?
It looks as though you are measuring tongue weight at the jack. Keep in mind the shank and hitch ball are resting in your receiver and their weight needs to be calculated in, probably using up your 35 pound margin.
Moving heavy items to the rear of your trailer to offset your tongue weight is problematic, especially with a single axle trailer. This practice will maintain your net tongue weight, but will also reduce your percent of weight on the tongue. This percentage number (12% - 15%) is critical in keeping sway under control. Theoretically, you could reduce your tongue weight to zero by selective loading. Not good, you would be all over the road.
Actually, I just didn't remove the weights after weighing, sorry for the confusing photo.
Yes, I definitely plan to stay within the 12-15% range for tongue weight, the question is whether I can put something in the back to even out the values within this range.
Yah. Moving stuff back away from the tongue is ok. It becomes not okay when you go to the other extreme and place it all the way on the tail. Then it becomes like a pendulum and can cause sway issues. Instead, try and pack things close to or over the axle of the trailer so the trailers axle picks up the weight. In my opinion 10 to 12 percent is fine for axle weight. We run at 10 percent and have no sway issues. We also pull with an SUV. Our trailer is a little lighter than yours though. Our batterie is mounted just behind the axle.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52387203690_56dcf7ca64_c.jpg
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Reisender
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05/06/23 03:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: How critical is it to have a perfectly level trailer?
Hi Neu. I am not a fan of packing heavy objects at the rear of the trailer to offset hitch weight. Instead just consider getting them over or slightly behind the axle. Packing heavy items at the very rear of the trailer can introduce a pendulum effect which can cause a sway situation.
Check your manual to see if Audi has a maximum height on how much the ball can be above the mount. I know some manufacturers do including tesla.
Even swapping out the lead acid 12 volt for a lithium battery can help the situation.
Is your Audi a Plug in hybrid or full electric?
Happy camping Neu.
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Reisender
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05/06/23 09:46am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trailer hitch height adjustment and chain question
Throwing Europe into the mix is a distraction away from the real answer. What he’s saying is, 10% or less is ok if your not going to exceed 45 mph. If you want to drive at a reasonable speed, your going to need a reasonable tongue weight. Most reasonable people would agree that’s not less than 10% for sure, and better yet 12%.
Yes it was just for context. Stick with 10 to 12 percent and try and pack heavy items close to the axle.
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Reisender
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05/02/23 07:50am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Actual observations
So nice to hear that Zihua is on your list of places to visit. We'll make you a margarita when you come!
We had always thought that we would retire in Mazatlan, and looked at several places. We ended up meeting friends that we had met at Mar Rosa in Mazatlan at their home in Ajijic, and going from there. We had visited Zihuatanejo in 1985 and pretty much passed through. In 2008ish, we joined them at El Manglar RV park in Zihuatanejo. OMG. After about 10 years of always spending at least a couple of months in that area, we bought our home, and have been here full time for 6 years now. Amazing decision on our parts.
For us, it's all about the ocean. Except Sundays, when we have to water our gardens, we hit the beach with our now 3 weimaraners for an hour, then come back, hose and drop them off, paddle our SUP's, ocean swim and are home about 9ish. WHAT A LIFE!!!!!
Keep exploring. We liked SMA, but really liked other areas very close by more. But, they didn't have the ocean that calls us.
Keep us posted, please, as to your adventures and thoughts!
Thanks. Our old chihuahua is too old to live in a kennel or travel by air so we’ll wait until he crosses the rainbow bridge before we travel again without him. We are RVing on Vancouver island this summer. He still travels well in the car and loves camping. So many things for him to pee on. :).
We have camped at el manglar a couple times but that was 8 or 9 years ago. Maybe 10. Great spot.
Enjoy the beach for us. :)
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Reisender
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05/01/23 09:15pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Actual observations
We spent a few weeks on Mazatlan last month. We flew in as we were meeting up with in-laws. We tried to get out on a local tour every few days. We visited little towns up in the mountains and got to see various artisans doing their thing. Mazatlan itself is too busy and noisy for us and their is a ton of construction making it worse. But we enjoyed the little towns and the beach and the food. We were a group of four with our own tour guide and we’re able to get into the local culture a bit like we always do.
Zihuat is still our go to although next year (or next time) it will probably San Miguel for a few weeks or so and we’ll be flying again. We still RV bit our tow vehicle is electric and the supercharger corridor from north to south on the pacific side is still very spotty. Someday. Probably after Tesla opens their new factory in Monterrey in 2025.
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Reisender
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05/01/23 06:00pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: Trailer hitch height adjustment and chain question
…Try to pack accordingly to keep the hitch weight under control. Front storage compartments are nice but if you are struggling with hitch weight maybe pack the light stuff up front…That is advice that can take you directly to the scene of the accident if you are not careful. It is worth mentioning that it is essential that you keep at least 10% tongue weight, and preferably 12%. Not doing so can be catastrophic.
Absolutely. Hence the recommendation to weigh everything. But in my experience single axle trailers with batteries on the front and large front storage compartments can result in overly heavy hitch weights. It’s just something to keep an eye on. In North America they recommend 10 to 15 percent whereas in Europe they recommend 6 to 10 percent for hitch weight. (We have a European designed trailer but built in the US). Best to try and pack over or close to the axle. Many European designs have things like fridges, batteries and storage areas as well as water tanks on or around the axle. Works out well and loading the trailer has less of an affect on the hitch weight. Ours is like that. Our hitch weight actually is slightly less when fully loaded although still at that 10 percent mark.
The absolute worst thing I see is these cargo racks on the rear end of trailers. Horrible idea.
Now I'm a bit confused by the numbers you provided as an example :h I just watched a video that emphasized not to let the trailer tongue weight drop below 10%, otherwise there's a very high risk of getting into a fishtail situation. At the same time, you say that in Europe it is NOT ALLOWED to exceed 10% for safe driving. So which of these statements is correct?
In Europe it’s different. Most trailers are pulled by cars and there are speed limits on cars pulling trailers. As well weight distribution hitches are very uncommon and frowned upon. You can google for better clarification of their rules. But North America you will commonly see a recommendation of anywhere from 10 to 15 percent for hitch weight.
Cheers.
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Reisender
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05/01/23 07:46am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trailer Toad
Thanks for the post. Kinda cool.
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Reisender
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04/30/23 03:44pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Trailer hitch height adjustment and chain question
Absolutely. Hence the recommendation to weigh everything. But in my experience single axle trailers with batteries on the front and large front storage compartments can result in overly heavy hitch weights. It’s just something to keep an eye on. In North America they recommend 10 to 15 percent whereas in Europe they recommend 6 to 10 percent for hitch weight. (We have a European designed trailer but built in the US). Best to try and pack over or close to the axle. Many European designs have things like fridges, batteries and storage areas as well as water tanks on or around the axle. Works out well and loading the trailer has less of an affect on the hitch weight. Ours is like that. Our hitch weight actually is slightly less when fully loaded although still at that 10 percent mark.
The absolute worst thing I see is these cargo racks on the rear end of trailers. Horrible idea.
Take the euro numbers with a big grain of salt. Physics aren't different in Europe. I've seen articles where countries are trying to phase out bumper pull trailers due to safety issues. Plus much more common that they are placed in permanent sites. MH are the standard if moving around.
The OP really should take it to the local CAT Scale loaded for a trip and get real numbers. He's probably in spec but right at the max. He could easily be over, especially if he looks at payload.
Yep. Scaling it is always the best approach. And each axle separately as this allows checking against the axle ratings also on the door. We do this at least twice a year…although it’s hard to be a pack rat with a unit our size. :). Although last year during the fall unload we found a bag of beach rocks in the storage compartment that Angela thought would be fun to paint some day. :).
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Reisender
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04/30/23 09:32am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trailer hitch height adjustment and chain question
It’s a single axle trailer; I’d be more concerned about the payload rating and tow rating of that car vs. the tongue weight and GVWR of that trailer. Clicky
Totally Agree! I'm betting that the loaded tongue weight is exceeding the car's max hitch weight.
I have an Audi Q5 2018 and according to the specifications, it seems to be capable of handling a 440-lb tongue weight.
Can the 2018 Audi Q5 Tow?
My trailer is called a Viking Saga 16sfb 2017, and I cannot find the specific characteristics for my year of production. However, for the new models of 2022, the Hitch Weight appears to be 363 lbs. If I understand correctly, this falls within the specification range.
Specs for 2022 Coachmen - Viking Saga Floorplan: 16SFB
The towing capacity of my car is 4,400-lb, which should be enough to cover the GWVR of 3,675-lb that my trailer has.
Please correct me if I am wrong about anything. It's all new area for me
Single axle trailers have much higher loaded tongue weights. Using the standard 13% of the trailer's GVWR, for a ballpark loaded tongue weight, puts it over 500lbs. NEVER believe fictitious brochure/website dry weight numbers. They don't factor the weights of batteries, factory options, dealer add-ons, water and trailer cargo. Once you add the weights of those things, the tongue weight really goes up.
You need to weigh the trailer's loaded tongue weight. And you didn't post what the payload capacity of your car is. Should be on a driver's door sticker.
Thank you, that's valuable advice, and I'll definitely take it into consideration.
However, I still have doubts about your statement that the manufacturer has provided an incorrect weight. One of their main tasks is to distribute everything evenly in the trailer, so that the weight is balanced on both sides of the axis. There's quite a bit of furniture located behind the axis in my trailer, and I don't think it's a coincidence - everything has been calculated and thought through. Even if the manufacturer doesn't take into account the weight of the propane cylinder and battery, I can easily detach them and load them into the trunk of my car.
You're a bit off with your calculations: 13% of my trailer's weight is less than 500 pounds, and to be precise, it's 477 pounds. As far as I understand, the tongue weight should be in the range of 10-15% of the trailer's weight. 10% of 3675 lbs is exactly 367 lbs. So, it looks like I just need to keep it within the range of 367-440 lbs to stay within the allowed limit for my car. As I understand it, I can always put something heavy in the back of the trailer (like a bottle of water, for example) to adjust the weight and keep the tongue weight within the desired range.
According to the sticker on my driver's door, my car's carrying capacity is 480 kg (1058 lbs), but I'm not quite sure why we need to consider the carrying capacity of my car. What does it have to do with this equation?
Howdy. The hitch weight counts against the carrying capacity of your car. So if you are allowed 1058 pounds and the hitch weight is 500 pounds you have 558 pounds left for passengers and stuff in your car.
Avoid loading things at the rear of your trailer to lighten tongue weight as it acts like a pendulum and can cause sway and instability. Rather load heavy things close to the axle so the trailer axle carry’s the weight.
Hope that helps.
Thank you, now everything has fallen into place inside my head. Now I understand that the specifications of my car actually cover the hitch weight of my trailer, two passengers, and a bit of luggage. That's all I need. Thank you very much once again for your detailed answers.
Happy to help. Enjoy the camping season. You will have a learning curve but take it one day at a time and learn from the mistakes. Also, SLOW DOWN. Towing short wheel base combos is best done slower than the speeds you normally drive. Don’t let anyone push you and just take your time. The physics changes when you are towing and as long as you respect that you’ll be fine. We tow a similar sized trailer with a similar sized vehicle.
Happy camping.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52387203690_56dcf7ca64_c.jpg
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Reisender
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04/30/23 07:27am |
Tech Issues
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