Towing Heavy - CT did great for 165-Mile Trip with 9,500-lb 12-ft High Boat

[cjcomb]

Yesterday I did a test run from our farm in Pungoteague, VA to Kent Island, Maryland, where we are relocating. This was a bit of a test run for our twice-per-year migration to/from south Florida. Bottom line:

The truck with this big boat trailer uses 1,104 wh/mile taking it easy - 55 mph. It uses 1,325 wh/mile driving normally and maxing at 65 mph. We drove two segments - 97 miles, and 68 miles. For the first segment I started with 99% charge from our farm in Pungoteague, VA. It finished at 8% remaining range, using 107 kwh. I charged to 100% at a supercharger in Seaford DE and then drove a bit faster - and learned the limits.

What does this mean for towing the big boat to Florida? There is roughly 1,050 miles between my homes in Maryland & Florida. I think that the max range for this configuration is about 107 miles driving conservatively, never exceeding 55, despite much of the route having 65-70 mph limits. I will plan 80-mile intervals for charging, on average, so expect to need 13-15 charges. The charges will be 30-60 minutes each, so a bit longer than the strategy I used last week when pulling a 3,500-lb trailer 1,000 miles behind our new MY Juniper - that also required 14 charges and spent about 750 wh/mile, but with a much smaller battery. It was a fine trip, not a lot longer than using my farm's F-250 diesel, and way cheaper. I would expect my formerly 20-hour trip towing the big boat with a Super Duty truck will now require 26+ hours with the CT, driving straight through.

Some pics of yesterday's tow, followed by a few from last week's long distance run with a 3,300-lb trailer behind the new MY.

The next challenge will be getting my wife to drive the MY towing the jet skis/kayaks while I drive the CT towing the World Cat, caravaning 1,000 miles twice per year.... We are done for now, but when November 1 rolls around, we will be making that trip for the first time simultaneously with both rigs. I had to disconnect the trailer twice to charge on the way north with the MY last week, so not too bad - but it will be a bigger challenge to have two long rigs come in at one time to a single supercharger - we may need a leapfrog strategy for driving/charging.

Thank you soooo much for sharing. ?

Sponsored

 

[PungoteagueDave]

Love the write up, but want to bring up wind. If it was against you at just 5 or 10MPH, it would ruin your day. Or, if those numbers were with it at your back, it was like you were driving 45 or 50, based on wind resistance alone, which was a huge factor with that windage.

You could treat it like sailing and look for a weather window where the wind is at your back for the day.

Good point. That boat is shaped lie a parachute - it literally could not have a more wind-catching forward profile. During this tow I did have a tailwind - not strong (probably 5-7 mph) but there just the same. Which is another factor in my decision to plan 80-mile charging gaps for the long haul trips. I really hope Tesla comes through with the range extender! Although even that won’t be enough for ICE truck towing parity, 50% more range could make quite a difference. I counted on it when buying this truck, although after 13 years owning Teslas, know enough to discount Elon’s promises.

 

[flyhigh123]

Good point. That boat is shaped lie a parachute - it literally could not have a more wind-catching forward profile. During this tow I did have a tailwind - not strong (probably 5-7 mph) but there just the same. Which is another factor in my decision to plan 80-mile charging gaps for the long haul trips. I really hope Tesla comes through with the range extender! Although even that won’t be enough for ICE truck towing parity, 50% more range could make quite a difference. I counted on it when buying this truck, although after 13 years owning Teslas, know enough to discount Elon’s promises.

If I were you, I’d buy a diesel trucj for the 1,000 mile tow. It’s just way too inconvenient. To me, time is money. If you had to stop 14 times a single way, that’s 28 times round trip to charge.

you can just buy an extra truck for your longer runs. It’s safer as in less variables that could affect the tow.

when I tow my boats, I’m already stressing half the time. What would happen if one of the stations you were towing to had a malfunction and the station is closed and the next one was too far to tow the boat to. You would need to leave the boat, charge somewhere else, then come back to get it.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

If I were you, I’d buy a diesel trucj for the 1,000 mile tow. It’s just way too inconvenient. To me, time is money. If you had to stop 14 times a single way, that’s 28 times round trip to charge.

you can just buy an extra truck for your longer runs. It’s safer as in less variables that could affect the tow.

when I tow my boats, I’m already stressing half the time. What would happen if one of the stations you were towing to had a malfunction and the station is closed and the next one was too far to tow the boat to. You would need to leave the boat, charge somewhere else, then come back to get it.

I already have two diesel trucks - one F-250 and one F-350 at my Virginia farm. I cannot use them for this semi-annual trip because my HOA in Florida does not allow parking trucks over 1/2 ton. I previously used my F-150 PowerBoost to do the trip, and it was fine except only got 4.5 mpg when towing. That meant refueling every 140 miles (32 gal tank). And it was an extra truck just for this use. The CT is a great everyday vehicle, plus it can handle the towing job twice per year, so a bit of an adventure, no big deal, an extra 4-5 hours vs diesel or gas. And it reduces the number of trucks I must insure and maintain.

As to your comment on “station” reliability, the Tesla Supercharging system is very reliable. I have never been to a down location and have driven more than 350k EV miles using them since 2012, from Maine to San Diego, and Seattle to Key West. There are Superchargers pretty much every 50-75 miles (or closer) on interstates across the entire US. My route is all I-95 on the east coast, no issue with having availability.

 

[flyhigh123]

I already have two diesel trucks - one F-250 and one F-350 at my Virginia farm. I cannot use them for this semi-annual trip because my HOA in Florida does not allow parking trucks over 1/2 ton. I previously used my F-150 PowerBoost to do the trip, and it was fine except only got 4.5 mpg when towing. That meant refueling every 140 miles (32 gal tank). And it was an extra truck just for this use. The CT is a great everyday vehicle, plus it can handle the towing job twice per year, so a bit of an adventure, no big deal, an extra 4-5 hours vs diesel or gas. And it reduces the number of trucks I must insure and maintain.

As to your comment on “station” reliability, the Tesla Supercharging system is very reliable. I have never been to a down location and have driven more than 350k EV miles using them since 2012, from Maine to San Diego, and Seattle to Key West. There are Superchargers pretty much every 50-75 miles (or closer) on interstates across the entire US. My route is all I-95 on the east coast, no issue with having availability.

I currently only tow my boat 3 miles to the mechanics for 100 hr services. Luckily no more than that. I'm getting a cybertruck to help do that tow, but yah was just throwing in my suggestion.

Cant wait to see the long tow trip, you should document it.

 

[Shayrooo]

What make and color is the beautiful red wrap?

 

[Amuma]

That is correct. However our gated-community FL HOA has banned any truck over 1/2-ton. I have an F-250 and an F-350 at my farm, but cannot take them to FL, so was using an F-150 PowerBoost. That truck gets 24 mpg when empty, 4.5 mpg when towing. Small turbo engines are a joke - a trick used by manufacturers to “boost” EPA MPG, while destroying efficiency when used for actiual truck things. My F-350 gets twice the mileage when towing. Interestingly, the range on the Powerboost F-150 also drops to below 150 miles when towing the big boat (32 gallon tank, 4.5 mpg).

You live in a neighborhood that decides what truck you can get? Wow!!

 

[PungoteagueDave]

You live in a neighborhood that decides what truck you can get? Wow!!

Most every HOA has such limitations. No trailers, etc. It comes with high end homes in general - the trade off of security (gated entrances, guards) vs autonomy. I’d never accept that at my Virginia farm, which has a mile long driveway and security by Smith & Wesson, but it is worth a few restrictions for our Florida place to be able to leave it for six months and not have to worry about landscaping, security, exterior painting, dock repairs, pool water, etc. The trade-offs are real, but so are the benefits.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

What make and color is the beautiful red wrap?

It’s Metalic Redhood by Pure Protection Films. Looks like paint.

 

[no%X#XMVk65v#cq]

Bet your HOA bans cybertrucks next, lol.

 

[Mwhusa]

That is correct. However our gated-community FL HOA has banned any truck over 1/2-ton. I have an F-250 and an F-350 at my farm, but cannot take them to FL, so was using an F-150 PowerBoost. That truck gets 24 mpg when empty, 4.5 mpg when towing. Small turbo engines are a joke - a trick used by manufacturers to “boost” EPA MPG, while destroying efficiency when used for actiual truck things. My F-350 gets twice the mileage when towing. Interestingly, the range on the Powerboost F-150 also drops to below 150 miles when towing the big boat (32 gallon tank, 4.5 mpg).

I totally agree and my experience with my Ford Ranger proved it when it comes to efficiency. Adding a rack to my truck destroyed my gas mileage. And that was only from the rack, not carrying a load. ?

 

[Mwhusa]

It’s Metalic Redhood by Pure Protection Films. Looks like paint.

My CT is similar in coloring, it’s Red/Black iridescence and sparkles in the sunlight. I would post a picture but it need a wash job in the worst way.?

 

[HaulingAss]

You live in a neighborhood that decides what truck you can get? Wow!!

Some of them even decide what color your interior drapes can be! People have lost their minds.

Sponsored