If an M3 can do this!!?

[Zooman001]

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[CyberMoose]

But is it doing it safely? You can tow as much weight as you want with a truck, Ford even pulled over 1,000,000lbs worth of weight on train tracks which is less resistance.

However I would not want to drive near that car towing that trailer because I don't think it's going to be able to accelerate very fast or know how far long it will take to brake to a complete stop. If Cybertruck says it can tow 14000 pounds that I better be able to safely accelerate on an on-ramp to the highway and be able to brake to a stop within a reasonable distance if I need to for safety.

I remember one time I was driving a friends Honda CRV because we had 6 people, so he sat in the back with his girlfriend on his lap. 5 full grown men and 1 woman was a little too much for that Honda because when we went up a somewhat steep hill, we were probably going at about 5km/h with the pedal completely down.

 

[Zooman001]

But is it doing it safely? You can tow as much weight as you want with a truck, Ford even pulled over 1,000,000lbs worth of weight on train tracks which is less resistance.

However I would not want to drive near that car towing that trailer because I don't think it's going to be able to accelerate very fast or how far long it will take to brake to a complete stop. If Cybertruck says it can tow 14000 pounds that I better be able to safely accelerate on an on-ramp to the highway and be able to brake to a stop within a reasonable distance if I need to for safety.

I remember one time I was driving a friends Honda CRV because we had 6 people, so he sat in the back with his girlfriend on his lap. 5 full grown men and 1 woman was a little too much for that Honda because when we went up a somewhat steep hill, we were probably going at about 5km/h with the pedal completely down.

Yes they are, the RV dealer I go to is the top towing specialist in North America. People come from everywhere to get properly hitched. https://www.canamrv.ca/blog/post/tesla-and-airstream-trailer/

 

[CyberMoose]

I just wouldn't go against Tesla for what they say their vehicles can handle. Sure they are probably being a little conservative when they release towing capacity for safety reasons. But airstreams smallest trailer is 1000lbs over what Tesla says the towing capacity of the M3. So if you are traveling and you have clothes, food, water in the tank, maybe some other things like a TV installed, that just adds to the weight.

Even if a speciality tells me that my car can handle more than the manufacturer tells me I can, I'll trust the manufacturer. If I want more towing capacity, I will buy something with more towing capacity.

 

[Luke42]

However I would not want to drive near that car towing that trailer because I don't think it's going to be able to accelerate very fast or know how far long it will take to brake to a complete stop.

I'm more worried about the tung weight and the trailer brakes. The tung weight on that Airstream is probably to be at least 300lbs, and is probably more like 500lbs.

The 3 can haul that kind of weight in the back seat, but putting that kind of weight several inches a couple of feet aft of the rear axle? Eek!

I'll stay away, thank you very much!!!

P.S. In Europe, there's a lower towing speed limit of around 100km/h, and even light trailers are required to have brakes -- which means you can tow more with a small car than you can in the US. In the US, vehicles towing trailers are expected to travel the same speed as other traffic. My comments are based on my experience towing in the US with American traffic rules.

 

[Zooman001]

I'm more worried about the tung weight and the trailer brakes. The tung weight on that Airstream is probably to be at least 300lbs, and is probably more like 500lbs.

The 3 can haul that kind of weight in the back seat, but putting that kind of weight several inches a couple of feet aft of the rear axle? Eek!

I'll stay away, thank you very much!!!

P.S. In Europe, there's a lower towing speed limit of around 100km/h, and even light trailers are required to have brakes -- which means you can tow more with a small car than you can in the US. In the US, vehicles towing trailers are expected to travel the same speed as other traffic. My comments are based on my experience towing in the US with American traffic rules.

The owner of canam rv is very interesting to speak with. He actually lives Tesla’s for towing. His attraction is the low center of gravity. This makes them one of the safe test tow vehicles possible. The most dangerous part of towing is sway leading roll over. They control the sway with the hitch, and the cars low center of gravity makes it very stable. As for the tongue weight, they custom make hitches that transfer weight onto both axles of the tow vehicle. They are very careful to not exceed maximum axle ratings and tire weight limits. Any travel trailer in north America will have brakes capable of stoping itself

 

[Luke42]

As for the tongue weight, they custom make hitches that transfer weight onto both axles of the tow vehicle. They are very careful to not exceed maximum axle ratings and tire weight limits.

For those unfamiliar with the towing tech stack, weight distribution hitches are common equipment.

But fitting one to a vehicle not designed to it would be a challenge.

I'm glad they're doing at least some engineering to avoid lifting the front wheels in the air.

(Doing near-wheelies while you tow is disconcerting -- and really fucking dangerous. I made that mistake once, and I used up a lot of my lifetime supply of luck on that drive. Nobody was harmed, but I'm much more cautious as a result.)

 

[Crissa]

In California, Oregon, Washington, you're expected not to exceed 55mph with any trailer.

And isn't the biggest problem with towing the leverage? That a light vehicle can be thrown around by the mass and drag of the trailer? But EVs are heavy and low center of gravity compared to the same ICE car.

-Crissa

 

[Luke42]

And isn't the biggest problem with towing the leverage?

The biggest problem is making sure the trailer is balanced properly.

If the trailer is balanced properly, then trailer will follow the tow vehicle more easily. You have a much greater margin for error with a properly balanced trailer.

The rule of thumb is that 10%-15% of the trailer's weight should be pushing down on the tow vehicle's hitch. Too much or too little weight can cause "the tail to wag the dog".

I read the "The Trailer Handbook: A Guide to Understanding Trailers and Towing Safety" after the dangerous tow I mentioned above. This book explained what I was missing in a very concise way, and I really wish I'd read it earlier. It looks like it's out of print, though.

My towing has been much safer ever since I started getting formal about the analysis, and I see many people on this forum who seem eager to make the same mistakes I've made. With a bunch of new people coming into the truck/towing community, it's important to learn from those who have made these mistakes before.

 

[Zooman001]

The biggest problem is making sure the trailer is balanced properly.

If the trailer is balanced properly, then trailer will follow the tow vehicle more easily. You have a much greater margin for error with a properly balances trailer.

The rule of thumb is that 10%-15% of the trailer's weight should be pushing down on the tow vehicle's hitch. Too much or too little weight can cause "the tail to wag the dog".

I read the "The Trailer Handbook: A Guide to Understanding Trailers and Towing Safety" after the dangerous tow I mentioned above. This book explained what I was missing in a very concise way, and I really wish I'd read it earlier. It looks like it's out of print, though.

My towing has been much safer ever since I started getting formal about the analysis, and I see many people on this forum who seem eager to make the same mistakes I've made. With a bunch of new people coming into the truck/towing community, it's important to learn from those who have made these mistakes before.

Agreed I take safe towing to be very important. I have been towing travel trailers over 30 feet for almost 15 years now. I tow my current trailer with a 1/2 ram and I am pushing the limits of the truck. But my setup is so good I actually prefer driving the truck with the trailer( all but putting the gas in it) I have also always towed using the Hensley Arrow

 

[Ryan95738]

In California, Oregon, Washington, you're expected not to exceed 55mph with any trailer.

And isn't the biggest problem with towing the leverage? That a light vehicle can be thrown around by the mass and drag of the trailer? But EVs are heavy and low center of gravity compared to the same ICE car.

-Crissa

I live in Washington and while yes it's true that you don't want to go over 55 mph when on a pass or going down a steep hill when you're on the regular interstate the police expect you not to slow down traffic.

 

[Crissa]

I live in Washington and while yes it's true that you don't want to go over 55 mph when on a pass or going down a steep hill when you're on the regular interstate the police expect you not to slow down traffic.

Yes: The law is you have to pull over if traffic stacks behind you. There are posted pull-outs for this purpose, but any paved shoulder will do. The maximum speed for towing is 55.

-Crissa

 

[CyberMoose]

I wonder how often the maximum speed for towing is enforced. If it's anything like the maximum speed for driving, you could get away with quite a bit.

In Canada, I think only BC has a maximum speed for towing. I've never heard of a maximum tow speed once you leave BC and we just drive with traffic.

 

[israndy]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm off to shop for a dual axel Airstream for my TM3

 

[ldjessee]

The Model Y, with its 3,500 lbs towing capacity, could tow an Airstream Bambi 16 at the Airstreams max weight (3,500 lbs). That is the RVs 2,900 lb base weight plus 600 lbs in stuff, for the max of 3,500 lbs.
The 22' Bambi the article mentions starts at 3,600 and its max weight is 4,500 lbs.