So am I nuts?

Earthdog said:

So I've had a crazy idea. ... My wife thinks I am nuts. Perhaps I am... :tongue:

Click to expand...

Six months ago you might have been nuts. Today? Not at all, just a little adventurous. Tell your wife that 2012 called, they want their argument back

You'll probably hear this in the Tesla Atlanta facebook group, where you also posted, but the Tifton museum is indeed a better place to hang out for an hour than the park.

For reference, here are the Recargo listings:

Tifton museum: EV Charging Location - Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village - Tifton, GA
Tifton park: EV Charging Location - Fulwood Park - Tifton, GA
Lake Park KOA: EV Charging Location - Valdosta / Lake Park KOA - Lake Park, GA

I would totally do it.

First: I really would like you to have a successful trip, and I admire that you are undertaking such an ambitious journey.
Especially as your maiden voyage.

Second: You might reconsider your thinking about your anticipated speed.
Driving @ 70 MPH will not get you there, especially for your first leg.
Yes, you will need to keep up your speed as you migrate Atlanta traffic, but once on the open road, stay in the Right Lane and let everybody pass you.

I would suggest perhaps you commit to driving around 58 to 61 MPH for the majority of this leg (cruise control works great).
This will allow you to obtain nearly 100% of your rated mileage.
As you get closer to your destination, AND if you still have adequate rated mileage, then you can increase your speed.

Third: Adding additional charge @ Tifton is a great Idea, but you might consider giving yourself to have a bit of a buffer for your battery.
I just did a roughly 3,000 mile trek through the Southeast (only used one Supercharger in Burlington, NC), and my goal was never to arrive with less than 30 Miles of range.
You can use your GPS Total Remaining Miles vs your Rated Miles to help keep those constant calculations in mind.

Charging might take a bit longer than one hour @ Tifton, so I would guess closer to two hours for added battery charge.
Optimum charging will be ~30 miles per hour., and it is almost 60 miles from Tifton to Lake Park.

My experience is KOAs are great places to stay.
You may consider becoming a KOA member (about $24): that gives you a 10% discount on all stays.
Bring your own bedroll, sleeping bag, pillows, jammies, etc. Most Kabins do not have linens, or they are extra.
Not exactly camping but close.
Bring a flashlight.
Check your car's charging a couple times, (to make sure circuit-breaker is not tripped), maybe consider slightly lowering your charge rate to 34 or 32 instead of 40, but use Max Range.
Feel the outlet if it is hot to the touch, check your charge rate to ensure you have a good outlet power source for the night while you are sleeping..

Fourth: 445 miles on second day using all those Superchargers looks like a dream.
First Leg, probably need to keep your speed closer to 65 than 70.

Second Leg, Port Orange to Port Lucie, 70 MPH should be a breeze.

Third Leg, Past Port Lucie on to FLL, you did not mention where you were staying, and if your hotel had access to a NEMA 14-50 outlet.

IF you don't have access to a re-charge in FLL, you need to take the last leg about 58-61 MPH, because you will not have another charge until Port Lucie again (210 miles plus additional loss while parked and not charging).
IF you DO have access to a charge in FLL, 70 MPH should be fine.

Quick Notes:
Always have a Plan B for charging.
Learn to moderate your speed as traffic and your range dictate.
Weather may impact your driving speed and range.
No terrain issues to really consider on this journey.

Enjoy your first drive in your NEW MS!
Go for It!

I am doing my first charging away from home Tuesday. I am a little apprehensive about it, but honestly looking at maps of RV parks, and public chargers, other than the time commitment I think it should be no problem. And with superchargers, I think they will end up being more convenient than gas stations.

Very curious to see how this goes. I make a lot of trips to FL for cruises and football games (GO NOLES!) so I'm watching threads like this to see how people's real world experiences are... I've yet to take a road trip in the batmobile, but I'm dying to... First opportunity will be 2nd week in December when the GF and I travel to Tampa for a week long cruise... Really hoping to drive it on that trip.. I live south of Atlanta in Stockbridge, so making it to Tifton shouldn't be a problem and the museum offers some options for passing the time over a regular KOA, so that was my preferred spot for charging too.. From there I've thought about hitting one of the KOAs around Wildwood, FL right off I75, then on to Tampa.

What would be really helpful is if the Tampa Supercharger comes online before we take the trip, and based off of Tesla's Supercharger map, it should be... but I'm certainly not going to hold my breath... :crying:

I have noticed that rated range and actual range tended to differ pretty drastically on 4.5, but now that I'm on 5.8, it seems to be more accurate, and more efficient.. which should make road trips less dicey... :biggrin:

You better not be nuts because I am going to to the exact same thing with my family to Port Canaveral on December 20. Every stop is the same beginning at the Hilton Garden Inn in Marietta. I don't see a problem and may stay a bit at the museum in Tifton. It looks like 50A and interesting