Hello all. I thought I might start a neat little thread on what I'm doing: I just might be the first human in history to drive a Tesla Roadster from Dallas, TX to Durango, CO. If you have, or know someone who has, let me know so I can edit that part out. But for now, I'll keep telling myself that. It seems legendary. :smile:
Backstory: I've been the happiest owner of Roadster 1213 since January 29th, 2015, and have put over 8,000 miles on her since. Naturally, it was time for a serious road trip. Keep in mind, when I purchased 1213, I drove to Dallas from Houston, and it was magical. There wasn't any postpartum depression, nor were there any distractions. It was myself, and Clementine, happily united on a ten-hour trip back home. From Houston, I stopped about 70 miles later in Willis, where a nice family-owned RV park was happy (and curious) to let me charge using the NEMA 14-50 (which was ironically the ONLY cable that came when I purchased). From there, I drove approx. 150 miles to Corsicana, where another kind human let me utilize their RV park. By then, it was getting dark at 6:15PM CST, so it was nice and cold, which is the perfect temperature to cause me to fall asleep...just about ANYWHERE. So, I fell asleep in a Roadster. I'd say it was a bonding experience for both of us, and hey, surprisingly comfortable...that's a plus, right?! Finally, a few hours later, I took her home to Allen, TX, which is about 25 minutes north of downtown Dallas.
AND HERE WE ARE. Over six months later, and we're still happily wed. It just so happens there's a girl in Durango with beautiful curly hair...so I decided it was time to visit her...only this time, I would take Clem across the country, aiming to utilize only RV parks & spend as little as possible. We were due for some alone time...as the 100 mile-per-day cruises I'd grown accustomed to going on after work just weren't enough...go figure.
THE STORY:
There are the nicest guys on earth I've met in the DFW metroplex area thanks to a local car meet titled Cars & Coffee...or "Cars & Carcinogens", as my new friend Steve called it. Steve & Seth, owners of Roadsters #87 (Signature Green) and #94 (Very Orange, just like my Clem) respectively. Upon preparing to leave for this trip, I consulted both of them in hopes of borrowing a 115V universal connector (that yellow one). Steve was in Fort Worth, but Seth was right down the street. When I arrived, I ended up not only being offered the 115V connector, but ALSO a J1772 adapter, AND HEY LOOK: there's a lonesome Very Orange hard top sitting in the garage. Needless to say, I borrowed that as well, and went on my way. Isn't Seth the greatest human ever? Here's Clem WITH the hard top on, and I'm finding myself falling deeply in love all over again.
I'm not sure if anyone's as interested as I am, but just in case you are, here is my itinerary for the trip, with the distance to each next to it.
Stop A: Wichita Falls, TX - 144 miles (Std.)
Stop B: Quanah, TX - 95 miles (Std.)
Stop C: Amarillo, TX - 126 miles (Std.)
Stop D: Santa Rosa, NM - 170 miles (Partial Range Mode charge to 91%)
Stop E: Albuquerque, NM - 126 miles (Std.)
Stop F: Bloomfield, NM - 180 miles (Range Mode charge to 96%)
Stop G: Durango, CO - 53 miles (Really Std. Mode)
Upon adding up the estimated times, the entire trip will take 32 hours (minus Wichita Falls commute & charge time)
THE TRIP - STOP A:
Left Allen: 196 mi Range Mode; Arrived: 51 mi Range Mode
And we're off. While I won't be charging in Range Mode 80% of the time, I still utilize the driving mode, as it likes to keep the battery cooler & restrict power to maximize efficiency. Upon leaving Allen, I have 196 miles in Range Mode. iPhone says 144 miles to Wichita Falls. I estimate having 52 miles remaining upon arrival. We'll see how this goes.
The drive itself was beautiful. My ma lives there with her boyfriend, & has for the past four months, and yet I hadn't gotten a chance to visit yet. This means I'll have a place to stay, and shower before the homeless part of my trip commences. Upon arrival, sure enough the car says 51 miles remaining. How cool is that...AND I had the A/C blasting the entire time. However, I did encounter the two biggest annoyances of owning a Tesla Roadster, in my opinion. They were as follows:
1.) TPMS failure - that classic "Tire Pressure Monitor - Service Required" ID in the VDS after those haunting beeps. For some reason the TPMS gets "lost" occasionally. I've seen it after hard acceleration bursts, and also on longer drives. I've heard too many stories, so I waited to see if it was a real issue. Sure enough, 10 miles down the road, it shut off. I jumped into diagnostics and made sure the PSI was happy. It was. Moving on...
2.) A/C Theft to cool the battery - Around mile 120 of my stretch, of course the battery reached the threshold of the final blue bar in the VDS' temperature gauges. I expected this at some point, given that Texas was 102 degrees yesterday, and I was consistently cruising at 58-61 mph. Luckily, it only happened twice, rendering my A/C disgustingly warm for about 20-30 seconds, and then returning to normal state. I did notice the battery temp dropped one tier lower in temp. I will note that the hard top not only silenced noise IMMENSELY, but it also had an easier time keeping the car cool. I was able to drive with the A/C on coldest setting, but the fan setting on 2 instead of 3, in 102 degree heat. Seth, I might have separation anxiety when I return your top...
That isn't to say these two things even bother me that much. In fact, I'm so thankful I get to drive my biggest obsession each day, that I don't even mind. I get you, Clem. I respect you.
I stopped to charge at Wichita Bend RV park. Despite what looked like an attempted kidnapping occurring down the street prior to pulling in, it was a decent enough looking place, next to a highway & a river. Unfortunately, they didn't answer my calls ahead of time, nor when I arrived, so I filled out a slip, and dropped some cash for the electricity use in the overnight deposit box. I'm thankful that was even an option. Here's a stylish sunset photo...
I spoke to a very kind family nearby, who were planning on being outside for a good while, and they agreed to keep an eye out. I had my ma pick me up, & visited with her at her home in Wichita Falls for awhile. Came back around 9:00 to check on her. All was well. Came back again at midnight. She was finished with her Std. mode charge. I took her back to ma's place, and gave the 115V connector a try for the very first time. When I went to sleep, Clem had gone to 158 Std. Mode miles from 170 from the drive back, and when I woke up, she was fully topped off at 173 miles. Awesome! 115V isn't that bad.
Stop B - Quanah, TX:
Left Stop A - 196 mi Range Mode; Arrived - 99 mi Range Mode
After enjoying a rather succulent breakfast which could only be created by my lovely mother herself, I set off on my journey at 10AM. An hour & a half later, I arrived in Quanah. But that's not to say it wasn't difficult. If you save the address from Google, you'll end up 6 miles further down the highway than you're supposed to be. That set me back a good 12 miles, but once I located it via their site, it was easy to get to. It's definitely the middle of nowhere, but I was optimistic as the kind owner of the Old Cotton Gin RV Park answered my emails despite them being closed on Sunday. She happily agreed to my offering of $3.00 to charge for three hours. I was overwhelmed by happiness so I left $5.00. Here's a current photo, as I'm delightfully sitting in the shade on my MacBook, thanks to Wi-Fi that seems to reach the entire campground. How neat, technology!
Stop C - Amarillo, TX
Left Stop B - 199 mi Range Mode; Arrived - 68 mi Range Mode.
Once again, the range was absolutely spot on, even with the A/C on full blast. Each time I drive this car long distance, I begin to worry less and less about range anxiety, even with elevation changes & wind, etc. This. Car. Works. I arrived at Amarillo Ranch RV Park, which was immensely easier to locate, due to the giant billboard signs on the way. This place is unbelievable: very welcoming, with a giant office that's surprisingly open until 8PM, even on a Sunday, and extremely friendly staff. In fact, the woman I spoke to earlier in the day, has introduced me to dozens of people, shown them my car, and fed me dinner. I couldn't say enough about this place. Evidently, the owner stated that two Model S owners came through recently and charged here. They're considering adding designated EV chargers when they remodel the entire park in a year. HOW COOL. I made sure to mention the desire for a J1772 connector supporting 70A...for us Roadster owners out there.
Currently charging...should be done around 11:30 CST...and off to Santa Rosa, NM; 175 miles.
Backstory: I've been the happiest owner of Roadster 1213 since January 29th, 2015, and have put over 8,000 miles on her since. Naturally, it was time for a serious road trip. Keep in mind, when I purchased 1213, I drove to Dallas from Houston, and it was magical. There wasn't any postpartum depression, nor were there any distractions. It was myself, and Clementine, happily united on a ten-hour trip back home. From Houston, I stopped about 70 miles later in Willis, where a nice family-owned RV park was happy (and curious) to let me charge using the NEMA 14-50 (which was ironically the ONLY cable that came when I purchased). From there, I drove approx. 150 miles to Corsicana, where another kind human let me utilize their RV park. By then, it was getting dark at 6:15PM CST, so it was nice and cold, which is the perfect temperature to cause me to fall asleep...just about ANYWHERE. So, I fell asleep in a Roadster. I'd say it was a bonding experience for both of us, and hey, surprisingly comfortable...that's a plus, right?! Finally, a few hours later, I took her home to Allen, TX, which is about 25 minutes north of downtown Dallas.
AND HERE WE ARE. Over six months later, and we're still happily wed. It just so happens there's a girl in Durango with beautiful curly hair...so I decided it was time to visit her...only this time, I would take Clem across the country, aiming to utilize only RV parks & spend as little as possible. We were due for some alone time...as the 100 mile-per-day cruises I'd grown accustomed to going on after work just weren't enough...go figure.
THE STORY:
There are the nicest guys on earth I've met in the DFW metroplex area thanks to a local car meet titled Cars & Coffee...or "Cars & Carcinogens", as my new friend Steve called it. Steve & Seth, owners of Roadsters #87 (Signature Green) and #94 (Very Orange, just like my Clem) respectively. Upon preparing to leave for this trip, I consulted both of them in hopes of borrowing a 115V universal connector (that yellow one). Steve was in Fort Worth, but Seth was right down the street. When I arrived, I ended up not only being offered the 115V connector, but ALSO a J1772 adapter, AND HEY LOOK: there's a lonesome Very Orange hard top sitting in the garage. Needless to say, I borrowed that as well, and went on my way. Isn't Seth the greatest human ever? Here's Clem WITH the hard top on, and I'm finding myself falling deeply in love all over again.
I'm not sure if anyone's as interested as I am, but just in case you are, here is my itinerary for the trip, with the distance to each next to it.
Stop A: Wichita Falls, TX - 144 miles (Std.)
Stop B: Quanah, TX - 95 miles (Std.)
Stop C: Amarillo, TX - 126 miles (Std.)
Stop D: Santa Rosa, NM - 170 miles (Partial Range Mode charge to 91%)
Stop E: Albuquerque, NM - 126 miles (Std.)
Stop F: Bloomfield, NM - 180 miles (Range Mode charge to 96%)
Stop G: Durango, CO - 53 miles (Really Std. Mode)
Upon adding up the estimated times, the entire trip will take 32 hours (minus Wichita Falls commute & charge time)
THE TRIP - STOP A:
Left Allen: 196 mi Range Mode; Arrived: 51 mi Range Mode
And we're off. While I won't be charging in Range Mode 80% of the time, I still utilize the driving mode, as it likes to keep the battery cooler & restrict power to maximize efficiency. Upon leaving Allen, I have 196 miles in Range Mode. iPhone says 144 miles to Wichita Falls. I estimate having 52 miles remaining upon arrival. We'll see how this goes.
The drive itself was beautiful. My ma lives there with her boyfriend, & has for the past four months, and yet I hadn't gotten a chance to visit yet. This means I'll have a place to stay, and shower before the homeless part of my trip commences. Upon arrival, sure enough the car says 51 miles remaining. How cool is that...AND I had the A/C blasting the entire time. However, I did encounter the two biggest annoyances of owning a Tesla Roadster, in my opinion. They were as follows:
1.) TPMS failure - that classic "Tire Pressure Monitor - Service Required" ID in the VDS after those haunting beeps. For some reason the TPMS gets "lost" occasionally. I've seen it after hard acceleration bursts, and also on longer drives. I've heard too many stories, so I waited to see if it was a real issue. Sure enough, 10 miles down the road, it shut off. I jumped into diagnostics and made sure the PSI was happy. It was. Moving on...
2.) A/C Theft to cool the battery - Around mile 120 of my stretch, of course the battery reached the threshold of the final blue bar in the VDS' temperature gauges. I expected this at some point, given that Texas was 102 degrees yesterday, and I was consistently cruising at 58-61 mph. Luckily, it only happened twice, rendering my A/C disgustingly warm for about 20-30 seconds, and then returning to normal state. I did notice the battery temp dropped one tier lower in temp. I will note that the hard top not only silenced noise IMMENSELY, but it also had an easier time keeping the car cool. I was able to drive with the A/C on coldest setting, but the fan setting on 2 instead of 3, in 102 degree heat. Seth, I might have separation anxiety when I return your top...
That isn't to say these two things even bother me that much. In fact, I'm so thankful I get to drive my biggest obsession each day, that I don't even mind. I get you, Clem. I respect you.
I stopped to charge at Wichita Bend RV park. Despite what looked like an attempted kidnapping occurring down the street prior to pulling in, it was a decent enough looking place, next to a highway & a river. Unfortunately, they didn't answer my calls ahead of time, nor when I arrived, so I filled out a slip, and dropped some cash for the electricity use in the overnight deposit box. I'm thankful that was even an option. Here's a stylish sunset photo...
I spoke to a very kind family nearby, who were planning on being outside for a good while, and they agreed to keep an eye out. I had my ma pick me up, & visited with her at her home in Wichita Falls for awhile. Came back around 9:00 to check on her. All was well. Came back again at midnight. She was finished with her Std. mode charge. I took her back to ma's place, and gave the 115V connector a try for the very first time. When I went to sleep, Clem had gone to 158 Std. Mode miles from 170 from the drive back, and when I woke up, she was fully topped off at 173 miles. Awesome! 115V isn't that bad.
Stop B - Quanah, TX:
Left Stop A - 196 mi Range Mode; Arrived - 99 mi Range Mode
After enjoying a rather succulent breakfast which could only be created by my lovely mother herself, I set off on my journey at 10AM. An hour & a half later, I arrived in Quanah. But that's not to say it wasn't difficult. If you save the address from Google, you'll end up 6 miles further down the highway than you're supposed to be. That set me back a good 12 miles, but once I located it via their site, it was easy to get to. It's definitely the middle of nowhere, but I was optimistic as the kind owner of the Old Cotton Gin RV Park answered my emails despite them being closed on Sunday. She happily agreed to my offering of $3.00 to charge for three hours. I was overwhelmed by happiness so I left $5.00. Here's a current photo, as I'm delightfully sitting in the shade on my MacBook, thanks to Wi-Fi that seems to reach the entire campground. How neat, technology!
Stop C - Amarillo, TX
Left Stop B - 199 mi Range Mode; Arrived - 68 mi Range Mode.
Once again, the range was absolutely spot on, even with the A/C on full blast. Each time I drive this car long distance, I begin to worry less and less about range anxiety, even with elevation changes & wind, etc. This. Car. Works. I arrived at Amarillo Ranch RV Park, which was immensely easier to locate, due to the giant billboard signs on the way. This place is unbelievable: very welcoming, with a giant office that's surprisingly open until 8PM, even on a Sunday, and extremely friendly staff. In fact, the woman I spoke to earlier in the day, has introduced me to dozens of people, shown them my car, and fed me dinner. I couldn't say enough about this place. Evidently, the owner stated that two Model S owners came through recently and charged here. They're considering adding designated EV chargers when they remodel the entire park in a year. HOW COOL. I made sure to mention the desire for a J1772 connector supporting 70A...for us Roadster owners out there.
Currently charging...should be done around 11:30 CST...and off to Santa Rosa, NM; 175 miles.
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