We've had our 2016 MS for almost three years now and have loved every moment of it. The one area for improvement we noticed was for our four-legged "flight engineer" who rides in the rear luggage compartment (dog in the "trunk" just sounds cruel). During our many road trips up and down west coast, we've tried several ways to increase the ventilation/cooling for our 45 lb. pup: disabling recirculation on the AC, tint on liftgate window, added the Tesla liftgate sunshade, and jury rigging a USB/battery powered fan to the back seat.
While these have definitely helped, I was never quite satisfied especially with the fan always falling down. Now with the extra down time COVID-19 has provided, I decided to build a better mousetrap!
My requirements were:
Qty 2: LEMOISTAR 5V USB Car Fan & Desk Fan, 360 Rotatable Car Cooling Fan with Strong Suction Cup
Qty 1: Cable Matters Combo-Pack 90 Degree Left and Right Angle USB Adapter Gender Changer
Qty 1: Micro USB Cable 90 Degree Right Angle [3 Pack / 10FT]
Fan mounting:
My ideal mounting location was the small rear windows just forward of the C-pillar, but since those also have window tinting film, I felt it best not to put suction cups on them. Next I tried using the included adhesive pad for the fan's suction cups on the small window ledge, but the weight of the fan plus the rounded ledge caused the pad to un-stick and fan to fall down. I ended up attaching the adhesive pad to a flat vertical plastic surface just above where the parcel shelf installs.
USB cable routing:
I measured that about 10 feet of cable was needed to easily route the wiring around the edges of the rear seat and up to the center console. Also, I wanted 90 degree connections to minimize bent connections if fan happens to fall down. To make this look clean and easy to remove, I simply tucked the USB cable around the bottom edges of the seat and then underneath the rear carpet mat. To hopefully prevent the USB cables from being bent or accidently unplugged, I connected them to the 90 degree left and right angle adapters.
The fans have four speeds and put out a pretty good breeze, plus they are not too loud. So far I am quite happy with how this has turned out.
After our TBD next road trip up to Oregon/Washington, I will make sure to post how this setup has held up and how effective it ends up being. Hope this helps others with furry companions find a more comfortable ride.
Cheers!
While these have definitely helped, I was never quite satisfied especially with the fan always falling down. Now with the extra down time COVID-19 has provided, I decided to build a better mousetrap!
My requirements were:
- the ability to easily remove the equipment if needed,
- a clean/"professional" look, and
- most importantly to improve the airflow to the rear luggage compartment.
Qty 2: LEMOISTAR 5V USB Car Fan & Desk Fan, 360 Rotatable Car Cooling Fan with Strong Suction Cup
Qty 1: Cable Matters Combo-Pack 90 Degree Left and Right Angle USB Adapter Gender Changer
Qty 1: Micro USB Cable 90 Degree Right Angle [3 Pack / 10FT]
Fan mounting:
My ideal mounting location was the small rear windows just forward of the C-pillar, but since those also have window tinting film, I felt it best not to put suction cups on them. Next I tried using the included adhesive pad for the fan's suction cups on the small window ledge, but the weight of the fan plus the rounded ledge caused the pad to un-stick and fan to fall down. I ended up attaching the adhesive pad to a flat vertical plastic surface just above where the parcel shelf installs.
USB cable routing:
I measured that about 10 feet of cable was needed to easily route the wiring around the edges of the rear seat and up to the center console. Also, I wanted 90 degree connections to minimize bent connections if fan happens to fall down. To make this look clean and easy to remove, I simply tucked the USB cable around the bottom edges of the seat and then underneath the rear carpet mat. To hopefully prevent the USB cables from being bent or accidently unplugged, I connected them to the 90 degree left and right angle adapters.
The fans have four speeds and put out a pretty good breeze, plus they are not too loud. So far I am quite happy with how this has turned out.
After our TBD next road trip up to Oregon/Washington, I will make sure to post how this setup has held up and how effective it ends up being. Hope this helps others with furry companions find a more comfortable ride.
Cheers!