Round Trip Cross Country Camping Road Trip

[rossfboyle]

Did you end up doing this trip? Wondering whether the 70/30 plan worked. We're doing the reverse of the trip, from LA to Virginia and back again, in September, as long as COVID doesn't get in the way.

Hi, friends!

Yes, sorry I haven’t updated this post at all. A few others started tagging along on this thread and I loved that they were all sharing their experiences so I figured I’d let them run with it.

But yes, we did the trip. It was amazing. Not a single problem. Not one. We got to the last 2 or 3 days of our trip and kept getting increasingly nervous saying ‘there’s no possible way we complete this without some sort of problem occurring,’ but nonetheless the trip and Tesla and Tesmat were everything advertised and more. We relied HEAVILY on our FSD, but we truly had the greatest time. We actually arrived to the west coast a day earlier than planning because it was so easy to get a few extra hours of driving in at night that we didn’t account for. I’ll write a longer post up with some majors tips and tricks we learned, but long story short— if you’re considering the trip: do it. It was phenomenal.

 

[sullys]

Recently camped in Indiana Dunes State Park and have some new info regarding camp mode:

1) bring something to cover the screen at night since the campfire persists;
2) even if you don't plan to keep hvac running, turn on camp mode ASAP to disable headlights as a good neighbor;
3) camp mode also disables sentry mode and walk away lock so lock with the app/card or turn off camp mode when hiking, etc.;
4) if using bluetooth audio from device (mine was iOS) during camp mode, car may disconnect from device when not in use (not sure how long it takes but no more than 18 hours) and may require reboot, delete, re-pairing in order to work again.

Side note (likely, not useful for your trip), this was my first time doing it with HeatShield window covers instead of an amalgam of sheets, blankets, and towels. They are definitely easier to pack up and I'd probably get quicker at installing them (first attempt took about as much time as installing the amalgam by the end of my 5 week trip) so I think they're worth the price. Unfortunately, the suction cups don't really do the trick (especially on the lower rear glass and any windows of doors you open) and there are light gaps; not much chance of people seeing in but not blackout. Also, rolling them as intended for storage means they curl inward when installed so that increases the light gaps.

Looking forward to reports of a great trip!

Thanks for the HeatShield recommendation. I've purchased the set and will use on my X country trip in my MX.

 

[smatthew]

I looked at the heat shield and decided it was too expensive for me. Went to Home Depot and bought a roll of reflectix for $10. I already have a front window cover, so I cut out pieces to fit into the side windows. No suction cup necessary. I either put it in the window and close the door before it can fall out, or shove it into the window from the inside once the door is closed. Yes, they fall out if you open the door. I'll figure something out eventually.... like a 3d printed clip that goes over the top of the window and holds everything in place....

The black mesh Tesla roof sun shades provide enough privacy at night, and unless I'm parked right under a light, I don't feel any need to cover the roof.

I'm also going to add black fabric to one side of the reflectix. During the day I don't mind advertising that I have something blocking my windows. At night, I'd rather people not have any clue what's going on.

 

[Watts_Up]

I looked at the heat shield and decided it was too expensive for me.
Went to Home Depot and bought a roll of reflectix for $10.
I already have a front window cover, so I cut out pieces to fit into the side windows. No suction cup necessary.
I either put it in the window and close the door before it can fall out, or shove it into the window from the inside once the door is closed.

In case this can help someone, I made a model of the side windows using cardboard to have an idea of how much material is necessary.
I plan to make a little frame using some harder material and cover it using some black cloth to still have a little bit of light.

- Front side window: 29" x 17"


- Rear side window: 38" x 16"
​

Note: For the small rear triangular windows, I would recommend using a specially made mesh cover.
Also, for the roof cover, I would recommend not covering the full rear window because the visibility will be too bad.

Tesla Model 3 Sunshades Sunroof Rear Window Top Roof Heat Insulation Film UV Rays Protection
​

 

[skygraff]

Good points.

HeatShield is definitely pricey and the suction cups have issues; not only do they sometimes fail but I worry about them on the rear defroster elements. I only used them in a campground so I wasn’t worried about advertising but I might be tempted to black them out in a Wally lot or rest stop so will have to think about that.

I like having the roof completely covered because stargazing is pretty much impossible with the tint but the sun will beat in and wake me earlier than I’d like in some camp locations. Plus, people can see light from inside and, whether or not they can see anything else, curiosity can lead to awkward encounters.

Now, if only I could figure out a good way to attach bug screens so I could vent or open the windows on perfect nights rather than run HVAC. Magnets don’t work on glass or aluminum and the frameless windows make sleeves impossible. Thought about draping something over the front doors and securing it underneath but would probably have gaps and would make opening and closing those doors a real chore (like to store stuff on the front floors).

 

[smatthew]

In case this can help someone, I made a model of the side windows using cardboard to have an idea of how much material is necessary.
I plan to make a little frame using some harder material and cover it using some black cloth to still have a little bit of light.

- Front side window: 29" x 17"
View attachment 582633

- Rear side window: 38" x 16"
View attachment 582632​

Note: For the small rear triangular windows, I would recommend using a specially made mesh cover.
Also, for the roof cover, I would recommend not covering the full rear window because the visibility will be too bad.

Tesla Model 3 Sunshades Sunroof Rear Window Top Roof Heat Insulation Film UV Rays Protection
​

Looks much cleaner than my "cut-at-campground" window coverings.
PS: The 24" wide roll of Reflectix at HD will easily do all the side windows, even if you have to re-do one or two. I keep the extra piece in the car and will throw it above the mesh shade if I want more blocking. Will probably end up getting a roll of the wider reflectix for roof panels.

 

[rossfboyle]

I looked at the heat shield and decided it was too expensive for me. Went to Home Depot and bought a roll of reflectix for $10. I already have a front window cover, so I cut out pieces to fit into the side windows. No suction cup necessary. I either put it in the window and close the door before it can fall out, or shove it into the window from the inside once the door is closed. Yes, they fall out if you open the door. I'll figure something out eventually.... like a 3d printed clip that goes over the top of the window and holds everything in place....

The black mesh Tesla roof sun shades provide enough privacy at night, and unless I'm parked right under a light, I don't feel any need to cover the roof.

I'm also going to add black fabric to one side of the reflectix. During the day I don't mind advertising that I have something blocking my windows. At night, I'd rather people not have any clue what's going on.

Hey! I know I mentioned this in my original post on this thread, but didn’t talk about the other products that came with the purchase. For lime 40 bucks, you can buy a Privacy Screen from TESMAT. It has two suction cups for the back window, but everyone else is held up by either the hooks/hangers in the backseat or the sun visor. It worked like a charm. It’s black and super light material so it never fell down on us once. Just in case you’re looking for something a little more stable and realistically nicer than the one you made yourself, but also customized for our car and not nearly as expensive at HeatShield. I bought mine online at the Tesmat website (not sure what the website is but you can google it) and used coupon code: TesmatReferralM3 for a little discount. I don’t know if the code still works but I imagine it does. Highly recommend.

 

[Corp Fugitive]

Planning a similar road trip in July. Let me know how yours went.

Blogging the experience: 6500 Mile Furlough Inspired Road Trip

I liked your blog, nice work! Did you do any tent camping or were all of your hikes day hikes?