That's a new article citing the same old interview, which contradicts itself - he says Class III, which is limited to 5,000 pounds, but then says close to ten thousand. So we'll have to wait for clarification.
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Model X towing ability
- Thread starter Al Sherman
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- Driving Dynamics Model X
That's a new article citing the same old interview, which contradicts itself - he says Class III, which is limited to 5,000 pounds, but then says close to ten thousand. So we'll have to wait for clarification.
I thought class III was 6000 lbs Gross Trailer weight, with 600 lb tongue weight, for a weight carrying hitch. Can be either weight carrying or weight distributing, depending on vehicle and hitch specs. For weight distributing, it is 10,000 lbs w/ 1000lb tongue weight.
Actually, Reese agrees with you: Trailer Hitches, Hitch Accessories, Hitch Wiring
I always thought class III was limited to 5000 lbs. I never had a vehicle with a class III hitch. Just 1's and 2's, then jumped up to class V.
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That's interesting. I didn't make up the 5,000 pounds - I got it from Wikipedia, where they claim it is straight out of the SAE standard:
Tow hitch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As far as I know, the SAE standard is only available if you pay...
Walter
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If you say so. I haven't read the specification in question. My expectation for an SAE spec like this would be that of you rate the car to tow more than the Class 3 limits, you have to build the hitch to Class 4 requirements even if you don't allow the car to tow up the the Class 4 maximum load.
Walter
NigelM
Recovering Member
Tyl
Active Member
Has anyone seen the electrical hook up on the rear of the MX mules. I'm curious if it is standard for trailer lighting/braking? In my captured photo.. there is something there but I can't make it out!
The black one that's kind of vertical is the electric, lights and probably brakes. I don't imagine they would create a new non-standard setup for all of our trailers. Improvements always welcome, but I doubt it. The lower one that makes the loop looks like the cable (wire rope) that applies the trailer brakes if it detattches (not fun)
FWIW, the trailer/caravan connector is different for European cars. I presume Tesla will make it a standard feature and specific for each region. Unless they create a separate towing package of course.
Perhaps they'll build in an auxillary connector allowing for a second high-voltage battery to be connected. In this case they'd need to add interlocking and switching hardware to make it safe.
Perhaps they'll build in an auxillary connector allowing for a second high-voltage battery to be connected. In this case they'd need to add interlocking and switching hardware to make it safe.
Interesting that it is fitted underneath the car like that. Electrical folding tow hitch?
(I have a coworker who bought a used BMW, and a couple of months after buying the car, he found a button in the trunk that he didn't know what did. He pushed the button, and lo and behold, he had a tow hitch. It wasn't mentioned in the sales information!)
Here's how it works: Electric Folding Tow Hitch on BMW 5 series - YouTube
Merrill
Merrill
That is totally cool, wonder how strong it is and how much tongue weight it can carry.
The View From Alaska
I received from our sketchy internet enough bandwidth to learn of the photo of that X mule towing a dump trailer. This has warmed the cockles of my heart so much that I have had to scramble to find enough signal to be able to re-join the forum, at least for a little while.
1. We already know that a "D" Model S puts to shame both the horsepower out put of my PowerStroke F-350 AND its available torque. So there we have a: ++++++!!!+++++
2. We do not know for how long a Model X Towmeister could keep up the gruntwork - neither in terms of battery life nor from any heat build-up. So needs rate a --???-- until such time as Tesla releases stats
3. Nor do we know how grunty the X's frame is going to be, nor what kind of tongue-weight capacity Tesla will have given the vehicle's suspension. HOWEVER, in that the overall weight of a Model X very most likely will come close to the F-350 (prolly very, very close to an F-150), then the latter criterion likely will be close. I'll give this one a ++.
4. Now, with my F-350, I was able to haul to Alaska for 3,900 miles the CAT 305 excavator and a whole bunch of other stuff on a 30' gooseneck. That was 32,000 lbs total weight (verified by a roving Montana trooper....
...but he didn't ticket me:smile:... The horsepower and torque of an X thus, ceteris paribus, would allow such haulage. Given what we don't know, yet, about the X, we can't say that ceteris is up to that paribus....but.... So a + in this regard.
5. Here is where I am really excited. I also have a 14' dump trailer, with a 14,000 lb rating. Regardless of what rating the X comes out as, I can see that for most of my purposes, I could use the X rather than the 350 to haul it. That for me rates a ++++.
6. Much, much more exciting than that is that I've just dreamed up a camper-conversion for that dump trailer. This coming week I'll be off to converse with our "local" (that's Alaskan for 240 miles away) camper-builder to learn what we (he) can fab for us - but he's a whizz at light-weight creations. The 7' x 14' interior of the dump gives all sorts of room; there is no foundation stouter than a good dump trailer for hauling around anything, even on our roads up here. Best of all, we could drive to our warm winter home with such a confab, then evict the camper and still have a dump trailer to use down south. I am giddy. Rates a +++++!!!!!+++++.
I received from our sketchy internet enough bandwidth to learn of the photo of that X mule towing a dump trailer. This has warmed the cockles of my heart so much that I have had to scramble to find enough signal to be able to re-join the forum, at least for a little while.
1. We already know that a "D" Model S puts to shame both the horsepower out put of my PowerStroke F-350 AND its available torque. So there we have a: ++++++!!!+++++
2. We do not know for how long a Model X Towmeister could keep up the gruntwork - neither in terms of battery life nor from any heat build-up. So needs rate a --???-- until such time as Tesla releases stats
3. Nor do we know how grunty the X's frame is going to be, nor what kind of tongue-weight capacity Tesla will have given the vehicle's suspension. HOWEVER, in that the overall weight of a Model X very most likely will come close to the F-350 (prolly very, very close to an F-150), then the latter criterion likely will be close. I'll give this one a ++.
4. Now, with my F-350, I was able to haul to Alaska for 3,900 miles the CAT 305 excavator and a whole bunch of other stuff on a 30' gooseneck. That was 32,000 lbs total weight (verified by a roving Montana trooper....
...but he didn't ticket me:smile:... The horsepower and torque of an X thus, ceteris paribus, would allow such haulage. Given what we don't know, yet, about the X, we can't say that ceteris is up to that paribus....but.... So a + in this regard.5. Here is where I am really excited. I also have a 14' dump trailer, with a 14,000 lb rating. Regardless of what rating the X comes out as, I can see that for most of my purposes, I could use the X rather than the 350 to haul it. That for me rates a ++++.
6. Much, much more exciting than that is that I've just dreamed up a camper-conversion for that dump trailer. This coming week I'll be off to converse with our "local" (that's Alaskan for 240 miles away) camper-builder to learn what we (he) can fab for us - but he's a whizz at light-weight creations. The 7' x 14' interior of the dump gives all sorts of room; there is no foundation stouter than a good dump trailer for hauling around anything, even on our roads up here. Best of all, we could drive to our warm winter home with such a confab, then evict the camper and still have a dump trailer to use down south. I am giddy. Rates a +++++!!!!!+++++.
The studio pages say it's a standard 7-pin round connector (used with electric brakes), I assume the large one that's built into most towing vehicles nowadays.
scottf200
Well-Known Member
Looks like some sort of basic hitch for a rack. And then a separate tow package.
But wait ... what is that cool option to monitor trailer sway and apply brakes. If you've ever had a trailer sway behind you, then you know it is uncomfortable. If you have an electronic trailer brake then you hold it manually and push on the accelerator!
Image: http://i.imgur.com/wfm3NCm.png
Image: http://i.imgur.com/WwudjuJ.png
But wait ... what is that cool option to monitor trailer sway and apply brakes. If you've ever had a trailer sway behind you, then you know it is uncomfortable. If you have an electronic trailer brake then you hold it manually and push on the accelerator!
Image: http://i.imgur.com/wfm3NCm.png
Image: http://i.imgur.com/WwudjuJ.png
Towing capacity is a bit better on some of the Model X competitors (Cayenne Turbo has a 7,700 capacity; GLE63 has 7,200), but 5,000 isn't bad overall and is probably sufficient for what most people want to do. I'd be curious to know what the limiting factor is on the X. Is it the frame, transmission, axle, etc. Or could it be purely based on the range hit being too big when towing anything else?
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