With summer around the corner, families will soon start planning their annual vacation. With COVID restrictions still in a state of flux, it may be a safe bet to plan a road trip and go camping in a Tesla. Opting for a vacation on the road less travelled is a great choice for you and your family to get away from daily routines and the bonus is that camping limits close contact with strangers.
Camping in a Tesla is a comfortable and fun experience. Tesla’s Technoking is known for adding practical yet sometimes quirky features to his cars, and one particular feature did not disappoint. Older Tesla models didn’t have the option of keeping climate control and lights enabled for prolonged periods in parking mode, thus the introduction of Camp Mode.
CAMP MODE TESLA
Camp Mode was added back in December 2019 and if you haven’t had the chance to use this, a summer holiday on the road is the perfect opportunity.
Tesla Model 3 camping transforms your electric car into a comfortable and breathable cabin on wheels. This feature is available in all Tesla models and does a number of things such as maintaining airflow, interior lighting, temperature, and more.
Here are some of the key functions of the Tesla Camper Mode.
It disables auto lock so you are don’t have to constantly lock and relock the car while packing/unpacking/setting up at your campsite. However, you can manually lock the car from inside so that nobody breaks in.
It disables Sentry Mode to conserve battery power. You can override this if you keen to video your camping antics. Camp Mode keeps the USB ports in your car powered up, so you and your family can keep your phone or tablets powered up. Or maybe you want to add some ambience and run a string of fairy lights around your car while enjoying a BBQ under the moon.
First put the car in Parking mode. To enable camp mode, simply tap the Fan icon at the bottom of the display screen and tap on the Camp icon. Camp Mode maintains the optimum temperature and airflow inside the car; however, you can still adjust the temperature as you want.
Camp Mode cannot be used if the battery goes below 15%. Tesla put this limit on to save the battery, so you have enough power to get to the nearest charging station. In normal conditions, Camp Mode consumes around 10% or 7-8 kWh of battery for about 8-9 hours. In extremely cold conditions, the draining rate increases somewhat and uses about 14-15% of the total battery percentage for 8 hours.
USE THE HVAC
Because an EV has no fumes, you can have the heater or air conditioner on at a comfortable temperature all night. If the car isn’t plugged in, it uses around 20%-40% of the battery’s capacity (depending on outside temperature).
SETUP A CAMPING PROFILE
Tesla owners can define different profiles, so why not set up a profile called Camp. This will save all your preferences so every night you can simply revert to the saved profile. Make your adjustments, adjust the seats, and set your preferred temperature.
INVEST IN A GOOD MATTRESS
Sleeping in your car stretches the dollar a long way. Just be sure to get a good quality mattress for the back that you can pump up within minutes. You’ll be able to enjoy the stars through your sunroof while having a snug night’s rest.
ROOF RACKS
While the Teslas can pack in a fair amount of storage, if you plan on taking the kitchen sink and more then consider getting roof racks and storage bag. Feel free to check our collection of Tesla lifestyle accessories.
DON’T FORGET THE CHARGING KIT
When making use of charging facilities at RV Parks, you will need to purchase a travel EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) that can fit an RV 50 amp plug (14-50 Nema plug). A quality Level 2 EVSE can recharge from empty in the 10 hours that you would spend overnight at a spot.
BOOK AHEAD
You may not be the only one planning a road trip holiday this summer. To avoid disappointment or being left in the lurch, plan your route in advance and book with RV spots along the way. This not only ensures you have a safe overnight stay but you can also confirm what charging facilities are available so you don’t get caught out.
Disclaimer:
Tesla, Inc. was not involved in the development of this document and did not provide any input or otherwise edit, review or authorize it.
