Great First Towing Experience ~9000 lbs (Boat + Trailer)

[Svenscot]

Great experience pulling our boat out the water and into storage approx 30 miles away. CT (AWD) replaced my 2020 Chevy 2500 which was great for towing but challenged with reversing and maneuverability in tight spaces. We rent a storage unit and getting the long trailer in there needed at least one of the Chevy front wheels to climb a kerb and I couldn't get a straight entry, having to widen the opening. CT provides incredible responsiveness in adjusting during reversing due to its tight turning circle and getting to straight in at 90 degrees with a tight squeeze was easy.

Boat (WorldCat 255DC) and trailer is around 9,000 pounds and pulling from standing was effortless.

CT a bit more bouncy giving slight jerkiness than with the Chevy on uneven road when and I think the relatively low height of the tow ball on the CT contributed to that. (you can see in one of the pics that the nose is a bit low, such that the trailer is a bit nose down and likely not getting full benefit of the double axles). Next pull, I think I'll switch the bar out to one that steps much higher (anyone else have any experience of that?). Range seemed to drop to about half of that without towing - route was some city driving and mainly highway.

Very happy. A few pics attached.

Sponsored

 

[Aegeas]

This kind of towing is exactly what this truck was designed to do which is ideal for the vast majority of homeowners. The instant electric torque and all wheel steering makes for easy backing. Now if we could get people to stop trying to use it like a HD diesel that it wasn't designed to do we would be okay.

 

[HaulingAss]

Great experience pulling our boat out the water and into storage approx 30 miles away. CT (AWD) replaced my 2020 Chevy 2500 which was great for towing but challenged with reversing and maneuverability in tight spaces. We rent a storage unit and getting the long trailer in there needed at least one of the Chevy front wheels to climb a kerb and I couldn't get a straight entry, having to widen the opening. CT provides incredible responsiveness in adjusting during reversing due to its tight turning circle and getting to straight in at 90 degrees with a tight squeeze was easy.

Boat (WorldCat 255DC) and trailer is around 9,000 pounds and pulling from standing was effortless.

CT a bit more bouncy giving slight jerkiness than with the Chevy on uneven road when and I think the relatively low height of the tow ball on the CT contributed to that. (you can see in one of the pics that the nose is a bit low, such that the trailer is a bit nose down and likely not getting full benefit of the double axles). Next pull, I think I'll switch the bar out to one that steps much higher (anyone else have any experience of that?). Range seemed to drop to about half of that without towing - route was some city driving and mainly highway.

Very happy. A few pics attached.

I think you're right that the low tow ball contributed to the bounciness. But a small change here can make a big difference, so refrain from over-compensating. You might only need 2-4 inches higher. Also, did you air up the tires before towing? Tesla recommends 65 psi (F&R) in the Cybertruck and, of course, the trailer tires should be aired up to their recommended cold pressures too. If you don't have compressed air at your pickup location, you need to inflate above the recommended pressure (because they will no longer be cold). Don't air on the side of too little, the air in the tires is what prevents excessive side-to-side motion.

My guess is that low tire pressures contributed more to the bounciness you noticed than the height of the tow ball. I think if you adjust both you will find it tows even better than your Chevy.

 

[CTSoFL]

Great experience pulling our boat out the water and into storage approx 30 miles away. CT (AWD) replaced my 2020 Chevy 2500 which was great for towing but challenged with reversing and maneuverability in tight spaces. We rent a storage unit and getting the long trailer in there needed at least one of the Chevy front wheels to climb a kerb and I couldn't get a straight entry, having to widen the opening. CT provides incredible responsiveness in adjusting during reversing due to its tight turning circle and getting to straight in at 90 degrees with a tight squeeze was easy.

Boat (WorldCat 255DC) and trailer is around 9,000 pounds and pulling from standing was effortless.

CT a bit more bouncy giving slight jerkiness than with the Chevy on uneven road when and I think the relatively low height of the tow ball on the CT contributed to that. (you can see in one of the pics that the nose is a bit low, such that the trailer is a bit nose down and likely not getting full benefit of the double axles). Next pull, I think I'll switch the bar out to one that steps much higher (anyone else have any experience of that?). Range seemed to drop to about half of that without towing - route was some city driving and mainly highway.

Very happy. A few pics attached.

Nice boat!!

 

[Svenscot]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did add air up to 65 and inflated the trailer tires as well. There was definitely less weight on the rear trailer axle so I’m sure that raising the towbar will improve stability. Curious if anyone else has found this and has optimized their towbar height and if so how?

 

[mongo]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did add air up to 65 and inflated the trailer tires as well. There was definitely less weight on the rear trailer axle so I’m sure that raising the towbar will improve stability. Curious if anyone else has found this and has optimized their towbar height and if so how?

Does that trailer have torsion axles vs leaf with equalizer?

 

[Cyber Man]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did add air up to 65 and inflated the trailer tires as well. There was definitely less weight on the rear trailer axle so I’m sure that raising the towbar will improve stability. Curious if anyone else has found this and has optimized their towbar height and if so how?

Nice rig. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Regarding ride stiffness, I can share my learnings from regular towing. My hitch manufacturer had asked me to adjust the nose angle and weight distribution system till I see the right amount of bounce/stiffness in the ride. There is a debate on whether to use weight distribution hitch (WD) with self-leveling cars as some manufacturers, such as Range Rover, don’t recommend it. WD and self-leveling are not the same. It’s not clear whether WD hitch can be used with CT. When I get my CT, I would prefer to use WD hitch to exactly solve the problem you have. Nose angle also impacts ride stiffness but the WD hitch will make a noticeable difference. Nose angle impacts swaying more than ride stiffness. You can buy one of those height adjustable ball mounts to level the trailer. They are super convenient. I have heard good reviews for this one https://a.co/d/hpckmBW

There was a time I towed my airstream with a lower tow ball height for 50 miles or so. I had forgotten my usual hitch at home when picking the trailer from storage. I cranked up WD to max. Didn’t notice much bounce. On a different day, I was using my regular hitch but didn’t tighten WD. I was in a rush. Tow vehicle was bouncing around like a boat. I’m definitely convinced that WD hitch dramatically changes the stiffness of the ride. This is with regular steel suspensions. I’m not sure about the air suspensions, but generally speaking stiffer the suspension, stiffer the ride. I guess WD makes all suspensions equally stiff. Try using Sports mode before you explore WD solutions. You might notice some difference.

Please keep us posted. Good luck!

 

[Svenscot]

Interesting, thanks for the info re WD and yes, I will look into sports mode, hadn’t thought of that (I just let it do its defaults when it went into trailer mode on hookup. Not sure if that changed mode from comfort where I had it before.
Re the question from mango, I believe my trailer has torsion axles, I didn’t think about that but looking into it, seems such axles can sometimes be adjusted for ride height. I’ll be away a few weeks but will check that out when I get back, ideally if I can find a trailer service place around Miami/Fort Laud area.
thx again.

 

[Mettalicron]

@Svenscot This is awesome, any chance you got the wh/mile for your trip?

We are getting a boat and would love to know other CT owners range estimates with their boats!

 

[mongo]

Interesting, thanks for the info re WD and yes, I will look into sports mode, hadn’t thought of that (I just let it do its defaults when it went into trailer mode on hookup. Not sure if that changed mode from comfort where I had it before.
Re the question from mango, I believe my trailer has torsion axles, I didn’t think about that but looking into it, seems such axles can sometimes be adjusted for ride height. I’ll be away a few weeks but will check that out when I get back, ideally if I can find a trailer service place around Miami/Fort Laud area.
thx again.

Yah, from the photos it looked like independent torsion which are sensitive to trailer angle. Leaf spring +equalizer are much more forgiving.

 

[mongo]

Nice rig. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Regarding ride stiffness, I can share my learnings from regular towing. My hitch manufacturer had asked me to adjust the nose angle and weight distribution system till I see the right amount of bounce/stiffness in the ride. There is a debate on whether to use weight distribution hitch (WD) with self-leveling cars as some manufacturers, such as Range Rover, don’t recommend it. WD and self-leveling are not the same. It’s not clear whether WD hitch can be used with CT. When I get my CT, I would prefer to use WD hitch to exactly solve the problem you have. Nose angle also impacts ride stiffness but the WD hitch will make a noticeable difference. Nose angle impacts swaying more than ride stiffness. You can buy one of those height adjustable ball mounts to level the trailer. They are super convenient. I have heard good reviews for this one https://a.co/d/hpckmBW

There was a time I towed my airstream with a lower tow ball height for 50 miles or so. I had forgotten my usual hitch at home when picking the trailer from storage. I cranked up WD to max. Didn’t notice much bounce. On a different day, I was using my regular hitch but didn’t tighten WD. I was in a rush. Tow vehicle was bouncing around like a boat. I’m definitely convinced that WD hitch dramatically changes the stiffness of the ride. This is with regular steel suspensions. I’m not sure about the air suspensions, but generally speaking stiffer the suspension, stiffer the ride. I guess WD makes all suspensions equally stiff. Try using Sports mode before you explore WD solutions. You might notice some difference.

Please keep us posted. Good luck!

It would be nice to get official guidance from Tesla on weight distribution hitches.
Regarding self leveling, it makes the truck look evenly loaded, but in reality, the hitch weight unloads the front axles and the air suspension can't do a thing about that.
For best axle loading, WD is likely required, unless you have 441 pounds of cargo in the frunk.

 

[Cyber Man]

100% agree! Hope we get an official answer from Tesla on WD. You are right - WD is not the same as self-leveling. I really prefer to use WD as it makes the rig more safe. Also, the hitches that I prefer to use (Hensley or ProPride) are big on WD systems. These hitches don’t come without WD. It’s an integral part of the unit. I hate to buy an expensive hitch and not use this awesome capability. I love Hensley hitch on my Airstream Basecamp. The WD system is rock solid and trailer has zero sway!

 

[mongo]

100% agree! Hope we get an official answer from Tesla on WD. You are right - WD is not the same as self-leveling. I really prefer to use WD as it makes the rig more safe. Also, the hitches that I prefer to use (Hensley or ProPride) are big on WD systems. These hitches don’t come without WD. It’s an integral part of the unit. I hate to buy an expensive hitch and not use this awesome capability. I love Hensley hitch on my Airstream Basecamp. The WD system is rock solid and trailer has zero sway!

Woah, that Hensley Arrow is a beast!
I'm looking at the B&W Continuum due to the ease of hitching/ unhitching for charging.

 

[Cyber Man]

Woah, that Hensley Arrow is a beast!
I'm looking at the B&W Continuum due to the ease of hitching/ unhitching for charging.

Yeah Hensley is a beast. I got the Cub model. Many ridiculed me saying it’s an overkill for 20’ Airstream trailer. I did lots and lots of research. I can’t tell you how safe you feel with that hitch system. Once I was towing at 55 mph. There was a severe wind storm. The trailer had absolute zero sway. Semis were passing me at a higher speed. Towing was just wow. Anybody who has done serious towing knows that this situation is a nightmare. You can neither slow down too much or speed a lot. Air pressure difference when Semis pass amplified with windstorm is a towing nightmare. Of course you are not invincible. It’s important to still follow OEM specs and safety measures to drive safely, but hands down that hitch system is a Beast. No other hitch can come close as they all use friction sway control.

Hitching/unhitching is very easy. There is a bit of learning curve, but once you master it, it’s way easier than ball mount hitch system. If you have an automatic drill socket to loosen the WD bars, you can hitch/unhitch in less than 5 mins.

Sorry didn’t mean to derail the main topic of this thread! I just thought of sharing my learnings as this sub-topic came up.

Sponsored