CT Trips!

TirNaOg

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Ok the wait is getting to me.
Viewed all the bloody Tesla videos on the net, { at least it feels like it! }
So decided to start planning my BIG trip once I am used to this EV/CT thingy.

Will do shorter, much shorter, trips around the tri-state area while I get used to the beast.

Trip: NJ to WA state! The North route in Spring or summer.
Current plan, do ye think it can be done like this?
Days: 6/7
Miles: 3000+
Miles per Day: 500
Miles in Morning: 250
Miles in Evening: 250
Avg speed: 75mph {maybe? not sure of the speed limits way out there. :) )
States: looks like 11 of them.
New Jersey:
Pennsylvania:
Ohio:
Indiana:
Illinois:
Wisconsin:
Minnesota:
North Dakota:
Montanan:
Idaho:
Washington:

Anything of note the family should look out for around the supercharges in each state?
Any comments/suggestions?
Sponsored

 

Cyberpark

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It looks great. Do you want to buy a Cyberland camp for your trip?
 

HaulingAss

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Ok the wait is getting to me.
Viewed all the bloody Tesla videos on the net, { at least it feels like it! }
So decided to start planning my BIG trip once I am used to this EV/CT thingy.

Will do shorter, much shorter, trips around the tri-state area while I get used to the beast.

Trip: NJ to WA state! The North route in Spring or summer.
Current plan, do ye think it can be done like this?
Days: 6/7
Miles: 3000+
Miles per Day: 500
Miles in Morning: 250
Miles in Evening: 250
Avg speed: 75mph {maybe? not sure of the speed limits way out there. :) )
States: looks like 11 of them.
New Jersey:
Pennsylvania:
Ohio:
Indiana:
Illinois:
Wisconsin:
Minnesota:
North Dakota:
Montanan:
Idaho:
Washington:

Anything of note the family should look out for around the supercharges in each state?
Any comments/suggestions?
It would be very difficult to maintain an average speed of 75 mph even when travelling at 85 mph in a gas car with 5 minute refueling since even a few short rest breaks have an inordinate effect on your average speed. And 85 mph would put you at risk of speeding tickets in many areas you will be travelling through. It's the old "turtle and the hare" rule. If you want to make time the secret is butt time in the seat. Don't stop. The speed at which you drive pales in comparison to how many hours a day you sit in your seat and drive.

Once you get to the Continental Divide, there's a lot to see and do and the trip as you've laid out would basically be, wake up, eat, drive non-stop, eat lunch, drive non-stop, eat dinner, drive non-stop, sleep, wake-up, etc. That might be appropriate for much of the route from New Jersey to Montana but then the really good stuff begins.

I've always found road tripping far more enjoyable when I'm not trying to cover maximum distance between two points. Even if I'm going to be driving 12 hours/day, I prefer to get off the most direct Interstate and these roads tend to follow rivers and higher mountain passes which means you might only cover 70% of the distance in terms of road miles and 50% of the distance as the crow flies, each day. Sure, it doubles your trip time but everyone sees the country from the Interstate.

For maximum enjoyment, and to ensure you actually get to see stuff, and not just feel like you are on a military expedition, I would plan on a minmum of 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. Alternatively, you could "Canonball" it. But just be aware that's all it's going to be, a driving feat and your family will probably hate you half-way through the trip. You could spend an entire week touring Washington and not see 1% of it.
 

Diehard

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This will make you hate CT and the trip. If you can’t get more time for the trip, I would not do it. A cross country trip is to see the country not just other people’s bumper on the road. 500 miles per day, does not leave time to enjoy anything. I would not push it pass 300. If you want to do a big stretch in one day, I would stay in one place for two nights minimum.

I used to do these shotgun trips when I was younger to cover as many places as I could in one trip and did not fully experience any of them. I had a 5 hour stop in Paris once, a two day and a five day on three different trips. Completely different experience. Slow is much richer. Go to the places you can afford (time wise).
 

Ranulf

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I recently did a 1,000 mile drive in one day. Then a few days later, drove 1000 miles straight back. 14.5-15 hours, only stopping for gas. Solo driver. Really depends on your goals and what you want to see.
 


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TirNaOg

TirNaOg

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It looks great. Do you want to buy a Cyberland camp for your trip?
Nope!
It looks nice but I heard tis gona be around $50K...
I'd grab a good sleeping bag and nap in the vault instead.
 
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TirNaOg

TirNaOg

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It would be very difficult to maintain an average speed of 75 mph even when travelling at 85 mph in a gas car with 5 minute refueling since even a few short rest breaks have an inordinate effect on your average speed. And 85 mph would put you at risk of speeding tickets in many areas you will be travelling through. It's the old "turtle and the hare" rule. If you want to make time the secret is butt time in the seat. Don't stop. The speed at which you drive pales in comparison to how many hours a day you sit in your seat and drive.

Once you get to the Continental Divide, there's a lot to see and do and the trip as you've laid out would basically be, wake up, eat, drive non-stop, eat lunch, drive non-stop, eat dinner, drive non-stop, sleep, wake-up, etc. That might be appropriate for much of the route from New Jersey to Montana but then the really good stuff begins.

I've always found road tripping far more enjoyable when I'm not trying to cover maximum distance between two points. Even if I'm going to be driving 12 hours/day, I prefer to get off the most direct Interstate and these roads tend to follow rivers and higher mountain passes which means you might only cover 70% of the distance in terms of road miles and 50% of the distance as the crow flies, each day. Sure, it doubles your trip time but everyone sees the country from the Interstate.

For maximum enjoyment, and to ensure you actually get to see stuff, and not just feel like you are on a military expedition, I would plan on a minmum of 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. Alternatively, you could "Canonball" it. But just be aware that's all it's going to be, a driving feat and your family will probably hate you half-way through the trip. You could spend an entire week touring Washington and not see 1% of it.
Only have about 3 weeks to get there and back.
YA family will probably not want to talk to me when we get home.
That list was just my aim. Never done before and have no idea what it looks like out over that route.
An adventure! :)
 

HaulingAss

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Only have about 3 weeks to get there and back.
YA family will probably not want to talk to me when we get home.
That list was just my aim. Never done before and have no idea what it looks like out over that route.
An adventure! :)
Google Street View covers the entire route virtually. You will probably be really bored in the first 15 minutes.
 

braddibbnd

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Here is a speed limit map for the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

Note that until you get to North Dakota, the states have a 70 mph speed limit max. The other problem I would think you'd have trying a trip like that would be the construction season in the northern states. And with a family, I'd make a couple day stops along the way.
Mall of America in Minnesota or Medora, North Dakota would be good stops for a family.
A lot of the Superchargers might only be Level 2 chargers too, which will be another slow down.
Since it'll likely be 2 years before you can do this trip, hopefully they'll have enough Level 3 chargers on a route to not have to use a slow charger.
 

DarinCT

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I will echo @HaulingAss about saving the tourist stuff for west of the Divide but for the reason you provided. If its "close" to your house you can go some other time. Bathrooms and superchargers don't seem to work together in my experience. If you can combine the stretch and bathroom break, then that's one less stop. You can plan a trip on the Tesla site though the link below is the one I use for trips.

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ has options for CT in its alpha/beta

I would stop at a lot of these places (below) but YMMV ?
https://maps.roadtrippers.com/trips/14543191

Squeezing an extra couple of days into this trip works go a long way into enjoying the sites.
 


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TirNaOg

TirNaOg

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I will echo @HaulingAss about saving the tourist stuff for west of the Divide but for the reason you provided. If its "close" to your house you can go some other time. Bathrooms and superchargers don't seem to work together in my experience. If you can combine the stretch and bathroom break, then that's one less stop. You can plan a trip on the Tesla site though the link below is the one I use for trips.

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ has options for CT in its alpha/beta

I would stop at a lot of these places (below) but YMMV ?
https://maps.roadtrippers.com/trips/14543191

Squeezing an extra couple of days into this trip works go a long way into enjoying the sites.
Thanks for the link to places to see. Very interesting.
 

Cyberpark

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Nope!
It looks nice but I heard tis gona be around $50K...
I'd grab a good sleeping bag and nap in the vault instead.
Maybe they're worried that the cost of reducing functionality will go down but no one will buy it.What do you think?
 

Mythrainder

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Here is a speed limit map for the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

Note that until you get to North Dakota, the states have a 70 mph speed limit max. The other problem I would think you'd have trying a trip like that would be the construction season in the northern states. And with a family, I'd make a couple day stops along the way.
Mall of America in Minnesota or Medora, North Dakota would be good stops for a family.
A lot of the Superchargers might only be Level 2 chargers too, which will be another slow down.
Since it'll likely be 2 years before you can do this trip, hopefully they'll have enough Level 3 chargers on a route to not have to use a slow charger.
Thanks dude, good link
 
 




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