What I need to camp off-road and off-grid

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tidmutt

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So much this.

I keep seeing people tacking things onto their fantasy trucks and that stuff is going to kill range. Going naked is the best way to get the quoted range.

Related, drive like a granny. Going 70 MPH is great when you have a Supercharger ahead, cruising along at a leisurely 50MPH will be frustrating, but save you a fair bit of time waiting for the truck to charge up later. Trebly so on climbs.

That's probably way far out for you, but every % you don't burn while driving saves you time charging.
Some years ago my parents did a 2 year round trip of Australia towing a small trailer. The vehicle was a large station wagon. They found they were chewing through gas at an alarming rate until a couple of weeks into the trip my dad happened to be chatting with another grey nomad and he mentioned the fuel consumption. The guy suggested he drop his speed to 80 km/h and see how that goes, I mean 2 years of travel means you're not in any particular rush. His mileage increased dramatically and he also found that it was inversely proportional to his stress levels. Not only was he saving money on gas but the drive was just more relaxing. He'd sit in the slow lane and let people pass where necessary.

I always thought that sounded like the right way to do a long road trip. Slow and steady, taking in the view and save some dollars along the way.
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I always thought that sounded like the right way to do a long road trip. Slow and steady, taking in the view and save some dollars along the way.
Driving fast on long trips doesn't save as much time as people think. If you have to fuel up 20% more often, it costs you not just time, but money and opportunity.

Drive slower, time your pee stops with your vista points instead of fuel ups. In the Tesla you get autopilot which takes even more stress out of the drive.
 
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That is likely going to cost you 10% of range.

I was thinking it might be interesting to do a RTT on one of those pull out drawer systems to keep it tucked it. Something like this.

https://www.etrailer.com/Slide-Out-Cargo-Trays/CargoGlide/cg2200xl-8048.html
Forgot to ask you about documenting the 10% range loss. Is this simply your experience? If so, what's it based on? Have you found aerodynamic test results that give you technically accurate information? Not challenging you, I'd just like to see some actual test results of all Teslas and any of the CT that might have popped up. I'm wondering if there's simple air-flow app or website that can use a 2D or 3D model to give an idea of how much loss there would be, both because of the attached structure and additional weight (my Roofnest Sparrow weighs 130lbs, add 30-50lbs for the rack without anything extra attached to it).

Here's something I ran using Flow Illustrator. It looks pretty and does show the turbulence caused by the RTT but this is not scientific. It uses a jpeg file and I didn't use the maximum resolution I could use so it shows turbulence over a rough surface. It was fun using it. Now I just need a real airflow expert to run some airflow tests with and without something on the roof rack. I have the videos but they might be too large for this forum.

Tesla Cybertruck What I need to camp off-road and off-grid video CT
Tesla Cybertruck What I need to camp off-road and off-grid video CT with RTT
 

Ogre

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Forgot to ask you about documenting the 10% range loss. Is this simply your experience? If so, what's it based on? Have you found aerodynamic test results that give you technically accurate information? Not challenging you, I'd just like to see some actual test results of all Teslas and any of the CT that might have popped up. I'm wondering if there's simple air-flow app or website that can use a 2D or 3D model to give an idea of how much loss there would be, both because of the attached structure and additional weight (my Roofnest Sparrow weighs 130lbs, add 30-50lbs for the rack without anything extra attached to it).

Here's something I ran using Flow Illustrator. It looks pretty and does show the turbulence caused by the RTT but this is not scientific. It uses a jpeg file and I didn't use the maximum resolution I could use so it shows turbulence over a rough surface. It was fun using it. Now I just need a real airflow expert to run some airflow tests with and without something on the roof rack. I have the videos but they might be too large for this forum.

video CT.png
video CT with RTT.png
That's pretty typical of roof top tents. I've heard as much as 17%. Yours is more flush with the roofline, but EVs are more sensitive to this than ICE cars.

I think Rivian quoted 5% in the bed and 10% on the roof of the truck. This is somewhere in between, but the Cybertruck has a much cleaner design.
 

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Yeah, the Cybertruck being more aerodynamic will take a bigger hit for the same thing bolted onto it as it brings it down to the worse vehicle's aero.

That's just the breaks. Drive slower.

-Crissa
 
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Induction cook top requires special pots.... also van life girl on YouTube says the glass surface is too fragile, says she wishes she had just gone propane right away.
 

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Induction cook top requires special pots.... also van life girl on YouTube says the glass surface is too fragile, says she wishes she had just gone propane right away.
I have an induction cooktop. It has two power levels. Too much and too little. It also is noisy. You don't need special pans. They just have to attract a magnet. Cast iron works but is heavy. I would go with propane too.
 

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I have an induction cooktop. It has two power levels. Too much and too little. It also is noisy. You don't need special pans. They just have to attract a magnet. Cast iron works but is heavy. I would go with propane too.
I suspect lightweight aluminum pans are popular with the van-life/ camping/ overlanding crowd so "special pans" is exactly right.
 
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I suspect lightweight aluminum pans are popular with the van-life/ camping/ overlanding crowd so "special pans" is exactly right.
Actually, lightweight aluminum pans won't work on induction stoves unless they have a metial inside that supports a magnetic field. Check out https://cookeryspace.com/cookware-induction-ready/. Aluminum is not magnetic. Cast iron, stainless steel and carbon steel are. Many new pans with flat bottoms, also a must, are induction heating compatible. See following chart.

Tesla Cybertruck What I need to camp off-road and off-grid Screen Shot 2021-09-22 at 2.30.58 PM


Actually, a properly seasoned cast iron skillet is the best thing to cook in. Easy to clean with hot water (never use soap), keep it seasoned and it will last forever. Doesn't matter what the heat source is. BTW: the website I referenced says "Almost 90% of the heat generated by induction cooktops is used for cooking as compared with 65-70% with gas/electric."
 

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Actually, lightweight aluminum pans won't work on induction stoves unless they have a metial inside that supports a magnetic field.
I know. That's more or less my point.

Clearly I didn't make it well.

Actually, a properly seasoned cast iron skillet is the best thing to cook in.
Totally agree... but most people who are camping don't use cast iron because it's heavy.
 


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Always use soap. Just season regularly.

-Crissa
Nope, never use soap, it kills the seasoned cast iron. Youtube "experts" say never to use soap while some say it's ok. Hot water, salt and a paper towel take care of everything (salt is the abrasive). I was gifted a chain mail scrubber and it is fantastic. Easily removes burned food, delivering a clean surface. Just use the hottest water you can get, scrub lightly and you're set. When done cleaning, get it hot again to completely remove all traces of water so it doesn't rust, then apply a light coat of whatever oil you like. I use flaxseed oil (keep refrigerated), which has a low smoke point which allows it to polymerize faster into a layer of seasoning.
 

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1. Roof rack to hold my rooftop tent. (Own the rooftop tent, need the roof rack.)
NIX rooftop! First Principles.

67 y.o., ground camped whole life. Damn near ended it loading up a roof rack @ 50 but unstuck a foot last possible second to leap off the truck. Take it as a mission in your Cyberlife of second chances, ditch climbing above terra-firma, ditch roof racks and develop a travel scheme focused on protecting health far away from medical assistance.

Not a fan of climbing things like in emergencies, in dark alone or with someone who can’t see in the dark. Where you want to wander, hardsided is std equip. Were it my wander Four Wheel Campers is the commission to consider to a custom build for CT. There are others…

Far off-trail, backcountry been hunkered down weeks at a time. Worst was very high winds, freak snow storm and 104°F desert days. Plan for those weather events. It’s a long way back, if you even can, to civilization. Thrashed gear in the first instance, soaked ground gear in the second and vehicle high heat self-diagnostic forced walk-out at last.

Tesla will shutdown its EV or battery and no amount of help can avoid flatbed hauling back to the nearest dealer. Plan on that scenario. Don’t backcountry farther than you can survive walking back on water and shelter.
 

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Driving fast on long trips doesn't save as much time as people think. If you have to fuel up 20% more often, it costs you not just time, but money and opportunity.

Drive slower, time your pee stops with your vista points instead of fuel ups. In the Tesla you get autopilot which takes even more stress out of the drive.
Highest distance in a fleet of 1200 long haul trucks, driver was 60yo maintaining 64 mph steady with dual 300gal sidetanks. It’s not speed that wins. FSD is a game changer. Now ’bout those potty breaks. LOL
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