Model 3 Road Trip with Family of 4

Is there enough room in the Tesla Model 3 for a family of four? I take you on our trip to Yosemite to find out.
Video of my 4,000 mile road trip:
• 4,000 Mile Tesla Model...
Video of my camping trip in a Tesla Model 3:
• Tesla Model 3 Camping ...
Referral Code: ts.la/mike87152

[@adzalonie7172]

One thing I got from this video is; You’ll get there quicker if you can go a longer route that doesn’t pass a Starbucks. 😂

[@PiefacePete46]

Nirvana; - Starbucks with a Tesla Supercharger!

[@mowcowbell]

Any bets on the Starbuck's stops were more expensive than supercharging for the trip? :)

[@IgnacioAOlivar]

sure!!!

[@ItsaB3AR]

Definitely. Probably $10 on charging and $20 or more on Starbucks.

[@zavtravels4546]

On other side, Tesla owners always get Starbucks for free :))

[@mayorsnorkum4005]

We went camping a few weeks ago in our Tesla 3. There were three of us, but we packed for four (4 sleeping bags, 4 sleeping pads, the 8 person tent). Also some camera gear (cameras, lenses, batteries, tripod, etc), and of course our (soft) bags for clothes, etc. Using both trunk and frunk, we were able to fit all the gear. Nothing in the car except for us. Not only was it absolutely fine (a long weekend), but an added bonus was that all the camp sites (this was on the south shores of lake Ontario) had a power post, with 15A and 20A 110V outlets AND (most important) both 30A and 50A 240V outlets!!! So, we were able to get a full charge each night, for free. That $42/night for the campsite was money well spent! So, if you are going on a camping trip in a Tesla, be sure to book a campground that provides 240V power, and you can forget superchargers, at least while you are within a 100 mile radius of the campground! Very cool.

[@markusnusser3229]

Tesla Model 3 works fine on roadtrips. We (wife, 2 Kids and me :) ) went from Austria to Norway (Nordkap) and back. 10910km in exactly 4 weeks. We love the car and this is the best car i have ever owned. Greetings from Austria

[@towjam37]

I guess you gotta be frugal when you’re wife spends that much at Starbucks 💁🏻‍♂️

[@kaazruo]

We took a trip in our Bolt from Fresno to Yosemite just after Mother’s Day when the waterfalls were really roaring. We hit the level 2 charger right by the General store in Yosemite Valley while we hiked over to lower Yosemite Falls. After that we drove towards the eastern end of the valley to walk almost to the base of Vernal Falls, we turned around as it was getting extremely wet. Just a one day trip up and back and just under 200 miles of driving on electricity, love the power attacking the uphill climbs with ease. The range actually increased coming home between Yosemite Valley and the Central Valley even though we covered over 60 miles on the road - I will never again purchase an ICE vehicle. And we did get about 7 miles of hiking in to see the sights.

[@PiefacePete46]

Two thoughts came to mind after watching this: 1) When you arrived home, try to transfer the contents of the Model 3 into a BMW 3 Series, or a Mercedes C class (or any other car Tesla is targeting)... I think you will fail! 2) I don't know if you have any unmanned self-service gas stations like we do in NZ, but if you do, park the Tesla in one of the lanes and go for lunch. Payback time! Great informative video thanks.

[@spaladon]

Loving the road trip videos, so insightful.

[@jamesstarks3676]

You have to love this guy. He integrated future teach into classic family values. You can indeed have it all. These kids will remember this trip forever and theyll remember how many trips this car afforded them luxurious safe travel.

[@MrToadsWildRide]

Great job, as usual. Your channel is the one I most look forward to notices of new videos. You present your videos well on great topics. Keep up the good work

[@dionaeaqi07]

Love the insightful thoughts and comments with each of your videos, truly educational indeed.

[@jamesg3801]

“My wife and her son” 😂😂 savage!!

[@ronbyrd1434]

Thanks for another great video. We all appreciate you taking the time and effort to do these!!!

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Thanks Ron!

[@SoJa92]

I keep a 12 gauge 50ft extension cord for emergency charging situations. The fact that EV's don't allow you to pull more than 12A from a 120v outlet means 12 gauge is plenty. Thanks for the roadtrip videos, super insightful!

[@DanielRucci]

Just completed a similar road trip! Loved the vid! Thanks for sharing your story

[@jeffnreno5080]

Great video and since we've been to many of those places before and after owning our Model 3 it was even more entertaining. Thanks for your efforts making these for us.

[@ElonAccessories]

Thanks for the video. We, family of 5, travelled to Lake Tahoe, packed with a stroller and all the things that two kids under 3 would need. Oh, did I mention I like to over pack. By the way, I charged at Manteca as well 🤣🤣

[@bikesqump]

Elon Accessories used a roof rack or do u use a steamroller to pack??

[@SCWgreg]

Love the first rafting sequence and music. Life is good. Thank you.

[@cristianfederico2411]

Don't ever talk bad about the wifey, that leads to a happy life. Let her have her Starbucks lololol.

[@CraigLongo]

Great information about traveling. I enjoyed the pictures and videos of your vacation.

[@bikesqump]

Rafting trips! Thank you for the idea of the reason that I NEED full self driving! "Drive to the drop point, FSD me up at the bottom"

[@jjauger96]

Oh my goodness loved you making this video! I live right their in the central valley that you drove through. Planning on getting our model 3 soon Thanks!

[@mollypost418]

Great video, Mike. Loved it and you!

[@jasonpineau634]

Wow nice vid. I want to take this trip next year. Thanks Mike!

[@cristianfederico2411]

Good video, thanks for sharing awareness on Evs, and Tesla!

[@sjpdavis]

Just finished a 4-person trip to Colorado and New Mexico in our M3. Experience was similar with all of the Starbucks/Charging/Bio stops along the way. Packing efficiently was definitely a must but we managed. My two teens who sat in the back definitely had words about the lack of comfort after several hours of driving but with encouragement to get out and stretch at all stops, that seemed to help. And, as I'm sure you and everyone else will concur.. Autopilot definitely made for a much more of a relaxing road trip.

[@xerophinity]

Hi from Toronto Canada! Love your videos Mike! What a beautiful family! Can't wait to get a Model 3 myself and do a road trip through beautiful California.

[@prawnmikus]

Frugal Tesla Guy; Not Frugal Starbucks Gal. Nice vid :)

[@piwankow]

He has to be frugal to afford the coffee

[@robertmatthews8992]

I live in Bend and my work is in the Bay Area so I travel through many of the same routes you show. It's very helpful, Love your videos! The fly at the end! so funny!

[@suspicionofdeceit]

Robert Matthews That’s quite the commute.

[@dougc3553]

Perfect timing! We're looking for a new car and you answered many of the questions I had about traveling with kids. It looks like the Model 3 will work for us.

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Sweet! Glad to help!

[@hdtravel1]

Wonderful video - please more trip videos like this - I carry a 50 foot heavy gauge extension cord with me on trips for trickle charging and it’s been very useful.

[@pinkeescarrofficial3179]

The end blooper had me laughing really hard :D Great video as always!

[@technotoaster]

We’ve stayed at that hotel / resort. Lovely place. Watching from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@SteveHeil87]

Great overview of your trip and experience! I had a similar trip last month - Pittsburgh to Va Beach - and similar planning. Only really needed 1 supercharger stop to make it but added a 2nd stop to a) break up the trip to smaller ‘legs’ of between 2-3 hours each and b) to be able to roll into the beach with ~50% charge. That let us drive around all week and just head over to the Norfolk supercharger to top up when getting ready to head home. Oh and we had plenty of space for all of our stuff as well including all necessary (and some unnecessary) beach stuff. :)

[@SteveHeil87]

One more observation - must be east coast thing but I only saw more than one other Tesla at any of the 5 SC locations once - 5 all charging at once near Washington.

[@Quickicecarreviews123]

Great job on video

[@bencharlesrhys]

Anyone else see the irony of a frugal Tesla guy owning 19” wheel upgrades?

[@CharlesGauthier]

Yep easy. Nice addition are seat hangers that go on the back of the fron seats and give the back seats lots of storage for phones, switch, headphones etc. You didn't mention all the cup holders. Their are 8... We did 3,600 km with 5 people. Limited groceries but we did have a cooler. 3 teens were ok in the back for about 6 hrs. My wife would sit in the back every other stop and let one move up. Lots of Starbucks stops as well... If you pack in cary on cases you can fit 4 across in the trunk. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@Dany-hi5hu]

That's great you fit everything in your TSLA -> but your trip was short and the amount you've packed is reflective of that. Probably good for a long weekend

[@george26664]

Great video helps me a lot because I'm getting ready to buy a tesla and now i have a idea how everything works thanks

Nice video and vacation. My experience, with slightly older kids, is that charging stops are not a problem. However, the back seat is bit uncomfortable.

[@Brobbl]

I saw exploding kittens in the trunk 😄 I love the game - great video 👍

[@nukem384]

That water must have been cold! Nice second road trip video!

[@SayedI313]

@4:21 Movin' to the country, Gonna eat a lot of peaches, Movin' to the country, Gonna eat a lot of peaches, Millions of peaches, peaches for me Millions of peaches, peaches for free

[@rushd45]

Great for you that the ice car was parked in your 'buddy' supercharger, that way you got the full capacity of the paired superchargers and had no worries about another Tesla pulling in and splitting the total charge capacity of the pair.

[@davem3564]

great video - thanks :)

[@thomasw9635]

Thank you for making these really helpful videos. How did your car drive with the higher payload? Did the higher weight affect handling, braking and range?

[@officiallynmotion7100]

Screw it, I'm subscribing. I like the channel name, the owner is nice, they treat the car good, and the family seems awesome. Wishing many safe electric adventures in 2020 from Nmotion.

[@bohicajohnson7203]

I tried to get a family of 8 to Yosemite from Tusayen AZ in late November 2018. The snow got in the way!!

[@vinceandtheresa1243]

Thanks for the video. We recently had a similar road trip. Its pretty tight. I think the Y will be better for that type of trip. I dont think you mentioned it, but what was your power useage with 4 people and a full trunk?

[@joesilvasr9733]

Don't crush the peaches! LOL

[@MJB9559]

Nice video Mike ;-)

[@dillonrobinson5858]

Ayy, love Oakhurst, Fresno/Clovis resident here!

[@pault5179]

Tow hitch as well (for a bike rack or a small trailer) but look out for galvanic corrosion videos with aftermarket hitches

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

I'm going back and forth on a hitch. It sure would be a big help.

[@NCYSTORE]

Hey that's cool you actually for my hometown passing through Merced California I have the same Tesla Model 3 however just the standard range Plus we definitely should go riding sometime

[@woolengrappler]

I think the fact that the vehicle has so much storage available with the frunk, trunk and lower trunk there’s easily enough storage for 4 people to do hotel/ AirBNB hopping. Thanks for showing how much stuff you can fit, but man I was getting anxious watching all that loose stuff in the trunk. I have a policy that everything has to have a place in a bag or it’s not allowed in the car.

[@ronalaska2472]

I’d bring a big big thermos of coffee, saves stops and cash!

[@jpmackin]

Thanks for making the video. Curious if the computer will alert of a nonworking supercharger destination and or number of spaces available?

[@turnerstechtalk7737]

Side note - the model 3 can also fit three carseats in the back! Our family of five took a road trip two weekends ago and it worked wonderfully! Doing another at the end of this month.

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Awesome!

[@timhoyer8049]

Cards against Humanity LOLOLOL. Just a normal guy with a very viewable job! Local Redding guy has Subbed to you sir! I'm working on picking up a Model Y as we speak

[@CASATIBA]

Lovely 😊

[@VictorUng]

Yeaahhhh can't wait till more people see how feasible this actually is!

[@kenmodel3289]

How accurate was the Tesla battery levels that it estimated with 4 people in the car and the weight of the luggage?

[@Paul-Thomas-LifeCoach]

Definitely would like to know if the range was effected by the added weight of 4 passengers and luggage.

[@bikesqump]

paul thomas it would be a noticable decrease in range with the typical American family of 4 but these peeps are trim! Haha

[@domtdoodar99]

Range really isn’t affected much my the weight of the vehicle. Once you are up to speed it doesn’t use any more energy to keep going. I know from having a model S 85

[@CharlesGauthier]

On my road trip (5 people, fully loaded, 3,600km) I found the car est to be a little conservitive or spot on. E. G. Est arrive wit 12%, actual 14% Even quick cruising. If I draft a truck (slow and drafting) you can litteraly see the line move up on the energy trip screen.

[@clairebinder166]

More people and load in the trunk make little difference. Having fun on the German Autobahn did kill the range real fast .

[@Mr11ESSE111]

it is more spacious inside on back seats then bmw 3 or audi a4, merc C class and similar

[@jonathanl2748]

The 10 year old is playing on his I-Pad and dad is driving his I-Pad. Love it. Also, do you have to be careful with the front spoiler lip not hitting a concrete parking bumper? Or does it typically exceed the height of a concrete bumper?

[@Blastrophe]

You had so much stuff in the trunk then you said you had chairs still. My head exploded. I could only imagine how much extra space you would've had in a Model S.

[@toptobottom247]

Some people are buying the Thule Sidekick Cargo Box for extra junk. They are aerodynamic to help with efficiency. I would buy one even if you only use it occasionally.

[@rudawg99]

When he said “an hour later....” I really thought he was about to say “we stopped at another Starbucks”... Im about to die from laughter, I was thinking oh no don’t do it to her. 😂💀

[@seb.]

Awesome video as usual! Sadly you made me realize how SC* stops get so annoying and expensives... 😣 * Starbucks Coffee

[@Blueman2018]

The “fly” said super charge this “slap” lol

[@Nistilian]

12:28 Doesn't the sign say "Tesla Vehicle Charging Only"? The ICE driver had to see the sign, and just didn't care.

[@justinfowler2857]

No different then the people who park in handicap parking. Unfortunately.

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

I have a family of 3 and i want a kia E-niro. Is that good enough? For vacations and weekend trips

[@Dralonet]

A Family of five fits good to!

[@darmou]

What about using a stealth hitch and a trailer? Re camping gear.

[@PlaceboHead360]

Hello Redding From Sacramento! Just gave you a new Sub :)

[@MattRettmer]

Important questions...I just test drove Model 3 today and noticed that the space behind the driver's seat was TIGHT. I'm 6' 2"....how tall are you and did your son have any issues with the seat all the way back??

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

I am also 6'2". My son doesn't seem to have issues, in fact, I've had 3 people back there and although not roomy, it's still comfortable enough.

[@rehcolorado5940]

I just ordered a Model Y, but I see that this is not an option for the referral. Disappointing. I really enjoy your videos. I will probably need to go back and watch a bunch of them in about a year when my car is about to be delivered. Good stuff. Thank you.

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Thanks for considering me though. Congrats on the order!

[@martinmeredith8964]

lol - the fly at the end - hehehe:-)

[@vladislavburakov7004]

Love your car number plate. Don't know if "MKS" have any meaning in English or for you, but in Russian it's the acronym for the ISS (International Space Station - "Mezhdunarodnaya Kosmicheskaya Stanciya"

[@SailorBarsoom]

OK that's cool.

[@johanhalvarsson2148]

It seems the best aftermarket thing for your tesla is a coffeebackpack.

[@irvingabbott6]

Love your son hair.... my son would like to do that but my wife say no

[@tayinternational]

Great info , I hope you have stock in starbucks lol

[@eurohulk6515]

Interesting video as I am considering the M3 as a replacement to my i3. Yosemite Park is beautiful. In the UK the M3 has a CCS connector. Isn’t this the case in the USA? Great video, thank you.

[@FutureSystem738]

Adam Andrews No not in the US, (or China) but most other places.

[@battousaihimura]

Great video, thanks! Any attempt at bike trunk rack on the Model 3?

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Haven't tried yet. When and if I do, I'll be sure to share the process.

[@j.phoenix]

Now I got to show this to my parents so I can convince them to get a Model 3 LOL

[@joesilvasr9733]

I live approx 1 hour and 45 min south of you in the Maxwell/Delevan area right off of I-5. I just found that kinda funny considering that KZbin is a global platform.

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

It’s a small world!

[@sharadsharma4206]

@2:49 you can see the Ashwagandha bottle. Who uses it Frugal Tesla guy?

[@thienthan324]

How long was that Starbucks break? 10-15 mins? How many more miles would you have gotten if you charged during that time period?

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

It was a quick break, probably no more than 10 minutes. I still had about 80% charge so the charge rate would have been fairly low and wouldn't have given us anything significant.

[@Seehart]

2:50 Excellent taste in games: Cards Against Humanity AND Exploding Kittens!

[@funkymonkey1198]

Hi. Great videos. I really loved ypur last road trip video. I am thinking of visiting California and the Grand Canyon next year (from England). Is it possible to hire a Tesla for a couple of weeks over there? Thanks.

[@RayNLA]

@Nachatar Dhaliwal Try the car sharing site www.Turo.com

[@irvinetransport6874]

I. Your videos you look tall, how is the room for you as the driver with a rear passenger? Thanks for the info I’m 6’3” and am looking to buy.

[@peterwakeman9930]

charger location is the must have? so ideal range you would need for no charging in order not to lose time 500 miles range? Then not below 20% charge and not above 80% charge and 30% loss in battery over time?

[@perakojot6524]

So 47% of charge, i.e. around 33.8kWh cost you $9.49, i.e. exactly $0.28 per kWh which is exact average price for charging at superchargers in US. In the same time you managed a little under 125miles for the price of those $9.49. That is roughly 2.7 gallons of gasoline in California. So you essentially did 45 miles to the gallon. Not bad. But that's because gasoline is pretty expensive in Ca.

[@guymartin9551]

What trip planner did you uwea?

[@ronalaska2472]

A hypalon rubber roof bag on the roof would cover anything else, I fortunately own a great roof bag!

[@daviddoughty4516]

When Starbucks costs for trip are more than car charging you are definitely in the future 😉

[@LeonDu21]

There is a free Tesla Destination Charger in the parking lot of the Majestic hotel at Yosemite

[@joeyjojo9135]

I bet your wife planned all those Starbucks stops. LOL

[@robertgamble7497]

Did you leave the AirB&B with destination charger installation information so they could have a destination charger installed?😎

[@FrugalTeslaGuy]

Great idea Robert! I'll look into it.

[@valerietucker7815]

Robert Gamble Great idea, but if they get a destination charger, other Tesla owners may book before you get a chance. A double edged sword.

[@travisg2224]

Mambo #5 =Classic lol

[@facelessman5362]

How does a fully loaded cargo affect range?