Model Y $1000 Tow Package vs $300 Aftermarket Hitch

One of these things is not like the other. This is why I waited months and spent the extra money for the factory tow package.
Tesla Model Y Tow Package: shop.tesla.com/product/model-...
Aftermarket Hitch from Teslarati: bit.ly/2B9BCJ5
7-pin to 4/5-pin Adapter: amzn.to/3gaggtY
Model Y Manual: www.tesla.com/sites/default/f...
Screenshots borrowed from i1Tesla's Installation: • Model Y Trailer Hitch ...
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[@andypatterson9848]

Dear KZbin, please make this the very first video that populates when searching for Model Y hitch. This is a game changer! Thank you for this information I am no longer going to try to save a few bucks on a DIY.

[@jackiemathys5542]

Thank you. After watching two videos of guys installing the aftermarket hitch, there's NO WAY I'd attempt that myself. I'll be ordering the hitch with my Model Y when the time comes. Thanks for making the decision a no brainer.

[@tobepropst6539]

AGREE! aftermarket hitch $300+ Wiring harness for it $200+ (inferior to Tesla's) Labor $200-300 at U-haul (if you can find one that knows what you're doing). Drive it out there, wait in line, drop it off, get a ride back, be without your car a day or two, get a ride back, wait in line, pick it up (assuming everything went smooth)...blow a good 4hrs+ (how much is your time worth)? Your at almost $1k already. Your bumper may end up a little jacked up who knows. You have wiring but not synced up with Tesla's tow mode software I guess. Not really saving much. But yeah, MAYBE you could reason that if you just want the hitch with no wiring harness, even paying $200 for install, that may be reasonable. I'll just get the damn factory install. Not as big of a rip off as I initially thought lol. Great Vid EveryAmp!

[@swordfish1526]

I just ordered a 2024 Model Y and thanks to your video, I added the tow package and now is only $1,000 bucks. I installed after market tow hitch to all my vehicles for over 20 years but thanks to your video I was like "Nope", I'm paying the addon and get it straight from Tesla. Thank you so much.

[@chrisvrikkis9611]

Thank you for the short clean video. I didnt need a 20 minute video for this like every other dang video out there.

[@EveryAmp]

Thanks. I'm the same way. KZbin has gotten too bloated so we try to keep it reasonable.

[@MrDavidPartida]

Great video! You have made my decision extremely easy. Will be going with the stock option. Thanks for the upload!

[@bh9262]

Me Too.

[@tobepropst6539]

Haha! Ths stock option. All in on call options TSLA !!!!!!!!!!!! Best choice of all hahaha

[@glentaybow]

Great analysis and recommendations. Keep up the good work.

[@westlydurkee6230]

Very well made video. Exactly what I was looking for!

[@tonyk1028]

Thanks for clearing up my questions

[@bh9262]

THANK YOU for keeping me from making the mistake of trying to save a dollar. I was researching the aftermarket option before ordering the Tesla Y. I will most certainly get the factory installed Tow Package!! New Subscriber here!

[@SergioERestrepo]

Great video appreciate the detail. I was on the fence with mine doubt i will use or a lot so may do the after market afterwards

[@rashawndiallo5228]

Excellent excellent excellent video. Thanks so much. Might be getting this as a gift to a friend next Spring/Summer. You've made my decision easier. Just gonna go ahead and keep things simple; ordering this directly from the factory. Glad You're showing exactly what it looks like. I was thinking it was gonna be one of those tongues or bars sticking out with that metal ball, essentially lengthening the vehicle (and making it harder for them to parallel park in a city).

[@chevdevi76]

Very good information, just made justifying the $1000 option alot easier.

[@brasha78]

Absolutely solid video. Best break down with in depth detail about how exactly you could f this up and the rationale to why it’s just best to go with what tesla offers because it’s the best. I’m most certainly NOT going to pull this sort of stunt on a vehicle like this. Maybe on an ice vehicle buuuuut there’s no flipping way I would mess around with install and warranty issues when tesla offers the option for 1k. Many thanks for taking the time to factor the supplement of towing options.

[@SteveMidnight]

Thanks for sharing! You answered all my questions. Definitely worth the $1k for my situation. 👍

[@tjmooney4181]

Very helpful thank you, I wish I had seen before ordering mine without hitch and planning to do myself to save 500+ lol

[@mattfierstein9211]

Great video! I was on the fence. I’ve never had a tow hitch, I’ve never been “Darn, I wish I had a tow hitch...” but for whatever reason with this car I’ve been seriously considering it. I’ve removed the tow hitch from my configuration but if I ever do feel the need to add one, I’ll pay the extra $200 to have Tesla do their thing 👍🏻

[@mohamedmohamed9462]

Thanks a lot and like many of the comments I was thinking of going OEM but your advice is solid especially when I plan to have a uhaul trailer behind me and the weight imbalance as well as they length of it will definitely be a headache to manage without all the tech involved. Now I have a clear conscience of spending the extra money😎

[@yuriyork8094]

What a great video. Thank you.

[@BrewersArcade]

Just ordered mine. Hoping it ships to my Tesla dealer in a timely manner. Great video!

[@solarstacks]

Great infomation. This is good to know. I just traded our great 3 for a Y.

[@NinjaAndRib]

Great video!

[@rajesh.naik2]

Great video. After seeing this video I decided do add Tow Hitch from Tesla and not to mess with it by adding it myself and void any warranty and insurance. Haven't seen any such videos there which gives such a neat explanation, what to choice when I need to tow my bicycle. My delivery will now take additional month which I am ok with. Quiet excited till then. Thanks for this video.

[@kimolas]

You won’t void your vehicle warranty by installing aftermarket parts. You’re legally protected from this.

[@natnathutchins]

This was SUPER helpful! Tesla has the kit for $1200 including installation and software. Teslarati is selling the hitch for $350. I keep going back in forth on which to purchase. My MY is in the shop getting a little work done and the shop is not going to charge me to install the hitch. I’m mostly concerned about the software. I can find a software ONLY price w Tesla.

[@loganrossignol]

I installed a hitch on my Model 3, which is similar to installing it on the Y. It is a decent amount of time, but if you're handy, it's a good way to save money.

[@first4836]

Good video to let people know that going cheaper is not always a good idea. The cost to have someone do the work with aftermarket is going to cost more money. I like Tesla setup it is simple, easy and if something goes wrong just call Tesla.

[@derekl9702]

Great point on value adds for the tow hitch. I was going to third party but thinking twice now. Tesla should sell it a little better.

[@douglasforsyth7302]

Thank you!!!

[@tcpoole1361]

Great info

[@midnighttoreo]

nice info thanks

[@lenimbery7038]

I ordered mine with the factory hitch even though I've only used it for a bike rack. I felt that at least it would give the car a better resale value in the end.

[@nickcarter4990]

Thank you for making me not feel quite as ripped off by adding that option. This was also helpful for me in that I know I don't want to attempt upgrading the tow bar myself. My issue with the factory tow bar is that Tesla states no more than a .75" rise. Considering it sits at 12" from the ground, that's pretty limiting on what you can tow. I think most people ignore this but there's risk involved. My small motorcycle trailer will weigh about 1,000 lbs. when loaded, but it's ball mount sits about 19-21" off the ground, so I'll need a 7" rise here. I'm afraid that would break something under a heavy braking situation, so I'm considering upgrading the tow bar that doesn't have this restriction. It's been difficult to find information about this, your video is very helpful.

[@kimolas]

You’re measuring at the wrong points. The Tesla hitch receiver is at 14” (measured from ground to TOP of hitch receiver). The 21” for the trailer hitch height is measured to the top of the ball mount. You can subtract a little over 2” just from the ball diameter itself. That leaves around 4” with a 0.75” rise. With an upgraded aftermarket hitch it should be possible to safely tow even a standard height trailer

[@kimolas]

In my case, I had Tesla install the hitch receiver from the factory to gain access to Tow Mode. But I replaced the OEM receiver with the Draw-Tite to raise the tongue weight and rise limits.

[@SteeledJester]

Totally agree

[@Andrew_M_Ward]

I got a quote for $525.00 to install an aftermarket hitch and the guy says "if you haven't purchased the car yet get the factory hitch.."

[@Jimbojam]

when you order it from Tesla you get the tow mode software package, which I think would be worth the difference in the long run for safety and performance reasons.

[@Hildepedia]

It’s funny, I watched your video when it first came out. And here I am watching it again the same day I picked up a factory install of the hitch on my Y Question… I have an adapter similar to yours. I plugged it in, and it did not automatically go into town mode. Also, none of the LEDs lit up when we tried brakes or turn signals Is there anything special I need to do to the car? I manually turned onto mode… And still no LED lights I guess there’s a chance my adapter is bad… But I thought I would ask you before trying to go back to Tesla for any tips Thanks so much for your time

[@DanaVastman]

Thanks! I'm hoping to get a Tab 320 teardrop for my Y... Hope you'll be doing some tow range tests! Some old model X tests showed super short range which would suck!

[@EveryAmp]

You should really expect the same with the Y, if not worse even. The Y can go farther than the X even with a smaller battery, so that means it's more efficient by itself. Put a trailer on and that efficiency will drop significantly.

[@ELCEV]

From what I've seen you'll probably recharging every 150 miles

[@DailyMotor]

Hey Matthew, great video. Have you towed much with the Y? Will you be making a video soon sharing your experiences? We're considering adding the hitch to our MY SR, but it'd be nice to have a rough idea of the efficiency hit we'll endure from various trailers. I'm assuming around twice the energy usage for most loads.

[@EveryAmp]

I actually haven't towed anything yet, but yeah, the efficiency hit is going to vary greatly with the weight and aerodynamics of the trailer.

[@sntonme]

Agreed!!

[@kimolas]

The best setup is a Tesla-installed hitch receiver with Tow Mode enabled, and then manually replacing the factory one with a Draw-Tite. The Draw-Tite will let you safely tow at the max tow capacity of 3500lbs without the dangerously low tongue weight limit and the dangerously low rise limit of the OEM hitch receiver.

[@davidlevitt1104]

Any chance you can measure the distance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the end of the hitch?

[@solaranthony]

Great video, wish I would of seen this before I ordered after market such a waste of time and money.

[@stephenohki7276]

Love your stuff. I picked up a Y last week and the factory hitch was not already installed. They indicated it would be installed by mobile service once the part became available. Wondering if there is a cover for the hitch when not being used. Also wondering if there are any weather/dirt concerns. Thanks

[@EveryAmp]

It does have a nice cover, but it's a bit hard to remove. Looks pretty sealed as far as weather is concerned. Here's a relevant video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5uZp6aprsZlfpI

[@vanb9937]

Any word on an integrated trailer brake controller?

[@moviebumm]

I purchased the tow hitch with my Model Y Performance prior to delivery. I am new to towing and will only be attaching a Saris SuperClamp EX-4 bike rack. Are there any other devices I need to connect the rack to the car?

[@brianbrey4427]

Great video! One question about the hitch sizing. I noticed that the hitch addon when purchasing the Model Y has it listed as a Class II hitch, but the hitch sold in the Tesla Store has shows it as a 2" hitch (Class III). Is this correct, or simply a misprint?

[@EveryAmp]

Interesting. Since the rating is 350/3500 that looks like class II, but the receiver is definitely 2" like a class III. I'm not sure if the class is meant to be weight or size or both.

[@nickcarter4990]

Heads up to potential Model Y towing package folks, according to the specs you can't tow anything that has a hitch height about ~12.75". It seems like this is poorly understood and largely ignored, but the draw-tite aftermarket tow bar has no such restrictions.

[@johnrogers1423]

Good video. Tesla Australia doesn't fit tow hitches to the Model 3 but says that I am free to get an aftermarket hitch fitted. Unfortunately they cannot install the trailer software. Hopefully Tesla will introduce the trailer software as a software package that can be purchased like FSD and Acceleration Boost.

[@squareeyesproducer]

Why would you desire the ability to pay for something that should be a standard feature. Surely Tesla can manage a button to disable rear proximity sensors for regions where they aren't even selling the OEM tow package.

[@WillN2Go1]

Great video! Answers almost all my questions. Thank you. I really appreciate that you get right to it. I watched one video - Google's top choice (duh) where the guy spent several minutes prying off the cover to show nothing behind it. Ah, what's the point? He also presented the $1000 Tesla option as the same as just installing your own $300 hitch. (Thanks for making this very clear.) The one question I do have is what happens to FSD and the rear sensors if you just install a bicycle carrier and hang a bike or two off it. Will FSD still work? will it endlessly bing-bing-bing that something's too close? My guess is just go buy the carrier - Tesla has probably figured this out. (I see a lot more bicycle carriers than trailers).

[@EveryAmp]

From what I understand, you can turn on trailer mode manually and it will ignore the rear sensors, but will disable Autopilot or you can leave trailer mode off and they'll pick up the bike rack, depending on if it's in their field of view.

[@dionito70]

I'm only going to carry bikes and could have installed it myself, but I went with the factory setup. I think the factory setup is worth it even this way because I got it ready on day one and if something happens with the installation Tesla will be responsible for it. The only thing I hate is the so freaking hard to remove cover. I probably will keep it out of there for good and show the hitch to the world, lol.

[@EveryAmp]

We agree the cover design is horrible. We've made ours easy to remove by reducing the number of clips and designing a pry tool shaped the right width and depth for releasing them. Mod video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4OTdH-Je9qKY7s

[@EveryAmp]

And tools: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5uZp6aprsZlfpI

[@mattpahuta]

Factory Hitch is totally worth the price! Period. End of discussion. ;-)

[@jeffmelodia2077]

Ice video. Thank you. Unfortunately looks like Tesla removed the tow hitch option for new cars as of 2-5-2021. Looking at other makes now.

[@EveryAmp]

Interesting. Pretty sure it'll be back.

[@RandyBelinda]

Nope. I ordered my Y 9 days ago WITH toe hitch. It’s on the web site.

[@checkxfile]

Thanks for the video. Does the Tesla Tow package come with the wiring for harness?

[@EveryAmp]

Yes

[@user-vz3bv2iw4n]

If you install the aftermarket tow package...or even the Tesla package yourself (I have seen a few available), do you get tow mode? Is this a separate software package that must be installed by Tesla or does the car become aware when the package is installed and hooked up to the harness? Thanks

[@EveryAmp]

Tesla has to install it to enable tow mode

[@sam10818]

only to carry bikes, we need the 2 inch square thing. For that do we need to take out body parts like rear bumper, lights etc.?

[@EveryAmp]

Yes

[@mrriver4893]

Hi, I just bought Tesla Model Y but, I dont know how to set it up and drive the car. :( Can you do more video about FSD or manual ? )

[@jiaj1985]

Seriously? Have you watched the videos?

[@JeffDeWolfe]

I see it has a brake controller output on the round 7 pin harness. Is there any control for that? Any way to to test the trailer brakes or set sensitivity? Thank you!

[@EveryAmp]

I'm not super-familar with brake controllers, but if you look on page 74 of the manual, it talks about needing to purchase one separately and where to connect it under the dash. So based on that, I'm guessing that the output on the 7-pin connector is intended to come from that brake controller and you'd set sensitivity on it. There's definitely nothing on the screen to set it.

[@JeffDeWolfe]

@@EveryAmp Awesome, that makes sense. Thank you!

[@pandatactical4530]

if you install the after market hitch just for Bikes is there a way to disable the rear sensors when you have a bike rack mounted?

[@EveryAmp]

You can turn all of them off, but not just the rear

[@tomraniere2703]

Matt - If you Turned Off the Tow Mode manually -- could you use the Autopilot ...???

[@EveryAmp]

Yes! That would be the yellow icon mode, so lights are connected, but trailer mode is off. AP and parking sensors work like normal. Blue is lights are connected, trailer mode is on. Red is lights are not connected, trailer mode is on. In either, autosteer and rear parking sensors are disabled.

[@TedKidd]

@@EveryAmp so all autopilot features available when towing bikes if you set to yellow mode? Could also do that with a super small trailer?

[@EveryAmp]

Since bike racks don't typically have lights, I'd expect you'd just leave tow mode off, so no icon, but the parking sensors will be unhappy. Same thing with a trailer and lights, except you'd have the yellow icon.

[@ELCEV]

I have a 2022 model Y with the factory installed hitch. I plan on making 300 - 400 mile trips on occasion with a very small 4 ft x 6 ft flatbed trailer. Almost the size of something you'd pull with a garden tractor. Turning off autopilot is not a good choice for me on highway trips. Is there any work around for this under the circumstances? If not I may connect a 4-pin connector directly to my lights and not use the connector from the factory install so that it does not recognize the trailer. Other than that I love the car.

[@EveryAmp]

They designed it to turn Autopilot off for safety. Are you sure bypassing that is the best decision?

[@ELCEV]

@@EveryAmp yes I'm quite capable of pulling a small trailer, pulled more large and small rigs then I could explain in this short note. Thanks for getting back to me, have a great day

[@EveryAmp]

Right, you are capable which is why Tesla is disabling Autopilot. If they haven't trained the AI on how to pull a trailer, that's a job best left to a capable human for now.

[@MC-ny7iw]

Can you install the hitch from tesla after buying the car? Or only before getting it has to come installed?

[@EveryAmp]

They can do it after. I believe it costs $200 more than from the factory.

[@LindenRanch]

Does the Tesla tow package include Brake controlls for trailer brakes?

[@EveryAmp]

There are power wires in the connector, but no interface to adjust anything if that's what you're looking for.

[@Bestillhomestead]

Do you have to pay Tesla as well to install the hitch after paying the $1300 through Tesla or is that included with the price?

[@Specialkfree]

No additional charge. The $1300 charge includes delivery and install.

[@chrisfloyd2084]

Where is your reference to get your 1000 miles, I am ordering on today?

[@EveryAmp]

Hey thanks! ts.la/matthew8725

[@Dave-ms1wi]

Amazon has a blue tooth adapter for brake control goes to an app on your phone just plug it in and plug the trailer plug into it.CURT 51180 Echo Mobile Electric Trailer Brake Controller with Bluetooth-Enabled Smartphone Connection, set the amount of braking from your phone

[@Resist4]

Wait, you got a Model Y now, when did this happen? The Tesla tow package may be better than an aftermarket option, but I still think $1,000 is too much money for it. I find it interesting that Tesla offered this package on a vehicle that already gets less mileage than their Model 3. The Model Y really needs more range, to deal with towing.

[@EveryAmp]

Yesterday!

[@Resist4]

@@EveryAmp did you trade in your Model 3?

[@EveryAmp]

No, keeping both for now anyway.

[@brandonnixon7105]

What is that ringing sound?

[@EveryAmp]

I'm gonna guess the video lights. I thought I sufficiently EQ'd it out, but I guess not. Sorry about that.

[@Pcorsaro123]

How do I keep the 12V on? Trailer mode?

[@EveryAmp]

My understanding is it's just that pin on the 7 pin connector that's on when the car is on. I don't think that pin is available on a 4 pin adapter though.

[@Pcorsaro123]

@@EveryAmp I am talking about the Tesla factory Tow Connector. I notice power went off when car turned off. I am asking if in Tow mode will the 12V be on all the time. I like to test it but do not have a trailer to connect to it.

[@sylvaingirard1170]

Which model converter 7 pin to 4 ?

[@EveryAmp]

amzn.to/3gaggtY

[@jackmorgan709]

Does it come with a factory cover?

[@EveryAmp]

There's a big cover on the back bumper of every Model Y regardless of if you have the hitch or not, if that's what you're asking about.

[@kevinalmeida7159]

300 option keeps auto steer

[@korswe]

Sorry, but I rather fork out the $1,000 as I don't have the time to put into doing it myself.

[@EveryAmp]

Why sorry? I recommend the same.

[@kevinalmeida7159]

get the model 3 and the hitch the Y is an epic fail