The TRUTH about Towing a Boat with a Tesla Model Y ( EPIC 4000 KM FAMILY ROAD TRIP)

Towing with an electric car, in this case our Tesla Model Y Long range seven seater is VERY different from towing with a gas vehicle. Join us on our epic 4000 km round trip as we show the truth about towing with electric cars. #Tesla #modely #towing #roadtrip

[@TeslaDo_d]

Your video is excellent! I am very happy that you ended the show with your costs and time. I always have this debate with friends....cost savings vs. time savings. I did a 1850 mile roadtrip this summer to visit family. I calculated that I spent an extra 1.5 hours super charging in each direction for a total added time of 3 hours during the 30 hours of drive time. I calculated that I saved $175 vs. the cost of fuel. If you try to explain this savings to ICE drivers, they dismiss it as wasted time to reach your destination. I pointed out that I considered it to be the equivalent of being paid over $50 per hour to use the restroom and shop for snacks/drinks before continuing my trip.

[@mattglandfield680]

I do a fair amount of towing with my model Y in Ontario. Biggest takeaway is that the charging network needs to think more like gas stations with all stalls being pull through. Simply not practical to keep unhooking the trailer each charge.

[@AverieRose]

It kind of sucked having to unhook it in southern Ontario but we rarely had to unhook it up north. That will probably change as more people go electric. A pull-through charging station or more creative planning would be great though for towing.

[@commuterbranchline8132]

Wow guys, that was amazing 2000km towing your boat with a Tesla Model Y, that’s just brilliant and bonkers! I really like that it was family time and that everyone chipped in to help with the provisioning, hooking off and on. Dad was right, this trip will never be forgotten and the time spent as a family is priceless. Kudos to you all for being super respectful of other Tesla drivers and not blocking supercharging points on busy chargers. God bless the north where the chargers are super quiet allowing a little respite form the constant unhooking. Tesla are now designing their superchargers with drive through capacity for those towing boats, trailers, toy haulers and caravans which will be a godsend for anyone doing what you were. Thank you for sharing your epic trip, that I’m sure you all will never forget and for proving that with a little planning, preparation and patience EV towing is possible.

[@bryanbecker386]

Thanks, your content was much appreciated. I pull a 16 foot Crestliner 300 miles one way in spring and back in fall. Plenty of chargers along the way. You’ve eased my anxiety for switching to a model Y from a Tacoma. As of February 2024 I’m probably 3-4 years away from receiving my Cybertruck, at least. I may just pull the trigger on a model Y. As a side note, it was heartwarming to see a family embrace what life is all about. You and your wife have done an outstanding job as parents in every way. Savor those times and the ones yet to come.

[@Tracy30444]

I’ve been watching a ton of videos about towing with a Y and am about to buy one instead of a Tacoma to pull my casita. I already stop often on road trips! And the miles per charge goes up a lot when you drive the recommended towing speed 55mph/89kph.

[@Live2ride2live54321]

Thanks for the post! Great info helping me decide about towing long distances. Also great family you have! Wonderful experiences for the kids. I grew up camping and going on long trips so this was pleasant to watch!

[@lasersaber]

Excellent video! Thank you for the cost/time breakdown at the end. Super useful info.

[@JYLFishing]

Great video! Well done! Cam across your video as I am about to pretty much do the same thing. Towing a boat with Model Y. Picked up some good tips. Thanks.

[@catchyalater]

I have been considering a model y for shorter fishing trips and this helped me out so much. Thanks for making this video.

[@AverieRose]

No problem it was a lot of fun. Towing close to home is awesome. We live really close to Lake Erie so range isn't a problem for us most of the time.

[@bryanbecker386]

It’s so funny you brought the towing possibilities with a Tesla. As luck would have it I was invited to take delivery of my Cybertruck in September. My Tacoma lease is up in October. Thankfully this leaves a little wiggle room in case things are delayed. Wishing you good travels.

[@MutucgenerationZ]

nothing beats the sibling togetherness!

[@unclekenfishing3775]

Very good video and break down during your trip looking forward the next video thank you

[@AverieRose]

glad you enjoyed it

[@SlickSydney]

Excellent video. Yes I enjoy the quality of time I spend at the chargers. Will pick up my RV in a couple weeks and thanks to your video I have learned more about what to expect. Worst case for me is that I spend an extra night in places at a campground to charge up so that s quality time as well. Cheers.

[@EO-oo3tz]

Great job guys. Thanks for sharing!

[@AverieRose]

No problem - glad you liked the video!

[@MarcoTrillion]

Awespme vodwo and information, it was helpful and it looks like you guys had fun. Incredible to see what Tesla cars can do. 🙏👏

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Great vid 👍 Definitely need more stations along that route. Cant wait to be able to use our Bolt on the Tesla stations, Port Severn is my main stopping points so nice thy have put some in there. Cheers

[@antonboludo8886]

Great video! Those long charging times for the battery make a huge difference in terms of planning the overall trip. My family road trips were often horror stories. You guys look like you were having fun the whole time. Was Claira OK in the back like that for such a long trip?

[@uweheine9079]

Great informative video. We just upgraded our 2018 Model 3 to a new Model Y long range with a tow hitch. We have a lighter weight boat than yours and I look forward to seeing how the range does. We live about 300 km from our cabin so should make it easily with only one stop.

[@acdcoon]

Great video and information on towing with an EV. Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it, do you recall what you averaged in terms of watts/km?

[@ytpisces75]

Nice video Averie! Very informative. I'm confident towing my 3500 lb. boat now after watching your video. How do you see the ball hitch connected to the Model Y (Back camera) to line up with the boat trailer coupler? It's quite difficult when trying to connect solo. Traditional trucks/suvs has a centerline and shows the ball hitch. Maybe there's a setting in the Model Y that I don't know about.

[@BasicFishingNZ]

awesome video Averie. very informative. it always look like a challenge dragging a boat on a trailer haha

[@AverieRose]

Thank you!! I’ve never towed a boat before but once i get my full license that’s the first thing i’m gonna do!

[@BasicFishingNZ]

@@AverieRose haha look forward to seeing that vlog if ur plan on filmning it

[@anthony1930]

Saw the car at night in Blind River a few weeks ago, Interesting setup ! There is excellent fishing around here too !

[@AverieRose]

it was definitely an interesting setup lol. we went through blind river but didn't fish that area... maybe on the next road trip we will!

[@pspcfl]

Great video! Thanks.

[@AverieRose]

glad you enjoyed it!

[@jong1bang309]

Thanks for the video, and just asking what type model y is yours?

[@garybrungardt2680]

Thank you for doing this very interesting

[@AverieRose]

No problem - glad you enjoyed the video!

[@JessiJohnson]

I can't believe how much power towing takes. We would not have bought our vehicle had we known it loses so much power and that we have to unhook the trailer for the super-charger to get home every single time. What a pain in the ass. They should DEFINITELY warn buyers who ask for the trailer hit with purchase.

[@jakelightford3740]

Great stuff dad and family

[@AverieRose]

😁👍

[@LambRecords2012]

Hey question how heavy is the boat?? Thanks guys great job 👍

[@stephenahilt]

What is the rise of your trailer hitch? Tesla says the max rise is 0.75” but it looks like you may have had a higher rise that worked just fine. I am especially interested as I need a larger rise to tow our boat.

[@Goodsales23]

Cool trip, I am considering the tow kit for my Y to tow my boat. If you don't mind me asking, how many pounds is your boat and what is your tongue weight? Also, did your travel time include the time you slept in the cabin?

[@AverieRose]

Sorry just saw this. The boat is 3500lbs with gear in it... max towing for the car. But I would have to check with the tongue weight. Travel did not include sleeping in the cabin. Towing with the Y isn't ideal for this type of thing. Dad bought a Ford Ranger for towing the boat longer distances. The Y works great for local towing.

[@ljastrong78]

Great video!

[@AverieRose]

thanks!

[@billwolff6582]

Would really like to know more about the rubber insulation that you put on your tow chains. I can't find insulation like that anywhere. I know you said it was professional grade, but is there a name for a brand on the side of the insulation anywhere? It's a great idea

[@fixinanddoinstuff2134]

How did the Y model do on the boat ramp? How steep? I have felt the pain re the Xterra. I had a supercharged one to pull the boat up north. Lots of fun and great sounds but so painful at the pumps. Great test. Thanks

[@AverieRose]

Yah Dad is trying to figure out a replacement for the Xterra come winter. Not sure what we'll be getting. The Model Y is awesome at the ramp because it's such a heavy car for it's size. We'll have to wait and see how it does on some of our icy ramps in the late fall and early winter.

[@BigDsrq]

Great trip! It’s helpful in deciding to buy the 7-seater or 5-seater Y - I have the same order of kids, and about the same ages (girl/boy/girl)😂

[@TheKenweb4]

How many stops did you make with your model y? I have the performance and I am wondering if I can tow a similar boat. Also what is your hitch set up?

[@sfseeker5995]

how much did extra accomodation stops cost you to get there?? need to add that onto expenses for the trip

[@stevenshannonyoung3080]

Just wondering if your trailer had brakes. I was reading the Tesla service manual on towing and they recommended anything over 1600 pounds should have some kind of trailer braking.

[@bestishiphop]

Some serious overcharging, but that’s fine :) I usually leave the SOC lower - I guess you could’ve saved yourself an hour at least. Maybe not worth the struggle of guessing consumption right

[@bc8093]

Just curious, did you stop at all of the map Tesla "recommended" Supercharger stops - or did you go your own route and stop at different Superchargers?

[@AverieRose]

We didn't use the recommended supercharger stops at all. We figured out how far we could get and decided on our own which ones we should stop at.

[@gavinsmith6658]

Great video guys!! Very well done and informative.. Especially you girly, you did great !Your narrative skills are super crazy coo-coo bananas. Hey, I don't know if I heard, how many miles did you get on a full battery with the boat on there and what year is your model Y? Do you have an independent braking system on the trailer by chance? Did you have any scares?😊 I'm going to be making a cross country trip similar to your guys trip soon so it would help me a lot to know if you're able to get back to me.. Thanks you two, take care!

[@kevinshepley1000]

Great information, great video. I’ll stick with my diesel pu to haul my boat 😉

[@AverieRose]

Ahaha yes we are definitely going to try towing with other vehicles… the Tesla was an awesome experiment but for going long distances it’s probably best to tow with something else!

[@mikeandroi2698]

I know your video was made last year but I want to thank you for it. I am considering the exact same car Model Y 7 seater for towing my aluminum boat as well. I live on Vancouver island (Canada's fishing paradise) and will tow very short distances but one run I want to do is from Victoria BC to Port Renfrew. Range is 110km one way, and 220km round trip. Given your average speed of 90km, you were only getting 185km per charge? Port renfrew does not have any super charging or likely any fast charging option. I am wondering if going slower (say 50-60km) would greatly conserve the battery while towing a similar boat as yours.

[@ryanbonin8956]

Hey Mike… Averie’s dad here… the longest stretch we did was 222 kms on the way home. Between Wawa, On and Sault St. Marie, On. We made it with 3% charge left and I drove slow on some areas… like 50-60kms per hour. Towing locally is great with the Y but we ended up buying a Ford Ranger for towing anything farther than 20 minutes away. It’s just too inconvenient for me personally. We often fish lakes that are an hour away and want to hit the water at sunrise… last thing I want to do is charge for 30 minutes on the way. haha

[@Arcanires]

I am currently using a BMW SUV to tow my 3500lb travel trailer, 60L gas tank can tow for around 500km, I am thinking to get a Model Y long range to tow for short trips around 500km, how many times I will need to stop for charge in between.

[@phitchr]

This is the one of the most real comparisons I have seen. We tow our 1500 lb boat with a Ram 2500 Diesel. Yes it is overkill, but I have been caught with underpowered vehicles in the past. The Tesla Model Y seems more than capable and while it would take an extra day, would save us considerably in cost. My big question is does Canada have a better availability of SuperChargers? Maybe my French Canadian ancestors stayed in Canada?

[@jeffrey2199]

Good video.

[@AverieRose]

Thanks!

[@chrispnw2547]

Was there a breakdown of the available payload and actual payload for this trip? I was told should an accident occur and the car was loaded beyond the allowable payload, the insurance may reject the claim.

[@AverieRose]

Our model Y with 19” tires has a max towing capacity of 3500lbs with 5 people. We were somewhere between 3000 and 3500lbs with all of our gear in the boat.

[@kaarsgaarn]

Driving a Y myself iam curois what that stats ar per km. Without towing a get 165wh

[@user-bq1eg3ek5t]

Your kids are hilarious lol

[@AverieRose]

😁🤘

[@russkielol]

So it looks like on full charge you can easily get 115 miles ? I am looking to buy this car so I can tow my jet boat which is almost same size as your boat (19ft) and probably the longest I would go is 57 miles one way! So it looks like I would have to charge on the way back bc the car would be sitting on the sun all day and probably going to lose juice

[@AverieRose]

Yeah 115 miles would be a comfortable number. But we only drove around 55 MPH to save on energy..

[@russkielol]

@@AverieRose damn. I want to do 65 and I bet I will hit a lot of traffic in Miami. Does traffic affect the range? The answer is yes I assume

[@KevinJenkins27]

​@@russkielolTraffic is actually beneficial! The greatest enemy of an EV is air resistance. At lower speeds, EVs are incredibly energy efficient. Unlike gas cars, the drivetrain doesn't "idle" and waste energy. Only the HVAC is a significant draw at slow speeds, and even that will be 1-2kw draw max, once you've cooled/heated the cabin. A 75kWh battery in something like a Model Y can literally run for days at a standstill in moderate temperatures. And anywhere from 15-30 hours in extreme temperatures

[@michaeltavares2690]

Not going to lie great video but I'm so disappointed there was no boat footage 😢😢😢

[@nealio4278]

nice setup. What boat is that?

[@AverieRose]

Our boat is a 2023 Smokercraft adventurer pro 188 dc! Its an awesome boat!

[@JessiJohnson]

We are having huge problems with our Tesla-installed tow package when we tow our tiny aluminum boat (the combined boat and trailer weight is 1,700 lbs). It keep bending the trunk latch and now is pulling the bumper off. Tesla is trying to tell me this is my fault??? Has anyone else dealt with this? We can't keep the car if we can't tow our boat. My love for Tesla is going away fast :(

[@Paul-Thomas-LifeCoach]

Wow, epic, here I'm planning a 3k round trip with a MY and a large caravan!!! yikes

[@whyworkwhenicanrap6830]

Hard for me to follow along I have no idea what kilometers are lol we use miles

[@antonboludo8886]

1000 km is about 600 miles, so they did around 2 400 miles in total. Canadians use Metric for distance, speed and temperature, but use Imperial for people's height and weight (and weight in general). Averie mentioned at the beginning that the boat weighs 3000 pounds. She did not say it in kilograms. Older Canadians still have trouble with the Metric System, even though Canada officially switched 50 years ago. It is a bizarre situation, lol.

[@alexj835]

Aftet owning a Tesla for a while I think charging to 80% on long trips is more efficient than charging to 100% that last 20% can add 200% of time.

[@AverieRose]

We had to charge to 100% most of the time just to make it to the nearest charger. But yes, you are right for sure if charging to 80% is an option it’s way faster.

[@alexj835]

@@AverieRose Ahh makes total sense! I didnt consider that being the only option.

[@TopwaterTony]

1st LETS GOO !!!

[@AverieRose]

👍👍

[@spinningrodfisherman]

wow pretty bad mileage for electric right now, kind of nervous between stations and waste quite a bit of time. one day it will be better but not now.

[@AverieRose]

yeah Dad travels all the time with it for work and said it's awesome... but when you're towing you lose too much range for quick turnaround kind of trips.

[@FranksDIY]

I still won't get a electric f150 lightning to pull my trailers. just not up to standard with gas vehicles . Just my opinion. We see videos of electric cars getting charged bi gas generators lol. They have there place but not in the towing sector yet. Great experiment though and you had a fun time with the family that is important. Thank you

[@ryanbonin8956]

You’re 100% right Frank. We actually ordered an F-150 lightning initially but the price went up to 130k which was way above what we were willing to pay. We will tow to our local spots with the Model Y for sure, but we won’t be using it to tow for long trips like this. When not towing, it’s an awesome travel car… but loses way too much range while pulling the boat. You won’t see any ranchers towing cattle around with an electric truck anytime soon either! lol

[@lukethomas3296]

When gas prices come down to normal it will be better to stick with my Ram truck. Plus the the price break on charging vehicles will not last.

[@dianelittle3111]

Thanks for the comment, but I just don’t get what you felt it was necessary to tell us you are not ready to go electric.

[@FranksDIY]

@@dianelittle3111 because I wont spend $130k on a vehicle that wont work well for my needs as for the needs of similar people watching this. Electric sucks for pulling and generally for all outdoor sports related stuff. I had my 5 ltr v8 in water up to my door handle pulling my atv trailer . Try that with an electric. for city its great

[@lukethomas3296]

@@dianelittle3111 FOR ONE HE PROBABLY DOESN'T WANT THE HASLE OF CHARGING IT. PLUS THE PRICE OF IT AND THE FACT THAT OF THEY WILL STOP GIVING MONEY BACK ON YOUR BILL.

[@frankellison8130]

I love Tesla and thinking about getting one but those numbers don't add up. I drove my 31 ft travel camper to Tennessee from Arizona and it costed less than 1,000$. And my camper is also 7,500 dry weight and it was LOADED down so I think 8,500 lbs. Towing with 1,500 ram. Them numbers don't add up lol. 1400$ only towing a boat? Lol

[@motolover5697]

Canadian $

[@ryanbonin8956]

Yeah Canadian dollars… our gas is taxed to the moon, and I based it on my personal experience, towing with a 16 year old Nissan Xterra which is terrible on gas while towing our rig. Like really really bad.

[@GamerSpitzuh]

💯🤟🎣

[@AverieRose]

😁🤘

[@poland153]

Why tow a boat that far? wouldnt it be easier to rent one closer to the location when youre traveling over 1500 miles

[@AverieRose]

it was an experiment to see how the car could tow the boat! just for fun!

[@ih2898]

Great video. My shows it is possible with electric, but has pros and cons vs ICE. I suppose if you were going in the fall with the cooler weather, the range would be lower and range anxiety would be higher. Electric cars are great for daily commutes, and periodic road trips. At this time they are not there for trips like this. I am guessing in 10 years with solid state batteries that charge way faster, AND if they have drive through style chargers, this trip would be much closer to the time that it now takes with an ICE car.

[@AverieRose]

Yeah Dad uses it for work all the time when he isn't towing and his road trips are complexity fine... You just lose so much range when you're towing something. I'm sure it'll get better with time.

[@brianhay5550]

Great trip and excellent fuel savings but pretty stressful on your Tesla battery. Keeping the battery between 20-80% just not possible on your journey.

[@smartelectriccar]

Tesla battery packs live long and prosper. Our Tesla is 11 years old and supercharged 4x PER WEEK. 90% original capacity.

[@fredhinck9685]

I like the line "God bless the north, nobody has electric vehicles up here" Does that tell you something???? When you do the calculations, you failed to take into account the depreciation on the EV. They depreciate faster than a diamond ring at the jewelry store.

[@ryanbonin8956]

4.5 months and 40,000kms in and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made for my business and family. We don’t often tow the boat with it, but for running around for work, hockey and so on it’s been amazing. The money I save on gas every month more than makes up for the cost of the vehicle. They may not be for everyone, or every scenario but I couldn’t be more happy with the purchase. I’ll never own a gas vehicle again as my daily driver. But we do have a small truck (Ford Ranger) as our secondary vehicle… my wife and daughter drive it when I’m gone with the Tesla, or if we want to do “truck stuff” 🤟🏼

[@ozarklife9468]

I loved this video it really shows the reality of electric vehicles they are a cool invention but they are not for everyone and in reality not as environmentally friendly as gas

[@ozarklife9468]

In production

[@marksanko6138]

186 km towing a boat on a charge or fill up would be miserable

[@AverieRose]

Yep it was a long trip and would've been shorter with gas but VERY expensive.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

4000km with a boat? That would be traveling to Bilbao and back again. A better route planner tells me 28 hours.

[@lukethomas3296]

35% POWER LOSS IN THE WINTER

[@AverieRose]

we've actually never drove it in the winter yet... that will be the next test lol.

[@OtisFlint]

no

[@lukethomas3296]

have you drove an electric car in the winter if so give us your thoughts on doing so@@OtisFlint

[@MutucgenerationZ]

you all one of Elons favorite!

[@mrdadiodude9903]

WAY OVERLOADED! Far more than the car was designed to haul. Hope they had trailer brakes! Learn what GVRW means! Its posted on the car, in the owners manual. Just because you can tow does not mean its legal. I own a model Y. Take the cargo weight added to the boat, weight of boat with gas and trailer, the people and luggage in the car. I estimate they were at least 1500 lbs above the approved tow rating. Very unsafe, towing with less than 20% and charging to over 80% destroys the battery. Need to double up on the charging instead of pushing the car to its limits. Read the owners manual! Amazing how the uneducated proceed in life.

[@ryanbonin8956]

I weighed the rig at the local dump station and am well aware of what is safe and what isn’t. Also drove up with an empty gas tank in the boat to shed a little weight. I’ve been towing trailers for 25 years… Not a newbie here. And yes, the trailer has brakes. The car tows our boat better than any other ICE vehicle I used prior. (Minus the lack of range) This was an experiment, and an experience documented which my family will remember for many years, and we have zero regrets. Running to near zero is going to have to happen from time to time, whether towing or not. In this instance as an example, it’s impossible to “double up” on charging because there are no chargers to double up on. They’re to far apart. It’s not going to destroy the battery from doing it on a single trip. We’re now 50,000kms in with the Model Y after only 6 months and the battery / car is doing just fine. 👌🏻 But all of our long distance towing (aside from this trip) has been done with our little ford Ranger since. I just don’t have the patience with the lack of range while towing with an electric vehicle.

[@SYNTHBREAK]

Model Y can tow up to 3500 pounds

[@Silverplati]

Cry about it 😢😢

[@oldchev2850]

@@ryanbonin8956I really enjoyed this video. Excellently presented and edited. Some people just don’t get it hey. I live in Queensland Australia and unfortunately we don’t have superchargers anywhere close to 150klms apart but I believe that’s the plan eventually? I hope that instead of tacking chargers on the side of service stations, ground up charging installations have drive through chargers as is with fuel bowsers. At least you can keep your trailer hitched and easier for people that struggle to reverse. I saw another video with a bloke towing a caravan with a model Y and man, having to unhitch a caravan with sway control stuff would be a pain. Thanks again for the video. You have a beautiful family and you’ll all remember this trip forever. Cheers, Peter

[@action21dj]

Really want to see one at a boat ramp to see how it pulls boat out