"With the extra weight, a charge will only last about 60 miles, rather than the standard ~300 it normally gets"
A 5-fold difference?! Towing a trailer makes the Tesla use 5 times more energy per mile!? This can't be right... Author must have a trailer loaded with a literal ton of cargo.
Edit: a Tesla Model Y is 4200 lb. The trailer is about 3000 lb empty (thanks LukeShu), say worst case 4200 lb loaded with cargo, so at most the weight difference can account for a doubling of the energy per mile. It seems hard to believe drag alone can account for another 2.5x increase in energy per mile, which is why I think there must be even more cargo. If not, I guess for me this highlights how good the aerodynamic design of the Model Y must be. This also means the author could get a significant range increase simply by choosing a better trailer with a lower drag coefficient. Or my preference would actually be getting a vehicle designed for that lifestyle in the first place, an actual camper van. One could even use the comfortable driver seat as the office chair, instead of transporting an actual office chair. Swivel it toward your desk behind it and, bam!, instant office desk: https://www.thewaywardhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sw...
> Recently, I was hopping back and forth between Grand Junction, CO and Moab, UT—a distance of 113 miles. I had to go about halfway, stop, unhitch the trailer, then go back and charge the Tesla up again before finishing the trip. It makes travel days very slow.
I'm sorry. I could never be that committed to the ideology of EVs to do something that preposterous even once. The second I realized that was what would be needed, either the trailer idea would have to go, or the Tesla's being traded in for like, a Ford Ranger.
That sticks out to me too. You're already very constrained about where you can go because you need charging stations. But to then shrink that "only routes with chargers at least every 50 miles" wipes out huge portions of the US, or you have to resort to stupid hacks like the above.
And honestly, I'd be very wary about dropping my trailer in like Cisco or wherever. Its not quite the San Rafael Swell, but the Colorado Plateau is rather famously deserted. If my entire life was in that trailer, I'd really hesitate to drop it in a place that has signs that say "next services, 70 miles".
At what point do you accept that your EV ethos is incompatible with the rest of the lifestyle you want to lead? Either the lifestyle needs to change or the ethos does.
Well, EVs are still early products and it will take some time to develop additional charging infrastructure. I personally have an EV for short trips around town and a gas car for longer trips or whenever needed. I would not recommend an EV unless you’re passionate about them, or can afford a toy, or want a used second car for a daily commute that is under 50 miles total if you can charge at work or at home as needed. A used EV for daily commuting can cut costs and emissions which is cool. I think the average car consumer will still want to stick with a gas car for most likely the next decade as adoption progresses gradually in line with continual infrastructure and battery improvements as well.
Let’s not, maybe. This person is cramming a 4d tesseract into a 2D circle hole. There is very little to praise about this ethos, it’s simply more consumerism, not environmentalism.
The route from Grand Junction to Moab is an infamous decline. It's pretty trivial to believe the greatest inefficiency is drag. The second worst would be traffic.
I'm definitely surprised that they wouldn't recoup most of the energy loss through regenerative braking, though.
He would save himself so much money by going to ICE car, a reliable brand which requires minimal maintenance will save him so much money and he will be able to actually drive to somewhere with the trailer.
We got a very small, teardrop trailer as a gift from a relative a couple of years ago. It's awesome, but I was absolutely floored at how badly towing it killed our mileage in a Y. We went short distances so I wasn't too scientific about it, but I'd wager it cut our range in at _least_ half.
Our friend borrowed it to take a small Uhaul trailer to pick something up from family and had a similar experience. At one point he called us asking, cryptically, "how low was safe to plan to get to a charging station." Turns out he was on a longer stretch between chargers that he'd handled fine on the way out, but, like the author, ended up having to leave the Uhaul and come back for it on the way back.
Most of the energy from driving at highway speeds is coming from aerodynamic drag, and as you say, the Teslas are highly optimized, and the average camper trailer is not really at all. With a gas vehicle this isn't too big of a deal because you only use the camper a couple of times a year, and there are gas stations everywhere, and it only takes a few minutes to fill up.
This suggests to me that there's an emerging business in camper trailers designed for EVs. Make aerodynamics a priority (which also does increase costs and potentially make the living space a less useful shape). There are also trailers starting to emerge that have batteries in them. I've seen some where you can charge the car from the trailer's battery (not sure if they work while the car is moving though), and there are even a couple where the trailers wheels are driven, but I'm not sure how much of that you can really do and keep the vehicle stable.
Towing really is an EV use-case that is no where near ready for primetime. There's several Youtube channels that have spent time playing with it (JerryRigEverything, BigTruckBigRV), but it really is early days.
We have a 1 ton dually that pulls a 5th wheel when we camp. Yes, we're at the far end of the camping spectrum, but it's what we've evolved to over time, and it's finlly a safe combindation. There is nothing that approaches a diesel pickup for it's ability to haul cross country with relatively rapid refuelling, and many Campers go through an iterative process where their Tow vehicle isn't adequate to the trailer they were sold, they upgrade the two vehicle, then outgrow the trailer...rinse-repeat.
It's been said plenty of times before, but gas and diesel's biggest problem is that they're just so energy dense and easy to transfer.
Biggest problem in the sense of making them oh-so-hard-to-resist? Otherwise I would have thought their biggest problem is emissions (CO2, and particulates for diesels...)
It's that second runner up is massively less convenient...The reason why certain addictive drugs are so bad isn't how they make you feel, or what they do to your body friends and family, it's because they're damn hard to stop using.
Re: drag having such a large impact-- the aero wheels alone account for a 3% range improvement [1]. Everything about a tesla optimizes range, so it's probably extra-impacted by anything that doesn't (like a big trailer).
I also wonder if the regenerative braking is less efficient / engages less often when dealing with larger weight.
> I also wonder if the regenerative braking is less efficient / engages less often when dealing with larger weight
I'd def be interested to hear more if this is true, my gut tells me you should actually be able to get more energy from regenerative breaking, but could def see it not being set up for towing at all and sensing the extra weight falling back on traditional brakes earlier.
The problem with greater regenerative braking is that it leads to more abrupt deceleration. The car has to strike a balance.
I drive a Model S Plaid. My car’s maximum regenerative braking capability is 150kw. It is easily reached, immediately, when you let off the accelerator at highway speed, but more would not necessarily be better.
large trailers have their own braking system that bypasses most of the forces going through the hitch, so you use energy from the car to pull the trailer uphill but don't get much of it back when going downhill
I have no experience with EVs, but one other thing to check would be the gearing on the Model Y. I know electric motors' torque curves are forgiving enough not to need more than 1-2 gears, but maybe that changes with a heavy load uphill.
Aerodynamics at play? Tesla is fairly good but any trailer is really bad which could lead to a much lower efficiency than anticipated? Also brakes might be half deployed on older trailers with bad tire geometry etc.
As a Tesla owner this makes sense. The cars are highly optimized to stock configuration. Doing any sort of extra load or mods quickly diminishes range.
Feels like the Tesla is the weird part of this. I suppose that having an electric vehicle was important for philosophical reasons, or he just thought they were cool, but they aren't the most practical choice. Today, there would be a few more options for a vehicle you'd want to live out of even with the restriction that it had to be all-electric. The E-Transit, or even the F-150 Lightning come to mind, but I bet there are even better ones.
Agreed. It's weird to live this way with a Tesla and a storage trailer and then having to charge every 60 miles and shower at gyms. There are plenty of vehicles that are specifically built (or can be modified) for this lifestyle.
This whole part of it made it seem like a parody to me. It just seemed increasingly farcical -- the desk in the forest? attempting to build a desk setup right on the tow bar? I'm still chuckling. I know it's not a joke but it edges so close to parody I can't help laughing.
But I was really talking about the car camping phase of his experiment—the part where he's living out of his car, not the towing part. I didn't make that clear enough in my comment.
I used to travel a lot while working, and yes it sucked unless I was not really paying attention to my work. What I'd rather do is stay in some other place for 1-3 months at a time, which is what actual nomads did.
When I traveled a lot for work I was mostly doing some small percentage of my immediate day job that needed to be done. I certainly didn’t try to do what I’d have been doing were I in the office all day.
My wife and I worked 150 days in an RV last year and both agree it's easier to be on the road than at home. The small space living forces both minimalism and being outside.
Of the past three years we have spent about half of it (full time for the first year and a min of 4 months each year since) traveling with our daughter in a 40ft fifth wheel. The small space has been even more impactful with a small child, it was GREAT! Between waking up and being able to walk her out to the beach, or when it is rainy not having a mess of toys all over a house, lots of things balance out the effort invested in the traveling portion. Especially when you get a rhythm with it like we did while we were full timing.
Very cool stuff. This type of life is why I originally got into tech. Few thoughts:
- I wish this guy had a personal blog that I could subscribe to. I like that post, but I could care less about the rest of the blog posts on his employers site.
- I'd be interested in why he has stuck with a Model Y, seems to not be a good fit. I'd love to see him switch to something better (probably an ICE even though I know tech people love EVs).
All in all kudos to this guy for all the work he has put in to make this life work, love the iterative approach.
I was doing this starting in 2019 with a Tesla Model 3, before anyone knew this could be done. I will tell you, it is actually really amazing. A/C or heat all night, autopilot for long stretches, instant torque and true AWD, it was a beast on rough roads. People were often shocked at seeing it places they'd only see trucks and jeeps.
200k miles and 5 years later, I only stopped because I am continuing in Brazil, after having explore every state in the US (except AK) and nearly every national park.
Microship is the OG digital nomad and switched from bicycles to boats at some point: https://microship.com/
Sarah Steenland the Cruising Cartoonist has been working a digital artist job and raising a family on sailboats for years in the South Pacific: https://www.sarahsteenland.com/
We full time'd for a while towing a 40ft trailer with a diesel f250. While it is obviously not "efficient" relative to smaller rigs, it is way more efficient than living in a house and commuting daily even with an EV. This is one of those things I don't think people realize about "low carbon impact living" (or whatever you would want to call it), you likely get 80% there just by not heading/cooling a 2k sqft house all the time.
US grid losses are about 5% [1] and charging loses another 10-15%, and the motors are at least 90% efficient.
Meanwhile, automotive diesel engines lose 60% straight out the exhaust pipe, and that's not counting the energy required to refine and transport the diesel.
I am highly skeptical of this story, even if am all for the principles behind the lifestyle. Issues I did not see mentioned, that make me skeptical.
Lack of Permanent Address: Difficulty in receiving mail, opening bank accounts, or completing certain official documents.Lack of permanent address and the legal issues that come with it. If you do have a permanent address, then you are not a digital nomad just somebody who travels a lot.
Sleeping in a Vehicle in Cold Temperatures: Risk of hypothermia, vehicle battery drain, and legal issues in areas where it's prohibited( Most of them).
Sleeping in a common transport vehicle (Tesla or not Tesla), under negative temperatures sounds challenging.
Mechanical or Electrical Issues: I have heard of Tesla owners in Europe, having to wait sometimes for weeks for repairs, due to lack of spare parts. Due to increased stress on the vehicle any minor problem, will send you out of your "home".
Inconsistent Internet Access: Reliability and speed issues will cause work productivity and communication impact. It is already challenging when travelling
between business hotels.
Healthcare Access: Navigating healthcare provider support across large distant locations ?
Legal Issues with Remote Work: Withing the US some specific laws regarding remote work for non-residents in a certain state can impact your tax liabilities. Heck...New York can even create tax liabilities for you even if
do not live or work in the USA and just visited for a few days a year...
Security and Privacy: Out in the wild outside of camping parks? I see untold risks.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Blurring lines between work and personal time, would look like a load instead of a relief...
Equipment Safety and Maintenance: Risk of damage or theft to essential gadgets like laptops and cameras.
Accommodation Issues: Unreliable bookings, substandard living conditions, or scams.
Travel Burnout: Constant moving looks like physically and mentally exhausting.
Insurance Coverage: Ensuring adequate insurance for health, travel, and equipment.
If you read the post with the context of someone who is 21 rather than 45 none of these issues actually matter. Yes the lifestyle isn't for everyone, but it's also not for no one.
Lol, it’s clearly not for you. I’ve been actually living this lifestyle, but even at the planning stage i never bothered to even make a list of cons, speaking nothing of the long and detailed one you manifested on the spot just to post on HN.
I'm also a digital nomad (an airbnb one, using the terminology from the original post), so I can clear some of those things up.
> Lack of Permanent Address: Difficulty in receiving mail, opening bank accounts, or completing certain official documents.Lack of permanent address and the legal issues that come with it.
I just put an address of some Hilton I stayed once. I never need to get any paper documents; if I do, I use DHL or other delivery service to actually get them delivered to me.
(No comment on issues related to sleeping in a vehicle — I don't even drive).
> Inconsistent Internet Access: Reliability and speed issues will cause work productivity and communication impact. It is already challenging when travelling between business hotels.
Most airbnbs have pretty good internet, and all have at least a decent one. Usually it's enough to just buy a local simcard to fix these issues.
> Healthcare Access: Navigating healthcare provider support across large distant locations.
I don't live and nomad in US, but in many other countries across the globe it's just easier to pay for healthcare services out of pocket. I've recently signed up for Safetywing, but when a visit to a (pretty well educated) doctor costs about $10 or is just completely free, I wouldn't even bother with it.
> Legal Issues with Remote Work: Withing the US some specific laws regarding remote work for non-residents in a certain state can impact your tax liabilities. Heck New York can even create tax liabilities for you even if do not live or work in the USA...
Also US-specific thing. I'm not a US citizen (but work for american companies), and not having a tax residence anywhere saves me a lot of money on taxes. I effectively pay just 1% on all of my income.
> Maintaining Work-Life Balance: Blurring lines between work and personal time, I would look like a load instead of a relief...
That's true for any kind of remote work, regardless if it's nomading or WFH. Upsides are worth it 100%.
> Equipment Safety and Maintenance: Risk of damage or theft to essential gadgets like laptops and cameras.
Theoretically yes, but somehow neither I not most of my friends who chose this lifestyle encounter this — it feels like you can have your stuff stolen from a coffeeshop next to your house just as easily.
> Accommodation Issues: Unreliable bookings, substandard living conditions, or scams.
This happens. But on the contrary to what HN crowd have been saying, I've found Airbnb support to be stellar at resolving those issues. I have checked in badly cleaned apartment once, and 20 minutes later I already had it reversed, with $400 of compensation.
> Travel Burnout: Constant moving looks like physically and mentally exhausting.
Yes, this is a thing and it sucks. But you don't waste this emotional energy — you spend it on acquiring valuable new experiences and memories that will be with you for the rest of your life.
Overall, the only reason I don't go around advertising this lifestyle to all my friends is because having a well-paying and remote-friendly profession that suits it is not a luxury most of them have.
We have a cheapo Subaru and just use those collapsible silicon buckets, a sous vide, and a cheapo Amazon pump+shower combo. Entire setup is less than $120 and now we have a sous vide too.
You can run the heater off a battery bank (we have an eco flow with the panels). Much easier
Also, towing and road trips are like the number one reason I think most outdoorsy people should be going for plugin hybrids for now. You can be 100% clean (local utility dependent, limited to 'fuel' and not other maintenance) for like 95%+ of your trips but still have that extra oomph if you need it
Still car limited. I like doing work-cations but I have a similar issue with the working space. A real chair, external monitor, key board is really essential for work more than a week. Flying anywhere with that is unrealistic.
Ive never seen an airbnb or vrbo listing with office equipment in it. Would be cool and useful. It would probably get robbed though. My wife and I usually go through tons of listing photos looking for an somewhat adequate working space.
Airbnb has a "dedicated workspace" filter which is actually worse than not having the feature. Most of the listings I have come across are properties that have nothing more than a dining table, often a round one and paired with really awful chairs. Airbnb could _make_ it work properly, but it doesn't seem to be their focus.
Wireless keyboard and mouse, MacBook, 12.9" iPad, adjustable folding stands for both to put them around eye level. Gets you dual monitors (plus the iPad's better for use in an economy seat on an airplane, than a laptop). External keyboard and mouse, no craning your neck down at the laptop. All that can fit in a normal laptop backpack or even a not-that-big satchel bag, with room to spare for chargers and cables and miscellaneous carry-on stuff (even a Switch or Steam Deck, to round out your electronic-junk needs all in one bag). iPad doubles as a drawing pad if you've got a Pencil, plus does the other stuff an iPad's good at, isn't just an extra monitor, can do more to justify its weight and bulk.
A big monitor rather than a pair of laptop-sized (but pretty good!) monitors? Yeah, that's tough. And no solution for the chair.
There’ve been apps to use them as a second monitor to a Mac for some time, but as of a few years back, it’s a built-in feature.
Last I checked it does require the iPad to be signed in to the same iCloud account as the user on the Mac, which may present a problem if, say, you want to use a personal iPad this way with a work MacBook, or if you use separate accounts for different clients on your MacBook and don’t have them all signed in to a single iCloud account. But, if that’s not an issue, should be fine. Some of those other apps may still exist, too, and I don’t think they have that restriction (I think Apple’s is that way because it’s more tightly integrated with hand-off features and such)
That's what I was thinking... Car and trailer pulls you down to local places and too cumbersome. A much better option is just fly to some place, rent something for 1+ month (or even a hostel if you want to go really cheap) and live there like a local. Staying in one place for at least a month (ideally 3-4 months) is very important so you don't have urge to checkout everything in short period and get distracted from the work. The idea is to be local and live like local.
For computer setup, I would highly recommend 17" laptop + portable monitor (for example, https://www.amazon.com/UPERFECT-Resolution-2560x1600-Raspber...). I also get beefy laptop with GPU with 4k display. I usually add iPad as my 3rd display for music or whatever.
I have the exact same problem. I’ve tried carrying portable monitors and VESA mounts but it not the same. And it doesn’t solve the desk and chair problem. That’s the main thing stopping me and my wife spending half the year remote.
The two options I’ve thought of are (1) buying a couple of houses in different parts of the world (maybe with friends/family who want to do the same thing) (2) start a specialist Airbnb-style marketplace for working-focused holiday homes where desks, external monitors, chairs, cables, wifi speed, etc are listed in detail.
I use a x86 tablet or two and a gooseneck arm (Tryone brand has been reliable) for cafe coding. 2880x1800 12" screen, but I can position it perfectly floating above my keyboard (Lenovo Trackpoint BT keyboard).
I don't find the coffee shop tables to be problematic (although the gooseneck will shake some if the table doesn't sit well) but yeah nicer chairs would be nice, for sure. There's a lot of nice venues around me with picnic table style benches, and folks doing work but usually fairly hunched over: I strap a Crazy Creek camping to my pack so I can lean back/have back support, and that makes a surprisingly decent all-day setup of it. I'd love to see a high tech version but just adjusting the chords giving you adjustable lean-back is surprisingly flexible.
Not a huge fan of keyboard typing on the lap but parks with a Moonlite collapsible chair can be fine. I'll lay my bike on it's side & clamp the gooseneck to that.
I could probably go a couple weeks with these setups, but yeah, the chair situation seems the hardest to deal with to me. Portable monitors seem to have gotten a lot better (thanks INNOCN &al) but mounting them still seems super shaky; I wish these gooseneck arms and these panels would work better together!
I really really like the idea of the flying desk the author tried out here. A good chair, a sunshade, and some kind of adjustable desk would be great. An old house of mine had a great umbrella and I used to love computing or gaming under it while it was raining. The author complained about brightness, and that seems like a very real issue, but with mini-led's we are seeing even consumer gear capable at 1500 nits and more. Cinema monitors are pricey and usually only 1080p and 19 or 24 inches, but are built for outdoors, over 2000 but. Commercial signage is often $6k+ but how awesome would a 75" 3000 nit 4k display (Philips 75BDL3003H) on the back of your cae with a floating desk be?
I use a 16" MBP without peripherals even though I'm often at home. Basic wooden chair or whatever the common spaces in the office have (which I'm not required to go to). Software doesn't really take multiple displays, it's a distraction if anything, but I do need a good laptop.
I've also traveled while working for some time, it wasn't great.
Wouldn't this be the ideal solution for we-work? Digital Nomads come and go as you please office solutions? (We-work doesn't have beds and the like tho)
I know that most hotels have a survivable desk and chair, but that probably isn't an optimal solution.
What would an idea solution look like? Airbnb but with a gaming setup room?
WeWork is great and would be far more economical than paying day-pass rates assuming (big assumption) you are okay with working in major metro areas only. For instance there is 1 location in Sacramento and nothing else in Norcal outside the immediate Bay Area. For me I kind of like cities, but I suspect the author of this piece would feel pretty hemmed in by that footprint since he seems to like to actually be in nature daily (which is cool!).
I haven't tried to do any coworking in smaller cities or towns, but I guess maybe there are indie coworking spaces in places like say, Santa Rosa or Auburn.
TBH if I was designing a nomad project for myself (and wanting a significant nature/non-urban aspect to it) I think i'd do a literal van and have a real desk and chair in it. 5G internet isn't the greatest but I think it'd be easy enough, armed with a van, to seek out places within the area I want to visit with a good enough signal to make it workable.
(Obviously add rooftop solar panels and a Jackery or whatever to satisfy power needs all day.)
I full time'd for nearly a year with just three cell devices and the Open Signal app. The only time I had issues was when we watched some shows and used our bandwidth "cap" on our unlimited plan and it throttled me the next morning. I picked up the third device (an att mifi type thing) after that and haven't had a problem since. The only restriction was that we check cell coverage where we were planning to stay before booking if I was going to be working and without easy access to a coffee shop or RV park WIFI.
Most coworking spaces or serviced offices don’t have external monitors included, unfortunately. And of course, you’re then limited to cities and have to commute.
Airbnb but with a gaming room (or two?) and fast internet sounds ideal for my needs.
I’m not sure how realistic a “real” office space is in the general case. A digital nomad feels much more like a laptop wherever you are. That’s certainly been my situation when I’ve taken multi-week business trips.
That seems like part of the trade off. I don’t expect my home office wherever I am in the world.
Spent three years as an AirBnB nomad with my wife. We are back in our house between tenants getting ready to start out as van life nomads. We’ve also spent months at a time overseas and will again but don’t want to do that full time. This article has very little depth but it does give a decent high level view.
OP should try a "truck camper"... basically a living quarters that sits in the bed of a pickup truck rather than towed. Seems like it would be a lot more functional than his current approach.
Though I found the article and evolving process very interesting!
Kapwing. Hm. Bing search for "Kapwing layoff" returns this, from Glassdoor:
"Kapwing Reviews: What Is It Like to Work At Kapwing?
Oct 18, 2023 · I joined a company in August, but soon after, they started big layoffs. My team was scattered, and my boss, who was supposed to find me a project, didn’t. Four …
But the link from Bing doesn't lead to that review. It shows only three reviews, two of which are from the CEO (!).
When you're camping alone at a camp site, you can go a day or two (or five) without a shower. There are camping "shower wipes" to stay hygienic but you really can go a few days without showering and be OK.
The issues of finding shower and basic amenities in / near work spaces is, I think, a growing issue for commuters as well as nomads - basically most of us will be doing some form of mixed remote / office work. And trying real hard to give up petrol cars. Just being able to cycle / run some of the way, train or otherwise some of the way is a real freeing option
I spent 4 years traveling as a digital nomad where literally everything I owned fit into a carryon suitcase and a backpack. You'd be surprised what you can get rid of.
In general if you’re traveling, you’re not bringing much in the way of non-essential physical gear like retro computing equipment. Maybe it’s more than a couple of bags especially if you’re camping but you’re probably not carrying a home lab with you unless you have a trailer dedicated to that purpose.
I admire digital nomads who stay in higher income countries over ones who move to the lowest COL country they can find to live like artificial kings. There's a certain sociopathy to white dudes who move to Thailand so they can enjoy the disproportionate sway of their 160k remote job + sexual privilege.
That's reading a lot into nomads that go to low COL countries. There are plenty of reasons to do it beyond an artificial crown and 'sexual privilege'.
You're able to take jobs that you may enjoy more for less pay. You can keep your personal burn rate lower while you're working on a startup. You might even just like seeing different parts of the world.
It doesn't really matter if only a few people do it. If it's a lot, I'm not convinced that it necessarily helps the area. In theory the influx of money should get distributed to the local market and ultimately be used to import more goods, but it's not that simple, especially if the influx is very sudden. Like, prior landowners win, but maybe just a small group (or the govt) controls the land rather than the actual people, so if the area is already dense then people are gonna get priced out.
I moved to Silicon Valley and lived there for 5 years, starting 2014. This was my example. It seemed like there were too many software engineers, myself included. Not enough people building houses or baking pizza. Everything tangible was under-supplied and overpriced. Yeah the economy was adjusting to it, but in 2020 it got jerked the other way.
There's a certain sociopathy in your assumptions. Making stereotypical assumptions based on someone's skin colour and even worse is your condescending "poor native" take.
A 5-fold difference?! Towing a trailer makes the Tesla use 5 times more energy per mile!? This can't be right... Author must have a trailer loaded with a literal ton of cargo.
Edit: a Tesla Model Y is 4200 lb. The trailer is about 3000 lb empty (thanks LukeShu), say worst case 4200 lb loaded with cargo, so at most the weight difference can account for a doubling of the energy per mile. It seems hard to believe drag alone can account for another 2.5x increase in energy per mile, which is why I think there must be even more cargo. If not, I guess for me this highlights how good the aerodynamic design of the Model Y must be. This also means the author could get a significant range increase simply by choosing a better trailer with a lower drag coefficient. Or my preference would actually be getting a vehicle designed for that lifestyle in the first place, an actual camper van. One could even use the comfortable driver seat as the office chair, instead of transporting an actual office chair. Swivel it toward your desk behind it and, bam!, instant office desk: https://www.thewaywardhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sw...