Camp Mode perked my curiosity....
https://www.evpulse.com/how-tos/how-to-use-camp-mode-in-your-tesla
The Pulse
How to use camp mode in your Tesla
By
Robbi Hess
May 27, 2021
Photo credit: Tesla
When you invested in your Tesla electric vehicle did you ever imagine you’d be sleeping in it? If your idea of glamping involves putting down the seats, adding a mattress and some pillows and putting the vehicle into “camp mode,” then the Tesla is the place to be! We explore how to use camp mode in your Tesla and why you might want to check it out!
Whether you’re going to “off-road” at a campground, camping in your backyard or taking a cross-country road trip in your electric vehicle, Tesla’s Camp Mode makes it infinitely more comfortable.
We have a guide to a camping trip in your Tesla Model 3 or another Tesla model. Because we aren’t certain whether coronavirus will allow for airline travel or if you’re not certain you want to stay in a hotel, we have a guide to camping in your Tesla and using Camp Mode.
Charge your Tesla up and go
Many RV parks today offer the option to charge most electric vehicles, letting you charge while camping under the stars. Charge overnight then set off on your road trip the following day. There are also many places at which you can
charge your electric vehicle for free.
Tesla introduced the new “Camp Mode” feature in December 2019. To camp in your Tesla, fold down the rear seats, add a mattress and camp out! Earlier iterations of the Tesla didn’t provide an option of being able to keep climate control and the lights on for long periods when the vehicle is in park mode; thus Camp Mode was introduced by Tesla.
What exactly is Tesla’s Camp Mode?
The Camp Mode feature lets you to turn your vehicle into a comfortable and breathable car and one in which you can — in theory — comfortably sleep and camp in.
When you put your vehicle into Camp Mode the cabin will maintain its interior lighting, temperature, airflow and play your music, once you’ve enabled Camp Mode.
How do you enable Camp Mode?
On the Tesla’s touch screen, touch the fan icon at the bottom of it, then touch the icon marked, “camp.” Keep in mind that the vehicle has to be in Park mode to use the Camp Mode option.
Are there times Camp Mode cannot be used?
- It cannot be used unless the vehicle is in Park.
- You need more than a 15% charge remaining. A thread on Twitter noted, though, that Camp Mode could be used even if the battery charge was as low as 5%. We haven’t tested that yet, though.
Energy consumption
Running the vehicle in Camp Mode will eat up about 10% of the charge in an eight-hour time frame. If it’s extremely cold or otherwise inclement weather, the battery will be drained more quickly, simply because it will have to work harder to maintain the interior temperature you’ve chosen. Even at low temperatures for about eight hours, you’re looking at a consumption of around 15% — not bad. Keep in mind that these are averages and estimates — don’t leave yourself without enough charge to get to a charging station.
Unexpected “camping”
Imagine you’re unexpectedly stuck in a snowstorm or if your vehicle — is for some reason — stationary and you can put it in park and hang out. A Tesla owner in Norway, Bjorn Nyland, wanted to see if he could live in his Tesla so he decided to camp on a road that had closed due to snowfall. He wanted to see how much battery the Tesla would use when in Park and in Camp Mode. This was a test, but imagine if you were stranded on the highway for several hours and had to survive in your vehicle until the road opened or help arrived — this is good-to-know news.
Nyland, an influential Tesla evangelist uses Camp Mode to see how well his vehicle performs in the frigid, snowy temps in Norway. He camped for twenty-four hours in temperatures at (14°F/-10°C) and the charge in his Tesla Model 3 went from a full charge to around 50% charge in those chilling temps.
Performance in a frigid snowstorm drained about 2 kWh per hour. You could conserve energy by turning off the touch screen.
Camp Mode: Do you need it?
As with any technology there seem to be dissenters. Some Tesla owners, on the Tesla Motor Club site, deemed Camp Mode “useless” and offered an alternative:
- Turn off the vehicle’s lights
- Set the desired temperature to Keep Climate On
- Turn on the rear vents. They need to be turned on as they won’t turn on automatically
- Disable/turn off the Walkaway Door Locks option
- Turn off the vehicle’s dome lights and Sentry
- Finally, turn off the Alarm (it’s under the Safety and Security option)
If you open the driver’s door you will need to go through all the steps again in manual, not Camp Mode. Use the app on your phone to lock the doors and the screen will turn off.
) I'm still waiting to hear how well a Tesla will handle 10 ply tires...
