To unhitch or not unhitch...that is the question...

tl;dr
Lots of pictures of charging a Tesla with a trailer. Brief discussions on different charging logistics. Scroll down for trailer porn...

Long version
Since picking up the Tin Poodle outside of Las Vegas we've travelled just over 3000 miles (and still have about 500 more to go). We've travelled through nine states (with at least two more to go). And we've charged at twenty Tesla superchargers.

It's that last number, twenty superchargers, that I'm going to write about today. More specifically how to charge a Tesla on a cross country trip while towing a trailer. Here's the breakdown:

Overnight charging
We made a point of only staying in campgrounds that had electrical infrastructure at our site. Mostly 240V/50A and occasionally 120V/30A. We could then plug into an outlet and have a full charge by the next AM.

Pretty much the same as we do at home in the garage. This is by far the easiest method and one we used at virtually every campground we stayed.

The circuit on the right is a 120V/30A for the Tin Poodle. The circuit on the left is a 240V/50A for the Tesla. The Tesla charger is manually turned down to 20A so as not to overload the stand.

Left Tesla connection, right Tin Poodle connection

Already unhitched
Next easiest was when we would take a day trip in the area. If there was a Supercharger nearby we would just swing by it. Since the Tin Poodle was unhitched at the campsite there was no trailer to worry about while charging.

Signs on car letting people know the dogs in the car have the A/C on and are listening to their favorite music ;-)

Pull in no blocking
Unfortunately these are few and far between. We only had one of these.

Indianapolis

Pull up block one end
In this scenario the trailer does not block superchargers. But the car blocks two superchargers in front of it (in addition to the one it is using to charge).

Grand Junction CO

Goodland KS

Hayes KS

Pull up block the other end
Similar to the last scenario except in this case the trailer is blocking several superchargers behind the car.

Limon Co

Limon CO

Salina KS

Columbia MO

Effingham IL

Weird units in the front middle
Here the charger is on the back curb so we can just pull up to it. Unfortunately the trailer is block at least two superchargers and the car another two (since the charger is in the middle).

Grove City OH

Unhitched
And finally my least favorite. And unfortunately an all too common choice...unhitched.

In this scenario other cars were charging and we couldn't pull across. Or the site was too small to pull the trailer into. In either case we would have to find an empty nearby spot to unhitch and leave the trailer. This wasn't too bad most of the time since I could hitch/unhitch the trailer in about five minutes.

Usually I would place cones in front of the trailer to keep someone from parking right in front of the trailer and preventing me from hitching back up (thanks Jim Vandegriff). But there was the one time I decided not to place them since I really didn't think anyone would want to park there. Wrong!

As I'm walking back from the coffee shop I see a car parked right where I needed to hitch up. Luckily it was pulling out. But then as I get into my car I see another car pull in!

I quickly pull up to the woman as she is getting out and explain the situation. She gives me this "who cares look" but turns around and gets in her car. But then another car pulls next to her. So I get out again and explain it again. This person was way more understanding.