Mach-e Car Camp Checklist & Lessons Learned

• SUV Hasika Camping Tent (Large) $52 on sale, regularly $70.
• Lost Horizon foam/air mattress for Tesla model Y GREAT sale price $183 with the pump, regularly $230
• Headrest fillers for gap behind the front seats - others have used carryon luggage or inflatable pillows (OP) or IKEA 17 gallon We’re not tall, so Amazon boxes for the first couple trips.
• 2 laptop camera cover slides
• Windshield sun shade (cover works great for draping over the display
• Towels/ Reflectix for side windows
• 40A/adjustable charger

• Vehicle: vehicle power down timer OFF
• Vehicle: Alarm System motion sensors Off
• Vehicle: Lighting Welcome Lighting off
• Vehicle: Locks Walkaway disabled
• General: Display brightness

• MATTRESS: We overfilled the mattress the first time. With foam it is much more supportive with less air in it than other air mattresses we’ve used w/o foam
• MATTRESS: if you purchase the pump it must be charged before first use.
• MATTRESS: I let the mattress out of the highly compressed package to expand for a few days before leaving. Ideally it is stored expanded, or moderately expanded in its bag, to preserve the foam life
• CLIMATE CONTROL: expecting to use 8-15% of charge if running A/C or heat. It was a nice 59*F outside that night, so we used neither.
• CHARGING: campsite 50 amp breaker tripped and didn’t charge while sleeping. Would have tried the Ford mobile charger with lower amperage had we noticed ?
• CHARGING: Driving 10 mph over the 70 mph speed limit over 200 mile interstate stretch saves 24 min. Opted for speed limit-ish driving to hold flexibility in stops as it eliminated a charging stop. Also found it more relaxing as we passed a number of speed traps. Will re-evaluate as faster charging options become available ?
• CHARGING: bring 40 amp (or adjustable) charger for faster charge on short night, otherwise just use the Ford charger which more conveniently stays in the car
• CHARGING: 30 amp sites slightly more available & less expensive, but as noted below only 120V which charges at 12 amp (level 1). We opted for the 50 amp site to avoid more expensive public charging and an extra stop on the way home.
• TENT: In case of extreme wind or rain we would not set this up at under 5’11” we would fit with the hatch closed
• TENT: At 59*F we didn’t run the car. It was excellent for allowing a bit more space & air movement while keeping bugs out.
• TENT: with no wind we relied heavily on the elastic and a couple straps for securing to the car. It was also the first time we had it out of the bag and set up during quiet hours in the dark. We’ll do better next time, or not… ?

Steph said:

There have been a few Mach-e & car camping posts with some of the basics compiled below. So far we’ve only camped as a less expensive alternative to hotels which have been short stays, but there are some considerations for longer stays as well. I’ll continue to update OP, so please share your experiences and links!

GEAR:

• SUV Hasika Camping Tent (Large) $52 on sale, regularly $70.
• Lost Horizon foam/air mattress for Tesla model Y GREAT sale price $183 with the pump, regularly $230
• Headrest fillers for gap behind the front seats - others have used carryon luggage or inflatable pillows (OP). We’re not tall, and aren’t ready to buy another thing to do. Amazon boxes for this trip!
• 50 amp and/or Ford mobile charger
• TT-30P to NEMA 14-50R Adapter (30 amp to 50 amp adapter for our chargers - only needed if you aren’t staying in a 50 amp campsite

MACH-E SETTINGS for dark, quiet, and 12V drain:

• Vehicle: vehicle power down timer OFF
• Vehicle: Alarm System motion sensors Off
• Vehicle: Lighting Welcome Lighting off
• Vehicle: Locks Walkaway disabled
• General: Display brightness

NOTES from ours & other’s experience:

• MATTRESS: We overfilled the mattress the first time. With foam it is much more supportive with less air in it than other air mattresses we’ve used w/o foam
• MATTRESS: if you purchase the pump it must be charged before first use.
• MATTRESS: I let the mattress out of the highly compressed package to expand for a few days before leaving. Ideally it is stored expanded, or moderately expanded in its bag, to preserve the foam life
• CLIMATE CONTROL: expecting to use 8-15% of charge if running A/C or heat. It was a nice 59*F outside that night, so we used neither.
• CHARGING: campsite 50 amp breaker tripped and didn’t charge while sleeping. Would have tried the Ford mobile charger with lower amperage had we noticed ?
• CHARGING: Driving 10 mph over the 70 mph speed limit over 200 mile interstate stretch saves 24 min. Opted for speed limit-ish driving to hold flexibility in stops as it eliminated a charging stop. Also found it more relaxing as we passed a number of speed traps. Will re-evaluate as faster charging options become available ?
• CHARGING: bring 50 amp charger for faster charge on short night, otherwise just use the Ford charger which more conveniently stays in the car
• CHARGING: 30 amp sites slightly more available (will buy a used adapter for this flexibility). 30 amp sites were $5/night less expensive than 50 amp which can further support the spend on an adapter. We opted for the 50 amp site for 1 night to avoid more expensive public charging and an extra stop on the way home.
• TENT: In case of extreme wind or rain we would not set this up at under 5’11” we would fit with the hatch closed
• TENT: At 59*F we didn’t run the car. It was excellent for allowing a bit more space & air movement while keeping bugs out.
• TENT: with no wind we relied heavily on the elastic and a couple straps for securing to the car. It was also the first time we had it out of the bag (knowing we could just keep the hatch closed) and set up during quiet hours in the dark.

Cheers!

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Mach-Lee said:

FYI never get a 30A camp site (TT-30). It’s only 120V, and the Mach-E will only charge at 12A on 120V. You will be limited to Level 1 charging speeds.

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Travlcub said:

GASP. Camping for me is a hotel without room service ?

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Mach-Lee said:

FYI never get a 30A camp site (TT-30). It’s only 120V, and the Mach-E will only charge at 12A on 120V. You will be limited to Level 1 charging speeds.

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HuntingPudel said:

Please do not use a 48A charger on a 50A outlet. You can safely use a 40A charger on a 50A outlet. Anything more powerful is contrary to the NEC (anything more powerful than a 40A unit must also be hard-wired). It's also a wise idea to have a portable EVE that is amperage adjustable. Many 220V outlets in camp grounds are limited to 30A, which is safe for a 24A EVSE. ??

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Steph said:

I wish I had considered adjustability before buying chargers. My OpenEVSE display says it figured on 40amp, but I do wish the Ford app/mobile charger were adjustable. I have the the Home flex (not hard wired) with app, but not sure how it would work if I didn’t connect it to WiFi. Also adding something to the packing list decreases my “jump in the car and go” approach.

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Steph said:

I wish I had considered adjustability before buying chargers. My OpenEVSE display says it figured on 40amp, but I do wish the Ford app/mobile charger were adjustable. I have the the Home flex (not hard wired) with app, but not sure how it would work if I didn’t connect it to WiFi. Also adding something to the packing list decreases my “jump in the car and go” approach.

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tuminatr said:

I have one similar to this, this is a very high-quality EVSE. The J Boost 2 is a 40a push-button selectable amperage unit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/135183587630?itmmeta=01J7AHB8J6DPQ1P45MK5KYCRNY&hash=item1f7991d92e&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAABAMXSoqU64xclLsWLKopDCSCAPd4MdqfpndVbmkioSGk2tw5YZKzXPJAX4Wp%2FvrAAURoBx7MqeqABjSt%2BJjdHmpdahCVCXtQW5LoCIbHyNrFnUTKaiykDAzFQZeaW4x%2FAOnvhBmRJNiMmxYolaKsZyJ11%2FClTzb6qj7NbjOlghN%2BL3MUYsy2MU%2BX82UPgK%2FWL3ay%2F5N9A6WPsHwq2GU%2BwXekrbJFpZra9%2F1ar0M25GvhoUNlkBzYxqpWEmYpcNQPtGQZ8hgR629mpm9LUK8N62EVh0piK48p2S4bSssc1e6ytx5mSHVJltoLdUkv6lL3eb1keoXP5grHhfEwPceeFMYE%3D|ampidL_CLK&edge=1

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Tampamike said:

Question - would the Ford mobile work at a 50 amp campsite without a different adapter than the NEM 14-50 plug? Not sure what campsite electrical hookups look like. Marinas have a big twist lock plug for 50 amp service that is not a NEMA 14-50.

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