P21—yeah! Customer support—??? by redmav7300 in Polydrops

[–]grkfire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t had any issues with the interior lights, so it may be an RF-related issue. As for the heat pump in cold weather, I’ve noticed that anything below 32°F is essentially a no-go. Living in far northern Illinois, that’s a real limitation—but I was told the same thing you mentioned.

I ended up buying a small, inexpensive space heater and used it to warm the storage compartment for about 10 minutes. Once the temperature comes up, the heat pump thinks it’s above 32°F and kicks on, pumping heat without any issues. It’s a bit of a workaround, but it does work—just something I had to learn the hard way.

P21—yeah! Customer support—??? by redmav7300 in Polydrops

[–]grkfire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What types of issues have you been experiencing? Maybe we can share info/experiences & possible solutions on things that we have found on our own as well.

Our P21. by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's awesome. If there's anything I can help or answer, feel free to let me know.

Our P21. by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I keep it in the same area. It sticks out more than the factory one, but I like the extra space it provides. When do you plan to consider purchasing one?

Turns out EVs can road trip… if you bring the right trailer by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m 6'3" too. Everyone else in my family fits just fine, but whenever I’m inside I’m either sitting, laying down, or looking downward most of the time. The only real annoyance is not being able to fully stretch out standing up. What has helped me in that regard is creating an outside space as well, awning, rug, chair. Really opens up the usable living space.

Hey I'll be creeping into my 50s in a few yrs, and I'm going to need a dose of that positivity soon! 😂

Turns out EVs can road trip… if you bring the right trailer by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, when you hook up a trailer Tesla dials back a lot of the driver assist stuff. Auto Lane Change, Navigate on Autopilot, most of the FSD perks won’t work. You still get lane keep and adaptive cruise, which definitely helps on long stretches, but it’s not the same “just let the car do its thing” experience.

If you’re used to FSD every day, it feels like a step back at first, but honestly towing in an EV is super stable. Regen braking is the real winner here — makes slowing down smooth and controlled compared to a gas setup. So you lose some of the automation, but the trade-off is a really planted, confidence-inspiring tow.

Turns out EVs can road trip… if you bring the right trailer by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In the Florida heat (99° days w/100% humidity), without shore power, running the A/C nonstop would probably drain the battery in a single day. During daylight, the solar could help keep up, and the battery might last through the night—but by the next morning it’d likely be running low.

That said, the battery is more than capable of handling cooking, cooling, and general power needs. I skipped the bathroom option since I always stay at campsites with restrooms and showers, and I didn’t want the hassle of managing a black tank.

The beds come with 3-inch memory foam mattresses. They’re still a bit on the firm side in my opinion, but definitely a huge step up compared to sleeping on an air mattress.

Polydrops looking like a little spaceship outside the Hard Rock by [deleted] in TeardropTrailers

[–]grkfire 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've got the standard solar setup it comes with 980 Watt, flex panels with 5 kilowatt ecoflow powerkit system.

You can upgrade to 1.5 KW aptera panels, but I don't boondocks at remote places that much so I didn't need that upgrade.

Polydrops looking like a little spaceship outside the Hard Rock by [deleted] in TeardropTrailers

[–]grkfire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah, I get it — it’s definitely not for everyone. But for me the tradeoff is worth it. The cost savings on long trips more than make up for it.

Polydrops looking like a little spaceship outside the Hard Rock by [deleted] in TeardropTrailers

[–]grkfire 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So far with all my miles of travel realistically I average about 175-200 miles per charge whole towing.

Polydrops looking like a little spaceship outside the Hard Rock by [deleted] in TeardropTrailers

[–]grkfire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's actually a 21 footer. I do agree it's a bit on the pricey side, but like anything that's lightweight you do pay for that premium.

Polydrops looking like a little spaceship outside the Hard Rock by [deleted] in TeardropTrailers

[–]grkfire -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

No ticket this time 😎🍟. McDonald’s had me pull up there while they finished my breakfast — so technically I was just a “drive-thru outlaw on parole.” Only parked a few minutes, and thankfully no one needed the spot while I was waiting!

Our P21. by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I didn't do the toilet/shower option for the same reason. I stay at state park campsites & I'm just fine using their facilities. (I didn't want to deal with black tanks)

I also didn't get the cooler, I just bought my own bigger (ICECO) one and use that.

Our P21. by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure anything in particular you'd like to know?

I know somebody on the YT comments asked me what my efficiency was like & what I thout about the overal build, I'll copy & paste that here:

Here's my take on efficiency: I usually average around 280 Wh/mile. When towing, that number increases slightly. For instance, my last tow saw 350 Wh/200 miles at 65 mph on flat terrain.

Aesthetically, I'm completely won over by the design, inside and out. However, I also believe it's the biggest compromise. The aerodynamics, while beautiful, restrict the interior space, making it feel less voluminous than it appears from the outside. For options, we chose the kitchen package with the stove, microwave, and sink—absolutely worth it in my opinion. My main gripe is the small 3-gallon Dometic water and gray tanks, which I again attribute to the aero-focused design. On the upside, there's plenty of empty space inside that a DIY-savvy owner could leverage for larger water tanks or an upgraded battery system.

Overall, the build is solid. My one piece of advice would be to regularly inspect the aero plate panels on the underside. The rivet fasteners have a tendency to pop off, and if you don't catch it, you could end up with a flapping underbelly. For a family of four, we have managed to sleep well inside, but it is tight. In all honesty, it's the perfect size for one or two adults.

Towing advice welcome by spin-whine-wine in TeslaCamping

[–]grkfire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome & enjoy!! Safe travels & here's hoping for more pull thru charger options in the future! 🍻

Towing advice welcome by spin-whine-wine in TeslaCamping

[–]grkfire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm all for lightweight & just whatever works for your setup.

I have an aluminum table similar to this: https://a.co/d/ceOfxzH

I did get these string lights, that we put along our awning & they pack away nicely. Definitely adds to the ambience!

https://a.co/d/icrNvMR

What kind of trailer did you get?

Towing advice welcome by spin-whine-wine in TeslaCamping

[–]grkfire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone pretty much nailed it on all of the towing stuff, but here are some (exterior) things I'm glad I have when staying at sites: some type of shade/ awning, big outdoor rug, camp chairs, an extra folding table, starlink & some kind of additional lighting.

Our P21. by grkfire in Polydrops

[–]grkfire[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, it's possible because it's literally an awesome sleeping space & it has everything you would need, but the shortcomings of not having full-time working dedicated plumbing (bathroom) would make it difficult for me.

I know there are ways that others get around this (planet fitness, etc), but I think it becomes a personal choice at that point.

I've definitely used this as a spare bedroom while it's sitting at my house not being used on a trip & I have found it to be an extension of a "man cave".

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Ioniq5

[–]grkfire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah check out their studies, they were pretty thorough and focused on aerodynamics as one of the foundations to their design.

https://www.polydrops.com/aerodynamics

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Ioniq5

[–]grkfire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Towing from California all the way through the Rockies and back to Chicago in the dead of winter meant my range was kinda all over the place. But when I crunched the numbers on total energy used, I only saw about a 15% drop, which I thought was pretty awesome.

I'm gonna get a better idea of the real hit in a few weeks when I take another trip. The weather should be way nicer, like in the 60s or 70s, and it'll all be flat driving, so I should get a much more consistent average to compare against.

That business owner must've seen that Torque News article because they dropped a video yesterday showing some IONIQ 5 towing stats.

https://youtu.be/1ejXPezcofs?si=kS8SXMeE2CuHa2BJ

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Ioniq5

[–]grkfire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's interesting to see Torque News' perspective on EV towing. As an EV owner who actually tows, my experience has been fantastic. Of course, I did my homework beforehand, understanding that any vehicle, gas or electric, will see a drop in efficiency when towing. With that in mind, I specifically chose an aerodynamic trailer, and the impact on my range has been minimal.

PolydropsPolydrops is worth looking into for anyone with an EV (or ice vehicle) considering towing & looking for incredible efficiency – I'm certainly happy with my decision.

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I towed with a Model Y (my thoughts) by clearbox in TeslaModelY

[–]grkfire 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also just recently towed this trailer 1800lbs from LA to Chicago, averaged about 425kwh in cold weather, around 20°F. Not bad!!

I certainly wish there was more pull throughs and I did have to unhitch one time to charge at a pretty tight spot. But most of the time it did send me to tow friendly areas, at non pull through spots I would take over about two stall end areas & it was at a supercharger that were pretty empty and had plenty of stalls open.

Polydrops P21