RoadTrip Help - Phoenix to Pine Top - Can it be done?

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BooKittyLeaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
86
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Trying to see if I can go from Phoenix to Pine Top. Plug share shows NO charging stations anywhere outside of Phoenix.

Does anyone know if there are chargers in Payson?, Heber-Overgaard?, PineTop?, Show Low? anywhere along the way.

Read about people plugging in at RV camp grounds, truck stops? how is that done - what kind of plug?

Or is this a pipe dream trip??
 
BooKittyLeaf said:
Trying to see if I can go from Phoenix to Pine Top. Plug share shows NO charging stations anywhere outside of Phoenix.

Does anyone know if there are chargers in Payson?, Heber-Overgaard?, PineTop?, Show Low? anywhere along the way.

Read about people plugging in at RV camp grounds, truck stops? how is that done - what kind of plug?

Or is this a pipe dream trip??

Not impossible, but not very practical either. You will need a portable EVSE, preferably capable of 30A. Assuming your Leaf has a 6kW charger, you'll be able to recharge from empty in 4-5 hours if you can find an appropriate place to plug in your EVSE. There is a campground south of Globe and a few residences with shared plugs in Pine Top listed on Plugshare if you allow it to show different plugs. Campgrounds generally have a NEMA 14-50 plug, which is a 220v/50A outlet and would allow 6kW charging with a portable 30A EVSE. Finding other places along your route would allow you some backup, but you would definitely want to call the campground and contact the Plugshare members near Pine Top to ask about charging at their locations.

This is all contingent on having a portable L2 EVSE, though. What do you use for charging at home? Any L2 EVSE can have a plug put on it instead of hardwired installation, so you might be able to use what you have. Note that you cannot just put a different plug on the stock Nissan EVSE that came with the car, it is L1 only unless it is modified professionally. Even then, it does not allow full 6kW charging.
 
Thanks, I was mostly just interested in seeing if we could take the Leaf to PineTop - we usually go up a couple times a year - thought it would be fun to take the Leaf

I hardwired my EVSE with a kwh meter. - we have 6.6kw charger. So I will get a portable EVSE at EVSE exchange or something with a 14-50 plug to get the full 6.6kw

I imagine I would need to charge up every 60 miles or so, specially before the steep grade going over the hill

I have heard some people talk about plug in in at campgrounds - thanks for the tip.

Calling ahead is probably the best way to go - what would I ask for specifically from a campground? Would they let me use a "space" for a few hours to charge for a nominal fee you think?
 
BooKittyLeaf said:
Thanks, I was mostly just interested in seeing if we could take the Leaf to PineTop - we usually go up a couple times a year - thought it would be fun to take the Leaf

I hardwired my EVSE with a kwh meter. - we have 6.6kw charger. So I will get a portable EVSE at EVSE exchange or something with a 14-50 plug to get the full 6.6kw

I imagine I would need to charge up every 60 miles or so, specially before the steep grade going over the hill

I have heard some people talk about plug in in at campgrounds - thanks for the tip.

Calling ahead is probably the best way to go - what would I ask for specifically from a campground? Would they let me use a "space" for a few hours to charge for a nominal fee you think?

You could always change your installation of your current EVSE to use a 14-50 plug. That'd be cheaper than a new EVSE if you can do the work yourself, if the EVSE isn't obnoxiously huge or anything. If you do want to buy another, the JuiceBox will do what you want, or the JESLA, but it's $1000.

You're probably right about the range, at least on the way there. You'll get that range back on the downhill leg.

Regarding campsites, the one in Globe says "$5.00/charge for Nissan LEAF, GM Volt and related EVs, however a Tesla is: $13 for full charge." Looks like you'll have a hard time between Globe and Pinetop. Got any friends on that road with an electric dryer?

I'd recommend reading John Glenney's account of driving his Roadster from campground to campground in his Tesla Roadster. In short, yes.
The question then is where to find readily available 220 volt outlets across the country. One such system exists at campgrounds and rv parks. If an rv can travel across the country stopping at rv parks, so could an ev to tap into their electricity grid.

Campgrounds and rv parks are a great place to recharge your car and hang out for a while. Most people in a campground are on vacation and are friendly and in a good mood. Many campgrounds have cabins the size of a hotel room for overnight stay and you wake up with your car fully charged in the morning.
 
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