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Murphy's friend Guru Joined: 04/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 648
Posted: 04:22am 09 Feb 2024
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I would love to have an electric car but I can only afford to run one car (pensioner) and I also like to go away with my caravan. Those trips are a few days to a few weeks long and reading about Trev's charging hassles, an EV is out of the question. Those big American electric utes still have a range problem when towing in this country.
So it boils down to a hybrid vehicle, preferable a plug in hybrid that could run purely on battery power for the shorter shopping (non towing) trips.
I read that the Chinese are not far off from exporting a suitable hybrid ute to this ute paradise (Australia). If it also tows as well as their blurp says it may be just the ticket.
With this hybrid one has a very efficient turbo petrol engine charging the batteries when required on the road. This engine is apparently designed to have minimal pollution since it will always run at optimal speed. At home I could charge it slowly from solar power since I do not drive every day.
The ute's two electric motors do the driving job with lots of power and very big torque, ideal for towing a caravan.
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 12:42am 12 Feb 2024
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3 Days of show. I did take a few pictures in around the show but perhaps I won't post any.
After the show, as we were in the middle, we had to wait a while. Then there were a line up of other vehicles coming in the back to load their gear. Then we had to load our gear for driving. We left the venue maybe 8pm.
Head out looking for a suitable charge station. The first one, was full of Tesla's. Went to another one but only had one plug. So I went off in T-Rev and found a 3ph plug near the water front.
Arrived at brother's place in Cooranbong around 1.30am
Day 9 Drove to Newcastle. Charge station was full, mostly Tesla's.
More searching. Found another one on plugshare. I drove T-Rev to check it out. One car already there and one outlet available, so I plugged in. 20 minutes later no one had come back to their cars so Kaitlyn drove to where I was and we swapped to charge EV Hilux.
The owner eventually came back so I plugged in T-Rev again
Trev @ drivebynature.com
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 453
Posted: 12:50am 12 Feb 2024
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Have a safe journey home Trev. I hope that the chargers are working on the way home and are not being used when you get there. Pete
Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1020
Posted: 01:50am 12 Feb 2024
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Charge stations still going to be a problem for a while, they put one in at Rosewood (don't know when) I have checked a few times and never seen it working, its now under repair, its behind the local Pub, not a place you would want to be in the dark, not safe there anymore. Safe trip Trev.Cheers Aaron Off The Grid
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 05:59am 12 Feb 2024
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Charging at Mid Coast Council, Taree. Only one plug available. Tesla already connected to one when we arrived.
Trev @ drivebynature.com
greybeard Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161
Posted: 08:27am 12 Feb 2024
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Apart from taking pics and the odd excursion chasing down replacement parts for dead chargers how do you fill in your time while waiting for a recharge? There's got to be a limit to how long you can drag out a coffee Then again, have you ever calculated how many coffees to a recharge?
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 03:52am 13 Feb 2024
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I don't drink coffee, so no time wasted there.
North of Mid Coast Council at Taree, we charged at Port Macquarie on the way down, but Kaitlyn and I swapped vehicles. Since I have more experience in maximising range, I drove EV Hilux because its range is less than T-Rev. We drove 182km to Nambucca.
There was already a Tesla charging, so only one outlet available. T-Rev has 4 chargers that work and EV Hilux has 3. Plug in T-Rev and jumper cable to EV Hilux. Set up swag for a rest.
At 1am I got up to swap cables around and get both vehicles to balance the cell voltages. T-Rev is automatic but EV Hilux is not.
Day 10 Drove to Coffs Harbour. Plugged T-Rev into a single phase wall outlet at the shopping plaza. T-Rev full there can make it through to Lennox Heads.
Looked up Grafton showgrounds, rang, left a message. No reply. Rang 2 more times (1.5 hrs gone). Still no answer or reply to message.
After 9am (& breakfast done) I drove EV Hilux back across town to the place that said he was closing in 1/2 hr on the way down. Supposed to open at 9am. It was all closed up. I rang the mobile number on the sign. No answer, left a message. Waited a while and then drove back to the shopping plaza. 3kW wasted.
Meanwhile Dale had gone off to get a new light to replace the broken one on the trailer. (2nd broken trailer light on this trip) (people don't look where they are going).
That fellow on the south side eventually text me, he was on holidays. No chance of charge there.
After packing up from the trailer repair, I rang Grafton showgrounds again. He answered and said it was ok. So we drove to Grafton. Currently charging EV Hilux.
After plugging in, moved T-Rev to the shady tree with Dale. Had lunch that Kaitlyn had bought from the shopping plaza at Coffs Harbour.
Then spend much time to peice this post together
EV Hilux should be charged, so must go check.Trev @ drivebynature.com
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 453
Posted: 06:06am 13 Feb 2024
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Hi Trev, I am glad in a way that we only drive short distances in our car. It does sound like charging infrastructure has not caught up yet. Hopefully someone in the government will get their act together and do something about more chargers. Seems that finally we are getting fuel efficiency measures that will mean more choice in cars. I am hoping it stops the stupid giant US style Utes from coming in. Take care and enjoy the trip pete
Murphy's friend Guru Joined: 04/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 648
Posted: 07:15am 13 Feb 2024
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Hi Trev, looking at your trailer lights I can see why they get hit. I could not think of a worse place to put them.
You might adapt an idea I used on my boat trailer. The lights were on a painted piece of wood that spaced them correctly apart. This was removable at the back of the trailer. The light board had a long cable which plugged in at the front of the trailer.
This was easy to remove and attach- required for boat launching but might also work for you when you park in tight spaces.
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 08:54am 13 Feb 2024
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Charging at Lennox Heads. Arrived in daylight.
It wasn't long and the sun is dropping off
This stop, talking with people who show an interest, like almost every other stop. Catch up on emails and texting with customers. Spent some time searching out other charge stations. I better end writing this post and cook dinner. Go gets some eggs from Woolies first.Trev @ drivebynature.com
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 09:12pm 13 Feb 2024
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Camping. Had a sleep-in.
Trev @ drivebynature.com
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 453
Posted: 10:06pm 13 Feb 2024
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Looks like a tent on the footpath, that is a bit dodgy in the Lennox/ Byron shire. They don't like people camping there, they only like people with lots of money to spend. Years ago they had rangers out fining anyone who camped on beaches or in areas that were not designated areas. Hope you slept well Pete
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 03:33am 14 Feb 2024
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Drove to Coles Ormeau Village, all chargers were being used.
Drove to Hyperdome Shopping Centre, all chargers were being used.
Drove to IKEA Springwood. One charge outlet being used and the other one would not allow the cable plug to go in properly. So still no charge.
Drove to Hamilton North Shore. We already knew only one outlet was working (other faulted), but had to try anyway. It was available when we got there. So plugged in T-Rev and jumper cable to EV Hilux. We did 205km from the last charge at Lennox Head. EV Hilux used 36kWh (low cell voltage 3.23v) and T-Rev used just over 50%
The toilet (at least they have one) is a long walk.
Then walk to the other end of the carpark. Yes, no Tesla. So moved EV.
Can you spot T-Rev? Can you spot the trailer? Dale unhooked and went off looking for ice cream. Super hot here.
Edited 2024-02-14 14:51 by TrevTrev @ drivebynature.com
Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1020
Posted: 04:07am 14 Feb 2024
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Nope Can't see it, thats a lot of concrete car park unused, No shade either by the looks.Cheers Aaron Off The Grid
greybeard Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161
Posted: 04:15am 14 Feb 2024
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Whatever the HiLux did that caused everyone else to run away, I hope it's forgiven soon.
Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1020
Posted: 08:44am 14 Feb 2024
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Haha Id like to know that secret, could have used it today down the shop. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 11:11am 14 Feb 2024
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Normally when I have 2 charge outlets, I connect both vehicles with the jumper cable so that they both finish charge at the same time. At Hamilton North shore, I could not do that. T-Rev was finished long before EV Hilux. T-Rev has 4 chargers with a smaller battery(200Ah), and EV Hilux has 3 chargers (equivalent to 6 with the big blue one that fried) with 300Ah battery. Both are 144v nominal. Anyhow, EV Hilux took 2.5 hours to full charge again, with the 3 chargers.
Charging at Gympie
After charging, we will head for the bush for camping. Yep, that's my swag on the footpath. Dale & Kaitlyn have the rooftop tent. We camp anywhere when we are homeless. Bush is the best though. A friend of mine in his swag beside his ute, was asked to move on. He requested the officer give him written notice with signature. The officer wouldn't do it. The law says 'rest if tired. The officer is liable by asking a tired person to get behind the steering wheel. My friend did not move on until the morning.Trev @ drivebynature.com
greybeard Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161
Posted: 11:17am 14 Feb 2024
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Well it couldn't have been a smelly exhaust
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 12:06am 15 Feb 2024
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Day 12 Camping. I had alredy rolled up my swag.
Charging at Childers
Trev @ drivebynature.com
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640
Posted: 09:27am 15 Feb 2024
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At Miriam Vale, a very interesting stop. An electrician was working on repairs to the Tritium fast DC charger. That's the first time I have seen inside one. A great fellow. We talked a lot. And learnt stuff we didn't know before.
Charging Rockhampton at the Stockland Shopping Centre. Thanks Stocklands. 1 outlet available. There was a Mercedes parked, charging when we arrived. Plugged in T-Rev. After it left, I plugged in EV Hilux
Edited 2024-02-15 19:31 by TrevTrev @ drivebynature.com
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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Then again, have you ever calculated how many coffees to a recharge? 
