Compact camper alternative: New Beetle TDI with hard mounted pop up tent - Page 3 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

HHOTDI · 09-14-2013, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xist

Ha! I had not thought about the viability of a rearview mirror and rear window in a car like that!

I am glad that your tent rack is working out so well and it is great to have some more information on the Elio! If you fit comfortably, then I had better shut up!

Thanks X, i had a similar concern and the guy stood right in the middle at the rear of the vehicle and i could easily see him in both side mirrors! There was a guy in line, a few folks after me who had a concern about being able to fit in it. He asked my size and told me he was 6'3" and 360lbs! The Elio folks lowered the seat and reclined it a little and the big guy fit right in it! He laughed out loud and was visibly excited at it's comfort for a man his size! He signed up as soon as he exited the car and is on the list to be one of the first folks to get one! Hopefully they will make it through your area and you can see/fit in one for yourself. I certainly enjoyed it and was the sole purpose for making the nearly 7 hour trip one way to Portland! Seeing/fitting in the Elio made it all worth it though!

A lot of people have questions/thoughts and ideas about the little car, myself included. I just want them to get it to production, then we can worry about modifications, accessories, options, diesel etc in the years to come! My wife and i are signing up on line...we are "All in"...

https://www.eliomotors.com/my-strengths/

:{)

Xist · 09-14-2013, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHOTDI

Thanks X, i had a similar concern and the guy stood right in the middle at the rear of the vehicle and i could easily see him in both side mirrors! There was a guy in line, a few folks after me who had a concern about being able to fit in it. He asked my size and told me he was 6'3" and 360lbs! The Elio folks lowered the seat and reclined it a little and the big guy fit right in it! He laughed out loud and was visibly excited at it's comfort for a man his size! He signed up as soon as he exited the car and is on the list to be one of the first folks to get one! Hopefully they will make it through your area and you can see/fit in one for yourself. I certainly enjoyed it and was the sole purpose for making the nearly 7 hour trip one way to Portland! Seeing/fitting in the Elio made it all worth it though!

A lot of people have questions/thoughts and ideas about the little car, myself included. I just want them to get it to production, then we can worry about modifications, accessories, options, diesel etc in the years to come! My wife and i are signing up on line...we are "All in"...

https://www.eliomotors.com/my-strengths/

:{)

You are four inches taller than me, but about the same weight. I had read about who had fit inside, although everybody seems to have their own standards for comfort. I have had discussions with guys on here who were taller than me and said they loved driving tiny cars.

You know, I think the Elio might be the best candidate for replacing the mirrors with a camera. Are motorcycles required to have mirrors?

I had been wondering how easy it was to get in and out of the back seat. They skipped that part in a video that I watched, but someone on here said that it was fine.

I kind of do not want the original Insight because I could not put one of my nephews in the back, but of course, with the Elio, it might be weird to put a date behind me.

Logistics!

Going to their website, it almost looks like Washington is their last stop. Don't they need to return to Louisiana? It would not make sense to me to not go through California, Phoenix, and Texas.

HHOTDI · 09-18-2013, 11:47 PM

Going to their website, it almost looks like Washington is their last stop. Don't they need to return to Louisiana? It would not make sense to me to not go through California, Phoenix, and Texas.[/QUOTE]

Yup, that is the way they do it...keeping us all guessing as to where they will be next! I had to send them a personal email asking about the Inland Northwest and finally i got a response..Seattle/Portland dates. Then i was able to plan to make one of them and it all worked out, so glad i was able to have made it.

Anyway...here are a couple of more pics as promised!

Shots of the "C" Pilar brackets...nothing fancy here, just had an idea, made it out of Cardboard trim/cut here-n-there and there you have it!

Driver's side..measurements to follow, sorry.

Pass side..measurements are an exact copy of the driver's side, just bent to opposite way...

My 01' PowerStroke Excursion...

as of today, it is now mounted on my Daughter's 07' Ram Hemi..!

skyking · 09-19-2013, 12:05 AM

Thanks for the pictures

Looks like you had a great trip.

NachtRitter · 09-19-2013, 01:04 AM

Awesome! What a great way to go camping! Thank you for posting your experience and your pictures.

HHOTDI · 09-19-2013, 01:23 AM

Thanks Sk and NR...what is surprising to me the most is the fact that the MPG went up so far after moving the whole assembly from the roof racks down to the Aero-Rack. From 48-ish without anything to 38mpg on top then to 49.3 on my 770 mile trip to Portland Ore and back! 11.3 mpg savings...simply incredible! :{)

basjoos · 09-20-2013, 09:18 AM

On a larger, bumpier scale, your camper rack would have the same effect on your Beetle's aero as the large wing that Ernie Rogers installed on the back of his Beetle that improved his highway mileage by 5-10% (google Ernie Rogers beetle wing).

freebeard · 09-20-2013, 01:30 PM

Maybe I'm pressing my luck here, but has your Daughter checked her mileage with and without the tent? (A-B-A)

HHOTDI · 09-20-2013, 02:21 PM

No FB she hasn't. It is an 07' with the HEMI, super loud dual exhaust, 35" tall 18" Nitto Grapplers and a 4' lift! She has it stored/parked here (at Mom/Dad's) while she is deployed overseas until spring of next year when she returns home. I took the liberty(of course) of driving it once to a neighboring city and observed that her instant MPG readout was 14.5mpg average. Well, being the EcoModder guy that I am I reset it and amazingly I got an ave of 20 on the freeway/round trip at 65mph. I remembered a post here talking about the benefits of partially covering the open bed of a pick-up and of course I made another trip just last night with it and it got an ave of 20.4 including the 65mph freeway and a lot of stop/go city combined. On the freeway it was at 24.0mpg as I took the off-ramp into the city, pretty good I thought! :{)

Xist · 09-20-2013, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHOTDI

I wish her the best of luck over there. I hope that she is somewhere with a good D-Fac. That makes a big difference!

It kind of looks like the air would be able to reattach onto the tent bag, so that should help aerodynamics. I do not know how much a tent like that would weigh, I have handled plenty of heavy Army ones, but wouldn't that truck weigh around five thousand pounds?