{ "dataset": "Wattreach EV-towing per-day stats", "description": "Per-day driving stats (miles, energy, efficiency, elevation, weather) for Wattreach EV towing trips, logged off the dashboard.", "source": "https://wattreach.com/the-rig/", "license": "Free to quote and cite with attribution to wattreach.com.", "units": { "miles": "mi", "energy": "kWh", "efficiency": "mi/kWh", "speed": "mph", "elevation": "ft", "temp": "degrees F", "wind": "mph" }, "count": 36, "trips": [ "sd-to-chicago", "post-trip-repairs", "utah-ducati-run" ], "days": [ { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "01", "date": "2026-05-14", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-01/", "actualMiles": 63, "energyUsedKwh": 66, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 0.95, "avgSpeedMph": 33, "movingTimeHours": 1.9, "elevationGainFt": 5830, "elevationLossFt": 2960, "peakElevationFt": 4203, "highTempF": 76, "lowTempF": 58, "avgTempF": 68, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "SW", "odometerStartMi": 18422, "odometerEndMi": 18485, "notes": "First mountain climb of the trip. La Mesa to Boulevard on I-8, ~3,700 ft of cumulative ascent up to the Crestwood Summit at ~4,055 ft, then a 750 ft descent into the KOA at 3,300 ft. The grade chewed through the battery, 63 miles at 0.95 mi/kWh and 66 kWh used. Odometer started at 18,422 leaving storage." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "02", "date": "2026-05-15", "dayOfWeek": "Friday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-02/", "actualMiles": 186, "energyUsedKwh": 111, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.68, "avgSpeedMph": 49, "movingTimeHours": 3.75, "elevationGainFt": 9050, "elevationLossFt": 12270, "peakElevationFt": 4203, "highTempF": 82, "lowTempF": 65, "avgTempF": 74, "windMph": 12, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "Three driving legs on Day 2 totaling ~186 mi. Leg 0 (morning, solo, no trailer), La Mesa → Alpine Tesla SC → Boulevard KOA pickup: ~50 mi at ~2 mi/kWh solo, climbing about 2,800 ft from sea-level La Mesa to the 3,300 ft KOA. Alpine SC top-up in the middle (26.80 kWh, 76 kW avg on a v3 cabinet, $12.59). Leg 1 (afternoon, towing), Boulevard KOA → El Centro Tesla SC: 55.6 mi at 2.35 mi/kWh, 24 kWh used, 1h 16m at 44 mph avg. Climbed ~890 ft to the I-8 Crestwood Summit (peak 4,190 ft on the trip readout) then dropped ~4,259 ft into the Imperial Valley to -38 ft. Leg 2 (evening, towing), El Centro SC → Wellton I-8 rest area: 80.5 mi at 1.27 mi/kWh, 63 kWh used, 1h 39m at 48 mph avg. Imperial Valley out across the Algodones Dunes and through Yuma to elev 269 ft; westerly tailwind ~10 mph aft of El Centro. Boulevard was 65°F at altitude; El Centro 82°F at 9:15 PM; the Wellton rest area cooled to 70°F by 1 AM. Energy mix: ~24 kWh solo morning (offset by the Alpine top-up), 24 kWh towing leg 1, 63 kWh towing leg 2; the day netted ~111 kWh of pack consumption." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "03", "date": "2026-05-16", "dayOfWeek": "Saturday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-03/", "actualMiles": 429.7, "energyUsedKwh": 382, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.12, "avgSpeedMph": 51, "movingTimeHours": 8.4, "elevationGainFt": 10220, "elevationLossFt": 5240, "peakElevationFt": 6965, "highTempF": 91, "lowTempF": 68, "avgTempF": 79, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "SSE", "notes": "All four Rivian Adventure Network sessions today (Gila Bend, Phoenix Biltmore, Sedona, Flagstaff) totaled 367.6 kWh and cost $0 thanks to a Rivian referral we received right before the trip; if you are ordering a Rivian, the same perk flows back to us if you use wattreach.com/rivian. Six logged legs into late afternoon on Day 3. Rolled out from the Wellton I-8 rest area at 4:36 AM, ran 45.5 mi at 1.22 mi/kWh (37 kWh) into the Dateland Tesla Supercharger by 5:34 AM. After a 6 min top-up, 50.5 mi at 1.11 mi/kWh (45 kWh, 1h 0m at 50 mph) reached the Gila Bend RAN by 6:42 AM. After the 139.79 kWh RAN charge (8:23 AM departure), 48 mi at 1.26 mi/kWh (38 kWh, 1h 6m at 44 mph) up AZ-85 and I-10 reached Estrella Mountain Regional Park at 9:37 AM. Estrella to Phoenix Biltmore RAN: 31.6 mi at 1.19 mi/kWh (27 kWh, 55 min at 34 mph through metro traffic), arrival 10:59 AM. Phoenix to Sedona RAN: 111.1 mi at 1.06 mi/kWh (104 kWh, 2h 0m), the watts-burning climb up I-17 over the Mogollon Rim (peak 4,716 ft); pace did most of the damage, holding 70+ mph on a 3 percent grade. Sedona to Flagstaff RAN: ~49 mi (Trip A delta) at ~0.93 mi/kWh towing (~53 kWh, ~57 min via AZ-179 S back to I-17 and then I-17 N over the rim into Flagstaff). Trip B was reset partway into the leg so it only captured 30.7 mi / 33 kWh of the climb; we used the Trip A delta to back-fill the missed miles. 4,034 ft Sedona to 6,890 ft Flagstaff with a 6,991 ft peak; the steep section is the first 7 mi of AZ-179 S climbing 1,800 ft back to I-17, then I-17 grades into Flagstaff at the cool 7,000 ft plateau. Ambient finally 73°F up in the pines after a day above 80. Sedona RAN ran 116.27 kWh combined across two pedestals (moved stalls to free up parking) over 1h 1m wall-clock, 223 kW peak. Flagstaff RAN: 44.86 kWh in 19m at 212.73 kW peak. Final leg, Flagstaff RAN to Holbrook KOA Journey via I-40 E: 94 mi at 1.21 mi/kWh towing, 78 kWh used, ~1h 41m moving, mostly downhill from 6,890 ft to 5,230 ft. Trip A snapshots: 498.1 mi over 11h 24m at Phoenix Biltmore, 609.2 mi over 13h 24m at Sedona, 658.3 mi over 14h 21m at Flagstaff (~530 kWh), 752.8 mi over 16h 2m at Holbrook the next morning (1.2 mi/kWh, ~627 kWh trip-to-date). Wind 8 mph from the south-southeast off Yuma (KNYL)." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "04", "date": "2026-05-17", "dayOfWeek": "Sunday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-04/", "actualMiles": 252, "energyUsedKwh": 202, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.25, "avgSpeedMph": 53, "movingTimeHours": 4.75, "elevationGainFt": 3810, "elevationLossFt": 3310, "peakElevationFt": 7251, "highTempF": 82, "lowTempF": 73, "avgTempF": 77, "windMph": 15, "windDirection": "SSW", "notes": "Started at the Holbrook KOA, drove ~1 mi to the Holbrook RAN for a 56-minute 101.14 kWh charge (US-TWN-5TD-1A, $65.74 gross at $0.65/kWh, $0 net via referral), then east on I-40 with a Painted Desert detour at exit 311 (Tiponi → Kachina → Pintado overlooks) before pulling into the Gallup RAN at 3:07 PM. Charged 1h 4m at Gallup, 118.52 kWh delivered on US-C6H-WQQ-3B ($58.08 gross at $0.49/kWh, $0 net via referral), parked in the stencil-marked \"EV Trailer Parking Only\" stall behind the Gallup Safeway. Holbrook → Gallup leg ran 119.8 mi at 1.19 mi/kWh towing (100 kWh used, ~2h moving, 1,500 ft climb from Holbrook 5,000 ft to Gallup 6,500 ft). Gallup → American RV Resort in West ABQ continued ~132 mi at 1.32 mi/kWh towing (~95 kWh used, 2h 18m moving), dropping from Gallup 6,500 ft to the Albuquerque West Mesa at 5,300 ft via the Continental Divide and the Rio Grande crossing. Ambient warmed from 73°F at Holbrook (8:44 AM) to 81°F at Gallup (3:07 PM), wind 15 mph from the south-southwest off KGUP. Day-end Trip A (per the next morning's dashboard at the campground exit): 1,005.6 mi at 1.24 mi/kWh, 806 kWh trip-to-date. American RV Resort: 50A FHU, paved pull-through, dog-friendly, easy in-and-out for the I-40 push the next morning." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "05", "date": "2026-05-18", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-05/", "actualMiles": 346, "energyUsedKwh": 225, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.54, "avgSpeedMph": 47, "movingTimeHours": 7.4, "elevationGainFt": 5950, "elevationLossFt": 8050, "peakElevationFt": 7060, "highTempF": 90, "lowTempF": 69, "avgTempF": 82, "windMph": 25, "windDirection": "SW", "notes": "Day 5 through the Tucumcari IONNA stop. Day 4 ended at American RV Resort in West ABQ after a Gallup → ABQ leg of ~138 mi at 1.32 mi/kWh towing (95 kWh, ~2h 18m moving), elevation 5,200 ft. This morning rolled out at 9:08 AM (tonneau cover packed up on video), Trip A 1,005.6 mi at 1.24 mi/kWh, 806 kWh, elevation 5,715 ft on the West Mesa. Stopped at Hotel Albuquerque parking in Old Town (9:29 AM), the Jesse Pinkman house at 322 16th St SW (9:37 AM), a vintage Route 66 Airstream art piece near Mountain Rd NW (9:45 AM), and the Walter White house at 3828 Piermont Dr NE (10:11 AM, shot from across the street through the wrought-iron security fence the owners installed). I-40 west back to the Uptown RAN at 10:28 AM. Round 1 charge: 48m 40s, 39.64 kWh at 116.96 kW peak, $17.05 gross / $0 net via referral (Order #278297583). Lunch at Twisters / Los Pollos Hermanos (4257 Isleta Blvd SW, 11:55 AM). Round 2 charge at the same pedestal: 12:39 PM, 24.77 kWh in 29m 38s at 100.75 kW peak, $10.65 gross / $0 net via referral (Order #2712825133). The great segment, ABQ Uptown RAN → Tucumcari IONNA: 176.1 mi at 1.66 mi/kWh towing (106 kWh used), the best non-descent leg of the trip. Climbed twice across the leg, first through Tijeras Pass east of ABQ (~6,500 ft), then up to the Clines Corners summit at 7,085 ft (a new trip-record peak elevation), before the long downhill run via Moriarty → Santa Rosa (4,600 ft) → Tucumcari (4,051 ft). Strong SW tailwind of 25 mph gusting 33 mph at KTCC drove the great efficiency on the I-40 east diagonal, and net 3,034 ft of descent (with regen) padded it further. Quick photo stop at the Blue Hole (3:40 PM, 81 ft deep, 61°F water, 3,000-gpm artesian outflow) and at the giant adobe Route 66 Monument in Tucumcari (5:03 PM). IONNA Tucumcari arrival at 5:10 PM, Trip A 1,232.7 mi at 1.30 mi/kWh, 949 kWh trip-to-date, battery 100°F, ambient 90°F. 82.00 kWh charged in 30m 30s at a 220 kW peak (440 V × 500 A), 161 kW average, $34.58 paid (Visa, $0.39/kWh + $2.60 tax, Order #2701434146). First non-Tesla paid charge of the trip; Tesla Supercharger sessions on Days 2-3 totaled $50.17, all eight RAN sessions stayed $0 net via referral. After unplugging Tucumcari, the Tucumcari → Amarillo evening leg ran 119.1 mi at 1.45 mi/kWh towing (82 kWh, ~2h 17m moving), crossing into Central time and the Texas Panhandle. Quick sunset stop at Cadillac Ranch on the I-40 frontage road west of Amarillo (~7:47 PM CDT, the buried Cadillacs in golden hour), then into the Amarillo KOA Holiday around 8:35 PM. The trailer ran on 50A, but the park does not allow EV charging (told at check-in, the moment we pulled in, not to plug the truck in), so the Rivian stayed unplugged and charges the next morning at the Buc-ee's Tesla SC rather than overnight here. Day 5 full-day totals: 346 mi, 225 kWh, 1.54 mi/kWh weighted across the whole day (the morning ABQ loop dragged the trip average down from the 1.66 mi/kWh great segment)." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "06", "date": "2026-05-19", "dayOfWeek": "Tuesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-06/", "actualMiles": 261, "energyUsedKwh": 224, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.17, "avgSpeedMph": 47, "movingTimeHours": 5.6, "elevationGainFt": 2060, "elevationLossFt": 4500, "peakElevationFt": 3655, "highTempF": 73, "lowTempF": 51, "avgTempF": 64, "windMph": 18, "windDirection": "ENE", "notes": "Day 6 mid-afternoon, at the west-OKC Rivian Adventure Network. Started at the Amarillo KOA (3,588 ft, 51°F) at 8:12 AM after a 119.1 mi / 82 kWh / 1.45 mi/kWh Tucumcari → Amarillo leg the night before. Quick 5-mi run to the Buc-ee's Amarillo Tesla SC at exit 75 for the first paid Tesla charge since Day 3 (85.84 kWh in 58 min, $30.04 on a 325 kW DC stall at $0.32/kWh + 8.25 percent Texas tax). The store inside is its own attraction. Rolled east on I-40 at 10:00 AM with a full pack; crossed into Oklahoma early afternoon. Quick photo + visitor-center swing at the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock TX (12:41 PM), the 1936 Art Deco Conoco that Pixar modeled Ramone's House of Body Art on. Pushed east into the Erick OK Electrify America station at 1:21 PM (Buc-ee's → Erick: 116 mi at 1.15 mi/kWh, 100 kWh, Panhandle headwind hurt the efficiency). EA was the worst charging experience of the trip by a wide margin: the pedestal stencil promised \"UP TO 350 kW,\" reality was an 80 kW average; the session burned 1h 13m to deliver 97.28 kWh and billed $59.79 ($0.56/kWh + 8 percent tax, net $0.61/kWh). Three hours later the west-OKC Rivian Adventure Network put 94.3 kWh into the same pack in 33 min at a 213.18 kW peak, listed at $0.47/kWh, then refunded the whole thing as \"Complimentary charging\" via the referral perk. EA was 2.2x slower per kWh, peaked at under a third of the RAN rate, and charged 1.3x the Rivian-network list price for the privilege. Rivian Adventure Network, Tesla Supercharger, and IONNA Rechargery have each delivered exactly what they advertised at the prices they advertised; Electrify America has not. We took the EA stop because the I-40 gap from Buc-ee's to the OKC RAN is too long for the rig to skip a midpoint, and EA was the only viable non-Tesla pedestal between them. There was no plan B, which is the whole problem with EA being the western-Oklahoma midpoint. Eastbound again at 2:34 PM through Sayre, Elk City, Weatherford, Clinton, El Reno; coasted into the OKC RAN at 5:24 PM at 2 percent SoC / 7 mi of range, the closest we have cut it. Erick → OKC RAN segment: 136.7 mi at 1.20 mi/kWh towing (114 kWh used), derived from cumulative Trip B (252.7 mi / 214 kWh) minus the Buc-ee's leg. Rockwell RV Resort OKC ahead for the night; Pops 66 + Tulsa moved to Day 7." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "07", "date": "2026-05-20", "dayOfWeek": "Wednesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-07/", "actualMiles": 132.6, "energyUsedKwh": 107, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.23, "avgSpeedMph": 40, "movingTimeHours": 3.3, "elevationGainFt": 1800, "elevationLossFt": 2400, "peakElevationFt": 1230, "highTempF": 70, "lowTempF": 55, "avgTempF": 63, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "NE", "notes": "Day 7, Rockwell RV Resort (OKC) to Mingo RV Park (Tulsa) on a Route 66 day, no DC fast charging at all: the whole day ran on the overnight shore-power charge at Rockwell, and tonight charges the same way at Mingo. Final Trip B at the Mingo arrival (3:48 PM CDT): 132.6 mi at 1.23 mi/kWh, 107 kWh used (Trip B reset at the Rockwell gate at departure, so this is the clean full-day figure). Left Rockwell at 10:17 AM at 100 percent SoC. Conditions: 55°F overcast OKC morning warming to ~70°F at Tulsa, light NE wind 6 to 10 mph per KOKC + KTUL observations (a quartering headwind on the eastbound run that held efficiency near 1.23 with the rolling Route 66 terrain). Net descent from Rockwell (1,211 ft) over the Arcadia high point (~1,250 ft) down to Tulsa (608 ft), the lowest the rig has been since the California desert. Stops in order: Pops 66 Soda Ranch in Arcadia (10:53 AM, the 66-foot bottle + 700-soda wall + a four-pack haul), the Arcadia Route 66 Centennial sign + Chicken Shack lunch (11:35 to ~12:30 PM, Mission posed at the sign), a Route 66 art totem near Luther/Wellston, the \"Welcome to Davenport\" Route 66 mural, the Stroud Route 66 neon (est. 1892), and the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum giant gas pump + OKLAHOMA 66 mural in Sapulpa. Pulled into Mingo around 3:10 PM, set up the Airstream, plugged into 50A FHU. Truck-only run to Tulsa International (TUL) this evening to pick up Diana (lands 6:45 PM); the trailer stays on site. Tires 47 psi front / 54 to 55 psi rear at the Mingo arrival, motors 132 to 149°F after the run, ambient 70°F." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "08", "date": "2026-05-21", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-08/", "actualMiles": 200.8, "energyUsedKwh": 164, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.22, "avgSpeedMph": 40, "movingTimeHours": 5, "elevationGainFt": 4080, "elevationLossFt": 3730, "peakElevationFt": 1614, "highTempF": 90, "lowTempF": 62, "avgTempF": 76, "windMph": 20, "windDirection": "ESE", "notes": "Day 8 final, Tulsa to Branson via the US-412 / NW Arkansas route (not the I-44 / Joplin line): 200.8 mi at 1.22 mi/kWh, ~164 kWh used. Trip A closed at Indian Point at 1,946.1 mi (1,946.1 - 1,745.3 leaving Mingo = 200.8). Two clean legs, Mingo to the Lowell AR Supercharger, 111.6 mi at 1.15 mi/kWh (96 kWh), run in the rain into a stiff E/SE wind (KXNA + KTUL averaged ~20 mph, gusting to 33-41), then Lowell to Indian Point, 89.3 mi at 1.30 mi/kWh (68 kWh) once the rain cleared and the road tipped down toward the lake. Rainy 62°F start out of Mingo (overnight L2 there had added 103.9 kWh, unplugged 7:08 AM at 87 percent); the rig read ~90°F parked in the afternoon sun at camp, though official Branson air topped near 75°F. The day's only DC fast charge was Lowell (10:25 AM, 87.82 kWh in 33 min, $36.88) with a BrightDrop electric van on the next stall. Morning stops: Route 66 Rising (7:12 AM), the Blue Whale of Catoosa in the rain (7:30 AM), Hometown Coffee in the old Locust Grove City Drug Store (8:30 AM), then the Missouri state line (~11:47 AM). Pulled into Indian Point on Table Rock Lake ~3:35 PM and set up the Airstream lakeside. Branson is the turnaround: the trailer stays parked here four nights on 50A (charging at will), and the Rivian comes off towing duty for around-town adventures, we will keep logging its untethered efficiency while it runs solo." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "09", "date": "2026-05-22", "dayOfWeek": "Friday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-09/", "actualMiles": 24, "energyUsedKwh": 12, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2, "avgSpeedMph": 30, "movingTimeHours": 0.8, "elevationGainFt": 560, "elevationLossFt": 560, "peakElevationFt": 1329, "highTempF": 68, "lowTempF": 61, "windMph": 3, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "Day 9, first full Branson basecamp day. The Airstream stayed parked at Indian Point on 50A while the Rivian ran solo around town, off towing duty for the holiday weekend. Capped the evening at Dolly Parton's Stampede with friends, the stable walk, the hands-only feast, and a full horse-and-wagon arena show. Mission held down camp. Trip A trip-to-date reached 1,970.0 mi at 1.29 mi/kWh (1,530 kWh), about 24 mi of it untethered around-town driving the truck barely noticed; we left Trip B running, so the solo efficiency is not isolated this time. The around-town Trip B, running since the reset at the Lowell AR charge the day before, read 113.2 mi at 1.36 mi/kWh (83 kWh), 33 mph moving average over 3 hr 26 min by the evening of May 22. The 24-mile figure is this day's own around-town driving; per-day energy and efficiency are estimates, since Trip B ran un-reset across the Branson basecamp." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "10", "date": "2026-05-23", "dayOfWeek": "Saturday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-10/", "actualMiles": 20, "energyUsedKwh": 10, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2, "avgSpeedMph": 28, "movingTimeHours": 0.7, "elevationGainFt": 1690, "elevationLossFt": 1690, "peakElevationFt": 1394, "highTempF": 76, "lowTempF": 63, "windMph": 3, "windDirection": "NE", "notes": "Day 10, second Branson basecamp day. Started with a potluck EV-meetup breakfast at the campsite, then the truck-only run ~20 min south to Big Cedar's Top of the Rock: the Lost Canyon Cave golf-cart trail through the lit cavern and waterfall, the Ancient Ozarks skeletons, and the stone chapel on the bluff, with dinner with friends to close it out. The Airstream stayed parked at Indian Point on 50A; the Rivian kept running solo. A low-mileage rest day; the per-day stats here are estimates, since Trip B ran un-reset across the Branson basecamp." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "11", "date": "2026-05-24", "dayOfWeek": "Sunday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-11/", "actualMiles": 73.5, "energyUsedKwh": 54, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.36, "avgSpeedMph": 33, "movingTimeHours": 2.2, "elevationGainFt": 930, "elevationLossFt": 930, "peakElevationFt": 1375, "highTempF": 80, "lowTempF": 63, "windMph": 2, "windDirection": "N", "notes": "Day 11, the lake day. Started with breakfast on the water at the Indian Point Floating Cafe (floating on Table Rock since 1964), then spent it in the lake with Mission and our friends, a lake overlook with the rigs lined up, good meals, and Bigfoot on the Strip (mini golf) after dark. The Airstream stayed on 50A at Indian Point. The Rivian has been off towing duty since Branson, and the dashboard tells a counterintuitive story: 73.5 mi of untethered around-town driving (Days 10-11, Trip B since the Stampede night) came in at just 1.36 mi/kWh, barely better than towing the Airstream. Short hilly hops, 90-degree heat, and hours parked at the lake with the A/C running eat efficiency even without the trailer. Trip A trip-to-date: 2,043.5 mi." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "12", "date": "2026-05-25", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-12/", "actualMiles": 265, "energyUsedKwh": 241, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.1, "avgSpeedMph": 48, "movingTimeHours": 5.5, "elevationGainFt": 6420, "elevationLossFt": 6950, "peakElevationFt": 1499, "highTempF": 79, "lowTempF": 70, "windMph": 25, "windDirection": "ESE", "notes": "Day 12, departure day. Checked out of Indian Point after four nights (the EV-meetup friends and their Ford Lightnings pulled out too), hitched up, and headed north out of the Ozarks toward East St. Louis. Leaving Indian Point that morning, Trip A trip-to-date read 2,068.8 mi at 1.31 mi/kWh (1,586 kWh from San Diego), and the around-town Trip B from the four-night Branson stay closed at 99.0 mi at 1.31 mi/kWh (75 kWh), 32 mph moving average over 3 hr 8 min, before the reset for the drive home. First leg to the Springfield Supercharger: 43.2 mi at 1.14 mi/kWh towing into a stiff E wind (KSGF + KSTL ran 22 to 29 mph gusting 37 to 46, 70 to 79°F). Trip A trip-to-date 2,112.4 mi. Second leg to St. Robert (Fort Leonard Wood), 79.6 mi towing, with lunch at Culver's (a double bacon cheeseburger to share) and a big 101 kWh top-off ($38.47); Trip A 2,192.0 there. A third stop at the Wally's IONNA in Fenton (the first IONNA charge of the trip, 84.5 kWh for $18.28 on a Memorial Day $0.20/kWh promo), where the St. Robert leg landed at a brutal 1.04 mi/kWh, 113.8 mi on 109 kWh towing into the headwind; Trip A 2,305.8 there. From Fenton it was a short last run around St. Louis and across the Mississippi into Illinois, about 30 mi more to family's farm in rural Illinois, call it ~265 mi of towing on the day. The whole drive fought a 25 mph ESE quartering headwind, which is why the towing numbers sat in the 1.0 to 1.1 mi/kWh range all day (43.2 mi at 1.14 to Springfield, 79.6 mi to St. Robert, then the worst of it: 113.8 mi at 1.04, 109 kWh, into the teeth of it to Fenton). We boondocked in a quiet field with a stocked pond, s'mores by the Airstream with the Solo Stove fire pit and a long sunset over the water. We did not grab the arrival dashboard, so the precise day-end Trip A stays open." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "13", "date": "2026-05-26", "dayOfWeek": "Tuesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-13/", "actualMiles": 223, "energyUsedKwh": 215, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.04, "avgSpeedMph": 45, "movingTimeHours": 5, "elevationGainFt": 640, "elevationLossFt": 470, "peakElevationFt": 833, "highTempF": 84, "lowTempF": 68, "windMph": 5, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "Day 13, off family's farm and north up I-55 to Kamp Komfort near Bloomington-Normal. Three charges: a paid Collinsville Tesla top-up ($32.36 at $0.39/kWh, the only paid charge) plus two free Rivian Adventure Network stops, Springfield (89.5 kWh) and Normal (125.2 kWh), both complimentary with list prices of $47.45 and $56.33 we did not pay. A slow, low-efficiency towing day: 41.1 mi at 0.81 mi/kWh off the farm (short around-town hops), 91.7 mi at 0.95 Collinsville to Springfield, and 90.1 mi at 1.01 Springfield to the campground. Trip A closed the night at 2,528.7 mi (7:44 PM), about 1.24 mi/kWh trip-to-date." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "14", "date": "2026-05-27", "dayOfWeek": "Wednesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-14/", "actualMiles": 186.1, "energyUsedKwh": 174, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.07, "avgSpeedMph": 42, "movingTimeHours": 4.4, "elevationGainFt": 1780, "elevationLossFt": 1810, "peakElevationFt": 1063, "highTempF": 85, "lowTempF": 68, "windMph": 7, "windDirection": "NE", "notes": "Day 14, off Kamp Komfort and north on I-39 (not I-55, to skip downtown Chicago), then east on I-90 to friends near Fox Lake. Free RAN top-up to start, back at the Normal charger on Rivian Motorway in Rivian's own backyard by the plant (37.9 kWh, list $17.06 complimentary). North past distant roadside smoke from a field burn. Pulled into the Rochelle IL Tesla Supercharger around 1 PM for a mid-route top-off: the Rivian membership-pricing handshake refused to start the session (the recurring third-party-host bug, both OEM and A2Z adapters), so we gave up there and pushed on. Up in the Spring Grove area near Fox Lake around 4 PM, Mission started losing function in his back legs and we rushed him to a local vet; x-rays showed a couple of vertebrae pressing on nerves in his back. Steroids and pain meds, a little better but not great, worried about our buddy. One more try at the Spring Grove IL Supercharger just south of Fox Lake (4:59 PM): same membership-pricing fail, red port, but plug-and-charge worked this time at full Tesla pay rate, 34.65 kWh in 11 min for $19.75 at $0.57/kWh. Trip A closed at 2,726.3 by the Fox Lake arrival, 186.1 mi for the day. Dinner was Italian beef at Orlando's, one of our favorite restaurants up here, with Paul Bunyan ice cream at Diana's Ice Cream Shop to close the night. Airstream now unhitched at the friends' place; the Rivian comes off towing duty for the Chicago-area stay through June 1." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "15", "date": "2026-05-28", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-15/", "actualMiles": 143.9, "energyUsedKwh": 61, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2.36, "avgSpeedMph": 35, "movingTimeHours": 4.1, "elevationGainFt": 1170, "elevationLossFt": 1170, "peakElevationFt": 1030, "highTempF": 81, "lowTempF": 63, "windMph": 10, "windDirection": "ENE", "notes": "Day 15, first proper basecamp day with the Airstream unhitched at the friends' near Fox Lake. Saw a TornadoSafeRoom storm shelter while visiting family in the area, then the Rivian solo. Left camp at very low SoC so we took a quick paid Tesla V3 top-up at Rockford at 10:28 AM (3155 McFarland Rd, 47.0022 kWh in 16 min for $20.21 at $0.43/kWh): the leg burned 34 kWh over 80.6 mi at 2.36 mi/kWh untethered, the trip's best untethered efficiency by a wide margin (towing days have been 0.8 to 1.1; without 6,000 lb of trailer the same Rivian doubles its efficiency on the same Illinois roads). Trip A read 2,806.8 mi at Rockford (1.26 mi/kWh cumulative, 2,231 kWh trip-to-date). Back east in the evening for the real charge at the McHenry IONNA Rechargery, 132.798 kWh for $55.93 (1h 3m 57s at $0.39/kWh, Order 279252285). Trip A 2,870.2 by the close of the IONNA session; Trip B since Rockford 63.4 mi. Mid-day, lunch at dog-friendly Wild Cherrys in Belvidere with Mission under the table, and finally a full detail for the Rivian at Lentz Detail in Cherry Valley, the truck looking new again after 2,800 mi of road. ~144 mi for the day, all untethered, both charge stops paid (~$76 total in DC fast-charging)." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "16", "date": "2026-05-29", "dayOfWeek": "Friday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-16/", "actualMiles": 85, "energyUsedKwh": 37, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2.3, "avgSpeedMph": 34, "movingTimeHours": 2.5, "elevationGainFt": 580, "elevationLossFt": 700, "peakElevationFt": 817, "highTempF": 69, "lowTempF": 56, "windMph": 5, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "Day 16, a rest day from towing that became a Lake Michigan day trip. With the Airstream parked at the friends' near Fox Lake, we ran the Rivian solo up across the state line: the Racine lakefront and breakwater (Mission on the camp blanket on the rocks), the gold Golden Rondelle Theater at SC Johnson, the red North Pier light in Kenosha, Mars Cheese Castle off I-94 (where the Rivian ended up nose to nose with a Cybertruck), and Wells Brothers pizza in Racine for dinner. About 85 mi of the day, all untethered, no charge needed. There was no dashboard frame on the 29th itself; Trip B ran across both basecamp exploring days and read 240.3 mi when we finally charged at Kenosha the next afternoon (see Day 17), so the per-day split here is a route estimate." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "17", "date": "2026-05-30", "dayOfWeek": "Saturday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-17/", "actualMiles": 155, "energyUsedKwh": 67, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2.3, "avgSpeedMph": 44, "movingTimeHours": 3.5, "elevationGainFt": 510, "elevationLossFt": 360, "peakElevationFt": 850, "highTempF": 63, "lowTempF": 54, "windMph": 10, "windDirection": "NE", "notes": "Day 17, the last full untethered day before hitching back up. Up to Milwaukee, starting with breakfast from an open-air food-truck park (Diana on an iced matcha with mango), then an outdoor bike show against a wall of city murals, Harley demo rides in downtown Milwaukee (Eric and Will took laps off the cone course), and a full afternoon in the Harley-Davidson Museum on Canal Street: Serial Number One (the c.1903 atmospheric-valve single), a 1911 Model 7-A, a U.S. Mail sidecar truck, a carbon-fiber race bike, the AMF-era 440 snowmobile, the Art and Engineering atrium, a look into the Archives racks, and the Experience Gallery where Diana sat a new red Road Glide 3 trike. Dinner with friends at the Colony House supper club on the way back, espresso martinis and old fashioneds, steaks, and a caramel dessert drink. Charged home through Kenosha at the 120th Avenue Tesla Supercharger (7145 120th Ave, 4:42 PM): 81.7469 kWh in 29 min for $35.96 ($0.41/kWh plus tax, Invoice 3000P0313844047). The dashboard told the efficiency story: Trip A 3,110.5 mi at 1.32 mi/kWh cumulative (2,363 kWh trip-to-date), up from 1.26 two days earlier because Trip B ran 240.3 untethered miles across the May 29 and May 30 exploring on a single charge. Without 6,000 lb of Airstream behind it, the same Rivian doubles its efficiency, and two days of it pulled the whole-trip average up six hundredths. ~155 mi of the day. Tomorrow the trailer comes off the friends' pad and we point west toward Colorado." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "18", "date": "2026-05-31", "dayOfWeek": "Sunday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-18/", "actualMiles": 116.1, "energyUsedKwh": 57, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2.02, "avgSpeedMph": 47, "movingTimeHours": 2.48, "elevationGainFt": 310, "elevationLossFt": 220, "peakElevationFt": 696, "highTempF": 70, "lowTempF": 56, "windMph": 6, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "Day 18, the last untethered day before the hitch goes back on. It started slow with a breakfast the friends hosting us cooked, eaten outside in their backyard with Mission in the grass. Then one more run up to Milwaukee: coffee from the open-air food-truck park near the Historic Third Ward (Elevate Coffee), the giant blue glasses sculpture at Catalano Square, and a shaded beer garden with family and live music, Mission relaxing in the shade. Early dinner at Camino in Walker's Point, where Diana ordered the watermelon salad and went looking for the salad part (mostly just watermelon). Charged home through Kenosha at the 120th Avenue Tesla Supercharger (73.4903 kWh in 32 min for $32.33 at $0.41/kWh, Invoice 3000P0314299740). The dashboard logged Trip B 116.1 mi for the round trip, 47 mph average over 2h 29m, all untethered. About 116 mi for the day. Back at the camper we got a good reset, everything stowed and organized (packing cubes earning their keep) for tomorrow, when the Airstream goes back on the ball and the return leg west begins, through Iowa and on toward Colorado and the Rockies." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "19", "date": "2026-06-01", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-19/", "actualMiles": 582.4, "energyUsedKwh": 465, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.25, "avgSpeedMph": 46, "movingTimeHours": 12.7, "elevationGainFt": 3580, "elevationLossFt": 3580, "peakElevationFt": 981, "highTempF": 86, "lowTempF": 60, "windMph": 12, "windDirection": "N", "notes": "Day 19, the return leg begins. After five nights basecamped near Fox Lake (Racine, Milwaukee twice, Harley demo rides, the Third Ward), the Airstream went back on the hitch and we said goodbye to the friends who hosted us. Trip A read 3,250.0 mi leaving camp, the towing profile back on at 6,500 lb and about 1.3 mi/kWh. First towing charge at the Rochelle, IL Supercharger (330 S 7th St, 10:21 AM): 73.1108 kWh in 30 min for $29.24 at $0.40/kWh, pulling away at 84 percent. Right next door, both rigs got their first proper clean since the Cherry Valley detail at Hub City Car Wash, the truck through on Car Wash mode and the Airstream into the tall Super Bay. West across the Illinois plains and down through the Quad Cities (passing a big John Deere facade on I-80), then the day's set-piece: the Iowa 80 Truckstop at Walcott, the World's Largest, where we ran the big midday towing charge (134.3177 kWh in 1h27m for $47.01 at $0.35/kWh) and toured the free Trucking Museum while the pack filled. Then past an OVERSIZE-LOAD house on a flatbed and south off the I-80 corridor to a late-afternoon charge at Mount Pleasant in southeast Iowa (1700 E Washington St, 4:45 PM): 93.3675 kWh in 1h23m for $32.67 at $0.35/kWh, Trip A reading 3,544.4 mi (294.4 mi for the day, 1.32 mi/kWh cumulative). Then south on US-61 across the line into Missouri in the evening light, the rig routed toward a Rivian Adventure Network charger and, beyond it, west on I-70 for a Denver concert with friends. Towing again, and the efficiency drops right back to the towing math: 1.17 mi/kWh for the day where the untethered days ran 2-plus. Warm in Iowa by mid-afternoon, mid-80s with a 10-to-13 mph north crosswind. The day did not stop at Mount Pleasant: it ran on through small-town Paris at dusk to a Columbia RAN charge (108.01 kWh free), then a late I-70 push west to a sleep-at-charger night at the Independence RAN near Kansas City (130.14 kWh, the session erroring at 91 percent after ~53 minutes, finished with a 12.57 kWh top-off in the morning). 582 miles, all on free Rivian charging across Missouri, and the Mount Pleasant to Columbia leg, 176.5 mi at 1.44 mi/kWh, was the longest single tow run of the whole trip." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "20", "date": "2026-06-02", "dayOfWeek": "Tuesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-20/", "actualMiles": 523.1, "energyUsedKwh": 470, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.11, "avgSpeedMph": 57, "movingTimeHours": 9.2, "elevationGainFt": 7220, "elevationLossFt": 2840, "peakElevationFt": 5253, "highTempF": 84, "lowTempF": 66, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "A 523-mile towing marathon, Independence MO to the Arriba rest area in eastern Colorado: Trip A 3,832.4 to 4,355.5 mi on 470 kWh (Trip A energy 2,890 to 3,360 kWh) at 1.11 mi/kWh towing. Through Hays at 3:45 PM CDT (Trip A 4,126.0, 293.6 mi to that point at 1.15): Independence to the Lawrence/Tonganoxie Tesla stop ~52.3 mi at 1.52, then Tonganoxie to the Abilene IONNA 124.3 mi at 1.06 (129 kWh in the rain), and Abilene to Hays 117.0 mi at 1.13. West of Hays into the evening: the Goodland KS IONNA at 3,704 ft (pulled in at 0 percent), across the Colorado line to two free RAN charges at the Flagler I-70 stop (4,915 ft), and an overnight at the Arriba rest area (5,222 ft). Climbed from 885 ft at Independence to a high of 5,253 ft, the east wind a tailwind most of the westbound day." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "21", "date": "2026-06-03", "dayOfWeek": "Wednesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-21/", "actualMiles": 161.4, "energyUsedKwh": 133, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.21, "avgSpeedMph": 41, "movingTimeHours": 3.9, "elevationGainFt": 3180, "elevationLossFt": 2970, "peakElevationFt": 5791, "highTempF": 83, "lowTempF": 66, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "NNE", "notes": "A 161-mile towing day off the high plains and up into the foothills, Arriba to the LaVern M. Johnson river camp in Lyons. Trip A 4,355.5 to 4,516.9 mi on 133 kWh at 1.21 mi/kWh towing, in two legs around the free FlatIron Crossing RAN charge in Broomfield. Leg 1, Arriba to Broomfield: Trip B 133.4 mi at 1.28 mi/kWh (104 kWh, 45 mph avg, 2h56m). Leg 2, the short steep last hop up into the canyons, Broomfield through Boulder to Lyons: Trip B 27.5 mi at just 0.96 mi/kWh (29 kWh, 28 mph, 58 min), the climb into the Front Range eating efficiency. End-of-day dashboard at Lyons (7:30 PM): 5,352 ft, motors cooled to ~104 F, on shore power at the river camp." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "22", "date": "2026-06-04", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-22/", "actualMiles": 113.9, "energyUsedKwh": 41, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 2.78, "avgSpeedMph": 24, "movingTimeHours": 4.7, "elevationGainFt": 7000, "elevationLossFt": 7000, "peakElevationFt": 12209, "highTempF": 80, "lowTempF": 64, "windMph": 9, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "A truck-only day up into Rocky Mountain National Park from the Lyons basecamp, no towing. We landed both timed entries: the Bear Lake Road corridor in the morning (a hike at Bear Lake, 9,450 ft, the lake loop and the start of the Nymph-Dream-Emerald trail) and Trail Ridge Road in the afternoon (past Forest Canyon, up to the Rock Cut and the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 ft, our turnaround). Topped out at 12,209 ft on Trail Ridge near the road high point, the highest of the whole trip, snowbanks still on the tundra in June, then back down the same way and home through Estes on US-36. Dashboard readings through the day: into the park at 8,719 ft (79 F ambient, battery 91 F, tires 48 front and 53 to 54 rear), the Bear Lake corridor at 9,696 ft and 80 F, and the high point at 12,209 ft (64 F, battery 95 F, motor temps 138 to 147 F, tires 47 to 53 psi). About 24 mph average on the switchbacks across roughly 114 mi of truck-only out-and-back. Elk on the road up top, marmots in the rocks, and Mission rode the whole alpine climb from his cab hammock. Back to the St. Vrain river camp at night, charging free overnight on the campground hookup to leave full in the morning." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "23", "date": "2026-06-05", "dayOfWeek": "Friday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-23/", "actualMiles": 83.9, "energyUsedKwh": 54, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.55, "avgSpeedMph": 40, "movingTimeHours": 2.1, "elevationGainFt": 550, "elevationLossFt": 210, "peakElevationFt": 5700, "highTempF": 95, "lowTempF": 74, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "Pack up the Lyons river camp and tow down out of the Front Range foothills into the Denver metro and across to Golden, with a stop at Rack Attack to mount a Yakima cargo box on the Airstream. The Lyons-to-Golden tow leg ran 52.3 mi at 1.17 mi/kWh and 44 kWh on a hot 95 F afternoon (Trip A 4,630.8 to 4,683.1). Dropped the Airstream at Clear Creek RV Park on 50A full hookups, unhitched, and ran the truck back into Denver with friends for a 5 PM visit to Meow Wolf Convergence Station, the four-story immersive art world on 1st Street, then a rooftop burlesque show to cap the night, a day ahead of the June 6 ITCHY-O show. The evening truck-only run added 31.6 mi, so the day totaled 83.9 mi on 54 kWh, 1.55 mi/kWh blended across the heavy tow and the light city miles (Trip A closed at 4,714.7). Charging free overnight on the campground hookup to leave full for concert day." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "24", "date": "2026-06-06", "dayOfWeek": "Saturday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-24/", "actualMiles": 48.7, "energyUsedKwh": 31, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.56, "avgSpeedMph": 36, "movingTimeHours": 1.35, "elevationGainFt": 780, "elevationLossFt": 780, "peakElevationFt": 5700, "highTempF": 96, "lowTempF": 67, "windMph": 7, "windDirection": "SSW", "notes": "A free Golden day with the Airstream parked on 50A, no towing. Floated Clear Creek in the afternoon heat (a walk from the campground), then a truck-only run into Denver for ITCHY-O, the 50-plus-member electronic-percussion spectacle, at Mission Ballroom in RiNo with friends Liv and Patrick of The Electric Duo. The non-towing driving ran 48.7 mi at 1.56 mi/kWh and 31 kWh (Trip B), the efficient end of the range with the trailer off. Trip A closed at 4,763.3 mi. Second free overnight charge on the campground hookup, leaving full for the climb over the Continental Divide toward Utah." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "25", "date": "2026-06-07", "dayOfWeek": "Sunday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-25/", "actualMiles": 295.4, "energyUsedKwh": 245, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.21, "avgSpeedMph": 48, "movingTimeHours": 6, "elevationGainFt": 13700, "elevationLossFt": 16450, "peakElevationFt": 11158, "highTempF": 84, "lowTempF": 56, "windMph": 14, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "The Rockies crossing, towing west from Golden over the Continental Divide toward Utah, ending the night at Grand Junction. Three charge-to-charge legs: Golden to the Idaho Springs RAN, 69.6 mi at 1.34 mi/kWh with a morning metro loop; the big climb, Idaho Springs over the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel (11,158 ft) and Vail Pass down to Gypsum, 106.0 mi at just 1.10 mi/kWh, the trip's lowest towing efficiency; then down through Glenwood Canyon to the Grand Junction RAN, 119.8 mi at 1.24 mi/kWh on the descent. 295.4 mi on 245 kWh, Trip A 4,763.3 to 5,058.7. We parked at the Grand Junction RAN for a power nap instead of pushing into the dark, topped to nearly full at 2:31 AM, and saved the last 110 mi to the Windows for a June 8 sunrise." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "26", "date": "2026-06-08", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-26/", "actualMiles": 136.4, "energyUsedKwh": 109, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.25, "avgSpeedMph": 54, "movingTimeHours": 2.5, "elevationGainFt": 6990, "elevationLossFt": 7570, "peakElevationFt": 5118, "highTempF": 90, "lowTempF": 73, "windMph": 18, "windDirection": "SW", "notes": "The dawn run into Utah. After a power nap and a 2:31 AM top-off at the Grand Junction RAN, towed I-70 and US-191 down to Arches and caught sunrise at North Window, then the famous arches through the morning before dropping the Airstream at Sun Outdoors Moab. 136.4 truck miles off the Grand Junction overnight on 109 kWh (Trip A 5,058.7 to 5,195.1): the 118.3 mi dawn tow ran just 1.09 mi/kWh, the trip's thirstiest, the climb plus highway speed plus early AC, then the 18.1 mi downhill off the plateau into Moab gave most of it back on regen (barely 1 kWh net). Truck parked for the day; the Delicate Arch sunset run is on the e-bikes." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "27", "date": "2026-06-09", "dayOfWeek": "Tuesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-27/", "actualMiles": 215.7, "energyUsedKwh": 206, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.05, "avgSpeedMph": 43, "movingTimeHours": 5, "elevationGainFt": 7830, "elevationLossFt": 4950, "peakElevationFt": 6855, "highTempF": 91, "lowTempF": 74, "windMph": 26, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "The trip's hardest full towing day: 215.7 mi on 206 kWh, 1.05 mi/kWh overall (Trip A 5,195.1 to 5,410.8). Three acts: the Island in the Sky climb to Mesa Arch at 0.87 mi/kWh in the morning; the descent to the free Green River RAN paying some back at ~1.61; then the punishment, 108.1 mi down UT-24 into a 24 to 26 mph headwind gusting 38 (Open-Meteo hourly, SW veering W), 0.96 on the flat and 0.88 once the road started climbing 2,200 ft to Torrey. Rolled into Thousand Lakes at 7:25 PM on a low pack and straight onto the 50A. Trip B reset at the Luna Mesa viewpoint split the headwind leg cleanly in two." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "28", "date": "2026-06-10", "dayOfWeek": "Wednesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-28/", "actualMiles": 133.3, "energyUsedKwh": 107, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.25, "avgSpeedMph": 37, "movingTimeHours": 3.7, "elevationGainFt": 11890, "elevationLossFt": 11090, "peakElevationFt": 8385, "highTempF": 88, "lowTempF": 66, "windMph": 20, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "Two legs, two stories. Morning, truck-only in Capitol Reef (Chimney Rock, visitor center, petroglyph panel): Trip B un-reset, so the loop is 83.7 minus last night's 56.4 = 27.3 mi on 11 kWh, 2.48 mi/kWh without the trailer. Afternoon, the tow: hitched at 74% (no DCFC in Torrey), took the John's Valley back road (UT-24 past Loa, UT-62, UT-22 through Antimony, day peak 8,385 ft, confirmed against the road profile within 9 ft) instead of 9,636 ft Boulder Mountain, 106.0 mi at 1.11 mi/kWh in a 16 to 23 mph west crosswind gusting 32, and rolled into Ruby's Inn at 1% state of charge, the tightest arrival of the trip. Day total 133.3 mi on 107 kWh; Trip A 5,438.1 at the morning read, ~5,544.1 derived at Ruby's (no arrival Trip A photo)." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "29", "date": "2026-06-11", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-29/", "actualMiles": 149.3, "energyUsedKwh": 101, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.48, "avgSpeedMph": 44, "movingTimeHours": 3.8, "elevationGainFt": 4550, "elevationLossFt": 8240, "peakElevationFt": 9902, "highTempF": 93, "lowTempF": 50, "windMph": 10, "windDirection": "NNW", "notes": "The best towing day of the trip, trailer on the hitch the whole way. Three legs: Bryce with the Airstream in tow (11.3 mi on 9 kWh, 1.26 at park speeds, the un-reset Trip B backed out); then the leg of the dataset, Bryce SC over UT-14's 9,902 ft Markagunt crest and ~6,100 ft down to La Verkin, 110.1 mi at 1.88 mi/kWh with a light NNW tailwind, straight to the top of the Hall of Fame; then the hot 22-mile climb up UT-9 into the park (0.84 by the counter, which also swallowed a night of dry-camp accessory drain). Day total 149.3 mi measured by Trip A (5,544.1 to 5,693.4, the next morning's 10:00 read with zero miles driven that morning) on ~101 kWh of leg energy. Evening: the canyon shuttle up to the Zion Lodge, mule deer grazing the lawn, dinner at the Coffee Kettle, and the night under the Watchman with no hookups, celebrating the tail end of the trip from inside the park." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "30", "date": "2026-06-12", "dayOfWeek": "Friday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-30/", "actualMiles": 174.8, "energyUsedKwh": 134, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.3, "avgSpeedMph": 47, "movingTimeHours": 3.7, "elevationGainFt": 4140, "elevationLossFt": 5960, "peakElevationFt": 4259, "highTempF": 110, "lowTempF": 75, "windMph": 10, "windDirection": "WSW", "notes": "IN PROGRESS through the Las Vegas RAN. The morning: Lower + Middle Emerald Pools by 8 AM shuttle, a photo pull-in at the Fort Zion ghost town, then the tow out of the canyon, 27.1 mi on 20 kWh to the La Verkin/Toquerville Supercharger, where the first stall was slow (4.35 kWh in 8 min, $1.78) so we moved pedestals for the real charge (51.78 kWh in 41 min, $21.23). Then the desert run: 147.7 mi in 3h02m down the Virgin River Gorge and across I-15 to the Town Square RAN, 114 kWh at a displayed 1.29 mi/kWh, arriving to 110 F ambient (the trip's hottest), Trip A 5,868.4 and 4,503 kWh both measured on screen. The thermal data point of the trip: 53 minutes of DC fast charging at up to 190 kW in that heat pushed the battery to 134 F, dial in the red, the heat pump diverting all cooling to the pack and blowing warm air into the cabin while it worked. Day total 174.8 mi on 134 kWh, 1.30 mi/kWh; moving time 3h02m MEASURED on the Vegas leg plus ~40 min EST for the 27.1-mile morning (those screens carried the efficiency tile, not the timer). After the charge: Bellissimoto, the Italian-bike shop east of the Strip, then the camper dropped at the Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort and a truck-only night at Omega Mart inside AREA15, the Meow Wolf bookend to Denver's Convergence Station." }, { "trip": "sd-to-chicago", "day": "31", "date": "2026-06-13", "dayOfWeek": "Saturday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/sd-to-chicago/day-31/", "actualMiles": 335.6, "elevationGainFt": 11540, "elevationLossFt": 13720, "peakElevationFt": 4698, "highTempF": 113, "lowTempF": 80, "windMph": 8, "windDirection": "WSW", "notes": "The drive home, and the close of the loop. Departed the Oasis at Trip A 5,908.5 (113 F, the trip's hottest ambient), charged at Yermo (paid Tesla), Barstow, San Bernardino, and Temecula (all free RAN), and rolled into the San Diego driveway at Trip A 6,244.1 on roughly 4,842 kWh. 335.6 miles on the day, a 1.29 mi/kWh whole-trip average, and the heat finally broke to 73 F by nightfall." }, { "trip": "post-trip-repairs", "day": "01", "date": "2026-06-15", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/post-trip-repairs/day-01/", "actualMiles": 49.1, "energyUsedKwh": 48, "efficiencyMiPerKwh": 1.02, "notes": "Day closed at the dealer. The full home-to-San-Marcos drop ran 49.1 miles of towing, including the overnight stage at the San Diego Rio V4 Supercharger, at 1.02 mi/kWh on 48 kWh. The loaded morning leg up I-15 to 558 ft pulled the average down from the 1.11 mi/kWh home-to-Rio segment. The arrival dashboard read Trip A 6,293.9, the truck odometer that has not been reset since before the big trip, on 4,882 kWh, compass NE 69 degrees, 558 ft, 72 F, tires 46 to 53 psi. Pulled into Airstream of San Diego at 8:27 AM and dropped the camper for the service list." }, { "trip": "utah-ducati-run", "day": "01", "date": "2026-06-29", "dayOfWeek": "Monday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/utah-ducati-run/day-01/", "actualMiles": 332, "energyUsedKwh": 160, "elevationGainFt": 13270, "elevationLossFt": 11070, "peakElevationFt": 4711, "highTempF": 84, "lowTempF": 73, "windMph": 11, "windDirection": "NNE", "notes": "San Diego to San Bernardino was a stale-Trip-B leg, so that 111 miles is the GPS route; Trip B got reset at the San Bernardino charger. Two clean empty-R1T legs followed: San Bernardino to Barstow, 67.3 miles over Cajon Pass at 2.11 mi/kWh (32 kWh), then Barstow to Las Vegas, 153.8 miles across the desert at 2.06 mi/kWh (74 kWh). That pair, right around 2.1 mi/kWh unladen, is the baseline to hold the towed return against. Whole-trip Trip A ran 6,565.9 at San Bernardino, 6,633.1 at Barstow, and 6,786.9 pulling into Las Vegas. Three Rivian Adventure Network charges on the day, all free via the referral. No trailer outbound; the towing comparison starts on the way home." }, { "trip": "utah-ducati-run", "day": "02", "date": "2026-06-30", "dayOfWeek": "Tuesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/utah-ducati-run/day-02/", "actualMiles": 491, "energyUsedKwh": 242, "elevationGainFt": 11730, "elevationLossFt": 7400, "peakElevationFt": 6781, "highTempF": 82, "lowTempF": 78, "windMph": 7, "windDirection": "E", "notes": "The empty-truck baseline, complete: 490.9 miles up I-15 into Utah (Trip A 6,786.9 to 7,277.8). Four charge-to-charge legs, all with no trailer: Vegas to Beaver 230.6 mi at 1.87 mi/kWh (the climb over the Virgin River Gorge), Beaver to Park City 212.6 mi, then Park City down to the Salt Lake Valley 38.3 mi at 3.38 mi/kWh, the best number of the trip from the 2,700 ft descent and regen. Three RAN charges on the day, all free, about 328 kWh total. This is the empty efficiency the towed return gets measured against, same truck, same I-15, once the Ducati is on the U-Haul." }, { "trip": "utah-ducati-run", "day": "03", "date": "2026-07-01", "dayOfWeek": "Wednesday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/utah-ducati-run/day-03/", "actualMiles": 349, "energyUsedKwh": 205, "elevationGainFt": 5830, "elevationLossFt": 4360, "peakElevationFt": 6608, "highTempF": 85, "lowTempF": 68, "windMph": 12, "windDirection": "SSW", "notes": "The pivot day, and the first towed number. About 11.5 local miles in the Salt Lake Valley, then the enclosed U-Haul trailer and the 2025 Ducati went on and the real work began. The first towed leg, Sandy to Beaver, read 195.0 miles on 123 kWh by the Trip B segment counter, so 1.59 mi/kWh, and the continuous Trip A odometer (7,289.3 to 7,484.3) corroborates it at 1.61. Against the roughly 2 mi/kWh empty baseline from the way out that is close to a 20 percent hit, and with the load this light (a ~1,000 lb empty trailer plus a ~400 lb Ducati, call it 1,400 loaded) it is the enclosed box's aero drag doing almost all of it, exactly the variable the trip was built to isolate. The Rivian's own towing screen agreed on the efficiency, 1.6 mi/kWh for the U-Haul 5x8 profile. It also threw out a trailer weight of 2,500 lb, but that is not a real scale reading, the truck estimates it once at park-exit from how hard the motors are working, so grade skews it (uphill reads heavier, downhill lighter). Take it as a how-hard-is-it-working proxy, not the true ~1,400 lb. A single paid Tesla splash in Nephi (18.82 kWh, $7.52) kept the loaded truck in range between free RAN stops. After the Beaver charge the day kept rolling, a second towed leg down the Virgin River Gorge to Mesquite, Nevada, 142.5 miles on 84 kWh, about 1.70 mi/kWh, better than the climb because the gorge drops more than 4,000 feet and the regen pays some of it back. That closes Day 3 at Trip A 7,626.8, 337.5 towed miles from Sandy at roughly 1.65 mi/kWh overall, parked for the night in Mesquite with the Ducati still in the box." }, { "trip": "utah-ducati-run", "day": "04", "date": "2026-07-02", "dayOfWeek": "Thursday", "url": "https://wattreach.com/trips/utah-ducati-run/day-04/", "actualMiles": 519, "energyUsedKwh": 339, "highTempF": 93, "lowTempF": 66, "windMph": 10, "windDirection": "W", "notes": "The run home, still towing. Out of Mesquite at 6:08 in the morning with Trip A at 7,626.8 and Trip B reset. A dawn Tesla splash at Moapa, 41.98 kWh for $19.73 at $0.47/kWh, to get ahead of the heat, then back onto the free Rivian network into Las Vegas. The Mesquite to Las Vegas leg read 90.6 miles on 60 kWh, about 1.49 mi/kWh. Then across the Mojave into California, over the climb to Mountain Pass and down to Barstow, 154.5 miles on 106 kWh, about 1.45 mi/kWh, in 93°F heat with the motors up to 163°F. Then the long drop to the coast, Barstow to Orange County, 174.3 miles on 108 kWh, about 1.61 mi/kWh, the best towed number of the return as the descent to sea level and cooler air did the work. Trip A 8,046.2 by early evening, 419 towed miles on the day at about 1.53 mi/kWh. The caveat that matters for the empty-versus-towed comparison still holds, the towed legs run 55 to 65 mph in All-Purpose while the empty baseline ran 75 to 85 in Conserve, so speed shifts alongside the trailer. From Orange County it was the final push home to San Diego through LA traffic, parked late in the evening. The arrival odometer was not photographed, so the last leg home is estimated at roughly 100 miles and 65 kWh, which rounds the day to about 519 miles on 339 kWh and closes the trip near Trip A 8,146. The trailer and Ducati are home." } ] }