First time camping in our Model 3. Watched the Perseids from a very comfortable spot.
We live in the city with lots of light pollution. On a whim, I wanted to see the Perseids Meteor shower. I didn't know the peak shower was just in a few days (Aug 12-13). Well timed with a new moon and clear night sky. I managed to find a park not too far from home with lots of astronomer reviews. I was fine with just driving in to watch the metero showed. But the park closes at sunset... unless you reserve a RV/camping spot.
Since this was the middle of the work week we had very little time to organize. Quick trip to Bass Pro Shops to get a tent and some sleeping bags. Mind you, I haven't been camping since I was a teen. That time it was a fiasco with mosquitos, lumpy ground, and weather. The Model 3 with camping mode enabled was a real game changer for me. The kids stayed in the tent that had a mesh roof so they could continue to watch the meteor shower until they fell asleep. I was asleep in relative comfort inside the car.
By 6am the sun was rising we packed up and left camp before the ranger station opened. And I was back in the office drinking office coffee no one being any wiser that we were just in the camping in the Keys.
Some takeaways:
The camp site had 5-15 and TT30 plugs. The 5-15 was just enough to cool the cabin and charge devices. Plugged into the 120v we only gained 3% charge.
Cabin lights. I don't know if there is a way to leave them off. But everytime someone opened a door it ruined my nightvision. I had to tap on each light to turn them off.
Sleeping. I slept upfront by retracting the steering wheel, sliding the seat all the way back and resting my feet on the dash. Trunk was full of camping, beach, and first aid gear. And no way I'm fitting in the rear.
A lot of thought went into camping mode. When you start the fire starts off small and grows overtime, like a real fireplace.
The beach we camped at was Bahia Honda Key. We were just a few feet from the ocean. It was an awesome experience and I might do it again. Though I wish we had a Model Y for the space, our 3 is almost paid off and it was plenty enough for us.