Towing behind RV/ regenerative charging

[jimmyjaz101]

Feasibility question. Would it be possible to tow the Bolt behind an RV with power on and let the regenerative charging cycle energize the battery for later driving at next camp location?

 

[SparkE]

You might want to do some web searches - I seem to recall at least one person saying that the emergency brake auto-turned-on while towing his Bolt, and that it is recommended to disconnect the Bolt's 12V battery when towing to prevent this.

 

[SparkE]

OK, I googled :
. Bolt towing disconnect battery

https://electricrevs.com/2018/05/09/hello-dolly-bolt-ev-hooks-up-with-rv-but-it-doesnt-go-as-planned/

https://www.mychevybolt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6738

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/how-to-tow-a-chevy-bolt-ev-425613.html

https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/flat-towing-the-bolt-behind-motor-home.31573/page-2#post-515369

 

[gpsman]

Yes. Completely doable.

Towing with power on would be like going downhill. Forever. However the car would have to be in Drive which means it would try to creep forward when you stopped the RV. I don't know what it would do if it tried to push and couldn't. Probably nothing.

If you put it in L it would not creep, but regen would be huge, probably too much for long duration. I would try D.

Problem.... tho.... I think the weight / seatbelt sensor needs to feel a person in the seat. In an emergency in the boonies you could tow to charge but I think it's illegal to ride in a towed vehicle.

Technically doable with a person in the seat. Questionable to try without a "driver".

 

[charge]

Problem.... tho.... I think the weight / seatbelt sensor needs to feel a person in the seat. .

I thought it was only necessary to be in the seat to start the car, not keep it in drive after you get up. The creeping thing is a problem though. ...

On the other hand, it would be a good design practice in EVs to have them automatically go into L or P to keep people from having their cars slowly creep away while they pop out to check the mailbox (etc.). Only problem is that the car would be disabled if that one seat sensor failed, another way to get stranded, unless the condition latch could be broken by simply pressing the accelerator pedal, that would work.

 

[BoltEV]

Problem.... tho.... I think the weight / seatbelt sensor needs to feel a person in the seat. .

I thought it was only necessary to be in the seat to start the car, not keep it in drive after you get up...

As an owner of the EVExtend Power System, I am also interested in an answer to this problem.

In my 2013 Chevy Volt, a rubber band around the shifter button would solve this problem, but this does not seem to work in my Bolt EV.

Yes, the system will automatically shut down after a period of time, if just left on and the driver exits the vehicle. I am told that a driver who exits out the passenger door will keep it on, but that solution does not work for me in my garage, when I want the Bolt EV to power my refrigerator and some lights in a power-failure situation.

It has yet to arise, since I installed the EVExtend in my 2019 Bolt EV.

 

[charge]

Maybe easier to just find the Occupancy Seat Sensor wire, and put a switch on it. I assume switch-closed means an occupant is there, so tap the wire before the switch and run the other side of the new switch to ground (normally switch is kept off of course). Wiring diagram needed.

 

[cwerdna]

Problem.... tho.... I think the weight / seatbelt sensor needs to feel a person in the seat. .

I thought it was only necessary to be in the seat to start the car, not keep it in drive after you get up...

As an owner of the EVExtend Power System, I am also interested in an answer to this problem.

In my 2013 Chevy Volt, a rubber band around the shifter button would solve this problem, but this does not seem to work in my Bolt EV.

Yes, the system will automatically shut down after a period of time, if just left on and the driver exits the vehicle. I am told that a driver who exits out the passenger door will keep it on, but that solution does not work for me in my garage, when I want the Bolt EV to power my refrigerator and some lights in a power-failure situation.

It has yet to arise, since I installed the EVExtend in my 2019 Bolt EV.

I am NOT trying to answer the towing question but as for keeping the Bolt from auto-shutting down, the procedure I quoted at https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/using-ev-bolt-battery-for-powering-home.32969/page-2#post-521103 works. The car will stay on if left in neutral. I'm pretty sure you cannot exit from the driver's side, as that IIRC will make it go to Park, which would start the auto-shutdown timer.

I was hit by PG&E PSPS twice in 2019.