Silverado EV first tow with our T@B 400

RTWCTS · May 21

We just had our breakout trip of the year using our Chevy Silverado EV as a TV. We were very pleased with the results so far.

MILAGE
The truck averaged 1.2MI/KW while towing. This gives us a range of about 250miles between charges. The battery pack is 205KW.The truck averages about 2.3MI/KW when not towing. The decline is similar (about 50%) to what we see towing with our Chevy Colorado.
CHARGING
We were easily able to recharge to 100% at the 50A campground pedestal overnight. This was a positive looking towards longer trips. The truck can take up to 350KW/HR charging. Our route took us past several GM 350KW chargers, so if we needed an enroute recharge it wouldn't have taken too long (We are aware that not all Superchargers run at 350KW). This'd be perfect for a lunch break or a stretch of the legs after several hours of driving.
POWERING THE 400

The Silverado EV has on board power distribution. We were able to run the T@B on AC from the truck. We had full power to all the outlets, microwave, etc. The only thing we didn't test was the air conditioning- it just wasn't hot enough to run. There were no issues with our on-board Progressive Industries EMS powering from the truck (like having to use a neutral/ground bonding plug with a generator). Additionally, we were able to use pass through power. We powered the 400 on AC from the truck while the truck was charging at the pedestal.
NEXT STEPS
The next thing we want to test is running the T@B air conditioning off of the truck power. We're waiting for some hot & sticky Virginia weather to test that. We look forward to boondocking with our new power source and seeing how much we drain the truck battery running the air conditioning, etc. If it works like expected, we'll be able to comfortably boondock in the heat of southern summer. That is something we've avoided thus far.

rfuss928 · May 23

RTWCTS
You might find this AutoWeek article interesting. Similar mileage observations as you.
I like that it works as a power source for your camper.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a64706004/2025-chevrolet-silverado-ev-work-truck-drive-review/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_aut&utm_medium=email&date=050925&utm_campaign=nl01_050925_AUT39798296&oo=&user_email=205276e166dc37baab0028e9baf3bb217ba1a84a8db495e7324c281e4cf82423&GID=205276e166dc37baab0028e9baf3bb217ba1a84a8db495e7324c281e4cf82423&utm_term=TEST- NEW TEST - Sending List - AM 180D Clicks, NON AM 90D Opens, Both Subbed Last 30D

MuttonChops · May 23

Thanks for the details.

I'm wondering how different camp grounds with 50A service will react to EV Charging.
Charging your EV all-night on the pedestal when the Campground is Full and weather requires air conditioning seems like a situation that will cause campground power issues; brown out or full shutdown.

qhumberd · May 23

My suspicion is this is where campground power systems could benefit from a smart panel that will automatically detect loads and share appropriate amperage among all the circuits. This type of smart panel would replace the central breaker panel in the campground and then be able to manage each of the pedestals. This would assume, of course, that the campground plans enough overall power for the increased electric load. As only 10% of vehicles in the United States are EV at present, I think there is time as this begins to ramp up.

As electric vehicles have to pay for public charging at nearly all locations now, It seems inevitable that some sort of smart metering system is going to be needed at campgrounds to appropriately reimburse the campground owner for the increase infrastructure associated with electric tow vehicles. This additional fee is still going to be less than buying traditional fuel for the tow vehicle.

RTWCTS · May 23

MuttonChops said:
I'm wondering how different camp grounds with 50A service will react to EV Charging.

Some campgrounds (i.e. most KOA) have a policy against EV charging at the site. It is not an issue at most, and where we intend on booking to use this capability (not in the habit of breaking the rules).

MuttonChops said:
Charging your EV all-night on the pedestal when the Campground is Full and weather requires air conditioning seems like a situation that will cause campground power issues; brown out or full shutdown.

I didn't drill down into all the details in my first post, waiting to see what comments would surface.
Consider:
1.EV charging can't really pull more Amps at a given time than the 5th wheeler that we park next to. The limit is 50A. Chevrolet's portable level 2 charger (that we use) is rated at 38A, even when plugged in to a 50A outlet.
2. In our part of the country off-peak times for electricity rates are in the late evening/early morning, when demand is at the lowest (See the current Dominion Energy Rate Chart, below). The only peak demand time is 3PM-6PM on weekdays.

For this reason, we schedule our charging from 12AM-5AM at home. The software in the truck maintained this schedule when we were at the campground.
Perhaps some folks are spreading the 'urban legend' that EVs will cause the grid to collapse (I haven't seen a documented case). We ARE using more electricity than if we just had the camper hooked up to the grid, so the campground's cost is higher. We would be happy to pay an appropriate premium for the convenience of on-site charging. In our travels I have seen some long-term campgrounds that have meters on sites for billing purposes. Currently though the electricity is included in the site cost at most campgrounds.
Lastly, as I alluded to in my opening post in this thread, the goal is to dry camp (boondock) using the truck to augment the T@B's power running everything on AC from the truck. Our next trip is to Assateague National Seashore where we will test doing just that. Hopefully we'll gather some good data to share.

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Silverado EV first tow with our T@B 400

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