What's In Your Frunk? Tesla's Front Truck Preparedness Items

Tesla frunk image via reddit

Frunk or front trunk. Some cars, like Tesla's, have a trunk in the front of the vehicle aka frunk. In the UK this could be referred to as the front boot or "froot." Regardless of what you call it, this is a good place to keep charging accessories and other things that you might need easy access to while traveling. 

What do you carry in your frunk?

You never know what you might run into on the open road and it's best to be prepared. Here are eight things that you should have in your frunk.

The above image has a pretty good list of items. I'd add a few things. During the winter, it's important to have traction control devices; I like Autosocks for this purpose. I'd add a few other items too. 

Here's a list of items that you might want to consider for your preparedness kit: 

1) A Door Mat

The first thing on the list is a simple outdoor rubber mat. 

Much like having a towel when you travel, this will be helpful in many ways. Anytime you need to get on the ground to change a tire, put on chains, or the like; this is handy. If you run an extension cord to charge up, you can also use this mat to cover the cord in a trip hazard area. Finally, the mat can act as a cover for all the other things in your frunk.

2) Ice Scraper / Snow Brush

Item 2 on our list is a snow brush and ice scraper. If you're parked in a snowy area, this is a must-have. I like the long handle type, they make it much easier to reach the center of those large Tesla windshields.

3) Traction Devices

Continuing with our cold weather theme, next on the list is Autosocks. There are a lot of traction device options. Tesla even sells chains specifically made for their vehicles, but my favorite is Autosocks. They are light, compact, easy to put on, and work really well. A modern traction system to go with your modern car and you don't get your wheel-well scrapped up. 

4) Tire Pump

One nice thing about Tesla's (and many other modern vehicles) is that they have built-in tire pressure monitoring systems. They will tell you when a tire's pressure is low and even which tire it is. In an EV, tire pressure can significantly impact your range. So a top-up whenever you see the orange warning light is a good idea. I've had a pump like this one for just over a year and one thing that I really like about it is the auto-shut-off feature. You just set the pressure you want (where ever you like up to 100 PSI) and it will stop when it gets there. Oh, and when you use it, don't forget to through your mat down to keep your knees and the pump out of the mud. If you get this model, you can even get the trim color to match your Tesla's paint (if you have a red or blue Tesla). 

5) Extention Cord

Next on the list is a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord. A plain old US household outlet is not going to get you a lot of range, but if you're staying someplace overnight, you'll have more miles than you did before you went to bed. Depending on the overnight temps, if you don't plug in you could lose 15 to 20 miles of range overnight as the batteries condition themselves. Plugging in avoids this range loss and adds a mile or two per hour. As they say, a plugged-in Tesla is a happy Tesla.

When you are shopping for an extension cable, most are only 8 or 10 amp. To use these you'll have the turn the current level down on the Tesla screen or app to prevent the cable from overheating. Instead, I recommend spending a little more and getting a 15-amp-rated cable. They can better handle the current draw that an EV needs. Make sure you get a 50'+ outdoor cable since you never know where you'll be parked relative to the outlet.

If you want to use more than just a simple household outlet connection, check out our guide to charging on the road for all the various outlets you might encounter and all the adapters you'll need to use them. 

If you get an extension cord, you'll want to get something to contain it or it'll sprawl through the space and tangle. A simple velcro strap will do the trick. 

6) Towels

If I said the mat could be nearly as handy as a towel, then, of course, must include an actual towel. You can wipe down the touch screen, the windows... thousands of ways this microfiber towel could help you.  

Towing. If you plan on towing with your Tesla, check out our towing guide here.

7) Be Seen

Last, but certainly not least is safety. If you are on the roadside at night or in poor visibility situations, you want to be seen. It can make the difference between getting home safely or a tragic event.

This vest is highly visible and the pockets are a nice place to put valve stem caps while you're inflating a tire (I used to lose these all the time). 

8) Safty Lights

Continuing with our safety finally, the last item on the list is roadside LED emergency lights. The side of the road could be a dangerous place to stop, but there are times it's unavoidable. When this happens, you'll want to give other drivers a warning that you're there. Old fashioned chemical burning flares just don't seem right in a modern EV. A battery-powered light that's bright with 12 spinning LEDs seems like a more appropriate option. Keeping you safe while not pouring smoke into the air. 

There's the list of ideas for your frunk. I hope you found something useful. What would you add to the list? 

Disclosures:
This article contains affiliate links 
I am long Tesla