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Day 15 / 31

Day 14 Day 16

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Fox Lake basecamp + solo Rivian to Rockford and back through McHenry

First untethered day. A quick paid Tesla v3 top-up in Rockford after leaving camp at low SoC, then the real charge at the McHenry IONNA in the evening.

  • 144 miles
  • ~4.5 drive hours
  • Rockford IL Tesla Supercharger V3 (McFarland Rd) first charge
  • Friends near Fox Lake, IL tonight

Weather: Midwest spring, mid-70s

The day, by the numbers

  1. Miles driven143.9mi
  2. Cost per mile32.3¢ / mi charging
  3. Towing efficiency2.36mi / kWh143.9 mi · 61 kWh
  4. Energy61kWh used · 180 kWh charged across 2 sessions
  5. Wind10mph ENEMostly headwind
  6. Temperature81°F63 – 81°F range
  7. Peak elevation1,030ft↑ 1,170 ft↓ 1,170 ft
  8. Avg speed35mph · 4.1 hr moving
Photographs

Day 15 in pictures
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Stops, in order

The day

  1. optional experience

    Tornado safe room (visiting friends and family)

    A peek at a prefab TornadoSafeRoom storm shelter (designed and verified to FEMA 320 spec) we saw while visiting friends and family in tornado country. Steel walls, bench seating, and a bin of supplies inside ready to go. The kind of thing the coasts forget the Midwest still plans around.

  2. charge

    Rockford IL Tesla Supercharger V3 (morning top-up)

    Paid Tesla V3 stop in Rockford at 10:28 AM (3155 McFarland Road), solo Rivian no trailer. Left camp at very low SoC so this was a quick top-up to get the day going, not a full charge: 47.0022 kWh in 16 min at $0.43/kWh = $20.21 (Invoice 3000P0312681338). Trip B from the friends' place: 80.6 mi at 2.36 mi/kWh, 34 kWh used. The contrast with the towing legs is wild: 2.36 mi/kWh untethered vs the 0.9 to 1.1 we have been getting under load. Trip A 2,806.8, 1.26 mi/kWh cumulative across 2,231 kWh trip-to-date.

    Map 42.2685, -89.0935

  3. food

    Wild Cherrys, Belvidere (lunch)

    Headwind on this leg 10 mph from the ENE

    Lunch at Wild Cherrys in Belvidere, a dog-friendly spot, so Mission came in and parked under the table with us. An easy call on a day built around family time and the solo Rivian.

    Map Official site 42.2639, -88.8443

  4. activity

    Lentz Detail, Cherry Valley

    Finally got the Rivian detailed at Lentz Detail in Cherry Valley (a come-to-you crew, 815-323-2505). First proper clean since San Diego, 2,800 mi of bugs and charge-stop dust gone. It looks brand new.

    Map Official site 42.2350, -88.9473

  5. charge

    McHenry IL IONNA Rechargery (evening charge)

    Headwind on this leg 10 mph from the ENE

    Big evening top-off at the IONNA Rechargery Relay at the Casey's (1901 N Richmond Rd, McHenry IL), 5:52 to 6:56 PM. 132.798 kWh in 1h 3m 57s at $0.39/kWh, $51.79 + $4.14 tax = $55.93 (Order 279252285). Trip A 2,870.2 by the end; Trip B since Rockford 63.4 mi.

    Map 42.3375, -88.2615

  6. sleep

    Friends near Fox Lake, IL

    Back to the friends'' place for the night.

    Map 42.3963, -88.1834

A close-up of the TornadoSafeRoom registered plate inside a prefab steel storm shelter we saw visiting family, with the manufacturer's toll-free number and the FEMA 320 verification note
Day 15 TornadoSafeRoom plate inside the shelter, FEMA 320 verified.
San Diego Home DAY 15
Charging plan

Where the electrons come from

  • Tesla

    Rockford IL Tesla Supercharger V3 (McFarland Rd)

    3155 McFarland Road, Rockford IL 61114 (250 kW DC V3). Quick paid top-up after leaving camp at very low SoC, 47.0022 kWh in 16 min at $0.43/kWh for $20.21.

  • IONNA

    McHenry IL IONNA Rechargery (Casey's)

    1901 N Richmond Rd, McHenry IL, the Rechargery Relay at the Casey's. Evening top-off, 132.798 kWh for $55.93 at $0.39/kWh (Order 279252285).

Detailed charging data

8 receipts, app screens, pedestal displays, and Rivian dashboard readouts. Click through with the arrows; tap the tile to view full size.

Untethered Trip B to Rockford, 80.6 mi at 2.36 mi/kWh, 34 kWh. Twice the towing efficiency on the same Illinois roads.
Trip A 2,806.8 mi at the Rockford Tesla V3 top-up, 1.26 mi/kWh and 2,231 kWh trip-to-date, straight off the dash.
Tesla app session detail for the Rockford morning top-up, 47 kWh in 16 min for $20.21.
Tesla emailed invoice, 3155 McFarland Rd, Rockford, $20.21 paid.
Trip A 2,870.2 by the McHenry evening top-off, ~144 mi for the day untethered.
Trip B 63.4 mi from Rockford to McHenry, the evening loop back east.
McHenry IONNA receipt on the charger screen, 132.8 kWh for $55.93.
IONNA email receipt for the McHenry session. 132.8 kWh in 1h 4m, $55.93 ($0.39/kWh + tax).
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Next on the trip

Day 16, Racine and Kenosha: a Lake Michigan day trip from the Fox Lake basecamp

A rest day from towing turned into an untethered Rivian run up into southeast Wisconsin. The Racine lakefront and breakwater, the gold Golden Rondelle at SC Johnson, the red Kenosha North Pier light, Mars Cheese Castle off I-94, and Wells Brothers pizza in Racine.

85 mi · ~2.5 (local, untethered) · wisconsin