Will a Lightning work for me (towing + frequent offroad use)?

[sunrise089]

Hi! I'm a 'car guy' and a 'tech guy' but have preferred to keep those interests separate and drive low-tech simple vehicles. My current truck is a Jeep Gladiator with a manual transmission. I love my truck but I am considering replacing it with a Lightning because: a) I drive nearly 2,500 miles/month and 17mpg is crushing me; b) I'll benefit from the greater capabilities of a half-ton truck; and c) the Gladiator has only marginal on-road performance with the stick plus 35" tires and it would be nice to gain some passing power.

I've read enough to know most of the obvious red flags don't apply to me: I can charge at home; I have access to an ICE vehicle for any infrequent log trips; I'm in Florida so cold weather isn't an issue, etc. I do have a few questions about my use case and my economic calculus which I'd love peoples' perspective on:

Main question: My family is in the beef cattle business, so while I won't be doing any hard-core rock crawling or mudding, the truck will be used as a truck. My 'truck' usage includes using the bed ~150 days each year (with ~20 days carrying 1,000+lbs); towing a trailer ~50 days each year mostly in the 3,000lbs-5,000lbs range; driving down dirt/gravel roads ~200 days each year; and driving through fields and pastures ~100 days each year. While I'm sure the Lightning will handle the payload and tow weight better than my Gladiator, the offroad use concerns me, especially given I plan to level/lift the truck to gain much needed ground clearance but possibly at the cost of suspension travel(?). I'm not driving like an idiot but I also don't have time to baby the truck offroad - will the Lightning's suspension perform well enough and hold up under that sort of usage? If it matters I'm currently leaning towards a used Lariat ER and adding the Rough Country 3" lift.

Small question: As I said my current truck gets 17mpg. From what I've read a Lightning will get around 2.0miles/kwh, and a lifted Lightning with bigger tires will get around 1.7miles. When comparing costs do I also need to factor in charging losses or do the 2.0/1.7 figures already factor that in? FYI my electricity cost is $.111/kwh and I expect 100% of my charging to be at home so my math has me saving about $4k/year on fuel.

Small question: I won't consider any SR trucks without the tow package, but I'm unsure how much to prioritize the tow package on an ER. I probably won't ever tow more than 7,700lbs but the additional cooling has a lot of appeal as I'll be towing lower weights fairly frequently in a warm climate. Is there a consensus on the package's value at lower towing weights?

Small question: Has anyone carried a round hay bale in their bed? The bed will handle the weight easily but I'm unsure about the tailgate. In my Gladiator I use a small trailer but carrying the bale in the bed is a big potential advantage in upgrading to a half-ton.

Small question: I'd like to run 34"-35" tires because I need the ground clearance. I'd love to do Raptor take-offs but I'm not comfortable using a spacer, so I assume my best bet is stock XLT 18" rims. Any recommendations for tires? I'd love a mud terrain but I suspect that will hurt efficiency even more so hopefully there is an A/S or A/T tire which is reasonably efficient while still working well offroad. I can also post this in the tires/wheels subforum but figured I'd include it here too.

Thank you for any and all thoughts and advice!

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[RickKeen]

Lightning bed and tailgate will be the same as the ICE Ford tailgate. If the round bale fits in the 5-1/2 foot box, it should be fine in regards to weight. The smaller 4' wide ones should be no problem.
The large 5x6' rounds are going to be awkward in a 5-1/2' box pickup. And if wet will be up around your maximum payload. You might still prefer to use the trailer.

Have not seen anybody swap out the bed for a flatbed setup on the Lightning. But there are manufacturers who make "Bale" beds for pickups. Most are for larger 1 ton pickups and hold two bales, but some do have 1/2 ton setups for one bale that would likely work.

 

[Ragman]

As a farm truck it "will" work fine - however related to the bale question the tailgate (particularly the Lariat) - looks like a $5k repair bill waiting to happen. My Lariat currently has 4 baler belts and oil for tractors in the back, skid tank and parts are in the back of F250 diesel (also gooseneck / pulling truck), and stock water tank is in back of F150 the Lightning replaced. Both the other trucks are worth maybe $10k combined, would I get rid of either and put water or skid tank in Lightning? No...

Right tool for the right job, can the Lightning do it - sure - and in 300k miles it may get the water tank too... lol!

 

[Maquis]

When I used to haul round bales in the bed (way before Lightning) I always removed the tailgate. I unloaded by strapping the bale to a tree or post and driving out from under it. I’m sure that any tailgate would have sustained damage doing that.

 

[CyclopsThere]

What distance will you be doing your heavy payload and tow? IMO that dictates whether the truck will work for you or not. Pretend you're going to get 1/2 the non-payload efficiency with your fancy giant tires, so 0.8 mi/kWh, and calc your roundtrip. If the number works then you're probably going to be just fine.

You'll be towing 1/2 your max capacity so it probably wouldnt hurt for you to get tow package. You could go either way on that if it made much of a difference on the numbers

I've offroaded it without payload on stock tires, and IMO the "overstiff" suspension made it ring my bell going over the bigger bumps, but I haven't bottomed out yet. The truck should be able to handle almost everything from a structural standpoint unless it's a "bad year". Others have said that the suspension does a bit better with some payload, and I'd believe it.

 

[Jarratt]

Hi! I'm a 'car guy' and a 'tech guy' but have preferred to keep those interests separate and drive low-tech simple vehicles. My current truck is a Jeep Gladiator with a manual transmission. I love my truck but I am considering replacing it with a Lightning because: a) I drive nearly 2,500 miles/month and 17mpg is crushing me; b) I'll benefit from the greater capabilities of a half-ton truck; and c) the Gladiator has only marginal on-road performance with the stick plus 35" tires and it would be nice to gain some passing power.

I've read enough to know most of the obvious red flags don't apply to me: I can charge at home; I have access to an ICE vehicle for any infrequent log trips; I'm in Florida so cold weather isn't an issue, etc. I do have a few questions about my use case and my economic calculus which I'd love peoples' perspective on:

Main question: My family is in the beef cattle business, so while I won't be doing any hard-core rock crawling or mudding, the truck will be used as a truck. My 'truck' usage includes using the bed ~150 days each year (with ~20 days carrying 1,000+lbs); towing a trailer ~50 days each year mostly in the 3,000lbs-5,000lbs range; driving down dirt/gravel roads ~200 days each year; and driving through fields and pastures ~100 days each year. While I'm sure the Lightning will handle the payload and tow weight better than my Gladiator, the offroad use concerns me, especially given I plan to level/lift the truck to gain much needed ground clearance but possibly at the cost of suspension travel(?). I'm not driving like an idiot but I also don't have time to baby the truck offroad - will the Lightning's suspension perform well enough and hold up under that sort of usage? If it matters I'm currently leaning towards a used Lariat ER and adding the Rough Country 3" lift.

Small question: As I said my current truck gets 17mpg. From what I've read a Lightning will get around 2.0miles/kwh, and a lifted Lightning with bigger tires will get around 1.7miles. When comparing costs do I also need to factor in charging losses or do the 2.0/1.7 figures already factor that in? FYI my electricity cost is $.111/kwh and I expect 100% of my charging to be at home so my math has me saving about $4k/year on fuel.

Small question: I won't consider any SR trucks without the tow package, but I'm unsure how much to prioritize the tow package on an ER. I probably won't ever tow more than 7,700lbs but the additional cooling has a lot of appeal as I'll be towing lower weights fairly frequently in a warm climate. Is there a consensus on the package's value at lower towing weights?

Small question: Has anyone carried a round hay bale in their bed? The bed will handle the weight easily but I'm unsure about the tailgate. In my Gladiator I use a small trailer but carrying the bale in the bed is a big potential advantage in upgrading to a half-ton.

Small question: I'd like to run 34"-35" tires because I need the ground clearance. I'd love to do Raptor take-offs but I'm not comfortable using a spacer, so I assume my best bet is stock XLT 18" rims. Any recommendations for tires? I'd love a mud terrain but I suspect that will hurt efficiency even more so hopefully there is an A/S or A/T tire which is reasonably efficient while still working well offroad. I can also post this in the tires/wheels subforum but figured I'd include it here too.

Thank you for any and all thoughts and advice!

The Lightning is awesome in snot -- best of the many 4WDs I've owned over the years. The torque is ungodly, particularly in Sport Mode which I use to max out regen braking. It also tows great -- for short distances. To start with, it's only a 150. I still keep a 5.7ltr ICE for long (& gooseneck) hauls. I wouldn't pull my bumper pull trailer more than 150 total miles -- less in winter.

FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised if 35" tires took the kwh below 1.7. My max tow XLT has a wonderful suspension that's very heavy duty. When I put a pallet of feed on it, it only drops a couple of inches. I think that setup would handle the field hauls well especially in snow & mud.

If you want to fully charge fast, say to take advantage of nighttime off-peak rates, I recommend the 80amp Charger Pro. It was included in my purchase, but I think it no longer is. It adds 50/mi hr -- a 48amp charger is about half that.

PS: I also keep a short wheelbase, high clearance ranch truck for wood runs and serious off road stuff. I wouldn't want to get the Lightning stuck. Finally, I you use a generator a lot, you'll love powering all your tools off the 8 120v receptacles (+ 1 240). You literally can run a whole job site. Having had a dozen power tools running all day is the equivalent of driving less than 10 mi.

 

[sunrise089]

Thank you all very much for the responses so far. Three clarifications:

*the round bales in my part of Florida are only 4’ and are dry hay, so the bed weight and space shouldn’t be an issue unless I’m really messing up measuring the bed. It’s tough to get a reliable weight number for them but it’s likely in the 500-700lb range hence my tailgate concerns.

*I have access to diesel 1-ton trucks from the family business for any serious hauling. My preference though is to use my own truck when I can.

*My parents and sister ranch full time. I’m a part-timer and help out especially in the busy times (fall/winter for us). Hence my desire to have my daily driver do as much work as possible - there isn’t enough money in this side venture to buy, insure, and maintain additional trucks.

A Lightning will raise (but not eliminate) my ‘swap’ truck threshold for towing and payload. I just want to make sure it won’t LOWER my threshold too much for off-road driving - right now if I can see part of a pasture I can drive there, doesn’t matter how much rain we got or how much deep sand there is.

 

[Scorpio3d]

As somewhat stated before the main question as far as it being right for you is how far, how often and how much weight do you tow! First off, I will say that the lightning is a absolute beast when it comes to hauling. (I have not towed a trailer yet.) You barely even know you have anything in the bed and you have all the torque and power from zero(You can tell the truck is heavier, It seems to float a little more but you can still accelerate almost like you have nothing in it)
One major difference in these trucks and the ICE trucks is the independent rear suspension.

You are going to take a range hit with the bigger tires for sure and possibly a little with a lift.

It is almost the opposite of an ICE vehicle. As far as range is concerned, places where you have a lot of stop and go it regenerates and gives you a little extra juice but when you are on the highway, you get much less range because you are not getting any regeneration where in an ice vehicle you get less range in the stop and go driving and better range when you can just let it go down the road.

 

[Zaptor]

I don't haul bales, but I tow and haul other stuff all the time. I picked up about 7-8k lbs of flagstone yesterday in my dump trailer an hour and a half away and made it home with charge to spare... and only had 75% when I left home (I have a Lariat and an XLT, both ER, this was the XLTs day). It honestly tows better than any truck I've ever had, like there's nothing back there. We camp a lot and absolutely load the bed from the bottom to the top of the canopy (on the Lariat, SmartCap) and there is still plenty of suspension travel. I put burly tires (Mickey Thompsons) on the Lariat and did lose some efficiency, hard to say how much but I'd guess 8-10%. The XLT has the stock 'smooth' road tires and definitely outperforms the guess-o-meter regularly. We have 2 properties, one of which is down a gravel road, up a mountain, and all 'off-road'; we raise sheep, goats and alpacas, and this is a truck like any other truck, capable of doing things any other truck in its class can do, and mine are dirty and offroad more than they are clean and at the mall, that's for sure! I bet you'd love the truck, and I'm sure it'd work for you, although as others suggest, you may want to consider a trailer for those bales rather than tossing them on the power tailgate...
Cheers, good luck, no regrets.
-Zap

 

[TaxmanHog]

. I can also post this in the tires/wheels subforum but figured I'd include it here too.

Keep the post right here as it's covering many concerns & aspects, tandem threads get messy with recurring posts.

 

[Scorpio3d]

I drive nearly 2,500 miles/month and 17mpg is crushing me

My previous vehicle was an 2016 expedition so I feel your pain I got about 17mpg also.
This was one of the main reasons I went with the lightning! I do not tow a trailer very often.
If you got one mile per kilowatt hour @$.11/kwh cost to drive 2500 miles would be roughly $275. So at 2mi/kwh $137.50.
Gas would cost you $441 for 2500 miles at $3 per gallon. $368 @ 2.50/gal.
(Assuming I did the math, right!)
The other factor to look at is what size is your breaker panel wherever you would install a charger the Ford ChargeStationPro is an 80 amp charger requires 100 amp breaker. There are other chargers you can install but they are lower amps = less power added per hour. So potentially, you could have some pretty high upfront costs for installing a high powered charger as you may have to change out or add a second breaker panel!

 

[FloridaMan655321]

OP and I have a little bit in common. Gladiator in manual, live in FL, considering a Lightning. I don’t have the farm needs, but still.
I have no helpful information, but I hope you (and me) move forward with a Lightning. I think I’m pretty stuck on the Flash trim, just sucks for me as in my area there aren’t any and I’ll probably have to drive 2 hours or so one weekend.

 

[Scorpio3d]

OP and I have a little bit in common. Gladiator in manual, live in FL, considering a Lightning. I don’t have the farm needs, but still.
I have no helpful information, but I hope you (and me) move forward with a Lightning. I think I’m pretty stuck on the Flash trim, just sucks for me as in my area there aren’t any and I’ll probably have to drive 2 hours or so one weekend.

He was talking about purchasing a used lariat, but depending on where you are both located perhaps you could combine forces and get a deal since you would be buying one. It would be a good incentive for a dealer to be able to sell two vehicles.
Also, a new one would be potentially available for the tax incentive. I doubt you would buy a used one that would Qualify!
-My two cents-Probably worth less than that

 

[FloridaMan655321]

He was talking about purchasing a used lariat, but depending on where you are both located perhaps you could combine forces and get a deal since you would be buying one. It would be a good incentive for a dealer to be able to sell two vehicles.
Also, a new one would be potentially available for the tax incentive. I doubt you would buy a used one that would Qualify!
-My two cents-Probably worth less than that

I meant the first 2 parts, but I do agree in joining forces. One problem is FL men joining forces can be a little intimidating for dealerships

 

[cdherman]

My family farm in western KS got a Lariat ER, courtesy of my insistence. It sees mostly gravel, chalk, and dirt roads. It goes into pastures, though we have avoided the swinging electric gates (they scratch the paint -- all the other trucks are buggered up so we want one truck with decent paint).

My brother knocked off the lower front air dam in the mud and ice last winter. With that gone, he runs it into corn stalks. Not a lot of those in Florida, but they are hell on vehicles at times. If these is away to ram one through a cooler, it happens. I actually think the undercarriage is pretty robust. I drove it 4 miles through 16-22" drifted snow, foot to the pedal cause if I ever stopped, I'd have been done. It drug the whole way. Did not fill up any critical places with packed snow. I know this it not material to Florida, but mud and snow both have a way of finding places they should not be and filling them up.

The front lower cooler opening is a problem out in the weeds, especially this Summer (first one for Lightning) -- it was filling up that space with crap when driving off road in weeds and grass. Brother ordered a grill for that opening. Wet/dry vac helps clean it out. Have not heard him complain about that lately.

Short distance towing is great. He put on a "cushion hitch" to absorb dirt and gravel road potholes. He has towed 18k less than 10 miles. Does NOT have max tow package. Does have tow package with trailer brakes. Longer distances, the real problem is vastly reduced range/much greater consumption when towing. He says it tows better than his HD 2500 Silverado 4x4. Smooth starts, plenty low torque. A manual tranny gladiator has got to be crap for towing.

Stock rims will need to be ditched. Get the ford 64H rims from a HD F150. Easier to clean out. He swapped for some more aggressive tires as well. All this will lead to poorer fuel economy.

I drive EVs as well, and I have wired up the 80A charger at his home, a 48A charger by the house on the farm, an old 40A ClipperCreek in one of the outbuildings, and another 40A at one of the other farm locations (we are spread out). Once you have a number of chargers, keeping it charged is easier.

Hay Bales -- how to place to get them in and out? I think its a PITA to take that tailgate off. But if they are the small version, well it might work. Dunno. The Lariat tailgate was actually a turn OFF for me. I worry on a farm truck, it will get beat up and be a pain to fix. But the step is nice. It doesn't seem real robust. But this is coming from guy who has seen tailgates get every kind of abuse known to man.

In short, I think it can be done. My cousin has a gladiator. He never uses it for real work. Has a diesel 2500 Ram for that.

Some of the savings would depend on your electricity rates. Out there, my family pays $0.10 or $0.12 per kwh. At that rate, even with say 1.5 ml/kwh, at $3.00 gas (conservative) its like getting 40-45 mph. My brother has clocked 12,000 miles in 9 months.

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