Living in The Lightning On The Road -- Almost a Year and Counting

[Sdctcher]

Thanks Nikos. I have seen very few teardrops and no Lightnings camping as yet. Certainly, I am probably one of a handfull with both Lightning and Small Camper doing this fulltime. Ha! That is the reason I posted to give anyone else dreaming of doing the same, and having the resources and ability, an idea of pitfalls and benefits. Sometimes it is not so fun but overall I relish the freedom to follow warm weather and fresh air to breathe away from the cities. Doing this fulltime without a home base is a step up from weekending because most everything I own or may need must fit into the truck and trailer. I do wish Ford would send me the adapter (ordered last Feb) but now they say Feb. 2025 (maybe). I miss my Lectric 3.0 ebike but my new Aventon Sinch 2.5 is a step up with Torque Sensor - I will never go back to Cadence.

EDIT: Whoops! Ford must have heard me trashing them about my adapter! Tesla here I come.

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[21st Century Truck]

Thanks Nikos. I have seen very few teardrops and no Lightnings camping as yet.

Here's our Lightning and our teardrop (TimberLeaf Pika):

 

[Sdctcher]

Here's our Lightning and our teardrop (TimberLeaf Pika):

Very Cool. Love the Blue and Blue. Timberleaf came in 3rd Place on my Buy List.

 

[Sdctcher]

Ford calls this a "Frunk" but I call it my Food Pantry.

 

[Nikos]

Ford calls this a "Frunk" but I call it my Food Pantry.

What you need is portable powered fridge/freezer cooler on wheels to keep your perishables from spoiling. It should fit in the bed of the truck.

 

[Sdctcher]

Today is Thursday, so it must be Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. I carry all the supplies I ever need to bake cookies, cakes, and pies from scratch in my toaster oven. Yum!

 

[Nikos]

Today is Thursday, so it must be Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. I carry all the supplies I ever need to bake cookies, cakes, and pies from scratch in my toaster oven. Yum!

Then…….you got this.!!!!!!

 

[Sdctcher]

What you need is portable powered fridge/freezer cooler on wheels to keep your perishables from spoiling. It should fit in the bed of the truck.

I have a 48Q AC/DC Fridge/Freezer in my camper kitchen (except for the wheels) and another smaller non-powered ice chest I use to transport groceries. Mostly use the fridge for vegs, milk, butter, and left overs (my meat diet is limited) and I am careful not to buy any more food at a time I do not have room for.

 

[vvgogh]

You could save space with this Ninja Air fryer. I think it's a little more space efficient with a higher internal/total volume ratio. I bake cookies and pizza in it off Lightning power. It also flips up to save valuable horizontal space when not in use.

Your gas stove is nicely integrated. For other folks, this induction cooktop is a bit smaller, and works great off Lightning power.

They have an infinite return policy at Costco if something goes awry.

 

[Sdctcher]

You could save space with this Ninja Air fryer. I think it's a little more space efficient with a higher internal/total volume ratio. I bake cookies and pizza in it off Lightning power. It also flips up to save valuable horizontal space when not in use.

Your gas stove is nicely integrated. For other folks, this induction cooktop is a bit smaller, and works great off Lightning power.

They have an infinite return policy at Costco if something goes awry.

Thanks for the suggestions. When I bought my Emeril Lagasse oven about 4 years ago I liked the Ninjas but they were not big enough to bake a large chicken or small turkey (my electric range oven had just bit the dust) and I can also bake two batches of cookies or two cake pans at once. So as long as it keeps working I am stuck with it. It's size is not a problem as I carry it in the camper.

I wanted an induction cooktop but could not justify an investment in new cookware or the price of an induction with adjustable wattage, so I settled for a $14.99 Walmart 2 burner hotplate.

 

[Sdctcher]

CAMPING OUT IN JANUARY
SLOW CHARGING SOLUTIONS?

As you might guess, camping and living on the road during the depth of the winter is not for thin-skinned, warm-blooded creatures. I am wintering on the Salton Sea, near Palm Springs CA, right now the warmest spot in the US; days 65ish and nights 40ish and 20% humidity. This is ideal compared to everyone else's weather. But nights below 40 degrees, even in my cabin, are not fun. I have a furnace I could fire up if the cold gets too painful, but that is a hassle and uses resources. I have researched electric blankets but don't want to use up precious electrical resources. Once, so far, I did retreat to a hotel on an especially cold windy night, and got a hot shower to boot.

I also have discovered my truck's slow charging on a 120V campsite hook up really slows at night. I wish I could speed it up.

I wish there was a way to use the full amperage of the site's 30A plug in but I have not discovered it yet. Now I bell down from 30A to a 120V plug. I tried using a 30A male to 50A female dongle to connect my Ford Mobile Charger but it will not send power to the truck. I understand that there are other better mobile chargers on the market but I would rather not buy another right now. I wish Ford would send me a 30A male dongle that plugs directly into my charger. Right now the only two options are 120V and 50A plugs.

Any suggestions? Or am I doing something wrong?

 

[21st Century Truck]

CAMPING OUT IN JANUARY
SLOW CHARGING SOLUTIONS?

I also have discovered my truck's slow charging on a 120V campsite hook up really slows at night. I wish I could speed it up.

I wish there was a way to use the full amperage of the site's 30A plug in but I have not discovered it yet. Now I bell down from 30A to a 120V plug.

Any suggestions? Or am I doing something wrong?

The charger inside our trucks (and inside all North America market area EVs) senses the provided voltage. If the receptacle-provided voltage is at 120V, the car's (truck's) charger will automatically demand no more than 12 amps while charging, so as to not overdraw from a common NEMA 15-5 receptacle which is designed to supply no more that 15-amps.

I understand this is a safety limitation agreed to in the J1772 standard.

Yeah it's unfortunate that we can't draw up to 30 amps on the old-style TTY receptacles at RV sites, but there's be no way for the car / truck to distinguish what type of 120V NEMA receptacle it is drawing juice from.

 

[carys98]

The charger inside our trucks (and inside all North America market area EVs) senses the provided voltage. If the receptacle-provided voltage is at 120V, the car's (truck's) charger will automatically demand no more than 12 amps while charging, so as to not overdraw from a common NEMA 15-5 receptacle which is designed to supply no more that 15-amps.

I understand this is a safety limitation agreed to in the J1772 standard.

Yeah it's unfortunate that we can't draw up to 30 amps on the old-style TTY receptacles at RV sites, but there's be no way for the car / truck to distinguish what type of 120V NEMA receptacle it is drawing juice from.

J1772 does allow for 16A charging on a 20A 120V circuit but Ford is very conservative so they only implemented the 12A standard.

 

[Sdctcher]

J1772 does allow for 16A charging on a 20A 120V circuit but Ford is very conservative so they only implemented the 12A standard.

Thanks. I understand all of this. My problem is the site provides me with a 3 prong standard RV 30A plug in but my Ford Mobile Charger connectors only give me the option of a 120V or 50A (4 prong).

 

[Sdctcher]

Probably another stupid question, but I have a pet peave. When I pull into a site and connect my truck bed power outlet to my camper I understand that my truck must remain "running" for the duration (and also to keep my Lightning WiFi powered up). My peave is in order to keep my truck on I am forced to monitor it for about 1/2 hr. until it beeps and tells me to click the OK button on the steering wheel to keep the truck ON. There must be a more manual and easier way?

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