RV Trailer Towing With F-150 Lightning - Considerations & Discussions

[EaglesPDX]

The current Model S Plaid record holder is substantially faster than both the Porsche and Kia times

Not on the cross country Cannonball or the run on Kia or the long run on the MachE.

A regular Model S did break the Taycan record set with the EA chargers just a couple weeks ago. But that was due to the long range not the charging, this topic.

Have to stay with facts on the ground, the EA network is working fine and ready for F 150’s.

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[astricklin]

Ford and VAG are both clearly unhappy with how the EA rollout is going, but are not able to control everything.

You do realize that EA is a wholly owned subsidiary of VAG, right? So pretty sure they have a lot of control over it.
Sure they don't have too much control over hardware failures, but they can detect and repair them much faster than they currently are.

 

[techguydave]

While this is true of some charging stations, Electrify America is setting up their new stations with trailers in mind. I have seen many of the newer installations that will accommodate trailers. I still think it will be inconvenient to use some of these but unhitching will not be necessary.

Definitely will still be inconvenient. They need to set it up like gas station pumps. Hell, even one of Ford's stock PR videos shows an EV pulling up to a gas station-like charger. I'm not sure why no one's working on that right now.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

EaglePDX must have an investment in EA. He clearly believes that saying a thing enough makes it true. His own links belie his statements about EA reliability, and when it is clear as day that both Ford and VAG are scrambling top push EA into some semblance of the Supercharger network system reliability, he goes full-denial, provides negative anecdotes about Tesla and positive anecdotes, no real data about EA - I had a friend, I saw a report, whatevs. There is NO question that the EA system does not have real time reporting on charging pylon status, unlike the Supercharger network, and there is NO question that this makes it difficult to do en route planning and make real time updated decisions about where to charge in a non-Tesla EV. My next EV will NOT be a Tesla and WILL rely on the EA network for DCFC which is why I am so concerned and watching this closely.

The FACT is that there is not one single EA charger in place or planned for the entire DelMarVa region, the beach route between the Baltimore/Washington area and the Delaware/Maryland beaches, and coincidentally, my homes on the VA eastern shore and Annapolis, MD. Meanwhile, there are five Tesla Superchargers and dozens of Tesla destination chargers on DelMarVa. So not only is the EA network known to have lower reliability than the Tesla network, it does not even exist in one single iteration in an area where I personally need it and use the Tesla network the most. I am counting on being the squeaky wheel and this being fixed, as there are a LOT of pickup truck drivers in the DelMarVa region, which is flatland farm country, ideal for EVs like the Lightning. One of the largest Ford truck dealers in the U.S is Preston Ford in Preston, MD, in the heart of DelMarVa. I am not dissing EA because I want it to be inferior to the Tesla network - to the contrary - I NEED to to reach parity in order to have a happy wife when we switch over next spring to the Lightning - if we did so today it would not be possible to travel as seamlessly as in the Tesla because the THREE Royal Farms store on my route along Rt 50 in Maryland with Superchargers have zero EA counterparts ANYWHERE along that same route - even if they were as plug-and-play reliable. EA has a LONG way to go to reach parity, irrespective of EaglePDX denials and intentionally misleading links to the contrary. Said by a person who wants that to be untrue and who depends on it being fixed.

 

[EaglesPDX]

There is NO question that the EA system does not have real time reporting on charging pylon status,

I do see available EA chargers in the app. When I knocked one out with the CCS1 adapter, when I moved to the next charger, the one I had zapped showed as “Unavailable”. So it seems close to real time.

Getting back to the towing topic, for an extreme use of an EV such towing, you really need to have the public charging system in place. Even then stopping every 100 miles for 45 minutes, is that practical.

I’m lucky my boat commute is 93 miles and I have EA, EVgo and Chargepoint end to end and in the middle and working. Best part, I can probably make it in one shot without a charging stop, second best is that if I can’t the charging is there at midpoint.

Do I worry about the chargers being up? I worry about it but they have always been up for me to get a charge. Reliable in my experience.

 

[EaglesPDX]

And on the RV’ing note, I found some under 1,000# slid in campers that will work as luxury camping (that’s hot water showers and air conditioning). Camper and tow the boat 100 miles is the task.

https://www.truckcamperadventure.com/top-8-pop-up-campers-for-half-ton-trucks/

 

[jefro]

When I grew up a lot of hunters used the slide in campers. I camped with my dad many a season in a very small one.
Shame they seem to cost so much now. I'd assume if weight is low enough the F150 range will be nearly unaffected.

Some web site claimed a guy got an email from Tesla saying his truck was in process. Wonder if that is true?

 

[EaglesPDX]

I'd assume if weight is low enough the F150 range will be nearly unaffected.

With 1,800# payload and the campers running 1k-1.5k lbs plus the wind resistance, it's gonna take a toll on range.

 

[jefro]

The campers shown in the members link were all pretty low. Not the kind with a bed over cab type.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Definitely will still be inconvenient. They need to set it up like gas station pumps. Hell, even one of Ford's stock PR videos shows an EV pulling up to a gas station-like charger. I'm not sure why no one's working on that right now.

I have charged in one new EA station that did have gas-station style pull throughs. I agree they need more of these.

 

[vandy1981]

With 1,800# payload and the campers running 1k-1.5k lbs plus the wind resistance, it's gonna take a toll on range.

Also important to note that you're probably going to exceed payload rating after you account for passengers, supplies and hitch weight. It will be hard to plead ignorance if you opt for the tow tech package with the onboard scales.

 

[EaglesPDX]

Also important to note that you're probably going to exceed payload rating after you account for passengers, supplies and hitch weight

I'd be very careful of doing that and I'd get the rig weighed. The lighter poptop campers with hot shower are heavier and it would be close to the 1,800 max with camper, gear and boat (500 tongue weight). Putting gear in the boat helps since it shows up a tongue weight, 10% of actual.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

I do see available EA chargers in the app. When I knocked one out with the CCS1 adapter, when I moved to the next charger, the one I had zapped showed as “Unavailable”. So it seems close to real time.

Getting back to the towing topic, for an extreme use of an EV such towing, you really need to have the public charging system in place. Even then stopping every 100 miles for 45 minutes, is that practical.

I’m lucky my boat commute is 93 miles and I have EA, EVgo and Chargepoint end to end and in the middle and working. Best part, I can probably make it in one shot without a charging stop, second best is that if I can’t the charging is there at midpoint.

Do I worry about the chargers being up? I worry about it but they have always been up for me to get a charge. Reliable in my experience.

Pylon status IS in the EA app. It is NOT reported in the car's planning systems. Ford and VAG do not interface with EA and you cannot see it in the car's nav system on a real time basis like you can with the Tesla Supercharger system. With Tesla, this is all transparent, status is known and the route planner will adjust accordingly. With EA, you must use multiple planning tools, and you can still get it wrong, but you CANNOT rely on the car's internal planning tools at all because they have no real time information about pylon status.

 

[EaglesPDX]

Pylon status IS in the EA app

Yes it is and as noted in near real time as the EA charger I knocked offline was reported almost instantly via the app.

No reason my Tesla would know status of EA chargers.

At this stage of development, I’d suggest getting the app and fob and a subscription for charger systems one will be using. With Chargepoint, the fob is the key. With EA and EVgo, the app is the key.

 

[shutterbug]

With Chargepoint, the fob is the key

I've been using the app to access chargepoint for years!!!

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