(WTF) No Drain Plug in Mega Power Frunk!?

[ExCivilian]

Driving with that space filled with water is asking for trouble, there is a 12V battery and electronics below the 12V battery door.

Car batteries' innards are encased in water barriers so incidental water should not damage them. Moisture can, over time, corroded the terminals, which could have implications (along with mold issues) if the front trunk is fully sealed (which I doubt).

Incidental water should not damage the vehicle's electronics, either, for similar reasons. What you want to avoid would be high pressure water streams, submerged exposure, and prolonged exposure. That said, I've pressure washed enough engine bays without negative effect to not really worry about it too much.

Sponsored

 

[ErichKeane]

Car batteries' innards are encased in water barriers so incidental water should not damage them. Moisture can, over time, corroded the terminals, which could have implications (along with mold issues) if the front trunk is fully sealed (which I doubt).

Incidental water should not damage the vehicle's electronics, either, for similar reasons. What you want to avoid would be high pressure water streams, submerged exposure, and prolonged exposure. That said, I've pressure washed enough engine bays without negative effect to not really worry about it too much.

Yeah, ICE car batteries get wet pretty regularly. They are typically shielded against direct water, but they frequently get wet in moister areas through the bottom of the engine bay, particularly when they are the back of the bay.

Even more fun are the BMWs where they put them under the trunk liner! Apparently it is NOT uncommon for those battery trays to fill with water until they shorted out thanks to 12" of standing water. I think there was a recall on a about a decade ago where the 'solution' was to drill a hole in the bottom of the floor for that exact reason.

 

[AT193]

I don't know why everyone keeps bringing up about a frunk full of water splashing around while your drive. Talking about tailgating/bbqing and throwing a bag of ice with some drinks in there and then draining it at the end of the day...like a normal cooler. Nobodys talking about turning this thing into a fish tank...

 

[ExCivilian]

I don't know why everyone keeps bringing up about a frunk full of water splashing around while your drive. Talking about tailgating/bbqing and throwing a bag of ice with some drinks in there and then draining it at the end of the day...like a normal cooler. Nobodys talking about turning this thing into a fish tank...

Because people are stupid/lazy/forgetful...whatever you want to label it and companies are litigation averse.

Therefore, Ford doesn't put a plug in the front trunk because someone will inevitably wind up with that fish tank you're saying no one is planning on creating.

Also, keep in mind that in this example the reason the OP lost all the ice wasn't because of the drain hole it was because the ice melted. So if he had it plugged he would have wound up with a fish bowl of water. All a drain plug will do is leave you with a bucket of cold water after a few hours...it won't solve the "problem" of the front trunk not being capable of holding all our goodies at a frailgate party or whatever unfortunate term will be applied to this kind of fun.

Although, it doesn't need to be a fish bowl in order to create problems. A thimble full of water in the bottom of an trunk that doesn't drain will create mold and stench within a matter of hours.

 

[cvalue13]

Jeep Wrangler’s version had a plug

I don’t know if Jeep themselves ever advertised this as a cooler like Ford has, but I know first hand that Jeep’s salespersons sure did

 

[ExCivilian]

Yeah I get it, but we are talking about an F150 Lightning, not an ICE vehicle. The 12V battery may be fine, but are the electronics below it fine?

Yes, they are fully sealed...otherwise there would be issues during rain, washing the undercarriage, and fording (no pun intended!). I would expect a motor to be more resilient to water intrusion than an engine.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that Ford likely left out the plug because it saved them a few cents even though all the other reasons we've started are equally justifiable from a corporate liabilities perspective.

Jeep Wrangler’s version had a plug

Yes, however, the plug is to access the bolt to lower the spare tire and not to drain water. If you look at the picture on the plug it's a tire:


Arguably dual purpose, but to tofan's points not the best place to drain water.

 

[MickeyAO]

My model 3 has a frunk, and there's no drain.
My 718 Spyder has a frunk, and there's no drain.

Don't know about a 718 Spyder, but I know the Model 3 we are testing doesn't have electrical outlets in the frunk and really isn't marketed as being able to throw ice and drinks in there like the Mach E and Lightning.

 

[T i h o r]

Don't know about a 718 Spyder, but I know the Model 3 we are testing doesn't have electrical outlets in the frunk and really isn't marketed as being able to throw ice and drinks in there like the Mach E and Lightning.

But that's my whole point. Cars with frunks don't have random drains in them. There's no drain in those cars, because there's no intention of water being in there.

As cvalue13 shared, Ford themselves mention the frunk can be used as a cooler. With that in mind, how effective is a cooler, if the ice water that helps maintain the cold temperature drains out the second it's no longer ice?

I really think it's a horrible oversight on Ford's part not to put a plug. They should at the very least come out with an OEM plug and mail it out to everyone. Let us decide if we want to use it or not.

They even mention drainable floor. AT193 said it best - the term "drainable" makes it sound like you have some control over the drainage...

At the NY Auto show FoMoCo was advertising the lower frunk container as a cooler. Additionally in this release from Fords media dept it mentions it as a "frunkgate" for ice and drinks.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...-f150-lightnight-pickup-mega-power-frunk.html

I know there were ads for Mach-E showing it used as a cooler, but I didn't see one specifically for the Lightning. Also if their wording is a "drainable floor" that is not necessary what it ended up being. Since the term "drainable" makes it sound like you have some control over the drainage...

 

[rdr854]

What's the purpose of the drain? This is what I'm having a hard time understanding. I'm not a contractor or tradesman, so maybe I'm missing something that other traditional truck owners know?

So you can lean it out after putting construction materials in it. Ford videos show just that.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Ahhhhh this logic makes much more sense for the drain. I absolutely missed that in the advertising if that was the case.

To your point as well though, the drain plug just seems like it should be a given. My 2nd gen Ridgeline had a drain and plug. Maybe the engineers at Honda are just visionaries lol

Please, those second gen engineers were not visionaries. They were lazy folks. My FIRST gen had a drain that can be open and closed. Makes it easy to hose off. Now the first gen engineers, they are the true visionaries.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

This is the only reason I bought my F-150L Pro and honestly a deal breaker if it can’t act as a cooler.

 

[cvalue13]

Yes, however, the plug is to access the bolt to lower the spare tire and not to drain water. If you look at the picture on the plug it's a tire:

you posted a video of a Jeep Cherokee, not a Jeep Wrangler (the latter, famously, carrying its spare tire elsewhere)

stop @‘ing me

This is the only reason I bought my F-150L Pro and honestly a deal breaker if it can’t act as a cooler.

there’s a bigger and better F150 “cooler” option

 

[Yellow Buddy]

you posted a video of a Jeep Cherokee, not a Jeep Wrangler (the latter, famously, carrying its spare tire elsewhere)

stop @‘ing me



there’s a bigger and better F150 “cooler” option

Does it come with a drain plug? Could you imagine all the folks who would drive with it still full? Seems to me like it should just automatically drain to prevent liability issues.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

Look, in Mach-E land, we learned a long time ago what the frunk is for:

wings:

shrimp:

clam chowder:

a ball pit:

or a koi pond:

(courtesy Ford and Here Are Some Horrible Things You Can Cram In The Ford Mustang Mach-E's Frunk (jalopnik.com) )

 

[gpbst3]

I stand corrected. It was advertised as cooler.

So if it has a drain but no plug, is it a one way valve? What prevents exterior water from entering the frunk?

Sponsored