New ford lightning

[davidkeith112]

I was hoping to get some recommendations on building a solar/generator/ shore powered charging setup for my travel trailer that will be towed with my new ford lightning with extended battery pack. The goal is to tow the camper to a campsite, charge overnight at the campsite and recharge the battery pack while driving to the next campsite with solar or possibly sleeping at an rv park and recharging my battery packs with shore power. Is this realistic? I’m looking for advice about which components would be best that I could install in my camper. Thanks in advance!

 

[time2roll]

Off grid travel will be difficult. Even charging at an RV park could take more than overnight with a 50 amp connection. Plan to max out the RV roof solar (1000 to 2000+ watts?) but it will probably be inadequate to charge the vehicle in a short amount of time. The truck has a rather large battery.

I may have misunderstood the question on what is charging what.

 

[STW]

I thought I read the extended battery is 131kWh with a range of about 300 miles. If you were able to put 2k of solar on the roof you MAY get about 10kWh per day. This would recharge enough for about 20 miles.

I read a home 32a charger will give you about 13 miles of range per hour of charge. So about 150 miles in 12hrs is what you may get at an RV park.

Check my math ?. So realistically you will get WAY less charge and a lot less miles.

 

[Hravn]

Just for comparison sake, My home grid tie system of 24 300 watt panels yields a max of 55 kwhs on a sunny day in may, so your lightning is 2.5 days for a full charge, maxed out. no way to get that out of a solar set up on a trailer roof. Even a 50 amp 220 volt tv plug will only yield about (40 x 240 = 9600 watts / hr ) at best. So ~14 hrs for 130 kwh. Of course realistically you won’t be going 0-100%, but you will have a ‘parasitic‘ house load as you camp, which the solar could take off the top. So could definitely help in that way, shortening charging the truck.

 

[LittleLebowski]

It’s not going to work.

 

[dianea]

Hauling a few pallets of panels, about 5000 pounds, might defeat the purpose of recreation

 

[davidkeith112]

Thanks for the replies. I figured it probably wouldn't work but I thought I’d see if anyone had any great ideas I wasn’t thinking about. I guess I’ll just have to plan my trips around level 1 and 2 chargers which could be frustrating until the charging network gets better. What do you guys think about getting a powerful generator that puts out 240v at 50 amps? That could probably charge it overnight while camping? Thanks!

 

[time2roll]

What do you guys think about getting a powerful generator that puts out 240v at 50 amps? That could probably charge it overnight while camping? Thanks!

Not much on that idea.

There are quite a few charging stations actually.

https://www.plugshare.com

 

[Ampster]

Not much on that idea.

Actually it could keep the bears away running overnight, but I would rather find a way to charge it at Plugshare or RV park.
@davidkeith112 should take it on a few trips to get a sense for the range while towing. Then he will know how easy it is to charge on the road.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

What do you guys think about getting a powerful generator that puts out 240v at 50 amps?

I think I’d get a gasoline powered pickup first. Your range while towing a camper is going to be eye-opening.

Electric pickups, busses, and tractor trailers haven’t been developed yet. Manufacturers are testing things, sure, they’re in development; testing on the public but it ain’t practical imho.
Testing on the public as a development model was first achieved profitably by Bill Gates and now we have EVs which have more allure than a home computer. Just way more money at stake. And once they’re developed they may be good.

 

[Ampster]

Electric pickups, busses, and tractor trailers haven’t been developed yet.

Electric busses have been around for a long time. EVs are going on at least ten years. More if you want to go back to the EV1. It sounds like the OP is committed to a Lightning.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Electric busses have been around for a long time. EVs are going on at least ten years. More if you want to go back to the EV1. It sounds like the OP is committed to a Lightning.

Understand that. But local route busses are probably the only practical use so far. Over the road equipment? Ain’t there yet.

 

[Ampster]

Over the road equipment? Ain’t there yet.

Other than the shape of the body, what is the difference between the drivetrain of a EV SUV towing a trailer and an EV pickup towing a trailer?

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Other than the shape of the body, what is the difference between the drivetrain of a EV SUV towing a trailer and an EV pickup towing a trailer?

No idea.

It’s mostly about batteries/volume/weight/range imho

Obviously we can make the motors fine. Trains have giant versions. Very long life.

 

[Ampster]

I have over 100,000 miles on a SUV EV and towed trailers. It works. Same issues as an ICE vehicle towing a trailer, nothing more to develope.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

I have over 100,000 miles on a SUV EV and towed trailers. It works. Same issues as an ICE vehicle towing a trailer, nothing more to develope.

Towing a 7000# camper? Or ?
With a 400-mile range?
Recharge time vs refueling in a few minutes?

It’s developing in my opinion.

 

[Ampster]

It’s developing in my opinion

Yes it is an ever changing world. The ICE cars of today have also come a long way since the ’59 Volvo of my youth. It all depends on where you are standing.

 

[Ampster]

Even charging at an RV park could take more than overnight with a 50 amp connection

50 Amp circuit at 40 Amps continuous is 9.6kW per hour. I don't know the capacity of the onboard charger in the Lightning but even at increased consumption towing a trailer that is not a trivial amount of kWhs overnight.

 

[time2roll]

Life can be enjoyed without the Indy 500 pitstops pretending to be at the 24 hour La Mans event.
Towing will be different with an EV. Does not make it all bad.

 

[Ampster]

Life can be enjoyed without the Indy 500 pitstops

Yes and that was the point of the original question of @davidkeith112 . Not whether he should buy a Lightning, but how to charge his Lightning while enjoying the great outdoors.