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Old 08-02-2022, 04:10 AM   #1
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Towing with the new all electric F150 Lightning

This article popped up in my messaged this morning.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/amp/

"You won't be as surprised to learn that the towing range of the electric F-150 is dismal. In MotorTrend testing, an F-150 Lightning Platinum saddled with a camper that nearly maxed out its 8,500-pound towing capacity couldn't even cover 100 miles."

Well this is a disappointing, albeit very expected, result. Doesn't look like RV towing with an EV is going to hit mainstream any time soon.
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Old 08-02-2022, 05:26 AM   #2
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TFL did a comparison like that as well...

https://youtu.be/-e55Vued028
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Old 08-02-2022, 06:51 AM   #3
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I'm not opposed to EV's at all, but we're aways off from having them capable of towing RV's in the manner that most people need them to.

TFL's comparison also highlighted the bigger issue than the short towing distance. It's the time required to recharge once the battery is depleted, and the lack of space at charging stations for vehicles towing anything.
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Old 08-02-2022, 07:34 AM   #4
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I think we need a law ...

everybody must live in a travel trailer cause they use a lot less electricity than a house.


just think... we'll have campgrounds with EV charging every 80 miles
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Old 08-02-2022, 09:08 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by Bama Rambler View Post
I'm not opposed to EV's at all, but we're aways off from having them capable of towing RV's in the manner that most people need them to.

TFL's comparison also highlighted the bigger issue than the short towing distance. It's the time required to recharge once the battery is depleted, and the lack of space at charging stations for vehicles towing anything.
I agree. I'd love to own an EV, especially with the prices of gas right now, but I need a vehicle that I can drive daily and tow. I'm certainly not buying a second vehicle for commuting, especially given how close my work is to my house. If EV towing range can be improved to the 200-300 mile range while towing, and the charging infrastructure is improved to the point of reliably finding open charging stations while towing, I will likely be an EV buyer. Unfortunately, I think that time is several years off.
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Old 08-02-2022, 09:47 AM   #6
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EVs -- better termed BVs (battery vehicles) are commuter vehicles for the most part. Yeah Tesla has charging stations for their cars but you can't charge anything else there. And maybe, just maybe, for lawn mowers which can be pushed into the shed when the battery dies.

I looked at our planned camping trip this October and Day 1 calls for an easy 230 miles from Richmond to Gettysburg without even a stop for gasoline which would only take 15 minutes if necessary including snacks. 100 mile F150 BV wouldn't make it half way and then sit to recharge somewhere. Even a 200 mile capacity is unacceptable especially since after that 200 miles the vehicle is a door stop since it can't move.

Total predicted vacation towing mileage will run about 1400 miles and that doesn't count touring mileage after we're setup in a campsite.

Electric power is very efficient but you gotta get it to the vehicle. Heck the railroads aren't electrified other than the Northeast Corridor the distances to power sources are too far to make it practical in other parts of the country. Battery power?

Price a replacement battery for any BV -- they can exceed the value of the vehicle which makes them throw-aways and great for the environment.

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Old 08-02-2022, 09:56 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Chuck_S View Post
EVs -- better termed BVs (battery vehicles) are commuter vehicles for the most part. Yeah Tesla has charging stations for their cars but you can't charge anything else there. And maybe, just maybe, for lawn mowers which can be pushed into the shed when the battery dies.

I looked at our planned camping trip this October and Day 1 calls for an easy 230 miles from Richmond to Gettysburg without even a stop for gasoline which would only take 15 minutes if necessary including snacks. 100 mile F150 BV wouldn't make it half way and then sit to recharge somewhere. Even a 200 mile capacity is unacceptable especially since after that 200 miles the vehicle is a door stop since it can't move.

Total predicted vacation towing mileage will run about 1400 miles and that doesn't count touring mileage after we're setup in a campsite.

Electric power is very efficient but you gotta get it to the vehicle. Heck the railroads aren't electrified other than the Northeast Corridor the distances to power sources are too far to make it practical in other parts of the country. Battery power?

Price a replacement battery for any BV -- they can exceed the value of the vehicle which makes them throw-aways and great for the environment.

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Being in healthcare, I just can't call them a BV. In my world, BV = bacterial vaginosis. Lol.
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Old 08-02-2022, 12:42 PM   #8
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Good similarity.

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Old 08-02-2022, 01:19 PM   #9
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And my existing generator won't solve the problem either

Not that I have a generator w/ my RV mind you, but if I did and I could charge while driving (which we can't [yet]), no diff!

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electric...ving-rvt-1052/
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Old 08-02-2022, 02:24 PM   #10
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Apropriate size generator

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Not that I have a generator w/ my RV mind you, but if I did and I could charge while driving (which we can't [yet]), no diff!

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electric...ving-rvt-1052/
The trouble with suggestions like this, often made by greenies, is that they have no sense of scale. It's like the proposal to power a regular residence from a foot-square solar panel. Great thinkers don't want to be told it can't be done.

A Tesla S uses 10,000 watts per hour at 60 mph. A pickup pulling a trailer at 60 mph might use 10 times as much (100 KW), due to the rolling friction and (mostly) from the huge frontal area. The generators used by campers are often in the 2000-2500 KWH range. That's a generator that one person can barely lift and it takes a significant chunk of the pickup bed. To power an electric pickup would require a generator 40 times (!!) bigger. The weight would exceed the pickup limit, even if no trailer were attached. The size would be way bigger than any known pickup bed. And the fuel usage would far exceed that of an I.C.E. pickup and trailer, simply due to conversion losses.
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Old 08-02-2022, 02:35 PM   #11
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... suggestions like this, often made by greenies....
What do Martians have to do with this?
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Old 08-02-2022, 03:00 PM   #12
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I just use the built-in and standard gasoline engine to charge the starting battery in my truck. Seems simple enough.

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Old 08-15-2022, 06:30 PM   #13
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We own a Chevy Bolt EV and a diesel 2500hd, the most and least efficient vehicles in Chevy's lineup. The Bolt is an amazing car, super quiet and fun to drive, loads of pep. The truck suits it's purpose, towing. I really do believe EVs are the future and after owning the Bolt for 5 years I can't imagine ever buying a gas car again.......except to pull the trailer.



Unfortunately batteries have a long way to go before we can get the range needed out of a tow vehicle. I'm giving it another 10-15 years (hopefully). I'll be the first to jump on board when they get there because I can only imagine the kind of torque you could get out of an EV truck!
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Old 08-15-2022, 06:43 PM   #14
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We were camping and couple pulled towing a 20 foot tt with a Tesla. Smug bass turd he was, going on about how his Tesla had more torque and horse power then my diesel. I asked him about his range and he said about 125 miles. I asked him how long it took to recharge those batteries and he said about 10 hours on a 50 amp hook up. I told him my range is about 300 miles and it took about 10 minutes to fill my tank.
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Old 08-15-2022, 06:44 PM   #15
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I just use the built-in and standard gasoline engine to charge the starting battery in my truck. Seems simple enough.

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Does your truck use a 60kw battery?
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Old 08-15-2022, 06:53 PM   #16
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Electric Railroad

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Heck the railroads aren't electrified other than the Northeast Corridor the distances to power sources are too far to make it practical in other parts of the country. Battery power?

Price a replacement battery for any BV -- they can exceed the value of the vehicle which makes them throw-aways and great for the environment.

-- Chuck
The railroads actually are electrified. It is actually an electric motor, called traction motors, that all modern locomotives use to turn the wheels. Although, locomotives are more like hybrids, because they use a diesel engine that powers a generator to provide electric power for the traction motors.
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Old 08-15-2022, 07:02 PM   #17
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This is just an example of two different machines suited for the specific task(s) for which they we intended. I would like to have both but won't.
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Old 08-15-2022, 07:56 PM   #18
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It was an interesting read - from memory it made it 85 miles. I guess for now they can stage it with the new $310,000 / 28' Bowlus Volterra all electric travel trailer at RV shows as an example "of what could be" . . . . some day!
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Old 08-15-2022, 08:06 PM   #19
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Batteries are the weak link. Have been since the 1800’s.

From the time the electric car idea was abandoned at the turn of the century. Batteries have improved 100%. The cars much more.

Hopefully in the next 100 years things will turn out better. Sooner.

Even a 100% improvement in the F150 will not cut it for pulling heavy loads like fifth wheels anytime soon.

Also, the power grid cannot handle it. Another sort of tough issue.
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Old 08-15-2022, 08:31 PM   #20
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FYI

Ford has been providing an adapter to F-150 Lightning electric pickup buyers that enables them to charge stranded Tesla vehicles.
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