Can I run a 6kW "220-240v" sauna on the rear outlet? Link to item in question... but don't snake my auction, bro!

[Henry Ford]

Wiring in a pigtail is the easy part along with plugging it into the truck. How long it will last drawing 6000 watts at a steady rate before it runs your battery down I don't know. I could ask a hundred electricians around here what would a Lightning put out and they wouldn't know. They would tell you that you need to upgrade your interior panel to add more slots to it so you can run an outdoor box outside to the sauna as required by code. Then they would want a generator type switch on it if you also wanted to use your truck as a power source so you can't cross feed the power. So would the truck work as temporary power until you got your new panel installed, probably but for how long I don't know and that sauna looks like it would need to run one to two hours. Edit: Looks like Calvin and Rlxxi answered that part since I started typing this.

Take out one of the EV chargers and use those two spaces in the panel. Or maybe you can put a couple double 120v breakers in to free up a couple slots in the panel for a 240v breaker. Still need to follow code for and outdoor box, etc. Hope you win the auction at that price.

What longer season? It rains all the time up there. My daughter and son-in-law (Navy Corpsman at Everett Naval Station) live in Marysville. Wife was just there for over 2 months till the end of December for the birth of our second granddaughter. She finally came back home to get a view of the sun and dry out.

A 6000 watt (6kW) continuous load would run more than 21 hours on a truck with a 131kWh battery starting at a full charge and running the battery empty. You don't need to be an electrician to figure this out you just need to be proficient at sixth grade math.

Sponsored

 

[Calvin H-C]

Ours has a 5KW heater which is a little over 20A and specifies a 30A circuit. Yours is likely similar as 5KW is a common size.

Just checked and ours is 5 kW as well.

 

[bc1]

A 6000 watt (6kW) continuous load would run more than 21 hours on a truck with a 131kWh battery starting at a full charge and running the battery empty. You don't need to be an electrician to figure this out you just need to be proficient at sixth grade math.

Yep. Mrs. Smith, my sixth grade teacher, told me that's what would happen someday for playing hooky and going fishing. What I meant was in my meager 4 months of ownership, I've never plugged anything in so I have no idea how long something of that size would run before the truck computer or the OP's charging abilities could keep up. I'd never assume that I could call some electricians around here and expect that any one of them is an expert on 7.2 kw or 9.6 kw Ford Pro Power systems or is going to know how many kwh are in his truck battery or how the truck battery computer doles it out. Most of them have to go to the Mike Holt electrical forum and other places just to keep up with the NEC as I do when I'm doing something electrical. Have to go online anymore just to get conductor size for a length of run and calculate conduit fill for example. I played hooky the day Mrs. Smith taught that too.

For the OP, having spent a number of months up there visiting, I listen to 92.9
KISM out of Bellingham every day on the alexa app and particularly the Brad and John show in the morning. Hear the weather report along with the 911 calls on Whidbey Island and the vote on the three knuckleheads.

 

[K6CCC]

so I have no idea how long something of that size would run before the truck computer or the OP's charging abilities could keep up.

Well, if you are drawing 6KW for the sauna, because of losses in the inverter, you are likely drawing somewhere between 6.5 and 7 KW from the battery (never heard an efficiency number for the Lightning inverter). So if you have the 125 KW battery in your '25 you should be able to run for around 15 hours of continuous load and still leave some reserve to get to a charger. Since the sauna is not a continuous load the actual time would be longer.

 

[Zaptor]

After mulling this idea and all of your responses over, I think I might just build a sauna from scratch, to fit my space better, and run dual 120v heaters (3kwx2) so I have options, flexibility, 'soft start' by staggering powerup, and backup in the event one goes down. I noted that the container sauna weighs 2400+ lbs and between the fact that that would require a foundation to not sink into my soft soil, and that it presents challenges even to my pretty badass tractor in terms of placement, not so sure this is the way... (Kubota L3560/LA855@1700lbs loader capacity) If I build from scratch, I can put it under my deck and construct it to fit whereas I can't figure out how to 'slide' it in sideways (much less get it here, it's wider than my dump trailer and too heavy for my raft's flatbed...)
Anyway, good to know that I theoretically *could*... thanks again for y'alls insights
-Zap

 

[Maquis]

After mulling this idea and all of your responses over, I think I might just build a sauna from scratch, to fit my space better, and run dual 120v heaters (3kwx2) so I have options, flexibility, 'soft start' by staggering powerup, and backup in the event one goes down. I noted that the container sauna weighs 2400+ lbs and between the fact that that would require a foundation to not sink into my soft soil, and that it presents challenges even to my pretty badass tractor in terms of placement, not so sure this is the way... (Kubota L3560/LA855@1700lbs loader capacity) If I build from scratch, I can put it under my deck and construct it to fit whereas I can't figure out how to 'slide' it in sideways (much less get it here, it's wider than my dump trailer and too heavy for my raft's flatbed...)
Anyway, good to know that I theoretically *could*... thanks again for y'alls insights
-Zap

There’s a company in Canada called “Saunafin”. They have a wide selection of kits and components. It’s been almost 15 years since I got my stuff from them, but they were great to work with.

 

[bc1]

Maybe a good thing we talked you out of it? As an ultimate DIYer, build your own may be a better option to get what you really want. That thing just wasn't very rustic looking. Besides, it would scare Bigfoot away from watching you. Build it right and you might catch Bigfoot inside on a cold night.

I can tell you not to spend the $140 at Sam's for their little 1 person portable sauna in a 3'x3' plastic enclosure with a steam vent that comes in under the folding seat that I got for Christmas. I never put it together but just stuck the steam vent into the shower and it didn't really put out enough steam for me.

 

[moder8tor]

I cannot pull more that about 20 A from my bed 240V outlet without it blowing the truck breaker. This was a real disappointment.

 

[K6CCC]

I cannot pull more that about 20 A from my bed 240V outlet without it blowing the truck breaker. This was a real disappointment.

What type of load are you trying to run. Something that has a large startup surge, or is highly reactive is going to cause problems with the almost instantaneous tripping breaker in the Lightning.

 

[moder8tor]

What type of load are you trying to run. Something that has a large startup surge, or is highly reactive is going to cause problems with the almost instantaneous tripping breaker in the Lightning.

Yea, I know. its a welder, and I have read the threads suggesting the problems with that. So I get what you are about to say . A resistive sauna load is probably much more stable and might work.

 

[moder8tor]

What type of load are you trying to run. Something that has a large startup surge, or is highly reactive is going to cause problems with the almost instantaneous tripping breaker in the Lightning.

Yep. I Answered this point same under K6CCs response. Agreed.

 

[bc1]

Yea, I know. its a welder, and I have read the threads suggesting the problems with that. So I get what you are about to say . A resistive sauna load is probably much more stable and might work.

What brand and style of welder is it and what amperage and size of rod or wire are you trying to run when it blows? Have you tried starting at a lower amperage before cranking it up?

I know your not using a 50 amp stick welder and I haven't tried my 120 volt inverter welder in my truck yet but I can weld 1/4" metal and do 3/8" and 1/2" with multiple passes with that inverter welder so it will do anything I need. I've never had much luck with any small wire welders so I can't say much about those.

 

[moder8tor]

What brand and style of welder is it and what amperage and size of rod or wire are you trying to run when it blows? Have you tried starting at a lower amperage before cranking it up?

I know your not using a 50 amp stick welder and I haven't tried my 120 volt inverter welder in my truck yet but I can weld 1/4" metal and do 3/8" and 1/2" with multiple passes with that inverter welder so it will do anything I need. I've never had much luck with any small wire welders so I can't say much about those.

its a harbor freight omnipro 220. I can run it on the lowest current setting but at that rate its just as good as my 120V lincoln welder. I'm using it generally as a wire feed welder.

Sponsored