Any other long range travel trailer owners out there?

[Ultimate Walrus]

Hi! I just joined because I’m seriously considering ordering a Lightning.

The whole reason I own a truck (currently a Tacoma) is to tow our travel trailer around. It’s 18’, something like 2,800 lbs, a “Fun Finder X” from 2008 (cheapo ultralight trailer). Since my wife and I are lucky enough to work remote, we do multi-month trips and have towed it all over the USA and a bit into Canada (we actually did most of this with a modded 4runner, before it died). I understand switching to electric would involve some sacrifices (mostly due to the lagging infrastructure), but to me it’s worth it.

My main concern is range. I’d be getting the extended range model for 320mi of range, but I’m betting that’s an idealized figure. I know towing cuts the range roughly in half, but pessimistically I’m assuming about 100mi of range while we’re towing.

I’ve been trying to calculate how possible it is to get to some of our favorite destinations. Some, like Yellowstone, Black Hills, Banff, and Badlands look pretty accessible to EVs. Others, like some parks in Utah, seem a bit remote unfortunately. Getting to Moab with a travel trailer looks tough, since unless you go all the way down to Arizona first, it looks like you are basically stuck doing a 105mi stretch between chargers whether you’re coming from central Utah or western Colorado.

So, I’m trying to figure out if that 105mi stretch is doable towing our trailer with a lightning. I have no problem driving 55mph or even slower if it seems safe on the highway, to get better mileage (however I don’t feel comfortable tailgating semis to ride their slipstream). Anybody else out there tow a similar trailer and have an idea of what the range could be? I’ve been looking for info, the best resource I could find was this thread where someone towed a similar travel trailer and claimed at worst 1.06 mi/kwh which would be plenty:

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...-by-lightning-lariat-extended-range-er.11767/

However, they mentioned that they planted themselves behind semis to get better mileage, which I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. I much prefer to leave a massive amount of distance to the next vehicle while I’m towing. In addition the route they took looks to be much flatter than the ways in and out of Moab.

Anybody else have mileage figures for towing a trailer like this (particularly going uphill)? Thanks!!

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[TaxmanHog]

Read some of the stories here

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/forums/trip-reports-journals-logs.114/

and here where I am moving your thread in a few seconds.....

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/forums/towing-hauling-trailering.85/

 

[hturnerfamily]

almost 32,000 miles and towing more than half of that with my 3,000 lb camper... anything is possible if you put your mind and effort to it, and have the ability to 'relax' and understand that all is not yet 'built' for us towing EVs... we just have to plan well, plan for failure, and plan for those moments when even fast chargers aren't operational... plan. plan. plan. Enjoy.

 

[hturnerfamily]

some things to consider, with my experience leading you:

- You can certainly leave HOME with a full battery, but you will hardly ever again see anything close to 100% while traveling - sitting at fast chargers to get above 80% is a very SLOW process, and to go past 90% is an exercise in patience - and everyone else waiting behind you will not love you for it. Sitting at a Level 2 charger will not be any 'funner', either.

- after your first fast charger stop, you'll then plan for only 60% of your battery to power you to the next charger, or your destination, leaving some in the 'tank' for range anxiety, and to be prepared for the UNEXPECTED detours or problems - it happens.

- driving SLOW, slower, is your best friend, whether other vehicles like it, or not. If wind or other conditions are in play, drive even slower. You'd be amazed at the difference, if you think you are anything close to the range limit. Don't be in any hurry. Hurry'ing' in EVs, especially when towing, can be your downfall. Plan ahead. Take your time. Be 'o.k.' with it taking much longer to reach your destination.

- keep tire pressures as high as possible.

- DRIVE MODES will not matter, although there is debate and discussions about 'which' mode is 'best' when towing, etc. The laws of physics and gravity and motion leave us with one conclusion: it doesn't matter, it's all the same in the end, ESPECIALLY on long trips. Use the 'mode' that is the most comfortable for your driving 'style'. I like 'Sport' mode, and not because I am anything close to being 'sporty'(ask my wife!), but because Ford designed this as the most REGENERATION mode - meaning that when I let my foot off the GO pedal, the truck is already regenerating and slowing ON IT'S OWN, and brakes, even when towing, are hardly ever actually used. I DON'T use 'one-pedal' mode because I don't like the severity of it's slowing/braking, since it also incorporates actual physical braking within it's design, and you can't let your foot of the pedal and have some 'roll' when you don't need to come to a complete stop, etc. That's just my take on it. Some love it.

- be prepared that Fast Chargers are not always 'fast'. Chargepoint units have NEVER provided more than 51kwh, no matter what they advertise as '125kwh shared'. Electrify America has typically been the most reliable and SPEEDY, with up to 150kwh on a good day. EVgo has some fast units, too, but be prepared that ANY fast charger, no matter the brand, can be down, out of service, SLOW, or one that, for some reason or the other, just will NOT activate, no matter what you do. It happens. Have a backup plan.

- Have a backup plan: a 240v Adjustable EVSE, to go along with your FordMobile 30amp 120v/240v EVSE, in your frunk. With both of these, you will have almost any 'outlet' type covered, whether 120v 'trickle' charge in an emergency, or full 240v 30amp power NEMA 14-50, such as at a campground or rv park. When towing a camper, this certainly is your 'at-home' charging option to bring the truck to full, or close to it, overnight, while camping.

and, finally, if price to charge is a consideration:
- you really have little leverage when it comes to Fast Charge PRICING. It's all over the place, and you really can't do much about it, at least not right now. Some chargers are by the minute, no matter how SLOW they provide power - that's just crazy, unless it's only pennies per minute. Some are by the KWH, which I think is ultimately the best way to charge customers, but if the 'per kwh' PRICE is steep, you'll pay more than the other method might have been, even if it's a really FAST charger. The other day, while traveling to Florida to camp at the beach, we found a Chargepoint which was $6 per HOUR - great! At 50kw speed, I knew that even if I need to fill 'half' my PRO's tank, I'd only be looking at about $6. The real question, though, is how LONG that would have taken: an hour. Most of us don't want to sit around that long, especially in the hot sun. I found an Electrify America in N Tallahasse later which was 58cents per KWH. That's not cheap, but the SPEED of the unit, at 150kwh for much of the time, was FANTASTIC. In 1/3 of the time I spent TWICE as much money, though. At another charger in rural Florida near the beach, and in a hotel parking lot, I charged at 41kwh speeds. Not fast, but I just needed enough to get me back to my 'campground' for the night... I NEVER received a credit card charge for this unit, even though it required my card to ACTIVATE the unit, which was a ShellRecharge unit hosted by DUKE Energies. I don't mind that kind of fast charger - slow or not! : )

 

[BhamDCam]

I’ve only had my ER Pro a few weeks now. Have not towed anything but have already done two road trips, one +530 miles, the other about 675 miles. I haven’t had range anxiety a single time, but I have had TIME anxiety. If you’re willing for it to be a long(er) trip time-wise then go for it.

 

[brtnstrns]

I tow this Escape 19 with my 2020 Tacoma. No idea what it actually weighs when we’re towing, but it’s 5000 GVWR so some amount below that.

Greatest advantage is that it’s more aerodynamic than most travel trailers its size. I get 12mpg towing it with the Tacoma.

I’ll be getting my Lariat ER in the next couple months to replace the Tacoma at which point we’ll be an all EV household. So I’ll be doing plenty of shakedown runs over winter to get some worst case data.

We don’t really leave Washington since there’s so many campgrounds, so I’m not super worried about range (yet).

I’m also pessimistically expecting 100 mile range, but hoping I can make 150, especially since we’re always slow going on Fridays heading out to camp due to traffic anyway.

One day I fully expect us to do some longer trips as well though and I’m just trying to remind myself that it may be different and sometimes stressful, but you can always adapt if you’re willing to slow down. And it’ll only get better as time goes on.

 

[Ultimate Walrus]

Thanks all for the info, especially hturnerfamily who provided that really detailed explanation!! That info is actually a huge eye opener... I didn't realize charging slows to a crawl after 80%. We tend to go off-grid a lot and are hardly ever at plug-in campgrounds. So...

Extended range battery holds 131 kWh
80% of that is 104.8 kWh

So... I would absolutely need to make 1.0 mi/kwH in order to be able to crawl into Moab with 0% power (with nothing left for an emergency). It's a little discouraging, but I have an idea.

Ford Mobile Power Cord charges at 30 amps if using 240 volt, that's 7.2 kW. I could buy a 200lb, 8kW generator and lug it around everywhere in the truck bed. The extra weight might hurt mileage a tiny bit, but in theory it'd fill the gap while infrastructure catches up. Obviously we'd want to hardly ever use it since we'd be getting at most 7mi/hr added range out of it anyway. But if it looks like we just can't make into or out of Moab (or anywhere else remote), we'd always have that solution to fall back on in emergencies.

Does that sound like crazy talk or would it actually make sense to do?? Does anyone actually haul a huge generator with them to remote areas?

 

[Amps]

Does that sound like crazy talk or would it actually make sense to do?? Does anyone actually haul a huge generator with them to remote areas?

Don't assume the generator will charge your truck without proving to yourself that it actually does with the adapter and/or mobile charger you are planning to use. Practice charge long enough to make sure your equipment is not going to throw a fault after a few minutes.

 

[nataleesmontess]

Electric vehicles are definitely making their mark, and it's great to see more options for towing. As for range concerns, you're right that towing will impact it, but it sounds like you've done your homework. While it's important to maintain a safe following distance, you can also try drafting techniques without tailgating too closely. Staying a bit behind larger vehicles can help reduce wind resistance and improve your mileage without compromising safety. Your multi-month trips sound amazing! I've always wanted to explore the stunning national parks in the USA and Canada. And who knows, as EV infrastructure continues to expand, even those remote destinations might become more accessible for EVs shortly, so you can add them to your bucket list.

 

[RickLightning]

Just did this sans trailer. Went from Grand Canyon up to Moab. Grand Canyon has Electrify America, as well as slow chargers. From there up to Kanab, UT there is nothing but slow chargers. Moab has a Tesla SuperCharger that has SmartDock that you can use.

But with 100 - 120 mile range, you're going to be using a lot of level 2 chargers at campgrounds in that neck of the woods.

 

[Wsh68]

I just did a shakedown with our family Escape 19. See my post on it. we averaged 1.4 miles per/kwh. hope that helps you plan. Really curious what you get but I imagine it’ll be about the same.

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