Llamalectric117
Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey yall,
I have been on observer of this site for some time and I finally registered with an account.
I have taken a few trips with my Lightning and planning for them took a ton of time and research.
I am hopeful that sharing some of these trips will help others who plan to travel from the valley to one of our many beautiful destinations!
*Note: This is my first post, so let me know if you have any feedback as I am new to this*
Both of these trips were with my 2023 F150 Lightning Lariat ER
Me, my wife and our two kids
Truck fully loaded with all the necessary camping gear
For both trips we rented an RV
RV1- Coleman 17B- Roughly 3,500 lbs
RV2- Mallard M185- Roughly 4,00o lbs
*Full disclosure that the GOM is not an accurate way, as most know, to plan... or for that matter, manage your expectations, for the trip.
*I have begun to get a "feel," for the trucks percentage performance, and use that as more of a guide.
Trip one
Gilbert to Woods Canyon Lake-118 Miles-6,263 ft elevation change
89% used on the way 61% on the way back
This was our first towing trip and I took a lot of time going through the forums and watching You tube videos and what to expect. At first, I felt I had a good idea of what the performance of the truck would be, but, of course, there was a bit of range nerves and excitement!
When I set out to plan for this trip, I presumed that I would get somewhere around 1.3 KWH, so I knew there would have to be a charging stop along the way.
Simple enough, I went to the map and found the EA charger in Payson, 64 miles from my home in Gilbert.
This is a great charging spot, because you can pull right in and although you do block some of the parking lot, it isn't really in an area that affects to much.
I charged overnight to 100% and knew that I would make to it the EA station.
How much energy would I use... that's where the fun comes in..
We headed out on a May morning, 85 degrees, with 100% charge, GOM at 164 miles.
The truck quickly adjusted down and more than half way there it was reading 1.0 KWH
Always a clenching view..
Ultimately, we made it to the EA in Payson with 37%. This yielded an average of about 1.3 KWH, so the 83% used in the 64 miles driven. Not too bad, especially with a climb of roughly 3,763 Ft. I was quite pleased with the set up of the location, as well as, the ample places to shop, eat, or use the bathroom. I will also say that it is has been nice to pull up and have conversations with the nice people who own other EV platforms, whether it be the various Ford vehicles, Rivians, etc. With a world so divisive today, we can all agree that EV vehicles are an amazing feat of engineering and they are fun to drive!
We charged for about 50 minutes, up to 90% and off we went. Just to note, I charged to 90, but didn't have to. I made this decision so that we could use the truck as a generator if need be.
From the EA station to WCL, it was another 34 miles and 1,263 climb in elevation. To be safe, I assumed I needed 70 miles worth of range and the GOM was giving me 90.. I knew I had more.
With a start at 90% we made it to WCL with 64%, 26% used.
We enjoyed our stay at WCL for the two night stay and even used the truck to run the AC in the camper, chargers, etc. I was amazed at the efficiency. We could run it for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes per KWH. We had plenty to spare, but I was cautious to keep reserves for the trip back down.
Coming down the hill, I had to chuckle at these KWH.
Coming back down, we used about 12% to the EA charger in Payson and charged up to 84%, making it back home with plenty to spare.
Trip 2
Gilbert to Pine Flat Campground Sedona- 159 miles -4,263 Ft elevation change
Now that we had the taste for a good camping trip, we had to do another. I went back on the rental website and found another great fit for our family at a comparable size. I also found a perfect location, just between Sedona and Flagstaff, that I was excited to explore.
This time we headed from Gilbert to our first stop, in Anthem, and I had initially planned on going to the charger at Circle K. It was located close to the highway and it had space for a pull in.
Unfortunately, this charger wouldn't engage, which was quite frustrating...no worries, though! I had a back up plan, which was the EA charger at the Walmart, close by. I had hoped to avoid this, as space is tight in the parking lot, but we were in luck! They were doing construction and the place was all but to our own.
Home -Anthem 42% used, 65 miles - 1.5 KWH
From here we charged up to 90%. I was very unsure of how far we could make it. The closest EA charger from here was in Sedona, 87 miles away. I had never towed that far before and I had hoped there were other options along the way, but after doing extensive research, there weren't. I had a back up plan though. Although, there was only one confirmed non Rivian charge, the Collective, Sedona, AZ, Rivian charger, it was only 77 miles away. It was also along the travel plath to the EA charger, so on we went!
The GOM was way off and was predicting only about 75 miles of range.
I also had to stop of Distant Drums, the last spot before Sedona, to fill up the 36 gallon fresh water tank.
In my head I assumed that even if we dropped to 1.1 KWH, we would make it.
As we drove, the GOM adjusted and we ended up much better than we expected. My wife guessed that we would use 50% to the Rivian charger and she was about dead on!
Fun times again!
The Rivian charger at The Collective works! There is also a cafe and a number of shops. It was great to plug in and go grab a bite to eat.
I actually ran into another Lightning owner who lives less than a mile from me haha!
We arrived with 39% and charged up to 90%. By the time we sat down and ordered our food, the charging was complete. I pulled around and there was a great place to park in the back.
Charging is so much faster than people think and if you plan ahead, you can utilize the time to knock out other tasks, shop, eat or use the bathroom.
This spot was also set up to where you could pull in at an angle and not block to much traffic.
We made our second leg of the trip from here, up through the beautiful town of Sedona, to the equally beautiful campground. it was another 20 miles to the campground and we used about 28%. Leaving us with 62%. We again used this for the AC and charging, but this camper had propane heaters and a fridge that ran off propane, so we were good to go.
We had a lot of fun during this trip as well. We went up to Flagstaff and enjoyed the Lowell Observatory, Charging at the EA in Flag, unhooked, of course.
We also explored the West Fork trail, amazing views!
We left the campground with about 74% and made it back to the Rivian charger with about 70%. Charging up to 80%, we headed down to Anthem, where we would drop off the trailer to the owners.
I don't have all of the details from here, but we made it back home with about 7%.
Ultimately, I hope this info give some reassurance to others, or perhaps the courage to put this truck to the test. It surely can tow and it does so, very well. If you can plan your routes and use charging times efficiently, it is a great adventure. I hope to take any more trips and get even more data. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to DM me.
I have been on observer of this site for some time and I finally registered with an account.
I have taken a few trips with my Lightning and planning for them took a ton of time and research.
I am hopeful that sharing some of these trips will help others who plan to travel from the valley to one of our many beautiful destinations!
*Note: This is my first post, so let me know if you have any feedback as I am new to this*
Both of these trips were with my 2023 F150 Lightning Lariat ER
Me, my wife and our two kids
Truck fully loaded with all the necessary camping gear
For both trips we rented an RV
RV1- Coleman 17B- Roughly 3,500 lbs
RV2- Mallard M185- Roughly 4,00o lbs
*Full disclosure that the GOM is not an accurate way, as most know, to plan... or for that matter, manage your expectations, for the trip.
*I have begun to get a "feel," for the trucks percentage performance, and use that as more of a guide.
Trip one
Gilbert to Woods Canyon Lake-118 Miles-6,263 ft elevation change
89% used on the way 61% on the way back
This was our first towing trip and I took a lot of time going through the forums and watching You tube videos and what to expect. At first, I felt I had a good idea of what the performance of the truck would be, but, of course, there was a bit of range nerves and excitement!
When I set out to plan for this trip, I presumed that I would get somewhere around 1.3 KWH, so I knew there would have to be a charging stop along the way.
Simple enough, I went to the map and found the EA charger in Payson, 64 miles from my home in Gilbert.
This is a great charging spot, because you can pull right in and although you do block some of the parking lot, it isn't really in an area that affects to much.
I charged overnight to 100% and knew that I would make to it the EA station.
How much energy would I use... that's where the fun comes in..
We headed out on a May morning, 85 degrees, with 100% charge, GOM at 164 miles.
The truck quickly adjusted down and more than half way there it was reading 1.0 KWH
Always a clenching view..
Ultimately, we made it to the EA in Payson with 37%. This yielded an average of about 1.3 KWH, so the 83% used in the 64 miles driven. Not too bad, especially with a climb of roughly 3,763 Ft. I was quite pleased with the set up of the location, as well as, the ample places to shop, eat, or use the bathroom. I will also say that it is has been nice to pull up and have conversations with the nice people who own other EV platforms, whether it be the various Ford vehicles, Rivians, etc. With a world so divisive today, we can all agree that EV vehicles are an amazing feat of engineering and they are fun to drive!
We charged for about 50 minutes, up to 90% and off we went. Just to note, I charged to 90, but didn't have to. I made this decision so that we could use the truck as a generator if need be.
From the EA station to WCL, it was another 34 miles and 1,263 climb in elevation. To be safe, I assumed I needed 70 miles worth of range and the GOM was giving me 90.. I knew I had more.
With a start at 90% we made it to WCL with 64%, 26% used.
We enjoyed our stay at WCL for the two night stay and even used the truck to run the AC in the camper, chargers, etc. I was amazed at the efficiency. We could run it for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes per KWH. We had plenty to spare, but I was cautious to keep reserves for the trip back down.
Coming down the hill, I had to chuckle at these KWH.
Coming back down, we used about 12% to the EA charger in Payson and charged up to 84%, making it back home with plenty to spare.
Trip 2
Gilbert to Pine Flat Campground Sedona- 159 miles -4,263 Ft elevation change
Now that we had the taste for a good camping trip, we had to do another. I went back on the rental website and found another great fit for our family at a comparable size. I also found a perfect location, just between Sedona and Flagstaff, that I was excited to explore.
This time we headed from Gilbert to our first stop, in Anthem, and I had initially planned on going to the charger at Circle K. It was located close to the highway and it had space for a pull in.
Unfortunately, this charger wouldn't engage, which was quite frustrating...no worries, though! I had a back up plan, which was the EA charger at the Walmart, close by. I had hoped to avoid this, as space is tight in the parking lot, but we were in luck! They were doing construction and the place was all but to our own.
Home -Anthem 42% used, 65 miles - 1.5 KWH
From here we charged up to 90%. I was very unsure of how far we could make it. The closest EA charger from here was in Sedona, 87 miles away. I had never towed that far before and I had hoped there were other options along the way, but after doing extensive research, there weren't. I had a back up plan though. Although, there was only one confirmed non Rivian charge, the Collective, Sedona, AZ, Rivian charger, it was only 77 miles away. It was also along the travel plath to the EA charger, so on we went!
The GOM was way off and was predicting only about 75 miles of range.
I also had to stop of Distant Drums, the last spot before Sedona, to fill up the 36 gallon fresh water tank.
In my head I assumed that even if we dropped to 1.1 KWH, we would make it.
As we drove, the GOM adjusted and we ended up much better than we expected. My wife guessed that we would use 50% to the Rivian charger and she was about dead on!
Fun times again!
The Rivian charger at The Collective works! There is also a cafe and a number of shops. It was great to plug in and go grab a bite to eat.
I actually ran into another Lightning owner who lives less than a mile from me haha!
We arrived with 39% and charged up to 90%. By the time we sat down and ordered our food, the charging was complete. I pulled around and there was a great place to park in the back.
Charging is so much faster than people think and if you plan ahead, you can utilize the time to knock out other tasks, shop, eat or use the bathroom.
This spot was also set up to where you could pull in at an angle and not block to much traffic.
We made our second leg of the trip from here, up through the beautiful town of Sedona, to the equally beautiful campground. it was another 20 miles to the campground and we used about 28%. Leaving us with 62%. We again used this for the AC and charging, but this camper had propane heaters and a fridge that ran off propane, so we were good to go.
We had a lot of fun during this trip as well. We went up to Flagstaff and enjoyed the Lowell Observatory, Charging at the EA in Flag, unhooked, of course.
We also explored the West Fork trail, amazing views!
We left the campground with about 74% and made it back to the Rivian charger with about 70%. Charging up to 80%, we headed down to Anthem, where we would drop off the trailer to the owners.
I don't have all of the details from here, but we made it back home with about 7%.
Ultimately, I hope this info give some reassurance to others, or perhaps the courage to put this truck to the test. It surely can tow and it does so, very well. If you can plan your routes and use charging times efficiently, it is a great adventure. I hope to take any more trips and get even more data. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to DM me.
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