Out of Spec F150L and Lightning over-mountain towing trip + ̶f̶r̶u̶n̶k̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶s̶ emergency frunk release activated on the highway?!?!?!

[vandy1981]

Out of Spec used the Lightning and Rivian R1T to tow a matched 5,000-pound flatbed load over the Rockies from Loveland, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO.

Highlights:
-Overall efficiency on the F150L was ~1.5 mi/kWh. They didn't keep track of overall R1T efficiency.
-Electrify America was VERY hit or miss on this route. Many chargers were down or throttled. Only 1 of 4 chargers were available at one station.
-It was possible to charge while hooked up to the trailer without blocking other chargers. The lanes in the parking lot were blocked but other cars could still get around them and use the rest of the parking lot.
-The R1T had issues with regenerative breaking at several points due to thermal issues. The F150L seemed to have better overall efficiency on some segments and I'm guessing that's because regen was thermal limited in the R1T.
-The frunk on the F150L apparently popped opened while driving when some cargo hit the emergency release button (timestamp 37:24). It didn't open all the way (edit: I think the system is designed to release the primary latch while in motion) but still scary. It might be a good idea to put a piece of plexi over the button to prevent this from happening to you

Thanks @OutofSpecKyle! Love these videos!

Sponsored

 

[Stuff]

The uh, the frunk did WHAT now?

I must have misread because I couldn't of possibly read what I think I just read.

 

[Whammy Bar]

The uh, the frunk did WHAT now?

I must have misread because I couldn't of possibly read what I think I just read.

That seems recall worthy. Hopefully a software fix.

 

[SmoothJ]

The uh, the frunk did WHAT now?

I must have misread because I couldn't of possibly read what I think I just read.

That seems recall worthy. Hopefully a software fix.

I believe that’s by design. If you were out there and you needed to get out no matter what the situation (ie kidnapping), you had that ability.

 

[shutterbug]

I believe that’s by design. If you were out there and you needed to get out no matter what the situation (ie kidnapping), you had that ability.

Wait! What? What kind of design is it to open the frunk while driving? Especially on a freeway. It actually sounds like a serious defect.

 

[VTbuckeye]

Maybe a pull instead of a push. Pull does not happen accidentally. Or maybe a safety covered switch, like lift up cover then press.

 

[Amps]

The primary release opened to the secondary latch and produced an on-screen red alert to pull over because the frunk had been released. The frunk did not open. It was caused by the internal 'kidnap release' when pressed by a jack handle for a large jack he was carrying.

Cued up to 37:17 where Zach addresses it:

 

[SmoothJ]

Wait! What? What kind of design is it to open the frunk while driving? Especially on a freeway. It actually sounds like a serious defect.

Maybe a pull instead of a push. Pull does not happen accidentally. Or maybe a safety covered switch, like lift up cover then press.

Its not a defect, and it’s meant to do that…even at speed. Again, just in case someone tries to kidnap you. Granted this would be better if it’s in the back (ie truck) vs front. However the idea is still the same… to escape.

Regardless I agree with changing the push to a pull, or a cover to protect that area.

 

[LightningShow]

Always some excitement in those Out of Spec videos!

 

[swesson]

Out of Spec used the Lightning and Rivian R1T to tow a matched 5,000-pound flatbed load over the Rockies from Littleton, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO.

Highlights:
-Overall efficiency on the F150L was ~1.5 mi/kWh. They didn't keep track of overall R1T efficiency.
-Electrify America was VERY hit or miss on this route. Many chargers were down or throttled. Only 1 of 4 chargers were available at one station.
-It was possible to charge while hooked up to the trailer without blocking other chargers. The lanes in the parking lot were blocked but other cars could still get around them and use the rest of the parking lot.
-The R1T had issues with regenerative breaking at several points due to thermal issues. The F150L seemed to have better overall efficiency on some segments and I'm guessing that's because regen was thermal limited in the R1T.
-The frunk on the F150L apparently popped opened while driving when some cargo hit the emergency release button (timestamp 37:24). It didn't open all the way but still scary. It might be a good idea to put a piece of plexi over the button to prevent this from happening to you

Thanks @OutofSpecKyle! Love these videos!

FYI: For those familiar with Colorado, they went from Loveland to Grand Junction, not Littleton to Glenwood. Little bit different terrain and elevation.

 

[p52Ranch]

Very interesting on their KWh/Mi consumption compared to the TFL travel trailer test. Shows how much impact the bad aerodynamics of a large travel trailer impact range compared to a low profile trailer. The TFL trailers were about 6,000 pounds. Out of Spec's trailers were just under 5,000 pounds yet TFL had maybe twice the energy consumption per mile.

I hope I get my Lightning before Ford issues a recall for the Frunk internal release button.

 

[vandy1981]

FYI: For those familiar with Colorado, they went from Loveland to Grand Junction, not Littleton to Glenwood. Little bit different terrain and elevation.

I just corrected it. That would be about an overall 900 600 foot rise in elevation between Loveland and Glenwood Springs which means the F150L had even better efficiency than I expected.

 

[p52Ranch]

FYI: For those familiar with Colorado, they went from Loveland to Grand Junction, not Littleton to Glenwood. Little bit different terrain and elevation.

The net elevation change on their drive was -400 feet over about 300 miles. Loveland is at 4,982 and Grand Junction is 4,583.

 

[vandy1981]

The primary release opened to the secondary latch and produced an on-screen red alert to pull over because the frunk had been released. The frunk did not open. It was caused by the internal 'kidnap release' when pressed by a jack handle for a large jack he was carrying.

Cued up to 37:17 where Zach addresses it:

I guess I'm confused about how the secondary release would work in a kidnap situation. Would you have to hit the button twice to release it? I don't think there is any other way to release the secondary latch from inside the frunk.

If the struts provide enough resistance to prevent the hood from opening at speed without a secondary latch, I'd also expect them to be strong enough to trap a child.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

The primary release opened to the secondary latch and produced an on-screen red alert to pull over because the frunk had been released. The frunk did not open. It was caused by the internal 'kidnap release' when pressed by a jack handle for a large jack he was carrying.

Me: Officer, I swear. It was closed when I left.

Officer:

Me: It just surprised me when it came up, I was concentrating on pulling over safely. It's a known problem, the emergency release gets pushed...

Officer: [Walks to the frunk] [Looks at the size] Is anyone traveling with you?

Me: Uh, no sir. Just me.

Officer: I'm going to need you to step out of the vehicle.

Me: Officer, can I just pull up the post? [Reaches for phone]....

Sponsored