Power outlet are timing off after 6 minutes!

[RLXXI]

You'll need to apply a load (~100W) once for a few seconds every 5 minutes to defeat Ford's auto-shutdown, or you'll need to keep the truck running. I suggest a short interval switch and a personal space heater.

Another option is to daisychain your dashcam to a power bank (that supports passthrough charging) which is plugged into the truck. Assuming you drive the truck once in a while, it will charge the bank, then the bank provides continious power to the dashcam.

That solution did the trick, I got the timer you linked and a small 200W heater, dash cam ran all night long. Woohoo!! Thanks for the tip.

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[Eddiewill9]

It's insane that all of this is required to be able to do something so simple. Does anyone think Ford will "fix" this?

 

[P-38]

I don't know if they will fix it.

I'm just hoping for a manual update so it's documented with maybe a note to not power a fridge or other intermittent load, like a saw at a job site...

@Ford Motor Company can you at least fix the manual? Even better if you can fix the function.

Yes there are work arounds but you have to research them and perhaps purchase additional hardware to make it work the way it's show in advertisements.

 

[RLXXI]

It's insane that all of this is required to be able to do something so simple. Does anyone think Ford will "fix" this?

Go thru all of what? All you do is plug the timer and heater in then tuck it into the console side pocket and forget about it. Took me all of 1 minute to be up and running.

I do agree we shouldn't have to do this but it is what it is for now.

 

[P-38]

There are a few steps to go thru:
Figure out why it's shutting off...(in my case I re read the manual and still did not know why, several weeks later someone posted about it)

Read possible solutions
Complain to Ford or dealership
Decide what to do about it.
Purchase things if you want to go timer route\verify truck cannot shift if left on without keys in it.

It's a lot for something that should just work and is explained like it would just work in the manual. I want to use the features of the truck not figure out how to make the truck do the features.

 

[Eddiewill9]

There are a few steps to go thru:
Figure out why it's shutting off...(in my case I re read the manual and still did not know why, several weeks later someone posted about it)

Read possible solutions
Complain to Ford or dealership
Decide what to do about it.
Purchase things if you want to go timer route\verify truck cannot shift if left on without keys in it.

It's a lot for something that should just work and is explained like it would just work in the manual. I want to use the features of the truck not figure out how to make the truck do the features.

Exactly!

 

[SledgeYJ]

After reading all this I bought a timer, and wanted something that is small, durable and limited potential to cause a problem. Thinking one of the mini crock pots might be the way to go. Pretty durable, and 110w

 

[K6CCC]

I sleep with a CPAP that is AC powered. On the 5 day bike ride I support every year I just left the truck "on" for the couple of nights that I did not have shore power and had to power my CPAP from the truck. That worked fine. However it reminded me of this thread so I bought the short interval timer that was recommended in post 84 along with the 200 watt version of the Lasko heater (100 watt version not available from Amazon). Did a test overnight with five minutes off and one second on. It turned off. This morning I first plugged the heater directly into the truck and confirmed that with load, the PPO would stay on. It did. Then reset the timer to four minutes off and one second on and it turned off. Dropped it to three minutes off and it is staying on. Currently testing 200 seconds off and one second on, and it is staying on. I will keep incrementing the off time until it fails and then plan on using a bit shorter off time. That's a really neat timer BTW...

All my testing is using the bed outlets.

I have another camping trip this weekend that will be either one or two nights and there will be no power so will be using my results in actual practice. Of course when I am camping the overnight load will also include my CPAP and phone charger.

 

[Karlo]

I sleep with a CPAP that is AC powered. On the 5 day bike ride I support every year I just left the truck "on" for the couple of nights that I did not have shore power and had to power my CPAP from the truck. That worked fine. However it reminded me of this thread so I bought the short interval timer that was recommended in post 84 along with the 200 watt version of the Lasko heater (100 watt version not available from Amazon). Did a test overnight with five minutes off and one second on. It turned off. This morning I first plugged the heater directly into the truck and confirmed that with load, the PPO would stay on. It did. Then reset the timer to four minutes off and one second on and it turned off. Dropped it to three minutes off and it is staying on. Currently testing 200 seconds off and one second on, and it is staying on. I will keep incrementing the off time until it fails and then plan on using a bit shorter off time. That's a really neat timer BTW...

All my testing is using the bed outlets.

I have another camping trip this weekend that will be either one or two nights and there will be no power so will be using my results in actual practice. Of course when I am camping the overnight load will also include my CPAP and phone charger.

Maybe try leaving your heater on for about 4 or 5 seconds so that it is recognized as actually drawing 200 watts. Just an idea. I have yet to leave mine on all night. For an afternoon the 5 seconds on and 5 minutes off worked fine.

 

[K6CCC]

The reason for the short on time was so that it really did not get hot as suggested quite a few posts ago.

 

[RLXXI]

I have mine set to run 2 secs every 5 mins and ppo stays live.

 

[bmwhitetx]

The reason for the short on time was so that it really did not get hot as suggested quite a few posts ago.

The heater you bought says it is a ceramic heater. A cursory look shows these elements have 3-5X higher resistance when cold. So they are not 200 W instantly when you turn them on - more like 40-70 W. Which is below the threshold of 90 W.

Leaving it on for 2 seconds as @RLXXI suggests probably allows it to begin getting hot - thus drawing the needed power.

 

[RLXXI]

The heater you bought says it is a ceramic heater. A cursory look shows these elements have 3-5X higher resistance when cold. So they are not 200 W instantly when you turn them on - more like 40-70 W. Which is below the threshold of 90 W.

Leaving it on for 2 seconds as @RLXXI suggests probably allows it to begin getting hot - thus drawing the needed power.

Can't tell if it's hot or not, feels room temperature to me but it also has the fan that kicks on immediately so that's using some power as well. This is the one I use. I like how the timer plug head blends with the interior trim. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTLMNFB1?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

 

[bmwhitetx]

Can't tell if it's hot or not, feels room temperature to me but it also has the fan that kicks on immediately so that's using some power as well. This is the one I use. I like how the timer plug head blends with the interior trim. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTLMNFB1?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I'm not referring to hot or cold as perceived by a person two feet away. Two seconds is too short to perceive that. This is about the heating element itself. You can touch it with your finger if you want to know that!

 

[RLXXI]

I'm not referring to hot or cold as perceived by a person two feet away. Two seconds is too short to perceive that. This is about the heating element itself. You can touch it with your finger if you want to know that!

Literally the first thing I did when I got it. It is fast heating according to them but 2 secs isn't long enough, the benefit is the load you get from both the heating element and the fan as they both energize at the same time.

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