The tiny, all-electric, slide-in camper I built for my F150 Lightning doesn’t have a shower, but I’m working on it...

[Dave242]

Makes sense! 400W sounds crazy high for a standby mode though - I read that on another thread here too about campers. What is being powered that draws that much current?! IMO as well, that needs verification. If it is indeed that much, that would be a show-stopper.

I made a lot of those adjustments (mainly 'dark mode') on my ICE F150 using Forscan. I wonder if that can be accomplished the same way on the Lightning. As for camp mode (or dog mode as I believe Tesla calls it), that seems like something that could be handled in a SW mod/upgrade/update. Seems like a lot of people would be asking for it for a variety of scenarios.

The other details you provide are very helpful to me as I have not messed around in a Lightning with that functionality yet. Sales people early on told me that most of the control functions needed (that you list in #3) would be able to be handled by the app on your phone. I guess not though.

For hot water, have you considered or tried a tankless/demand-type heater? Seems lighter and quicker than a tank.

Thanks Dave!

I spent a lot of time debating with myself about this very issue. Here's how I came to this solution:

1. There is no 12V power available in the bed of the truck, and I needed 12V 24/7 for the water pump, LED lights, Maxx Air fan, charging phones, tablets, etc. Of course I could get 12V with an AC/DC power supply when Pro Power Onboard is active (more on that in a second).

2. The refrigerator is electric and obviously needs power 24/7. But the Lightning only provides Pro Power Onboard (A/C power) when it is "running", and according to some, consumes a minimum of 400W while doing so (I haven't verified this yet).

3. But the bigger problem in my mind is that Ford didn't include a "camp mode", so whenever you want 110V power you have to exit the camper, enter the cab, start the truck (no, remote "start" doesn't actually start the truck), enable Pro Power Onboard, turn off the headlights, turn "down" the dash screens, exit the cab, lock the truck... All for a fridge that only pulls 60W max, and small 12V loads like lights. Or, just never turn off the truck while you're boondocking (not really appealing to me).

The lithium battery, solar panel, solar charge controller, and inverter did add about $1100 and 40 pounds to the build. But for me it was worth it. Now I only have to enable Pro Power Onboard when I need hot water (heats up in about 5 minutes), want to use the induction cooktop, or have large 110V loads to power. Still the same hassle, but one I can decide when to use.

And FWIW, with this setup, this all-electric camper can also be used in ANY F150 by simply adding a second battery and solar panel (no Pro Power Onboard required).

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[kjhall]

Makes sense! 400W sounds crazy high for a standby mode though - I read that on another thread here too about campers. What is being powered that draws that much current?! IMO as well, that needs verification. If it is indeed that much, that would be a show-stopper.

I made a lot of those adjustments (mainly 'dark mode') on my ICE F150 using Forscan. I wonder if that can be accomplished the same way on the Lightning. As for camp mode (or dog mode as I believe Tesla calls it), that seems like something that could be handled in a SW mod/upgrade/update. Seems like a lot of people would be asking for it for a variety of scenarios.

The other details you provide are very helpful to me as I have not messed around in a Lightning with that functionality yet. Sales people early on told me that most of the control functions needed (that you list in #3) would be able to be handled by the app on your phone. I guess not though.

For hot water, have you considered or tried a tankless/demand-type heater? Seems lighter and quicker than a tank.

On my first camping trip I "started" the truck from inside the camper, using the app, then tried to start Pro Power Onboard from the app. No luck. Then I went to the cab and found that the truck wasn't actually "running", just the air conditioning was on. I had to manually start it, and then I could turn on Pro Power Onboard via the screen. Maybe smarter people have had different results?

As for the tankless heater, after reading reviews, I decided they wouldn't work well for water-conserving RV-style showers where you turn off the water while you soap up, etc. Each time you do that it shuts off the heater, and it takes a second or two to restart, which means you get a nice little blast of cold water each time. And since a shower was in my plans, no thanks. And the 110V versions also drew more current (3.5kw - 5kw) than I could deal with on a typical 30A 110V RV circuit split between outlets, water heater, and induction cooktop without installing individual device switches.

The water heater I use is 2.5 gallons, so it heats up quickly, isn't too heavy, and most importantly, has a drain that allows me to winterize the camper, something that many 1-3 gallon under-counter water heaters lack.

FYI, I actually have a shower prototyped now, but not yet fully tested! I'm also actively working on a front fairing, and I recently got new graphics installed. More later.

 

[kjhall]

Fabricated and installed a front fairing, and tested it this morning. Significantly less wind noise now, but surprisingly little change in range. 1.9 m/kWh at 66 mph with camper and fairing vs 2.2 m/kWh without camper. But now that I think about it my previous test didn't have the awning mounted, so maybe awning drag offsets the fairing? In any case <14% range reduction. So charging to 80% and stopping to recharge at 20% gives me about a 150 mile range at 66 mph.

Headed to Oshkosh next week, so might see what 75 mph looks like if the charging stations are close enough. Might also try closing in the fairing ends at some point, and perhaps making a small streamline fairing for the front of the awning.

 

[toby_d]

Anecdotal data point -- I've seen this camper (and a few other things Ken has done) in person and his craftsmanship is top notch. A very impressive and studied build.

 

[kjhall]

Anecdotal data point -- I've seen this camper (and a few other things Ken has done) in person and his craftsmanship is top notch. A very impressive and studied build.

You are too kind, sir.

I had some scrap polycarbonate lying around, so fabricated some quick and dirty fairing end caps to try on the road. Also made a simple "z" fairing for the front of the awning. We'll see if they stay attached and help any on the trip this week.

But it also occurred to me that I'll have a bike mounted on a hitch bike rack - no idea what that will do to range, but one more variable to screw up the "scientific" data gathering.

I'll report on the trip when I get back, if anyone's interested. 2,000+ miles from Windsor, CO to Oshkosh, WI and back - first long trip with the Lightning Trail! (third long trip with the Lightning)

 

[toby_d]

Hey Ken, I wonder if the PC end pieces for the main fairing will flap / buffet in the wind. Could you attach them to the camper frame around about their 90° corner?

 

[kjhall]

Hey Ken, I wonder if the PC end pieces for the main fairing will flap / buffet in the wind. Could you attach them to the camper frame around about their 90° corner?

Hi Toby. It's hard to see, but I put a small 90 degree bend (i.e. flange) on the bottom edge of the PC caps to stiffen them (and reduce flapping), then used clear Gorilla Tape to fasten the trailing edge to the camper trim. VHB tape might be a slightly better option. In any case, I'll learn how that holds up within the first 50 miles or so. It would be trivial to put a screw or two in the trailing edge, but I thought I'd try the Gorilla tape first (no new holes required).

Aren't you just a little impressed that I didn't use duct tape??

 

[toby_d]

Nice. But I would have preferred VHB ;-)

 

[kjhall]

Nice. But I would have preferred VHB ;-)

Who am I to pass up free advice from my professional M.E. friend?

Done. Took longer to clean off the tape residue than it did to install the VHB tape. Seems very secure and you can't even see the tape.

 

[toby_d]

Haha oh dear, sorry! But it does look great. You're onto a winner.
Side note, the graphics look awesome.

 

[RichB-HTX]

What a fantastic project. Very creative solutions all around. I especially like that you use that top fan to lift and lower the top.

 

[kjhall]

What a fantastic project. Very creative solutions all around. I especially like that you use that top fan to lift and lower the top.

Thanks for the kind words.

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