Things I forgot to bring on towing road trip

[Adventureboy]

The Mach-E limits 120v charging to 12 amps, regardless of what charger you use. I can't see any reason the truck would be different.

I agree, most EVSEs will not provide more than 12 amps when connected to 120v L1 because most assume you are using a 5-15 plug and for safety reasons, 12A is the maximum. There are exceptions notably with the EVSEs that use the dongle to determine the outlet it is connected to.

The Mach-E, the Lightning and all other J1772 EVs follow the same J1772 protocol. It is the EVSE that limits the current unless you are at the top of the HVB changing to 100%, then the EV will begin to limit the charge current it accepts as it gets close to capacity. The EV simply asks the EVSE how much it can provide and the EVSE tells the EV the maximum amperage it can draw.

There are folks on this forum who have successfully charged the Lightning at 120v 24 amps with the Tesla mobile charger using the TT-30 dongle. I believe the J Booster also has a TT-30 dongle but I haven't seen anyone confirm this actually gets 24 amps like the Tesla Mobile charger.

It is also interesting to note that the EVSEs work on current limits, not KW limits. If you connect the Ford Mobile Charger with the 5-15p dongle to 240v, you will get 12 amps at 240v=2.8kw (about 2.5kw to the battery). I don't recommend this, but I have tested it, and it works on both the Lightning and MME.

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[VAF84]

A 14-50 Extension is nice to have. I have a 50ft extension cord for when I have the opportunity to charge of the diesel generators at the worksites. Only thing is it weighs 40lbs and takes up a decent amount of space. A bit of a pain to coil that thick cord when it's cold.

I also carry a trailer coupler lock from Master Lock that I always use when storing my trailer or leaving it unattended. It's harder to remove than the chains, and easy to use/store. In about 5 years of traveling and storing I've had good luck so far.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

12 x 120 = 1.4 kW which will get you 65 kWh in a weekend which is 20-80% on the SR. Would need a 3 day weekend for 20-80% on the ER.

"Hey Boss, I need to spend another couple of days here at the fishing resort on the lake while my truck charges. Will be back in the office on Wednesday. Thanks."

My experience with level one is that I get about 1.1 kW/hr into the truck. With my ER that amounts to about 20% per 24 hours. Lots of data at my house and my daughter’s on level one.

 

[tls]

The Mach-E, the Lightning and all other J1772 EVs follow the same J1772 protocol. It is the EVSE that limits the current unless you are at the top of the HVB changing to 100%, then the EV will begin to limit the charge current it accepts as it gets close to capacity. The EV simply asks the EVSE how much it can provide and the EVSE tells the EV the maximum amperage it can draw.

There are folks on this forum who have successfully charged the Lightning at 120v 24 amps with the Tesla mobile charger using the TT-30 dongle. I believe the J Booster also has a TT-30 dongle but I haven't seen anyone confirm this actually gets 24 amps like the Tesla Mobile charger.

I'm sorry to have to keep reiterating this, but what you write above is substantially misleading at best and false at worst.

A J1772 EVSE transmits a pilot signal that tells the vehicle how many amps it may draw. The vehicle controls how many amps it actually does draw. It could not be any other way, because only the vehicle has a charger which can present the variable impedance necessary to actually limit charging amperage.

This is why, for example, when plugging a SR F150 into an 80A-capable charger, it draws 48A, not 80A. The firmware in the vehicle's onboard charger controls the current; not the EVSE.

Ford vehicles appear to limit their current draw at 120V to 12 amps no matter what the EVSE 's pilot signal offers. I have tested this myself with 120V 20A and 30A outlets and appropriate EVSE and adapters (gen1 and gen2 Tesla mobile connectors) and others in this thread say that the Mach-E is the same. Can you provide a link to a report of a Ford EV actually drawing more than 12A at 120V?

 

[Adventureboy]

A J1772 EVSE transmits a pilot signal that tells the vehicle how many amps it may draw. The vehicle controls how many amps it actually does draw. It could not be any other way, because only the vehicle has a charger which can present the variable impedance necessary to actually limit charging amperage.

This is why, for example, when plugging a SR F150 into an 80A-capable charger, it draws 48A, not 80A. The firmware in the vehicle's onboard charger controls the current; not the EVSE.

100% agree. I wasn't clear that the EVSE sets the limit and the EV determines how much up to that limit it wants.
I'll see if I can find the post tonight. The fellow was convinced he was getting 24amps on the TT30/Tesla Mobile combination to his Lightning but if you've tested it, he might have been out to lunch.

 

[tls]

I'll see if I can find the post tonight. The fellow was convinced he was getting 24amps on the TT30/Tesla Mobile combination to his Lightning but if you've tested it, he might have been out to lunch.

I can try the 20A test again easily enough in the next few days, too. It's possible Ford fixed this. 30A will take a little doing.

 

[wighty]

There are folks on this forum who have successfully charged the Lightning at 120v 24 amps with the Tesla mobile charger using the TT-30 dongle. I believe the J Booster also has a TT-30 dongle but I haven't seen anyone confirm this actually gets 24 amps like the Tesla Mobile charger.

You'll need to find this post/claim, because I'm 99.99% certain it is not the case. I think I was the first one on this forum (or at least post about) to try using a TT-30 and J booster 2 years ago at a campground and a bunch of us basically confirmed the truck doesn't allowing anything more than 12 amps on 120V, regardless of what the EVSE is set to.

 

[WilliamRobert]

On my road trip towing my boat this past weekend, there were some things I wish I had brought with me:

• Wheel chocks to use when its necessary to unhitch the trailer during charging in a parking lot that might not be exactly level. I ended up improvising using an extra set of shoes as chocks.
  
  
• Means to secure the trailer when unhitched and sitting there all alone when charging. I was a little nervous about somebody stealing it when I needed to leave it unattended to take a bio break. I purchased a padlock at our first stop at Target as minimal security for the trailer. Normally I secure my boat trailers with a heavy chain threaded through the wheel spokes and around the frame.
  
  
• We were staying at a lake cabin resort that also had RV spots and they offered to let me use a vacant RV hookup to charge. Lucky they had 50amp hookups that were directly compatible with the Ford mobile charger I had with me.
  If the resort had only been wired with 30 amp hookups, I would have needed an adapter and a mobile charger that could dial down to the lower amperage.
  (edited because as discussed in the thread below, it turns out the truck can only take 12 amps at 120v regardless).
  
  
• A 50 amp NEMA extension cord would have been handy to avoid parking on the grass to get close enough.

Thieves don't care, a couple of twists on the safety chains and who needs a hitch! Gone in seconds. I like the idea of chaining the wheels but also wrap those safety chains around the trailer tongue and lock them. The more you do, the longer it will take to steal. Here's a good site for trailer locks and parts:
https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Locks

 

[RickKeen]

I like the idea of ... wrap those safety chains around the trailer tongue and lock them.

Yep. I used a lock with a longer shackle and secured the safety chain ends in the same padlock used to secure the hitch.

Of course a portable angle grinder with a cut-off grit wheel can cut the lock apart in seconds. But when charging, I am more worried about a crime of convenience more than some pro thief who lurks at the charging site prepared ahead of time with tools to cut locks off of trailers.

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