What power source in Lightning is best for fridge?) .

[hturnerfamily]

since day one, I've used the simple Walmart 120v mini-fridge, which sits behind my driver seat, or fits completely underneath the bed's tri-fold hard cover, plugged into either 120v outlet...

my wife and I had this conversation the other day: but 'what' happens when you turn the truck off?

- well, if you are simply going into a store for a few minutes, or a little while, or even longer, just leave the truck ON. I lock the door when I walk away - the fridge is still using ProPower.

- if you have to, and can't leave the truck ON, well, the fridge is already a big 'cooler', and doesn't need power 24/7... even for hours. Most fridge compressors don't run constantly, anyway - they run 'as needed' for the temp. Even if the temp falls below 'normal', it's not the end of the world. When you return, and turn the truck ON, the fridge will quickly get back down to it's optimal temp.

- if you 'must' turn the truck OFF, well, newer models provide for the ProPower setting to remain ON, if you need

I've left our truck ON overnight many times - to keep ProPower ON, even to power our Camper... it's no issue. Lock the door. Cover the driver screen, if you must... It's all good.

I don't understand the need for expensive 12v 'fridges' that have to 'fit' into your frunk...

A 120v mini-fridge, with a freezer compartment, kept in your frunk, OR your cab, OR your bed, is much cheaper, easier to power, and just as roomy. Get TWO of 'um!
Your LIGHTNING has outlets everywhere for a reason.

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[broncoaz]

Why go with a 12V battery and all that and not just get a 1kWh or so battery/inverter system like EcoFlow that has 120 outlets. Plug it into the ProPower and then the fridge into it, basically making it like a UPS. When ProPower goes off you have the 1+kWh and when it comes on it can charge the EcoFlow (or similar).

Seems like it would also let you move it and the fridge and keep it running, like going to the beach, and you can use the battery backup for other things too.

Not saying your approach is the wrong one or anything, more just curious as I was thinking of doing the above with a battery backup but not sure if I am overlooking something.

I’m going with what I know. For about five years (2016-2020) I was traveling for work and basically living on the road for 40+ weeks per year. I carried all my meals for the week in an ARB fridge with a second 12v battery added to the vehicle. It was a huge money saver and quality of life tool for me, I was saving hundreds per week not buying restaurant food and eating healthier.

I don’t really understand the need for the battery/inverters, but they have become very popular in the past few years. I’d imagine that most of them sit unused in someone’s closet or garage until they ultimately fail and need to be replaced. I haven’t found a use for them yet for me. I haven’t specifically looked at their capacity compared to something like a Group 31 deep cycle AGM battery. The AGM battery is about 70#.

I don't understand the need for expensive 12v 'fridges' that fit into your frunk. I mini-fridge, with a freezer compartment, seems so much easier, cheaper, and just as roomy. Get TWO of 'um!

Compressors in the stationary mini fridges aren’t made to be moved around or work at any angle other than a flat surface. I wouldn’t think the acceleration and braking forces in the Lightning would be ideal for them, especially the way I use my acceleration. The Danfoss compressor in the ARB can be used in rough terrain (offroading).

 

[kubel]

I thought when you said the PPO is unreliable, I thought you were saying you can't depend on it staying on. Sounds like you are just referring to the fact that one has to remember and go through the motions of setting "keep power on" button. Is that right?

It's more the solution is not reliable because having to rememer to check the "keep on while vehicle is off" option each and every time you start up the truck.

So I guess it's not PPO that's unreliable it's me that's unreliable .

I say that because I read one post where somebody said that the PPO has to be drawing a certain number of Watts while the truck is off for the fridge to remain on. Is that right?

Most 12V cooler style fridges with variable speed compressors either won't draw enough watts for PPO to detect, or cycle off for longer than the timeout period (which is 5-6 minutes when the truck is off).

The specifics were a bit harder to nail down- in my testing I found that 200W are required for at least 1 second every 5 minutes, 170W required for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, or 100W for about 4 seconds of run time every 5 minutes.

I use a short interval timer and a 170W personal space heater and cycle it on every 5 minutes for 2 seconds at a time to keep it from timing out.

 

[Literider150]

It's more the solution is not reliable because having to rememer to check the "keep on while vehicle is off" option each and every time you start up the truck.

So I guess it's not PPO that's unreliable it's me that's unreliable .



Most 12V cooler style fridges with variable speed compressors either won't draw enough watts for PPO to detect, or cycle off for longer than the timeout period (which is 5-6 minutes when the truck is off).

The specifics were a bit harder to nail down- in my testing I found that 200W are required for at least 1 second every 5 minutes, 170W required for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, or 100W for about 4 seconds of run time every 5 minutes.

I use a short interval timer and a 170W personal space heater and cycle it on every 5 minutes for 2 seconds at a time to keep it from timing out.

Where does it say in the Lightning manual that there has to be a constant draw on the PPO for it to stay on? On my 2024 Flash all I can find is setting the power limit low enough so it will stay on.

 

[flyct]

Where does it say in the Lightning manual that there has to be a constant draw on the PPO for it to stay on? On my 2024 Flash all I can find is setting the power limit low enough so it will stay on.

Nowhere in the manual does it say there has to be a constant draw. BUT. From those who have tried it that is the case. From my experience there has to be at least a 100 watt draw or the PP output shuts down after about 6 minutes or so, when using PP with truck turned off.

If I leave the truck running the outlets stay live, no matter if there is current draw or not. So when pre-cooling my powered coolers before a trip I now keep the truck running.

When I use the truck, with it turned off, to power the cabin during power outages the truck PP outlets never turn OFF because there is enough current draw.

 

[kubel]

Where does it say in the Lightning manual that there has to be a constant draw on the PPO for it to stay on? On my 2024 Flash all I can find is setting the power limit low enough so it will stay on.

It's not documented. My guess is Ford went very aggressive on eliminating phantom drain, and this was likely identified by engineers as something that would create a lot of phantom drain if it was unintentionally left on. So they included a provision that disabled it if they thought it wasn't in use.

 

[RLXXI]

I thought when you said the PPO is unreliable, I thought you were saying you can't depend on it staying on. Sounds like you are just referring to the fact that one has to remember and go through the motions of setting "keep power on" button. Is that right?

I say that because I read one post where somebody said that the PPO has to be drawing a certain number of Watts while the truck is off for the fridge to remain on. Is that right?

Yes it's true there must be a minimum amount of power draw for the system to remain on for more than 6 mins after you shut the truck off. I wanted to use my dual channel dash cams as security cameras when I'm away from the truck, (Hint @Ford we need this function on the 360 cams like Tesla).

I solved the problem of power shutting off using a method described here in the forum by another user about using a 120v timer and a small personal 200W heater. Both are fairly small and slide into the console side pocket. Set it to turn on every 5 mins for 2 seconds and the ppob remains on until you turn it off. Since the heater is only on for 2 seconds, it never gets hot, it just adds that required load the system wants to see before it times out.

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