Not only did I buy the adapter, I bought the truck! Best truck I’ve ever seen and why Ford doesn’t market this truck as the RVers best friend I’ll never know. Thank you for posting this video!
I agree. Nine months later 4/16/22 since you posted this comment I was going to order a new Tahoe to pull my new camper. Luckily I watched a few videos about this truck and ordered one Wednesday. This truck is a game changer for boondocking.
Hello. Just wanted to say thank you for this post. It helped to steer us in the right direction as to what type of tow vehicle we wanted to purchase. This month, we bought a 2022 Ford F150 Platinum Powerboost and a 2022 Flagstaff Microlite. We also purchased the adapter in your video. Yesterday, we hooked up the truck to the trailer for a couple of hours just as you described, and it worked PERFECTLY! The TT has a 15,000 BTU A/C unit, and we fired that up along with turning the fridge on full cold. The truck's generator screen never showed anything more than an 1,800 watt draw. I was pretty amazed. The truck itself was super quiet while in battery mode and running the generator. The engine kicked on every once in awhile for a few minutes to recharge the hybrid battery, then shut itself off while the generator silently powered the TT. Thank you again for your video. The opportunities this setup presents for boondocking are incredible.
You only have 3600 watts available as you have a 30 amp camper that only uses one leg of the power. A 50 amp camper that will use both of the legs could get 3600 watts from each side and use the 7200 watts. Good video.
Jeannine Sanders I genuinely appreciate your video. I too have the 2021 F-150 Powerboost with 7.2 onboard. This truck has dragged my Grand Design Imagine 22MLE 7k miles with ease. Interesting that the Ford dealer told me the top outlet you feature in your video was reported to have damaged someone RV system and suggested I not use it; Perhaps user error/not proper adapter. Now I am confident to hit the boondocks button. Thanks again for sharing.
@@nicolasdesposito2362 This is fine but you need the adapter. Your Dealer did not know what he is talking about. I have a 34 foot cougar and the powerboost f150 no problems whatsoever then again, most of my rig is also solar powered and I have several battleborn lithium batteries. But yes I can dock anywhere
Great Video! We recently bought a 2021 F-150 Powerboost with 7.2 Kw onboard for the purpose of towing a trailer and being able to boondock longer and more comfortably, just like you are doing! I've been wondering how we were going to get 120 volts and 30 amps for the trailer out of the onboard power in the bed of the F-150 and your video explained it perfectly! Now we just need to order the trailer. We're leaning toward the Airstream Basecamp 20X too!
This is a great video. Thank you. I have one quick suggestion though. You can also use FordPass to check your power consumptions. You do not need to run to the truck Everytime 😇
Exactly the video I needed. I have a '23 Powerboost with 7.2kW ProPower. My buddy and I will rent a travel trailer and will be deer hunting in dry camp later this year. This video showed the hookups easily. When you are running your trailer and the truck is in generator mode, how often would the engine kick on using 2.5kW? Would you run this overnight so it can run a heater as well? Thanks.
nice man. i'm getting a basecamp 20x next year. I'm also gonna get the new tundra! I need more videos bro. this video was awesome for your first post. keep it up dude
For the good love of all that is holy, people get soft starts for your AC and take away most of your loads with solar then use the FOrd f150 as a recharging source. This way instead of 36 hours you get around a week before you need a fill up
Thanks for Sharing - Looking Good - Mo Power To You and All Who Owns a Rig Like Yours, with The All New Pro-Power F150. Oh by the way, here's some food-for-thought.... NEVER run your microwave EMPTY... unless you want to burn it out and create a fire... Yup, very dangerous.
Andrew, congrats on the new Powerboost! I'm jealous, having an order in since December with only a VIN. Personally, I think the biggest ProPower drawback comes with the non-hybrid powertrains, as the engine must run for the duration of any AC draw from the truck. And a feature I really appreciate - picture a 'dark and stormy night' - is controlling the ProPower system from a phone's FordPass app while in the trailer.
Thanks, Jack! We too placed an order for a 2021 back in October, but never got the truck by February, so we made the decision to buy a different one that was available on the lot so we could hit the road by March... We’ve been able to monitor power output on the FordPass app, but haven’t quite gotten it to the point where we can have it running without a key in the truck. That is the goal for those dark and stormy nights. We’re still learning!
@@jroamforgood6370 I put mine in generator mode and was able to take my key and lock the truck. You can also turn the screen off on the truck. I do wish when you put it in generator mode it automatically turned off all the accessories in the truck, it is annoying turning the stereo and lights all off. Also there is an eco mode that revs the engine up higher so it charges the battery faster. In that mode the truck only started about every half hour to hour for a couple minutes, I was not using the AC though. Have fun man.
@@shane6607 totally with you on having to turn off the other lights, climate control, etc. We were also able to take the key out of the truck while in generator mode. Just tried it out the other day. Thanks for the tip!
I'd like to get the Tremor or even Raptor, but I really want the Powerboost engine with its max Pro Power Onboard. So I am now considering either the 2025 Platinum or Platinum Plus next year. Do you know, do either the XLT or Lariat have any advantages other than a lower price point versus the P or PP? I do love the luxury leather seats and interior of the P and especially the PP, so I'm thinking of doing one of those, with the FX4 package, and after market doing a level/lift, adding 35" tires with a bit of poke, and if appropriate possibly upgrading some or all aspects of the suspension. I just want that front torsion diff of the Tremor, but as far as I know you can't get the Tremor with the Powerboost, and I imagine dropping from a 7.2kw to a 2kw generator is a big drop in the Pro Power capabilities.
Useful video. Thanks. Another question. Running all that stuff constantly thru Pro Power Onboard, how long do you estimate it would take to use a full tank of gas, and say 3/4s of a tank so I'd still have enough gas left to get to a gas station, assume started at a full tank? 12 hrs, 24 hrs, 48, other? Thanks.
Thank you - nice description. I have the same truck and a '20 Globetrotter Airstream. The GFI in the trailer and truck cause a fault. I've read that the generator plug ground and neutral need to be merged to avoid the problem. Do you know of any such adapter? Have you had any GFI fault issues?
I have a 20 foot Airstream Caravel on order. Gonna tow with my large SUV until we get a new truck or van. We were also shopping a variety of ways to power our air conditioner in boondocking situations. Maybe this would kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I'm wondering what the towing range is...please let us know. TFS
Hey man nice video I'm looking at getting this exact setup but with a 16' base camp maybe. Can you tell me what your fuel mileage is while towing the 20?
Does the engine have to run while the generator is running? Also, is there a safety feature that it doesn’t use all the gas? Diesel? From the main tank and leave you stranded?
The engine kicks on when the 1.5kwh battery starts to run low. So it’s not running continuously - just as often as needed to meet your power demands. I’m aware of a safety feature that does not allow you to start the system when you are low on gas - not aware of an automatic shut off for safety purposes. If I had to guess (which I wouldn’t), I’d say it does have that, but we never get too low on gas the way we use the system. Not diesel - unleaded.
Thank you for this super informative video! I just ordered an F-150 hybrid 3.5L Powerboost for our Basecamp 20X. If we were to run the AC on low, would the 2.4 KW system be sufficient? That seems to be the case after watching your video.
Alright! That’s exciting! The 2.4kw system would probably have enough power, but it does not come with a 30amp outlet. You need the 30amp to run ac power in the basecamp. As far as I know, only the 7.2kw system comes with the 30amp outlet.
Great videos. Very informative. I just bought a Ford F-150 eco boost hybrid like yours. I’m going to be pulling an enclosed cargo trailer dual axle 7x16 flat front. Weight is about 3,000 lbs loaded. Are you still happy with the way your truck tows? How is it towing in the mountains at higher altitudes and steep grades? What sort of mileage is to be expected? Keep having fun!
Thanks, Joe! We love the way the truck tows. The airstream is around 3500 without all of our stuff in it, so we’re just a little heavier than yours without anything in it. We’ve been in the mountains and high altitude (and high wind!) for a few months now and we’re so glad we didn’t buy a Jeep or Land Rover or even a small truck. I’m sure those are fine options for some folks but not for us. We spent a month driving all around Colorado and are now up in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, often at high altitude. We’ve never felt out of control or had bad sway despite going through some tricky passes.
Very nice, great info! One clairification- if the truck is putting out 240 volts, is your adapter transforming it down to 120 v to prevent frying your trailer? (usually 30-50A , 120v) or is it just adapting to the physical plug (trailer dual voltage?). Sounds like transforming from video, but plug looked more like an adapter (small) than a transformer(bulky/heavy). Thanks!
If you have a 30 amp camper sooner or later you will get to a park that has 50 amp but not 30 amp and you will want one of those very common plug adapters.
This is the perfect video for us! We have a BC 20x on order. Last weekend we started looking at 2021 Ford F-150s and we have questions. Which F-150 did you get and with what engine? We're looking at a Lariat with the V8 and 2kwh generator (which seems like plenty of power). Sounds like you got the 7.2kwh generator. We didn't think it was possible, until now, that we'd be able to plug in the BC. Could you do a video on your solar setup and what you plan to do with it? Thanks!
Awesome! We love the Basecamp and the Ford! We have the 3.5L PowerBoost Engine, which allows us to get the 7.2kw Pro Power Onboard. The 7.2 kw PPO is important because it has the 30amp outlet, which is what the Basecamp is powered by. I don’t believe the 2.0kw or the 2.4kw PPO have a 30amp outlet. The trouble we had was the 30amp outlet is 240 volts - too high for the Basecamp, which needs 120 volts, so that’s why we bought the adapter. We have a Platinum, but I don’t think the trim matters very much as long as you can get the hybrid engine. We originally ordered a Lariat but it did not come in in time for us to hit the road on our trip.
@@jroamforgood6370 If you didn't have the 7.2 and had the 2 or 2.4kw, you could still plug in the BC, but you wouldn't be able to use the a/c, is that correct?
@@mister-LA That I don't know - I'm not aware of an external plug for AC power (to charge your dc battery and/or power your ac appliances and outlets) other than the 30amp. I'd definitely check with Airstream first.
@@mister-LA For a small BC your air con is probably a 10K unit initially drawing ~14-16 amps on start-up. After that, a steady 8-10 amp draw. So both 2.0 & 2.4 should work. BUT...keep in mind that if you don't purchase Ford's hybrid power train, your only option will be 2.0 KW and, with no hybrid battery, the F150's engine will have to be running for as long as you draw current vs. the on/off cycling of the hybrid. With a 2.0 capacity, it will be air con and not much else (AC) or switch flipping to run other things.
@@mister-LA You could if you installed a soft start or easy start on your AC unit. www.amazon.com/BLUETOOTH-Microair-Easystart-Bluetooth-Install/dp/B08VFDYQ4Q/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwq7aGBhADEiwA6uGZp5Z9OIYtStwY2gmLPUMUSECZuxSdxgRV6fLerjcjatIIuV8HYvy_IxoC-FUQAvD_BwE&hvadid=352717818382&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9033419&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8782635114657349131&hvtargid=kwd-780964785758&hydadcr=20138_9955022&keywords=easy+start+ac+rv&qid=1624120352&sr=8-6
Thank you for your video. We have an 2021 F150 hybrid and a 2022 Basecamp but are getting a ground fault error on the ford generator when we plug it in. It shuts down the generator each time. Did you encounter this at anytime. Also is your truck a hybrid and do you have llithium batteries and an invertor in your trailer. Any information you have would be helpful. Thanks
Hello. We own a t@b 400 and are about to buy a ford F150 powerboost. however it only has the 2.4 generator. Will we be able to run the a/c in our tiny trailer with this generator? I'm guessing not, but I just wanted to see what you guys think since you have more knowledge and experience.
How long can you run your generator from the truck battery without the auto start function on the truck? Can’t wait to see some videos. I think this may be the solution for camping and kayak hauling.
Hmmm. The engine kicks on often - every few minutes or so - when we’re plugged in with the 30amp. I’m not sure how long it could go on just the battery without kicking the engine on. We don’t run it during quiet hours at campgrounds just because the truck electric motor makes a noise, as does the engine when it kicks on. It’s still obviously much, much quieter than a standard generator.
Do you have an estimate of your fuel consumption to run the generator yet? We have a 2021 F-150 Powerboost and a 20 foot Caravel (inbound) and am curious how much fuel you go through when boondocking. We will likely be bringing 4 jerry cans of fuel and 4 jerry cans of water along.
Not a precise one, Rick, sorry. We think we used about 1/8 tank of gas over an eight-hour period one day, which seems to be consistent with Ford’s estimation that you could run at max power on the 7.2kw system for 32 hours. Our max power usage is half of the system’s max power since we’re just using the one 30amp hookup (3600 watt max). Even still, we’re hardly ever pulling in more than 2000 watts unless we’re running all the lights, heat, charging computers, etc. We do now as a best practice turn off the heat before kicking on the microwave because of the power draw of the two of them.
@@jroamforgood6370 thanks for the info! your estimate makes complete sense. we're gonna carry a couple jerry cans "just to make sure" we can get a week off the grid in normal weather with a little A/C at night.
Was wondering how you use a camco adapter to go from 220 to 110? I’m obviously missing something because you didn’t fry the trailer power system when you did it.
Wish I could tell you how it works. Our airstream dealer recommended it, and the description on Amazon says it is “Designed to connect a generator with a L14-30 locking receptacle to an RV that uses a standard RV cord set (TT-30) to connect to 120V AC shore power.” We’ve used it probably 50-60 times by this point and have had no issues with it.
If you look at the truck display it shows you the answer. He is only using one leg of power, the adapter connects one leg of power through but not the other just like a 50 amp to 30 amp camper adapter, very common.
great video: so could you run 2 13,500 btu ac's with this truck? brand new to rv life and generators. would you also just connect everything to the 30 amp plug? highly thinking about buying a f150 powerboost for just this application.
I think 2 13,500 btu ACs would be cutting it pretty close to the 3600 watt draw max through the 30amp outlet, particularly if you have any other appliances / lighting on.
@UCovpTZpCrXHs3KCqXBECDmQ sorry, yes. The 30 amp is the only way we can draw AC power to our basecamp, but you can get another 3600 watts through the 20 amp outlets. All depends on how you plan to power your air conditioners.
We just got the F-150 to boondock. Do you leave the F-150 on ? I know dumb question but want to make sure because sales guy said go out and turn truck on in the middle of night. Hahaha
We leave it on - which means the truck runs on battery until it gets low, which is when the gas motor turns on. It will turn off when the battery is charged. I believe there’s an option to control both Pro Power Onboard and whether or not the truck is on from the FordPass app, but we need to signup for the WiFi plan for that to work. Don’t quote me on this! We haven’t figured that pet out yet, but it’s on our list to do.
You put your truck in generator mode, turn off accessories, take the key and lock the doors. The truck will start up if it needs to charge. You don't need to sign up for anything special to use the ford pass app, that is free. If you want the truck wifi after the trial period you have to pay, but being able to control the functions of your truck with the app with the truck is free (I don't know about all trim levels, but mine is an XLT). I personally don't plug it in at night unless I'm using the AC, I just plug it in during the day so the batteries on the trailer are charged through the night.
Have you calculated how much gasoline the truck is using per hour to run the Basecamp air conditioner and other outlets (under ordinary circumstances)? Just got this truck today and plan to use it with my 19 ft. Caravel. Thanks.
We haven’t done that yet just because we haven’t yet kept it plugged in for longer than a few hours or had to worry about too large a fuel drive. We’re ot boondocking this week but could do a test on it next week unless you beat us to the punch!
@@jroamforgood6370 Ok, I did a test today. It was 89 degrees outside, I filled the hybrid F 150 tank completely full, then hooked it up to the Caravel and turned on all the lights and the air conditioner. I intentionally set the AC to a lower temp (68 degrees) so that it would need to work hard, and set the fan speed to Medium and the Mode to Cool so that the unit ran constantly. This drew 1700-1800 watts consistently throughout the 2-hour test period. The truck would turn on its gasoline powered engine for 60-65 second about every 10 minutes to recharge its battery. I let this play out over a 2 hour period. At the end of that time, I turned everything off, unhooked and drove back to the gas station. It took 0.47 gallons to refill the tank. So the truck’s gasoline engine was running about 5-6 minutes of each hour and using 1/4 of a tank of gasoline. The next 2 hours, I changed the air conditioner fan setting to “auto” and raised the temp to 73 degrees. The AC quit running all the time (turned off and on every few minutes) while the trailer stayed comfortable inside and the truck engine turned on very rarely (I quit paying attention since friends came over) but in any case the fuel consumption had to be even lower. So the system is surprisingly efficient.
@@stangilbert1090 this is excellent. Very helpful! And it sounds right with our experience. We’ve never felt like we had to keep an eye on the gas because of how we use the system and how efficient it is. Thank you, Stan!
We've got a 22 Bambi FB on order and are awaiting it's arrival in November (fingers crossed!). I was wondering if the truck is giving you power only while it's plugged into the Airstream, or if it's also recharging the standard batteries while plugged in, so that when you unplug you've got a full charge in your Airstream batteries?
Congrats! That’s exciting! Yes, it is both supplying AC power and recharging the Airstream batteries when plugged in to Pro Power Onboard / any 30 amp hookup.
Can you lock the truck while in generator mode? I know my external keypad lets me idle my truck and lock it but I was wondering if the power boost had any fancy features to where it would not let the truck drive off without a key/fob but still use it as a generator?
It does let you lock it. We now turn the truck on, turn Generator Mode on, plug in, take the key out of the truck, then lock it and keep the key on us.
We’ve never tested it, but Ford says you could run the battery under max capacity conditions for 32 hours if you have a full tank of gas. If you’ve got a 20-foot trailer and are only running a little AC and sparingly using the microwave, fan, etc., then you’d last a whole lot longer. We’ve never needed to have it plugged in very long to cool things off or charge up all of our tech equipment, so gas has never been a concern.
Important distinction is size of F150 battery, being 1.5 kWh. Which will determine how often and long the truck generator (engine too) will be running, as the generator actually charges the F150 battery, and that batter is what powers the RV. So although the F150 running is far more convenient and quiet than a stand alone generator, the least amount of F150 engine/generator running time the better. For my ideal set up, I would integrate a $2,000 Big Battery 5.3 kWh battery into the F150 charging system that would hold a total 6.8 kWh battery reserve (1.5 + 5.3), and run a 1,000 Watt A/C for up to 6 hrs or so without the F150 having to startup and run. Otherwise with only 1.5 kWh battery the F150 would need to startup every hour or so and run as much as 15 minutes or more (depending on charge capacity of Powerboost system) to charge the battery to run this A/C. In other words, a bigger capacity battery in the F150 can really help make it even more of a boondockers dream. Hey a 10 kWh battery from Big Battery would be even better. Interesting to find out how fast the F150 can charge.
so how much would those batteries cost? 3k or more? just wondering. i am really considering buy this truck for running a small rv and boondocking myself.
@@ep9691 Check out bigbattery.com. They may be able to advise you on a Ford Powerboost package. Although the Powerboost is fine the way it comes, more battery capacity can reduce truck engine running cycles and increase boondocking duration. I like the 10 kWh battery at around $3,000.
Not only did I buy the adapter, I bought the truck! Best truck I’ve ever seen and why Ford doesn’t market this truck as the RVers best friend I’ll never know. Thank you for posting this video!
Love it!
I agree. Nine months later 4/16/22 since you posted this comment I was going to order a new Tahoe to pull my new camper. Luckily I watched a few videos about this truck and ordered one Wednesday. This truck is a game changer for boondocking.
Not a Ford guy but I'd buy this truck just for that feature alone. Take our travel trailer anywhere. Great information thanks!
Hello. Just wanted to say thank you for this post. It helped to steer us in the right direction as to what type of tow vehicle we wanted to purchase. This month, we bought a 2022 Ford F150 Platinum Powerboost and a 2022 Flagstaff Microlite. We also purchased the adapter in your video. Yesterday, we hooked up the truck to the trailer for a couple of hours just as you described, and it worked PERFECTLY! The TT has a 15,000 BTU A/C unit, and we fired that up along with turning the fridge on full cold. The truck's generator screen never showed anything more than an 1,800 watt draw. I was pretty amazed. The truck itself was super quiet while in battery mode and running the generator. The engine kicked on every once in awhile for a few minutes to recharge the hybrid battery, then shut itself off while the generator silently powered the TT. Thank you again for your video. The opportunities this setup presents for boondocking are incredible.
Love to hear it, Ryan! Happy travels!
You only have 3600 watts available as you have a 30 amp camper that only uses one leg of the power. A 50 amp camper that will use both of the legs could get 3600 watts from each side and use the 7200 watts. Good video.
Yes, good point! Only up to 3600 watts through the 30amp hookup.
And the Adapter you are using is only rated for 3750 watts.
So how would you power something that uses more than 3600 watts if you can only get that for each outlet? Is there a 2 into 1 adapter?
@@JonBecker81 Get a 5000 watt gen.
@@JonBecker81 TFL shows you how here - th-cam.com/video/gz4PHOZJhgA/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUYdGZsIHBvd2VyYm9vc3QgZ2VuZXJhdG9y
Jeannine Sanders
I genuinely appreciate your video. I too have the 2021 F-150 Powerboost with 7.2 onboard. This truck has dragged my Grand Design Imagine 22MLE 7k miles with ease. Interesting that the Ford dealer told me the top outlet you feature in your video was reported to have damaged someone RV system and suggested I not use it; Perhaps user error/not proper adapter. Now I am confident to hit the boondocks button. Thanks again for sharing.
I'm looking into the f150. Which trim do you have and what's your payload capacity?
@@nicolasdesposito2362 This is fine but you need the adapter. Your Dealer did not know what he is talking about. I have a 34 foot cougar and the powerboost f150 no problems whatsoever then again, most of my rig is also solar powered and I have several battleborn lithium batteries. But yes I can dock anywhere
He must have not used the correct adapter and got the full 240 volts, that would be expensive.
We need more videos of y’all’s adventures with this rig, please and thank you🙏🏽
Clear explanation. Just what we were looking for. Well done!
Love it! Next video idea - tell me all about boondocking!
Thanks! I think every travel trailer will be crowding into Ford dealerships for this!
Great Video! We recently bought a 2021 F-150 Powerboost with 7.2 Kw onboard for the purpose of towing a trailer and being able to boondock longer and more comfortably, just like you are doing! I've been wondering how we were going to get 120 volts and 30 amps for the trailer out of the onboard power in the bed of the F-150 and your video explained it perfectly! Now we just need to order the trailer. We're leaning toward the Airstream Basecamp 20X too!
Awesome! It’s a great combo :) Haha
I’m doing the same exact setup, I just retired and I can’t wait. Awesome job💪
This is a great video. Thank you. I have one quick suggestion though. You can also use FordPass to check your power consumptions. You do not need to run to the truck Everytime 😇
Exactly the video I needed. I have a '23 Powerboost with 7.2kW ProPower. My buddy and I will rent a travel trailer and will be deer hunting in dry camp later this year. This video showed the hookups easily. When you are running your trailer and the truck is in generator mode, how often would the engine kick on using 2.5kW? Would you run this overnight so it can run a heater as well? Thanks.
That truck is so cool. Any issues with the f150?
nice man. i'm getting a basecamp 20x next year. I'm also gonna get the new tundra! I need more videos bro. this video was awesome for your first post. keep it up dude
For the good love of all that is holy, people get soft starts for your AC and take away most of your loads with solar then use the FOrd f150 as a recharging source. This way instead of 36 hours you get around a week before you need a fill up
That's so crazy, I saw this video when it came out and I saw you guys in Bozeman today. Y'all should make more videos
Love it! We just got here. And thank you! We’ll have more videos soonx
@@jroamforgood6370 I know it's hot and Smokey but hopefully yall can still have fun!!!
You lucky dog. I wish I was out west. The east coast sucks...though it does have an abundance of drinking water. Still sucks. Luck dog.
Thanks for Sharing - Looking Good - Mo Power To You and All Who Owns a Rig Like Yours, with The All New Pro-Power F150. Oh by the way, here's some food-for-thought.... NEVER run your microwave EMPTY... unless you want to burn it out and create a fire... Yup, very dangerous.
Wow what a beautiful rig!
Andrew, congrats on the new Powerboost! I'm jealous, having an order in since December with only a VIN. Personally, I think the biggest ProPower drawback comes with the non-hybrid powertrains, as the engine must run for the duration of any AC draw from the truck. And a feature I really appreciate - picture a 'dark and stormy night' - is controlling the ProPower system from a phone's FordPass app while in the trailer.
Thanks, Jack! We too placed an order for a 2021 back in October, but never got the truck by February, so we made the decision to buy a different one that was available on the lot so we could hit the road by March... We’ve been able to monitor power output on the FordPass app, but haven’t quite gotten it to the point where we can have it running without a key in the truck. That is the goal for those dark and stormy nights. We’re still learning!
@@jroamforgood6370 I put mine in generator mode and was able to take my key and lock the truck. You can also turn the screen off on the truck. I do wish when you put it in generator mode it automatically turned off all the accessories in the truck, it is annoying turning the stereo and lights all off. Also there is an eco mode that revs the engine up higher so it charges the battery faster. In that mode the truck only started about every half hour to hour for a couple minutes, I was not using the AC though. Have fun man.
@@shane6607 totally with you on having to turn off the other lights, climate control, etc. We were also able to take the key out of the truck while in generator mode. Just tried it out the other day. Thanks for the tip!
I'd like to get the Tremor or even Raptor, but I really want the Powerboost engine with its max Pro Power Onboard. So I am now considering either the 2025 Platinum or Platinum Plus next year. Do you know, do either the XLT or Lariat have any advantages other than a lower price point versus the P or PP? I do love the luxury leather seats and interior of the P and especially the PP, so I'm thinking of doing one of those, with the FX4 package, and after market doing a level/lift, adding 35" tires with a bit of poke, and if appropriate possibly upgrading some or all aspects of the suspension. I just want that front torsion diff of the Tremor, but as far as I know you can't get the Tremor with the Powerboost, and I imagine dropping from a 7.2kw to a 2kw generator is a big drop in the Pro Power capabilities.
I just order mu 2022 F150 and cant wait to get it awesome video hope it will power the airstream as well
Useful video. Thanks. Another question. Running all that stuff constantly thru Pro Power Onboard, how long do you estimate it would take to use a full tank of gas, and say 3/4s of a tank so I'd still have enough gas left to get to a gas station, assume started at a full tank? 12 hrs, 24 hrs, 48, other? Thanks.
Wow! I had no idea- so cool
Awesome truck!
Great video
The power cord that runs from the Basecamp to the adapter, does it come with the Basecamp or need to purchased separately?
Great job!
Thank you - nice description. I have the same truck and a '20 Globetrotter Airstream. The GFI in the trailer and truck cause a fault. I've read that the generator plug ground and neutral need to be merged to avoid the problem. Do you know of any such adapter? Have you had any GFI fault issues?
I have a 20 foot Airstream Caravel on order. Gonna tow with my large SUV until we get a new truck or van. We were also shopping a variety of ways to power our air conditioner in boondocking situations. Maybe this would kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I'm wondering what the towing range is...please let us know. TFS
Hey man nice video I'm looking at getting this exact setup but with a 16' base camp maybe. Can you tell me what your fuel mileage is while towing the 20?
Does the engine have to run while the generator is running? Also, is there a safety feature that it doesn’t use all the gas? Diesel? From the main tank and leave you stranded?
The engine kicks on when the 1.5kwh battery starts to run low. So it’s not running continuously - just as often as needed to meet your power demands. I’m aware of a safety feature that does not allow you to start the system when you are low on gas - not aware of an automatic shut off for safety purposes. If I had to guess (which I wouldn’t), I’d say it does have that, but we never get too low on gas the way we use the system. Not diesel - unleaded.
This is amazing😬
Thank you for this super informative video! I just ordered an F-150 hybrid 3.5L Powerboost for our Basecamp 20X. If we were to run the AC on low, would the 2.4 KW system be sufficient? That seems to be the case after watching your video.
Alright! That’s exciting! The 2.4kw system would probably have enough power, but it does not come with a 30amp outlet. You need the 30amp to run ac power in the basecamp. As far as I know, only the 7.2kw system comes with the 30amp outlet.
@@jroamforgood6370 Thanks for getting back so quick with the info. Much appreciated! Looks like I'll need to upgrade my order with the 7.2 kW system.
3:30 can you draw all 7.2kw from the big plug or is that limited to 3.6 and the remainder of capacity is for the standard 20amp prongs in the back?
Great videos. Very informative. I just bought a Ford F-150 eco boost hybrid like yours. I’m going to be pulling an enclosed cargo trailer dual axle 7x16 flat front. Weight is about 3,000 lbs loaded. Are you still happy with the way your truck tows? How is it towing in the mountains at higher altitudes and steep grades? What sort of mileage is to be expected? Keep having fun!
Thanks, Joe! We love the way the truck tows. The airstream is around 3500 without all of our stuff in it, so we’re just a little heavier than yours without anything in it. We’ve been in the mountains and high altitude (and high wind!) for a few months now and we’re so glad we didn’t buy a Jeep or Land Rover or even a small truck. I’m sure those are fine options for some folks but not for us. We spent a month driving all around Colorado and are now up in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, often at high altitude. We’ve never felt out of control or had bad sway despite going through some tricky passes.
@@jroamforgood6370 Thanks for the good news about towing with the F-150! Keep up the the travel vids and be safe!
Very nice, great info!
One clairification- if the truck is putting out 240 volts, is your adapter transforming it down to 120 v to prevent frying your trailer? (usually 30-50A , 120v) or is it just adapting to the physical plug (trailer dual voltage?). Sounds like transforming from video, but plug looked more like an adapter (small) than a transformer(bulky/heavy). Thanks!
I see your adapter is only using 1 of the 2 hot legs to get 120v, didn't know that was a thing, very clever!
@@mikefarley5462 Thanks! You have us double checking with Camco haha.
If you have a 30 amp camper sooner or later you will get to a park that has 50 amp but not 30 amp and you will want one of those very common plug adapters.
This is the perfect video for us! We have a BC 20x on order. Last weekend we started looking at 2021 Ford F-150s and we have questions. Which F-150 did you get and with what engine? We're looking at a Lariat with the V8 and 2kwh generator (which seems like plenty of power). Sounds like you got the 7.2kwh generator. We didn't think it was possible, until now, that we'd be able to plug in the BC. Could you do a video on your solar setup and what you plan to do with it? Thanks!
Awesome! We love the Basecamp and the Ford! We have the 3.5L PowerBoost Engine, which allows us to get the 7.2kw Pro Power Onboard. The 7.2 kw PPO is important because it has the 30amp outlet, which is what the Basecamp is powered by. I don’t believe the 2.0kw or the 2.4kw PPO have a 30amp outlet. The trouble we had was the 30amp outlet is 240 volts - too high for the Basecamp, which needs 120 volts, so that’s why we bought the adapter. We have a Platinum, but I don’t think the trim matters very much as long as you can get the hybrid engine. We originally ordered a Lariat but it did not come in in time for us to hit the road on our trip.
@@jroamforgood6370 If you didn't have the 7.2 and had the 2 or 2.4kw, you could still plug in the BC, but you wouldn't be able to use the a/c, is that correct?
@@mister-LA That I don't know - I'm not aware of an external plug for AC power (to charge your dc battery and/or power your ac appliances and outlets) other than the 30amp. I'd definitely check with Airstream first.
@@mister-LA For a small BC your air con is probably a 10K unit initially drawing ~14-16 amps on start-up. After that, a steady 8-10 amp draw. So both 2.0 & 2.4 should work. BUT...keep in mind that if you don't purchase Ford's hybrid power train, your only option will be 2.0 KW and, with no hybrid battery, the F150's engine will have to be running for as long as you draw current vs. the on/off cycling of the hybrid. With a 2.0 capacity, it will be air con and not much else (AC) or switch flipping to run other things.
@@mister-LA You could if you installed a soft start or easy start on your AC unit. www.amazon.com/BLUETOOTH-Microair-Easystart-Bluetooth-Install/dp/B08VFDYQ4Q/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwq7aGBhADEiwA6uGZp5Z9OIYtStwY2gmLPUMUSECZuxSdxgRV6fLerjcjatIIuV8HYvy_IxoC-FUQAvD_BwE&hvadid=352717818382&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9033419&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8782635114657349131&hvtargid=kwd-780964785758&hydadcr=20138_9955022&keywords=easy+start+ac+rv&qid=1624120352&sr=8-6
Thank you for your video. We have an 2021 F150 hybrid and a 2022 Basecamp but are getting a ground fault error on the ford generator when we plug it in. It shuts down the generator each time. Did you encounter this at anytime. Also is your truck a hybrid and do you have llithium batteries and an invertor in your trailer. Any information you have would be helpful. Thanks
Hello. We own a t@b 400 and are about to buy a ford F150 powerboost. however it only has the 2.4 generator. Will we be able to run the a/c in our tiny trailer with this generator? I'm guessing not, but I just wanted to see what you guys think since you have more knowledge and experience.
How long can you run your generator from the truck battery without the auto start function on the truck? Can’t wait to see some videos. I think this may be the solution for camping and kayak hauling.
Hmmm. The engine kicks on often - every few minutes or so - when we’re plugged in with the 30amp. I’m not sure how long it could go on just the battery without kicking the engine on. We don’t run it during quiet hours at campgrounds just because the truck electric motor makes a noise, as does the engine when it kicks on. It’s still obviously much, much quieter than a standard generator.
Ford says 85 hours continuous….
what rpm does the truck run at ?
Do you have an estimate of your fuel consumption to run the generator yet? We have a 2021 F-150 Powerboost and a 20 foot Caravel (inbound) and am curious how much fuel you go through when boondocking. We will likely be bringing 4 jerry cans of fuel and 4 jerry cans of water along.
Not a precise one, Rick, sorry. We think we used about 1/8 tank of gas over an eight-hour period one day, which seems to be consistent with Ford’s estimation that you could run at max power on the 7.2kw system for 32 hours. Our max power usage is half of the system’s max power since we’re just using the one 30amp hookup (3600 watt max). Even still, we’re hardly ever pulling in more than 2000 watts unless we’re running all the lights, heat, charging computers, etc. We do now as a best practice turn off the heat before kicking on the microwave because of the power draw of the two of them.
@@jroamforgood6370 thanks for the info! your estimate makes complete sense. we're gonna carry a couple jerry cans "just to make sure" we can get a week off the grid in normal weather with a little A/C at night.
Awesome thank
Was wondering how you use a camco adapter to go from 220 to 110? I’m obviously missing something because you didn’t fry the trailer power system when you did it.
Wish I could tell you how it works. Our airstream dealer recommended it, and the description on Amazon says it is “Designed to connect a generator with a L14-30 locking receptacle to an RV that uses a standard RV cord set (TT-30) to connect to 120V AC shore power.” We’ve used it probably 50-60 times by this point and have had no issues with it.
If you look at the truck display it shows you the answer. He is only using one leg of power, the adapter connects one leg of power through but not the other just like a 50 amp to 30 amp camper adapter, very common.
great video:
so could you run 2 13,500 btu ac's with this truck? brand new to rv life and generators. would you also just connect everything to the 30 amp plug? highly thinking about buying a f150 powerboost for just this application.
I think 2 13,500 btu ACs would be cutting it pretty close to the 3600 watt draw max through the 30amp outlet, particularly if you have any other appliances / lighting on.
@UCovpTZpCrXHs3KCqXBECDmQ sorry, yes. The 30 amp is the only way we can draw AC power to our basecamp, but you can get another 3600 watts through the 20 amp outlets. All depends on how you plan to power your air conditioners.
We just got the F-150 to boondock.
Do you leave the F-150 on ? I know dumb question but want to make sure because sales guy said go out and turn truck on in the middle of night. Hahaha
We leave it on - which means the truck runs on battery until it gets low, which is when the gas motor turns on. It will turn off when the battery is charged. I believe there’s an option to control both Pro Power Onboard and whether or not the truck is on from the FordPass app, but we need to signup for the WiFi plan for that to work. Don’t quote me on this! We haven’t figured that pet out yet, but it’s on our list to do.
You put your truck in generator mode, turn off accessories, take the key and lock the doors. The truck will start up if it needs to charge. You don't need to sign up for anything special to use the ford pass app, that is free. If you want the truck wifi after the trial period you have to pay, but being able to control the functions of your truck with the app with the truck is free (I don't know about all trim levels, but mine is an XLT). I personally don't plug it in at night unless I'm using the AC, I just plug it in during the day so the batteries on the trailer are charged through the night.
Have you calculated how much gasoline the truck is using per hour to run the Basecamp air conditioner and other outlets (under ordinary circumstances)? Just got this truck today and plan to use it with my 19 ft. Caravel. Thanks.
We haven’t done that yet just because we haven’t yet kept it plugged in for longer than a few hours or had to worry about too large a fuel drive. We’re ot boondocking this week but could do a test on it next week unless you beat us to the punch!
@@jroamforgood6370 Ok, I did a test today. It was 89 degrees outside, I filled the hybrid F 150 tank completely full, then hooked it up to the Caravel and turned on all the lights and the air conditioner. I intentionally set the AC to a lower temp (68 degrees) so that it would need to work hard, and set the fan speed to Medium and the Mode to Cool so that the unit ran constantly. This drew 1700-1800 watts consistently throughout the 2-hour test period. The truck would turn on its gasoline powered engine for 60-65 second about every 10 minutes to recharge its battery. I let this play out over a 2 hour period. At the end of that time, I turned everything off, unhooked and drove back to the gas station. It took 0.47 gallons to refill the tank. So the truck’s gasoline engine was running about 5-6 minutes of each hour and using 1/4 of a tank of gasoline. The next 2 hours, I changed the air conditioner fan setting to “auto” and raised the temp to 73 degrees. The AC quit running all the time (turned off and on every few minutes) while the trailer stayed comfortable inside and the truck engine turned on very rarely (I quit paying attention since friends came over) but in any case the fuel consumption had to be even lower. So the system is surprisingly efficient.
@@stangilbert1090 this is excellent. Very helpful! And it sounds right with our experience. We’ve never felt like we had to keep an eye on the gas because of how we use the system and how efficient it is. Thank you, Stan!
How do you connect something that uses more than 3600 watts?
Wish we could say, Jon, but I’m not sure if you can.
Can anyone tell me what the payload is for this truck. Can't find real answers in Ford. Want to know for sure. Thanks in advance
Max payload on our truck (2021 with 3.5L Powerboost engine) is 1,830. Max towing is 12,400.
We've got a 22 Bambi FB on order and are awaiting it's arrival in November (fingers crossed!). I was wondering if the truck is giving you power only while it's plugged into the Airstream, or if it's also recharging the standard batteries while plugged in, so that when you unplug you've got a full charge in your Airstream batteries?
Congrats! That’s exciting! Yes, it is both supplying AC power and recharging the Airstream batteries when plugged in to Pro Power Onboard / any 30 amp hookup.
It should charge everything, just like being plugged into shore power.
will it run the a/c on just the 20amp plug?
Can you lock the truck while in generator mode? I know my external keypad lets me idle my truck and lock it but I was wondering if the power boost had any fancy features to where it would not let the truck drive off without a key/fob but still use it as a generator?
It does let you lock it. We now turn the truck on, turn Generator Mode on, plug in, take the key out of the truck, then lock it and keep the key on us.
yes, and if the keys are not in the car it doesnt let you drive it anyway
How many hours could you run your airstream off of the 7.0 kilowatt F150 battery?
We’ve never tested it, but Ford says you could run the battery under max capacity conditions for 32 hours if you have a full tank of gas. If you’ve got a 20-foot trailer and are only running a little AC and sparingly using the microwave, fan, etc., then you’d last a whole lot longer. We’ve never needed to have it plugged in very long to cool things off or charge up all of our tech equipment, so gas has never been a concern.
Important distinction is size of F150 battery, being 1.5 kWh. Which will determine how often and long the truck generator (engine too) will be running, as the generator actually charges the F150 battery, and that batter is what powers the RV. So although the F150 running is far more convenient and quiet than a stand alone generator, the least amount of F150 engine/generator running time the better.
For my ideal set up, I would integrate a $2,000 Big Battery 5.3 kWh battery into the F150 charging system that would hold a total 6.8 kWh battery reserve (1.5 + 5.3), and run a 1,000 Watt A/C for up to 6 hrs or so without the F150 having to startup and run. Otherwise with only 1.5 kWh battery the F150 would need to startup every hour or so and run as much as 15 minutes or more (depending on charge capacity of Powerboost system) to charge the battery to run this A/C. In other words, a bigger capacity battery in the F150 can really help make it even more of a boondockers dream. Hey a 10 kWh battery from Big Battery would be even better. Interesting to find out how fast the F150 can charge.
so how much would those batteries cost? 3k or more?
just wondering. i am really considering buy this truck for running a small rv and boondocking myself.
@@ep9691 Check out bigbattery.com. They may be able to advise you on a Ford Powerboost package. Although the Powerboost is fine the way it comes, more battery capacity can reduce truck engine running cycles and increase boondocking duration. I like the 10 kWh battery at around $3,000.
Nice