2021 F150 Onboard Generator 24 Hour Test | Powering Our Airstream with our Tow Vehicle 

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :) that’s a great idea for a video, we can definitely make that happen. We recently did an overnight at a Flying J, that video will be out in the next few weeks.

I agree! I just ordered one :). Test drove one today. Very impressed. I own a v8 currently.

@@synthmania7275 you’re gonna love it! We love ours more everyday :)

@@GoranandJen picking up ours tomorrow. Looking forward to field camping with it. Great video, very informative.

You will love it!!! It’s an amazing truck. It took us a few months to find one, we were on several lists at dealerships. We ended up getting one at a dealership 60 miles away.

Why is Eco mode better to use if you are not actually driving? Just curious

@@stepheng9998yeah, I think eco mode just changes throttle positioning and shifting

It’s a great truck!! Man, our garage is such a mess with this airstream project 😭 i don’t know if it will have a vehicle in it any time soon😂😂

Thanks Rob! We are loving this truck :)

You’re welcome!! Glad you enjoyed it!

Heck yea! Congrats, I hope you are loving it as much as we love ours :)

Thanks!!

Awesome! It’s a great combo :)

You’re very welcome :)

It is totally worth it! We are in love with the truck. I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)

Great tips, thanks!

Someone else did this and recommended leaving the air on set at like 75 because all of the electronics in truck were making the inside really hot. It would help keep those electronics cooler. I don’t know if that matters or not but it’s a thought.

Thank you!!

You’re very welcome :)

Our pleasure!

We are working on two more generator videos as we speak😀😀😀

I know right LOL. We just did a 48 hour test, will be posting soon 😀

Thank you, I’m glad it helped :)

Same!! It’s a game changer

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 😀

Thanks Ed!! Glad you enjoyed it 😊

You’re welcome!

Thanks! We are loving the F150

I believe our AC is 13000 btu. I’ve talked to a few people about the soft start, but we haven’t needed it either. We love this truck!

Soft Starters are amazing. I have our home 3.5 ton unit down to 31 amps (so 6800 watts starting). Before it was 110 amps. 220volt

So true, they are not cheap. But man, are they amazing! The onboard generator is a game changer.

A "full hybrid" is an oxymoron. It's a hybrid, not a full electric.

Heck yea!!!

Thanks! We get between 20-24 mpg when we’re not towing (depends on how fast we’re driving) and between 9-12 when towing. We find that we get 12 mpg when we go 65 mph towing the Airstream. The RV is 25 ft long, 6800 pound dry weight, for reference

I'm glad you enjoyed it! The onboard generator is a gamechanger for boondocking, we love it

We think so, you would just need to keep it plugged in. We haven’t tried it yet, but we plan on testing that out next year :)

Thanks! It was super hot out the day that we tested, in the 90s Fahrenheit. We noticed the hot hood, we put the AC on low for when the truck cycled on but it was still pretty hot in there. I’m wondering if maybe we should run this test in the winter time to see how hot the hood and cabin gets.

Great question! We did not test that with our truck’s generator, but typically we are putting cold food into the fridge once it’s cooled off. Our fridge is super old (May be original to the Airstream) and in 90 degree weather it struggles to keep up even with cold food in it LOL

Very quiet. You can give it the option to run on a slightly increased idle and it is still very quiet.

Sorry it took so long to reply! Payload is 1830 in 2 wheel drive and 2090 in 4 wheel drive. Hope this helps!!

@@GoranandJen well, payload varies depending on trim level and options. For example my Powerboost Lariat has a payload of 1533 and I've seen Powerboost Limiteds loaded with bed linings, etc., with payloads below 1200lbs. Great test by the way!

@@aflyr thanks! Yea, I’ve been learning a lot about payloads. If you check the sticker inside the door, it says 1289. So I’m pretty sure that is the correct number for our trim package

Hello! Sorry for the slow reply. It’s so much quieter than any portable generator. It will not disturb the neighbors😀😀😀

@@GoranandJen wow! That's great news-- will be very nice not having to bring a heavy and loud generator with the ProPower On board. One more question: How often does the engine turn on when in ProPower mode? I've heard that it remains quiet until the battery needs charging. Meaning, only stays on for a minute or two, then stays quiet for 20-30 mins?

It's very quiet... I can't believe ppl order the truck without this option!

@mikej9619 that's great news! Completely agree-- more vehicles need this amazing feature!

There aren’t any PBs with the 5.0. They’re all 3.5s. I do think you can get a onboard power option for 2kw with a 5.0 but you can only get the full 7.2 kw with they hybrid 3.5.

Hello! We think so. Goran has a plan to run a line from the generator into the trailer so that we can do that but he has yet to install it. We will definitely post a video about it once we run our experiment.😀

Thanks! We have the Platinum Supercrew 3.5L Ecoboost V6, 5.5 ft box, 4x4 with the max tow package. Payload is 2100 for our trim package. Here is a link to the specs for the platinum F150, payloads are about two thirds of the way down the page: www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-platinum/ Hope this helps!

@@GoranandJen Thanks but I believe that is the engine/truck stripped payload without any features. I find the payload to be the most fleeting of all specs on trucks and yet critical to towing. I have a 2017 Platinum 3.5L and the payload sticker "Tire and Loading Capacity" (Yellow/red/white sticker inside driver door) says my max cargo is 1548 lbs for payload. The Ford website advertised figure for 2017 was 2250-3230 lbs. depending on the configuration. The dealer said that was normal as accessories add weight and mine was loaded. The 2018 Limited I looked at had a 12ish payload. Look at your Cargo figure on the door "tire and loading" where is says maximum cargo no more than xxx. That is where Ford puts it. I was told the 4wd Powerboost was about 1200lbs and the 2wd no one seems to know. I have a 1000# tongue weight on my Airstream so whatever minus 1000 and you see why I am curious on the hybrid model. I spoke to the dealer today which said that was about right on the 4wd but I have not seen one to verify. I will probably have to get a 2wd if I get any. I need about 1500 minimum.

@@rodneylw10 if I’m looking at that sticker, it says 1289 lbs

@@GoranandJen That's it. Max cargo as configured. The dealer said about 1200. Yours is more like 1300. Thank you for looking. My model has a heavy tongue weight! I will probably have to get a 2WD powerboost or another regular ecoboost. I watched a few more of your adventures on renovation. Happy Camping!

@@rodneylw10 you’re welcome 😀

Sorry for the delay, here is the link to the adapter: amzn.to/2WSPB0H Hope this helps!

Hello! Ours is a 30 amp with 1 AC.

That’s a good question. I’m trying to remember the frequency, it’s definitely at least 3-4 times per hour for a few minutes at a time

We pretty much just use the onboard generator when boondocking for our electrical needs. It works great 😊 as far as mpg when the trailer is attached, we get between 10-12. We have an Airstream, 6800 pounds dry. F150 tows it like a dream.

@@GoranandJen I am planning on getting a trailer next year and I want to get a boat soon as well, one of the biggest reasons I purchased a truck. My only issue right now is storage, I have a huge garage and property but I rent so cannot store them and I do not want to pay storage for a year while I am planning to buy.

Yea, I think you’re making the right decision. I wouldn’t want to pay for storage either

Hello! We divided 73 by 17.4 mpg to get to 4.2. We got the 17.4 mpg from the screen, under trip 1, upper left. And you are correct, we were wrong about our gas tank size, it is a 30 gallon tank😀hope that helps!

​@@GoranandJen Yes, now I can see where I went wrong - thanks!

You are correct! It’s very quiet, great for boondocking and not disturbing your neighbors 😄we have a traditional gas powered generator but we no longer use it because the truck generator works great

Yeah, it's an inverter on the battery pack, not a separate gas engine generator. Then the truck runs the gas motor to turn the electric motor in "regen" mode to recharge the batteries whenever they get low.

Hello! The adapter is linked in the description of this video. I will check tomorrow for the exact cord that it plugs into 😀

Adapter to regular 30amp shore power cable 😀

Thanks! Oh man, pretty hot! We were in South Padre TX in July 2021 and it was 105 outside. We could only get it to 80-85 degrees in the Airstream during the day, it was pretty terrible. But for this video I think it was in the 90s and we were able to keep it in the low 70s in the Airstream

@@GoranandJen that’s cool. I live in Florida and it’s hot all the time. Was curious how insulated the airstream was. A friend of mine has a cheaper camper and his ac never seems to catch up

@@houlester Very true, we have a lot of family in Florida and it gets super hot. Airstreams are insulated, but it is still, in essence, a tin can on wheels lol. The newer ones probably have better insulation and a better AC unit(s), but ours is from 89' and I think the AC unit is probably from the late 90s/early 00s so that is about as good as it gets for us. We are going to get a new AC unit in the next year or so, so perhaps that will help? I dont know, but I am hoping so :)

Excellent question! We didn’t notice any excessive heat coming from the bottom of the truck. I think this is because the truck cycles itself on and off. It only turns on when it needs to charge the batteries and then it turns off again. Hope this answers your question!

Thanks for the reply. I just special ordered an XL 4x4 and should have a chance to see for myself within a couple months.

@@gregorybean146 great!! I think you’ll really love it

Our payload is 1289, we tow a 25 ft Airstream Excella and she tows like a dream. As far as how the hybrid payload compares to a regular F150, I don’t know the answer to that. It’s so hard to find the “true” payload online, so I’m depending on the sticker inside the door. Hope this helps!

@@GoranandJen Thanks! Do you know what the tongue weight of your Airstream is? We looked at a 27' FB with 790 lbs of tongue weight dry. With gear and water I would expect it to be 900-1000 lbs. If we add in 4 people plus a dog, that is another ~600 lbs and we are now over the capacity of our current F150. No room left for anything in the bed, like bikes, firewood, camp chairs, etc. I guess I will need to wait for them to bring the hybrid to the 3/4 ton trucks or just get a separate generator. I do love the idea of having it integrated though and not having to carry a gas can.

@@jlokanis we don’t know off hand. We found a tongue weight scale that we’re going to get, but haven’t done so yet. We just have the two of us, plus a bit in the back with camp chairs, cooler, etc. We use a weight distribution hitch and so far, she’s been towing great, almost like there is nothing behind the truck! And you’re right, the integrated generator is a game changer. It’s super fuel efficient and very quiet. We are loving it

You have plenty of room for lots of payload if you're really worried you should go get a set of timberland bump stops on the back but you don't even need those

Really useful information, I am looking at getting an Airstream as well. I have a Platinum F150 with the Max Tow package. DO you have the max tow package on yours?

Very true! That would be a very interesting deep dive

Great question! I think a huge gain in the efficiency of the V-6 over the 2 cylinder generator is the battery pack on the Ford - since it's a hybrid, it's ensuring as much generated energy as possible is actually being put to use instead of shed. While the v-6 is on, it's powering everything and charging the battery - when the battery is full, the v-6 cuts and power is pulled from the battery. If power consumption drops, the v-6 is off longer. Conversely a 2 cylinder gene has to be on a least in it's lowest idle all the time, so it's not as efficient as it could be. A holy grail would be a hybrid generator :)

@@the_average_backpacker Sorry, not even close. I can't come close to explaining it here, but there is no "hocus pocus" or any other magic in converting KW/hours to horsepower to BTUs to gallons of gas burned. The bigger engine has a little more overhead, but that too can be factored in. With Respect, this is why engineers design things and wishful tinkerers don't. This is the preview of science and math. For the record, it IS fun.

Yep that's the answer the engine is not running all the time the engine runs to charge the battery and then the battery runs the inverter evidently these aren't your home charging systems and battery systems these are some special stuff that can charge quick and reach charge many many times

@@the_average_backpacker I agree with you. Because of the battery pack, the engine doesn't have to run at low capacity. When the battery runs low, the engine turns on and can run at 50% power, or whatever the efficient load is, to charge the battery and then shut off again. It's not hocus pocus like Dana thinks... that says more about his/her understanding than it says about your take.

Definitely something to think about. I wouldn’t recommend powering your home or RV for an extended period of time using the system but it’s nice to have the option if there’s an emergency situation. The engine cycles on and off so it’s not constantly idling but there would definitely be somewhere wear and tear if you did this often

@@GoranandJen I would think that this would be a great way to keep your rv cool and maybe some drinks and some food cool in the fridge while you are towing down the road. Pull into a rest stop for some sleep and or a meal and then head back out. Still one of the best ideas from Ford ever!

Yep! Its pretty awesome

Good points! We plan on doing some more real world tests of the generator this summer. This test was strictly bare bones to see if the generator could keep up :)

Using only 1/3 of the generator capacity I would hope it could keep up. Is there an additional battery than the standard truck battery or just a larger capacity single battery? Thanks

Hello! We are getting 12.5-13 miles to the gallon and our Airstream is 6800 pounds dry weight, but that was before we installed the new dinette and beds, so I think we added a little bit more weight😀

Hello! We haven’t experienced a ground fault. But, we also haven’t used the pro power yet this year so we will have to see if a software update messed it up. It has worked fine for us. We have run into an issue where the dealership can’t get our BlueCruise to work. They still can’t get that to work and it’s been 2 years. Ford has some serious problems with their software for sure.

For this test, we were running off the 30 amp plug :)

@@GoranandJen isn't the 30 amp a 240 volt ? Are you using an adapter ?

@@d_Smy hello! Yes, we are using an adapter, the link to what we use is in the description of this video :)

@@GoranandJen ahhh. I see. Thank you!

😂😂 thanks Edward! Glad you enjoyed it :)

That would be super frustrating! I would take it to the dealership (if you haven’t already 😀). We have an issue with our 2021, we can’t seem to get the BlueCruise to work. Dealership has worked on it several times to no avail. Frustrating because we paid for the feature up front and every time they try to “fix” it, they erase all of our data so we have to reprogram everything.

That’s true, that would be a good stat. I wish the engine would track that. It cycles on and off to charge the battery, but to the best of my knowledge it doesn’t track those cycles. If it does, let us know!! We’d love to have that info :)

@@GoranandJen sure my 2016 f150 does. Engine hours and idle engine hours

Thanks for the tip!

@@GoranandJen Goran: I owe you a bit of an apology. I commented the other day that “You should think about a soft starter” referring to your AC unit. In retrospect I think this was at least ham handed and possibly even rude (knowing what your Lovely shared in our conversation at the Flying J. I happen to know that you would be quite knowledgeable in this area. ). That said I apologize for being so fumbly in my remarks. What SHOULD have been said, or rather asked, is this. “Have you considered a soft starter for your AC unit and would you consider sharing your findings on your channel?” Many times You Tube gets a bad rap (some not so much) for being a well of nearly accurate information. A person with some genuine subject matter knowledge can be a real aid to many who sail these waters with very little in the way of charting. I look forward to any content you put up, on this sort of thing in particular. Until next time I will part by way of saying “Don’t fear the Geek side”. There are many members of this community who benefit and truly enjoy the deep dive into the technical. Glen

@@danaschoen432 it’s all good!! We’ve actually considered a soft start on the AC because it is such a power hog. We may also replace the entire AC unit being that it is so old. I appreciate your suggestion and didn’t take offense at all 😄

@@GoranandJen I'm so glad didn't cause any offense. I really like your channel. Your production work is as good as any I have seen, even by veterans of several years of You Tube work. That said, I took the time to write a letter to LoLoHo to tout your channel. Here is what I said. Dear Sean and Christie: It’s been some time since I reached out, but I have a purpose, which I will get too in a moment. I want to say first what a pleasure your channel is. Sometimes the content isn’t “riveting”, but it’s always friendly and good natured, a key, no doubt, to your ongoing success! Keep those good vibrations coming. Now, on to the matter at hand. No doubt you are aware of several other channels that use this model, Travel and adventure, a couple of those channels featuring our Iconic Air Streams (yes I am one of chosen few). The Tiny Shiny Home, and Slow Car Fast Home, come to mind as examples. Together with your channel these make up a great slice of a genre that is very entertaining and fun. I don’t know if you are interested in collaborating with any of these other channels, but I would offer the old adage “the more the merrier”. That said I want to recommend a rising star in your galaxy Goran and Jen. They have a really smooth style, interesting content and look to be at the beginning of a long presence in this space. If you could look at their content, and see a way to help them on their journey, I think it would be a real community builder, which no doubt helps everyone. As always thanks for all the great content. “I’ll be watching you” Glen

By the way, any thoughts on the Murphy bed concept?

We left them on, you can turn them off if you want.

That is an excellent question. I have no idea. I just went out to the truck and turned it on to see if there was any flashing, but I don’t see anything. It looks like that may be where one of the cameras is, but I don’t know for sure. If anyone out there knows the answer, please reply to this comment!

@@GoranandJen looks like an infrared sensor

Hello! No, we did not receive that warning from the Ford dealership and it seems to power our Airstream perfectly. Goran spent a few months researching this truck and really the only reason we bought it or I should say the main reason we bought it was for the generator so that we could power the airstream when needed. Thanks for the heads up though, I will definitely take a look at the video you’re talking about and dig into it a little bit more. But to answer your question, no, we never were told not to use it on an RV.

😂😂

Hello! Yes, it’s cycled on about every 5 to 10 minutes in the heat of the day. At night, much less.

You are correct, we thought is was a 36 but I’m pretty sure it’s a 30 😀

@@GoranandJen does that impact your efficiency calcs? I'm curious bc I plan on using mine to power my parents Airstream this Christmas.

@@floridabornoutdoors I think it would shave a day off for sure.

Will you be using propane for heating or are you in an area where AC will still be needed? By your RU-vid handle I assume you’re in Florida. The fridge and the AC are your biggest power hogs, so if you are dealing with temps in the 70s-80s I think you could probably still get similar efficiency as we did in this video, even with the 30 gallon tank. It was super hot out for our 24 hour test, in the mid 90s during the day.

@@GoranandJen it'll be in the Tampa area. Nice and warm

Yep! It cycles on and off to recharge the battery

@@GoranandJen ahhh makes sense. That is pretty damn cool. Not sure if I could ever give up my 5.0 for it though!

@@kevinhiltz9626 it’s definitely cool truck! We’re loving it :)

@@kevinhiltz9626 the 5.0 also has a generator option. but it's not the full 7.2kw one.. there are 3 size generators for the f150 (2.0kw, 2.4kw, 7.2kw). 5.0 has only 2.0kw generator built in option. must be a full powerboost for the 2.4kw (standard), and the 7.2kw (optional) generators.

Yes, we were wrong with the tank size 😑

30.6 gallon tank.

Hello! Yes, our neighborhood is safe, but the keys are inside with us. The truck cycles on and off automatically as needed to charge the batteries and remains locked up tight :)

@@GoranandJen Ahhhh okay, well hell! In that case, let er'rip!😁. Great test of your truck's power onboard system. Ford, definitely has a hit with it. Hopefully it stays working as it should for a long time ☺

@@djaftermath4313 right?!😂😂 here’s hoping she has a long and healthy life. I don’t think we will be pushing her to the limits like this very often, but it’s nice to know that we can

@@GoranandJen True. Its definitely pretty awesome to see how far tech has come. I'm here in Texas and a few people used their hybrid to power their homes(some lost power for days) when we had an Arctic blast hit the state earlier in Feb.

@@djaftermath4313 We watched a few videos about that! Crazy situation. That was actually one of the main inspirations for us to go for the generator option. We wanted to have that power supply in our back pocket in case of emergency.

Great question! You can’t leave the driveway without the key fob, the truck won’t allow you to put it into drive. We don’t leave the key fob in the truck when we are using it in generator mode. I mean, somebody in theory could smash our windows and try to drive away but the truck won’t allow it to leave without a key fob.

The engine shuts off at slow speed and when you stop at red lights or come to full stop . It won’t start again without the key fob. Or will it stop once it doesn’t detect the key fob ???

@@JoseP-hj5zo hello! Yes, if the key fob isn’t detected you won’t get very far

Very true! We are actually going to be doing an updated version of this video this week so stay tuned!

😂 I mean, it does a bunch of other things. But sure, you could say that

@@GoranandJen I hope they at least fixed the pos 10spd trans in 2021. My 2019 sucks.

The Powerboost is the most versatile vehicle I am aware of. It tows and powers my trailer, the engine idle is much quieter than most generators. It make a great daily driver at approximately 24mpg. It is still a pick up truck for carrying whatever can fit, and in sport mode is creates 430 horsepower and 570 lb/ft of torque and does 0-60mph in 5.2. The Pro Power On Board with the 7.2 Kw inverter was a $750 option. imo it is a tiny bit more than a $70k generator. Also, I paid about $62k for my 2021 Lariat Powerboost.

@@stevenolan5234 we love ours too :) the 7.2 Kw inverter option is well worth the $750, cheap in our opinion. We use the generator all the time. It’s great in boondocking situations, so quiet.

@@stevenolan5234 can’t wait to see the cost of repairs on that with no warranty. I’ll keep my 3.5 ecoboost and just put my 10,000 watt generator in the truck bed.

Great question, that would be bad. The truck cycles on and off as needed to maintain the battery charge, so by design it doesn’t idle the entire time.

@@GoranandJen 🤔 as long as you tow with it or should keep it blown out as well, seafoam is mans best friend

I worked ford and can say it can hurt it if used like this for long perios of time, but these ecoboosts are tougher than people say they are.

@@cesarpalmos8235 great insight! Yea, we def won’t be running it like this often, but we wanted to see what it could do 😀

I certainly would prefer an NA engine for a hybrid setup. turbos that are not hot tend to gum up and fail. perhaps they bypass use of them at idle on this engine, but that is a lot of complex systems on one vehicle. Brilliant use though! Going to see a lot more campers in the non-electric sites that have so much better privacy!

Ford is phasing out the Powerstroke.

I really don’t think one could honestly say that the 3.0 diesel would outlive a properly maintained 3.5EB. Imagine the diesel having to regen it’s DPF (and running 20 minutes to do it, using an additional 1 gallon of fuel to do it. Plus the strain on the EGR system, cooling system, not to mention DEF consumption the whole time. It’s safe to say that a 3.5 can go 250,000 miles easily with good maintenance. And you get none of the baggage with it that the 3.0 Lion would bring. (For reference; I own a 22 f250 6.7 Powerstroke and a 21 f150 3.5 standard ecoboost. I’ve owned three 3.5EB f150s and now on my 2nd 6.7 Powerstroke) For a generator, you want a 3.5. Ford knew what they were doing. Oh, one more thing...the truck is sitting stationary... and regen would create incredible tailpipe exhaust temps (700F) ....and it’s fire/burn hazard while camping.

Hello, yes, we made a mistake on that one 😂thanks!

Truuuuuuuuth

Hell, I can power my RV with my $1,000 generator AND drive to the store. AT THE SAME TIME 🤣🤣🤣

@@nuevavidadan5406 so true😂😂😂. If you’re only buying the truck for the generator, it’s def not worth it.

It’s not for everyone that’s for sure. But we love the truck! The generator is super quiet. And it doesn’t use much fuel. We are very happy with it😀

Unless you need a tow vehicle too 😄

Where can you buy a 7 kW Honda generator for $750?

@@kettch42 Bingo