Ford F-150 Lightning: Can it Really Tow our Airstream?

[@bigjimslade6250]

I suppose the question isn’t whether a Ford Lightning can tow an Airstream but should be “how far can a Lightning tow an Airstream@.

[@tomkrause62]

Better hope the campgroiund isn't far away.

[@DAKOTANSHELBY]

Not far enough to make it practical at that price point.

[@Radrider71]

You’ll get approx 1/3 the distance it’s telling you. So 200 miles equals about 65-70 miles and you better start looking for charger

[@69camaro19]

TFL trucks towed 6000lbs, got under 100 miles....

[@stevelatham2084]

About 75 miles. lol

[@patzke]

I just watched another KZbinr do a towing test on the lightning towing a 20 foot, 6000 lb rv bumper pull trailer. This 150 had the big extended range battery. At 100% battery the unladen range was estimated at 278 miles. After entering their trailer information range was reduced by an estimated 105 miles. In reality they made it a grand total of 88 miles from 100%. They couldn’t even make it from point A to B of 129 miles without having to turn around and limp back to a charger. At the charger they had 9 miles remaining before shutoff. After charging 45 minutes they were only at 75%. No thank you! Totally impractical for real world use.

[@Mouserjan0222]

what if you get stuck in a traffic jam? In CA stuck on the Grapevine during a snowstorm and run out of battery? Drive 80 miles/charge for another hour? Seriously? It would take you Forever to go anywhere! no thanks

[@Digital-Sparks]

@@Mouserjan0222 more like charge for 8-12 hours based on what I'm hearing, even the Super Quick Chargers that charge in an hour or so do not fully top off the batteries in this duration of time. It's just not there yet as far as technology goes.

[@markanderson5809]

I doubt it our friend has a Tesla can barely go 15 miles round-trip up and down on the small hill take your kids to school I doubt this truck can go that far

[@Digital-Sparks]

@@markanderson5809 That is a good point, I live in the flat country so it hasn't occurred to me as of yet, but in places that have very hilly terrain, it would be much harder on the batteries. If I paid 50/60k for a vehicle and only got that kind of milage I would be pissed.

[@onecleangti]

Those guys are a hard watch. That video was a sponsor after sponsor after sponsor ad

[@colingoldthorpe5918]

When they allow electric vehicle charging at RV parks the night fees will increase drastically!!!! Our neighbours have a Tesla SUV they say in the winter the battery range can be almost 60% of what it is in the summer. They ended up buying another SUV just because they couldn’t make it long distances to more remote areas where their parents live in northern Alberta. Still a few years away before they will match the usefulness of the ICE trucks for sure.

[@TC-kf9zw]

Goodthing the majority of the population don't live in harsh winter environments.....haha Also evs are already better then ice vehicles, the only problems are cost (which will go down dramatically, because of economics of scale) and battery range/tech (although all evs right now are more then good enough for the average driver in America) By 2030 battery technology will be so advance it will make today's look like play toys.....

[@caseypries7559]

@@TC-kf9zw first off, not yet better but i hope at some point they are. Second that battery tech by 2030 comment is pure speculation.

[@daviidfm923]

It’s more of a infrastructure problem then a vehicle problem.

[@caseypries7559]

@@daviidfm923 do you think that when they invented combustion engine cars there was a gas station on every corner? Infrastructure isn't really an issue. We didn't all used have air conditioners and now most do so the grid can be expanded.

[@daviidfm923]

@@caseypries7559 it’s still a infrastructure problem currently. Yea will we get there sure are we there yet no. Question is how long. Evs are currently built out for city living. Traveling off major highways is hard.

[@FFE-js2zp]

As long as your hotel is

[@markaustin4370]

OK I jumped for joy when i saw the title of this!!!! We have an Airstream 27FB which we're currently towing with a GMC 3500 Duramax Allision Dually Clearly overkill but you don't even know the trailer is back there. We have a reservation in for a Lightening XLT with the bigger battery so we're asking all the same questions. We camp mostly in the southwest so we'll see. Our rig is 30a so the Lightening can hog the 50 A lol

[@kirkkornrumpf5]

Ford F150 PowerBoast Hybrid is a much better choice for the full time RV'er. Great towing capacity, built in 30 amp generator and exceptional MPG when not towing. Been waiting for mine since ordering it on 2/2/22. Schedule to arrive the end July. EV towing still has a long way to go. Thanks for the quick test.

[@wallacegeller2111]

No, the F150 gasoline operated engine is the best.

[@idarmartin6022]

Thank you for doing this. I agree that 100 mile range is not enough. 300 + miles is a must in the west.

[@kurtdanielson993]

Range goes down as the batteries get old. I wonder what the batter replacement cost is going to be?

[@KannexMedia]

@@kurtdanielson993 You will lose about 30% of range in 10 years, with most OEMs having at least 8yr/160,000km warranty. Some vehicles from Tesla, Kia, and Hyundai have been designed so that the range loss is only 10-15% in 10 years.

[@robertcolpitts4534]

300 miles is a minimum out west. Towing range is deal killer for us. On top of the electrical infrastructure issues (not including charging stations), the battery technology has a long way to go before it's practical for long-distance travel or towing. We'll keep our 2500HD Duramax, thank you very much.

[@kurtdanielson993]

@@KannexMediaThose numbers will only apply for perfect conditions, mild heat and mild winters, and moderate usage. Extreme weather and high usage will change those numbers dramatically. A fact of life for those batteries.

[@KannexMedia]

@@kurtdanielson993 I have been driving a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The previous owner was in Ottawa, ON (extreme -30C weather for most of the year with heavy highway driving). I purchased it used in 2017 with about 20% degradation. I live in Windsor, ON (right by Detroit, Michigan) where we have hot and humid summers (40+ C) and our winters are around 0C. Degradation today is sitting at 40% (for a 12 year old vehicle)

[@sirlurkalot2992]

I've watched dozens of these videos and they can never escape the fact that they might make good 2nd cars. A quick trip to the grocery store, pick up kids at school and a hamburger seem to be the limit.

[@davedavenport8673]

One note, when charging an EV, the last 20-30% takes the longest, so your test was a little flawed since you were charging with the battery mostly full. When the battery is mostly discharged, it will charge much faster, but will slowly taper down to the speed you saw later in the charge.

[@nycLPplayer]

but without it you start your next trip 20% down on an already greatly reduced range

[@barrygiles9149]

@@nycLPplayer I thought the same when I bought my EV 3 years ago but it works far better to do an extra charge in the trip (and it's also less total elapsed trip time) loading to 80% each time. As an 'old guy' in any case I'm not doing more than 2 hours per leg (ICE or EV). Where the snag comes is that with an old EV my recharge time is far longer than most even from 20% 50 80%. How I envy the Ionic 5 and similar cars when they sit at the charger next to me.

[@michaeldobson8859]

the test was to see how actual practical it is to go on an RV trip to test out the possibility of “real world” testing. Dont forget not all RV parks have 50 amp connections, making it much longer on a 30 amp 120V single pole connection. I thought their test was short but very fair and honest about their conclusion. To me, that goes to integrity of the tester and a good report. Thumbs Up 👍

[@KiRiTO72987]

​@@barrygiles9149 yeah it's insane how fast the ioniq 5 can charge I've been considering a Bolt EV since most of my driving is city and my work offers free charging but that slow DCFC rate kinda makes me want to wait until the 2025/2026 refresh that's supposed to include much faster charging speeds for DCFC

[@MrBooricua]

Best Ford truck to tow the Airstream is the Power boost. I tow small 22 FB and get great mileage the pro power on board power everything on my Airstream. Great Video

[@michaelpetty8416]

89% range is over 3/4 of a tank of fuel. It’s say you are only going to get 104 miles. TAKE IT BACK! This is why battery power will never be for those of us that want to get somewhere. Thanks for the confirmation on how inefficient these things are. Love your videos. Keep’em coming.

[@mikemccabe7124]

ford has a dual 30 amp plug that allows you to plug in ur RV to its hybrid bed power generating station which are capable of handling 7500 watts and the cool feature is once the battery(s) get low it automatically starts the truck up and recharges itself while your still in the trailer watching TV or what not..TFL trucks youtube channel did a video where they plugged 2 fancy Cimarron horse trailers with living quarters into the truck and it had no problem powering both at the same time, so I dont know if they make a 50amp adapter I would imagine they do but I have to hand it to ford for that addition of that feature to ther trucks and im not sure if its available with ther f250/f350 models yet but it'd sure be handy to be able to camp overnight or 2 and use only the truck for your trailers power source

[@edwardmckenzie5207]

Loved all your videos especially this one with the F150 lightning review. 1 problem I see is in RV parks those power pedestals are only designed and wired to support the 50 amp outlet. The 30amp is tapped off of one leg of that 50 amp service And most codes only allow one or the other outlet to be in use at the same time. I'm an electrical power engineer And run into this type of usage a lot which normally only the wire burns. Again love you are KYD videos and keep them coming thank you

[@williampeacy5217]

I think the F-150 hybrid towing an Airstream eStream (once it is available) would be a better bet. It can pull at least 10K pounds.

[@brettelizabethspore]

Excellent video. My husband is in the bus business and Ford is going to electric like crazy. Issues with distance vs available charging stations is a big concern for us. We were just at a conference in Montana and didn’t take an electric vehicle due to the route we were on and a massive lack of stations. I think you did a great job showing what awesome vehicles these are while presenting the limitations for RVers. God bless.

[@j.l.salayao8055]

Full-time rv'r here since January 2018 and i appreciate your hard work and dedication to put out information to the rv community and alike. Thank you, KYD! I like ford products but we will not be in the market on any electric truck at this time to pull our rv specially for a heavy toy hauler fifth wheel. We will keep our current 2017 super duty diesel we purchased new in 2017 to keep on pulling our rv. One other positive with our diesel truck is that, we will be 3 to 4 hours ahead in time to a new site before someone with a ford lightning truck charged and ready to catch up...lol.

[@joeman01]

Thanks for doing this real-life towing test for us. Really appreciate it. It'd be interesting to see how RVs will be made differently in the future to accommodate the range limit and long charging hours of EVs. Personally, I hope we can always have the petro/diesel option for years to come.

[@rbhaskin]

Hybrids work very well and will be around long after all these "Elites" new world order types have crawled back into their holes

[@TheWestlandgirl]

Not if Dems are in charge we wont.

[@mobiltec]

Then you better think hard when voting in November and in 24. The idiots in charge now are trying to put big oil out of business.

[@kylejordan2654]

I suspect rvs will come with a battery option to extend the range of the towing or come with motors on the axels to charge and help push the trailer.

[@mobiltec]

@@kylejordan2654 Electric cars and trucks are a stupid idea. The technology is not green and they haven't figured it out yet. We need to keep using oil until they figure out a way to replace oil with something as good and as inexpensive.

[@aherosstory5982]

I have the 2021 F150 Hybrid. Love it! Full ac power w/ the on board 7200kw generator. I tow a 32' Imagine TT. No issues.

[@jasonhoadley2612]

Im also an automotive tech and have always said electric trucks shouldn't be used to tow anything,you won't get the distance that a diesel truck has.

[@JeanPierreWhite]

Ford Lightening is a state of the art electric truck. Yeah it comes up short when you want to tow something. It'll be a while before we see electric trucks with enough range to be useful for towing long distances. You lose 50% easily when towing, maybe more in extreme cases. Short distance towing? Electric trucks win hands down. Much better control of the accelerator when maneuvering on a grade.

[@roundpeg3239]

@@JeanPierreWhite there is no issue short distance towing with a gas or diesel either.

[@MrPipe007]

I agree. It's just not best used for that purpose. But electric is extremely efficient for commuting, speed, getting in and out of traffic, and cost in the long run, etc. I save so much money.

[@JeanPierreWhite]

@@roundpeg3239 Clearly both technologies can tow short distances. Not my point. My point was that electric towing is superior in terms of performance and fine control at low speeds. If you watch the Ike Gauntlet F-150 lightening video on the TFL channel you'll see how the lightening was much better than a comparable gas vehicle.

[@roundpeg3239]

@@JeanPierreWhite no one tows at low speeds enough to make the extremely short distance available beneficial. I can't believe this is even a discussion. The world isn't flat. It has grades. The energy used to provide reasonable torque is too demanding for current and near future ev tech. This is not viable in real world use.

[@papasquat355]

For EV trucks to truly do what trucks should do, trailers will have to go the way of the Estream. As a side note, you are the rare RVer who actually explains GVWR/cargo capacity effectively. I was towing for years before I saw your CatScale video that illustrated how I was doing it WRONG. I am now set up properly, within the limits of my tow vehicle, and feel much safer traveling. Many thanks for the lessons.

[@johnscotlinksl]

One little piece of information I'm not sure you guys know about. Ford actually makes Accessory cameras that you can attach to the back of your RV (or any trailer) and it will actually pop up as an option on the dash when you're in reverse, similar to the hitch view button. Seems like something like that would be extremely useful to you guys! Great video as always!

[@mitchmead5772]

If we buy a Lightning. Ford needs to allow RV'ers to travel to the next Ford dealership. Drop off their truck for charging while we pick up another Lightning at that dealership and piggyback across the country thereby avoiding waiting for charges every 2 hours. Then pick up your personal truck on way back from your cross country vacation. Kinda like a free rental program if we're purchasing the high priced electric truck.

[@SavageVoyageur]

Thanks for the video, exactly what I thought. I’ll stick with my 6.6 diesel for now.

[@dmandman9]

The 6.6 is in at Least a 3/4 ton vehicle. So even the regular gas fueled f150 is in a lower towing class than your vehicle.

[@fvsmith]

I’m one of those people that would be called a marathon driver. I’ve driven commercially for over 20 years. I love to drive! I’ll be retiring next year and selling my house to buy an RV rig and travel the US. Y’all have provided me with a wealth of information along with other KZbin channels. As for the new Ford Electric truck. I would be un-nerved if I didn’t have a portable generator to charge the truck…and some 5 gallon cans of GAS! (for the generator) I’m thinking I’ll stay with liquid fuel.

[@luissantos9071]

That’s awesome that you get to drive the Ford Lightning with your trailer. I definitely appreciate you sharing your experience.

[@richardswann2937]

Marc, in February we purchased the powerboost f150 in anticipation of pulling a towable in the loaded weight range of 8500-9k. She has the 7.2kw on board and 1863 payload, with max tow package. No 4x4 but locking rear differential. So far unloaded mpg avg. is 21.6. Love the truck. Can't wait to do some boondocking. Thanks for the video.

[@EBangtson1]

I think for an RV the Hybrid system would be better. With onboard generator you have full hookup for electrical. However, you don’t have range anxiety.

[@mrrod3004]

My suv is a hybrid I get 42mpg in an suv...a real engine with eletric motors to pull for maximum torque would be far better. Have no idea why we don't have diesel hybrids. A 4 cylinder diesel car would probably get 70 to 100mpg. My 8800pound 6.7 gets 22mpg with my custom tune.

[@chorn74]

i think in the future the hybrids will be looked as vehicles that didn't do gas or electric well. i would guess real dicey resale if you want to keep say over 6 or 7 years. for a primary use of towing, electric just isn't there yet unless its a work truck for inner city type use. once electric gets to be equivalent to gas/diesel nobody is gonna want to stand outside pumping gas when they can plug in at night. i bet on peoples laziness/want for convenience to make the transition something wanted by most people.

[@bryanhersman4037]

@@chorn74 hybrids are the best of both worlds. Instead of wasting say a 100kwh battery on a pure BEV make 10 plug in hybrids with 10 kwh batteries and a gas or diesel smaller engine for adding range. Then day to day you can use the pure electric mode, but the 10 or 20% of the time you need hundreds of miles of range and a 5 minute refill, you have it at your disposal. Both power supplies can be used for acceleration or hill climbing, but you also get thar regen braking on the downside and zero gas usage while stopped like an ev. We had a Pacifica plug in hybrid and the gas motor never started one time for the first 4 months and 2000 miles we owned it. Then we went on a long vacation and put 1000 miles on the gas motor in 2 days just going 600 miles to a tank with a quick 10 min stop to refill. It was great. Then someone offered me $10,000 more than I paid for it so I sold it.

[@chorn74]

@@bryanhersman4037 i hear you. i am thinking ahead say 6-7 years when most vehicles are ev. why would anyone want the extra weight and maintenance to haul around a ice engine for the just in case. i think it will be very niche market for hybrids. solutions will come into play for extended range... better more effecient batteries and engines... perhaps additional power cells you put in the frunk to add a couple hundred miles.

[@TheDac12046]

@@mrrod3004 unfortunately with government emissions controls on diesel engines emissions your never going to see those great mpg unless you delete them

[@williamanthony2941]

I know you guys said a few times in the video why you were doing the review as if you needed to explain because it was different content for you. For me I’m glad you made it, this is a setup I’m considering and there is not a lot out there. Thanks for the info.

[@bill29456]

Hey Marc: one thing you didn’t run into but happens is when towing with the lighting, you only get about a third of the range as compared to not towing. TFL did a range test with the extended range battery, and towed 9000 lbs. they ran out of power in 88 miles. Definitely not what an rver can use.

[@Roadtripmischief]

I think they commented on the adjustment to the range when it was hooked up. In any case, an EV is totally impractical as a tow vehicle. Nice try - lots of nice perks but they also drain the power.

[@jdesilva100]

Bill just an FYI I commented the TFL RV trailer was 6,000 the saw your comment that it was 9.000. Just checked the video the TFL trailer was 6,000 pounds and they didnt make it close to 100 miles you are so correct no way for a RV user.

[@driverguy4074]

I remember that test. They also went to take a pop up, and gave up, when they realized that every 1hr of towing required an hour of changing.

[@scubasteve7946]

Yes, but they should have been running the RV generator in the bed while driving to be charging the pickup battery 🤣

[@Fjord_Driver]

I'm not sold on it. First I would never buy a new one ever. So that leaves the used market. By the time it would be affordable to me on the used market, those batteries are going to be on their last legs. I'll keep my gas powered truck. I can fill it up in less than 4 minutes and be on my way.

[@paulthomas7994]

Mark, great explanation on the difference between towing with 1/2 ton versus a 3/4 ton truck. I have been trying to explain in a way she can understand clearly of what’s going on when you are behind the wheel towing with my f150. It definitely can do it, but it is fatiguing.

[@Pantherjonvideos]

So true, which is why I need to soon upgrade my Silverado 1500 to a 2500

[@tractorbob2745]

@@Pantherjonvideos Go for the 3500, almost the same cost with way more payload, the ride isn't that much different. In our state (MN) the registration in much cheaper than the 2500 (Real truck vs Car)

[@twodogsandtheirfamily]

We usually say in a half ton, the travel trailer is more in control. In a 3/4 ton, the truck is in control.

[@fcbarlow1995]

I agree, I was towing my 33ft camper with a 2020 F-150, which did do the job, but I bought a F-250 turbo diesel and its as different as night and day. I'll never go back to the F-150 for towing a camper over 30ft after this current truck.

[@michaeldobson8859]

I am happy to see you be honest about the make or break call on the E-truck. As an engineer, I already knew the answer to the question of practicality of an E-truck with todays technolgy and capabilities. Maybe some day we will have power cells that can regen quickly and solve the problems with E-Trucking.

[@Troche571]

Great review, by any chance did you see TFL's range test? The end result was under 95 miles of total range while towing an RV, and that insane charge time.

[@stevematthews684]

Yep...and that was only a 6000lb trailer. They turned around because there was no charge station near the battery exhaustion point.

[@robertryan7204]

Overall pretty terrible but it can tow for short distances

[@r.watson1928]

Also beware of ground clearance if you decide to take it off of the hard top. My brother bought one only to find himself High Centered even in dirt roads. A Lift Kit and bigger tires is required which draws more amperage to operate the vehicle. I'll stick with my F-250 Lariat Super Duty.

[@scottb4693]

Great video, love the reaction when Trish starts to drive it. If you were a 2-truck family, that would definitely be Trish's vehicle!

[@mrslcbrock]

We purchased the hybrid Lariat 150, Powerboost, and you can go 600 miles on a full tank. It uses less gas and has all the functions that the Ligtening Truck has. We really like eveything it offers except the air conditioning in the back of the truck. We plan to pull it behind our motorhome, without racking up the miles.

[@GaryBrownrigg]

What the heck! You didn't blow the air horns at the end, when you left the dealership. As a truck driver, I am deeply disappointed. 😂 😂

[@jaredgreene5992]

I love the normal camping videos and not all the advertisements like this whole season.

[@-Enginerd]

Unfortunately, Mark's goal of towing a camper 300 miles and recharging at a campground over 12 hours is unlikely to ever occur. Other towing tests with the F-150 Lightning has revealed it gets around 1 mile/kWh towing something similar in size to their airstream. Its efficiency is about what you would expect for the application. Towing consumes a lot of energy, there's no way around that. To go 300 miles, you would need a 300+ kWh battery. The extended range battery has a 131 kWh usable capacity. But in time that portion of the problem can be solved, what's unlikely to be resolved is power available at a campground pedestal. 50amps x 80% (approved continuous draw) x 240volts = 9.6kW. 9.6kW x 12hours = 115 kWh. 2.6X short of what would be required. In theory, DC fast chargers solve this. However, while their availability is pretty good these days, they are almost never setup for charging a vehicle that is towing. Give it another 10 years until towing long distances with an EV becomes common place.

[@richmanwisco]

Unlikely ever to occur? Who saw this coming even 5 years ago? The technology is advancing at almost Moore's Law speed. With all the automakers fully engaged in EV development, expect rapid advance.

[@davelauraphillips8814]

@@richmanwisco technology maybe, but what about power generation? Need many more big base load generating stations.

[@don_sharon]

Follow some forums, look at Google reviews of recharging stations and look at some vids here on YT. Finding a high capacity charging unit that actually works, or provides the advertised charge rate is nearly zero in many areas. What good is the planning software in the truck if you cannot count on the charging equipment? I simply have no interest in a vehicle that tows my trailer ~130 miles and takes 3-6 hours to charge. Not to mention the question, what if you have to wait in line at a charging station? Like a lot of what's going on these days, the infrastructure (our foundation) is not there yet. So in the meantime, cool expensive drag car ya got there...

[@-Enginerd]

@@richmanwisco An all electric Ford Ranger came out in 1998. From my perspective, the writing has been on the wall for more than a decade that electric vehicles would take over someday. The points I made previously have more to do with physics than they do the current technology. With that said, technology might get us there someday, but a 2.6x increase in efficiency is massive. Just look at fuel efficiency of a modern combustion passenger car vs. something of similar size from 30 years ago. There's perhaps a 50% improvement. Physics has to be obeyed.

[@colingoldthorpe5918]

@@-Enginerd and when you add in cold weather ????? Brings a whole other dynamic too

[@billlowe9417]

The core video was great but the surprise little finger footage at the end was outstanding. Never gets old!

[@karrollankford6618]

Very interesting. Some of my family are interested in EVs and my grandson is interested in the Lightning. I agree. It needs more distance per charge and faster charging. Otherwise, it sounded good.

[@Deej496]

Before you buy, be sure to find out the where and how to dispose of the used up battery as well as cost of buying a new battery and the cost of putting it in. 😉

[@ismaelcarrillo3956]

@@Deej496 Good point. If you look up 10-12 year old Tesla's. You will see that there are very little battery issues. And battery degradation over 10 years is about 3%. How would your combustion motor hold up after 10 years? Green energy is getting cheaper and gas more expensive.

[@aaronbounds1336]

21:09 - I think it can already do that - recharge completely overnight off of a 50A outlet. In the video you show the charging starting at over 80%. This is the slowest part of the charging curve. If I recall correctly, DC fast charging from a very low state of charge (SOC) on the Lightning to 70% SOC is steady at 150KW, then the curve dips a little, and then when the SOC gets to about 80% it plummets to something like 30KW and tapers down from there. 150KW is okay, but it could be way better. Peak recharging for newer Tesla's is 250 KW, but it only lasts until the pack is up to about 20%, and then it tapers gradually until about 80%, then plummets until 100%. With better heat management Ford could take huge advantage of the Supercharger network for long distance travelers, and get up to 250 KW. That would be a big improvement.

[@crazydaddy5150]

I’m type of guy that the electric is not going to be for me. Great video as always keep up the good work. Happy Independence Day!!

[@mtibbe]

You were right in my neck of the woods. I grew up in Grant Michigan and Coopersville wasn’t to far from there. The truck is beautiful and I can’t wait for mine to be delivered.

[@MJPeddler]

The Lightning is a very interesting truck. Like you found, loaded/towing range is still a limiting factor. I have days I drive between 600 and 700 miles, though usually not towing. Electric would make those days even longer. For my wife’s car, kid taxi however, it could certainly make sense.

[@summondominion]

Yeah interesting till they wont cover the battery in 5 years and want 30k plus to do so lol

[@Thedaz2007]

Good Job on not getting stung by that wasp when you were plugging in. I kept seeing it swarm you and I kept ducking my head for you. Great episode too!

[@loriw2661]

When I can tow 300 miles and full charge in the same time it takes to fill a tank of gas, it’ll be perfect.

[@jbaker1107]

I'll even say double but yes, recharge needs to be much much faster

[@JeanPierreWhite]

300 miles of towing distance is needed yes. 5 minute charging is a pipe dream, ain't happening. Consider this, you can charge the truck at the RV park, you can't gas up your truck from your RV bay.

[@JeanPierreWhite]

@@jbaker1107 The truck can charge pretty quick. That's not the problem for towing. Very few charging bays are pull through, so it makes charging a chore. Wouldn't matter if you could charge it in 5 seconds. Unhooking a trailer is a major pain.

[@vincepage5998]

I like watching your videos because i have the twin version of your SD! It is by far the fastest and smoothest truck I have ever owned. This thing will straight up MOVE. I will never get rid of it.

[@williamlindow]

Marc, you are right about the payload. I feel payload is #1 and range is #2 when considering it for RV towing. This is a good first attempt from Ford but it will need improvement on those two fronts.

[@rodneylw10]

I considered waiting for the Lightning but I ordered a hybrid Platinum last year, still waiting now 10 months. The Lighting orders began May '21 with production beginning April 27th '22. Some have gotten their Lightnings already. My Airstream is a 25 so smaller than yours but the Lightning would have me drive 2 hours on 100% charge from home and get about 120 miles then have to "fast charge" on road about 45 min to 85% then if I want full charge about another hour(the last 15% is always slower due to resistance)- so drive two sit two hours is about right or only go for 85% charge and get about 100 miles range. Not this camper. Thank you so much for the fantastic video. I love both of you, and Caleb and dog- LOL. Got the cookbook, enjoying it. Interested in payload rating at side of door- 1891 whew. You are in the know! I don't buy 4wd but the old adage is you don't need it until you do- LOL. I say 400 miles then recharge overnight would do it.

[@davidwheeler7503]

IF, electric tow vehicles ever become a thing, I hope the campgrounds introduce a 2 tier pricing structure since I won't be using their electricity to charge my tow vehicle.

[@TC-kf9zw]

I'm sure they won't be doing any two tier because they won't be changing their 50amp setups, won't be necessary... We are in just the beginning of the ice to ev transition... But by 2030 evs will be so good they will out perform all ice vehicles... Also by 2030 the charging network will be completely capable for all of America, including fast charging.... (Side note 80% to 90% of all ev charging is and will be done at home over night)

[@JeanPierreWhite]

There are some RV parks in CA that do just that.

[@TC-kf9zw]

@@JeanPierreWhite either provide source/link information or you are just babbling.....

[@karencueto3940]

@@JeanPierreWhite it's going to be at least do we have a name for one of these California parks where they do it?

[@rupe53]

@@TC-kf9zw ... it's been many years, but I have seen variations in hook-up fees based on 20, 30, 50 amp plugs on the RV itself. The idea is a pop-up camper will use less power than a Prevost with two ac units on the roof.

[@newscoulomb3705]

5:27 Thanks for bringing up this point. People seem fixated on the towing capacity of these trucks specifically, when it's really only one of many factors.

[@IFLYRace51]

I'm not sure this is possible, but so many travel trailers have solar arrays, like yours! Be nice to use that solar to charge the electric truck while traveling to extend the mileage.

[@philipscoggins]

The amount of solar generated wouldn't be able to keep up with non-towing use much less while towing a heavy load.

[@didierpuzenat7280]

20:08 I do not know for the US, but in France more and more camping sites have some 11 kW AC charge points, so you need less than 10 hours from empty to full even with F-150 biggest battery. An AC charge point is just a big plug, it is not a "charger" (no AC/DC conversion) so it is cheap to install. However, I would argue that you just need to stay longer and you can use the emplacement socket, if you change location each day you may go to hotels rather than travel with a caravan. BTW, if you were switching to an electric truck, you could install a more intelligent charger in the caravan, a charger capable of load balancing. Then you plug the caravan to the emplacement socket, and the difference between the power provided by the socket and the power consumed by the caravan is sent to the car. Some chargers can even handle the solar panels, then if you are off grid, all the power you cannot use or store in the caravan is sent to the car battery. Etc.

[@randylester1219]

Thank you Mark and Trish for that video, it was enlightening to say the least. Although the technology isn't quite there yet, I do see it in the not too distant future. Everything is going at warp speed these days and it wasn't that long ago I was using an outhouse at my grandmother's house when I was just a kid. So yeah I'd guess respectfully that we're looking at less than 5 years for the engineering and infrastructure to be in place for this to become an RV'ers reality. Great content and Thanks for sharing 👍 Based on the average figures supplied for diesel engines, EVs are still more efficient, by about a third.Jun 7, 2020

[@48VAC]

TFL truck just did an video on pulling 6k lbs camper with their new F150 Lighting with the extended range battery. They made it a WHOPPING 95 miles until it was below or at 10%. They were alsue pulling the exact same camper with at GMC with 6.4L gas, which turned arouind drove back and still had many miles left to go before empty.

[@Fat_Rob]

Thanks for confirming my reason not to get one. Less than 200 mi range on the base model, and the extremely long charging times, I think I'm good with what I got.

[@adam6057]

Remeber these guys said they know nothing about electric vehicles. The charging is much faster then they say because charging isnt nominal. So from 0-50% the truck will charge 4x as fast and 50-80% it will charge 2x as fast. After that it makes more sense to drive and charge again when the battery is less charged. My 240v house charger will charge from 0-100% in 8hrs but will charge from 15-80% in less then 4hrs

[@dangeekman858]

Wow, you're in our backyard. We are in Jenison - and just got our Summer to Remember shirts. Looking forward to meeting you all someday! We went full time a couple months ago and your KZbin content has helped us a ton! When we first came up to Michigan (from Florida) we stayed in the same campground - Allendale KOA Holiday! Currently we're staying at the Steamboat Park Campground in Jenison.

[@trinitysworld5459]

I absolutely love the new names you give Trish every episode!!! The previous video before this one I laughed out loud and this one just made me laugh and love you guys even more! Great videos ❤️

[@robertosgood961]

4WD for towing, nah. But for slippery grassy areas at campgrounds trying to maneuver over humps, priceless. Thanks for sharing this en-Lightning video.

[@Bwanar1]

You need to do a typical 300-350mi. day drive and see how long that takes with the reduced mileage and added recharge time. And at highway speeds, not babying it.

[@jameskennedy673]

Ford has along way to go to get more people on board to want one. Like maybe tow that Airstream 300 miles before needing to charge the battery. A Ford salesman said that the F-159 Lighting isn’t for everyone, he got that right. Glad that y’all are Keeping Your Daydreams.

[@bradbeckett3800]

Great video and honest review. I camp mostly Regional. I have a lightning reservation. My camper is 30 amp and figured by the end of the weekend I’d be able to get back to Full range. However, I still think the range with towing just isn’t there yet. I’d need 200 miles of range while towing to consider. That’s with regional travel. Camper is only 3500 lbs but the areo effects range more than the weight.

[@samatwesu]

Great video! Thank you for your perspective. Your insight is valuable as the cost with Ext battery is in super duty diesel territory. As your family has driven Super Duty for thousands of miles it is nice to hear your view on the practicality of using a lightning for RVing and its mannerism on the road.

[@kurtpeterson6293]

I like the idea of the Lightning, but charging at EV charging stations just isn't practical yet with a trailer attached. We bought a 22 F150 PowerBost this year with 300 mile towing range (w/ travel trailer) on its 30.5 gal tank, and the 7.2kW built-in generator seems like it's best of all worlds...until gas hits $10/gal.

[@andrewsteenbuck8537]

This is what I'm curious about. I think it was Out of Spec reviews that tried to charge a Rivian with a trailer attached, and they had to either park across all the stalls, or disconnect the trailer. I'm guessing once some electric semis start hitting the market they'll become more mainstream at truck stops.

[@navyvet7138]

I just bought the same vehicle this past week and was wondering what was the range for rv towing. thanks for the info. Have you tried to charge your RV on the generator yet?

[@evilcam]

@@navyvet7138 Check out the TFLTruck video where they towed with their Lightning. They have an extended range, higher trim Lightning (a Lariat I think) and did a test where they planned on towing a travel trailer around 200 miles, to see how far it would go. They found that the truck's predicted 180 miles upon taking off was optimistic. They got about 80 miles before they HAD to pull over and charge at a station with only like 3% left on the battery. It towed great getting there, but the battery tech in EVs is simply not there to tow longer hauls. EVs are for stop and go city driving, or going shorter distances. If you have to go over 100 miles, ICE is still the most reliable option. If you're towing for more than 100 miles, ICE is probably your only good option. When battery tech gets there, or they start offering diesel-electrics to keep the batteries topped off, then EVs will have their chance to shine, and be comparable to or better than, most gas engines. Or diesel engines.

[@IGmeanwell]

We got 21 Powerboost for the same reasons. Towing to Maine the past week we averaged 10mpg, 12 through the Green Mountains and 9 on the highway through NH and Maine. 7000lb trailer (loaded, no water) with WDH, and using the pro power to help with 12v issues on our camper.

[@kurtpeterson6293]

We've gotten similar numbers with our 6k lb TT on the few trips we've towed. And yes, the generator did great, powered our AC and all high draw electric needs while boondocking without drawing down our range much. Way better and more efficient than a traditional genny.

[@J.Cameron.Stuart.Adams.]

This was a fun video. When you were talking about the truck mods vlogs I wasn't paying much attention.....that was until I saw the baby hands. Now I'm rushing to watch that vlog now! Cheers!

[@itimebomb89]

I canceled my pre order when I realized I would have to drop my trailer in a parking lot to charge at a pull in charger. There are almost no pull through charging stations anywhere. Also the reports of 70 miles range with only 7000lbs of trailer it terrifying. I get ford has to compete with Tesla and rivian, but electric trucks aren't for towing, at least not yet.

[@JeanPierreWhite]

You did your research well.

[@RickSwartwood]

Awesome Job! Just found you and subscribed! Love the down to earth "No Fluff" lack of garbage most put out. Thanx!

[@Ultrafrozen]

You guys keep impressing me with every new episode, great job!

[@SmokyMountainBlessed]

good to know it's not quite ready for RVs yet but they are working on it

[@roywall8169]

Its more a question of how far will it drag the airstream. My guess is about 75 miles.

[@65cj55]

Good seeing a Father and Daughter sharing the same interest.

[@edsims2387]

The day Air Force 1 takes off with alternate emergency I will consider a Vehicle with alternate energy>

[@richmanwisco]

You mean your stuff already runs on JP4? Don't be silly.

[@tmtex]

There are 2 truck guys on youtube that did this review but they used about a 18 foot camper and got about 90 miles and then took 2 hrs to charge so he could get back home. They did not seem to be impressed. Its a home depot truck and thats about it.

[@charleshoy9105]

I share the same vice. The EV movement is interesting but not practical yet.

[@tips4tesla407]

its just trucks and really shows up on trucks when towing

[@ZenEndurance]

This truck is great right now for hauling big things that are lightweight. Like bikes. And for towing really heavy things short distances, like launching boats at a marina.

[@dannyschacht4274]

Thanks for being a towing "journeyman" and an EV "newbie". I'm in the exact situation and appreciate you new found knowledge.

[@jamesfgray1]

I still use my trusty old 2011 F150 Harley Edition with the 6.2L. This thing pulls like there's nothing behind it. We just pulled my sister 33' Classic from California to Arizona and averaged 13.6 mpg. Typical mileage is 14.2 and that's because I have a heavy foot. Since the trip, I did flush the radiator, add a thermostat and radiator hose. It got a little warm on that first hill east of Indio. Just to add... my truck has 225,000 miles and still going strong. Though, I have been eyeballing that F250 King Ranch. Maybe in the next economy.

[@marcomorissette7940]

Thanks again for the great video and totally agreed with you about the electric and rv! It will get there but not at the moment! Happy 4th of July to all our southern neighbors! 🎉👍🇨🇦

[@rubinrowles9634]

Seen many vids on the F150 Lightening and they seem to skip about towing. I appreciate the info regarding fatigue as well showing what the truck can do. I do agree, until they create a faster charging system with a further distance driving on a single charge, it will be a hard sell for RVers.

[@davedavenport8673]

The Lightning is not made for towing. Can it? Yes, but not very far. Also, the charge networks Ford uses are not great and the charge rate on the lightning is slow. The Lightning is an around town, big box store, tail(frunk)gate vehicle.

[@rabbi6225]

Of course it can tow it. But can it go further than 80 miles while towing it.

[@joshuaupton3710]

Yes, TFL showed it can go 85 miles on a charge! Ha, ha!

[@jamesnicholls9969]

most of the RV parks 50 Amp and 30 Amp connections share a fuse before they split into 30 and 50 amp, so if you connect your travel trailer to the 30 Amp connector you will blow that fuse to that power pedestal and could blow the RV parks main fuse which would not endear you to the RV park owners or other RVer's onsite. David Botts channel explains this and how he got around it by adding a charger to his RV as they have a Tesla.

[@mark98070]

Long live the internal combustion engine!!!

[@richmanwisco]

Enjoy it while it lasts.

[@michaelpetty8416]

@@richmanwisco Unless they force combustion engines out, (like they are trying to do now) they will be here for many years to come. All hail the oilfield.

[@jefftriggs6457]

@@richmanwisco Internal combustion engines will be here for a long time. What you idiots don't seem to realize is that the U.S. power grid will not handle all of these electric vehicles

[@OurJourneyInMyles]

Every time I see "the hand" it warms my heart!

[@allenpardon8211]

I can answer that for you before you make a mistake. Yes it can tow it but you will be disappointed at how far you can tow it before recharging

[@1personalt]

Sure in the same way that when I tow I get 8 mpg. Yes recharge times are way longer but Silverado EV will use a higher voltage and get to 80% in 20 minutes from near zero. Not quite gas refill times but more manageable.

[@allenpardon8211]

@@1personalt go ahead and tell yourself that lie. If your hellbent on an electric truck, you need to at least look at the ram. More horsepower than ford and Chevy and has a onboard generator, gas that will recharge automatically going down the road

[@1personalt]

@@allenpardon8211 Porsche Tycan has same 400 volt setup as Silverado will have and it charges that fast

[@kristigeiger3680]

This is so fun! I'm pretty sure I'm such a big fan just because of your love for Ford trucks! Oh my gosh and Sgt. SCHULTZ! I grew up on that show and we've been watching it a lot lately!

[@newoluap]

When E-Trucks first were thought of I had the thought of full time RVers being able to travel a few 100 miles everyday and charge the truck up overnight while plugged in to a 30 or 50 amp plug and of course essentially for free. I really think that if this does become a popular thing I see campgrounds charging more if you have an electric vehicle as you'll be using way more power then the average camper.

[@slaytanic921]

I could see a 5$ charge. Anymore would be taking advantage of the campers

[@moparmaga]

@@slaytanic921 The TFL Truck youtube channel charged their Lightning up to about 80% for $35 at commercial chargers. The Electricity to charge these trucks is not free, its made with Petroleum, no matter if its wind, solar, gas, coal, etc. The price of Petroleum goes up, so does electric.

[@slaytanic921]

@@moparmaga not my problem how the power is made. Charging more than 5$ premium is highway robbery.

[@ds-ov9yi]

Some campgrounds in Ca are already charging additional fees for electric vehicles More than $5

[@slaytanic921]

@@ds-ov9yi well it’s California

[@stevengilbert6613]

Enjoyed the video! My limits would be 350 miles towing. Complete recharge under 12 hours with a rapid recharge under 30 minutes. All with a 1 ton truck for a 5th wheel.

[@Jim-iv7yq]

its a great truck for commuting and short haul work.. it has no uses as an RV towing truck for road trips, the Truck EV capability with range just isn't there.. what i would want for hauling is a plug in hybrid

[@smittyd1328]

Quick charging and extended distance will be the game changer. At Purdue University they have devised a way to fully charge an EV in around 5 minutes by super cooling the charge cord. High amperage creates heat that will melt normal cords. Not yet ready for prime time, but it is encouraging. Love your videos.

[@TheRotorhound]

Doesn’t that kill the batteries?

[@glampingwiththegoldbergs7754]

Thank you for this great (and entertaining) video. We’ve been following stories of the F150 Lightning for over a year now (reservation holder since August). We wish this could tow our 31’ Classic, but we would exceed payload. We love your 30 Flying Cloud and thought the lighter weight might be better for the Lightning. Alas it doesn’t look like it. Our thought is that the ETs will push EVs (electric trailers push electric vehicles) like the Airstream eStream. Perhaps that’s the future?

[@Kris-qb4jk]

Really looking forward to the e-stream! That could be a game changer for the industry.

[@gregburns5638]

Thanks for your awesome video! As a former "Airstream" owner (aka a 2006 22' CCD, followed by a 2006 "Mercedes Sprinter" van-based "Parkway"...), and electric vehicle enthusiast, you scratched all my itches! May you always have "many happy and safe smiles-per-gallon"...or, better yet, "per-kilowatt"... 👍💋♥

[@StephSH]

Great video! I’d love to see a similar one with the F150 Powerboost - I think when all the dust settles, hybrids are going to be a better bet than all electric.

[@slaytanic921]

Agreed. I am hoping Ford does a hybrid super duty. “SuperBoost.”

[@StephSH]

@@slaytanic921 I think they will, it seems like a logical next step once they get any bugs worked out of the Powerboost.

[@Hesthegreatest1]

I’m so glad someone else finally agrees with me on the notorious FORD chime! It drives me insane! I wish they really would do something about it! The experience really would be more enjoyable if they would find another way to notify us without the annoy chime.

[@blaineolmstead237]

I want to see you charge this while boondocking and a solar charging panel

[@leslie476]

Also you would need to charge during the day and drive at night.

[@twodogsandtheirfamily]

We get about 500 miles of range while towing, including a reserve, with our 62 gallon tank in our Duramax. And a fill up is less than 10 minutes. I can't imagine towing for an hour and then charging for 40 minutes just to drive another hour and be empty charge again. We go from NC to FL in a day many times.

[@captainmidnight7012]

Not enough range , sorry 😢 not a buyer !

[@FordTechJaylin]

1:57 “I know nothing!” Man I love Sergeant Schultz from Hogans Heroes 😂

[@Denden505]

Your little test was great, except you seemed to be on fairly level terrain. How about a trip from Denver to Nevada on highway 70 trough the Rockies? I imagine it would put a little more strain on the systems. Just a thought 🤔

[@KeepYourDaydream]

It would drastically reduce the range but I suspect the power would be great.

[@mikemoxley9477]

GREAT video... Can't wait to see our EV options in 5 years. Already a game-changer for normal daily driving. RV use will get there soon... Let's hope. Thanks for the fun video.