45min Monster? Are you kidding me...I loved every minute of this. Very informative, very simple to understand, very engaging with the demos. Great job. Thank you for what you put together here.
You’re a legend!!!!! Can’t thank you enough! This is exactly what I needed to help me understand the system before purchasing my F150. Ford owes you sales royalties!!!
I certainly echo the postive comments -quickest 45 mins ever. Excellent job, informative and concise. I am a professional engineer and always consulted with my electrical trade buddies before anything I did and nothing you mention was at odds with what I have learned. I like that you mention a power budget. I have gotten through several multi-day blackouts with a little Honda 2Kw and a home-made MTS without much stress, once I explained the power budget to my wife. Well done.
My electrician told me that the truck cannot power the main AC so I figured no point in doing a transfer switch for$2000. During hurricane Ian last September I powered a portable AC unit in the window two refrigerators microwave George Foreman grill DVD player TV used about 6800 kW. Used about a quarter tank of gas every 24 hours truck ran from Tuesday night through Friday Night and then got gas just because I didn’t know how long the power would be out Power came back on that Sunday Truck definitely Let us to ride out the storm Truck sat out there during the hurricane, like a champ power ing everything. Awesome truck
Came across your video by accident because I am replacing my 20 year old F150 4x4 in the next 14 months. In doing this research I have narrowed down my needs and wants to a Tremor. At first I was leaning towards the FX4 but the Tremor offered more for almost the same price. I was not aware of the Pro Power Onboard and immediately thought I want the 7.5kw than after further research I wanted the 2.4. Than with your video which is EXCELLENT and very succinct , made me realize I really do not want or need the Pro Power onboard. After surviving a week without power during the Texas freeze we had, with some solar power banks or "solar generators" and a Honda generator, I would be better off using what I already have for camping and emergency backups. I would love to reiterate that your video is EXCELLENT, normally if I am not hooked within the first 20 seconds of a video it is sayonara baby, great job!
I just bought a 2023 Ford Limited. With no printed owner's manual! I've ordered a real manual since the online owner's manual is so difficult to use. Meanwhile I had no clue what I had as far as features on this truck. Holy crap, your video was fantastic. I too am not an electrician but I've got a good understanding of things electrical. Your video was welcomed BIG TIME. I had to pause it and run out to the truck to see which PPO system I had. Yes!! 7200 Watts! Man, I had no idea. I bought the truck for work in my business, rather than give the money to the government for them to waste. Loved the illustrations and explanations which left me without a single question unanswered. Good job!
Fantastic video! I installed a transfer switch and had a recent outage and my Lightning powered my whole house for the entire outage. Thank you so much!
Did you install a transfer switch that is similar to RELIANCE Manual Transfer Switch: Single Phase, 125/250V AC, 30 A Current Rating, 0 Spaces, Prewired? I am in the process of installing one..
As an Electrician, I'll say that you explained the process quite well. Very detailed and to the level that makes sense for the average person. Been enjoying my 7.2KW Powerboost F150 and I also upgraded my order before my truck was built at the last minute and glad I did. We use it to power our 240 volt, 50 amp trailer when we go camping and it's very convenient.
@@StephanieLenhart you can plug an RV into a normal 20amp outlet if you want. you'll only be able to use as much power as is coming into the RV. It's very common for campsites to only have 30amp outlets. Usually if a camper has 50amp it's because there's two AC units, so if you just run a single AC then 30amp is fine. The worst you'll do is trip the breaker.
Excellent work product! You should get paid to teach people how to put excellent video content together. The arrangement the delivery the presentation all excellent. Hats off! Thank you for the content.
After a lot of research, I decided to go with the Generic Home Link system and it works very well. I was able to link almost all the circuits in my home except the two 220 v circuits (dryer and dishwasher), a spare bedroom and one 20 amp circuit in the garage. We do have the advantage of having natural gas for cooking and heat and we have evaporative cooling all of which decreases our electrical demand. Yesterday we had our first electrical outage and I had the system up and running in less than 10 minutes. The weakness of the system is a) the truck has to be home and b) you have to get the truck out of the garage which may be troublesome if you have an electric garage door opener. Our other primary use of the PPO system has been for our travel trailer. We recently completed a 2+ month 12,000 mile tour of Canada and Alaska and we never had to worry about ac power no matter how far out in the boonies we were. Regarding the on/off cycle of the gas engine while running the PPO for the RV we found that in a 10 minute cycle the engine was on about 2 min and off 8 min while running trailer AC. Kent Mahan 2022 F150 Powerboost Lariat .
This is an excellent video, you are a master teacher for sure! This is the best and simple to understand video on the subject. Ford should pay you! Thank you so much for taking the time make this informative video. I appreciate all the work you put into this. 😇
Just purchased a 2023 F150 Hybrid 4x4 with 7.2 kw pro power. I have a Class A with that had a 4kw ONAN Has generator. After using my pro power for a week to run my entire Motorcoach including AC. Gas usage came in at 10 gallons in 10 days of constant use for pro power vs 18 gallons of gas used by ONAN generator. Now have removed my on board noisy, finicky, smelly generator, replaced with lithium battery bank and 4k inverter. Use pro power as backup to batteries. Pro power is a Game changer with better, efficient results, reliability and less maintenance. Love mine so far after learning curve. PS. Ford techs don't seem to know alot about how pro power works as you stated so this video is really helpful!✌️
Really great content. So many truck owners, while well-intended, put up videos that are TERRIBLE and either inaccurate or just nonsense. The depth and demo use cases in this are awesome. Subscribed.
amazing video, thank you! i just bought a powerboost with the 7.2 and i am planning on having a transfer switch installed to power the essentials including my upstairs AC after I have a soft start installed. Great job!
More like a 45 minute mind melt…so worth every sec. Would love to see how this applies to powering an RV with either 30A or 50A capabilities. I bought my 2022 Powerboost Lariat with 7.2kW for camping off the grid. Keep up the great work and again, thank you so much. Paul
Thanks Paul. I don't know much about campers other than they are typically single phase 120V. You should be able to do 30A single phase to a camper from one leg of the 7.2Kw 240V outlet. Now 50A? No. You'll need to restrict use of some of the higher-wattage devices like oven/AC/dryer/heat to no more than one at a time, OR you can investigate using the second phase via a second feed to your camper. I am just starting to look at teardrops for somewhere down the road. Best...
RV 50 amp connections are 240v. You just need to get an adapter and you will be able to use both phases from the 7.2kw pro power. This video does the best job I have seen so far in explaining how to manage the loads. It will be the same with your 50 amp RV. You will need to pay attention to which phase the different loads in your RV are on. For example my two air conditioners are separated. The 7.2 kw pro power works great for an RV.
I have 50amp RV and run both ACs and whatever else with mine. 2021 Lariat w/ 7.2…. with both ACs running are rarely go over 3800watts. I just have a good surge and adaptor to go from 30am to 50amp… I have heard folks have some issues with a 30am system because of the neutral ground. I think most all newer RV are going with 50 amp set up… if not, dont buy it. Always go 50. I’m watching this so I can learn how to hook it up the house. I am assuming it could run the AC and I have gas heat so that should not be an issue.
@@prscustom10 I don't know what your compressor draw is but I've run single-unit home compressors off of a 15A breaker before so odds are good that you can support the draw of one unit. If you can measure current draw you'd know. Good luck with everything, Lariat is a nice truck. cheers
Excellent presentation. very helpful. I recently took delivery of a 7.2kw powerboost and have been unclear as to how to proceed. Your information will make it much more comfortable for us when a future power outage occurs.
Thank you for such an informative video. I now feel totally confident about building and ordering the right F-150 for my needs. Your real world examples on what can be powered from the Pro onboard were especially useful.
Great video, took me a while and some research to figure out my Powerboost. I did learn that you will not get 3600 watts from the 120v outlets. You will need to get a NEMA plug for the 240V outlet with leg splitter that comes out to two standard plugs. Each of those plugs will give you 3600 watts of 120V. Essentially the same as the "dogbone" plug but with two standard outlets at the other end that you can further split using the correct cords/plugs.
Thanks Leo, yeah Ford says that you can get 6Kw out of the 120V outlets but I don't see how you can get more than 2.4Kw per phase. Your suggestion is the only way to get the full power out of this thing. Cheers.
You are spot on with your videos covering Powerboost topics. I think you’ve addressed many interests folks have who buy these trucks. This PPO video is especially good. Thanks for the effort I know it took to make it!
Thank you so much for this! The time and Eddie you put into this is amazing! The POB is a HUGE selling point for me. Primarily for camping. Running a fan or space heater in the tent, a fridge, so many possibilities!
Awesome video. Man you helped me get the answers the ford sales or tech guys could not answer and that was the primary reason for me to go with the power boost over the eco boost. Thanks for taking the time to explain it clearly to everyone
The explanation of the GFCI component in all this is something that really needs to be amplified. Too many times I’m seeing the same advice to cut the ground lead of the generator inlet; defeating a protection mechanism is a great way to get saddled with an insurance claim rejection if there’s ever a fire. Do things the right way, people! Thanks for the video!
Very informative. Really appreciate the info. The dealer had a blank look on his face. The mechanic knew what was was going on. He laughed at the salesman😂
This is an extremely informative and helpful video. I recently picked up a 2021 F150 Lariat with the 7.2Kw PPO system. Just by luck it has the 7.2Kw system. I knew very little about it and found your video. I greatly appreciate the time, effort, and depth of explanation you provided. I liked and followed the channel. Keep up the great work and many thanks, sir!
Thank you for a very thorough explanation of the Pro Power Onboard and the PowerBoost Hybrid powertrain. Ford is really stepping up and bringing out some great products. I hope they take my advice about the Watt's link rear suspension for the F-150 and make it an option. The Lightning and Raptor have their own rear suspension designs so having the Watt's link rear suspension as an option over the leaf springs in the rest of the range would bring the F-150 well into the 21st century with every conceivable option available. The fuel economy for such a large truck is extremely impressive and with the sorts of innovations described in the video it should stay the best selling truck in the USA. 😎👍
I'm looking at a hybrid 150 for around town and to tow our 30 amp holiday trailer, I had considered saving the $1000 and getting the base pro power set up, as most of my local dealers don't have a clue what they are talking about. Now that I have a better feel for the system, there's no way I'm not getting the 7.2 set up. It seems to be the perfect set up for boondocking a 30 amp trailer. Thank you!
Awesome video and content! I’m looking at buying a F150 hybrid powerboost and this was exactly one of the reasons I considered the 7.2kw solution. Glad to know about Generac Homelink vs manual main power feed switch. Thank you.
This was so helpful! I have food truck business and was looking into purchasing this truck and use the generator at events where we don't have access to power. I am hopeful it will work using a combination of extension cords into the 120V outlets and one into the 30. We are using a total of about 6500W to power the whole operation which includes fridges, freezers, 1 electric pan (1500w) and 2 griddles (each 1800w). I hope it will work!
If you balance the loads correctly and don't start everything at the same second, I don't see why it won't work. I love hearing stories like yours where small businesses bring real solutions that people need. Respect.
Thanks, this was a great informative video. I purchased a 2023 Ford Powerboost with Pro Power on board 7.2Kw. We recently had a 3 day power outage due to an ice storm here in Ontario Canada. I have a Generlink system installed on my hydro meter and when I plugged my 220VAC 30A into the Generlink instantly tripped on GFCI. I had a feeling it was something to do with the bonded neutral. Have you any thoughts on what to do when you have a Generlink system on your hydro meter? Luckily I had not sold my back up stand alone generator so we managed as we are on a well system. Once again thanks for taking the time to put such a great well thought out video together.
Frank, no doubt you have the ground and neutral tied together somewhere near the load. The generator must see a separate ground connection and the current going out on the hot must equal the current received on the neutral, otherwise it assumes a ground fault. Bonding ground and neutral together at the load guarantees that the return current will be split by the neutral and ground return. That equals and instant GFCI fault. cheers
Thank you!!!! Great content!!! Bought my 2021 PB in NOV ‘22. Trying to get my regular electrician to call me back to do the transfer switch for a few circuits. I live in PA and we occasionally loose power, nothing crazy like some parts of the country. With winter here I haven’t used my PPO yet. Hopefully soon.
Hi Matt, congrats on the truck. Better to use it this weekend testing a couple of things out instead of trying to figure it out on the fly during a storm! I never even tried it before I made this video, so if *I* can figure it out...lol. Good luck with your project. cheers
Great video. I have a solar system without a batter backup. the system only works when I have power coming from the utility company. The utility company absorbs and extra power the panels produce. can I connect my 7.2 KW F-150 system to my house when the power is off (i.e. ice storm)
Yes but...you have to follow the recommendations in the video. You cannot tie into a panel that has the neutrals bonded to the grounds, like every other main panel. They must have a separate termination, otherwise the GFCI goes into "fault" on the truck.
I think the same thing applies to the Lightning. You would tell your electrician that the truck needs to be connected to a subpanel with separated grounds and neutrals.
I want to understand. If my main house box is wired correctly, grounds on one side and neutrals on the other, I should have no problem with the truck gfi ? This should let me use interlock and 30 amp breaker to back feed with selected breakers activated?
If your main panel does not have neutral and ground tied together at the panel, then you will not have a problem with the truck's GFCI. From what I understand, most main panels are not set up this way.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 I checked the neutral side of panel (left) and ground side of panel (right) and they have continuity. So am I to assume it will trip trucks gfci?
@@larryhartle3004 Yes, this means that the return current back to the generator will be split between the ground and neutral wires, and will trip the GFCI on the truck.
On my Hybrid with the 7.2Kw system, I'm getting the ground fault message without having anything plugged into the truck. Sounds like this is a known issue, any solutions?
If you look under the rear driver's side wheel well, there's a whole gaggle of connectors for the PPO that feed the panel in the left rear of the bed. Those are open to spray and water and anything else; sort of a poor design. If I had this problem, I'd take apart every single one of those connectors, look for any corrosion or loose connections, and find a way to put a boot around that connector. I have heard of others having this issue and it seems to follow getting wet. Not sure if yours is the same, but that's where I would start to troubleshoot if the dealer can't help. (and I would bet on them not having a good course of action)
32:00 you likely wouldn’t have blown a breaker on a 2400, you don’t plug then in at the same time. Ford did a great job w this system,it’s too bad they didn’t do as good a job in sizing the hybrid system properly,the electric motor and battery are both too small for a 7350 gvwr truck. It should have had at least 60 hp and 2.8 kw battery,the little motor cannot provide the proper power and more importantly it isn’t big enough to provide enough regenerative braking for the weight of the truck. The truck would get better mpg city and mixed if they’d sized it correctly.
John I agree, as long as you don't have the surge current occurring at the same instant we'd probably be ok. As I said I would be willing to test that data point, but only with someone else's truck! 😆If they improved the PB with a bigger battery and motor, then they'd kill the Lightning launch. I'm sure we'll both be surprised by capabilities improving in the next few years. cheers.
Very nice and detailed explanation. It will help all PPO users. I want to suggest you to make a complementary vídeo, explaining how to troubleshooting the PPO when it gets off by overload, and how to restore the system back into operational mode. There are circuit breakers and fuses? The neutral of PPO is floating neutral or it is integrated and grounded with the same 12Vcc battery of the vehycle, and since it has a HV lithium battery, the Inverter neutral is bounded all together?
Thanks Marcos, I might have to buy the system schematics to dive that deep. I believe that the circuit breakers are at the rear panel, right at the outlets. I'll look into your suggestion, thanks.
Sir i have almost the same exact 22 truck and share your observations. However i have some more downsides with the PB. First is the loss of payload. I wanted an F150 with Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP). Those trucks ard like the old light duty 3/4 tons we could buy. But they are very rare and i failed to buy one prior to 2022 orders closing. The. Ford dropped the HDPP option for XLT. More rare meant more price. I refused to pay $55 k for an XL truck a d bought a used 22 Power Bost with lowmiles for $52k. Anyhow it only has 1360 pounds of payload. Not enough for the planned slide in pop up camper. So payload is the major down of these trucks. An issue if you are towing heavy or hauling. Second issue is sone warrenty covered things like auxiliary transmission oil cooler. Went out at 7K. Third issue is noise. This thing sounds like R2D2 at times whe it is going into electric mode. Annoys me! I prefer a mid range XLT truck with less bling and a 3.5 or 5.0 and the HDPP. Having said that this truck is comfortable and economical and fast.
Mine is super-quiet while in electric unless you're talking about the "space" noise through the outside speaker. Would have that checked out next time in the dealer. cheers
This is a fantastic video-full of so much information! Bravo! But I can’t for the life of me figure out how the 3-pole transfer switch in the linked video solves the bonded neutral/ground problem if the house panel has them bonded together. I see that they’re separated in the switch wiring, but why does that solve the issue in the panel? I know I’m missing something, but what?
I spent a lot of time studying that setup and wondering how the transfer switch alone prevented ground fault. I don't think that it does...the only way that this works is if the backup subpanel hosts loads that have separated grounds and neutrals. Otherwise it's no different than trying to power a main panel with grounds and neutrals tied together.
@ that makes sense. If he had the main panel retired to separate ground and neutrals, it would also explain why it cost $4,000. That switch is expensive, but not in that ballpark.
Excellent video sir, you have a new follower! On note, the PPO is not compatible with the "Generlink" transfer switch that mounts behind your meter (the GFCI issue that you covered - the Generlink does not separate ground and neutral.
Very nice video. Regarding the usage for job site or home backup seems like a portable generator would an equal or lesser cost option with more flexibility, and not adding cycles to an expensive pickup's hybrid powertrain.
Good logic, and the way that many have thought about this option. For me, I know that I would forget to toss the gen into the bed right before I really needed it. cheers....
Two thoughts here- If you already own the generator, it’s pretty likely less the expensive option, but I recently priced a 7Kw Honda generator. It was just under $5,000. So a good bit more than the $850 that the 7Kw PPO option cost. Second thing is that my understanding is that if you run it all day, the PPO generator will use substantially less gas, because the solo generator has to run all day to be available when you want it, while the PPO only has to come on to charge the battery when it needs it.
This video was incredible, thank you! I have a couple of follow up questions. For one night truck camping inside the cab: 1. Will the onboard 2.4 or 7.2kw hybrid systems run anything inside the truck with the truck turned off such as A/C, heat, lights or USB ports? 2. If number one is no, are there any 120v outlets inside the truck to run an electrical heater, phone chargers, etc? Thanks!
For you to run the 2.4 or 7.2Kw PPO, the truck must be "on" which means that the engine will run sporadically depending on the amount of current draw there is. This also means that A/C, heat, lights, etc are available. I recently ran my PPO for a week during hurricane Helene, and the one thing I had to remember to do was to shut OFF the A/C! No need to cool the cab just sitting there. That reduced the amount of ICE engine run time and fuel usage. Everything else is, of course, available during the truck running...such as interior 120V sockets and USB ports. Hope that helps.
@ thank you! I’ve been searching everywhere online to find out if the trucks accessories would work with the truck “on” in generator mode and could not find a definitive answer! Do you think the engine turning on periodically would wake someone up or is it a smooth enough system that it wouldn’t bother? Do you recall if when the engine turns on the chimes and everything go off? Very helpful information! Thanks again.
@@GenXPatriots It's pretty quiet. I mean, the majority of the time you hear NOTHING while the inverter pulls from the HV battery. When the battery charge gets low enough, the 3.5L engine fires up in idle mode which you can hear in my video while I'm drawing hard from the generator. I mean you can HEAR it but it's not objectionable. Really, much quieter than a dedicated generator unless you're talking about one of the tiny portable honda generators.
David, I'm not an RV'er but my understanding is that RV 30A connections are single phase, or one "leg" of the 30A power socket. That only takes one cable. If you want to run the 50A connection to an RV which requires both phases/legs, those can also be done on one cable however understand that you could exceed the capacity of 30A/phase with the ProPower Onboard. Was this your question?
41:44 You say to NOT just get rid of the ground wire of the extension cord. Can you explain why? If PPO has combined ground and neutral, and the main panel in the home also does as well, won't you still get GFCI protection with the ground wire severed?
Hi Isaac, GFCI looks for a difference in the amount of current sent out of the hot and received back on the NEUTRAL ONLY. Any difference means that the ground is carrying current which means that there is a fault somewhere and that the ground is not at earth potential. GFCI will then trip to potentially avert a problem. Lots of discussion about how realistic that really is, but that's the idea behind GFCI sir. Cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 thanks, I believe I understand how GFCI works, and partly due to your video. What I'm questioning is that if ground and neutral are bonded together at the main panel, by getting rid of the ground connection wire between the panel and PPO, it doesn't actually change the wiring. Individual GFCI circuits in the house will still function, and the only "unprotected" part of the circuit would be a ground fault between the truck and the main panel. Is that not true?
@@zed4me By getting rid of the ground wire you ensure that 100% of the hot current flows back into the neutral, thus will never trip the GFCI. Many folks have decided to go this route in order to power their main panel which has neutral and ground bonded together as all main panels usually are. (which would trip GFCI in the PPO if you run a ground wire from the umbillical cord from the truck) Is this a danger? Perhaps...you could pick up the cable from the PPO and YOU could be the ground return. Obviously for liability reasons I could never tell you to do it this way, but many folks have decided to take that risk just to light up their panel during an outage. So I will tell you NOT to do this, but it's a free country and you can decide for yourself what to do. :-) cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 thanks for the info! I was mainly worried if anyone in my house could get electrocuted due to lack of GFCI with this method, but GFCI at the individual circuit level will still work. I am taking liability of my own actions, but it's a calculated risk thing. When power goes out, which I haven't had happen to me in the last six years, I want to have done my research prior just like you suggested in your video. Amazing info btw, thanks for making it.
@@zed4me No problem...I have witnessed some extremely salty comments in forums talking about this exact point. I'm not a licensed electrician so I can't comment on this from a professional perspective. My amateur opinion is that the ground reference at your house will remain so even with the service mains disconnected. An individual GFCI outlet in your home will operate exactly the same irrespective of where/how the power feed is coming from. I would suggest a TEST of these concepts done at your convenience but only through a proper interlock or service disconnect interface. cheers
@@jbdca.1336 the engine needs to be running 100% duty cycle for the 2kw. With the 2.4 and 7.2kw systems, the engine will start when the battery is discharged; it will run for a short time until the hv battery is recharged again.
That was amazing. I was just looking for a video to explain it a little. Had no idea this was out there. Debating a generator or a ProPower for a mobile welding/repair shop rig. (worried about theft of tools out of the back so an onboard generator is looking mighty attractive).
Great video, thank you so much. I'm thinking about buying a Ford Power Boost truck. I was confused with the part about the refrigerator. The light was on but you said the compressor wouldn't run. So was it working or not? Thanks!
Hey bud, a refrigerator is like any other heating/cooling device with hysteresis. The compressor will fire up the cooling cycle for a while until the thermostat tells it to turn off, then it slowly warms up until the thermostat tells the compressor to kick into cooling cycle again. I think that it was either between cooling cycles, or in many cases there is a timer that locks out the compressor from running for a couple of minutes when you unplug a fridge like this. Have no fear, this generator has plenty of capacity to run a simple refrigerator. I just didn't have all day to wait for it to fire up the compressor again. The door light being on was enough for me. Cheers.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 Refrigerators are no problem. Using a 50a automatic transfer switch our '22 Lightning ER with 7.2kw PPOB can run two full size refrigerators, a deep freeze and our 4 ton inverter variable AC all at the same time with lights, TV and other small loads. It cannot run our 3 ton upstairs AC that is not inverter based. I'm sure I could get it to run it with a hard start capacitor kit but the main floor AC is all we need in a power outage and I doubt I could run them both at the same time even with the hard start kit. Hopefully future trucks will have 12kw PPOB which could truly run our entire home.
Greetings from Calgary. I've been watching your videos but was never subscribed, well you just gained a subscriber. Job well done, were you a teacher previously?
Thank you so much for all the great information. I watched every minute! I came across your video when doing research for troubleshooting why our 7.2kw powerboost gives us a ground fault after a few minutes of running our Travel Trailer. I've contacted 3 different mobile techs and no one will get back to us when I explain what the problem is. It's a bit frustrating. We're wondering if it has something to do with the GFCI in the travel trailer. Another thought was maybe it was the 15000 btu of our AC but it turns on just fine and goes for a little bit, but after a few minutes it will give a ground fault in our truck. Sometimes even without the AC on. Our 2022 trailer has had electrical issues that the dealer has "taken care of" but we still think maybe there's something going on. Of course we were also wondering if it was user error so I was really hoping one of your examples would include a 30 amp travel trailer :)
Hello and thanks for your comments. There is only one reason why the truck is faulting, and it's because the amount of current going out of the "hot" leg is not the same as what is coming back on the neutral. The truck is making a logical deduction that *some* of the current is coming back on the ground circuit, thus the ground fault. I believe that the way that this would be corrected is by finding your trailer's circuit panel and ensuring that all of your appliance grounds are SEPARATED from the neutrals. You can find out if this is the case by using a continuity tester between neutral and ground (with the power DISCONNECTED) on your trailer; if the grounds are tied to the neutrals you will see a strong continuity. Perhaps you can find a way to separate them if you have a junction box on the trailer. That will correct your issue. If not, you will have to disconnect one circuit at a time and use process of elimination until you can figure out the offending circuit. Hope that helps! cheers
Question, is there away to turn off the main display on the dash or does will it always be on. I know how to turn off the raido screen but not the dash screen. I go caming with my truck and have tried all kinds of stuff. Also would you leave the hood open if you use the power for a couple days non stop? Keep some of the heat down? I love having 7.2kw everywhere i go.
I do not know how to dim or darken the main display during PPO operation. I would also not worry about leaving the hood open because the engine does not run that much, unless you are pulling straight 7.2kw constantly. Stays pretty cool during low-draw operation.
A good scenario to explore is: If you have Solar panels in your house and a battery system already in place to provide backup to your house, but in case of extended periods of grid outage, use a generator to re-charge the batteries and allow your house to consume the energy from your battery pool slowly (until you have Sun light to help power the Solar panel grid).
Yes this is my application. I have a Bluetti AC500 powering essential loads through a transfer switch and I recharge it with a gas generator but would like to use a Ford Lightning instead
Great video. Just one note, there's only one phase on US 240V power. The neutral is a split in the same phase, which is why it is called split-phase power.
Thanks David! I'm not a distribution engineer and I understand the two "hots" to be out of phase, so I took the liberty of calling them different "phases." What would be the proper terminology of identifying the different hot leads? cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 They're actually completely in phase. If they were 180 degrees out of phase with each other, you'd get 0V across them rather than 240V. In split-phase power, the two hots are the "legs" because they're the opposite sides of the transformer. The neutral is a center tap in the middle of the transformer and its only neutral because of the neutral bonding. People sometimes think of them as out of phase because if you go from L1 to N your volt-meter might read 120V and then if you go from L2 to N your volt-meter might read -120V. But actually this makes sense. If you think of it in terms of a center-tapped transformer, you'd properly measure the power from L1 to N and then from N to L2, since N is the same wire. Both of those readings would be 120V, no negative, which is how you get to 240V by creating a series circuit from L1 to L2 -- the potential difference across them is 240V.
@@bytenik Hi David I haven't been in school for about 500 years so my EE-fu might be pretty rusty. I still stand by my statement that the two legs are out of phase; if they were IN PHASE then you'd be correct that they would show zero potential between them. Here is a quote from someone else on the topic: "Residential electric service in the United States (120/240 Vac) is sometimes called two-phase service but this is NOT correct. It is only single-phase, since both line voltages are derived from a single phase of a distribution transformer with a center tapped neutral and are 180° out of phase with each other." So you are correct (per this other person) that 240 service is not multi-phase (thank you again for the correction) but L1 and L2 have to be out of phase to show 240V between them. cheers.
Wow!! I just purchased a 2021 F-150 Hybrid with the 2.4Kw system. You covered the PPO to a T. Great presentation and everyday useful information thank you very much! Questions... what about the internal outlets in the cab... I know the dash outlet is 120v 20amp, but don't know if it's on a seperate phase as the bed outlet, and there is a single outlet at the bottom of the center console too. It does not have a GFCI reset button. Can you elaborate on these two outlets functions as it relates to the PPO system? Please and thank you.
Hi Anthony, don't know the answer to that one. What I would do to find out is to monitor your phase draws on the big center screen, (using the same screen that I showed in the video) and then power a big load off of the dash outlet, and then the center console outlet. That will tell you what phase it's using to power those outlets.
@fixorrepairdiy4609 My eyes are old, flashlight helped. That's not an outlet in the console it's a usb-a and usb-c ports. But, the single interior and dual bed outlets are on a single phase.
I just had an electrician install a generator hookup using an interlock lit. This video doesn't mention that, but I saw it should work as identical as a transfer switch. But when I first tested it out, the ground fault was tripped. The video did not explain why a transfer switch would not trip the ground fault. Is the transfer switch set up the exact same way as severing the ground, which he recommends not to do?
A transfer switch by itself will not avoid the ground fault problem with the PowerBoost. This is because the grounds and neutrals are tied together at the main panel, which means that the neutral current will be split between ground and neutral back to the truck. Instant fault. I showed the Generac Subpanel solution which works because you're able to break ground and neutral for those loads wired into the subpanel. What some people do is to break the ground on the umbillical cable back to the truck.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 So my understanding is that you need to have the ground on the truck(Pro Power Onboard) separate from the ground in your electrical system in your house?
@@unitedfireybride Not quite. The problem is having the neutral return having two paths back to the truck via neutral AND ground. That will pop the GFCI sensor. The only way to fix this to code is to have the grounds and neutrals separated for all the loads that you wish to light up via the truck. Most main panels have all grounds and neutrals tied into the same bus, so this is a problem as it will trip the GFCI in the truck. You can fix this by adding a new subpanel which only serves critical loads that you want to be available in an emergency, and all of those loads must have ground and neutral separated. The other way to "cheat" is just to eliminate the ground wire in the umbillical cable going back to the truck, at your peril of course. I don't know what risks that creates and don't want to get in the business of providing bad advice. I do know that this "cheat" solution has worked for others.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 I studied this on Honda portable generators. On their industrial generator, they make everything GFCI circuit and bonded neutral. Honda offers there neutral and ground to be separated for power backup application, but a sticker needs to be applied if that happens. This is something Ford don't do. They should since many users would use it for this application. I think the code writers need to address this situation once for all. Generators is a situation where you will have situations where you need to have a GFCI and where you can't.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 ha! Your accent seemed more northeast. Great overview. Thanks for taking the time to do it. In a pinch, another way to achieve the bonding requirements of the F150 without an expensive 3-pole disconnect is to have a lockout device on the main breakers and a (preferably locked) switch for the bonding at the house's main panel. This is the same as disconnecting the bonding jumper in a subpanel, but you're just doing it without a screwdriver. Here's a video where the homeowner achieves it via the screwdriver method: ruclips.net/video/fPCi40bSRWc/видео.html
@@kdcarver Originally from Ohio like the rest of us transplants that have infested SC. Those bonding solutions are great IF the electrician had the foresight to separate grounds and neutrals at the main panel. I would have to re-wire my entire main to accomplish this.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 You make a good point - got a lot of “installers” , not electricians out there. So most portable backup generators have a floating neutral and you can connect directly to the house that is bonded. I can’t remember if you state it in the video, but do you know why Ford went the bonded route? There’s no ground rod on the truck after all!
@@kdcarver Dude there have been so many incendiary arguments on associated forums about this topic I thought for a moment it was an oil thread. The pragmatists just say "screw it" and unhook the ground connection on the umbillical cable, so it fools the truck into thinking that there are no ground faults. The purists scream "muh ground rod!" and swear that everyone in the house will die with a floating ground at the truck (which is grounded at the house anyway). I do not know why Ford went with the bonded neutral but I suspect that this is the only way that they could implement GFCI, which I think makes sense for them to offer. Definitely stepping out of my lane at this point since I don't install electrons for a living.
Great video. So if I understand this correctly. If I plug the 30A cable from the PPO to my Transfer Switch outlet, I'll only be getting 3600W (@30A) to my panel? Since the two phases are separated? I could then run extension cords from the 120V Phase B outlets to appliances that aren't being powered via the house panel (via transfer switch). Thanks in advance!
That gives you 30A per phase or 3600W/phase from the 220V outlet, for a total of 7200W. You could also run separate 120V extension cords to power loads, but those draws count against the 3600W/phase total.
Excellent in depth video. How fast does the Powerboost circuit breaker trip upon surge inrush from an induction motor startup. Normal home circuit breakers rarely trip on a momentary surge. Does Powerboost? Has anyone successfully started a 1.5 HP/220VAC capacitor start deep well pump?
@@abrahamande1508 I call it a two-phase inverter. There are two phases 180 degrees out of phase which can produce either two single 120V phases, or one 240V connection.
45min Monster? Are you kidding me...I loved every minute of this. Very informative, very simple to understand, very engaging with the demos. Great job. Thank you for what you put together here.
Thanks Michael!
You’re a legend!!!!! Can’t thank you enough! This is exactly what I needed to help me understand the system before purchasing my F150. Ford owes you sales royalties!!!
Thanks Pit Bull Dad!
I certainly echo the postive comments -quickest 45 mins ever. Excellent job, informative and concise. I am a professional engineer and always consulted with my electrical trade buddies before anything I did and nothing you mention was at odds with what I have learned. I like that you mention a power budget. I have gotten through several multi-day blackouts with a little Honda 2Kw and a home-made MTS without much stress, once I explained the power budget to my wife. Well done.
A budget discussion with a wife that didn't end in a fight? What's your secret? 🤣
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 she's my second wife.
@@jonkadela878hilarious
My electrician told me that the truck cannot power the main AC so I figured no point in doing a transfer switch for$2000. During hurricane Ian last September I powered a portable AC unit in the window two refrigerators microwave George Foreman grill DVD player TV used about 6800 kW. Used about a quarter tank of gas every 24 hours truck ran from Tuesday night through Friday Night and then got gas just because I didn’t know how long the power would be out Power came back on that Sunday Truck definitely Let us to ride out the storm Truck sat out there during the hurricane, like a champ power ing everything. Awesome truck
You used 6800 kW, I think you surely mean 6800 W or 6.8 kW. What gauge extension cords did you use for your bigger loads, do you know?
@@SnookerML your right 6800 watts. I used several used heavy duty 12 gauge for the AC and just your normal 16 gauge cords for everything else
I live in Florida. Multi-day power outages are assumed in Florida because they happen every few years when a hurricane hits.
Came across your video by accident because I am replacing my 20 year old F150 4x4 in the next 14 months. In doing this research I have narrowed down my needs and wants to a Tremor. At first I was leaning towards the FX4 but the Tremor offered more for almost the same price. I was not aware of the Pro Power Onboard and immediately thought I want the 7.5kw than after further research I wanted the 2.4. Than with your video which is EXCELLENT and very succinct , made me realize I really do not want or need the Pro Power onboard. After surviving a week without power during the Texas freeze we had, with some solar power banks or "solar generators" and a Honda generator, I would be better off using what I already have for camping and emergency backups.
I would love to reiterate that your video is EXCELLENT, normally if I am not hooked within the first 20 seconds of a video it is sayonara baby, great job!
Thanks so much Shelley! Those Tremors are drop dead gorgeous. cheers....
I just bought a 2023 Ford Limited. With no printed owner's manual! I've ordered a real manual since the online owner's manual is so difficult to use. Meanwhile I had no clue what I had as far as features on this truck. Holy crap, your video was fantastic. I too am not an electrician but I've got a good understanding of things electrical. Your video was welcomed BIG TIME. I had to pause it and run out to the truck to see which PPO system I had. Yes!! 7200 Watts! Man, I had no idea. I bought the truck for work in my business, rather than give the money to the government for them to waste. Loved the illustrations and explanations which left me without a single question unanswered. Good job!
Thanks Dave! Dudes like you are why I create these vids! Let me know what else you'd like to see me tackle. cheers
Fantastic video! I installed a transfer switch and had a recent outage and my Lightning powered my whole house for the entire outage. Thank you so much!
Nice job! Way to use the truck for what it was designed for! cheers
Did you install a transfer switch that is similar to RELIANCE Manual Transfer Switch: Single Phase, 125/250V AC, 30 A Current Rating, 0 Spaces, Prewired? I am in the process of installing one..
@@RahulKumar-vh4xr I can’t get video you have it
As an Electrician, I'll say that you explained the process quite well. Very detailed and to the level that makes sense for the average person. Been enjoying my 7.2KW Powerboost F150 and I also upgraded my order before my truck was built at the last minute and glad I did. We use it to power our 240 volt, 50 amp trailer when we go camping and it's very convenient.
May I ask how you power your 50 amp rv with only a 30 amp outlet available?
@@StephanieLenhart you can plug an RV into a normal 20amp outlet if you want. you'll only be able to use as much power as is coming into the RV. It's very common for campsites to only have 30amp outlets. Usually if a camper has 50amp it's because there's two AC units, so if you just run a single AC then 30amp is fine. The worst you'll do is trip the breaker.
Excellent work product! You should get paid to teach people how to put excellent video content together. The arrangement the delivery the presentation all excellent. Hats off! Thank you for the content.
Thanks SF!
After a lot of research, I decided to go with the Generic Home Link system and it works very well. I was able to link almost all the circuits in my home except the two 220 v circuits (dryer and dishwasher), a spare bedroom and one 20 amp circuit in the garage. We do have the advantage of having natural gas for cooking and heat and we have evaporative cooling all of which decreases our electrical demand. Yesterday we had our first electrical outage and I had the system up and running in less than 10 minutes. The weakness of the system is a) the truck has to be home and b) you have to get the truck out of the garage which may be troublesome if you have an electric garage door opener.
Our other primary use of the PPO system has been for our travel trailer. We recently completed a 2+ month 12,000 mile tour of Canada and Alaska and we never had to worry about ac power no matter how far out in the boonies we were. Regarding the on/off cycle of the gas engine while running the PPO for the RV we found that in a 10 minute cycle the engine was on about 2 min and off 8 min while running trailer AC.
Kent Mahan
2022 F150 Powerboost Lariat
.
Thanks for the comments, Kent!
This is an excellent video, you are a master teacher for sure! This is the best and simple to understand video on the subject. Ford should pay you! Thank you so much for taking the time make this informative video. I appreciate all the work you put into this. 😇
Thanks Wayne, very kind of you to take the time to post those comments. cheers...
Fantastic! I was scratching my head as to why I kept tripping the GFCI when trying to plug directly to the panel. Thank you!!!!
Just purchased a 2023 F150 Hybrid 4x4 with 7.2 kw pro power. I have a Class A with that had a 4kw ONAN Has generator. After using my pro power for a week to run my entire Motorcoach including AC. Gas usage came in at 10 gallons in 10 days of constant use for pro power vs 18 gallons of gas used by ONAN generator. Now have removed my on board noisy, finicky, smelly generator, replaced with lithium battery bank and 4k inverter. Use pro power as backup to batteries. Pro power is a Game changer with better, efficient results, reliability and less maintenance. Love mine so far after learning curve.
PS. Ford techs don't seem to know alot about how pro power works as you stated so this video is really helpful!✌️
Thanks Phil!
Outstanding. Thank you so much for putting this together. Best RUclips education video I have ever watched. Very helpful.
Thanks very much! 🙂
Really great content. So many truck owners, while well-intended, put up videos that are TERRIBLE and either inaccurate or just nonsense. The depth and demo use cases in this are awesome. Subscribed.
Wow, thanks Paul!
amazing video, thank you! i just bought a powerboost with the 7.2 and i am planning on having a transfer switch installed to power the essentials including my upstairs AC after I have a soft start installed. Great job!
More like a 45 minute mind melt…so worth every sec. Would love to see how this applies to powering an RV with either 30A or 50A capabilities. I bought my 2022 Powerboost Lariat with 7.2kW for camping off the grid. Keep up the great work and again, thank you so much. Paul
Thanks Paul. I don't know much about campers other than they are typically single phase 120V. You should be able to do 30A single phase to a camper from one leg of the 7.2Kw 240V outlet. Now 50A? No. You'll need to restrict use of some of the higher-wattage devices like oven/AC/dryer/heat to no more than one at a time, OR you can investigate using the second phase via a second feed to your camper. I am just starting to look at teardrops for somewhere down the road. Best...
RV 50 amp connections are 240v. You just need to get an adapter and you will be able to use both phases from the 7.2kw pro power. This video does the best job I have seen so far in explaining how to manage the loads. It will be the same with your 50 amp RV. You will need to pay attention to which phase the different loads in your RV are on. For example my two air conditioners are separated. The 7.2 kw pro power works great for an RV.
@@jgrant1701 Thanks for the info Joshua! Hope to be following you in pulling some RV loads down the road...
I have 50amp RV and run both ACs and whatever else with mine. 2021 Lariat w/ 7.2…. with both ACs running are rarely go over 3800watts. I just have a good surge and adaptor to go from 30am to 50amp… I have heard folks have some issues with a 30am system because of the neutral ground. I think most all newer RV are going with 50 amp set up… if not, dont buy it. Always go 50. I’m watching this so I can learn how to hook it up the house. I am assuming it could run the AC and I have gas heat so that should not be an issue.
@@prscustom10 I don't know what your compressor draw is but I've run single-unit home compressors off of a 15A breaker before so odds are good that you can support the draw of one unit. If you can measure current draw you'd know. Good luck with everything, Lariat is a nice truck. cheers
Thank you for this comprehensive dive. I was in the process of buying a whole house generator. You probably saved me 15k!
Excellent presentation. very helpful. I recently took delivery of a 7.2kw powerboost and have been unclear as to how to proceed. Your information will make it much more comfortable for us when a future power outage occurs.
Thanks Bob!
Thank you for such an informative video. I now feel totally confident about building and ordering the right F-150 for my needs. Your real world examples on what can be powered from the Pro onboard were especially useful.
Great video, took me a while and some research to figure out my Powerboost. I did learn that you will not get 3600 watts from the 120v outlets. You will need to get a NEMA plug for the 240V outlet with leg splitter that comes out to two standard plugs. Each of those plugs will give you 3600 watts of 120V. Essentially the same as the "dogbone" plug but with two standard outlets at the other end that you can further split using the correct cords/plugs.
Thanks Leo, yeah Ford says that you can get 6Kw out of the 120V outlets but I don't see how you can get more than 2.4Kw per phase. Your suggestion is the only way to get the full power out of this thing. Cheers.
Great!
45 minutes of fascination for me, all common sense but very well organized to allow my small brain to comprehend. TY.
Thanks Dog! cheers
Thanks!
You are spot on with your videos covering Powerboost topics. I think you’ve addressed many interests folks have who buy these trucks. This PPO video is especially good. Thanks for the effort I know it took to make it!
EXCELLENT job explaining this capability. Ford should hire you! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thanks Mighty Ben! cheers
Hands down one of the best educational and insightful videos I’ve seen on here, thank you for taking the time to put this together.
Thanks Armando!
Excellent, and so comprehensive! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m considering one of these and this function is intriguing. Thank you for breaking it down, especially the pitfalls.
Thank you for the information, I’m a new Ford f150 owner. Thanks to your video now I’ll be preparing for the next storm thank you !!!
Thank you for your video and research. This is extremely helpful, and even a great public service.
Thanks for watching, Jack!
may be the BEST video I've seen on youtube, about any topic. Thanks!
thanks for the kind words!
@@stewarthunt1722 I can’t find the video or the link doesn’t work for wiring the transfer switch
Thank you….. fantastic tutorial
Thank you so much for this! The time and Eddie you put into this is amazing! The POB is a HUGE selling point for me. Primarily for camping. Running a fan or space heater in the tent, a fridge, so many possibilities!
Thank YOU for watching! 🙂
Awesome video. Man you helped me get the answers the ford sales or tech guys could not answer and that was the primary reason for me to go with the power boost over the eco boost. Thanks for taking the time to explain it clearly to everyone
Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you. Planning on purchasing a power boost vehicle. Great knowledge you are passing to your viewers.
Thanks for the nice comment, Walter! cheers...
Very nice job in presentation and informative.
The explanation of the GFCI component in all this is something that really needs to be amplified. Too many times I’m seeing the same advice to cut the ground lead of the generator inlet; defeating a protection mechanism is a great way to get saddled with an insurance claim rejection if there’s ever a fire. Do things the right way, people! Thanks for the video!
Thanks Craig! cheers
Thanks for a thorough and understandable video.
Very informative. Really appreciate the info. The dealer had a blank look on his face. The mechanic knew what was was going on. He laughed at the salesman😂
This is an extremely informative and helpful video. I recently picked up a 2021 F150 Lariat with the 7.2Kw PPO system. Just by luck it has the 7.2Kw system. I knew very little about it and found your video. I greatly appreciate the time, effort, and depth of explanation you provided. I liked and followed the channel. Keep up the great work and many thanks, sir!
Thanks for the kind words, Brian!
Thank you for a very thorough explanation of the Pro Power Onboard and the PowerBoost Hybrid powertrain.
Ford is really stepping up and bringing out some great products.
I hope they take my advice about the Watt's link rear suspension for the F-150 and make it an option. The Lightning and Raptor have their own rear suspension designs so having the Watt's link rear suspension as an option over the leaf springs in the rest of the range would bring the F-150 well into the 21st century with every conceivable option available.
The fuel economy for such a large truck is extremely impressive and with the sorts of innovations described in the video it should stay the best selling truck in the USA.
😎👍
I'm looking at a hybrid 150 for around town and to tow our 30 amp holiday trailer, I had considered saving the $1000 and getting the base pro power set up, as most of my local dealers don't have a clue what they are talking about. Now that I have a better feel for the system, there's no way I'm not getting the 7.2 set up. It seems to be the perfect set up for boondocking a 30 amp trailer. Thank you!
Heard from many owners via forums and reddit that it's absolutely the way to go. cheers
Outstanding information! Just purchased the F150 and looking forward to installing the partial -home link. Thanks! Again, well done.
Thanks Matthew!
Awesome video and content!
I’m looking at buying a F150 hybrid powerboost and this was exactly one of the reasons I considered the 7.2kw solution. Glad to know about Generac Homelink vs manual main power feed switch. Thank you.
thanks Mike!
This was so helpful! I have food truck business and was looking into purchasing this truck and use the generator at events where we don't have access to power. I am hopeful it will work using a combination of extension cords into the 120V outlets and one into the 30. We are using a total of about 6500W to power the whole operation which includes fridges, freezers, 1 electric pan (1500w) and 2 griddles (each 1800w). I hope it will work!
If you balance the loads correctly and don't start everything at the same second, I don't see why it won't work. I love hearing stories like yours where small businesses bring real solutions that people need. Respect.
Thank you, clear, concise and on point. Well done!
Thanks, this was a great informative video. I purchased a 2023 Ford Powerboost with Pro Power on board 7.2Kw. We recently had a 3 day power outage due to an ice storm here in Ontario Canada. I have a Generlink system installed on my hydro meter and when I plugged my 220VAC 30A into the Generlink instantly tripped on GFCI. I had a feeling it was something to do with the bonded neutral. Have you any thoughts on what to do when you have a Generlink system on your hydro meter? Luckily I had not sold my back up stand alone generator so we managed as we are on a well system. Once again thanks for taking the time to put such a great well thought out video together.
Frank, no doubt you have the ground and neutral tied together somewhere near the load. The generator must see a separate ground connection and the current going out on the hot must equal the current received on the neutral, otherwise it assumes a ground fault. Bonding ground and neutral together at the load guarantees that the return current will be split by the neutral and ground return. That equals and instant GFCI fault. cheers
Very helpful - thanks!
You're welcome!
Thanks very much I just purchased an F150 power
This was awesome, thank you brudda. Godspeed
Great video! I can't wait for Ford to put this on their expedition in 25'. Also, Daft Punk on your play list (22:29)! Nice!
Thank you!!!! Great content!!! Bought my 2021 PB in NOV ‘22. Trying to get my regular electrician to call me back to do the transfer switch for a few circuits. I live in PA and we occasionally loose power, nothing crazy like some parts of the country. With winter here I haven’t used my PPO yet. Hopefully soon.
Hi Matt, congrats on the truck. Better to use it this weekend testing a couple of things out instead of trying to figure it out on the fly during a storm! I never even tried it before I made this video, so if *I* can figure it out...lol. Good luck with your project. cheers
Great video. I have a solar system without a batter backup. the system only works when I have power coming from the utility company. The utility company absorbs and extra power the panels produce. can I connect my 7.2 KW F-150 system to my house when the power is off (i.e. ice storm)
Yes but...you have to follow the recommendations in the video. You cannot tie into a panel that has the neutrals bonded to the grounds, like every other main panel. They must have a separate termination, otherwise the GFCI goes into "fault" on the truck.
I've been hoping you would release a video on this. Thank you!
you're welcome!
Excellent video! Great job explaining PPO! Thanks!
Generally, does this apply to the Lightning as well? And at 43:45, what phrasing do I use with an electrician to install this set up?
I think the same thing applies to the Lightning. You would tell your electrician that the truck needs to be connected to a subpanel with separated grounds and neutrals.
I want to understand. If my main house box is wired correctly, grounds on one side and neutrals on the other, I should have no problem with the truck gfi ? This should let me use interlock and 30 amp breaker to back feed with selected breakers activated?
If your main panel does not have neutral and ground tied together at the panel, then you will not have a problem with the truck's GFCI. From what I understand, most main panels are not set up this way.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 I checked the neutral side of panel (left) and ground side of panel (right) and they have continuity. So am I to assume it will trip trucks gfci?
@@larryhartle3004 Yes, this means that the return current back to the generator will be split between the ground and neutral wires, and will trip the GFCI on the truck.
On my Hybrid with the 7.2Kw system, I'm getting the ground fault message without having anything plugged into the truck. Sounds like this is a known issue, any solutions?
If you look under the rear driver's side wheel well, there's a whole gaggle of connectors for the PPO that feed the panel in the left rear of the bed. Those are open to spray and water and anything else; sort of a poor design. If I had this problem, I'd take apart every single one of those connectors, look for any corrosion or loose connections, and find a way to put a boot around that connector. I have heard of others having this issue and it seems to follow getting wet. Not sure if yours is the same, but that's where I would start to troubleshoot if the dealer can't help. (and I would bet on them not having a good course of action)
32:00 you likely wouldn’t have blown a breaker on a 2400, you don’t plug then in at the same time. Ford did a great job w this system,it’s too bad they didn’t do as good a job in sizing the hybrid system properly,the electric motor and battery are both too small for a 7350 gvwr truck. It should have had at least 60 hp and 2.8 kw battery,the little motor cannot provide the proper power and more importantly it isn’t big enough to provide enough regenerative braking for the weight of the truck. The truck would get better mpg city and mixed if they’d sized it correctly.
John I agree, as long as you don't have the surge current occurring at the same instant we'd probably be ok. As I said I would be willing to test that data point, but only with someone else's truck! 😆If they improved the PB with a bigger battery and motor, then they'd kill the Lightning launch. I'm sure we'll both be surprised by capabilities improving in the next few years. cheers.
The best video on the subject by far, and I've seen a bunch! Thank you for posting this. Subscribed.
Thank you Sir!😁
Very nice and detailed explanation. It will help all PPO users. I want to suggest you to make a complementary vídeo, explaining how to troubleshooting the PPO when it gets off by overload, and how to restore the system back into operational mode. There are circuit breakers and fuses? The neutral of PPO is floating neutral or it is integrated and grounded with the same 12Vcc battery of the vehycle, and since it has a HV lithium battery, the Inverter neutral is bounded all together?
Thanks Marcos, I might have to buy the system schematics to dive that deep. I believe that the circuit breakers are at the rear panel, right at the outlets. I'll look into your suggestion, thanks.
Great video to the point, informative and well delivered. Thank you for the education!
Sir i have almost the same exact 22 truck and share your observations. However i have some more downsides with the PB. First is the loss of payload. I wanted an F150 with Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP). Those trucks ard like the old light duty 3/4 tons we could buy. But they are very rare and i failed to buy one prior to 2022 orders closing. The. Ford dropped the HDPP option for XLT. More rare meant more price. I refused to pay $55 k for an XL truck a d bought a used 22 Power Bost with lowmiles for $52k. Anyhow it only has 1360 pounds of payload. Not enough for the planned slide in pop up camper. So payload is the major down of these trucks. An issue if you are towing heavy or hauling. Second issue is sone warrenty covered things like auxiliary transmission oil cooler. Went out at 7K. Third issue is noise. This thing sounds like R2D2 at times whe it is going into electric mode. Annoys me! I prefer a mid range XLT truck with less bling and a 3.5 or 5.0 and the HDPP. Having said that this truck is comfortable and economical and fast.
Mine is super-quiet while in electric unless you're talking about the "space" noise through the outside speaker. Would have that checked out next time in the dealer. cheers
This is a fantastic video-full of so much information! Bravo!
But I can’t for the life of me figure out how the 3-pole transfer switch in the linked video solves the bonded neutral/ground problem if the house panel has them bonded together. I see that they’re separated in the switch wiring, but why does that solve the issue in the panel? I know I’m missing something, but what?
I spent a lot of time studying that setup and wondering how the transfer switch alone prevented ground fault. I don't think that it does...the only way that this works is if the backup subpanel hosts loads that have separated grounds and neutrals. Otherwise it's no different than trying to power a main panel with grounds and neutrals tied together.
@ that makes sense. If he had the main panel retired to separate ground and neutrals, it would also explain why it cost $4,000. That switch is expensive, but not in that ballpark.
Excellent video sir, you have a new follower! On note, the PPO is not compatible with the "Generlink" transfer switch that mounts behind your meter (the GFCI issue that you covered - the Generlink does not separate ground and neutral.
Thanks for the information, Jack! Appreciate it.
Very nice video. Regarding the usage for job site or home backup seems like a portable generator would an equal or lesser cost option with more flexibility, and not adding cycles to an expensive pickup's hybrid powertrain.
Good logic, and the way that many have thought about this option. For me, I know that I would forget to toss the gen into the bed right before I really needed it. cheers....
Two thoughts here- If you already own the generator, it’s pretty likely less the expensive option, but I recently priced a 7Kw Honda generator. It was just under $5,000. So a good bit more than the $850 that the 7Kw PPO option cost. Second thing is that my understanding is that if you run it all day, the PPO generator will use substantially less gas, because the solo generator has to run all day to be available when you want it, while the PPO only has to come on to charge the battery when it needs it.
This video was incredible, thank you!
I have a couple of follow up questions. For one night truck camping inside the cab:
1. Will the onboard 2.4 or 7.2kw hybrid systems run anything inside the truck with the truck turned off such as A/C, heat, lights or USB ports?
2. If number one is no, are there any 120v outlets inside the truck to run an electrical heater, phone chargers, etc?
Thanks!
For you to run the 2.4 or 7.2Kw PPO, the truck must be "on" which means that the engine will run sporadically depending on the amount of current draw there is. This also means that A/C, heat, lights, etc are available. I recently ran my PPO for a week during hurricane Helene, and the one thing I had to remember to do was to shut OFF the A/C! No need to cool the cab just sitting there. That reduced the amount of ICE engine run time and fuel usage. Everything else is, of course, available during the truck running...such as interior 120V sockets and USB ports. Hope that helps.
@ thank you! I’ve been searching everywhere online to find out if the trucks accessories would work with the truck “on” in generator mode and could not find a definitive answer! Do you think the engine turning on periodically would wake someone up or is it a smooth enough system that it wouldn’t bother? Do you recall if when the engine turns on the chimes and everything go off?
Very helpful information! Thanks again.
@@GenXPatriots It's pretty quiet. I mean, the majority of the time you hear NOTHING while the inverter pulls from the HV battery. When the battery charge gets low enough, the 3.5L engine fires up in idle mode which you can hear in my video while I'm drawing hard from the generator. I mean you can HEAR it but it's not objectionable. Really, much quieter than a dedicated generator unless you're talking about one of the tiny portable honda generators.
@ I greatly appreciate all the information!
Is there any way to power both legs from a single 30 amp RV connection with the 7.2 system without using additional power cords to the RV ?
David, I'm not an RV'er but my understanding is that RV 30A connections are single phase, or one "leg" of the 30A power socket. That only takes one cable. If you want to run the 50A connection to an RV which requires both phases/legs, those can also be done on one cable however understand that you could exceed the capacity of 30A/phase with the ProPower Onboard. Was this your question?
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 thank you yes that does answer my question
Great informative video, this helps big time.
Thank you Sid!
41:44 You say to NOT just get rid of the ground wire of the extension cord. Can you explain why? If PPO has combined ground and neutral, and the main panel in the home also does as well, won't you still get GFCI protection with the ground wire severed?
Hi Isaac, GFCI looks for a difference in the amount of current sent out of the hot and received back on the NEUTRAL ONLY. Any difference means that the ground is carrying current which means that there is a fault somewhere and that the ground is not at earth potential. GFCI will then trip to potentially avert a problem. Lots of discussion about how realistic that really is, but that's the idea behind GFCI sir. Cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 thanks, I believe I understand how GFCI works, and partly due to your video. What I'm questioning is that if ground and neutral are bonded together at the main panel, by getting rid of the ground connection wire between the panel and PPO, it doesn't actually change the wiring. Individual GFCI circuits in the house will still function, and the only "unprotected" part of the circuit would be a ground fault between the truck and the main panel. Is that not true?
@@zed4me By getting rid of the ground wire you ensure that 100% of the hot current flows back into the neutral, thus will never trip the GFCI. Many folks have decided to go this route in order to power their main panel which has neutral and ground bonded together as all main panels usually are. (which would trip GFCI in the PPO if you run a ground wire from the umbillical cord from the truck) Is this a danger? Perhaps...you could pick up the cable from the PPO and YOU could be the ground return. Obviously for liability reasons I could never tell you to do it this way, but many folks have decided to take that risk just to light up their panel during an outage. So I will tell you NOT to do this, but it's a free country and you can decide for yourself what to do. :-) cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 thanks for the info! I was mainly worried if anyone in my house could get electrocuted due to lack of GFCI with this method, but GFCI at the individual circuit level will still work. I am taking liability of my own actions, but it's a calculated risk thing. When power goes out, which I haven't had happen to me in the last six years, I want to have done my research prior just like you suggested in your video. Amazing info btw, thanks for making it.
@@zed4me No problem...I have witnessed some extremely salty comments in forums talking about this exact point. I'm not a licensed electrician so I can't comment on this from a professional perspective. My amateur opinion is that the ground reference at your house will remain so even with the service mains disconnected. An individual GFCI outlet in your home will operate exactly the same irrespective of where/how the power feed is coming from. I would suggest a TEST of these concepts done at your convenience but only through a proper interlock or service disconnect interface. cheers
Thank you for the inoculation love the video.
Hi! Great video although you mentioned that the vehicle needs to stay on for the 2kw what about the 2.4 and 7.2kw?
@@jbdca.1336 the engine needs to be running 100% duty cycle for the 2kw. With the 2.4 and 7.2kw systems, the engine will start when the battery is discharged; it will run for a short time until the hv battery is recharged again.
That was amazing. I was just looking for a video to explain it a little. Had no idea this was out there. Debating a generator or a ProPower for a mobile welding/repair shop rig. (worried about theft of tools out of the back so an onboard generator is looking mighty attractive).
Thanks Chris!
Superb presentation - many thanks!
very well made and easy to follow video. Thanks for this amazing info
Great video, thank you so much. I'm thinking about buying a Ford Power Boost truck. I was confused with the part about the refrigerator. The light was on but you said the compressor wouldn't run. So was it working or not? Thanks!
Hey bud, a refrigerator is like any other heating/cooling device with hysteresis. The compressor will fire up the cooling cycle for a while until the thermostat tells it to turn off, then it slowly warms up until the thermostat tells the compressor to kick into cooling cycle again. I think that it was either between cooling cycles, or in many cases there is a timer that locks out the compressor from running for a couple of minutes when you unplug a fridge like this. Have no fear, this generator has plenty of capacity to run a simple refrigerator. I just didn't have all day to wait for it to fire up the compressor again. The door light being on was enough for me. Cheers.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 Thanks for the additional explanation, I too was also confused about the Fridge example, BTW excellent video and great info
@@roytwo Thanks Roy!
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 Refrigerators are no problem. Using a 50a automatic transfer switch our '22 Lightning ER with 7.2kw PPOB can run two full size refrigerators, a deep freeze and our 4 ton inverter variable AC all at the same time with lights, TV and other small loads. It cannot run our 3 ton upstairs AC that is not inverter based. I'm sure I could get it to run it with a hard start capacitor kit but the main floor AC is all we need in a power outage and I doubt I could run them both at the same time even with the hard start kit. Hopefully future trucks will have 12kw PPOB which could truly run our entire home.
Fantastic video. Thank you.
Awesome man! Thanks for this.
To take full advantage of the 7.2kW with Edison plug devices, what are your thoughts on a 240v 30a Temporary Power box like the 6534UGSX?
Greetings from Calgary. I've been watching your videos but was never subscribed, well you just gained a subscriber. Job well done, were you a teacher previously?
thanks for the kind words. Not a teacher, just a nerd engineer. cheers...
well done, thank you!
That's the best explanation ever!!!! Brilliant!!!!!
Love this video.😊
thanks!
HOWdy F-o-R-DIY, ...
thanks - great explanation ...
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
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How does it work in rain for hurricanes? We would have the truck outside. If we have a cover for truck you think that would be safe ?
Mine worked great during hurricane Helene! Cover is fine as long as you don't entrap exhaust or air to engine.
Thank you so much for all the great information. I watched every minute! I came across your video when doing research for troubleshooting why our 7.2kw powerboost gives us a ground fault after a few minutes of running our Travel Trailer. I've contacted 3 different mobile techs and no one will get back to us when I explain what the problem is. It's a bit frustrating. We're wondering if it has something to do with the GFCI in the travel trailer. Another thought was maybe it was the 15000 btu of our AC but it turns on just fine and goes for a little bit, but after a few minutes it will give a ground fault in our truck. Sometimes even without the AC on. Our 2022 trailer has had electrical issues that the dealer has "taken care of" but we still think maybe there's something going on. Of course we were also wondering if it was user error so I was really hoping one of your examples would include a 30 amp travel trailer :)
Hello and thanks for your comments. There is only one reason why the truck is faulting, and it's because the amount of current going out of the "hot" leg is not the same as what is coming back on the neutral. The truck is making a logical deduction that *some* of the current is coming back on the ground circuit, thus the ground fault. I believe that the way that this would be corrected is by finding your trailer's circuit panel and ensuring that all of your appliance grounds are SEPARATED from the neutrals. You can find out if this is the case by using a continuity tester between neutral and ground (with the power DISCONNECTED) on your trailer; if the grounds are tied to the neutrals you will see a strong continuity. Perhaps you can find a way to separate them if you have a junction box on the trailer. That will correct your issue. If not, you will have to disconnect one circuit at a time and use process of elimination until you can figure out the offending circuit. Hope that helps! cheers
Great video, I’m currently looking at a f-150 with the pro power 7.2Kw.
Question, is there away to turn off the main display on the dash or does will it always be on. I know how to turn off the raido screen but not the dash screen. I go caming with my truck and have tried all kinds of stuff. Also would you leave the hood open if you use the power for a couple days non stop? Keep some of the heat down? I love having 7.2kw everywhere i go.
I do not know how to dim or darken the main display during PPO operation. I would also not worry about leaving the hood open because the engine does not run that much, unless you are pulling straight 7.2kw constantly. Stays pretty cool during low-draw operation.
Great job! Thanks!
A good scenario to explore is: If you have Solar panels in your house and a battery system already in place to provide backup to your house, but in case of extended periods of grid outage, use a generator to re-charge the batteries and allow your house to consume the energy from your battery pool slowly (until you have Sun light to help power the Solar panel grid).
Yes this is my application. I have a Bluetti AC500 powering essential loads through a transfer switch and I recharge it with a gas generator but would like to use a Ford Lightning instead
Very well done. Thank you.
Great video. Just one note, there's only one phase on US 240V power. The neutral is a split in the same phase, which is why it is called split-phase power.
Thanks David! I'm not a distribution engineer and I understand the two "hots" to be out of phase, so I took the liberty of calling them different "phases." What would be the proper terminology of identifying the different hot leads? cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 They're actually completely in phase. If they were 180 degrees out of phase with each other, you'd get 0V across them rather than 240V. In split-phase power, the two hots are the "legs" because they're the opposite sides of the transformer. The neutral is a center tap in the middle of the transformer and its only neutral because of the neutral bonding.
People sometimes think of them as out of phase because if you go from L1 to N your volt-meter might read 120V and then if you go from L2 to N your volt-meter might read -120V. But actually this makes sense. If you think of it in terms of a center-tapped transformer, you'd properly measure the power from L1 to N and then from N to L2, since N is the same wire. Both of those readings would be 120V, no negative, which is how you get to 240V by creating a series circuit from L1 to L2 -- the potential difference across them is 240V.
@@bytenik Hi David I haven't been in school for about 500 years so my EE-fu might be pretty rusty. I still stand by my statement that the two legs are out of phase; if they were IN PHASE then you'd be correct that they would show zero potential between them. Here is a quote from someone else on the topic: "Residential electric service in the United States (120/240 Vac) is sometimes called two-phase service but this is NOT correct. It is only single-phase, since both line voltages are derived from a single phase of a distribution transformer with a center tapped neutral and are 180° out of phase with each other." So you are correct (per this other person) that 240 service is not multi-phase (thank you again for the correction) but L1 and L2 have to be out of phase to show 240V between them. cheers.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 they can be described as phases as well and are 180 degrees out of phase like you thought.
@@Yielar1 roger that!
Wow!! I just purchased a 2021 F-150 Hybrid with the 2.4Kw system. You covered the PPO to a T. Great presentation and everyday useful information thank you very much!
Questions... what about the internal outlets in the cab... I know the dash outlet is 120v 20amp, but don't know if it's on a seperate phase as the bed outlet, and there is a single outlet at the bottom of the center console too. It does not have a GFCI reset button. Can you elaborate on these two outlets functions as it relates to the PPO system?
Please and thank you.
Hi Anthony, don't know the answer to that one. What I would do to find out is to monitor your phase draws on the big center screen, (using the same screen that I showed in the video) and then power a big load off of the dash outlet, and then the center console outlet. That will tell you what phase it's using to power those outlets.
@fixorrepairdiy4609 My eyes are old, flashlight helped. That's not an outlet in the console it's a usb-a and usb-c ports. But, the single interior and dual bed outlets are on a single phase.
I just had an electrician install a generator hookup using an interlock lit. This video doesn't mention that, but I saw it should work as identical as a transfer switch. But when I first tested it out, the ground fault was tripped. The video did not explain why a transfer switch would not trip the ground fault. Is the transfer switch set up the exact same way as severing the ground, which he recommends not to do?
A transfer switch by itself will not avoid the ground fault problem with the PowerBoost. This is because the grounds and neutrals are tied together at the main panel, which means that the neutral current will be split between ground and neutral back to the truck. Instant fault. I showed the Generac Subpanel solution which works because you're able to break ground and neutral for those loads wired into the subpanel. What some people do is to break the ground on the umbillical cable back to the truck.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 So my understanding is that you need to have the ground on the truck(Pro Power Onboard) separate from the ground in your electrical system in your house?
@@unitedfireybride Not quite. The problem is having the neutral return having two paths back to the truck via neutral AND ground. That will pop the GFCI sensor. The only way to fix this to code is to have the grounds and neutrals separated for all the loads that you wish to light up via the truck. Most main panels have all grounds and neutrals tied into the same bus, so this is a problem as it will trip the GFCI in the truck. You can fix this by adding a new subpanel which only serves critical loads that you want to be available in an emergency, and all of those loads must have ground and neutral separated. The other way to "cheat" is just to eliminate the ground wire in the umbillical cable going back to the truck, at your peril of course. I don't know what risks that creates and don't want to get in the business of providing bad advice. I do know that this "cheat" solution has worked for others.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 I studied this on Honda portable generators. On their industrial generator, they make everything GFCI circuit and bonded neutral. Honda offers there neutral and ground to be separated for power backup application, but a sticker needs to be applied if that happens. This is something Ford don't do. They should since many users would use it for this application. I think the code writers need to address this situation once for all. Generators is a situation where you will have situations where you need to have a GFCI and where you can't.
@35:00 Critical Load list... you must be from the north. Number one on the list here in Texas is an AC (even a window unit).
Is South Carolina the North? :-) Fair point, we don't get Tejas heat. cheers
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 ha! Your accent seemed more northeast.
Great overview. Thanks for taking the time to do it. In a pinch, another way to achieve the bonding requirements of the F150 without an expensive 3-pole disconnect is to have a lockout device on the main breakers and a (preferably locked) switch for the bonding at the house's main panel. This is the same as disconnecting the bonding jumper in a subpanel, but you're just doing it without a screwdriver.
Here's a video where the homeowner achieves it via the screwdriver method:
ruclips.net/video/fPCi40bSRWc/видео.html
@@kdcarver Originally from Ohio like the rest of us transplants that have infested SC. Those bonding solutions are great IF the electrician had the foresight to separate grounds and neutrals at the main panel. I would have to re-wire my entire main to accomplish this.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 You make a good point - got a lot of “installers” , not electricians out there.
So most portable backup generators have a floating neutral and you can connect directly to the house that is bonded. I can’t remember if you state it in the video, but do you know why Ford went the bonded route? There’s no ground rod on the truck after all!
@@kdcarver Dude there have been so many incendiary arguments on associated forums about this topic I thought for a moment it was an oil thread. The pragmatists just say "screw it" and unhook the ground connection on the umbillical cable, so it fools the truck into thinking that there are no ground faults. The purists scream "muh ground rod!" and swear that everyone in the house will die with a floating ground at the truck (which is grounded at the house anyway). I do not know why Ford went with the bonded neutral but I suspect that this is the only way that they could implement GFCI, which I think makes sense for them to offer. Definitely stepping out of my lane at this point since I don't install electrons for a living.
Great video. So if I understand this correctly. If I plug the 30A cable from the PPO to my Transfer Switch outlet, I'll only be getting 3600W (@30A) to my panel? Since the two phases are separated? I could then run extension cords from the 120V Phase B outlets to appliances that aren't being powered via the house panel (via transfer switch). Thanks in advance!
That gives you 30A per phase or 3600W/phase from the 220V outlet, for a total of 7200W. You could also run separate 120V extension cords to power loads, but those draws count against the 3600W/phase total.
Excellent in depth video. How fast does the Powerboost circuit breaker trip upon surge inrush from an induction motor startup. Normal home circuit breakers rarely trip on a momentary surge. Does Powerboost? Has anyone successfully started a 1.5 HP/220VAC capacitor start deep well pump?
solid video
beat od the internet
Thank you for the create content. I learned so much. Do you have any idea where the third phase of the output of the inverter goes?
I am only aware of two phases.
@@fixorrepairdiy4609 Do you know whether the inverter is a 3-phase inverter or single phase Inverter?
@@abrahamande1508 I call it a two-phase inverter. There are two phases 180 degrees out of phase which can produce either two single 120V phases, or one 240V connection.