How many will look into the F-150 Lightning?

[Suns_PSD]

Airstreams are mega cool but ya know, they cost like 3x what the competitors typically cost. I suppose if you use it every day and tow constantly the value is there. Also if you just have lots of disposable income and have to have the nicest thing.

Camping is great, but you can pay for a heck of a lot of hotel rooms for 6 figures!

 

[FLRifleman]

I finally have a little time to help clarify why a trailer with battery for electric assist would be good for home backup as well.
I don't need to drag 300 miles of trailer towing batteries around in my truck every day. 200 to 300 miles unloaded would be fine daily.
When I go on road trips towing my trainer, I'll get about half the range from my truck's batteries. If I make that up with 300 miles of batteries in my RV, that will cover road trips very nicely.
The rest of the time, however, those 300 miles of batteries (~100 kWh) will just be sitting around in my driveway getting old (capacity loss due to age), either in my truck or my trailer but doing nobody any good.
Now, if I can use those batteries to go effectively off-grid, countering grid off-peak charges, as well as offering backup power for me and probably my neighbors as well. I can also take these with me to my new house if I move and with the addition of PV on the trailer, it will enable luxury, quiet off-grid boondocking with the trailer as well.
Its a matter of where I put my extra ~100KWh of batteries:
1) In my truck (longer range vehicle to handle towing)?
2) Bolted to my house (Powerwalls)?
3) In my travel trailer (Gets me longer range, grid backup for peak and outages, and enable off-grid in my trailer)?
For the same cost, dominated by the battery cost, 3) may not be a bad choice.
Free Bonus: electric motors on my RV can be used to nudge the RV around sans the tow vehicle.

A lot is possible given unlimited money. But in the real world where a lot of us work hard for our money, we have to consider whether it's the best use of our limited funds.

An Airstream is expensive relative to other travel trailers, however that is off set by much lower depreciation, and the fact that it will last decades. Increasing the cost substantially with expensive batteries that will degrade with time, and require $$$$$ replacement, work against those core benefits. Add to that the higher payload requirements for the tow vehicle, and the much longer recharge time to account for both. Given those factors, either a 2nd tow vehicle or moving to an F-150 Hybrid would likely make more financial and practical sense.

Both the F-150 Lightning and Hybrid offer ProPower which can provide emergency backup for your house, as well as power a trailer. The hybrid can continue to provide power over long periods of time as long as you have access to gas. If one wants home backup when they're not at home, whole home natural gas generators, or portable gas generators, can be bought at a fraction of the cost.

It seems this is trying to shoehorn in a fit for an EV trailer without considering the "at what cost", "compared to what", and "what evidence" that it's the best solution factors. Just my honest opinion, and it's a worthwhile debate.

 

[coleAK]

Airstreams are mega cool but ya know, they cost like 3x what the competitors typically cost. I suppose if you use it every day and tow constantly the value is there. Also if you just have lots of disposable income and have to have the nicest thing.

Camping is great, but you can pay for a heck of a lot of hotel rooms for 6 figures!

My wife really wanted an AS when we switched from a motor home to a trailer

Having one for 6 years then switching to an ORV. Airstreams are also a lot less livable and functional. First they are cramped inside, roof is low, everything is small, storage is minimal, no slide outs. Second, in cold weather they are cold, ever been in an aluminum canoe in cold water? The cold just penetrates them…. Also they just have almost no storage space. We almost live out of our camper all summer, use it as a back country base camp for mountain biking, hiking, fishing, skiing, hunting, backpacking, foraging,…. And of course cost, in 2009 the 25’ AS was $78k sold it 6 years later for $55k. Bought the new (in 2016) ORV 22BHS for $35k, 8years and ~80k miles later and it is better and more functional in every way.

 

[El joe]

Just finishing up the paperwork on my new Lightning. Unfortunately, I’ll have to sell my Tesla to make room, but what an amazing truck. Loved every Tesla I’ve owned, but couldn’t help but get this truck. Plus, I really need the tax credits for this year.

Truth be told, I’m holding on to my Cybertruck reservations and might move back to a Y next year when the tax credits kick in again, but giving this one a shot in the meantime!

 

[TessP100D]

Just finishing up the paperwork on my new Lightning. Unfortunately, I’ll have to sell my Tesla to make room, but what an amazing truck. Loved every Tesla I’ve owned, but couldn’t help but get this truck. Plus, I really need the tax credits for this year.

Truth be told, I’m holding on to my Cybertruck reservations and might move back to a Y next year when the tax credits kick in again, but giving this one a shot in the meantime!

Congrats

 

[texas_star_TM3]

A video from Transport Evolved on their F150 Lightning:

Interesting how many quality control problems they have had:

1. Loose passenger sun visor
2. Cracked hood strut
3. 12V battery tray cover missing parts
4. Luggage hooks loose
5. Scratch on the B pillar
6. Recall for TPMS bug
7. Reports that Ford's EVSE, that is included, has been overheating and causing problems when charging at the full rated amperage.

It sounds like there may have been other things that were fixed that she didn't list.

So much for the legacy OEMs having great QC, and that the dealers doing the PDI before delivery correcting everything the manufacturer messed up on.

1) / 3) / 5) would be called "within spec" at delivery by Tesla SC employee

6) is an OTA (!) software update. "genius" if Tesla does it ... "OMG !!!" if Ford does it. It literally programs the TPMS to the correct value vs. being marginally off

 

[texas_star_TM3]

You forgot to put down the part where she said the best thing is how “reliable” it has been…. But yeah the overheating Charger Not Made by Ford and loose visor lol

most here would be thrilled if a brand new Tesla only had such few minor cosmetic issues...

 

[El joe]

Congrats

Thanks!

 

[WhiteWi]

Man, glad Ford pulled it off but truck looks so bland.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

Man, glad Ford pulled it off but truck looks so bland.

looks very similar to the best selling vehicle in the USA for 40+ years and counting...

 

[WhiteWi]

looks very similar to the best selling vehicle in the USA for 40+ years and counting...

Exactly my point. Boring

 

[T3SLAROD]

Exactly my point. Boring

Meanwhile Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y look dated after 4 years and boring

 

[rickybobbee]

Actually I think they have cracked 3% for far this year.

if they could supply the demand would it be 50%.....higher?

 

[El joe]

Meanwhile Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y look dated after 4 years and boring

The California Camry -- they're everywhere, especially in The Bay Area and Los Angeles.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Meanwhile Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y look dated after 4 years and boring

Yeah, gimme something with a giant front grille, chartreuse paint, a black landau roof and some fins.

 

[coleAK]

Yeah, gimme something with a giant front grille, chartreuse paint, a black landau roof and some fins.

 

[T3SLAROD]

Yeah, gimme something with a giant front grille, chartreuse paint, a black landau roof and some fins.

The Cybertruck is right around corner to fulfill your dreams

 

[jabloomf1230]

The Cybertruck is right around corner to fulfill your dreams

Really? You think so?

 

[WhiteWi]

Love utility of Ford. Hope Cybertruck will have big usable frunk too.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Meanwhile Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y look dated after 4 years and boring

From a body styling perspective, I don't agree.

Updates through better software and battery/ motor performance is the way forward. No need to stamp new sheet metal so often.

Btw, Jim Farley of Ford agrees.

"Instead of just swapping out internal-combustion engines for batteries and electric motors, Farley has said the company is completely rethinking how it develops its vehicles — and how it keeps them fresh over time.
The company sees a new era where it will be able to freshen its electric vehicles with upgrades to software, batteries and electric motors, much as Tesla does. That means the most costly parts of a vehicle — ‌‍‎‏the sheet metal body panels and the underpinnings that form its overall proportions — won’t have to be changed as frequently."

Ford CEO offers more clues about automaker's ambitious electric vehicle plans

Ford has big plans to build millions of EVs. Analysts have been skeptical, but this past week, CEO Jim Farley hinted at how Ford will hit its ambitious goals.

www.cnbc.com

Of course none of this changes the fact that Tesla's need to have higher build quality and more interior functionality, but that's a different topic.