If you had to order again would you still get the PowerBoost motor?

[GregBC]

After 10 defects, and subsequent trips to the dealership, and 3 recalls, I can unequivocally say no! In fact I am doing what I can to get out of my 10 month old mistake. I have Lariat 502A that was to be my bucket list retirement truck. Instead of enjoying the pleasure of having something special that I could enjoy for years to come, I have a $70K citrusy bloated bucket of bolts that I don’t trust to take out of state. To say I am disappointed is a gross understatement. I’ve owned 3 F150’S prior to this one, and never had any major issues with any of them. I did have a hiccup with the tranny on my 20 Lariat, but that was an isolated incident, and it ended there. I’ve finally located a 22 XLT 3.5 302A with the tow package, and I’ve worked out a deal to “downgrade”. I wanted so bad to love the PB, but my gut told me otherwise from the day that my fuel cap peg broke off. It was an omen. When I sat down and listed all of the issues that I’ve had, I could not believe how bad it all added up. This is just totally unacceptable from any manufacturer, for any product. It’s an embarrassment. Debugging and growing pains for a new model year are what we tell ourselves to keep off the ledge, but who is kidding who? The reality is that they are not worth the extra money for an already expensive vehicle. Do yourself a favor and avoid like the plague until they get about 3+ years under their belts.

Sorry to hear of this experience - even hearing ONE bad story can make anyone hesitate!

I'm curious - were the defects primarily sensors or were there 'mechanical' defects as well? I ask because I fear the 'sensor' defects are more likely (in these modern trucks, esp from reading other forums), seem to take longer to fix due to parts availability, and also seem harder to 'drive through" should one be in a place that's remote.
I mean, ANY vehicle can have any issue out in the woods, but in an emergency, you could theoretically drive through a lot of mechanical issues (paying for it later, obviously....) just to get back to civilization. But when sensor issues prevent a truck from even running (I'm sure this happens to cars too), I feel it'd be extra-frustrating....

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[Blue2022]

I would buy again for the simple fact that I will have more horsepower than my son with his 2022 Denali ultimate

 

[klvanzu]

I’ve had mine for 3,500 miles and wouldn’t trade it for any other truck on the road. My transmission is very smooth, power is fantastic and I’m averaging almost 20mpgs with a lift and larger tire upgrade.

 

[SignHere]

As to cost... Not so. All that woud be required is an inlet Plug & breaker (30 Amp/240Vac) and a manual interlock with the outside line breaker. Less than $50 before inflation kicked in these days. A transfer switch & panel goes for something like $350 plus other stuff...

I am likely confused since I don’t know much about electrical systems and such, but I had a licensed electrician come out and install an interlock and plug on my house in anticipation of this truck powering it in an emergency. All I told him was that the truck had a generator and this is what he installed. Before I see if it works, am I in danger of doing any damage to my house or truck? I didn’t provide any info to him on floating or bonded neutrals.

 

[SignHere]

And it is the 7.4kw system

 

[Gros Ventre]

He should have installed a 4 wire plug. You need two hots, a neutral, and a gound wire in the cable and plug. In earlier days the ground wire could also work as the neutral wire for unbalanced loading (which you'll surely have in your house). However the NEC shifted some years ago and requires a separate neutral wire now. A three wire plug is only allowed for a specific, single piece of equipment that will not have unbalanced loading hot-to-hot.

 

[Groovicles]

I definitely would not change my truck and would certainly reorder.
1. Powerboost fuel economy is amazing after the break-in period. I'm getting 9.7L/100km on my fully loaded XLT.
2. I've blown more than a few vehicles away who dared to race me. Very much a "sleeper" truck.
3. 7.2kWh generator is a must have for anyone who enjoys doing anything in a remote settings
4. The truck looks amazing inside and out and has stupid amounts of room in the cab..

 

[Gros Ventre]

He should have installed a 4 wire plug. You need two hots, a neutral, and a gound wire in the cable and plug. In earlier days the ground wire could also work as the neutral wire for unbalanced loading (which you'll surely have in your house). However the NEC shifted some years ago and requires a separate neutral wire now. A three wire plug is only allowed for a specific, single piece of equipment that will not have unbalanced loading hot-to-hot.

PS Your electrician should have looked at the truck's plug first and configured the house plug to that. Did he put in an interlock? Square D makes a manual one for their panels.

 

[SignHere]

PS Your electrician should have looked at the truck's plug first and configured the house plug to that. Did he put in an interlock? Square D makes a manual one for their panels.

Part of this is my fault. I had him install it well before the truck got here back in January. FYI I live in Austin and was one of the people without power for days last year. Not fun.
Your advice seems sound. I’ll have him come back out and install a 4 prong plug. Guess my dog one will be of no use now.
And is this the interlock you refer to?

 

[Gros Ventre]

Part of this is my fault. I had him install it well before the truck got here back in January. FYI I live in Austin and was one of the people without power for days last year. Not fun.
Your advice seems sound. I’ll have him come back out and install a 4 prong plug. Guess my dog one will be of no use now.
And is this the interlock you refer to?

That looks a bit different than the one I purchased... but it looks to have the same function. So good! The issue is you do not want to be able to have both the generator breaker and main power breakers shut at the same time (this is NEC by the way). If your generator were on line and both were shut you could electrocute someone working out on the utility system or perhaps start a fire if the utility system was damaged.

 

[UGADawg96]

I am likely confused since I don’t know much about electrical systems and such, but I had a licensed electrician come out and install an interlock and plug on my house in anticipation of this truck powering it in an emergency. All I told him was that the truck had a generator and this is what he installed. Before I see if it works, am I in danger of doing any damage to my house or truck? I didn’t provide any info to him on floating or bonded neutrals.

I'd recommend you read this thread:

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/installed-transfer-switch-in-house.1267/

 

[ryanc111]

Part of this is my fault. I had him install it well before the truck got here back in January. FYI I live in Austin and was one of the people without power for days last year. Not fun.
Your advice seems sound. I’ll have him come back out and install a 4 prong plug. Guess my dog one will be of no use now.
And is this the interlock you refer to?

Unfortunately this won't work for you - even after you have him fix the junction box to 4 wire. While the interlock will prevent backfeeding the grid the neutral isn't switched and the Powerboost will detect a ground fault and shut down. As the PB is currently setup you will need to install a transfer switch that switches the neutral as well. There are ways to work around it without the transfer switch but not safe ones.

There are rumors that Ford may provide a way to switch the bonded vs floating neutral for the 7.2kW PB but nothing definite. I started with your approach but have since installed a transfer switch. While more expensive it is the right way to do it.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Unfortunately this won't work for you - even after you have him fix the junction box to 4 wire. While the interlock will prevent backfeeding the grid the neutral isn't switched and the Powerboost will detect a ground fault and shut down. As the PB is currently setup you will need to install a transfer switch that switches the neutral as well. There are ways to work around it without the transfer switch but not safe ones.

There are rumors that Ford may provide a way to switch the bonded vs floating neutral for the 7.2kW PB but nothing definite. I started with your approach but have since installed a transfer switch. While more expensive it is the right way to do it.

A transfer switch is "the right way to do it" only so long as Ford does not provide a method of shifting to a floating neutral. I have formally raised this with Ford via my dealer who is working it...

 

[Bugzuki]

How do you raise a ticket with Ford through the dealer. I would like to raise one to be able to turn WIFI on when the truck is off. It is so frustrating to have to turn the truck on to use the hotspot that I pay for.

Oh, yes if I ordered again I would get a Powerboost. I like hybrids and I like the generator and I like having the power.

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