Used F150 PowerBoost

[Capertrj]

Hello all. Long time reader. Straight ahead please no negative replies (there has been enough negative in my life), I am genuinely asking for help and knowledge.

Owner of a 2022 Lightning (Lariat). It is an absolute fantastic vehicle. Nearly 15,000 miles and has powered our home probably 8-10 times the past year. Anywhere from 4-72 hours (we do not have the automatic home integration system. Old school plug and cord 7200W transfer switch). Unfortunate medical expenses with a cross country military move are coming up.

Our other vehicle is a 1970s Ford Bronco (original, not selling). We are looking at trading in the Lightning for a Power boost to give us the capability of the generator and still be functional as a vehicle and preferably tow the Bronco cross country. My last move I had my 5.4L tow the bronco up north and she was struggling but made it.

any advice on specific year? I have heard 2021 (most options prior to COVID), maybe early 2022?
the Lightning is basically my wife’s truck. So the sensors, cameras etc are a plus. (360 degree package?)
loaded XLT vs lariat?
general opinions?

we are looking at a used loaded XLT or minimal Lariat at this point. Hoping to have somewhat equal capabilities while having a surplus on trade in to put toward medical bills. I just have to say again. We absolutely love our Lightning. It’s tough to let her go but it needs to happen based on circumstances.

thank you all for your input and look forward to hearing from you.

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[HammaMan]

It really comes down to what you can find and it's history. There are some lemon PBs out there. We love them in these parts, but there's also a fair amount of haters. Your best bet is to locate something you like and correspond w/ users on here privately. Someone found a truck they wanted and publicly posted the VIN which the community found to be a good truck (we can look at service history) and a forum lurker bought it out from under them from many states away.

You DO NOT want "max tow" package
but you DO WANT the 7.2kW inverter upgrade. (however you can self-upgrade to this for around $900, it's a $750 factory option)

The lariat 502 is probably a good fit for you, however, XLTs can come with a whole bunch of options. Do you want blue cruise? That's only an OPTION in lariat 502 and higher.

 

[Capertrj]

We have blue cruise now. It’s awesome. However, you can’t use it towing. Also, ford bumped the price so it’s not something that is desired. If blue cruise was a feature and not a subscription then it would be a different story. The lane centering, adaptive cruise, blind spot, parking sensors, 360 camera, rear cam are nice. We could definitely go WITHOUT blue cruise.

 

[HammaMan]

We have blue cruise now. It’s awesome. However, you can’t use it towing. Also, ford bumped the price so it’s not something that is desired. If blue cruise was a feature and not a subscription then it would be a different story. The lane centering, adaptive cruise, blind spot, parking sensors, 360 camera, rear cam are nice. We could definitely go WITHOUT blue cruise.

Smart move on the BC -- $800/yr is nuts when the comma 3x is far more capable of a system and only needs the Copilot assist 2.0 system to work. There's a thread here on it. It's superior and a 1 time hardware cost for way more features (works just about everywhere and can follow traffic signals).

Are you wanting new or used? What's your zip? Any must-haves besides the 7.2kW generator function and 360 cams / assist 2.0 system (it's the blue cruise hardware w/ out hands-free capability which includes no eye-nanny).

Comma ADAS
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/openpilot-on-the-f-150-bluecruise-alternative.19342/

 

[Capertrj]

Smart move on the BC -- $800/yr is nuts when the comma 3x is far more capable of a system and only needs the Copilot assist 2.0 system to work. There's a thread here on it. It's superior and a 1 time hardware cost for way more features (works just about everywhere and can follow traffic signals).

Are you wanting new or used? What's your zip? Any must-haves besides the 7.2kW generator function and 360 cams / assist 2.0 system (it's the blue cruise hardware w/ out hands-free capability which includes no eye-nanny).

Comma ADAS
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/openpilot-on-the-f-150-bluecruise-alternative.19342/

Definitely used with financials playing a role. Definitely the 7.2 generator, 360 can, assist 2.0. It’s becoming/is my wife’s truck. Safety and awareness perks are needed.

zip 04019

 

[madsend81]

Also be aware that depending on some of the options and extras, your payload capacity on the PB can be severely impacted. Panoramic moonroof and power running boards start to cut into your payload quickly. I have an XLT and the options I have (no moonroof, static running boards) give me a payload of 1580 lbs. Others I have seen have posted payloads of 1300 lbs or less.

The PB can tow your Bronco, no problem. But when you account for tongue weight and weight of driver/passenger(s), you might be surprised at how much payload you have left.

Not trying to discourage you, just make sure that what you get will do what you want.

Avoid MaxTow, get the 7.2 kW ProPower.

 

[Kodiak]

In January of 2022 I was debating the same thing you are looking at right now. I do not remember the exact specifics but what I found, for me, was the Lariat offered more value than the XLT, but the King Ranch had more niceties than the Lariat. However, those niceties came at a significant cost. I found the value of the Lariat, cost per features, to be the sweet spot. I ordered the Lariat 502 PB 7.2 and when the deletes started happening, the 2022 502 Lariat was the last on the list to be exempt from them. The 502 Lariat had all the luxury items without "fluff" items. Some of the fluff items are nice and I wish I had them but they do not take away from the luxury of the Lariat 502 and did save me money. It also powers my house with the 30 amp transfer switch (8 circuits).

Now if you do look around I would also suggest to speak with Granger in Iowa. They offer great deals on trucks you can order but also for new trucks on their lot. They are a really a no pressure dealership. Depending on where you live, and what they want for a used PB, you may find that new could be similarly priced from Granger due to their large discount. You will have to travel but it may be worth it.

In 2021 and 2022 most dealers charged MSRP for F150s so if someone is selling a used one, they may try to base their asking price off the MSRP price they paid. This is where the Granger discount for a new could compete with a used, price wise.

Good luck with your hunting and your decision and thank you and your family for your service.

 

[BarryT82]

I have a late model 2021 Lariat and haven’t had any issues really. The fuel economy has been great when driving in the city. At highway speeds it goes down to low 20’s. There were a lot of posts a few months ago about 2023’s having issues, but I think that a software update fixed that. You can find good deals on used models right now. I’ve been contemplating trading mine for a 2023, but I’d be losing options.

 

[ks54703]

Interestingly enough had a well optioned 2021 XLT 302a 5.5' box 7.2KW PB that had a payload of 1640#. It had the bed package but not the once is more than enough experience Moon Roof along with just towing.

No Blue cruise but had adaptive cruise and lane centering along with a console with a column shift.

Fuel mileage towing with the 21PB when towing a cargo trailer or vehicle on a trailer returned very similar fuel mileage as the former 19 F150 3.5 EB max tow vehicle.

Having a Lightning you are aware of re-gen braking and sitting in the quiet at stop signs and starting off in electric mode. The starting and stopping of the ICE was very smooth. Found towing light loads in normal returned better fuel mileage than in towing mode.

Only real down grade is the XLT having the ESOF 4WD VS lariat having the 4Auto. In a area with constant changing road conditions 4Auto is the true winner. Coming from a lightning the ESOF 4WD could be very hard to get use to in the XL or XLT.

Here after having had a PB waiting on the right fully ELECTRIC pickup to come around without the range anxiety issue.

Would hold onto your existing Lightning and wait a little longer for better charging infrastructure system to get in place along with better battery and battery charging technology.

 

[amschind]

I agree with those above:
buying a USED PB is almost a better deal than a new one because there are lemons with electrical gremlins that nobody can diagnose. By 30-40k miles if that were going to happen, it already has. You need to be able to see what work has been done on the truck, and a bunch of trips to the dealer with nebulous complaints and few fixes are a huge red flag. An unscrupulous buyer could try to avoid telling you about that, so I would want service records from the dealer that they use. You're searching for weird complaints like the random ones you see here "everything died all of a sudden", "truck suddenly powered off", "multiple EV system related codes". I might give a truck ONE mulligan on that stuff, but no more than that.

Exhaust heat exchanger leaks, IMHO, DO NOT count against the truck, as its a crummy part that breaks with unusual frequency; the whole module can be unbolted and replaced in your driveway with some wrenches and a pair of pliers. I'm still working on a complete delete for that heat exchanger, but I'm trying to avoid making changes to my truck that cannot be undone. If I were willing to solder on the factory heat exchanger wiring harness, it would be done already. MegaOhm is working on a plug and play delete.

Finally, XLT 302A and the 7.2kW inverter are in my opinion the best IF YOU DON'T NEED 4A. The part that a Lariat base gets you cannot cheaply upgrade is the transfer case. I live in the Texas and have no use for 4A and the 2H/4H/4L case is actually better for me, but in Ohio you might want 4A. As for interior upgrades on a XLT 302A, you can follow guides on this forum to install much better audio than the factory 10,342 speaker system, get leather seats, install a heated wheel, and even upgrade to heated/cooled seats. I highly recommend the Leatherseats.com heated/cooled seats package; they will also sell you some REALLY fancy leather or mostly vinyl. Katzkin is apparently also very good, but I only have personal experience with Leatherseats.com.

 

[Supercub]

I have the 2022 Max tow PB 7.2 Lariat with all the bells. The BC quit working after an OTA update back in may. It has an appointment in Feb to fix that. Not a biggie to me other than the clock is ticking on the free Sub it came with. I did not order that.

I have 9k miles, 7 of it towing a cargo trailer from NV to Alaska. I have no fear of the Max Tow, if it breaks a nut, fix it. Possible there was a bad batch of bolts and some got em, some didn‘t, I’ll leave it at that. It’s an awsome ride and the gen is a hell of a bonus. We use it camping and to light up the whole house 2hen the power goes off, and it does.
Good luckIn your search.

 

[HammaMan]

if it breaks a nut, fix it. Possible there was a bad batch of bolts and some got em, some didn‘t, I’ll leave it at that. It’s an awsome ride and the gen is a hell of a bonus. We use it camping and to light up the whole house 2hen the power goes off, and it does.
Good luckIn your search.

FWIW I firmly believe it's a design flaw. For a given throttle input, the PB puts out the most power. The breakage doesn't seem to be linked to towing. I'd lean more towards a slightly less than straight axle resonance issue combined with a specific acceleration profile that leads to the shear. PBs seem to be overly affected vs other trims, and it happens to those that don't tow. I'm sure ford would have gone down the metallurgical route to see if it's fatigue vs sudden. Their ultimate fix? The axle is now gone from future models.

XLT 302A and the 7.2kW inverter are in my opinion the best IF YOU DON'T NEED 4A. The part that a Lariat base gets you cannot cheaply upgrade is the transfer case. I live in the Texas and have no use for 4A and the 2H/4H/4L case is actually better for me, but in Ohio you might want 4A. As for interior upgrades on a XLT 302A, you can follow guides on this forum to install much better audio than the factory 10,342 speaker system, get leather seats, install a heated wheel, and even upgrade to heated/cooled seats. I highly recommend the Leatherseats.com heated/cooled seats package; they will also sell you some REALLY fancy leather or mostly vinyl. Katzkin is apparently also very good, but I only have personal experience with Leatherseats.com.

Even the 4a is easy to add. XLT is a great starting point for someone wanting to make it theirs, but those more fond of boxed solutions the 502 is a great starting point. It comes with assist 2.0 natively. 302a is the floor IMO for a good jump-off for its base features.

 

[amschind]

FWIW I firmly believe it's a design flaw. For a given throttle input, the PB puts out the most power. The breakage doesn't seem to be linked to towing. I'd lean more towards a slightly less than straight axle resonance issue combined with a specific acceleration profile that leads to the shear. PBs seem to be overly affected vs other trims, and it happens to those that don't tow. I'm sure ford would have gone down the metallurgical route to see if it's fatigue vs sudden. Their ultimate fix? The axle is now gone from future models.

Even the 4a is easy to add. XLT is a great starting point for someone wanting to make it theirs, but those more fond of boxed solutions the 502 is a great starting point. It comes with assist 2.0 natively. 302a is the floor IMO for a good jump-off for its base features.

I agree, though I would say that anyone going to the trouble and expense of 4A should get the Raptor HiLock case (it's like 20% more to get the best tcase that Ford makes). The 4A and HiLock cases are longer than the locking non-4A case, so it will require a custom driveshaft (which is the major cost). I have considered this,

 

[Supercub]

FWIW I firmly believe it's a design flaw. For a given throttle input, the PB puts out the most power. The breakage doesn't seem to be linked to towing. I'd lean more towards a slightly less than straight axle resonance issue combined with a specific acceleration profile that leads to the shear. PBs seem to be overly affected vs other trims, and it happens to those that don't tow. I'm sure ford would have gone down the metallurgical route to see if it's fatigue vs sudden. Their ultimate fix? The axle is now gone from future models.

Even the 4a is easy to add. XLT is a great starting point for someone wanting to make it theirs, but those more fond of boxed solutions the 502 is a great starting point. It comes with assist 2.0 natively. 302a is the floor IMO for a good jump-off for its base features.

Anything is possible with regards to this issue. Having a 22 pb max appears at this time to be a little less likely to fail. i am not implying certainty here. I also do not believe towing is a factor, didn't say nor implied, simply what Ive done.

I will say, although pb‘s seem to be more inclined number wise to experience this, I don’t believe its anything others than regeneration adding to it.
What I do believe is that the 5mm gap from the washer face to the axle end is a major factor in the failure. I don’t see why they couldn’t a stepped washers there. From reading and looking at hundreds of failure reports, the axle hubs are not always a tight press fit as they should be. Perhaps a tolerance issue thats contributing. Perhaps is all it is at this point.
Why they dropped the max towing and mirrors on the pb I would be interested in hearing from Ford. They did not drop it from others. ???? All in all, a pain in the ass for sure.

 

[Capertrj]

Thank you all! We really love the Lightning. Still need to see what a trade in value would be. We won’t trade it in if it’s essentially an even trade. About a 3400 mile coast to coast trip across the northern states has me a little worried. Other option would be keep the Lightning and ship the bronco.

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