Adding a second battery to a 2021 F150 Hybrid

[Henfield]

I know it's late on this one, but here was my approach.

I've run an Engel MT35 fridge for many years. In several vehicles. Whenever I have been on the road, it's plugged into the 12 v outlet and I've never had trouble with it or starting after a weekend camping. When parked and 110 is available, being dual voltage I plugged it into 110v.

This time, I changed it up. Bought a battery box, an H6 battery from Wallymart, and a low wattage AGM charger. With the fridge connected to the battery, recharged by the charger that was plugged into the 400w outlet, everything stayed chilled and good without a problem for 11 days.

Added bonus, the H6 being AGM, could replace the truck's battery if that failed, while the fridge being dual voltage, could be powered from the 400w without an issue.

Sponsored

 

[HammaMan]

I know it's late on this one, but here was my approach.

I've run an Engel MT35 fridge for many years. In several vehicles. Whenever I have been on the road, it's plugged into the 12 v outlet and I've never had trouble with it or starting after a weekend camping. When parked and 110 is available, being dual voltage I plugged it into 110v.

This time, I changed it up. Bought a battery box, an H6 battery from Wallymart, and a low wattage AGM charger. With the fridge connected to the battery, recharged by the charger that was plugged into the 400w outlet, everything stayed chilled and good without a problem for 11 days.

Added bonus, the H6 being AGM, could replace the truck's battery if that failed, while the fridge being dual voltage, could be powered from the 400w without an issue.

This was a perfect use case for a 100ah LFP battery! While it isn't a direct drop-in, jumper cables would start your truck if needed.

 

[astrand1]

Definitely recommend just upgrading the battery under the rear passenger seat, the non power boost have two battery’s here so there’s plenty of room for a bigger one.

You got that backwards. It’s the PB that has 2 batteries. One under the seat like pictured above.

 

[LN7]

I agree and have an Anker Solix C8000 power station that I bought direct from them for $629. It can run my 12v cooler for 3 or more days and I can charge it in about an hour in generator mode while I drive. I also replaced the Motorcraft AGM battery with an H7 AGM from X2 Power which I think is very high quality. I have the original Motorcraft AGM under the rear seat as a spare and use it to run the fridge as well and charge it from a Noco 10 AMP from the Pro Power 7.2 kw generator. I go on long trips out west and want to have a spare and this is a good use for it.

Thanks for this comment. Currently use an ARB fridge/freezer that we love having in the back of our car. Placed an order for a 2025 F150, and being able to have it always on (while not at home) would be a huge benefit.

 

[Diligenthunter]

You got that backwards. It’s the PB that has 2 batteries. One under the seat like pictured above.

Negative, that is my picture from my truck a 2022 powerboost.

 

[astrand1]

Negative, that is my picture from my truck a 2022 powerboost.

Right. The PB has 2 batteries. Your post said that the non powerboost had 2 batteries.

 

[Diligenthunter]

Right. The PB has 2 batteries. Your post said that the non powerboost had 2 batteries.

Okay lemme try to be clearer, which might make me transparent at this point.


The powerboosts have 1 battery under the rear seat.

The non powerboost have 2 batteries under the rear seat.

I have a 2022 powerboost, that picture showing one battery is my picture from my truck.

 

[astrand1]

Okay lemme try to be clearer, which might make me transparent at this point.


The powerboosts have 1 battery under the rear seat.

The non powerboost have 2 batteries under the rear seat.

I have a 2022 powerboost, that picture showing one battery is my picture from my truck.

So you’re saying the non PB trucks have 3 total batteries? I know in the non PB the inverter is under the back seat. I’ve never heard of those trucks having more than the one battery that’s under the hood. ?

 

[Diligenthunter]

So you’re saying the non PB trucks have 3 total batteries? I know in the non PB the inverter is under the back seat. I’ve never heard of those trucks having more than the one battery that’s under the hood. ?

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...ttery-under-rear-seat-is-for.1809/#post-63874

 

[astrand1]

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...ttery-under-rear-seat-is-for.1809/#post-63874

Ok. That helped. So those are wired up as 24volts interesting. I’d never heard/seen that before. We don’t hear much from the non PB guys about battery issues at least that I’ve seen but those are a different story since they are wired as 24v they would have nothing to do with powering the truck. Looks like their only job is to deal with the inverter.

 

[HammaMan]

Only trucks with dual alternators and the 2kW PPOB (non powerboost) have 2 batteries in the aux box.

 

[astrand1]

Only trucks with dual alternators and the 2kW PPOB (non powerboost) have 2 batteries in the aux box.

I didn’t know you could get dual alt. In an f150. I know the SD have this option.

 

[HammaMan]

I didn’t know you could get dual alt. In an f150. I know the SD have this option.

Well is dual series, not dual parallel. That makes a difference as you only access the 2nd alternator through the rather poor 2kW inverter that appears to be something they sourced from china 15 years ago. At least its performance makes it seem as such. Its waveform is around 400hz and it's down to around 100v by the time it reaches 75% of that rated capacity. It's not a pure sin wave inverter that can actually exceed its rating like the PB and lightning have.

 

[Mszczewski]

So you’re saying the non PB trucks have 3 total batteries? I know in the non PB the inverter is under the back seat. I’ve never heard of those trucks having more than the one battery that’s under the hood. ?

Not to get technical, but the Powerboost also has three batteries in total.
1 12v in the engine compartment
1 12v under the seat
1 48300v traction battery under the truck up in the frame

 

[HammaMan]

Not to get technical, but the Powerboost also has three batteries in total.
1 12v in the engine compartment
1 12v under the seat
1 48v traction battery under the truck up in the frame

I mean the HVB is 300v but who's counting up all of those little Vs

Sponsored