There are plenty of Parks with Camper spots that are close to Cities. Most Counties have county Parks + the major state parks. I see it all as services available at Camp Grounds. My guess is State Parks go big or stay at home with green. Believe lots of young families do camp at parks near their home towns. Many do the large tents and would love the power that lightening could deliver. Cold drink Coolers, ice makers, refrig etc. I love the lightening except for the white light bar encompassing the front end of the vehicle. Yuck ! Maybe a darkened one would be ok around the head lights but not across the top of the non existent grill. I do like the looks of that Maverick ! Practicality is a thought ! Many young families go with Pop-Top Campers for their 1st trial with lil ones. Its easy to see it doing just that job well. I mostly see Duals 350's, the stability and 5th wheel big trailers with the retired generations long haul winter camping in warm states or to Yellowstone. Practicality comes to mind with the Lightening, If ya need a Dualy and a 5 th wheel sized camper you need to push the envelope a different direction than a Lightening most likely but for the smaller lighter tows and shorter distances its for sure a winner for many. Most County parks are located on Rural Highways with speed limits of 55 MPH so many who tow from town would most likely be traveling 50 mph a lot so distance ranges would be great for them. The Interstate thing could mean big boy rigs are better depending on distances and facilities. Most campers are on a time plan also, settign up Their camper site earlier during the week to camp the weekend or vacation there. Retirees might camp there for weeks or months, even set up an outdoor TV for Their groups who are also there. The camping train of friends slowly traveling 1000's of miles a year just having a good time. Paying thier bills with the Phones Apple Pay.
I posted this on the Maverick thread but maybe it can peak interest here also for those who think Smaller truck, better mileages.

https://redirect.viglink.com/?format...rid%20(msn.com)

 

Yep, I tend to agree with you. I'm guessing max of 200 miles towing based on faith that it gets 300 miles empty. Then subtract out the "cushion factor". By that I mean my diesel has a range of 408 miles (at 12 mpg). By that point the tank is dry. Substract out the cushion factor of 100 miles or so and I feel okay driving 308 miles before fill up. For an electric pickup with a max theoretical range towing of 200 miles that only leaves around 100 miles of realistic towing. You have to allow for unknowns like head wind, crawling traffic tie-ups, etc. Even when sitting still in traffic I expect an electric vehicle to use some battery on lights, heating/cooling, etc. 100 miles of tow range ain't much. And that's hoping you can plug it in when you reach 100 miles....just doesn't seem practical.

The idea of an electric vehicle sounds nice until the calculator comes out. I've read this country uses 18 million barrels of oil per day. Imagine the electrical needs to supply even a fraction of today's automotive energy consumption. The amount of lithium, electrical wiring, and electric generation required to take the place of our current fuel system just doesn't seem practical. Petroleum engines will go away, but not for a while.

 

You know it, its about practicality, the families usages and a fact family weekend plans. A truck sitting on the 240 volt 50 amp service on a drive maybe 18 hours or even 12 hours at the wrong time and needing to call the Father in law may sux is my thought. That can go both ways because most likely the Father in Law is the first to have EV power F150 and need a tow to a charger !

 

I’ve had two vehicles my entire adult life, and I don’t see that changing. My old Expy isn’t going anywhere, so a Lightning would be a perfect fit for me.

 

.......... Looking 100 miles in a Circle usually takes care of most all family needs except vacation time or family needs of greet and dinners during the family yearly events. Thas easy, Fly if its outside the near 300 mile radius !

 

And for what it’s worth, I was never caught flat-footed with a dead battery when I had a place to go. My short-range car was good for 200 miles on a warm day with good conditions, and I always had enough in the “tank” to get the job done. When I ventured further in cold weather, there was usually a Supercharger within arm’s reach along my route. The availability of chargers is getting better every day, so I don’t think this will be a big deal for most. About the only time I can see an issue with today’s charging network is if you’re going far off the beaten path or need to pull a trailer long distances. My usual run with the boat is ~50 miles each way, so I expect the Lightning will fit the bill perfectly.

The occasional long trip into the boondocks without a trailer is easily solved with a rental car. But a gas engine isn’t likely to go away for anyone pulling longer distances until drive-through charging stalls become a thing.

 

U know things are gonna change very rapidly. next to the Truck stops on Interstates are going to be equal in size fast charger stations. Thas a no brainer and then the places like restaurants, etc are gonna spring up until it becomes a Burb out there in nowhere ville along the I-states ! Until 2025 / 30 it remains a conundrum of mostly B.S.

 

I’m surprised the major gas station chains aren’t adding charging stations on the same lot.
Here in Atlanta, QT, RaceTrac, and Kroger have the largest footprint and I’ve only seen one Kroger that has taken the step I mentioned but I’m sure more Kroger stations will follow.

 

DC fast charging is neither cheap or easy to install. It takes a 480v circuit with 1.5 megawatt capacity to install 6 charging stalls. That kind of power isn't available in most areas without expensive upgrades, and then you have to fork over $60-70k per charging unit. I'm sure the cost will come down, but it's a tall ask for a gas station franchisee to foot the bill.

 

20 years ago it was the 18 wheeler AC systems added to trucks , cause they had to shut down in locations + fuel costs. Now they got these in them.

Arctic Breeze Truck AC Helps Truckers Keep Their Cool & Increase Bottom Line (arcticbreeze-truckac.com)

 

Expect practical range while towing to be about 1/3rd of unloaded solo range. It kinda works out like this.....towing a trailer at max capacity usually takes about twice as much energy as unloaded. However, if the Lightning extended range has 300 miles of range then that equates to about 250 miles of range at highway speeds. Then only about 80% of that is usable while on a road trip. This is because a DCFC charge usually stops around 80% state of charge. Well, it doesn't stop but charges very slowly from 80%-100% so most people unplug at 80% and head on to the next DCFC stop. So, if we are towing at highway speeds.....then expect about 120 miles of actual range and if you only charge to 80% between stops then you need to stop every 100 miles or so. That means you would be draining the battery for each leg so the only options are to slow down (because that makes a HUGE difference in range) or stop more often. No real good way around it.

A BEV isn't really your best choice for road trips.

 

I suppose if your traveling West against the wind on Highway 84 along the Columbia river during a winter storm you can expect to recharge every 100 miles. With the wind, every 700 miles.

 

Strangely enough, EV range through the mountains is usually better than on flat road. This is because we usually drive slower in the mountains and we get to regen on the way back down.
Max range on my Mach-E from Phoenix to Tucson and back is about 255 miles and that is at 75 mph most of the way.
Max range to Payson and back is about 270 miles because it's usually 65 mph and then regen captures a lot of energy on the way back down. I think I consumed about 35% of battery charge going up and only 20% on the way back down. Kinda amazing.

 

One thing forgotten is Altitute wind resistance. Going across New Mexico you can drive 70 and stick you flat hand way out the window very little wind resistance. My Turbo's gets better mileage and power in the mountains so I can see a EV F150 doing just fine there, just charging may be like Cell towers & coverages ! Most likely this will go Big City Burbs with most sales !

Electrical Safety Solutions for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVSE) - Bender (benderinc.com)

 

Another consideration for people who tow their Airstream is that they are probably going to a campground with 50 amp service that they could recharge while out for the weekend. While some of us do travel long distances the vast majority of people pulling trailers probably stay with a couple of hundred miles of their home.