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Continuing 2kw PowerOnBoard issues.

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Countryeemann1

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Well it is a big issue. A lot of things are frequency sensitive and can be damaged by a frequency that far off. If your dealer won't get on the stick... go directly to Ford, don't pass go & don't collect $200 :)
Agree. As far as going directly to Ford... I've tried. I can't seem to find any good support number for anyone at Ford with actual technical knowledge. Every time I call I basically get pointed back to the dealer. So what do you do when Ford points you to the dealer and the dealer won't acknowledge the problem?

There has to be some escalation mechanism. I'm going to continue talking to the dealer but so far I'm just losing more hair.
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Agree. As far as going directly to Ford... I've tried. I can't seem to find any good support number for anyone at Ford with actual technical knowledge. Every time I call I basically get pointed back to the dealer. So what do you do when Ford points you to the dealer and the dealer won't acknowledge the problem?

There has to be some escalation mechanism. I'm going to continue talking to the dealer but so far I'm just losing more hair.
First do it by letter. Then start contacting consumer outfits like the Better Business Bureau, and the federal guys that track automotive issues.
 

12Lariat21

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Here is the testing I did on mine. The inverter is shit, no doubt. I did not have frequency problems on mine...so if you really have such high frequency something is defiantly wrong with your system.

Only thing I've really used mine for is to power my shop-vac. I made attempts to run my RV AC unit, but the system just can't handle the startup (even though the AC works perfectly fine on a 15a house outlet).

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/2kw-pro-power-with-ecoboost.5440/
 
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Countryeemann1

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Here is the testing I did on mine. The inverter is shit, no doubt. I did not have frequency problems on mine...so if you really have such high frequency something is defiantly wrong with your system.

Only thing I've really used mine for is to power my shop-vac. I made attempts to run my RV AC unit, but the system just can't handle the startup (even though the AC works perfectly fine on a 15a house outlet).

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/2kw-pro-power-with-ecoboost.5440/
Thank you very much for this post as this is exactly what we're trying to do with this... run our little RV AC unit. Ours also runs fine on a 15 amp circuit and only draws 1300 to 1500 watts. We have the soft start installed and it's a slow ramp up.

This inverter is so bad that the compressor never even attempts to start. You can hear the thermostat click but no compressor. No overload, no trips... just won't even attempt to start. Just a guess but the compressor might have an AC synchronous motor so the frequency is just too high for it. Of course, if I plug the camper into ANY other power source (a different inverter, generator, house power, etc), it's fine.

Honestly I'm afraid to plug any important piece of electronics into the thing for fear of damaging something.
 
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TarnishedCopper

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I would do as the last post suggests, and go directly to Ford. Heck an inverter from Harbor Freight does a better job than that one! I would not be afraid to run my own wiring with a solenoid-type relay to be able to turn the power on and off. Perhaps if you have access to one, hook an oscilloscope to 60 cycles AC, and take a phone photo of the screen, then without changing anything, hook it up to the output of the inverter and also take a photo. You could always use a small step-down transformer so you're not hooking up to 120 volts for safety of you and the o'scope. Submit those photos to Ford as proof it is NOT doing what it is supposed to do. We used to scope the 13.8 volts and the alternators when experiencing alternator whine etc. in amateur and commetcial two-way radio interference problems.
 

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Countryeemann1

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I would do as the last post suggests, and go directly to Ford. Heck an inverter from Harbor Freight does a better job than that one! I would not be afraid to run my own wiring with a solenoid-type relay to be able to turn the power on and off. Perhaps if you have access to one, hook an oscilloscope to 60 cycles AC, and take a phone photo of the screen, then without changing anything, hook it up to the output of the inverter and also take a photo. You could always use a small step-down transformer so you're not hooking up to 120 volts for safety of you and the o'scope. Submit those photos to Ford as proof it is NOT doing what it is supposed to do. We used to scope the 13.8 volts and the alternators when experiencing alternator whine etc. in amateur and commetcial two-way radio interference problems.
Totally agree. I have an inverter over twice that size for our house than was in the $200 range.
We have numerous inverters and inverter/generators... all work fine. In fact, in my entire electrical experience, I've never seen any power generation device perform like this. Even the $15 inverters still make 60 Hz.

On the o'scope... I've ordered a cheap one.

Just an amazing amount of frustration for a feature on a brand new truck... and it looks like it's just the beginning. Part of me just wants to rip it out and install my own inverter but, again, I can see them voiding my electrical warranty on the entire truck for doing this. Plus, just for the principle of it, we paid for it and it should work.
 
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Snakebitten

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Search for the post where the fella with the ProPower 2KW added his own additional inverter. I'm not saying anyone else should follow his methods, but he was bound and determined to leverage that truck for good healthy 120V electricity. :)
 

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As i posted somewhere else. i seriously regret getting this 2kw propower. FOr the weight impact on my payload, (2 batteries/atlernator/inverteor), i would have gladly got a powerbank like the Anker or something which could charge while on route, and then power the AC for the short stops.

The annoying part is that it is ALWAYS on, and i hear the fans running all the time. No way to have it permenatnly off. I Tried soft start with my RV A/C which also works on 15 amp, but doesnt work. I cannot power a microwave. I did run a leaf blower to dry my car after a coin-op car wash, but the use case is slim to none to be honest. MOst of the time i am using it to charge my laptop which could have been done with the standard 400W.

Even worse isthat it eats up the space under the rear seat to store things (important when you are RV'ing wiht a family of 5).

I drank the coolaid and got it, but honestly the ANKER power bank or ohter alternatives is SO MUCH more useful.
 
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Countryeemann1

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As i posted somewhere else. i seriously regret getting this 2kw propower. FOr the weight impact on my payload, (2 batteries/atlernator/inverteor), i would have gladly got a powerbank like the Anker or something which could charge while on route, and then power the AC for the short stops.

The annoying part is that it is ALWAYS on, and i hear the fans running all the time. No way to have it permenatnly off. I Tried soft start with my RV A/C which also works on 15 amp, but doesnt work. I cannot power a microwave. I did run a leaf blower to dry my car after a coin-op car wash, but the use case is slim to none to be honest. MOst of the time i am using it to charge my laptop which could have been done with the standard 400W.

Even worse isthat it eats up the space under the rear seat to store things (important when you are RV'ing wiht a family of 5).

I drank the coolaid and got it, but honestly the ANKER power bank or ohter alternatives is SO MUCH more useful.
This "feature", for us, was the biggest reason for going with Ford as opposed to another truck company.

Honestly, everyone with these can probably just blame me. I have a history of this type luck. lol.
 

SaSurvival

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A huge factor in purchasing a Ford was the onboard inverter for our camper. Well, we quickly found out that certain things either don't run or don't run correctly on the inverter. The items I'm talking about run fine on any other platform.... other generators, other inverters, house power, etc. This is also not a load issue... everything we're having issues with is drawing less than 2000 watts.

Let me say that I have extensive experience in power generation both large scale (commercial utilities) and small scale. We personally own several generators, inverters and inverter/generators and have for many years.

Whatever the platform, every one of them is supposed to do one thing... produce 120 volts at 60 Hz (plus or minus a small percentage).

So our truck inverter is producing about 120 volts (good) at a frequency of around 160 to 180 Hz and it is very obviously causing problems with certain electronics.

Ford so far has been epically useless. Numerous calls to Ford and hours on the phone have produced nothing. The dealers know nothing about these things other than replace if it throws and error code (no error code). Dealer plugs in a power tool (or whatever), sees that it powers that and says it's fine.

This has been going on for several months now trying to get this resolved. Today I checked one sitting in the dealer lot and it's apparently the same way. Not even sure what to think about that.

Bottom line is we can't use this for the intended purpose and it's obviously not producing what every normal generator or inverter in America can do... produce 60 Hz power. Even $15 inverters produce 60 Hz.

Again, this inverter package was a major deciding factor in our purchase. At this point, it's been tons of frustration and I don't even know where to go from here.
Can I ask what you tried to use that didn’t work, I found the main things worked well, kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, drill etc. I agree it did not work my AC on the trailer.
 

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SaSurvival

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A huge factor in purchasing a Ford was the onboard inverter for our camper. Well, we quickly found out that certain things either don't run or don't run correctly on the inverter. The items I'm talking about run fine on any other platform.... other generators, other inverters, house power, etc. This is also not a load issue... everything we're having issues with is drawing less than 2000 watts.

Let me say that I have extensive experience in power generation both large scale (commercial utilities) and small scale. We personally own several generators, inverters and inverter/generators and have for many years.

Whatever the platform, every one of them is supposed to do one thing... produce 120 volts at 60 Hz (plus or minus a small percentage).

So our truck inverter is producing about 120 volts (good) at a frequency of around 160 to 180 Hz and it is very obviously causing problems with certain electronics.

Ford so far has been epically useless. Numerous calls to Ford and hours on the phone have produced nothing. The dealers know nothing about these things other than replace if it throws and error code (no error code). Dealer plugs in a power tool (or whatever), sees that it powers that and says it's fine.

This has been going on for several months now trying to get this resolved. Today I checked one sitting in the dealer lot and it's apparently the same way. Not even sure what to think about that.

Bottom line is we can't use this for the intended purpose and it's obviously not producing what every normal generator or inverter in America can do... produce 60 Hz power. Even $15 inverters produce 60 Hz.

Again, this inverter package was a major deciding factor in our purchase. At this point, it's been tons of frustration and I don't even know where to go from here.
Can I ask what you tried to use that didn’t work, I found the main things worked well, kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, drill etc. I agree it did not work my AC on the trailer.
 

SaSurvival

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Can I ask what you tried to use that didn’t work, I found the main things worked well, kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, drill etc. I agree it did not work my AC on the trailer.
Sorry this Q was for the originator.
 

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Sometimes Ford is dumber than a post. I know initially, Ford was marketing the 2.0 K.w as Pro Power on Board on all trucks that weren't hybrid (Power Boost). That was ludicrous. Hopefully they still aren't.

With the 2.0Kw on the ICE, the engine must run the entire time you are using it for power generation. The "geniuses" @ Ford marketing who included the 2.0Kw "generator" in the same breath as the hybrid (Power Boost) trucks as Pro Power on Board should be B@#$% Slapped.

I have a real Pro Power on Board Power Boost truck. It is the optional 7.4Kw model. I don't know a lot from the technical side of things, but I have put my truck through its paces as a generator. Just this past Memorial Day weekend, I had my travel trailer plugged into the truck, and ran the combo for 85 straight hours. Of course the truck's engine did not run continuously. It would run for 1 to 2 minutes every 20 minutes or so. Knock on wood, the truck hasn't failed me yet. So far, there has been no difference whether I've plugged my travel trailer into a pedestal at a campground, or into my truck.

I'm just sorry you bought into the marketing crap from Ford concerning the so called PPoP on regular ICE trucks. WRT the 2.0Kw PPoP, as my dad used to say, it is as useless as "tits on a boar hog".

You will be better off just getting a pair of inverter generators of 2 or 2.2K watts and using them as your portable power source.
 

HammaMan

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Sometimes Ford is dumber than a post. I know initially, Ford was marketing the 2.0 K.w as Pro Power on Board on all trucks that weren't hybrid (Power Boost). That was ludicrous. Hopefully they still aren't.
Keep in mind the lightning has the 2.4 base in it as well -- same thing as base PB's. The "PPOB" option however adds to the 2.4, a 7.2 dedicated to the rear socket that the 7.2 PB's have. They're separate systems, but function the same. The reason it's got the 2.4 default is that it's got 4 'frunk' outlets as well as the rest of the 2.4 PB's outlets (2 cab, and a double or single in the bed). That gives the lightning 9.6kW worth of PPOB! (these features have nothing to do with the additional system that automatically backs up a house, that unit is a specific inverter installed in the home powered via the HVDC from the battery via the charging port)

The 2kW ICE dual alternator unit just really doesn't do the name any justice. Especially since we know we're going to to see this used in the future w/ new versions. They should call the 2.0 "power plus" or something else.
 

Atlee

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Keep in mind the lightning has the 2.4 base in it as well -- same thing as base PB's. The "PPOB" option however adds to the 2.4, a 7.2 dedicated to the rear socket that the 7.2 PB's have. They're separate systems, but function the same. The reason it's got the 2.4 default is that it's got 4 'frunk' outlets as well as the rest of the 2.4 PB's outlets (2 cab, and a double or single in the bed). That gives the lightning 9.6kW worth of PPOB! (these features have nothing to do with the additional system that automatically backs up a house, that unit is a specific inverter installed in the home powered via the HVDC from the battery via the charging port)

The 2kW ICE dual alternator unit just really doesn't do the name any justice. Especially since we know we're going to to see this used in the future w/ new versions. They should call the 2.0 "power plus" or something else.
I was talking about the ICE run 2.0Kw. That's the one that confuses some folks, I believe.
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