Pro Power Onboard Generator 7.2K Powering a Trailer While Driving -- IT WORKS!

[EricR]

Hi Folks,

Well we just returned from a week long trip with 120V 30A service running from the PPoB to our travel trailer - while driving!

And as a bonus there was no smoke, no fire, and no breakers tripped!

See the black with orange cable in these pictures:

L14-30P Connector (only one hot leg connected) plugs into the PPoB, then up and over the tailgate:

The cable ends with a L5-30R connector, which mates with a L5-30P connector and cable that runs to the AC breaker box inside the trailer. These two connectors are watertight when mated.

This allows the refrigerator to run without propane, and for an AC battery charger to feed nearly 60 Amps into the lithium batteries I upgraded to earlier this summer! Our batteries were always fully charged when we arrived at our next destination.

Here's 1300 Watts being fed to the trailer while we are moving down the road:

Next spring I will likely upgrade so the cable doesn't have to go up and over the tailgate.

Glad to answer any questions, or help anyone interested in doing something similar.

Over the next few days I will also write up and post (on a different forum) the trailer upgrades I did this summer. I'll include a link in this thread in case anyone is interested.

-Eric

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[Anthraces]

Good info. Interested in your other link!! Mine should be delivered in the next two weeks.

 

[UGADawg96]

Sweet. I'd like to see some pics of the trailer side wiring. The power input on our Imagine TT is on the back, so to do this, we'd have to run cables under and tuck under the enclosed underbelly. Interested in how you did yours. Also, did you run the A/C on the TT while driving ? That would be huge for us living in FL since we use A/C ten months of the year.

 

[John_C]

Fun fact, the plugs in the bed and cab of the truck were designed to grip the prongs of a cord tighter, to prevent them from falling/vibrating out while driving. Ford thought of everything! Lol

 

[diesel97]

Fun fact, the plugs in the bed and cab of the truck were designed to grip the prongs of a cord tighter, to prevent them from falling/vibrating out while driving. Ford thought of everything! Lol

So I guess these have a different S/N cat# than the normal plugs?

 

[John_C]

So I guess these have a different S/N cat# than the normal plugs?

Of that, I am not sure. Possibly. This is from the factory service manual.

 

[diesel97]

Of that, I am not sure. Possibly. This is from the factory service manual.

Probably a different spec grade with a marketing twist

 

[Rod507]

Would be cool if the tailgate had like a built in trap door or someway to feed the power chords with the tailgate up.

 

[F-150 Prius]

Would be cool if the tailgate had like a built in trap door or someway to feed the power chords with the tailgate up.

I plan on drilling through the bed in the corner under the onboard outlets and grommet a cable through the hole with a male plug that reaches the L5-30R. When I need it, I plug it in, otherwise, the cover remains closed and the usual warnings of an open outlet cover will appear when it's plugged in. The other end of the cable goes to a weatherproof L5-30R in the bumper next to the other trailering outlets.
I don't plan on driving through deep standing water while powering a trailer.

 

[EricR]

I plan on drilling through the bed in the corner under the onboard outlets and grommet a cable through the hole with a male plug that reaches the L5-30R. When I need it, I plug it in, otherwise, the cover remains closed and the usual warnings of an open outlet cover will appear when it's plugged in. The other end of the cable goes to a weatherproof L5-30R in the bumper next to the other trailering outlets.
I don't plan on driving through deep standing water while powering a trailer.

You might not need to drill a hole in the bed of your truck.

Another option is to go down through this hole that leads underneath the truck:

The 10/3 SOOW SO Portable Power Cord I used is quite thick and it fits through just fine.

The connector needed for the 30A PPoB outlet is a L14-30P.

-Eric

 

[EricR]

Sweet. I'd like to see some pics of the trailer side wiring. The power input on our Imagine TT is on the back, so to do this, we'd have to run cables under and tuck under the enclosed underbelly. Interested in how you did yours. Also, did you run the A/C on the TT while driving ? That would be huge for us living in FL since we use A/C ten months of the year.

When we wash and winterize our trailer in a week or two I'll take some pictures for you. The shore power inlet is at the rear-quarter on the drivers side. However, I have bypassed the trailer's as-built shore power inlet completely. The AC breaker panel (& DC fuse panel) are underneath the stove/oven midway on the passenger side. From the yellow connector on the trailer tongue (see pictures in my OP) the power cord runs along the frame and up the same hole as the propane line to the stove. All I had to do was gouge out some spray in foam sealer and push the cable up along the propane line, then spray in some new foam crack sealer. I disconnected the as-built shore power line from the AC breaker box and connected my new cable in it's place. If we are at an RV park we now run the power cord from the RV park pedestal to the yellow connector on the tongue of the trailer.

The PPoB will run the AC just fine - it has plenty of juice! However, being our only outing with this new setup was just last week and we are in the Pacific NW there was no need for the AC this time around. As you can see in the last photo in my OP we were feeding the trailer 1300 watts (battery charger & fridge) while running down the road - which still leaves 2300 watts available!

I think I'm going to name the truck PowerBeast! ?

-Eric

 

[EricR]

Also, the 30 Amp leg on the PPoB uses a L14-30 connector (fairly common) which is a twist lock. So It's not likely to come loose.

 

[oldschool]

Of that, I am not sure. Possibly. This is from the factory service manual.

John,
Where did you acquire your service manual? Is it a cd, dvd, or a pdf file? Thanks in avance.

 

[John_C]

John,
Where did you acquire your service manual? Is it a cd, dvd, or a pdf file? Thanks in avance.

It was a PDF file from the place pictured below. I got the manual and the wiring diagrams. After you order, you send them the vin to your truck, and they make it custom for you, specifically tailored to your exact truck. It will be a large file (mine was 1.1GB), and there are a lot of pages. Like, a lot. IIRC mine is 19,600 pages or so.

 

[PWRGEN]

Seem' Erik's think a like, must be the Viking in us. Anyways, I do the same thing by running the Power cord that my camper came with for our 16 ft 2015 Shasta Airflyte Reissue, except I'm plugged into the main power at side of camper as I'm driving down highway with the heavy cord dangling at the side of camper. I know it sounds crazy. Works pretty good, does not drag on ground and I use those heavy duty twisty ties to attach to the tie down next to the 7.2KW generator plug and wrap around cord so it does not slip. I'm able to mostly keep my rollup bed cover closed as the cord exits the corner of tail gate and bed. Done this twice now on long trips of 2 plus hours to camp site. Keeps the refrigerator cold after giving it an overnight plug into the house the night before leaving on trip. Only thing is make sure you have enough slack so don't pop the connector on camper when making a tight turn to the right in my case since the generator and the camper receptacle are on the driver side of truck.

Erik

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