Thanks for the dialog MIke. Yea I'm sure it works but I wonder how much additional stress is placed upon an alternator/battery system when running a Car "Generator". It's probable that the typical car's charging system was not designed for that level of duty over extended periods of time. On the other hand, the robust nature of a dedicated generator, such as in an F150 hybrid, was at least (we hope) designed for it's task.
Mike, I love your column but I believe the answer should also have recognized the difference in the ways the source of power for the Car Generator and the F150 are generated. The F150 has a dedicated built-in generator that generates the external 110v source of power while the Car Generator relies on the car's alternator and battery for its source of power which it inverts to 110v.
That’s all true. Actually the F-150 PowerBoost has a 35kW traction motor/generator connected to the engine which charges a 1.5kWh Lithium battery under the rear seat. You can run the 7.2kW inverter-generator while towing a trailer (I actually did that for several hours) but engaging the 7.2kW inverter while driving disabled the EV assistance while accelerating or driving around town on battery alone.
On the other hand, the CarGenerator is powered by the tow vehicle battery and alternator, so the wattage output is much lower. But it seems to work perfectly with 1kW output which draws around 80 amps of current from the vehicle battery/alternator.
Hi Mike, This is unrelated to this article. Still, I wanted share, and it is a good example of what happens when a loose connection increases resistance and thus causes overheating. I have a solar system putting approximately 84 amps at 13v into my batteries. The bus is rated for 480 amps. The solar connection and connection to the battery had the nuts loosened. The temp on the bus was about 240 degrees F with an IR thermometer. After tightening down the connection, the temperature dropped to 110 degrees. Despite being tightened, I have noticed the nuts on the bus seem to loosen as time goes on. Is this a known problem? I have a picture of the bus cover if you'd like it. Thanks. Bob
Thanks for the dialog MIke. Yea I'm sure it works but I wonder how much additional stress is placed upon an alternator/battery system when running a Car "Generator". It's probable that the typical car's charging system was not designed for that level of duty over extended periods of time. On the other hand, the robust nature of a dedicated generator, such as in an F150 hybrid, was at least (we hope) designed for it's task.
Of course the F-150 7.2kW inverter generator is more robust. But it’s only available on an F-150 which isn’t enough tow capacity for many campers.
Mike, I love your column but I believe the answer should also have recognized the difference in the ways the source of power for the Car Generator and the F150 are generated. The F150 has a dedicated built-in generator that generates the external 110v source of power while the Car Generator relies on the car's alternator and battery for its source of power which it inverts to 110v.
That’s all true. Actually the F-150 PowerBoost has a 35kW traction motor/generator connected to the engine which charges a 1.5kWh Lithium battery under the rear seat. You can run the 7.2kW inverter-generator while towing a trailer (I actually did that for several hours) but engaging the 7.2kW inverter while driving disabled the EV assistance while accelerating or driving around town on battery alone.
On the other hand, the CarGenerator is powered by the tow vehicle battery and alternator, so the wattage output is much lower. But it seems to work perfectly with 1kW output which draws around 80 amps of current from the vehicle battery/alternator.
Hi Mike, This is unrelated to this article. Still, I wanted share, and it is a good example of what happens when a loose connection increases resistance and thus causes overheating. I have a solar system putting approximately 84 amps at 13v into my batteries. The bus is rated for 480 amps. The solar connection and connection to the battery had the nuts loosened. The temp on the bus was about 240 degrees F with an IR thermometer. After tightening down the connection, the temperature dropped to 110 degrees. Despite being tightened, I have noticed the nuts on the bus seem to loosen as time goes on. Is this a known problem? I have a picture of the bus cover if you'd like it. Thanks. Bob
Bob, yes please email pictures to mike@noshockzone.org
Thanks…