F-150 Lightning First Mod?

get rid of the ridiculous "box"!! way useless to reach into and to dam short. plan to build/fab an aluminum contractor bed with fold down ~16" sides and ally tool box(s) under the deck ~7-6' long X whatever cab width and prolly louvered headache rack, then hoping herd will make a lightning bumper for it that somehow accommodates the frunk! So, basically aluminum enhancements to make it a useful truck...
 
I'll be looking for a rack to carry long objects (ladders, lumber, canoes...). Any suggestions? Something like this https://www.aaproductsinc.com/products/aa-racks-truck-ladder-racks-w-cantilever-apx25-e One that would permit using a tonneau cover would be better.

I have a Bedrug in my current truck. I do like it a lot. It's great for carrying things like furniture that need protection from scratching but I occasionally carry hay and straw which is a pain to clean out.

Ted
 
I have a friend that works for a company putting on ceramic finish one cars, He tells me the hardest part is cleaning the car before putting it on but if its new its easy. So I will be doing that on my New Lightning. He told me they put on Avalon He said it is he best.

avalonking.com

AvalonKing | Quality Automotive Ceramic Coating Products

Quality ceramic coating products delivered to your door. No hassle. No overprices. No BS. Get started for as little as $69.99. Guaranteed to last 2+ years.
avalonking.com avalonking.com

I will also be adding a small ice chest refrigerator for my frunk. We eat out alot and I can put my leftovers in it and i don't have to rush home I can go shopping or to the show. I will just keep it plugged in all the time I have one in my boat plugged in all the time it works great. These are good ones



https://engelcoolers.com/collections/powered-fridge-freezers
 
Last edited:
I might lower it a tad and add a modest 22” wheel to give it the sport truck look and stance a Lightning deserves. I don’t think the tube rear bumper would integrate on these as well as the 1st gen Lightnings though!
 
frunk said:
I have a friend that works for a company putting on ceramic finish one cars, He tells me the hardest part is cleaning the car before putting it on but if its new its easy. So I will be doing that on my New Lightning. He told me they put on Avalon He said it is he best.

avalonking.com

AvalonKing | Quality Automotive Ceramic Coating Products

Quality ceramic coating products delivered to your door. No hassle. No overprices. No BS. Get started for as little as $69.99. Guaranteed to last 2+ years.
avalonking.com avalonking.com

I will also be adding a small ice chest refrigerator for my frunk. We eat out alot and I can put my leftovers in it and i don't have to rush home I can go shopping or to the show. I will just keep it plugged in all the time I have one in my boat plugged in all the time it works great. These are good ones



https://engelcoolers.com/collections/powered-fridge-
Click to expand...
 
frunk said:
I have a friend that works for a company putting on ceramic finish one cars, He tells me the hardest part is cleaning the car before putting it on but if its new its easy. So I will be doing that on my New Lightning. He told me they put on Avalon He said it is he best.

avalonking.com

AvalonKing | Quality Automotive Ceramic Coating Products

Quality ceramic coating products delivered to your door. No hassle. No overprices. No BS. Get started for as little as $69.99. Guaranteed to last 2+ years.
avalonking.com avalonking.com

I will also be adding a small ice chest refrigerator for my frunk. We eat out alot and I can put my leftovers in it and i don't have to rush home I can go shopping or to the show. I will just keep it plugged in all the time I have one in my boat plugged in all the time it works great. These are good ones



https://engelcoolers.com/collections/powered-fridge-freeze
Click to expand...
 
frunk said:
I have a friend that works for a company putting on ceramic finish one cars, He tells me the hardest part is cleaning the car before putting it on but if its new its easy. So I will be doing that on my New Lightning. He told me they put on Avalon He said it is he best.

avalonking.com

AvalonKing | Quality Automotive Ceramic Coating Products

Quality ceramic coating products delivered to your door. No hassle. No overprices. No BS. Get started for as little as $69.99. Guaranteed to last 2+ years.
avalonking.com avalonking.com

I will also be adding a small ice chest refrigerator for my frunk. We eat out alot and I can put my leftovers in it and i don't have to rush home I can go shopping or to the show. I will just keep it plugged in all the time I have one in my boat plugged in all the time it works great. These are good ones



https://engelcoolers.com/collections/powered-fridge-freezers
Click to expand...
That is a great idea
 
frunk said:
This is my first option.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


www.caranddriver.com

Ford F-150 Electric Pickup May Get Newly Patented Range Extender in Its Bed

It looks deceptively like a toolbox, but it could be used to increase the range of the upcoming electric F-150 pickup truck.
www.caranddriver.com www.caranddriver.com
Click to expand...
Ford engineers please design a system to allow “charging while driving” from solar panels/batteries/generators installed on travel trailers. This would offset the range loss towing causes.
 
My truck has always been both a part of my personality and part of my office. I like being able to go over and through rough territory that a car can't manage. I like to carry anything I could ever need or want in my truck. That means you can usually find a candy bar, shotgun shells, tools, water bottles, a computer, and sometimes spare gas. I don't expect to be concerned about range but, the idea of having a "jerry" can full of extra range sounds like a good option. I would rather it be another 20-40 miles of battery versus a generator, and it needs to be something I can pick up by myself. This is something I would buy just to cover those oops moments when I forgot to plug it in the night before.
 
I have never owned a truck and have no real need for one. but I love cars and anything new and different especially EVs. My current Chevy Bolt is my 5th EV. Started with a Tesla S, Nissan Leaf, Tesla 3, Nissan Leaf again, and currently a Chevy Bolt. In addition to my Lightning reservation I have a reservation for the lowest priced ($70k after tax credit) Lucid Air that hopefully will be available late next year. My in-laws were Ford dealers so my wife is accustomed to new vehicles every few months. My insurance company (USAA) sequentially numbers each new vehicle I have added to my policy since 1968, and my current Chevy Bolt is vehicle #63. Since I probably will not keep the Lightning very long and value appearance/cost over function my objective is somewhat superficial, to get the best looking truck possible for the least cost. So my plan is to purchase the base PRO. From my past and current experience with EVs, my style of driving, and what I read about the Lightning I am not concerned about the 230 mile range. My Bolt is rated at 259 and I routinely get 350 with "soft" around town driving and 300 with 55 MPH trips on state highways to visit my daughter about 90 miles away. I have already talked to a local body shop about painting the bumpers to match the XLT. I will price out and probably add the middle light bar and change the grill. If the vinyl seats are not attractive I will change to leather and will have carpet installed and add a running board. Overall modification upgrades budget is $2000 without leather and $3200 with leather. Bottom line objective is to have it look like the XLT but cost $10,000 less. The $13k price jump for the the XLT does not work for me since I can more than replicate the XLT's appearance differences for a couple grand. I hope to be all in, after the $7500 tax credit, at around $37k. If the Lightning is as popular as it is expected to be, and Ford "unofficially" limits production in the first couple of years not wanting to cannibalize the gas 150, I should be able to "enjoy" the truck for a year or so and sell it for substantially more than I paid for it. I know my "plan" may sound foolish and naive, but I drove my Tesla 3 for a year and sold it for $3k more than I paid for it. Using a similar strategy as described above I waited until Elon finally priced a "software limited" Model 3 at his promised $35k. That pricing was not available online and only lasted in the Tesla stores for about 2 months. A year later the most comparable Model 3 to my $35k Model 3 ($37.5k with destination fee and upgraded wheels) was pricing around $42 which made getting $40.5k for my car fairly easy. I apologize for my "rambling" diatribe and welcome any feedback. Just don't be too mean:)
 
I enjoyed hearing your plan. It sounds like a good one. I am more about factory original and I have always felt that if you buy top of the line you get better brakes and other part. I do not know if this is true but when I bought low end it did not last as long as when I bought high end. In your case it sounds like you will have fun fixing it up and selling for more. I say more power to you......Good Luck
 
frunk said:
I enjoyed hearing your plan. It sounds like a good one. I am more about factory original and I have always felt that if you buy top of the line you get better brakes and other part. I do not know if this is true but when I bought low end it did not last as long as when I bought high end. In your case it sounds like you will have fun fixing it up and selling for more. I say more power to you......Good Luck
Click to expand...
Thanks. Some of my schemes have worked and others have not. As you suggest, we are all free to takes our chances, enjoy the successes, and learn from the failures.
 
svoelpel said:
I have never owned a truck and have no real need for one. but I love cars and anything new and different especially EVs. My current Chevy Bolt is my 5th EV. Started with a Tesla S, Nissan Leaf, Tesla 3, Nissan Leaf again, and currently a Chevy Bolt. In addition to my Lightning reservation I have a reservation for the lowest priced ($70k after tax credit) Lucid Air that hopefully will be available late next year. My in-laws were Ford dealers so my wife is accustomed to new vehicles every few months. My insurance company (USAA) sequentially numbers each new vehicle I have added to my policy since 1968, and my current Chevy Bolt is vehicle #63. Since I probably will not keep the Lightning very long and value appearance/cost over function my objective is somewhat superficial, to get the best looking truck possible for the least cost. So my plan is to purchase the base PRO. From my past and current experience with EVs, my style of driving, and what I read about the Lightning I am not concerned about the 230 mile range. My Bolt is rated at 259 and I routinely get 350 with "soft" around town driving and 300 with 55 MPH trips on state highways to visit my daughter about 90 miles away. I have already talked to a local body shop about painting the bumpers to match the XLT. I will price out and probably add the middle light bar and change the grill. If the vinyl seats are not attractive I will change to leather and will have carpet installed and add a running board. Overall modification upgrades budget is $2000 without leather and $3200 with leather. Bottom line objective is to have it look like the XLT but cost $10,000 less. The $13k price jump for the the XLT does not work for me since I can more than replicate the XLT's appearance differences for a couple grand. I hope to be all in, after the $7500 tax credit, at around $37k. If the Lightning is as popular as it is expected to be, and Ford "unofficially" limits production in the first couple of years not wanting to cannibalize the gas 150, I should be able to "enjoy" the truck for a year or so and sell it for substantially more than I paid for it. I know my "plan" may sound foolish and naive, but I drove my Tesla 3 for a year and sold it for $3k more than I paid for it. Using a similar strategy as described above I waited until Elon finally priced a "software limited" Model 3 at his promised $35k. That pricing was not available online and only lasted in the Tesla stores for about 2 months. A year later the most comparable Model 3 to my $35k Model 3 ($37.5k with destination fee and upgraded wheels) was pricing around $42 which made getting $40.5k for my car fairly easy. I apologize for my "rambling" diatribe and welcome any feedback. Just don't be too mean:)
Click to expand...
So odd that you jumped from high range Tesla cars to Chevy. But hey that's you.
 
Thinking of either roof racks or bed racks for carrying long objects such as lumber or canoes. Seems like the roof racks would center the load better on a supercrew with a short bed. Anyone have any experience?
 
djl said:
Ford engineers please design a system to allow “charging while driving” from solar panels/batteries/generators installed on travel trailers. This would offset the range loss towing causes.
Click to expand...
I emailed ARE and asked them to consider solar paneling any of their shells or tri-folds. Told them it would be good opportunity to do a Lighting special edition.
 
If you took the size of the truck bed and put a tonneau top that was a solar panel it would be less than .4 kwh. The Lightning battery is much stronger than a Tesla 3 so i don't think it would be very efficient for the money and weight stand point. Plus i would think it would get broken easily.



The Tesla Model 3's maximum charging rate is 7.7 kW—assuming the same 75% efficiency, that's 103 solar panels. And that's just to get the Model 3 fully-recharged within an 8-hour workday.Mar 1, 2021
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Reactions

Popular Threads

Back
Top