Generator Function / Large Inverter

[TimeOutside]

Is it possible to outfit the Maverick so it has a generator function similar to the F150? I could use a 1.5 to 2.4 kilowatt inverter that would automatically kick on the motor as needed to keep the battery charged. I'd be looking to power a small camper with A/C, refrigerator/freezer, and small electronics.

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[Sirslayer]

Just add a couple of lithium 12 volts 300ah batteries ( $1500) in parallel under the rear seats, run the cabling and purchase a $200 2000 watt inverter(sine) in the pickup bed rear cubbies. A single 400 watt solar panel ($200) or upgrade the stock alternator if it’s possible to able charge the battery banks ..

 

[Maverickman74]

There are some decent inverters on amazon that have built in solar charge controllers. Maybe do a solar setup on the roof. I do like the idea of using the under rear seat for the battery but maybe there is better airflow under the front for the inverter. Or add a fan plugged into the inverter to keep it cool when on.

As for having it auto kick on the motor, you are talking about seriously hacking the Ford software and hardware probably. Possible, but I hape you have an engineering degree or atleast stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[Sirslayer]

Well how about using the 12 volts diy plugs that area located in the rear part of the pickup bed, pull them out into the cab area and feed the 12 v diy line to charge controller that just trickle charge the battery bank ??!!!

 

[Decayed]

The hard part is tying it in to the vehicle's power system. One other option is to get an inverter that connects directly to the battery and only hook it up when you need it. Most of the bigger inverters have alligator type clips for this. You can over drain the batter this way and wind up stuck. The bed wiring has 20 amp fuses which is about 240 watts max on the 12 v lines. Not a lot but good enough for lights or electronics but not a/c or refrigerator/freezer.

Getting the vehicle engine to kick on for charging would require hacking the software among other things.

Best bet for a camper is a separate inverter generator big enough to handle the a/c compressor kicking on. They are quieter and more efficient than a regular gen set and provide cleaner power.

 

[WesM]

The hard part is tying it in to the vehicle's power system. One other option is to get an inverter that connects directly to the battery and only hook it up when you need it. Most of the bigger inverters have alligator type clips for this. You can over drain the batter this way and wind up stuck. The bed wiring has 20 amp fuses which is about 240 watts max on the 12 v lines. Not a lot but good enough for lights or electronics but not a/c or refrigerator/freezer.

Getting the vehicle engine to kick on for charging would require hacking the software among other things.

Best bet for a camper is a separate inverter generator big enough to handle the a/c compressor kicking on. They are quieter and more efficient than a regular gen set and provide cleaner power.

Yea honestly, one of those little honda inverter generators is probably cheaper, will put out more power and more efficient than trying to tie into the hybrid stuff.

 

[TimeOutside]

Thank you everyone for your input. It just seems odd to me that I would need something like solar or an external generator. Perhaps I do not understand how the Maverick system is constructed.

I know with the Honda Prius there is a small lead-acid 12 volt accessory battery, but there is also a much larger battery pack that actually powers the electric motors that power the vehicle. Prius users can connect (hack with appropriately sized cabling and voltage converter) directly to the large battery pack to power a large inverter. As the battery depletes, the gas motor will automatically kick in to recharge the large battery pack. People can also attach inverters to the small accessory battery, but for large applications like a air conditioner it would cycle the motor on and off every 15 or 20 seconds, which would ruin the small lead-acid battery and potentially hurt the engine. But whether the person attaches the inverter to the accessory battery or to the larger motor pack, the engine starts and battery recharging happens automatically. It doesn't require any changes to any software or systems; only connecting the appropriate cabling and inverter.

So, I'm wondering is there a way to connect to the larger battery pack that powers the motors (assuming that is how the Maverick works)? If so, can someone point me to the instructions on how to do so?

I know I could connect to the bed leads, but that doesn't get me the power I need. I suspect I could connect to the smaller accessory battery directly, but placing a large inverter with a high load on it would ruin the battery and perhaps harm the engine due to it cycling on and off in short intervals.

In short, I'm trying to avoid using an external generator or buying the F150 Hybrid. When camping I find generators incredibly obnoxious and in most places they can't be used after 10 PM (which makes for a sweltering night's sleep in the southern summer). I'd much prefer the form factor of the Maverick over the F150, and there is also a huge cost difference.

Thanks again,
Andrew

 

[djw479]

I don't think the Mav Hybrid's Lithium battery is going to be easy to hack for your purposes. As others have said, a stand-alone generator would be MUCH more cost effective. Plus hacking could negatively affect the Hybrid warranty.

BTW I've never heard of a Honda Prius. (sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[atomguy245]

Probably would be easier to just get one of those solar generators from Jackery or Rockpals that you can charge by plugging it in or with a solar panel. They don't cost that much, and then you'd be able to use them anywhere, not just right next to the truck.

 

[BlackXL]

Thank you everyone for your input. It just seems odd to me that I would need something like solar or an external generator. Perhaps I do not understand how the Maverick system is constructed.

I know with the Honda Prius there is a small lead-acid 12 volt accessory battery, but there is also a much larger battery pack that actually powers the electric motors that power the vehicle. Prius users can connect (hack with appropriately sized cabling and voltage converter) directly to the large battery pack to power a large inverter. As the battery depletes, the gas motor will automatically kick in to recharge the large battery pack. People can also attach inverters to the small accessory battery, but for large applications like a air conditioner it would cycle the motor on and off every 15 or 20 seconds, which would ruin the small lead-acid battery and potentially hurt the engine. But whether the person attaches the inverter to the accessory battery or to the larger motor pack, the engine starts and battery recharging happens automatically. It doesn't require any changes to any software or systems; only connecting the appropriate cabling and inverter.

So, I'm wondering is there a way to connect to the larger battery pack that powers the motors (assuming that is how the Maverick works)? If so, can someone point me to the instructions on how to do so?

I know I could connect to the bed leads, but that doesn't get me the power I need. I suspect I could connect to the smaller accessory battery directly, but placing a large inverter with a high load on it would ruin the battery and perhaps harm the engine due to it cycling on and off in short intervals.

In short, I'm trying to avoid using an external generator or buying the F150 Hybrid. When camping I find generators incredibly obnoxious and in most places they can't be used after 10 PM (which makes for a sweltering night's sleep in the southern summer). I'd much prefer the form factor of the Maverick over the F150, and there is also a huge cost difference.

Thanks again,
Andrew

I have both a toyota prius and a ford escape hybrid. Both of their driveline batteries are clearly labeled as being lethal. 300 volts with 1 amp of current will burn you if it doesn't just stop your heart. Assuming that we have a 12V alternator capable of 100 amps, there is a theoretical 1200 watts of power available on an automotive charging system. The stock inverter puts out 400 watts, so it would need to be fused at approximately 30 Amps. (Ohm's Law)
You could equip an F-series with dual alternators (and dual batteries on a diesel) for this task but it would be cheaper just to run a portable generator. Alternatively, many RV's had onboard generators that can be picked up used on craigslist or facebook for a reasonable cost. A roof mount a/c unit from an rv generally requires a 4000 watt generator to function. Can you do this with solar panels and batteries? Yes, but you can make a generator quiet for a whole lot less money.

 

[Isoruko]

I believe the important missing information to your question is your referring to the hybrid system. At least that's what I've gathered when you're talking about the "battery pack".
I too am wondering what you are. We know the max output of the onboard generator to the battery pack. We don't know the 12v step down circuit capability though. What it can output would limit the inverter size and feasibility on the 12v battery/circuit assuming directly connecting it to the battery under the rear seats. Plus that could be inefficient and mean to the battery.
I usually camp without power, and need my big truck to get my camper places anyway, so I currently have a inverter generator for the camper I tuck in the bed of the truck to keep noise down. But upon receiving my long awaited Maverick hybrid I have a distant plan on doing some research to see if there's some accessibility to do what I think your talking about.
I'll be following this, hopefully someone out there will beat me to it lol

 

[BlackXL]

I believe the important missing information to your question is your referring to the hybrid system. At least that's what I've gathered when you're talking about the "battery pack".
I too am wondering what you are. We know the max output of the onboard generator to the battery pack. We don't know the 12v step down circuit capability though. What it can output would limit the inverter size and feasibility on the 12v battery/circuit assuming directly connecting it to the battery under the rear seats. Plus that could be inefficient and mean to the battery.
I usually camp without power, and need my big truck to get my camper places anyway, so I currently have a inverter generator for the camper I tuck in the bed of the truck to keep noise down. But upon receiving my long awaited Maverick hybrid I have a distant plan on doing some research to see if there's some accessibility to do what I think your talking about.
I'll be following this, hopefully someone out there will beat me to it lol

I do the same thing with my toy hauler and F-350 when we are boondocking with the dirt bikes. Generator fits fine in front of the 5th wheel plate. I like the idea of turning the Maverick into a dinghy behind a motor home someday down the road. The 12V accessory power battery doesn't do anything other than power the computers in a hybrid. The ICE is started direct from the main battery. If you were to find a way to get 4kW out of a hybrid, I think it would be just as loud as a generator in operation anyway...

 

[Decayed]

Probably would be easier to just get one of those solar generators from Jackery or Rockpals that you can charge by plugging it in or with a solar panel. They don't cost that much, and then you'd be able to use them anywhere, not just right next to the truck.

OP said he wants to run an A/C and a fridge/freezer. Both of those have a really large power draw, particularly when the compressors kick on. A Jackery big enough to run all night would be very expensive. Not even sure they make one that big. A 4kw inverter generator is the solution here.

Tapping into the hybrid battery is an interesting idea but there a lot of unknowns here. Does the ICE kick on by itself if the battery gets low? Also, I think it's 48v so some additional electrical work would be necessary to step the voltage down for the inverter.

 

[atomguy245]

OP said he wants to run an A/C and a fridge/freezer. Both of those have a really large power draw, particularly when the compressors kick on. A Jackery big enough to run all night would be very expensive. Not even sure they make one that big. A 4kw inverter generator is the solution here.

Tapping into the hybrid battery is an interesting idea but there a lot of unknowns here. Does the ICE kick on by itself if the battery gets low? Also, I think it's 48v so some additional electrical work would be necessary to step the voltage down for the inverter.

And if the ICE is cycling off and on, how much better really is that compared to a gas generator? Seems like an actual camper trailer might have room for solar and batteries in it, without tampering with the truck

 

[TimeOutside]

Thanks again everyone for your input. Here are a few thoughts in response to the comments above.

• I'm looking at a camper less than 2k pounds. Although I haven't pulled the numbers yet, I don't see an a/c unit for such a camper requiring 4kw.
• However, I don't see solar as being adequate.
• The leads Ford provides in the bed certainly aren't adequate.
• I am thoroughly opposed to an external generator. Generators are obnoxious. I no longer tent camp during hunting season, when I can't camp backwoods, purely because of people running generators in hunting camps. I won't do that to others. I've heard the F150 hybrid running while charging. I could be wrong, but I don't believe I've ever heard even a quiet four stroke generator that was anywhere near as quiet as the F150. I would suspect the Maverick would be even quieter. That's why I'm asking if the Maverick could be rigged to generate power like the F150.
• I do have friends that are DC power technicians. Given some guideance from someone familiar with the Maverick that has already done the work, I don't anticipate being able to properly complete the task.

I'm not planning on going forward with a vehicle purchase until at least mid-year 2022 (unless my current vehicle unexpectedly dies). So, I'm just trying to think and plan in advance. There is no hurry. Right now it looks like the F150 would be the best solution. It's overkill, but it will do the job without question. Meanwhile, I'll keep checking on this thread and watching others to see if someone comes up with a solution for the Maverick.

Thanks again,
Andrew

PS. djw479, a Prius is the poster child of boring cars and men with lost dignity.

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