59 Months (and counting) of EV driving...

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Yes, if Harvester is using LFP batteries, then it makes more sense to plug in every night to 100%. I do think after a short while you won't even think about it with the Harvester because you know you can fall back on using the generator. In my case with a full battery electric vehicle, I don't think about it anymore unless I'm taking a longer trip. By the time Scout's come out, they will have NACS and access to the Tesla charging network, expanding things quite a bit.
Battery health (NMC, LFP, etc) is extended by charging small amounts every night as opposed to one large charge once a week. It’s better for all batteries to charge every day.
 
I made a major change to the Lightning. There are some little things like electrical, insulation, and maybe a bit more, but the major work is done.
Every pickup I’ve personally owned I’ve had a bed cap on it. This is mostly because an open bed invites excess dust and I’ve never really liked tonneau covers. This time I tried a tonneau cover and after about 18 months of it, I decided that I really prefer bed caps.

Before, naked from the factory (also when my workshop had just been finished).
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With the tonneau, no rack.
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Tonneau and rack.

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And now, with the bed cap. The superstrut on the cap was only for lifting the cap to install it. I’ll be removing it and installing solar panels above, and maybe on the sides. We may install/build a bed platform inside, or I may install a full-pull tray.

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I made a major change to the Lightning. There are some little things like electrical, insulation, and maybe a bit more, but the major work is done.
Every pickup I’ve personally owned I’ve had a bed cap on it. This is mostly because an open bed invites excess dust and I’ve never really liked tonneau covers. This time I tried a tonneau cover and after about 18 months of it, I decided that I really prefer bed caps.

Before, naked from the factory (also when my workshop had just been finished).
View attachment 9250

With the tonneau, no rack.
View attachment 9251

View attachment 9252

Tonneau and rack.

View attachment 9253

View attachment 9254


And now, with the bed cap. The superstrut on the cap was only for lifting the cap to install it. I’ll be removing it and installing solar panels above, and maybe on the sides. We may install/build a bed platform inside, or I may install a full-pull tray.

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Looks great!
 
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I made a major change to the Lightning. There are some little things like electrical, insulation, and maybe a bit more, but the major work is done.
Every pickup I’ve personally owned I’ve had a bed cap on it. This is mostly because an open bed invites excess dust and I’ve never really liked tonneau covers. This time I tried a tonneau cover and after about 18 months of it, I decided that I really prefer bed caps.

Before, naked from the factory (also when my workshop had just been finished).
View attachment 9250

With the tonneau, no rack.
View attachment 9251

View attachment 9252

Tonneau and rack.

View attachment 9253

View attachment 9254


And now, with the bed cap. The superstrut on the cap was only for lifting the cap to install it. I’ll be removing it and installing solar panels above, and maybe on the sides. We may install/build a bed platform inside, or I may install a full-pull tray.

View attachment 9255
View attachment 9256
View attachment 9257
That is a VERY slick looking bed cap.
 
I made a major change to the Lightning. There are some little things like electrical, insulation, and maybe a bit more, but the major work is done.
Every pickup I’ve personally owned I’ve had a bed cap on it. This is mostly because an open bed invites excess dust and I’ve never really liked tonneau covers. This time I tried a tonneau cover and after about 18 months of it, I decided that I really prefer bed caps.

Before, naked from the factory (also when my workshop had just been finished).
View attachment 9250

With the tonneau, no rack.
View attachment 9251

View attachment 9252

Tonneau and rack.

View attachment 9253

View attachment 9254


And now, with the bed cap. The superstrut on the cap was only for lifting the cap to install it. I’ll be removing it and installing solar panels above, and maybe on the sides. We may install/build a bed platform inside, or I may install a full-pull tray.

View attachment 9255
View attachment 9256
View attachment 9257
Did that come with a knockout for a gun turret? :ROFLMAO:
 
Looks great, what's the weight on that bad larry? Comparable to fiberglass?

I used to love having a cap and a platform (for a futon mattress with storage underneath for gear) the back in the ole' days. Now I think I get more utility out of my bed without the Cap, but that will be a debatable item on the Terra for sure, esp now that we have good solar options.
 
Looks great, what's the weight on that bad larry? Comparable to fiberglass?

I used to love having a cap and a platform (for a futon mattress with storage underneath for gear) the back in the ole' days. Now I think I get more utility out of my bed without the Cap, but that will be a debatable item on the Terra for sure, esp now that we have good solar options.
The cap itself is about 330 pounds, somewhat more than fiberglass, but also much more useable, and more modular. IMO. Our truck’s cargo capacity is still around 1800 more pounds, so I’m not worried about excess weight.

I decided against glass on the side doors. We’ll see how I like that once it’s in use. I think I can replace the doors with glass, though, so I won’t need to replace the entire cap. I have a small utility trailer that often takes the place of the bed anyway, so I don’t think I’ll find myself regretting doing away with the tonneau cover.
 
Headed out on the highway for a quick shake-down run. I didn’t notice any extra noise, but I failed to make measurements for before and after, so I can’t say there isn’t any. I didn’t do a long enough drive to say if efficiency was impacted. We’ll have to see when I do my next trip to Los Angeles.
 
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Headed out on the highway for a quick shake-down run. I didn’t notice any extra noise, but I failed to make measurements for before and after, so I can’t say there isn’t any. I didn’t do a long enough drive to say if efficiency was impacted. We’ll have to see when I do my next trip to Los Angeles.
Yeah we need the MATH!!
 
We went on a little adventure this weekend. We hiked the Havasupai trail to camp in a feeder canyon to the Grand Canyon. This canyon has some of the most spectacular water falls in all of North America. The water has a gorgeous blue-green hue due to the dissolved calcium carbonate and magnesium the water picks up as it works its way through the limestone above.

We took a 192 mile (one-way) drive to the Havasupai trailhead, then hiked down to Havasupai campgrounds (10 miles, 2500 feet elevation change, one-way). Because you have to pick up your passes the day before if you want an early start, we stayed in Peach Springs the night before our hike. I broke my cardinal rule of ABC (always be charging) and that night we didn’t get a charge. In part because there were no obvious plugs and I just didn’t bother to ask at the front desk. We got to the trailhead with an estimated 100 miles range. The nearest DCFC was 133 miles away. And I didn’t bring my solar panels because I’m in the middle of reconfiguring the layout of the truck. If I’d had a smart setup, those solar panels would have easily gained the 33+ miles we needed to get to the DCFC. But… Lesson learned.

So...

After a couple of great nights in the canyon...

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We had—after 59 months of combined EV ownership—our first “emergency charge” at a Level 2 location. This was at a KOA with 50A electrical service. We paid $53 for our 9% charge that we needed to get to the DCFC, where we paid another $23.92 for 30% charge. We might have been able to get the Level 2 charging for free, but we didn’t bother asking. That was actually fine because we got a warm shower and a meal.

The meal, by the way was from our fridge. We stored a couple of burritos and some frozen treats in the fridge so we had a wonderful, icy confection when we got out of the canyon. This part is non-EV specific. If you have a portable power station with enough capacity and a dual zone fridge, you can put that into any vehicle.

PXL_20251004_183237857.RAW-01.COVER.jpg



Anyway, lesson learned: Either charge according to my own rule or bring the panels and extra batteries to charge the truck while we’re away.
 
We went on a little adventure this weekend. We hiked the Havasupai trail to camp in a feeder canyon to the Grand Canyon. This canyon has some of the most spectacular water falls in all of North America. The water has a gorgeous blue-green hue due to the dissolved calcium carbonate and magnesium the water picks up as it works its way through the limestone above.

We took a 192 mile (one-way) drive to the Havasupai trailhead, then hiked down to Havasupai campgrounds (10 miles, 2500 feet elevation change, one-way). Because you have to pick up your passes the day before if you want an early start, we stayed in Peach Springs the night before our hike. I broke my cardinal rule of ABC (always be charging) and that night we didn’t get a charge. In part because there were no obvious plugs and I just didn’t bother to ask at the front desk. We got to the trailhead with an estimated 100 miles range. The nearest DCFC was 133 miles away. And I didn’t bring my solar panels because I’m in the middle of reconfiguring the layout of the truck. If I’d had a smart setup, those solar panels would have easily gained the 33+ miles we needed to get to the DCFC. But… Lesson learned.

So...

After a couple of great nights in the canyon...

View attachment 9802

View attachment 9805


We had—after 59 months of combined EV ownership—our first “emergency charge” at a Level 2 location. This was at a KOA with 50A electrical service. We paid $53 for our 9% charge that we needed to get to the DCFC, where we paid another $23.92 for 30% charge. We might have been able to get the Level 2 charging for free, but we didn’t bother asking. That was actually fine because we got a warm shower and a meal.

The meal, by the way was from our fridge. We stored a couple of burritos and some frozen treats in the fridge so we had a wonderful, icy confection when we got out of the canyon. This part is non-EV specific. If you have a portable power station with enough capacity and a dual zone fridge, you can put that into any vehicle.

View attachment 9804


Anyway, lesson learned: Either charge according to my own rule or bring the panels and extra batteries to charge the truck while we’re away.
Well we all make mistakes occasionally.
 
We went on a little adventure this weekend. We hiked the Havasupai trail to camp in a feeder canyon to the Grand Canyon. This canyon has some of the most spectacular water falls in all of North America. The water has a gorgeous blue-green hue due to the dissolved calcium carbonate and magnesium the water picks up as it works its way through the limestone above.

We took a 192 mile (one-way) drive to the Havasupai trailhead, then hiked down to Havasupai campgrounds (10 miles, 2500 feet elevation change, one-way). Because you have to pick up your passes the day before if you want an early start, we stayed in Peach Springs the night before our hike. I broke my cardinal rule of ABC (always be charging) and that night we didn’t get a charge. In part because there were no obvious plugs and I just didn’t bother to ask at the front desk. We got to the trailhead with an estimated 100 miles range. The nearest DCFC was 133 miles away. And I didn’t bring my solar panels because I’m in the middle of reconfiguring the layout of the truck. If I’d had a smart setup, those solar panels would have easily gained the 33+ miles we needed to get to the DCFC. But… Lesson learned.

So...

After a couple of great nights in the canyon...

View attachment 9802

View attachment 9805


We had—after 59 months of combined EV ownership—our first “emergency charge” at a Level 2 location. This was at a KOA with 50A electrical service. We paid $53 for our 9% charge that we needed to get to the DCFC, where we paid another $23.92 for 30% charge. We might have been able to get the Level 2 charging for free, but we didn’t bother asking. That was actually fine because we got a warm shower and a meal.

The meal, by the way was from our fridge. We stored a couple of burritos and some frozen treats in the fridge so we had a wonderful, icy confection when we got out of the canyon. This part is non-EV specific. If you have a portable power station with enough capacity and a dual zone fridge, you can put that into any vehicle.

View attachment 9804


Anyway, lesson learned: Either charge according to my own rule or bring the panels and extra batteries to charge the truck while we’re away.
With that view it sounds like the inconvenience was worth it.
 
So the question I have is after all the months/miles of EV, would you consider the Harvester with the range extender, or is the pure EV still your preferred vehicle? You’ve got a lot of documented EV miles under your belt, so I’m just curious.

Great question. We have a little over 75,000 miles combined on the two vehicles, at least 50% of which have been road tripping where a “road trip” is, to me, a trip that requires an overnight stay away from home. I would say at least 250 miles one-way (4 hours or so one-way). I used to do 16-hour there-and-back iron butt trips, but those just aren’t worth it to me anymore—and haven’t been for much longer than I’ve owned EVs. A trip down to the Valley for work or play (~150 miles one way) isn’t in any way a concern and I sometimes don’t even bother to charge on the way back up the mountain.

Would I consider the Harvester? Or any other hybrid vehicle?

No.

I have become spoiled by the following things about EVs that aren’t attainable in gas vehicles of any kind, including hybrids:
  • The fuel/charge level every morning is right where I want it to be. My apps remind me to plug in if I’ve forgotten, so the vehicles are always charged up by morning to where I need them to be.
  • I never have to make a special run to a fuel station to get ready for a trip.
  • The amount of time spent refueling the vehicle is now only a factor for road tripping—this saves us hours and hours of time every year
  • I haven’t had to do an oil change or any other sort of major maintenance on either of our main travel vehicles since 2022; this has saved thousands of dollars on maintenance costs and hours and hours of time.
  • We've saved thousands of dollars on fuel costs; fast charging (road trip charging) has increased in price over the past year, but overall the prices are—for our trips—better than gas, and charging at home was 3.5 cents/kWh = $4.55 for a fill-up in the Lightning (320 miles) and $3.19 for a fill-up in the Mustang (312 miles). Now it’s “free” since we installed solar and we use the excess solar to charge the vehicles instead of selling back to the utility for next to nothing.
  • We’re almost always more relaxed when we get to our road trip destination because the noise levels are much lower; the Ford Blue Cruise ADAS level 2+ relieves stress while highway driving; and the very slightly longer refueling breaks help us be more relaxed during the trip.
  • The independence we’ve gained from fueling concerns is incredible; we are no longer dependent on the whims of fossil fuel companies reaching for record profits on our backs; we’re no longer dependent on the whims of administrations changing fuel policies back-and-forth; we have a much more predictable energy cost every month—on gas we’d have a different fuel bill every month because prices fluctuated so much.
  • The long-term off-grid capabilities we have gained (along with solar) or are able to gain in the future mean we can be off-grid for as long as we like; at some point we may just turn off our electric service and use the vehicles to bank excess solar for our own uses. We’ll see. This is still aspirational to some extent.
  • I have no concerns about power outages causing us any issues—we both work from home and need power to be reliable. With the Lightning able to provide >120 hours of backup power not counting solar or the whole-home battery, and without the noise and maintenance of a generator, we know we will always have power.
  • Camping with electric is fantastic! We now leave several things at home that we used to bring with us:
    • No more propane unless we want a non-wood campfire. Instead we cook on an induction cooktop with our cast iron cookware. Coffee is ready in just a few minutes now, and could be ready even sooner if I brought a drip machine with a clock.
    • No more jerry cans of gasoline that I have to worry about spilling in the bed of the truck—now we just bring our solar panels and auxiliary battery if we think we need some extra fuel.

Things I wish were different:

  • I wish there was a Tacoma-sized and -priced BEV truck available. Nothing out there is quite right for us. The Rivian R1T is close, but it’s twice the price and I don’t have that kind of capital (it would pay for itself within 5-7 years of ownership, but right now I’m low on capital).
  • I want an off-road capable BEV. The Lightning isn’t it. The Mustang isn’t it. The Scout Traveler is close, but it’s too wide for my tastes and the Rivian is, again, very expensive for what I can afford (and also too wide). We’ll likely end up with either the Traveler or a used R1S, or maybe an R2, when it’s time to replace the Mustang.
  • I would like more fast charging stations in the desert southwest away from the main interstates. There’s a lot of space out here and sometimes things are just a bit more out-of-range than I would like. We’ve never been “stranded” but that doesn’t mean it’s ideal.
  • Towing isn’t a major concern for me as I mostly do 100-ish mile towing trips and we don’t have any interest in long-distance travel trailer towing at this time. But it’s not a zero-concern for me either. If we wanted to do a tour of the country, we’d probably want to bring a trailer and that would be possible, but not necessarily ideal. There are quite a few people in the various BEV truck forums who do regular cross-country trips with their travel trailer. But from my reading, many of them are retired or have figured out a way to work while on the road. I could do that, but I’m not sure my partner is ready to work on the road.
  • I wish I’d listened to my partner and not purchased the very bright blue Mustang Mach-E. If I’d listened, we would have bought a much more subtle color. She has to deal with jerks yelling at her about it being an EV, about the Mustang name, about all that sort of things related to their opinions that she didn’t ask for. I think it would happen less often if it was a more subtle color. Very few people will approach me to give their unsolicited opinion about the vehicle. The Lightning disappears into the crowd because it’s just an F-150.

I accidentally-on-purpose put in a bid on a 1973 Mustang Mach 1 and it looks like I’m going to win it. I was in an overly-ambitious state of mind thinking I’d have time and money to convert it to electric and restore its body and interior, but now I think it’s going to be just another project hanging over my head. If I do win the auction, I’ll probably just put a few hundred dollars into it to get it running and then sell it. I do not look forward to dealing with the various fluids that need dealing with. I’ve even put off maintenance on both my tractor and my motorcycle because I just don’t want to deal with the mess and smell and time required.