High Output Onboard Inverter & Generator Mode - Initial Test Results (2024 Trailhunter)

[dingoboyexplore]

I have found some limitations to the generator mode. I was in Colorado last week for 7 days at a few different remote campsites for fly fishing. I was running a 1.5 kilowatt Ecoflow power station in the bed of my truck and 0.3 kilowatt Jackery in my roof top tent. I was using the Ecoflow to run a refrigerator, electric percolator, and an induction cooktop. The Jackery ran an electric blanket, tent lights and recharged my electronics. I would start the truck and recharge both the Ecoflow and Jackery (about 1,800 watts for 45 minutes) daily.

Twice, on the 2nd day at a campsite, the inverter shutdown even with the engine running. The 120v button would not turn on. Turning off and restarting the engine to "reset" the inverter did not work. Waiting a couple of hours with the engine off (to cool down the inverter) did not work. I initially thought I blew a fuse or something. After actually driving the truck for a bit, the inverter would work again with no issues.

My conclusion is that you can only draw high loads until your hybrid battery is depleted. Then even with the engine running, the 120v system will shut down and not turn on again until there is sufficient charge in the hybrid battery. I am not sure if just the engine idling for a long while would have recharged the hybrid battery enough to reenable the 120v system. The hybrid battery recharges quickly from regenerative braking.

Anyone else experience this?

I only use the inverter when the truck is on and in park or im driving. Ive had it running & charging stuff for 2hrs in park with no issues. Engine cycles as it should but the inverter never turned off

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[trailhunger]

I have found some limitations to the generator mode. I was in Colorado last week for 7 days at a few different remote campsites for fly fishing. I was running a 1.5 kilowatt Ecoflow power station in the bed of my truck and 0.3 kilowatt Jackery in my roof top tent. I was using the Ecoflow to run a refrigerator, electric percolator, and an induction cooktop. The Jackery ran an electric blanket, tent lights and recharged my electronics. I would start the truck and recharge both the Ecoflow and Jackery (about 1,800 watts for 45 minutes) daily.

Twice, on the 2nd day at a campsite, the inverter shutdown even with the engine running. The 120v button would not turn on. Turning off and restarting the engine to "reset" the inverter did not work. Waiting a couple of hours with the engine off (to cool down the inverter) did not work. I initially thought I blew a fuse or something. After actually driving the truck for a bit, the inverter would work again with no issues.

My conclusion is that you can only draw high loads until your hybrid battery is depleted. Then even with the engine running, the 120v system will shut down and not turn on again until there is sufficient charge in the hybrid battery. I am not sure if just the engine idling for a long while would have recharged the hybrid battery enough to reenable the 120v system. The hybrid battery recharges quickly from regenerative braking.

Anyone else experience this?

The inverter shutting down randomly after turning it on is correlated to the state of charge on the NiMH…if the hybrid pack is low enough, all engine power will go to charging the cell to its optimal levels (i.e., it goes into a self-preservation mode for a bit, also heat could be a factor as well but I believe it’s the latter as this occurs on cold winter days [cabin @~68 deg] as well). Other side of the spectrum: after a large climb through the Rockies, the decent (in adaptive cruise) will charge that NiMH to full capacity and that’s the best time to engage the inverter and pull off the excess energy created from descending, usually right around where things flatten out. From the top of Vail pass into the town of Vail I have that muscle memory now to engage the inverter to charge any power stations I might have connected. Alternately you can run Sport mode and build up the SOC on your NiMH in flatter areas.

Remember the iForce Max battery is first and foremost loyal to the engine and the drive dynamics, the inverter and accessories take a back seat when energy storage is low. Engine needs to work to bring it back