The generator made the packing list for a reason. A Ford F-150 Lightning owner was preparing to tow through places where the next charging station could feel a long way away. He brought emergency power along with the ATVs, mountain bikes, and camping gear. After a reported 12,000 miles, that particular backup had done exactly what he hoped it would: nothing.
The owner, posting as SnowySaint in the F-150 Lightning community on Reddit, described a journey from Alaska through Canada, around the western United States, and into the Ohio Valley. He said he towed for most of it.
“Average distance between charges while towing was 168 miles,” he wrote. “But there were never any close calls and the generator I brought for emergency power went unused.”
Asked what he was pulling, he described:
“About 6,000 lbs, 14ft trailer with two ATV’s, big generator, several mountain bikes, and a bunch of camping gear.”
That much equipment takes up room at a charger. SnowySaint’s biggest complaint was the extra work of making the truck fit.
The Hardest Part Was Unhitching
“Worst part of the frequency of charging was unhooking and rehooking the trailer,” SnowySaint wrote.
For a truck towing a trailer, reaching the charger can be only the beginning. The driver may still have to find somewhere to leave the trailer, unhitch it, move the truck to the plug, and put everything back together before leaving.
A roomy charging site can spare drivers that routine. A Rivian R1S towing between Phoenix and San Diego stayed hitched at key charging stops. A GMC Sierra EV owner also charged with a boat attached at a covered Pilot location.
SnowySaint would have welcomed either setup. “Never saw one pullthrough…would’ve LOVED it though,” he wrote. His advice to another owner planning a tow was to be ready to drop the trailer nearly every time.
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He Picked the Parking Space Before Arriving
He tried to take the surprises out of those stops before the driving day began.
“The morning of any travel day, just scout ahead using your favorite satellite maps,” he wrote. “Try to find the spots that are favorable for your comfort level AND pick your ideal charger/port (and a backup). It’s helped a ton knowing exactly where I was going at all times.”
He also mapped 500-to-1,000-mile sections in PlugShare, then refined each day’s charging stops. That gave him a broad route to follow and a closer look at the places where he would have to maneuver the trailer.
He said he avoided coffee-shop and fast-food charging sites because they rarely had enough room for his rig. Some were awkward even if he dropped the trailer. Checking the layout in advance helped him choose a stop he was comfortable using.
The generator was his most conspicuous precaution. The planning was the one he kept using.
168 Miles Between Charging Stops
His 168-mile figure was an average between towing charges. The post does not include the battery configuration or charge levels at each stop, so it cannot be treated as a full-battery range figure. The longer gaps between suitable stations are the ones a route plan has to solve.
Six thousand pounds also says little about how much air the trailer pushes aside. Ford’s range guidance explains that both weight and aerodynamics affect energy use, with a smaller frontal area reducing the aerodynamic penalty. That helps explain why a low trailer and a tall camper can produce different results at similar weights.
Driving pace matters as well. In a separate Cybertruck boat-towing account, the owner described how a slower highway pace helped his charging plan. Time gained on the highway can be lost at the next charger.
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Why the Stops Were Worth It to Him
SnowySaint also found something to enjoy in the charging schedule itself. When a Reddit commenter balked at 168 miles between stops, he pointed to what happened after he parked:
“Not really a big deal to us because it was a great chance to get out and explore the local areas or sample the local food.”
That answer makes more sense alongside the ATVs, bikes, and camping gear. This was a trip with reasons to get out of the truck. A charging stop could fit into that rhythm, even if the hitching routine wore thin.
By the time he shared the trip, the Lightning was serving as his primary work truck. He wrote that it was “great having a vehicle I feel safe and comfortable in.” Another Lightning owner who praised its smooth towing came away pleased after a much shorter trip.
Why This Trip Worked for Him
The 12,000-mile total hides the scale at which the owner actually planned: 500-to-1,000-mile sections, refined each day. Picking a charging port and a backup before arrival gave him a concrete next step through the places that had worried him.
Reaching a charger solved only part of the problem. SnowySaint’s biggest complaint came after arrival, when the trailer had to come off. A pull-through stall could remove that repeated chore without requiring a bigger battery or a faster charger.
The food and sightseeing breaks help explain why he enjoyed a schedule another driver might reject. Those stops had value beyond the electricity added. Someone towing to a job on a deadline would be paying for the same pauses in lost working time.
SnowySaint set off worried enough to bring a generator and finished pleased enough to keep putting the Lightning to work. The backup power stayed unused. The hitch did not get the same break.
If you tow with an electric pickup, which charging location made the trip easier with a trailer, and what should another driver know before pulling in? Share the location and the detail that made it work.
About The Author
Noah Washington is a young automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering sports cars, luxury vehicles, electric vehicles, and the ownership realities behind them. His reporting for Torque News connects engineering and design with what drivers experience, from towing and charging to reliability and the character that makes a car worth caring about.
His work includes interviews with Jaguar F-TYPE designer Matt Beaven and former Lucid Gravity chief engineer Zach Walker, plus firsthand reviews of the Nissan Z Nismo and Mitsubishi Mirage G4.
A BMW E36 M3 owner and former Miata owner, Noah has written for TopSpeed, HotCars, and Cointelegraph. He is a member of the Southeast Region Automotive Media Association (SERAMA) and the International Motor Press Association (IMPA). His favorite car remains the Fiat 500 Abarth.
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