Neutral bonding and how to get 7.2KW power to your house through a generator transfer switch?

It seems like a lot of Lightning owners are interested in using their trucks for home backup power lately, so I thought I’d share my recent setup to give you an idea of how simple or challenging it might be. Just a heads-up—I’m not an electrician, but I used to work as a Professional Engineer back in my factory-building days (when factories were still being built in the ‘80s). So, I’m pretty familiar with the basics of electrical work.

My son and I both bought Lightnings (Lariat and Flash models) with ProPower before the end of the year. We both found the Ford/Sunrun system to be expensive and glitchy, so we decided to go with a cheaper, manual generator transfer switch. We chose the Reliance 10-circuit 30-amp kit (part number 310CRK), which includes almost everything you need—except for the 10 AWG wire to connect the outlet to the switch.

Here’s how we did it: we ran 50 feet of 10/3 MC cable (10-gauge with an aluminum armored conduit) through the ceiling and basement walls to an L14-30 outlet outside. Then we connected the 10 sets of two wires (red and black) to the circuits in the main panel we wanted to back up. The Reliance instructions were okay, but YouTube was a lifesaver for figuring some things out.

Here’s the crucial part: the Lightning’s outlet is neutral-bonded (neutral and ground are tied together) and GFCI-protected. If you connect the truck’s output directly to a device, panel, or switch where the neutral and ground are also bonded, the GFCI on the truck will trip. This happens because current flows back through the ground pin or wire. Some people pull the ground pin on their plug or cable, but we didn’t like that idea since it weakens the physical connection.

What we did instead was not connect the ground wire between the outside outlet and the transfer switch. To explain: the 10/3 cable has four wires, and all four connect to the Lightning and the outside outlet. However, the ground wire stops at the outlet box—it doesn’t go any further. This means only three wires (red hot, black hot, and white neutral) connect from the truck to the outlet and then to the transfer switch, while the ground wire only grounds the outlet box itself.

It took us about eight hours to get everything set up (it was freezing outside, so that slowed us down), and the kit costs around $450. Pulling the wires wasn’t easy, especially since not all the circuits we were backing up were in the main panel. If you’re hiring an electrician and they charge $2,000 or less, I’d say that’s a pretty fair price. Good luck with your setup!


I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

An interlock that feeds the whole panel with the ground wire disconnected is likely the best value.

Generac also has a 240V neutral switching transfer switch I have seen used.

I only have 120V, so I used two EZ Genererator switches to backup two circuits (Furnace & bedroom + living room TV + fridge).

Mal said:
I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

This is exactly what I did too! But where I live, having an EZ switch inside the garage isn’t allowed. They don’t want anyone running a generator indoors, and all connections must be outside. I’ll have to remove mine if I ever sell my house. Pretty annoying!

@Jordan
That’s wild. I can’t see how those switches would hold up outside.

Mal said:
I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

I installed the Generac 6853 but had ground fault issues until I disconnected the ground at the sub-panel. It works fine now, but the initial setup was frustrating.

Mal said:
I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

I made sure everything was clean with all the wires hidden behind the wall. Looks neat and works well!

Mal said:
I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

I’m on Team Generac too. Hired an electrician for the install, but I ended up troubleshooting issues myself for hours. Found a neutral-ground connection in a bathroom light switch causing problems. Works fine now as long as I turn off the breaker for the pool lights. Could’ve saved time by removing the ground at the PiB, but I wanted everything done to code, so it took extra effort.

Mal said:
I’ve been through this setup recently and had some interesting challenges.

The best way to stay within code is to use a transfer switch that also switches the neutral. Look for something like a Bonded Neutral Generator transfer switch.

@Riley
I’m using the EZ Generator switch, which does switch the neutrals if that’s what you mean.

Mal said:
@Riley
I’m using the EZ Generator switch, which does switch the neutrals if that’s what you mean.

Yes, I was talking about transfer switches in general. Good to know the EZ switch handles that!

Ford really needs to sort this out. Almost all generators are floating neutral, and this is such a common use for the 240V output.

Teegan said:
Ford really needs to sort this out. Almost all generators are floating neutral, and this is such a common use for the 240V output.

Call me paranoid, but I feel like Ford might be pushing people towards buying their Charge Station Pro with this setup.

I wish there was an easy fix, like using a bonding plug to turn the ProPower onboard system into floating neutral.

Jordan said:
I wish there was an easy fix, like using a bonding plug to turn the ProPower onboard system into floating neutral.

For the 120V outlet, you can. But since the truck only has one 240V outlet, you can’t use a bonding plug and the generator cable at the same time.

@Blake
The real issue is that the Lightning is bonded already, and there’s no simple way to unbond it.

Are you doing this to avoid having two neutral-ground bridges? I’m guessing the Lightning already has one built in to trick appliances into thinking they’re grounded?

Ari said:
Are you doing this to avoid having two neutral-ground bridges? I’m guessing the Lightning already has one built in to trick appliances into thinking they’re grounded?

Exactly. From what I’ve read, the Lightning’s inverter output is neutral-ground bonded, so it tricks devices into thinking they’re grounded.

Looks good! Was your main panel too full to add a dedicated generator breaker with an interlock? That’s what I did. I moved two breakers to make space and installed a 30A breaker in the top-right spot with an interlock kit. Now, I just throw the main, slide up the interlock, engage the generator breaker, and plug in my truck. Works great!

@Joss
That’s a good setup. At my son’s house, everything runs on electric—well pump, water heaters, dryer, stove, AC units, pool heater—you name it. The 30A from the Lightning doesn’t even come close to covering it all. That’s why we went with a transfer switch to prioritize essential circuits.

@Blake
I gotta give you props for not calling it a ‘hot water heater’!