Rocky Mountain Way: Tackling Life Off the Grid with F-150 Lightning
Deep in the Rocky Mountains, up winding roads and miles from the nearest city, Ben Westby and his wife, along with their two preteen daughters, live off the grid.
And temperatures are dropping.
On a dark January evening, Westby is trudging through inches of snow that have already fallen, inspecting his home and preparing for a winter storm that’s expected to bring arctic temperatures.
With no streetlamps around – the closest neighbor miles away, after all – the challenge of storm preparation in the pitch dark is made easier by the light emanating from an electric truck stationed in his driveway. He has strategically parked his F-150 Lightning® to easily plug in cords and take advantage of its exportable power.
“We’re at 9,000 feet of altitude with no electrical infrastructure so everything is a bit tougher,” Westby said.
"Having a propane generator is nice, but this truck is truly a game changer with its exportable power – instead of having to go to the generator, the generator comes with us.”
Westby’s path to this life has been just as winding as the one that cuts through the mountainous terrain toward his home.
An elementary school teacher who spent seven years working in China, he returned to Western Colorado with his wife to be closer to family and create a space to connect. Their family continued to grow over the years, welcoming 13 foster children and adopting two biological sisters.
Now, the family of four – along with their goats and chickens – have carved out a little slice of the Rockies to call their own.
“When we adopted our girls, my wife and I wanted to replicate a little bit of our Midwest upbringing: Growing up in the woods, having animals, doing hands-on work that brings you together,” Westby said. “With housing so expensive, going off-grid and finding land with space for animals made the most sense.”
A passionate EV advocate, Westby had his eye on the F-150 Lightning from the first reveal, knowing that it would be a game-changer for his family and their lifestyle. He patiently waited for the right time and finally made the transition from a Tesla to the F-150 Lightning in November 2023 – and there’s no looking back. His biggest regret is that he didn’t make the switch sooner.
“We load up hay from the local feedlot and get chicken feed while doing a garbage run and having kids and everybody in the cabin,” he said.
“[We get] the utility of the F-150 plus the benefits of the battery. Being off-grid in the Rockies is an extreme case for owning an EV, but we're maximizing it. We're absolutely loving it.”
Westby benefited from Colorado's Vehicle Exchange Program, which offers income-qualified residents a rebate on EVs in exchange for their ICE vehicle. He also credits Colorado’s impressive charging infrastructure as key to the state’s EV transition. With no charger at home, Westby charges his F-150 Lightning truck while at work and enjoys mapping out charging stations for longer trips.
“We drive 25,000-30,000 miles a year,” he said. “Mathematically, it just makes sense to go electric. I find features like the regenerative braking to be a game-changer for me with Colorado mountain driving.”
Westby’s F-150 Lightning pickup is a workhorse. As temperatures drop and snow piles up, he regularly uses Pro Power Onboard to charge his electric snowblower, chainsaw, and backup batteries*. And winter storm preparation is made even easier thanks to the Zone Lighting feature on Ben’s pickup. Since sunshine is in short supply during Colorado winters, Westby often finds himself sawing, salting, and plowing in what would be the pitch dark without the help of Zone Lighting.
The F-150 Lightning doesn't stop working after storm prep. Like most kids, Westby’s children appreciate having their own space. And with the Pro Power Onboard exportable power, he makes sure that devices and games are charged up before a big snow – after all, you can only play so many family board games before going stir-crazy.
Before the F-150 Lightning, Westby’s home was powered by solar energy and supplemented with propane when needed. But the solar system wasn’t always reliable – and propane is not only expensive, but noisy for the quiet homestead.
“We had a system failure and one of our solar inverters failed, and we were able to use extension cords to power our refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine, all of our essential devices off the F-150 Lightning,” he said.
While Pro Power Onboard is quite popular with the Westby family, his favorite underrated feature is the Zone Lighting, which essentially takes the place of streetlamps for him and his family. Whether they’re unloading groceries or trying to corral the chickens, the extra lighting is essential for evening activities. The kids like helping their dad out with nighttime chores but were tired of being on ‘flashlight duty’ before Zone Lighting. And with Zone Lighting, there’s no risk of light being spotlighted on an extra cool-looking bird, deer, or tree – instead of the chicken corral or walkway.
Living off the grid can be challenging, and for the Westby family whether it’s prepping for winter or herding a flock of chickens in the dark, the F-150 Lightning has become indispensable - helping simplify and enhance their daily routines and bringing unexpected comforts to their remote lifestyle.
Disclaimers
*See Owner's Manual for important operating instructions.
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