For sure this is the way to go if you you can get away with just the single 30 amp 240 source. That is, you won’t get the full 9.6kW. A backup generator hookup that covers only a few select circuits should probably work. For example, during a power outage the 30 amp pro power outlet could run my refrigerator, chest freezer and some lights but not the well pump, heat pumps, oven, etc.
This makes a ton of sense and I can't believe I didn't think of this before. I think your question just saved me a few thousand dollars because I already have a manual transfer switch I hook up to my gas generator for the intermittent power outages. I don't need it to be automatic and my 6.5kW generator is more than enough to get me through with choices of what I want to run when the power is out. The rear 7.2kW should be enough to do what I want to do with a 240v plug.
There is something you may need to do differently in the wiring of your gas generator hookup but it should be minimal. There's a video on that for someone who used one of these switches with a ProPower hybrid F-150.
I agree, and with little effort, you could manually attach ‘cord’ with 240 plug to the high-power appliances like heat pump, hot water heater, AC, Oven, etc…then plug them into the truck when needed. You won’t be able to use them all at once, but you wouldn’t need to anyway in a real power loss situation. Just read the info plate for power use of each device and use less than total 9600 Watts plugged into the truck at once. Make sure the wire and plug are rated for the amps the particular appliance draws.
To get that full 9.6kW you'd need multiple cords. The 30 amp 240 gets you 7.4kW and the rest would have to come from the separate 120 outlet/circuit.
That’s my plan for now. $10K is a lot for backup power. I can buy a lot of extension cords for that price.
