if hiding spare truck key IN cab of 2020 F350 - an issue with truck getting confused?

[Losangeles]

Hi - I sometimes go camping alone, and the best place to hide a 2nd set of backup keys for our Ford F-350 2020 (Lariat, so it has the keypad for keyless entry) would be IN the cab of the truck somewhere.

however i am concerned the truck would get confused, if there were one set of keys in the truck, (and would sense them) plus my set outside the truck.

would wrapping the keys in foil (?) be enough to make the truck not "see" the keys I had hidden in the truck, as a backup?

or any other clever solutions? so the truck does not 'see' the keys i had hidden in the truck.

just in case i'm out hiking and somehow i lose my main truck keys, so then i'm not 100% stranded in the middle of nowhere.

thanks for any ways to do what I'm after. (hide a backup set of keys IN the truck cab)

(not interested in a magnetic key holder under the truck, for what it is worth )

[HABBERDABBER]

They worked thru many a conflict, if you carried your items around your neck, your major issues can be addressed.


Just a notion.


I have no notion of the sophistication and intricacies of your Ford key system, so I go with what has worked.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

They worked thru many a conflict, if you carried your items around your neck, your major issues can be addressed.


Just a notion.

Does not answer my question in the least... but at least amusing.

[Rossue]

https://youtu.be/iDXegJmlRYE
Try this- put key on seat then close door and lock by pushing the 7/8 and 9/0 button at the same time.

[Iowa Dave]

Take the battery out of the one that’s in the truck. Tape the battery inside the glovebox so you don’t lose it. Hope I understand your question. There are numerous systems out there.
Iowa Dave

[Centex]

IIRC the truck has a "1" and "2" button on the driver door panel to select 'which driver' is actually driving when both drivers are in the vehicle with their keys - this comes into play frequently when spouses (partners) are both in the vehicle each with their key in their possession.

When you enter the vehicle just punch the corresponding button to eliminate vehicle confusion about who is behind the wheel / which 'driver settings' to use. Each fob is marked with it's number, 1 or 2.

My lowly XLT has the outside keypad, I frequently lock my key stashed in the cab when I don't want to carry / risk losing it (e.g. active work / hours on a tractor) - love the feature. BTW, fairly certain all this is addressed in your truck's Owners Manual .

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

would wrapping the keys in foil (?) be enough to make the truck not "see" the keys I had hidden in the truck, as a backup?

Yes, although a small metal container (such as the classic Altoids tin) might be more convenient... and might look less likely to someone who breaks in and is looking for a hidden key.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

Does not answer my question in the least... but at least amusing.

I am relieved you are amused. Your query may be best put forward on a Ford truck forum. This is an Escape trailer forum. There will be a multitude of responses to your query here, but most of us do not have your vehicle.

[Rossue]

Relieved? Sarcasm? Hey- John is a good guy who misses the camaraderie here perhaps and there are a LOT of Ford owners here. I for one am glad he raised the question as I want to do the same thing in my Expedition.

[George Johnson]

Losangeles, you say you have an extra set of keys, and you want to know if locking the first set of keys in the cab wrapped in foil will allow the touch pad lock to function.

You have the means, so just try it. Unless I'm missing something here, if the touch pad doesn't work, open the door with the key in your pocket. Let us know how it works--seems there's a lot of curiosity about the subject here.

[Centex]

Methinks the OP Q doesn't relate to operation of the keypad or locking the key in the vehicle, it relates to the fact that the Ford system retains certain 'driver settings' associated with each key (e.g. seat position, mirror position, etc, etc) and the vehicle adjusts those based on which key it senses in the vehicle.

That's why they provide an 'over-ride' button on the driver's door panel to tell the vehicle which of the drivers present with a key is actually behind the wheel (voila!, end of vehicle "confusion" when both keys are 'sensed present' )

Originally Posted by Losangeles

however i am concerned the truck would get confused, if there were one set of keys in the truck, (and would sense them) plus my set outside the truck.

^ the KEY phrase^

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Centex

Methinks the OP Q doesn't relate to operation of the keypad or locking the key in the vehicle, it relates to the fact that the Ford system retains certain 'driver settings' associated with each key (e.g. seat position, mirror position, etc, etc) and the vehicle adjusts those based on which key it senses in the vehicle.

That, or whether the truck will even keep the doors locked with a key known to be inside, or whether it will start and run when opened with the keypad when the key was already inside. But those can be easily tested, too.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That, or whether the truck will even keep the doors locked with a key known to be inside, or whether it will start and run when opened with the keypad when the key was already inside.

It's all covered in the OP's 2020 Super Duty Owners Manual, page 67, available for download online (PDF which lends to easy search for KEY words ) ....

"In order to override the smart unlock feature and intentionally lock the intelligent access key inside your vehicle, you can lock your vehicle after all doors are closed by using the keyless entry keypad, pressing the lock button on another intelligent access key or touching the locking area on the handle with another intelligent access key in your hand."

IOW, if you want to lock all keys in the truck, just close the door and enter your normal code in the outside keypad - it'll lock everything 'till you return and enter the same code again (every time you enter your code it 'toggles' the lock condition); or, if locking one key inside and carrying another, just lock using the button on the key you're carrying.

All this stuff has been consistent with Fords for a long time, the Manual covers it well, and most every conceivable option you could want for key / locking management is supported. Yeah, I'm a long-time owner of many Fords, and yeah I refer Owners Manuals first when I have a question .

Or, you can do a bunch of brute-force experiments

[Losangeles]

Thanks everybody for the great comments and discussion. Much appreciated.

Lots of great ideas here... I'll have to ponder the best and most foolproof solution(s) to the situation.

John

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Centex

All this stuff has been consistent with Fords for a long time, the Manual covers it well, and most every conceivable option you could want for key / locking management is supported. Yeah, I'm a long-time owner of many Fords, and yeah I refer Owners Manuals first when I have a question .

Or, you can do a bunch of brute-force experiments

I'm usually the one referring to the manual, and I would read it if it were my vehicle. I was responding to the foil question.

By the way, this stuff is only consistent among consistently equipped vehicles - my 2008 Ford SuperDuty doesn't have any of this functionality... but it's not a pickup.

[sherminator]

I added an outside keypad to my low-tech 2011 extended cab Ranger, so I could lock my keys inside when I go fishing or kayaking or whatever. It works great - so well that I often lock my keys inside when I'm at work or elsewhere, and often use the keypad even when I have my keys in my pocket.

One day I come out to my truck after work, punch in my code - does not open. No problem, I've found that if I do it too quickly it doesn't work properly. Do it two more times - no open. I have my fob in my pocket - doesn't work. I use my key - and when opening my door, I realize that I didn't fully close the suicide door on the driver's side. (I regularly carry a backpack that has my lunch, rain jacket, etc., that I stash behind my seat). My battery was dead from the dome light being on all day, and my electric locks don't work (as well as my starter). If I hadn't had my key in my pocket, I would have SOL. I am extra careful about making sure all my doors are closed properly when locking my keys inside.

[EdColorado]

And the other day, the fob would not work. Got the ‘no fob detected ‘ message. Turns out the battery in the fob was dead.
I was home so just grabbed a spare fob. Then I ordered the battery from Amazon, replaced the dead one and now carry the rest of the batteries in the glove box. Next time that happens I’m ready.
A dead battery in the hide-a-key would be a bummer.

[EdColorado]

Originally Posted by sherminator

My battery was dead from the dome light being on all day, and my electric locks don't work (as well as my starter).

With power locks and windows, a hide-a-key stored inside a locked vehicle can be problematic.
Mine is secured under the car. Aluminum foil, double plastic bag, gorilla tape. On my departure checklist is a note to verify that the key is there. So far, it always has been.

[UncleTim]

How about this?

Get a small lock box. The kind realtors use.

Secure it to the inside of the propane compartment so it will not move around.

Put your favorite keys in there and never worry about it again. Hey it works for houses. You drive a house.

[HABBERDABBER]

Looks like in the previous post, one could simply unscrew the large eyebolt and make off with the lot of it all. Then, nobody gets in.



But the posters notion is solid.


Simplify, simplify!