Best (most problem free and well supported) Power Frunk for the 2023

[geordi]

I was about to purchase the EVoffer (which would still be a Mark 3 according to their website, for my 2016).... But was a bit put off by what I expected was free shipping that I had seen elsewhere and was not in the cart. Also would not be here until mid June. But then I found the Hansshow unit for just over $300 on Amazon delivering in 2 days, so went with that. If there is an issue, I at least also know Amazon's return policies and can still go the other way.

I'm not really sure why a box would need firmware updating - For the single function it does, I'd think if it works once installed, then it should keep working...?

 

[jebinc]

I was about to purchase the EVoffer (which would still be a Mark 3 according to their website, for my 2016).... But was a bit put off by what I expected was free shipping that I had seen elsewhere and was not in the cart. Also would not be here until mid June. But then I found the Hansshow unit for just over $300 on Amazon delivering in 2 days, so went with that. If there is an issue, I at least also know Amazon's return policies and can still go the other way.

I'm not really sure why a box would need firmware updating - For the single function it does, I'd think if it works once installed, then it should keep working...?

So the foreign government can remotely trigger them to open in times of war!

Why on earth would I want this controller accessing WiFi and the internet? Hackers delight!

PASS.

 

[Ciaopec]

I want to avoid pressing on the hood, so it’s only the auto close that was appealing. I’m going to skip this mod as there are so many horror stories about all the Asian junk.

I have pressed on my 2016 MS frunk lid since June of that year and on the frunk of my 2021 MY for almost 2 years. While I don't think the frunk lid is as delicate as advertised I still follow Tesla's closing recommendations (usually). Have had no issues.

 

[Luisito]

So the foreign government can remotely trigger them to open in times of war!

Why on earth would I want this controller accessing WiFi and the internet? Hackers delight!

PASS.

Great thread with many pro and con responses.

I love the powered Frunk, however, I uninstalled it from my Model S for the simple reason that it would not manually close on the Model S. I have installed 2 of these (EVOffer) both on my Model X and Model S. EvOffer has great tech support and very responsive to questions.

For those that claim years of flawless use, this may be true, but, several design flaws caused me to remove it.

1. Emergency release cable in the event of trunk open failure. I challenge those owners with them installed to test the emergency release cable and share their experience of how easy or extremely difficult to open a stuck closed Frunk or for that matter, a fully operational Frunk. Just watch the videos on how to use the emergency release cable. You’ll be lucky if it releases without snapping the cable. If you have a 12 volt battery failure, cable failure, controller failure, the emergency cable needs to work flawlessly. In fact it should be part of the installation test.
2. Struts need to allow for manual close operation. It needs to be able to close without damaging the hood. On my Model S you cannot manually close the hood since the strut are so strong the hood will bend and will cause damage. Service techs and others not familiar with your car having an auto Frunk will always try to manually close the Frunk and will most likely damage it. Tesla techs may even refuse to work on it. For those that respond that the controller will kick in and take over in closing the hood, this is not the correct behavior since you may want to slightly close the hood and stay open. Example, installing PPF. I had to disable the auto Frunk since he needed to be able to move the hood manually.

On the Model X, the struts did allow for manual operation but the emergency release cable is still an issue. I haven’t tried installing this on our Model Y since these design issues are more of a pain in the event any of the above occurs.

I contacted EvOffer and purchased their newer “Thinner Strut” based on their website. It turned out to be the exact same strut with the same non manual operation. They did contact me that a newer strut will be sent any week now.

 

[towndrunk]

So the foreign government can remotely trigger them to open in times of war!

Why on earth would I want this controller accessing WiFi and the internet? Hackers delight!

PASS.

You update the firmware from a sd card, not wi-fi. If a future Tesla update broke it, you'd want to be able to update it

 

[GreenHokie]

You update the firmware from a sd card, not wi-fi. If a future Tesla update broke it, you'd want to be able to update it

This is true for most of the kits out there now. However, EVOffer recently updated their ECU/controller with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) capability. They call this newer/updated version of the controller “mark 6.x” and are claiming that in the near future, anyone with one of these newer controllers will be able to perform updates and change settings (like increasing or decreasing opening/closing speed and other settings) via their app. I got two things to say about this:
1. It’s about damn time one of these power frunk/trunk suppliers came up with this functionality. After all, this is how we use/update our other daily devices like mobile phones, tablets, etc…
2. Mother ducker!! I received my kit literally a week before EVOffer released this new mark 6.x controller!!
Oh well, as the French say… c'est la vie!!!

 

[GreenHokie]

On my Model S you cannot manually close the hood since the strut are so strong the hood will bend and will cause damage…

On the Model X, the struts did allow for manual operation…

If true, this is messed up. I had no idea that some of the struts being supplied on these kits cannot be manually operated when there is a loss of power or malfunction of the controller.

All I can say is, I do not have this problem on any of my aftermarket kits, regardless of brand or age.
- On my M3P (which has both the power trunk and power frunk from Hansshow purchased/installed about 3-1/2 years ago), I can manually lift or lower the trunk and frunk with ease (like with just one finger), when there is no power to assist in the operation.
- Same thing on my MYP (which has a recently installed power frunk from EVOffer, version mark 5.2), I can also manually lift or lower the frunk with ease, when there is no power to assist in the operation.

So, I have to believe that anyone who says they cannot manually close their hood because the struts are so strong, is just plain unlucky and received a defective product.

 

[geordi]

The box from Amazon arrived... And it will be going right back. The struts clearly had been attempted to install, but whoever had this before me managed to BREAK OFF the mounting box on top of the strut, that is supposed to go on the ball stud on the car. How did they do that?

Looking at the Hansshow kit, I'm not impressed anyway. Looks like I'm going to go for the EVoffer setup. Be interesting to see if I get all the new options like BLE, when their website only talks about the classics getting the Mk3 kit.

 

[jebinc]

The box from Amazon arrived... And it will be going right back. The struts clearly had been attempted to install, but whoever had this before me managed to BREAK OFF the mounting box on top of the strut, that is supposed to go on the ball stud on the car. How did they do that?

Looking at the Hansshow kit, I'm not impressed anyway. Looks like I'm going to go for the EVoffer setup. Be interesting to see if I get all the new options like BLE, when their website only talks about the classics getting the Mk3 kit.

Junk.

 

[geordi]

Junk.

Which one - Hansshow or EVoffer?

 

[jebinc]

Which one - Hansshow or EVoffer?

The former. That brand in general is junk, as is most of the stuff they sell. YOMV.

 

[hmadsen]

Good counter-points. Definitely cannot argue with anything you’ve said. Personally, I think the majority of reported issues & failures have been caused either by improper or less than ideal installations, and/or the ECU getting too wet and developing electrical problems. On older kits like mine, the ECU module/housing is not water-proof. So, those were more susceptible to failure due to water ingress and moisture. Fortunately in recent years, most of these power frunk/trunk manufacturers have switched to a fully water-proof ECU housing design (and are also now using better motors, struts and latches than what I currently have on my Gen 1 or 2 kit).
So, I think when installed properly, the real risk for any major problems or failure on these newer kits is very low.

Ultimately, one just has to decide for him/herself if the convenience/coolness of having a power frunk is worth the risk associated with installing an aftermarket product such as this. For me, the answer is definitely, heck yes. For others, it may be a, hell no!

OK, one more pic for good measure!!

View attachment 932613

The reason they are installed improperly i think is partly because of the poor way they are to be installed.

What has made me less likely to buy one is the whole "Ziptie the controller somewhere in this area" and "Just ziptie the actuator somewhere here"

If this had been a serious product, they would have found some place to mount it...Maybe supply a bracket that goes on to some existing bolt to make the actuator and controller properly mounted.

Also...The current frunk kit from Hansshow is Version 5.

That makes me wonder what was wrong with kit 1-4, especially since the functionality does not seem to have changed between versions.

Having 5 iterations of this product, to me atleast, signals that they are using their costumers as product development testers, and what i will get is a "beta" version, that i can then pay to be allowed to product test for them.

 

[GreenHokie]

…
That makes me wonder what was wrong with kit 1-4, especially since the functionality does not seem to have changed between versions.

Having 5 iterations of this product, to me atleast, signals that they are using their costumers as product development testers, and what i will get is a "beta" version, that i can then pay to be allowed to product test for them.

Personally, I don’t think there was anything really “wrong” with versions 1-4, except perhaps the early ECU/controllers were not waterproof. I still have & am using version 1 of the Hansshow frunk & trunk kits. They both still work great for me. Zero complaints. Obviously, this is not true for some, based on the limited reports of problems on this forum.

Also, everyone should be happy that these power frunk/trunk manufacturers are coming out with newer versions of their products. There is always room for improvement (with anything). So, this demonstrates they are continuously trying to improve their products. Not sure about you, but I would be more concerned if the latest kits were still using version 1 from 3-4 years ago.

As for these power frunk/trunk manufacturers using customers as guinea pigs/testers, I got news for ya…. You can say this about many of the products and electronic devices we use today.. mobile phones, tablets, computers, pretty much any software program/operating system, and yes… even the Tesla vehicles that you and I drive!!

So, to quote an old goodie by Bobby McFerrin,
“Don’t worry, be happy!”

 

[hmadsen]

Personally, I don’t think there was anything really “wrong” with versions 1-4, except perhaps the early ECU/controllers were not waterproof. I still have & am using version 1 of the Hansshow frunk & trunk kits. They both still work great for me. Zero complaints. Obviously, this is not true for some, based on the limited reports of problems on this forum.

Also, everyone should be happy that these power frunk/trunk manufacturers are coming out with newer versions of their products. There is always room for improvement (with anything). So, this demonstrates they are continuously trying to improve their products. Not sure about you, but I would be more concerned if the latest kits were still using version 1 from 3-4 years ago.

As for these power frunk/trunk manufacturers using customers as guinea pigs/testers, I got news for ya…. You can say this about many of the products and electronic devices we use today.. mobile phones, tablets, computers, pretty much any software program/operating system, and yes… even the Tesla vehicles that you and I drive!!

So, to quote an old goodie by Bobby McFerrin,
“Don’t worry, be happy!”

I still feel that ziptying the electronics and the actuator motor assy, seems sketchy to say the least.

If i ever buy one of these, i am certainly going to look good and hard for a fixpoint to mount it to, and fabricate a bracket. With the amount of power this car has i would not trust zipties to hold up, especially not over time..

If version 1 was well tested before they started selling them, they would not need 5 iterations. Maybe a version 2, to fix minor mistakes, but not 5.

Yes a lot of the stuff you mention is also being developed, but most if not all is software. If they had been able to fix the errors from version 1-4 in software, it would have been a different matter, but getting a fix for this means buying the latest iteration, hoping they ironed out all of the mechanical / physical stuff AND they did not introduce new problems.

 

[exxxviii]

I still feel that ziptying the electronics and the actuator motor assy, seems sketchy to say the least.

If i ever buy one of these, i am certainly going to look good and hard for a fixpoint to mount it to, and fabricate a bracket. With the amount of power this car has i would not trust zipties to hold up, especially not over time..

If version 1 was well tested before they started selling them, they would not need 5 iterations. Maybe a version 2, to fix minor mistakes, but not 5.

Yes a lot of the stuff you mention is also being developed, but most if not all is software. If they had been able to fix the errors from version 1-4 in software, it would have been a different matter, but getting a fix for this means buying the latest iteration, hoping they ironed out all of the mechanical / physical stuff AND they did not introduce new problems.

The zip tying stuff is the main driver of my comment that this is not for everyone - that you must be comfortable doing car projects. Experienced people would know to firmly anchor the controller and actuator. Inexperienced people would not. But, this is typical of most auto upgrade things.

Regarding V1-4, it is continuous improvement more than something inherently wrong. For example, they waterproofed the controller, improved the manual release, improved the connection to the hood latch, improved the ease of wiring harness integration, etc. V1 was fine (as long as you would not flood the controller), and each successive version was better or easier.

 

[GreenHokie]

I still feel that ziptying the electronics and the actuator motor assy, seems sketchy to say the least.

If i ever buy one of these, i am certainly going to look good and hard for a fixpoint to mount it to, and fabricate a bracket. With the amount of power this car has i would not trust zipties to hold up, especially not over time..

I agree it would be nice to have a more permanent bolted-on type of mount for the controller and motor. However, after having thoroughly examined underneath the frunk lids on both the Model 3 and Y, I can definitely understand why these power frunk manufacturers have not come up with a better solution for mounting. There is literally no damn open (or easily accessible) place underneath these frunks to bolt/mount the controller and motor!! We have Tesla to thank (or blame) for that.

Being a mechanical engineer by education and profession, I think the less than ideal zip-tie solution is more than adequate for the products we are dealing with here. Both the controller and motor housings are very small, extremely light weight and do not move around during operation. So, in my opinion, a simple zip-tie is perfectly fine in this situation.

I get it…. zip-ties don’t look great from an esthetics point of view. However, if you look at what we are really trying to secure/keep in place, it’s hard to objectively argue that zip-ties are not more than adequate in this situation.

 

[jebinc]

The reason they are installed improperly i think is partly because of the poor way they are to be installed.

What has made me less likely to buy one is the whole "Ziptie the controller somewhere in this area" and "Just ziptie the actuator somewhere here"

If this had been a serious product, they would have found some place to mount it...Maybe supply a bracket that goes on to some existing bolt to make the actuator and controller properly mounted.

Also...The current frunk kit from Hansshow is Version 5.

That makes me wonder what was wrong with kit 1-4, especially since the functionality does not seem to have changed between versions.

Having 5 iterations of this product, to me atleast, signals that they are using their costumers as product development testers, and what i will get is a "beta" version, that i can then pay to be allowed to product test for them.

Junk.

 

[GreenHokie]

Damn, Jeb. You made me laugh with that one

Well done, my friend!!

 

[hmadsen]

I agree it would be nice to have a more permanent bolted-on type of mount for the controller and motor. However, after having thoroughly examined underneath the frunk lids on both the Model 3 and Y, I can definitely understand why these power frunk manufacturers have not come up with a better solution for mounting. There is literally no damn open (or easily accessible) place underneath these frunks to bolt/mount the controller and motor!! We have Tesla to thank (or blame) for that.

Being a mechanical engineer by education and profession, I think the less than ideal zip-tie solution is more than adequate for the products we are dealing with here. Both the controller and motor housings are very small, extremely light weight and do not move around during operation. So, in my opinion, a simple zip-tie is perfectly fine in this situation.

I get it…. zip-ties don’t look great from an esthetics point of view. However, if you look at what we are really trying to secure/keep in place, it’s hard to objectively argue that zip-ties are not more than adequate in this situation.

Its not so much the aesthetics of the install, from what i have gathered everything is hidden under the frunk tub.

My main problem is...Zipties are plastic

Plastic can stretch if hot, get brittle if freezing, if they are able to move just the slightest, they will wear out / be cut through, they are not very resilient for long term use, and the only thing that ensures they do not "un-zip" is a tiny piece of plastic in the "head" of the ziptie. (Yes, can be metal too)

If i were to install this, it should be a permanent install, not something i would have to worry about breaking lose, even after 5 years.

Remember that they are mounted where temperatures will vary a lot, with ambient temperature, and possibly also heat from the car itself, and there will be a lot of "shaking" of the parts.

Maybe it will never be a problem, but my experience would make me very worried that some day, the actuator motor would break free and rattle around freely, or maybe even make an inadvertent opening of the frunk while driving.

 

[geordi]

Zipties may be plastic, but I've installed quite literally thousands of them for work. I can count the number of ties that have EVER failed in use on one hand, and have fingers left over.

That's less of a concern for me, rather than the instability of the install because it is made up of motorized and pulling components. Now I have not gotten a functional set yet to try installing, so perhaps everything that does move or pull will be properly secured - and then I'd be fine with the wires being zipped to other wires. That's OK if that is what it is. But TBD.