Help spec a new F-150

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

1. Get the 4wd. There’s no substitute. If the extra weight of 4wd restricts payload too much get a bigger truck. I’d never own one without. If you keep them as long as I do the 2wd are practically worthless after 10 years and 4wd still sell for a good price.
2. Get the power towing mirrors. They are larger but it’s the only way to go; slip on mirrors are a pain. Power mirrors fold at the touch of a button. I always fold them when I park.

Agree! Well said [emphasis added ].

Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Peter

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

You can't get the 360-degree camera system without nav. The 360-degree cameras are worth it if you're using the truck on a daily basis in places that have average-to-small parking spaces.



Max Tow includes the 36-gallon tank. You definitely want Max Tow, so you get the 36-gallon tank thrown in.



I thought I regretted not ordering the LT tires for a while, but then I found out if you do 4x4 plus LT tires you end up with pretty aggressive off-road tread, which isn't that great on pavement or for longevity. At 20k miles, I can already tell my AT tires have less traction than when the truck was new, but it's manageable for now. I'm guessing I won't be able to put up with them until the tread gets thin, though... maybe 30k miles and I'll probably be looking for some highway-oriented M+S Michelins.

I would question the tire logic. Same tires on F250 that aren’t off road.

Also why spend all that cash on camera system and NAV? That’s why you have the mirrors. And don’t park in small spaces unless you want door dings. I stay away from tight spaces for that reason alone.

[Starlight Mike]

The only reason I’m saying this is, you said you might consider a 250, I strongly suggest it because you will be right against or over the limits with how you described you were going to use truck and AS. I’ve never regretted moving up.

[xyzabe]

Here is the 2019 Ford F-150 order guide as posted on a F-150 forum. While it doesn't list prices and some of the information won't match what the dealer has available, it should give you some idea on what and how you can put together a package.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

I would question the tire logic. Same tires on F250 that aren’t off road.

Also why spend all that cash on camera system and NAV? That’s why you have the mirrors. And don’t park in small spaces unless you want door dings. I stay away from tight spaces for that reason alone.

Funny, MY truck's tow mirrors don't give me a view of my front bumper, but the cameras do. The space doesn't have to be tight left-to-right for the cameras to be useful. The truck is long, and being able to snuggle right up to an obstacle in front or back without actually contacting it (with the help of the cameras) is quite useful and often makes the difference between hanging part of the truck out of the space or not. If you don't want the cameras, with a modern smartphone the nav is redundant. I wanted the cameras, and pointed out that the nav is included in the package with the 360-degree cameras.

[gypsydad]

Sorry if this sounds like "rain on your parade", but I agree with other posts here...you are sadly, at the "top" of your range with your description of the 27', and the F150 4x4...if you can't get above 1500lbs payload, I would look at the next size up...3/4T. We loved our 2012 EB 4x4 Platinum pulling our 25 AS's, but the payload sucked...consider the generator, firewood, camp gear, perhaps kayaks, more bikes, or some other loads or more passengers as others have mentioned. Love the F150EB 4x4 and surely the EB engine and new 10speed trany are great for towing most AS's. Heck, some folks here pull with older sedans, VW's, other foreign sports SUV's and seem happy... I would go for larger payload with a 3/4T with larger brakes and towing apability with that size AS, and feel more confident driving...I know I am glad I went up in size for this AS...several other folks who made the switch concur. It's a lot of money and big decision; get it as right as you can. Good luck!

[farafield]

If you're going to use your truck on a farm in the Chicago area (I live the farm life in northern VT), I strongly suggest 4x4. There's not great traction with rear wheel drive with snow, slush, mud, wet fields, dirt roads. If your truck is for only for towing your TT, then it might be a different story but if you're going to AK or somewhere it could snow in July, you might appreciate the 4x4 too.

[PatLee]

If I could have gagged down the price of a loaded Expedition, that’s what I would have gotten but I couldn’t and ended up special ordering my beautiful 2017 F150, which actually offered more options than the Expedition did. Here’s what I recommend: max tow package, 2 x 4 with electronic differential, the Lariat trim line so you can get the retractable tow mirror option; Ecoboost 10 speed engine - and then every bell and whistle you can afford except the moon roof which reduces payload too much and seem to be prone to shattering unexpectedly.

[J. Morgan]

The man wants a half ton, and besides, a couple a few hundred pounds of well placed pounds over the “payload” wont make any difference. #JustSayin

[turk123]

Eye Candy!

[pjshier]

Bought our truck first, as car was worn out and we were looking ahead to AS ownership. 2016 F150 Platinum SuperCrew, short bed (for the garage.) Start lurking here and find the payload threads. Checked the door sticker... 1,530 available. Sweet, AS says 850# tongue weight; I can work with that. Find used AS in Oregon, inspected, shipped to AK.

Trip from the barge dock to home base was "interesting." Tweaked hitches, etc., and achieved tentative equilibrium. But the stupid tongue weight scale and local truck scale unraveled my sense of calm. Turns out both mama and I were going to have to lose weight and leave the grandkids at home.

Next: shudda/coulda/woulda research on what F150 I might order next. HD Payload XLT or Lariat with 6.5 bed and max tow, and a few items of must have bling can end up just over 2,000# available payload. Might start there.

4X4 is handy, and in AK I don't own any non-4X4 vehicles. But I have a few roads I navigate every summer that would be "sporty" without. I have done amazing things with a simple locking rear end. But always had a Handyman jack and a lot of stout rope, which I used about once a year.

Good research on your part, OP. I now confess to owning the F150, and a very nice used F350 - which has all the payload I'll ever need, even after the ebikes, generator, wood, chairs, dog, grandkids... I am grateful to have the capacity to operate both at this point.

[nryn]

Folks, this is super helpful--can't thank you enough. I didn't know about the F-150 forums and seeing the stickers and combos is perfect. Still need to sort through the dozens of posts about 2018 models to see if I can find one that works for me. It's either an insanely stupid marketing oversight or a stroke of marketing genius that the sticker numbers can't be generated during a virtual build.

I can't stress this enough: this is not a "should I get an F-150" thread. This is a "If I get a 150, how should I spec it?" thread (for me and for others). There are plenty of "don't get a 150" posts peppered throughout the forums--I've read those and just take me at my word that I am considering other options as well. And I really do want to have a "cleaner" thread than the many others that I've gone through here. So many thanks to those of you who have made useful contributions and exercised restraint.

So far, it seems like my ideal truck does not exist. This truck would be the 150 with short box dimensions, heavy duty payload tolerances, and some creature comforts. Or a less-tall 250 with a short box. Ford should consider a new trim for the F-150: the Magic edition. It seems like it would be a real-world Tardis.

I'm still plugging away at this. I have time--since I can't find the exact AS I want anywhere I want to purchase it, I'm placing an order next week and will take delivery in the spring. This might allow me to get end-of-year deals on the 18s or see if any of these numbers change on MY19s.

[djs14534]

Here is my 2 cents. We just bought an 2018 F150 Supercrew fully loaded Lariat. It has everything I was told I would need to tow the max an F150 can do (3.5L EB, max tow pack, 20" wheels). Before buying the F150 I did research like you are doing but not enough. I read the towing guide and listened to the dealers before buying. I even called Ford customer service and talked to tech support. Well all I have to say is don't believe them. Two things that I was told that was wrong is the towing and payload capacity. The towing capacity was off 2K lbs which is not bad for my needs. What really irks me is the payload. I was told by Ford the payload was going to be 2,200 lbs for the truck I was buying. The actual payload capacity is 1500 lbs. which is a big difference. This is such a difference that now we have a new truck we will have to trade or sell to get a F250 that can have the payload capacity. Don't get me wrong we love the F150.
You are smart in doing the research that you are. I suggest to look at the truck that you are buying and look at the sticker that shows the payload capacity before buying.

[Daquenzer]

The problem with all the options is the payload is decreased too significantly.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the update, Narayan. So I guess you've heard the one about the couple on vacation, stopping and asking for directions at a gas station, where on old codger said,

"You can't get there from here?"



Blood from a stone, yada yada yada IMO.

Good luck,

Peter

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by djs14534

Here is my 2 cents. We just bought an 2018 F150 Supercrew fully loaded Lariat. It has everything I was told I would need to tow the max an F150 can do (3.5L EB, max tow pack, 20" wheels). Before buying the F150 I did research like you are doing but not enough. I read the towing guide and listened to the dealers before buying. I even called Ford customer service and talked to tech support. Well all I have to say is don't believe them. Two things that I was told that was wrong is the towing and payload capacity. The towing capacity was off 2K lbs which is not bad for my needs. What really irks me is the payload. I was told by Ford the payload was going to be 2,200 lbs for the truck I was buying. The actual payload capacity is 1500 lbs. which is a big difference. This is such a difference that now we have a new truck we will have to trade or sell to get a F250 that can have the payload capacity. Don't get me wrong we love the F150.
You are smart in doing the research that you are. I suggest to look at the truck that you are buying and look at the sticker that shows the payload capacity before buying.

Sunroof, tailgate step, power running boards? Massage seats maybe?

My truck is pretty heavily optioned, including tailgate and bed-side steps, but I skipped the sunroof and I don't like power running boards and ended up at 1623 lb for a Supercrew 4x4 Lariat short box. That 2200# number for a Supercrew requires HD Payload which you can't get on a fancy truck (or on any short-box.)

Generally the person to talk to about this sort of thing is the fleet guy at a dealer that sells a lot of white trucks. That's your best bet for a good guesstimate ahead of time, or just find one of us nerds who obsesses over the pickup truck forums for a year (or 3) while thinking about upgrading his truck.

[ShinyPete]

Narayan-

I have a truck like you are looking for. Here is the link to my post(s) in late summer 2015 about trading to a 2015 F150 XLT Sport 4x4 Crew MaxTow 6.5' bed..........phew that's a lot of Fordspeak. Of course, ours is only a 6 speed trans, now they have 10?

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...le-141137.html

We tow a 2014 Flying Cloud 27fb twin (same as a GT spec wise) with a ProPride hitch, and we love our combination. Our "Pete" weighs 6800 lbs or less pretty loaded for a trip, with about 800-900 lbs of "real" tongue weight. We usually put about 200 lbs of stuff in the bed for a 10 day trip or a weekend.

My data is attached below from a Escapees SmartWeigh earlier this Spring. I'm totally in Spec, and the rig handles like it's welded together. The truck and coach were loaded at this weighing for our 10 day early summer trip - full fuel, lp, 3/4 tank of water, trailer loaded, bed full of gear, only thing missing was my 160 lb wife.

As others have said, payload can be a shortcoming of all 1/2 tons. We bought the XLT Sport (I guess it's still available?) to keep options low and payload high. We have regular 18" XL tires, and run them about 48 psi all the time. We have heated 10 way power seats, the center console, and 1907 lbs of payload.

I use my truck all the time on our cattle ranch in Central Florida; it works for a living. In fact, I just last week put a B&W Gooseneck Turnover Ball hitch in the bed, and tow a "Gooseneck" brand aluminum 22' cattle trailer that weighs about 2200 lbs, and put another 5000 lbs of calves in it to go to market. The truck handles it fine.

Downgrades? Never a problem for us (East of the Mississippi mind you). I am quite pleased at how the Tow/Haul mode handled long 6% grades this summer in VA and WVA.........I made easy work of keeping up with a Dodge 2500 Cummins towing a heavier classic Avion both up and down hill.
Remember, 65 is plenty of speed while towing..........you don't have to run 75 mph and keep up with the Diesel Pushers, right?

Hope this helps.

[tomquinnjr]

One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is what is the GCWR of the truck you want. I have a 2015 F150 Lariet with the V8 and bigger gas tank. It has the tow package but not max tow package. I bought the F150 almost a year befire I decided to buy my 2016 International Signature 23D. Though I can tow 9,000 lbs., I am limited by the GCWR of 14,300 lbs. My payload is right about 1,770 lbs. The GVWR for my F150 is 7,000 lbs. The GVWR for my 23D is 6,000 fully loaded - therefore the GCWR is 13,000. I can go as big for a TT as a 25 footer with a GVWR of 7,300. I would like a 27 or 28 footer but with a 7,600 lb GVWR and fully loaded I would exceed the trucks GCWR by 300 lbs at 14,600 and would need a different truck. I know alot of people tow bigger trailers with the F150 and I'm not saying whose right or wrong, there are just alot of numbers to consider. I once had a F150 owner tell me that his GCWR was 17,000 lbs.

[turk123]

David has a very good idea. It is what I did when I bought my 250. Go to the dealer's fleet sales manager. Some dealers do not have one, go to a different dealer. Not only do they know their trucks, they can get you a better deal on one. You do not have to own your own business.

As an example, though the fleet guy, you can get the snow plower's package. Add an upgraded alternator to your truck for $80, and Ford will give you $1000 toward anything you add to the bed and it does not have to be a ford product. I produced a receipt for my cap, they sent me a check for $1000. That offer has been available for 16 years.

[purezen]

As usual, I researched both truck and trailer to death before ordering my Globetrotter, just a few weeks after purchasing a new F150. Unfortunately I was fixated on making sure I had more than enough towing capacity.

My 2018 F150 Platinum SuperCrew 4x4 3.5 EcoBoost has sunroof, hot/cold seats, power running boards, 360 cameras, navigation, BLIS, Carplay, USB ports galore and thanks to my superb research and insistence that I have the very best - 12700lbs of towing capacity through the max tow package.

I just forgot to check the sticker inside the door. If I had, I would have seen the max payload of 1438lbs.

Yes I can tow the crap out of the Globetrotter when it arrives early next year.

Once I hook up the trailer and its 850lb tongue weight, then load the F150 with bicycles, generator, chairs, wind chimes and everything else a newbie camper can acquire, I will have quite the view of my Globetrotter going down the highway - I will be running beside it to avoid exceeding the max payload.

OY VEY!