Convince Me (Spend My Money) - F-150 Edition

[Kojak]

Oh, she knows how. She just thinks the backup assist will help her. I'm all for anything that gets her on the water more often. 

[hethj7]

Sharp setup.  I think you will really like the F150.  

[Pnwrider]

On 4/15/2021 at 7:17 AM, justgary said:

Please elaborate....

With the 36 gallon tank, F150s will not start with 1/4 tank of fuel on a slope. In my case, my driveway. The response from Ford engineers, “leave it with more fuel in it”. 

[justgary]

1 hour ago, Pnwrider said:

With the 36 gallon tank, F150s will not start with 1/4 tank of fuel on a slope. In my case, my driveway. The response from Ford engineers, “leave it with more fuel in it”. 

Oh boy!  I usually park on the hill at our lake place. 

[Pnwrider]

1 hour ago, justgary said:

Oh boy!  I usually park on the hill at our lake place. 

Lots of documented issues online and on the forums. If you have issues, in my experience, my dealer was great but Ford corporate fought me right until the end. Allowed me to get an extra 18k miles out of a free truck though. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Pnwrider
Typo

[justgary]

7 hours ago, Pnwrider said:

Lots of documented issues online and on the forums. If you have issues, in my experience, my dealer was great but Ford corporate fought me right until the end. Allowed me to get an extra 18k miles out of a free truck though. 

Interesting.  Thanks for letting me know.

From what I read on the internet, this could be partly alleviated with a small semicircular baffle just in front of the pickup.  But at some point, it does become important to get more fuel.  They really have no choice these days but to put the tank in between the frame beams, so that makes the 36 gallon tank long and thin. 

My 1983 F-150 had two tanks and a switch on the dash.  It was always fun to let one run out with somebody riding with me and switch it after the engine stumbled.  If I was going over about 20 MPH, the engine would usually prime and go again within a few seconds of coasting.  Meanwhile the passenger was freaking out about running out of gas.

[Kojak]

Yesterday I towed the boat seven hours to it's new home. I was completely blown away by how well the Ecoboost tows. It was like there wasn't even a trailer there at all.  Acceleration was very smooth and almost effortless. It was totally different than towing with my old Ram. I commented multiple times to my wife about how impressed I was with it's towing ability. In fact, I said it so much that it became a joke between us. 

My limited experience with Ford prior to this made me very apprehensive about this purchase. I have been completely won over! Many thanks to those that commented. You convinced me. 

[Slayer]

20 minutes ago, Kojak said:

Yesterday I towed the boat seven hours to it's new home. I was completely blown away by how well the Ecoboost tows. It was like there wasn't even a trailer there at all.  Acceleration was very smooth and almost effortless. It was totally different than towing with my old Ram. I commented multiple times to my wife about how impressed I was with it's towing ability. In fact, I said it so much that it became a joke between us. 

My limited experience with Ford prior to this made me very apprehensive about this purchase. I have been completely won over! Many thanks to those that commented. You convinced me. 

Congratulations!  It's an impressive rig, no question. 

Did it sag much under the load of the boat?  I'd be interested in seeing a picture if you have one.  I think you have the shorter 145" wheelbase.  Just curious.  The one I have now is the first I've had with the longer wheel base and the 6.5' bed.  I've noted a much different towing experience with this one over my former EB F-150's.  In my former 145" wheelbase truck I experienced considerable sag towing my '17 22VLX.  While I also noticed sag with the 157" wheelbase I have now, it was much less than what I experienced with the 145.  I've since leveled the truck and still retain 3/4" of rake from the factory 3" rake it had and I now sag 1" =/- when hooked up to our new 23SLV.  Interested to hear what your experience is here. 

Another thing worthy of note....the ride on the factory rig is pretty plush.  Also, the factory rear shocks are garbage.  The struts are not as bad.  I replaced everything on my 2019 at 5,000 miles with Bilstein 5100 ride height adjustable struts in the front and matching 5100 shocks in the rear.  The improvement was tremendous.  The ride becomes slightly more stiff, but much more confident.  This combination (I have the front set up for 2" of lift using the ride height adjustable strut) virtually eliminated body roll in corners, nose dive under hard braking conditions, and back end wash out on bumpy washboard type dirt roads.  

I added Timbren SES springs also.  When towing the VLX, the sag was such that as soon as the boat was hooked to the truck the Timbren would contact the axle plate.  When I hook up to the 23LSV there's 3/4" clearance between the Timbren spring and axle plate.  There seems to be less tongue weight with the 23LSV.  In either case, much as you suggest, the truck tows very well for a 1/2 ton.  Very impressive.  I'll be taking ours on an 8 hour one way run in June with the boat and I'm looking forward to how well it performs. 

 

Congrats again.  I hope you get many good miles under your belt....

 

 

[Kojak]

@SlayerThere is a little bit of sag but not much. Check out the pic on the previous page. 

[Slayer]

Looks awesome!  I missed that pic @Kojak

Love your boat BTW.

[oldjeep]

On 4/18/2021 at 10:01 PM, Pnwrider said:

With the 36 gallon tank, F150s will not start with 1/4 tank of fuel on a slope. In my case, my driveway. The response from Ford engineers, “leave it with more fuel in it”. 

You're holding it wrong ! 

[justgary]

@Slayer- Are you doing this shock/spring/strut work on trucks with the max tow package?  My new truck sits about 1" higher at the ball than the old one did, and I don't get nearly as much squat either.  We towed the toy hauler about 5 hours each way recently and I found that I was getting just a little more sway than I used to.  I had to add tongue weight and experiment with the WHD a little bit.

[Slayer]

1 minute ago, justgary said:

@Slayer- Are you doing this shock/spring/strut work on trucks with the max tow package?  My new truck sits about 1" higher at the ball than the old one did, and I don't get nearly as much squat either.  We towed the toy hauler about 5 hours each way recently and I found that I was getting just a little more sway than I used to.  I had to add tongue weight and experiment with the WHD a little bit.

Sure did.  This is the first one I've done anything to. I did the Timbren's because it was an inexpensive solution with the VLX.  I'll add that it not only assisted with sag, but when they engage over poorly maintained roads, the truck is more confident under load with them vs without.  And yes, this truck does have the max tow packaged and what I've done to it as done nothing but improve it. 

[Sixball]

I am surprised I haven't gotten tickets with the Eco's. If I don't use speed control I find myself going way faster then I think  I am.  I sold all my V8's after driving the Ecos. 

[granddaddy55]

21 minutes ago, Sixball said:

I am surprised I haven't gotten tickets with the Eco's. If I don't use speed control I find myself going way faster then I think  I am.  I sold all my V8's after driving the Ecos. 

boy is this true, your at 80-85 before you know it , i have to use it plus it seems uncomfortable and too much effort to hold that speed with ankle and foot 

[granddaddy55]

On 4/21/2021 at 8:11 AM, justgary said:

@Slayer- Are you doing this shock/spring/strut work on trucks with the max tow package?  My new truck sits about 1" higher at the ball than the old one did, and I don't get nearly as much squat either.  We towed the toy hauler about 5 hours each way recently and I found that I was getting just a little more sway than I used to.  I had to add tongue weight and experiment with the WHD a little bit.

with my higher ball on the 150 after it sagged to level hooked up, it took 200 lead in bow to make it perfect tongue weight 

[granddaddy55]

On 4/21/2021 at 6:55 AM, Kojak said:

Yesterday I towed the boat seven hours to it's new home. I was completely blown away by how well the Ecoboost tows. It was like there wasn't even a trailer there at all.  Acceleration was very smooth and almost effortless. It was totally different than towing with my old Ram. I commented multiple times to my wife about how impressed I was with it's towing ability. In fact, I said it so much that it became a joke between us. 

My limited experience with Ford prior to this made me very apprehensive about this purchase. I have been completely won over! Many thanks to those that commented. You convinced me. 

never had a Ford till the 16’ 2.7, one year later bought the wife an  ‘18 vert GT with 10 speed and the cool digital dash, Wow!!! wish i had that ten speed in my truck but still great without it.  i have gone darkside and i’m  never coming back!

Edited April 22, 2021 by granddaddy55

[granddaddy55]

On 4/18/2021 at 5:45 PM, Kojak said:

Oh, she knows how. She just thinks the backup assist will help her. I'm all for anything that gets her on the water more often. 

if you are a trailer pro, assist makes you look like a rookie, on the other hand the rookies immediately look like pros 

[Kojak]

I'm officially a Ford guy now. I promised my wife a new car after we moved and she chose a 2019 Ford Edge ST, loaded with everything. We picked it up today at Republic Ford in Republic, Missouri. It was the best experience I've had at a dealership that I can remember. 

With my wife's Edge, my daughter's Escape, and my F-150, we now have an entire fleet of Ford vehicles. 

And no thread is complete without a pic.

Edited June 10, 2021 by Kojak

[06malibu]

Congrats! Those St’s are sweet!

[Slayer]

9 hours ago, Kojak said:

I'm officially a Ford guy now. I promised my wife a new car after we moved and she chose a 2019 Ford Edge ST, loaded with everything. We picked it up today at Republic Ford in Republic, Missouri. It was the best experience I've had at a dealership that I can remember. 

With my wife's Edge, my daughter's Escape, and my F-150, we now have an entire fleet of Ford vehicles. 

And no thread is complete without a pic.

That's great!  Like @06malibusaid, the ST rigs are pretty cool.  Congrats!!  

[martinarcher]

Very nice!  All sweet rides.  Just bought my mother in law a new Escape and even it scoots!  Nothing like the 3.5 in the F150 but that little 250hp 2.0 makes it a fun car.  

 

The 3.5 Ecoboost is so hard to describe to someone....and have them believe you.     I had the same reservations about a V6 truck, you just have to experience it.  

[granddaddy55]

1 hour ago, martinarcher said:

Very nice!  All sweet rides.  Just bought my mother in law a new Escape and even it scoots!  Nothing like the 3.5 in the F150 but that little 250hp 2.0 makes it a fun car.  

 

The 3.5 Ecoboost is so hard to describe to someone....and have them believe you.     I had the same reservations about a V6 truck, you just have to experience it.  

wish they would have putbthe 2.7 twin eco in the mustang, wife test drove the 2.4 single and returned to dealership after making the block with a one word  comment, “dog”.  it was 5.0 and 10 speed after that, i think i could have dold her on a 2.7 pony

Edited June 10, 2021 by granddaddy55

[justgary]

1 hour ago, martinarcher said:

The 3.5 Ecoboost is so hard to describe to someone....and have them believe you.     I had the same reservations about a V6 truck, you just have to experience it.  

Exactly.  I have still not floored my truck from a standstill, but I did pass a few cars backed up behind a dude with a trailer the other day on a hilly backroad.  Not much room in the passing lane before the next hilltop, so I floored it.  Got to 95 as I passed the third car....

[martinarcher]

32 minutes ago, justgary said:

Exactly.  I have still not floored my truck from a standstill, but I did pass a few cars backed up behind a dude with a trailer the other day on a hilly backroad.  Not much room in the passing lane before the next hilltop, so I floored it.  Got to 95 as I passed the third car....

Giddyap!!!