F150 thoughts

[deserteagle71]

The one drawback to such a nice truck is my wife keeps taking it. She has rationalizations but she really likes the truck. Her RDX is nice butI like my truck.

Two things I did add was a spray on bed liner and a backflip bed cover. I have been very happy with both of those.

I know a couple guys around here that have had the same problem! Buy a new truck and the wife likes it so much she just appropriates it. One of the guys ended up buying his wife her own F150.

I ordered my truck with the OEM spray-in bed liner, then I added a Dee-Zee bed mat to further protect the bed. After 3-1/2 years the bed still looks pristine, plus that bed mat is really "sticky" and stuff doesn't end up sliding around on it. I put an Extang Encore tri-fold cover over the bed that keeps out the rain and keeps stuff out of sight and out of mind for when I throw stuff in there when I'm in the big city shopping. And only takes about 2 minutes to remove when I want to haul the quad in the back. Speaking of the quad - that's why I insisted on the 6.5' bed - the quad fits in the back and I can still close the tailgate.

 

[downsizingnow48]

There is a huge discussion of paint chipping on the F150forum. Worth a visit.

 

[95XL883]

I know a couple guys around here that have had the same problem! Buy a new truck and the wife likes it so much she just appropriates it. One of the guys ended up buying his wife her own F150.

I have that in the back of my mind but I should not spend that type of money and she would just take the new one. :- I know when I am beat.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've got a 2014 F 150 Supercab 4wd with the 3.5 Ecoboost and a 3.31 axle ratio. I two 2-3 horses in a slant load trailer with tack storage up front pegging around 7000 lbs and my tractor and loader is pushing 8500 lbs with the trailer, I've never been hurting for power (lots of hills where I typically drag my horses off to).

I definetely recommend the 36 gallon tank, we now use my truck on long trips because it rides so well, this summer we went from the coast of Florida to 60 miles into IL where we live and used exactly 36 gallons of gas. The gas mileage I wish was a bit better but when turbos start spinning it doesn't make for fuel mileage increases. Towing my horse trailer I will get 10-12 mpg, empty on the highway at 55-60 mph I can get 22 mpg, 70-80 mph you will be looking at 17-19 depending on headwinds and hills. Everyday driving for me is in the 16-18 mpg range, 11 miles to work on country roads that about the time I hit 50 mph I am braking to turn.

The integrated brake controller is awesome. I've used cheap ones, I've used a Tekonsha, hands down the Ford oem one is the best I've ever used.

My dad recently purchased a '16 F150 4wd supercab with the 2.7L Ecoboost and in the two weeks he has owned it he is seeing about 2-3 mpg better than I am. He hasn't towed with it yet but from friends who have he same engine I wouldn't be afraid to haul the same loads I do. Unloaded the 2.7 is faster and more responsive than the 3.5, from what I've heard the 2.7 tows very well, the 3.5 has more torque. Both are fully capable of loads an F 150 should handle. Both of our trucks have the 6 speed transmissions.

I've had only Fords, the 5.4, 4.6, 5.8 and 7.5 V8's will not hold a candle to either Ecoboost engine.

 

[95XL883]

Thanks Pat. I will take a look.

There is a huge discussion of paint chipping on the F150forum. Worth a visit.

 

[KennyG]

I've never been a big fan of Consumers Reports. Although you can find all kinds of opinions on reliability it seems to me that all new vehicles are very reliable and they now have to magnify the differences to show some comparison.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

There is a huge discussion of paint chipping on the F150forum. Worth a visit.

I've had several 150's over the last ten years, no paint problems here. Maybe a gravel road issue?

 

[4570Man]

I've had several 150's over the last ten years, no paint problems here. Maybe a gravel road issue?

I’m sure people putting wheels like this on doesn’t help.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Lengthy discussion in that forum identifies lots of possible causes but no single definitive cause. Thin paint and thin clear coat to save money in recent years seems to be one possibility most folks would not think of.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a 18 F150 4x4 with the 2.7 and a 19 F150 with the 3.5. I'm really surprised how well the 2.7 drives and pulls a trailer. The heaviest I have towed with the 2.7 is about 6k and it was absolutely fine. I had 8k on the 3.5 and it pulled it like nothing. They both average 19-19.5 mpg with mixed driving ( not leadfoot ) They are both Extra cab with the 6.5 bed and I think the 3.5 may ride a little rougher when empty than the 2.7, but that one is a" sport" package with the shifter in the center console, the 2.7 is a STX package with less frills.

 

[95XL883]

R

I've had several 150's over the last ten years, no paint problems here. Maybe a gravel road issue?

From what I have read, the problem started occurring when the EPA mandated use of water- based paints. With lower speed in-town traffic or light use rural roads, I am not seeing any problem, but take on an interstate for several hundred miles and I will be touching up paint. Interestingly, my wife’s RDX, a 2011 pre-water based paint car doesn’t have that problem on the same roads. My old 2002 Ranger had 220,000 miles on it and didn’t have that problem. Where I am seeing the problem is on the front part of the hood.

 

[s219]

Water-borne paint has been in use for many years and by many other manufacturers without issues, so I don't think that is the issue (certainly not on the GM, Honda, and BMW products we have owned in that timeframe). In the case of the current generation F-150, it seems Ford cheaped out on the paint.

 

[deserteagle71]

Because I put hundreds of dirt road miles on my F150 each year, one of the first things I did when I bought the truck was to install Bushwacker flares. They, combined with the OEM running boards, keep everything off the paint. Also - wheel well liners to keep the gravel from removing the paint from inside the wheel wells.

Come May, I'll have been driving the truck 4 years. No paint problems yet.

 

[95XL883]

Water-borne paint has been in use for many years and by many other manufacturers without issues, so I don't think that is the issue (certainly not on the GM, Honda, and BMW products we have owned in that timeframe). In the case of the current generation F-150, it seems Ford cheaped out on the paint.

S219, thank you. Your point has been in the back of my mind; that are other manufacturers having the same problem. I only did enough research to figure out it was a common problem with F-150's. I wonder if Ford has the same problem with all or some of their other models. Unfortunately, I work 60 hours a week and haven't taken the time to find out. What really bothers me is the paint chipping has been going since, as I understand in at the 2016 model year. (Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.) If that is the case Ford should have it fixed by now.

To the OP, as I said, the paint chipping is my biggest complaint. If I had known a year ago what I know now, my first stop would have been a reputable tinter/filmer and I would have had the hood and front portions of the fenders filmed. (The filmer I went to put three "test" strips, basically scraps from another job on the most vulnerable part of my hood. Those areas have not had a recurrence. The decision I face now is can I live with the bumps showing in a complete film job or do I have to spend another $800 to have the hood painted.) I would still buy an F-150. My personal logic is in other respects the F-150 is very good vehicle, I am very hesitant to buy a GM product due to a very bad experience I had with GM in the past, I generally don't like the ride and feel of Dodge products (they may be very good vehicles; I just don't like them.) Good luck with your purchase decision. As some else said earlier, today's vehicles are much better than vehicles of 20 years ago.

 

[95XL883]

DesertEagle's post reminded me. The other aftermarket parts I added to my F-150 are Weathertech mudflaps and floor liners. I have the OEM running boards. I have not experienced any paint chipping on the sides of the vehicle.

DesertEagle, your ride looks good. Have fun on the 4-wheeler.

 

[dodge man]

I personally haven't seen more paint chipping on my F150 than any other vehicle I've owned. I tend not to follow people to closely. My son lives in Colorado and they don't use much salt, if any on the roads. They use sand and/or cinders on the roads. He owns a all wheel drive Chrysler 300 and I noticed he paint looks good on the front but his windshield looks terrible. Lots of little chips. I'd say paint chips depend a lot on how you drive and where you drive.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

R

From what I have read, the problem started occurring when the EPA mandated use of water- based paints. With lower speed in-town traffic or light use rural roads, I am not seeing any problem, but take on an interstate for several hundred miles and I will be touching up paint. Interestingly, my wife’s RDX, a 2011 pre-water based paint car doesn’t have that problem on the same roads. My old 2002 Ranger had 220,000 miles on it and didn’t have that problem. Where I am seeing the problem is on the front part of the hood.

Maybe... I do 90% highway miles with about 25 to 30,000 per year average at about 70mph. In my last six trucks from 2010 I have not had a paint issue. Ditto for my wife's last 3 trucks in that same time frame all local miles. Maybe the Platinum's get better paint??? :confused3:

 

[Tomtint]

For all of you that are concerned about stone chips, there are Paint Protection Films ( PPF ) on the market to the laminate that sort of damage. Typically used on sports cars that are low to the road and get hit with everything. There are also self healing PPF options on the market.. so if you rub someon the PPF and it scratches it, you can run a heat gun over it and the scratch will virtually disappear

 

[Tomtint]

Maybe... I do 90% highway miles with about 25 to 30,000 per year average at about 70mph. In my last six trucks from 2010 I have not had a paint issue. Ditto for my wife's last 3 trucks in that same time frame all local miles. Maybe the Platinum's get better paint??? :confused3:

My Platinum F350 is metallic white.. still looks like new. Have about 17k on it to date.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My Platinum F350 is metallic white.. still looks like new. Have about 17k on it to date.

My son just got a new 2020 350 Platinum in magnetic metallic, man that is one sharp looking truck... Platinum's seem to hold a ton of value.