New Ford F150

[ovrszd]

Our gang was just talking about this yesterday. 30 years ago 1/2 ton trucks were bought and worked hard/heavy. The majority of farm trucks were 1/2 ton. That's all changed now. It's rare to see a farmer with a 1/2 ton. If so, he uses it for a car.

As to the F150, I'll go out on a limb and state that 95% of units bought are never used as a truck. I'm not talking about a trip to Home Depot to haul six bags of mulch. I'm talking about loading to or above the load rating of the truck. The F150 has become a status symbol for those people and spends it's life as a grocery getter. For those buyers the weight loss translates into better fuel economy with the smaller engines.

Now for the other 5%. They are going to be driven closer to the leap into a 3/4 ton or larger truck. For those buyers the load capacity of the truck is however many pounds of said materials will fit into the bed. Those buyers are more like Eddie. They use theirs as a truck and leave the grocery getting to the family mini van. For these buyers, the day is coming quickly when they'll be forced into the heavier trucks.

 

[s219]

For me, having an 8ft bed was the deal breaker compared to the other brands. I just couldn't find a half ton truck with that bed and an extra cab. I use my truck for work, and if it existed, I'd want a ten foot bed!!! I don't know how anybody can live with those little 6.5 and 5.5 foot beds. It's comical seeing them load up their trucks at the lumber stores.

You said it man!

 

[downsizingnow48]

For 30 years I drove 3/4 and 1 ton pickups with 8 ft beds. And often thought of buying a 12 ft flatbed. Now I have a F150 crewcab with 5.5 ft bed and ladder rack, it makes a useful multi purpose vehicle. So I can see both sides of this question. I still look at every work truck on the road though. Compared to years past, what I see is a lot more 1/2 tons and Toyotas, loaded to the max, with as many guys as possible jammed in, and increasingly with a trailer as EddieWalker says. I think the rising cost of vehicles and gas has to be shifting the calculation toward heavier use of small trucks.

And to return to OP question, I think having a bigger payload in the F150 will make it more attractive for both work and recreational use.

 

[s219]

I just read everything I could find about the new F-150, and it looks to be a real winner. Be interesting to see how the smaller 2.7 V6 EcoBoost is -- that is an awful small displacement for a 1/2 ton, so I suspect there will be doubters.

I noticed they are having a contest where you can enter to be filmed test driving a new 2015 model, and they want you to submit a short writeup describing what you would do and why it would show how tough the truck is. Compared to what most people use their Barbie trucks for, I suspect many of us on TBN could easily win a spot in this contest. Only trouble I saw is that you don't actually win anything other than having to put up with a film crew and do whatever they tell you for a day or so. Looks like a contest for the attention-craving Facebook crowd....

 

[ovrszd]

Compared to years past, what I see is a lot more 1/2 tons and Toyotas, loaded to the max, with as many guys as possible jammed in, and increasingly with a trailer as EddieWalker says.

It's just the opposite here. All blue collar worker crews are driving 3/4T and up. The 1/2T crowd is retired or 30-somethings mall cruising. Seems to be the same whether I go to Kansas City or Des Moines or cruise Interstate Hiway 35 between the two. Very rare to see an F150 with anything resembling work use. No dents, no dirt, no toolbox, no rock chips. Most have the yuppy vinyl cargo cover or color matched fiberglass cover.

 

[sld]

It's just the opposite here. All blue collar worker crews are driving 3/4T and up. The 1/2T crowd is retired or 30-somethings mall cruising. Seems to be the same whether I go to Kansas City or Des Moines or cruise Interstate Hiway 35 between the two. Very rare to see an F150 with anything resembling work use. No dents, no dirt, no toolbox, no rock chips. Most have the yuppy vinyl cargo cover or color matched fiberglass cover.

You paint with a pretty broad brush. Most people have one vehicle that serves all purposes. If you "need" a truck 8-10 times a year that's what you buy. Just because it's clean or has no dents does not mean it doesn't work.

Before kids, I had a truck and a car. Perfect combo. Now I just have a truck. And that truck solves the problem of what I may need twice a year. Hauling firewood is the heaviest job it has to do. My boat and camper are relatively light. Why wouldn't I buy something that serves all purposes? Commuting, family hauling, fun to drive, etc....And, since I take pride in what I own, they are spotless whenever possible.

 

[ovrszd]

You paint with a pretty broad brush. Most people have one vehicle that serves all purposes. If you "need" a truck 8-10 times a year that's what you buy. Just because it's clean or has no dents does not mean it doesn't work.

Before kids, I had a truck and a car. Perfect combo. Now I just have a truck. And that truck solves the problem of what I may need twice a year. Hauling firewood is the heaviest job it has to do. My boat and camper are relatively light. Why wouldn't I buy something that serves all purposes? Commuting, family hauling, fun to drive, etc....And, since I take pride in what I own, they are spotless whenever possible.

I totally agree with all you say. Where we differ is our personal definition of a work truck. No big deal. You are the perfect candidate for an F150. And you fall in the 95% category of users by your own description of what you do with your truck. Brush, brush, brush.

 

[Code54]

I do see everyones points but also feel it a truck is nice it does not mean it does not work. I have a ¾ ton diesel. Do I needed it often, no, but the times I do I have it. I don't drive a lot of miles a year so i personally don't care about the cost of fuel and such but I do care about being able to do what i want. 90% of the time I could use a ½ ton to run to home depot and get stuff but when it works, it works. Would you be able to tell that looking at it. Nope. The other day I got stuck out in a field and had to get a tractor to pull me out - on the way home I want and washed it. In the summer I wash it weekly. The other day I noticed one of my turn signal lens in the mirror had a rock crack it. Soon as I am done with this message I will order a new one and replace it this weekend. Why - because I like the truck clean and nice. It is not only the item that hauls my tractor, pulls a track hoe now and then, and lets me go hunting, it is also what the kids, wife and I take to go out to dinner because it is roomy and comfortable.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I really like the looks and the bold look. I am disappointed there is no 8 speed auto.

Chris

 

[Scooby074]

Looks very Toyota-ish

Im impressed with the weight loss,, But what'll Ford do with all that rust-proof Aluminium.. That has to hurt future sales

Maybe Ford has come out with an all new, rusting aluminum alloy:laughing: Gotta keep up tradition and all that.