2011 Ford F-150 FX4

[D_Eclipse9916]

[quote="Jake"]


/quote]

:thumbup:

[WRXtranceformed]

The other option is to do what Ford did if you ordered a backup camera. They made the Ford logo on the tailgate thicker, and installed a camera on the underside:

Yes do that one!

[PDenbigh]

Jake, I think you'll love that truck. I really enjoy mine. The biggest pick I have with mine is that it errors on the side of fuel economy too much. Particularly the drive-by-wire throttle. When I mash it to pass, it's as if the truck is going "Oh, I see you have mashed the throttle to the floor. Are you aware of the fuel economy implications this might have? If you accept these implications, please maintain full pressure on the throttle. Ok, I see you must need full power, let me downshift one gear to see if that's enough. Not enough huh? Ok, here you go, full power."

When what I want is "Power request delivered. Burn fuel burn!"

I think I can solve that with a tuner. But that's a slippery slope for me with two turbos.

Also, look into "lockpic" for Sync. It'll let you do some stuff you might find useful.

+1million on the backup camera. It makes life so much easier. I've seen some aftermarket ford-emblem cameras, even on Amazon I think. The placement of the ford emblem version does make it so hooking up a trailer is nearly brainless. It will be some of the best money you spend on the truck.

I've learned that tire size has a big impact on fuel economy. I never really paid attention until I "expected" better fuel economy in my pickup... but I went in favor of "get me over the snowy mountains" tire size/tread pattern and I lost ~4-5 mpg. Whoops.

You might *consider* a full topper vs. tonneau cover. "ARE" makes the best toppers. I'm disappointed with my Leer. Toppers add a huge amount of utility to the truck and make moving stuff around way easier. Good for dogs or disobedient/drunk friends too. It's always enclosed and rainproof and you can kinda walk around in it w/o having to expose everything by opening the tonneau or doing a belly crawl to reach something in the back. They're still removable if you need to move something tall of course, but do weigh 150-200lbs. I have a topper with a slight rise to it - not so much I look like a grandpa, but "that extra 6" makes a huge difference."

I also installed a switch so I can turn on LED lights in the bed - highly recommended. I put a 12V socket back there while I was at it too.

If you want to go pimp, you can also get these two things (I'm not yet pimp):
Lock mechanism: locks the tailgate with the rest of the doors:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C19DNM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=RZ00IFTYR1PC&coliid=I32TCKBUP2M7LP">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C19DNM/ref ... CKBUP2M7LP</a><!-- m -->

Tailgait Dropper: Smooth like butter:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PWA0IO?keywords=ford%20tailgate%20assist&qid=1453124133&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PW ... 1_1&sr=8-1</a><!-- m --> (Research before buying to ensure it fits)

And of course you need a LED light bar, because pickup truck. (half kidding - it does fit in that lower front bumper slot really well)

Enjoy!
Peter

[PDenbigh]

PS on the topper - I have a shelf built so I can lay down a sleeping pad and sleep back there. Even diagonal you might not fit though. I did the extended cab 6.5' bed route. Makes for some fun adventures waking up at the base of a great hike/etc though.

[Jake]

Wow Pete, thanks for all the great info! Mine seems a bit less economy-minded than the Ecoboost trucks I've driven. It is interesting though, to click the SelectShift thing and throw the gear display up on the dash to see what it's doing. The V8 has surprisingly strong acceleration in 4th and 5th and for most passing maneuvers hasn't downshifted beyond that. But, if I do mat it, it'll happily (and quickly) drop down to the lowest gear it can ASAP. No lag.

I've put ~250 miles on it so far and average MPG is around 14.5, including a lot of commuting miles in and around DC. The Denali would do 12 in the same situation.

Heading out here shortly for my first tow with it, to get the M3 caged. I've heard the integrated brake controller is even better than the Prodigy controllers that everyone loves (that I had before) so we shall see.

[PDenbigh]

No problem! Glad yours is a better listener.

Yeah - the integrated BC is way better than my prodigy in the old F150. It integrates with pedal travel vs inertia, so it actually stops based on what your foot is doing/asking vs. how quickly you're stopping (friction limited). Nice for wet roads and panic stops, and way smoother overall.

Be sure to set your trailer up in the dashboard to track mileage. Mostly useless but fun nonetheless. Have you found that 4x4 display that shows your angles, steering, etc? Cool feature.

Peter

[.RJ]

I think I can solve that with a tuner. But that's a slippery slope for me with two turbos.

[Jake]

No problem! Glad yours is a better listener.

Yeah - the integrated BC is way better than my prodigy in the old F150. It integrates with pedal travel vs inertia, so it actually stops based on what your foot is doing/asking vs. how quickly you're stopping (friction limited). Nice for wet roads and panic stops, and way smoother overall.

Be sure to set your trailer up in the dashboard to track mileage. Mostly useless but fun nonetheless. Have you found that 4x4 display that shows your angles, steering, etc? Cool feature.

Peter

Oh yes, I found that! The 4x4 display is super neat and 100% useless.

Took the M3 off to get caged this afternoon and was surprised at how much better this is vs. the Denali with the same trailer/load on the back. I'm guessing the longer wheelbase helps a bit with stability, and the integrated brake controller is so much smoother, particularly at low speeds. Really, really pleased with the way it all works so far.

I did set up the trailer "memory" in the truck's info screen, so it will track the mileage. Will be neat to see how much I tow this year, and good for records as far as tire wear and stuff.

Other cool feature - the "tap to pass" turn signal automatically changes from three blinks when unloaded, to five blinks when the trailer wiring is plugged in.



Guess we'll see how she does in the snow if the forecast comes true this week!

[Senor_Taylor]

If I was you, I'd buy some sand bags or throw some kind of weight against the rear of the cab unless you want to star in next Northern Virginia Drift movie. Trucks in my opinion aren't as good as an SUV for *light* snow because of the weight distribution and the fact that you can't be in 4wd unless your tires are really slipping.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[CaptainHenreh]

If I was you, I'd buy some sand bags or throw some kind of weight against the rear of the cab unless you want to star in next Northern Virginia Drift movie. Trucks in my opinion aren't as good as an SUV for *light* snow because of the weight distribution and the fact that you can't be in 4wd unless your tires are really slipping.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

So you can add some weight to pendulum for the dorifto contest?

[Jake]

I can leave some wheels/tires in the bed if I need to. And my old E36 door. And whatever else I have from the BMW that is occupying my basement.

[HAULN-SS]

I usually shovel the driveway into the bed of the truck, if you're leaving after it has already snowed..takes care of itself in a couple days

[PDenbigh]

(A topper takes care of the weight distribution too)

[Senor_Taylor]

So you can add some weight to pendulum for the dorifto contest?

If I was you, I'd buy some sand bags or throw some kind of weight against the rear of the cab

some kind of weight against the rear of the cab

weight against the rear of the cab

rear of the cab

Biggest mistake someone can make is putting weight rear of the axle.

[Ryan T]

Way to go Jake, just saunter out a week after talking trucks with a few of us and buy the exact truck I want!

Seriously though, great buy, looks awesome!

[Jake]

Okay so with snow coming up... someone explain to me how to four-wheel-drive without blowing anything up.

I have 4 High, 4 Low, and I can pull the switch out in either High or Low to electronically lock the rear diff.



I suspect in snow, 4 High with the diff UNlocked will be fine to get around. Can I leave 4 High engaged while making turns, so long as I'm not on dry pavement?

[V1GiLaNtE]

Depends on the 4High Jake. Is it a full time or part time? I would imagine yours is part time. Either way you are fine to drive around And yes, leave it unlocked unless you get stuck.. :thumbup:

Part-time Mode - The front and rear axle drives are rigidly coupled in the transfer case. Since the driveline does not permit any speed differentiation between the axles and would cause driveline wind-up, this mode is recommended only for ‘part-time’ use in off-road or loose surface conditions where driveline wind-up is unlikely. Depending on the road condition and the weight over the axles, up to full torque could go to either axle.


Full-time Mode - Both axles are driven at all times, but an inter-axle differential permits the axles to turn at different speeds as needed. This allows the vehicle to be driven ‘full-time’ in this mode, irrespective of the nature of the road surface, without fear of driveline wind-up. With standard bevel gear differentials the torque split is 50:50. Planetary differentials can provide asymmetric torque splits as needed. A system that operates permanently in the full-time mode is sometimes called the ‘All-the-Time 4WD’, 'All-Wheel-Drive' or ‘AWD’. If the inter-axle differential is locked out, then the mode reverts to a ‘part-time mode’.

Edit: Fun little video from Ferd.

[youtube]pUeV3Aumulw[/youtube]

[Senor_Taylor]

You can drive in 4hi or 4 lo as long as your wheel have some room to slip. Lo vs Hi makes no difference except for the gear ratio. So you won't be able to go as fast. No reason to be in low unless you're really stuck. As long as there is a solid covering of snow, you're fine to be in 4wd.

You're in luck because you have an electronic selector so it won't be a big deal.

[V1GiLaNtE]

As a side note.. Ice Fishing?

[Jake]

Thank you Cabell, that "My First 4x4" video is what I really needed

And yes... ice fishing should probably occur sometime this weekend.