Buying a Ford F-150

[Chris & Patricia]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

And if you see me at Canadian Tire or Rona I'll be parked way off in the corner by myself because I'll be paranoid that someone will open their door and dent my shiny new pride and joy.

BTW, speaking of seeing, do you happen to live near a steep hill well known for its backed up rush hour traffic?

Ron

Pretty close. We are about 6 blocks above Junction 17 on the upper levels. We never travel east if we don’t have to after about 2.30.

And yes, I know what you mean about parking far away. Cap Mall is the worst! What tonneau cover did you get. It looks sweet. Actually your whole truck looks sweet! Nice inside, leather and good deep console in the middle and I see they gave you decent mats for the floor. And it’s very shiny!

[gbaglo]

Took me three or four months to find my last used vehicle, and I had help from a guy who did Ford leasing training so he had contacts at all the dealerships.
I wanted a Ford Explorer without bells and whistles, but super clean. I figured I didn't want all those electric motors and such.

Got the call that he had a vehicle in mind. A meticulous owner had just traded on a new Explorer. Not quite what I had in mind - Eddie Bauer Edition - power everything.

I kept it for 10 years and nothing broke. Gave it to my daughter and it blew a head gasket.

[MyronL]

It's a beaut, Ron. Our new truck quickly became our daily driver - they're really limos in disguise. Like that stiff, sectional fold up tonneau cover.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Chris & Patricia

Pretty close. We are about 6 blocks above Junction 17 on the upper levels. We never travel east if we don’t have to after about 2.30.

And yes, I know what you mean about parking far away. Cap Mall is the worst! What tonneau cover did you get. It looks sweet. Actually your whole truck looks sweet! Nice inside, leather and good deep console in the middle and I see they gave you decent mats for the floor. And it’s very shiny!

OK so you're not where I thought you might be. I see an Escape parked in a lane off the well known backed up road. Don't know who they are.

"gave you decent floor mats" aka my wife's a good negotiator and yes they're very nice mats. Took the carpet ones out. Have to go back next week and get the 4 mudguards that also got thrown in.

The cover is the Undercover ArmorFlex. I wanted to make my own as I did for the Ranger but someone laid down the law. Guess I just ruled out a 5.0TA anytime soon.

Originally Posted by MyronL

It's a beaut, Ron. Our new truck quickly became our daily driver - they're really limos in disguise. Like that stiff, sectional fold up tonneau cover.

Yah, it feels like a limo compared to some of the bare bones work truck level pickups that I've had in the past.

I think that I can measure my progress in the distance my head is from the rear window. In my first compact truck I could tilt my head very slightly back and it would touch the rear window. Not even a headrest. How things have changed.

Well, we had the first frost last night. Guess I'm going to have to open the manual and see how to turn on the rear window defrost and the mirror defrost.

Ron

[John in Santa Cruz]

heh, I still have my 1965 F100, totally stripped base model truck with a 300CID I6 and 3-on-the-tree ... the seat belts have the old 'atomic era' style Sears Roebuck logo on them as I don't think the truck came with belts from the factory. the heater knob is a bowden cable directly connected to the heater valve under the hood... AC? whats that? roll down the windows and open the wind vents!

I really should sell it to someone who'd restore it and drive it, its been parked for years in my driveway neglected.

huge difference between that and my 2002 F250 XLT, hah. and the newest trucks are even more full of 'luxo' content and digital touch screen infotainment nonsense.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

...and the newest trucks are even more full of 'luxo' content and digital touch screen infotainment nonsense.

Nonsense to some, but nice to have for others. When I'm on a long road trip the satellite radio is nice, and GPS is indispensable since I always seem to be in an unfamiliar town. Tech is not automatically bad, and to be honest it kind of irks me whenever the word nonsense is applied to it like a blanket. Besides John, I know you don't believe it's all nonsense based on numerous posts to the contrary.

[davidmurphy02]

I still have a love-hate relationship with my new 2019 Ram. Initially I was very resistant to all the new tech stuff, but after driving it for a few months I have to admit that some of that tech is very handy and useful. Certainly the new truck is really comfortable and on long road trips that will be nice. I guess my biggest complaint with trucks now is that they have become so huge - I'm still driving my 1998 Ram as a work truck and it feels so much smaller and more maneuverable and the visibility is much better. Wish I could have my old truck's body with the drive train, power and comfort of the new one!

I tend to keep vehicles a long time, now in year 21 with my old truck. The potential problems, especially years from now, with all the complicated and presumably very expensive tech on the new truck was a concern, so I bought a lifetime unlimited full warranty from Ram, if I'd had one on my old truck it would have certainly way more than paid for itself. Ram (FCA) was the only company selling a lifetime unlimited mileage extended warranty, and this month they stopped offering it so I got mine just in the nick of time. They still offer several variations of extended warranties for set periods like the other big manufacturers do.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

heh, I still have my 1965 F100, totally stripped base model truck with a 300CID I6 and 3-on-the-tree ...

We had a flat-bed farm truck with that engine. But ours had a four-on-the-floor with that really low "granny" first gear. I remember it well. I liked that truck.


I'm a bit concerned about the long-term durability of electronics as well, since I tend to keep a vehicle a long time. And if you have a built-in GPS, do you have to pay for map upgrades? That would be a turn-off for me.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I think that I can measure my progress in the distance my head is from the rear window. In my first compact truck I could tilt my head very slightly back and it would touch the rear window. Not even a headrest. How things have changed.
Ron

Remember the gas tank behind the seat?

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

And if you have a built-in GPS, do you have to pay for map upgrades? That would be a turn-off for me.

I'm pretty sure that with any of the built in navigation systems you do have to pay for periodic updates....which I presume also means that the map info is not updated except every few years. I didn't get the navigation system in my truck, opted to stick with Google maps on my phone which I am already used to using. I don't know about other makes, but our Ram has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that link your phone to the truck's computer and will display Google Maps or whatever else you are using on your dashboard screen.

[gbaglo]

My buddy discovered that Toyota only updates maps once a year and that they charge $250 for western US and Canada and another $250 for eastern US and Canada.
As for unlimited lifetime warranty, are you sure Chrysler/Fiat is going to be around in 20 years?

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

As for unlimited lifetime warranty, are you sure Chrysler/Fiat is going to be around in 20 years?

Heck, I'm not sure I'll be around in 20 years

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

our Ram has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that link your phone to the truck's computer and will display Google Maps or whatever else you are using on your dashboard screen.

So if it will display the CoPilot app from a phone to the truck's screen, then the problem is solved. CoPilot map updates are free, so far. CoPilot itself cost me $20 years ago; I don't know its current price.

[cpaharley2008]

True, but unless you have unlimited data, gps is a better source. BTW Fiat/Ram sent me a request for map upgrade for my 2014 Ram, $149 thank you very much, NOT!!

[Mike Lewis]

CoPilot is a GPS app that contains its own (2GB) map and doesn't require an Internet connection for operation. I currently use it on an Android tablet mounted on a floor mount in my truck when traveling.

[cpaharley2008]

I always thought the GPS in cell phones use triangulation and without service not workable via satellite gps.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I always thought the GPS in cell phones use triangulation and without service not workable via satellite gps.

Both my phone and my tablet have their own GPS receivers. My tablet has no cellular data connection of its own. Triangulation is not that precise.


Years ago I initially had CoPilot installed on a cellphone. I used it to locate a monument in the New Mexico desert via lat-long coordinates. It gave me directions like "go 50 feet, turn right.... go 100 feet, turn left..." and took me right to it. I was amazed.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I always thought the GPS in cell phones use triangulation and without service not workable via satellite gps.

Location can be determined to some extent using cell tower locations; that a navigation feature, but it is unrelated to GPS.

Unfortunately, as recently discussed, mobile phones have traditionally had only Assisted GPS, meaning that they depend on network servers to help them determine location from the signals which the phone receives from the GPS satellites; that makes them non-functional for location when off of the mobile network. I wouldn't want to depend on a phone as a navigation device without first confirming that it has GPS which is fully functional off of the mobile network. Even if the GPS works, it won't have maps when off of the network unless they're saved (for that area) on the phone.

[Vermilye]

While Apple & Google maps do not show when you don't have cell service (unless you have downloaded the maps for the area you are traveling), the GPS function, if the tablet & phone has one, works fine without cell service, at least for the Apple products I've used.

Both a iPhone 7+ & 10, as well as a cell phone equipped iPad will provide accurate locations using the GPS alone. Apple only includes the GPS chip in their cell phone equipped iPads, at least with the generation I own.

If you want a routing app that will work without cell connections, as Mike mentioned, CoPilot includes the maps with the app. Obviously, it requires a GPS equipped phone or tablet.

[cpaharley2008]

Thanks Brian, that was what I was trying to say, that cellular is not as good as GPS. Anyway, it is better to have both if possible although sometimes I have lost the GPS signal out west and my last cellular carrier- TMobile was really bad out West, "NS" did not mean north/south!! Consumer cellular is much better