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Old 12-27-2016, 08:23 PM   #1
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Out with the GMC, in with the Ford!

Up to this year, I've been towing with my old 1998 GMC K2500 6.5 Turbo Diesel:





It gets it done without any real fuss out on the road and all the numbers work out, but you can tell it's working pretty hard to do it and we have to be careful with our loading.

I've had to put one new engine in it and it's also been a constant stream of those little things breaking in all those little ways that older vehicles do that just pee-s you off.

Final straw was last week when the wiper drive popped off it's linkage down in the wiper cowl and the driver wiper stopped halfway up while the passenger side merrily attempted to beat itself to death on the stopped wiper. Then, with no warning the driver wiper whipped up and off the window, flopping over the drivers door frame and jamming me inside. Well, one major pee fit and and bent to crap wiper arm later I had finally had enough of the old thing.

It was now past my pain tolerance, both in my peace of mind and in my pocket book.

The truck had to go!

Now I'm military (RCAF) and being forced retired as my body is just too beat up to do SAR any longer. Can't complain, it's been a long rewarding career and the benefits package is very generous. Between benefits and my own pension, I'm basically pensioned off at 90% of my current wage. I can basically retire at just over 50 and not have to work unless I want/am able to. I'm probably so busted up that I won't be able to work anyways.

I wanted a good vehicle I could be comfortable in, be happy with and keep for another 10-20 years. Probably be my last vehicle as I might not even be able/allowed to drive in 20 years the way my body is going!

I wanted to go back to a Ford and I've been pretty impressed with my friends who drive EcoBoost trucks. They must have some kind of black magic or made a deal with the devil the way that V6 tows!

We started looking for a used one, something 3-5 years old or so. Everything was either not optioned the way we wanted it, a piece of crap or badly overpriced for what it was.

So we started looking at new. We came across a 2016 model that was used as a demonstrator. IOW: it was the new car sales managers vehicle.

They had loaded it up for the purpose of using as a demo at car showings and PR events. It was perfect, just what I wanted:

2016 F-150, 3.5 EcoBoost 6 speed. SuperCrew, 6.5' box. 4x4 (with select-able AWD). Lariat (502A). Sport trim. Max Trailer tow option (11,600 lb trailer). Panoramic sunroof, Spray in bedliner, 36 gallon tank, Pro Trailer backup assist, bed step, backup cameras, power folding mirrors, heated/cooled leather seats, Sync 3 (with navigation), etc, etc....you'd have to go to the "Platinum" King Ranch or "Limited" levels to get more. Even then, you wouldn't get much more. A few do-dads, different colors and/or some badging.

It was also the last one anywhere east of Montreal with all the options I wanted, unless I wanted to step up to a 2017. No thanks, they're too rich for my blood and nothing in the way of rebates.

I wanted "Magnetic" (silver/gray/metallic color) or black. This one is shadow black so it fit the bill. Black is a "B" to keep clean, so I'll just have to wash and wax it a lot I guess...

We haggled it down pretty good and there were several year end incentives. I bartered in a Ford hard tonneau cover and we took the 8 year/150,000 Platinum extended warranty (all at very haggled prices). I played two dealers off against each other and then I even played off the "sections" in the dealer itself (IE: had sales trying for reduced prices, the business manager trying to slash prices and same with parts and accessories). The wife and I also played the "I want it/I don't game" so they knew we had a 50/50 chance of walking away.

We had them squeezed pretty good and then I tried for one more thing once they seemed stonewalled: I told the business manager I would take the reduced price ESP and the maintenance package and finish the deal if they threw in the Ford accessories mud flaps. She squirted out of the office to check, eager to seal the deal.

About 10 minutes later the owner walked in with the business manager. She looked a little sheepish. He stuck out his hand and I stood up and gave him a firm grip (I know him somewhat casually from the local car scene). As he shook my hand He smiled at me and said "Just wanted to shake the hand of the man who got my sales team to offer him a truck and accessories for 1300 less than what it cost me and tell him I can't do mudflaps".

Seems I had gotten parts to commit to below cost on the bedcover and the molded floor mats, Salesman had come in under what they needed on the truck to cover cost and the ESP/Maint package was just under what they needed to sell it for. The owner caught wind of it when they were looking a the mudflap prices and when he asked to see the "haggled" prices knew he owed more on the combined deal than they were offering it to me for.

Now, whether or not that was true of just an attempt to close the deal I have no idea. But we were happy with what we were getting and it was clear they had hit rock bottom, whether they were loosing money or not. I wouldn't be too surprised if they actually weer loosing a little bit as the owner is known for making deals and loosing money to maintain customer satisfaction and for his local reputation.

I also had a sizable amount to put down on it (settlement money from a lifetime of injuries) so the finance amount is more than manageable.

So we signed the papers 6 days before xmas and picked it up 3 days before xmas (they had to do undercoating and treatments and there was a weekend in there too).

Drove off the lot with this and a very big smile:











Damn thing goes "like a bat out of heck" and is averaging 18 mpg even with winter driving and extended warm ups. I can't believe this thing is a V6...just unreal.

towing numbers work out fine, everything well under capacity (GCWR 17,100, max allowable trailer 11,600). Except for the actual truck payload sticker of 1700 lbs: with generous loading (ie: hitch head, dogs and lots of cra...errr, stuff), we're still about 150-300 lbs under max, depending on how we are set up to roll out. Just me and the wife and we only come in just over 350 lbs, so we save lots of weight in passengers and that our saving grace in payload.

Seats are great on my busted up old back. Lots of people complain about the lumbar in the 2015+ seats, but it's just right for me. Gives me lots of support in my lumbar curve where I need it do to rupture L5/S1. The heat is very welcome on my ruptured discs/muscles and the cooling will be great in summer. Seat, pedals and column are all power adjustable in multiple ways so finding just the right position for me to be comfortable on any given day is a piece of cake.

And, call me vain but; it actually makes me feel better to be driving a nice new vehicle.

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Old 12-27-2016, 10:17 PM   #2
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Nice looking truck and a great deal from what I read. Just need to change the details in your signature now.

Thanks for your service with the RCAF SAR.
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Old 12-31-2016, 01:25 PM   #3
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I think you'll be pleased... I upgraded to a diesel Ram from an F-150 a couple of years, and 50K miles ago. If I had it to do over again, I'd be driving an F-250 diesel. I've just had too many little troubles with my Ram to say it's a good vehicle. I'm hoping I don't have any big issues with it. I just replaced the shocks and one of them was so bad it would bleed down in 15 seconds if held vertically. Three of the four were wearing oil on the outside... I could go on... but... Good luck with the F-150! Happy New Year!
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Old 12-31-2016, 01:57 PM   #4
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Nice looking truck, you're gonna love it even more when you see how it pulls. I love mine.
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Old 12-31-2016, 02:13 PM   #5
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Really like the looks of a black truck. Wish I could have found one when I was looking for my 2013 ecoboost. Loads of fun to drive and even better pulling. Congrats!
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:19 PM   #6
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As a retired Special Forces Sergeant Major, I understand the "beat up body" comment.

Good luck with your new truck.
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:22 PM   #7
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Sounds like you worked out a great deal. Your gonna love your Eco-boost.
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:42 PM   #8
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You got yourself one great truck and one great deal.U.S. side they are offering terrific discounts on the F-150 as sales are starting to slow, but not enough to get me to trade on our 2015 Ecoboost. Man, wish I had some of the options you do. But after towing 17,000 miles and driving a total of 70,000 miles in two years on the road FT and towing a Rockwood ultralight fiver, we are totally happy. Get 10.4 MPG while towing, and averaging almost 18 combined city highway when not towing. No troubles yet on the tranny or the ecoboots, bout got the 150K extended service plan just in case... Figure we have two more years and we will be about worn out, both physically, mentally and the truck and the fiver. But we'll deal with that when the time comes.

Congrats on your new rig - you will love it on the road!
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:46 PM   #9
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I have a 2015 King Ranch with all the whistles and bells pulling a 35 foot Forest River TT that weighs in loaded at 9900lbs. These ecoboost motors can tow the @$$ out of an elephant. You will have no problem towing your trailer. Good luck and have fun.
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:02 PM   #10
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Looks almost identical to mine, though I got the Platinum. DW fell in love with the massaging seats, which with a busted up body, you might have appreciated. Enjoy the truck!
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:56 PM   #11
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Nice truck. The only thing I don't care for is the white trim.
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:57 PM   #12
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Ok so you have a new gas truck and I hope you can get diesel out of your mind when filling up. Stay focused and enjoy the new ride. We still have our new truck but it is an 05 duramax. wow does time fly

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Old 01-01-2017, 02:58 PM   #13
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Can't go wrong with a Ford. Enjoy

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Old 01-01-2017, 02:58 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by SailorSam20500 View Post
Looks almost identical to mine, though I got the Platinum. DW fell in love with the massaging seats, which with a busted up body, you might have appreciated. Enjoy the truck!

That's the one thing DW misses about the F150 vs the new XD 😂


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Old 01-01-2017, 03:10 PM   #15
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Everybody has his way of doing things. As a simple retired guy with a modest retirement plan that yields maybe a $1000 a day, buying a new truck when the old one is out of warranty seems like a no brainier. Same for the trailer. Who in his right mind wants to be fooling around with repairs when he could be out on the road, let alone the safety issues when something like wipers crap out. Newer isn't always better, but most of the time it is.
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Old 01-01-2017, 05:01 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Sterlingsilver View Post
Everybody has his way of doing things. As a simple retired guy with a modest retirement plan that yields maybe a $1000 a day, buying a new truck when the old one is out of warranty seems like a no brainier. Same for the trailer. Who in his right mind wants to be fooling around with repairs when he could be out on the road, let alone the safety issues when something like wipers crap out. Newer isn't always better, but most of the time it is.
I'm a pretty simple guy but my retirement will never come close to yielding $1000 a day.
Maybe $10 if I'm lucky!
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Old 01-01-2017, 05:20 PM   #17
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I have a 2011 ecoboost and have been pulling a larger 5th wheel for 5 years and 25K miles towing .. I have not had any problems with it .

I would check the tires.. mine came with 4 ply tires.. I upgraded to 10 ply when they started to show wear..

Enjoy..
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Old 01-01-2017, 05:21 PM   #18
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Ford makes a Great Truck! Sounds like you got the deal you needed. Bets of luck with your early retirement!

From one Canuck to another, Thank You for for service in our Armed Forces RCAF!
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Old 01-01-2017, 05:44 PM   #19
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I'm a pretty simple guy but my retirement will never come close to yielding $1000 a day.
Maybe $10 if I'm lucky!
Don't worry my DW thinks I s__k at investing and providing for our family. She thinks I am a big financial disappointment. My kids call me "cheap". My wish is that every one else can do better.

It didn't hurt that I built my own house and even my own electric car, and that I never borrow money for anything. The first money I ever got went into the stock market and I never looked back.
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Old 01-01-2017, 09:24 PM   #20
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Here's how you tow a trailer.
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