My Pickup: 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty

 

By Mike Caudill
Driven PR President/CEO

The year 2013 was interesting for me. I can't tell you the exact day, week or time of year that I made this decision, but at some point I decided I wanted to go back to my roots and buy a pickup truck. Having spent 12 years in sedans navigating the concrete jungles of Los Angeles, I simply felt the urge to own a truck. With two kids, a dog, a travel trailer and a boat, our Chevy Tahoe people-mover simply wasn't cutting it. I needed more.

Fast forward to today. I can tell you, without question, the single best vehicle purchase I have made is my 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty. Before deciding on the F-250, I polled my friends and family on their favorite trucks. Their suggestions were all over the map, but what I needed was a utilitarian daily driver. I wanted to be able to throw stuff in the back, tow without issue and take it off-road occasionally. So, when it came time to buy, there were two that kept bubbling up in front of me. I was on the fence between the Ford F-250 and the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty. They both looked strong and from a towing capacity were just about equal, but what tipped it for me was that the interior of the F-250. It really blew me away. The Lariat trim is incredible, and at times you forget you are in a pickup. Overall, the F-250 simply felt more like me.

I use this truck daily to travel to and from the office, but when the weekend hits this truck truly goes to work. The pulling capacity and off-road capabilities are what makes this truck awesome. Our trailer weighs roughly 9,000 pounds when fully loaded, and we mainly do two-week family trips into the mountains. With the truck's 6.7-liter Power Stroke, I sometimes forget we are even pulling a trailer because the motor is so powerful.

Although I bought the truck stock, and it literally did everything I asked it to do, it didn't really look aggressive enough for me in its stock form. So I made some "performance" modifications to personalize it and to give it better climbing capabilities off-road. I appreciate this, as it's no longer a "city truck." On weekends during the winter months, we take this truck out to the desert and either do rock crawling or all-out Baja-style desert cruising. The kids and family love it. You don't realize how much a few modifications will change a truck's personality until you take it out for a run.

Not to get too technical, but having the Carli Suspension setup does greatly improve the off-road handling. It was a hard choice as to which system to go with, but I'm happy with the results. I also wanted bigger tires, so 37-inchers were the right choice; but combine the bigger rubber with the heavier suspension and you do need to be aware that your mileage will drop. However, off-road the Toyo Open Country M/Ts grip better than any other tire I have had before and they look sharp.

I won't be doing any further modifications on the truck in the near future but I will say this: We're keeping the stock wheels and tires in the garage for those long travel trips with the family to save some money at the pump. I love my 37s for off-road performance, but I need to be practical too. Thankfully, my truck lets me do that.

From www.PickupTrucks.com

A.R.E. Truck Caps and Covers - Trucks! Segment

All-New Ford F-150 Adds Tough New Snow Plow Prep Option Across All Cab Configurations

 

 

The all-new 2015 Ford F-150 is expected to be the only light duty pickup with a manufacturer’s snow plow prep option across all cab configurations*

F-150 owners with snow plow prep option can operate a plow installed via the aftermarket

Maximum light-duty plow weight will be over 450 pounds

 

Winter warriors will have a tough new tool in their arsenal against Mother Nature with Ford’s new snow plow prep option, available on the all-new 2015 F-150. Ford is expected to be the only manufacturer to offer a light-duty snow plow prep option across all cab configurations – Regular, SuperCab and SuperCrew.*

 

When snow plow mode is activated via the push of a button, the vehicle temporarily turns off nonessential features to provide dedicated power for the plow.
The option package requires the truck be equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine and four-wheel drive, and is available across XL, XLT and Lariat trim levels.
“The new 2015 F-150 is the toughest F-150 ever, and by using more high-strength steel in its frame and advanced materials in the body, we’ve made the new truck up to 700 pounds lighter,” said Eric Peterson, Ford F-150 marketing manager. “This leads to more capability and better handling, which is exactly what you’d want for plowing. Adding a snow plow prep kit to our lineup helps ensure our customers have even more tools at their disposal to get the job done.”
Upon taking delivery of a new F-150 with the snow plow prep option, owners will need to take their truck to a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier to purchase and install the plow hardware. The maximum light-duty plow weight will be over 450 pounds. 
Pricing for the snow plow prep option, excluding the plow, will be announced later this year. The all-new 2015 F-150 will arrive in dealerships at the end of 2014.

* When properly equipped. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR.

2015 Ford F-150: Cool Features, Functions, and Details - 2014 Detroit Auto Show

The lead designer of the new aluminum F-150 shows off some of its signature touches.

http://bit.ly/1ajgDcN

All-New Ford Transit Connect Delivers Best-in-Class 30 MPG Highway

Ford Transit Connect van can add best-in-class fuel economy to its long list of features. The 2014 Transit Connect van has an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency rating of 30 mpg, making it best-in-class. It also has best-in-class cargo space, towing and payload, with its segment-leading EcoBoost^® engine rated at 178 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque.

You Test It: Ford Offers Opportunity to Be Among First People Behind the Wheel of All-New F-150

•     Truck customers and fans could win the opportunity to put the all-new Ford F-150 through its toughest challenge yet
•     Consumers can enter at BuiltToughTest.com by describing how they would test the toughness of the all-new F-150
•     Winners will be filmed putting a new F-150 through their own personal toughness test; videos will be posted to YouTube.com/FordTrucks

Ford, America’s truck leader, is looking for truck buyers to take an all-new F-150 through some of the toughest testing it might ever encounter – their own.



Ford is launching the “You Test” campaign, in which actual Ford F-150 drivers and fans could win the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the all-new 2015 F-150 before nearly anyone else in the world. By visiting BuiltToughTest.com, customers can tell Ford how they would test the toughness of the new F-150 pickup – maybe through a grueling off-road challenge, or even through the daily routine of a demanding job site.



“We prove every day our trucks are Built Ford Tough – now we’re asking truck customers to help us prove it too,” said Eric Peterson, Ford F-150 marketing manager. “We’re looking for people who know how to punish a truck. Built Ford Tough isn’t just a tagline; it’s the philosophy that drives us every day to make the best trucks out there, and it’s what has made F-Series the No. 1 truck for nearly 40 years.”



Up to five winners will be selected to spend up to a week behind the wheel of a new F-150 while video crews document the truck undergoing the real-world testing. The videos will be posted to YouTube.com/FordTrucks.



Entries must be received by May 31, 2014. Winners will be announced before Sept. 1, 2014. No purchase necessary. Complete terms and conditions are available at BuiltToughTest.com.



The all-new F-150 is the toughest F-150 ever, with a high-strength steel frame and a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. The new F-150 will undergo more than 10 million miles of toughness and durability testing before it reaches showrooms later this year.



F-150 is also the preferred light-duty pickup among workers in some of the toughest vocations. According to Polk registration data of light-duty pickups, 53 percent of these truck drivers in the heavy construction industry, 56 percent in the heavy hauling industry and 60 percent in the energy/utility industry drive F-150 pickups.

About Ford Motor Company



Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

Turn your van "inside out" with the Katerack shelving system.

Turn your van "inside out" with the Katerack shelving system. John of Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment Company explains their Katerack Shelving system. Customers explain the benefits of the system to their companies.