28 replies to this topic

[LosAngeles]

2020 Ford F350 - XLT or Lariat / options guidance?

 

Hi all

 

First time pickup buyer. We will custom order a 2020 Ford F350 - XLT or Lariat

A Hallmark pop up camper will be in it 99.999 % of the time. Currently learning about what options  / packages we want. 

 

A few questions to help guide me…

 

Do I care about Fog Lamps? (does anyone ever use them?)

 

Do we care about Pedals: ­ Power Adjustable…? 

 My wife and I share driving when going camping. 

Do the driver memories recall the Power Pedals?

 

Do we need to be Lariat to get power seats and power seat memories? I can’t figure this out. 

 

I didn’t see heated and cooled seats listed anywhere on Lariat specs…. do we need to go higher to get heated and cooled seats?  :-(

 

Do we want to get the 4.3 Electronic Locking Axle?

I believe it is much better for climbing mountains with the 2,500+ truck camper on the back, plus cargo…?

 

If we move to the midwest (a possibility) … would we want the remote start option, so we can warm up the F350 before getting in it?

 

How hard is it to wire in external lights, light bars, etc to the Ford optional Outfitter Switches?

 

with the vehicle (below) configured as we like, Ford offers either LT275/70R x 18E BSW A/T 4X4 tires 

 

or for an extra $290, I could get LT275/70R x 18E OWL A/T tires. 

what tires should i get?

I would MUCH rather have the tires come from Ford, from the start, and not have to change them out, and sell the stock tires.

 

By the way - we always use our cell phones for Navigation (Waze or Google Nav) so we have no use for a built in NAV. Any way to somehow NOT get it, to save $?

 

On our 8 foot bed, with a 9.5 foot Hallmark -  the Ford Reverse Sensing System - will it work with 18” overhang of Hallmark, and also the optional Hallmark Storage bins & rear bumper?

 

* * * * * For what it is worth - this is the type of pickup + options we are looking at: * * * 

 

F-350 - 2020. Custom ordered. 

Crew Cab (4 real doors, most space)

6.2L gas

176” Wheelbase (max)

8 foot bed. 

4x4

Single Rear Wheel (SRW)

 

4.3 Electronic Locking Axle (I believe it is much better for climbing mountains with the 2,500+ truck camper on the back, plus cargo)

 

FX4 Off Road Package (comes with Skid Plates :­ Transfer Case and Fuel Tank)

 

Snow Plow  / Camper Package. 

 

11,400 GVWR package (or whatever is max GVWR)

 

Rear Window - privacy glass. 

 

Medium Duty Battery (a second battery)

 

Alternator ­ Extra Extra Heavy­Duty


LED Roof Marker/Clearance Lamps


Front 40/20/40 Split Bench Seats (not front console) so driver can exit passenger side if need be. (this is important to us with our current narrow driveway)

 

Inflatable Rear Outboard Safety Belts (Crew Cab®)  - for our daughter. 

 

Cruise Control


Power Equipment ­ Power Door Locks and Windows 

Steering Wheel ­ Audio Controls
Tilt/Telescoping Steering Wheel


48 Gallon Fuel Tank – 176" Wheelbase
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
Trailer Hitch Receiver – 2.5" Built Ford Tough® Trailer Hitch Receiver (SRW)


Hill descent would be very nice.  A part of tow package I believe. 

 

stuff John REALLY wants:

 

Adaptive Cruise Control (Lariat I think? Unsure)


Platform Running Boards (best if Ford does them. Less hassle, and not “modified” $445 2019.)


SYNC® 3  for Apple Car Play 

 

have been advised to get:

Upfitter Switches $165 in 2019

 

Thanks!

 

John

[Optimistic Paranoid]

As for the 4x4, do they still offer a choice between a dash board switch and a floor stick?  The floor stick option allows you to leave the front (manual) hubs unlocked and shift down to 4 Low, which essentially gives you 2 wheel drive low, which can be an advantage sometimes.

 

As for fog lights, I suppose they are handy if you HAVE to drive in bad weather.  Personally, I prefer to get off the road and wait for better conditions.  One of the perqs of being retired.

[Happyjax]

LA,

 

I have a 2018 XLT.

 

I have heated and powered seats but they are not as adjustable as the Lariat. I think the cooled seats are in a package on the Lariat.

 

Mine came with the adjustable pedals. They can be useful for folks with short legs or those who prefer to be back from the steering wheel .

 

I have upfitters and you will want them if you decide to add light bars or other powered items.

 

The remote start is a life saver but I have the one where you still need the key to drive it. A bit more secure in my opinion. I'm not much for push button driving.....lol

 

Mine came with the snow plow option which gave me the heavy duty alternator and medium battery. A good thing in my opinion.

 

i wish mine had the camper package but I bought off the lot. The 350 already has the extra spring and lots of payload which you will need for that long Hallmark.....nice choice

 

I have wondered whether the split bench would have been better over the console. That looks to be the best based on your needs:)

 

Gear heads will have to give advice on the axles and things. I'm still getting used to the 4wd as it doesn't like turning if there is any traction...... Weird feeling......

 

Good luck with your purchase!

[klahanie]

 

2020 Ford F350 - XLT or Lariat / options guidance?

 

How hard is it to wire in external lights, light bars, etc to the Ford optional Outfitter Switches?

Not hard. The switches are there to make it easier.

 

with the vehicle (below) configured as we like, Ford offers either LT275/70R x 18E BSW A/T 4X4 tires

or for an extra $290, I could get LT275/70R x 18E OWL A/T tires. 

BSW = Black Sidewall (Lettering)

OWL = Outerwall White Lettering

 Have you decided on which gas engine size ?

[ardvark]

Man, I think "what to buy" choices often have much more to do with "wants" than "have-to-haves". I have a 2012 XLT Super Cab. Having worked as a tech for decades, add-on electronics just mean trouble so my truck is pretty basic. Electric windows and mirrors for sure, driver's seat, cruise, good radio, but no nav. 

 

I do have both the plow and camper package, but have often wondered about having the plow since there is no way around the fact my truck is a rough rider and will bounce steer when it is not loaded. We do not keep our camper on the truck as it has to work much of the time. Having the camper on the back improves the ride immensely. I have had fog lights on my last three trucks, but never used them once. The pedal adjuster, oh yeah, never use it and forgot we have it, but my wife is 5"10" and I am 6' so neither of us is what you would call short.

 

The 4.3 rear end is an excellent choice in my book, although I think it matters more traveling in the West than in the SE where we live and camp more often. When we are out West, it would have been nice. Grades in Tennessee are not that long and not as steep. The 6.2 does fine, but more grunt never has a downside in my book Don't like TOW/Haul, too darn aggressive in my book, but do shift manually using the selector when out West locking out 5th and 6th (again preference, transmission hunting drives me nuts). 

 

Haven't added anything to the truck so no need for upfitter switches. 

 

Our truck did fine with our Hallmark UTE and does just as well with our new NorthStar Laredo. I replaced the bump stops with Sumos and that eliminated any squat and I upgraded the shocks to Fox.

 

Overall I would encourage to buy what YOU want because in the overall scheme of things a few hundred dollars doesn't add that much to the final ticket on these trucks. I did find with the tires that having them "road force" balanced made an incredible improvement in the quality of the ride which the dealer's service department could not match. 

 

My two cents. Happy hunting!!

[Machinebuilder]

IMHO, You get from the factory stuff that is not easy to do afterward, or the aftermarket is not as good

 

$290 for OWL tires...........are white letters in the sidewalls worth that?

 

Cruise power windows etc, If you're getting an XLT or Lariat its part of the package.

 

I use my Fog lights a lot, from the factory they are aimed WAY to low. The roads I drive daily are winding roads and being able to see to the side is important to me.

 

I would make sure I got the trailer brake controller, its much better than aftermarket.

 

I would probably get the gooseneck / 5th wheel hitch prep option. again easier now than later.

 

The floor mounted transfer case shifter is available ......but only on a VERY base model, almost every package moves you to the dash switch. You can actually get one with manual windows and mirrors, but good luck finding one.

 

Hill descent is part of the FX4 package, not the trailer tow package, Ive never had it so I'm unsure of its usefulness (Very slow speed only)

 

 

 

I would do a carpet delete, (I also would get an XL for vinyl seats), I like being able to hose the mud etc out. Carpet will get nasty.

 

I am not sure about the dual batterys and Extra Extra heavy duty alternator, How much power are you using from the truck?

 

I would get the upfitter switches, even if you don't have current plans to use them its more work later to add a switch.

[Ace!]

I would always purchase the locking differential and the lowest gears avaialble, so 4.30 electronic locking differential is a no-brainer for me.  Upfitter switches are good too.  They look nicer than some of the aftermarket options.  The wiring is only slightly easier.

[smlobx]

I have a 2016 F-350 srw and a 8.5’ Hallmark Everest. There are changes to the F-350 starting in 2017 so bear that in mind with my responses...

2020 Ford F350 - XLT or Lariat / options guidance?


Do I care about Fog Lamps? (does anyone ever use them?) YES- use them all the time. The standard Ford headlights are not the best. We have added the Baja Designs S8 driv9ng lights that fit into our grill like is shown on their website. They are expensive but literally turn night into day...
https://www.bajadesi...-Light-Bars.asp


Do we care about Pedals: ­ Power Adjustable…? NO opinion..

Do we need to be Lariat to get power seats and power seat memories? I can’t figure this out. - I have the Lariat and like the seats

I didn’t see heated and cooled seats listed anywhere on Lariat specs…. do we need to go higher to get heated and cooled seats? :-( I do not have cooled seats. Might have to be a higher trim level

Do we want to get the 4.3 Electronic Locking Axle? YES this is a must.

If we move to the midwest (a possibility) … would we want the remote start option, so we can warm up the F350 before getting in it? - I don’t have it but can see where it would be nice.

How hard is it to wire in external lights, light bars, etc to the Ford optional Outfitter Switches?- The wires coming from the switches are short so it is a challenge but worth it since the switches are integrated.


...or for an extra $290, I could get LT275/70R x 18E OWL A/T tires. YES get the A/T tires from the factory.

By the way - we always use our cell phones for Navigation (Waze or Google Nav) so we have no use for a built in NAV. Any way to somehow NOT get it, to save $? Not that I know of.

On our 8 foot bed, with a 9.5 foot Hallmark - the Ford Reverse Sensing System - will it work with 18” overhang of Hallmark, and also the optional Hallmark Storage bins & rear bumper? I purchased an OEM camera and attached it to my camper which works great. We just plug in the one on the tailgate when we take it off and plug this one back in after we load the camper.

* * * * * For what it is worth - this is the type of pickup + options we are looking at: * * *

stuff John REALLY wants:

Platform Running Boards (best if Ford does them. Less hassle, and not “modified” $445 2019.)
 I would actually reccomend against getting the factory running boards. Since our wheel bases are so long I think that anything that hangs down is more prone to getting caught on stumps or rocks than in most shorter vehicles.
We got, and have been very happy with Amp Research Power steps
https://www.amp-rese...5-01a-powerstep
We bought them from a local truck accessory place that installed them for us. One of the benefits besides being out of the way when traveling is that the steps actually extend further down than the OEM steps and are wider making it easier to get into the truck.

John

I would not reccomend getting the plow package as the front springs will be much stiffer and virtually all the weigh of your camper will be on the rear axle. The camper package is basically a rear sway bar which is a good thing to have with a camper.
Let us know if you have any other questions and welcome to the family!

Edited by smlobx, 19 March 2019 - 07:21 PM.

[Advmoto18]

Like Eddie (above post)...I have a 2016 F-350 Lariat, however, I have the 6.5' bed with a 2015 FWC Hawk.

 

While I'm not 100% sure about the 2020, my first question would be why the F-350 v F-250?  Both have the near identical payloads for the same sub-model.  However, if you spend any time off-road, and like to venture to places like Point Sublime on the North Rim of the GC, you should consider the F-250.  The F-250 uses only 2" blocks between the axle and leaf spring package;  the F-350 uses 4" blocks.  While this doesn't seem like a big deal, and it isn't on tarmac, in off-chamber situations, the 4" blocks can greatly contribute to axle wrap and wheel hop, especially with the rear locker engaged.  May not seem like a big deal, but, it can be given the terrain.  And I'm not talking about so called "jeep trails".  Just rough single track leading to some of the most scenic vistas one can encounter in North America.

 

Best thing to do is go back to the dealer, sit down with the salesman and go through Ford's "upfitter manual".  This is where you will find the features that can make your truck truly outstanding when you drive it away after signing the paperwork.

 

My wish list of options will likely vary from yours.

 

Snow package....as Eddie said...NO!  You will want to install Bilstein's front leveling kit. It includes no coils.  You will have to add new shocks with the kit and there are some plush ones.  This feature alone will dramatically improve the "felt" ride up front.  So much so, you will be looking for new leaf packs for the rear that eliminate the blocks altogether.  If that is in your dreams, then the F-350 is certainly a worthy consideration. 

 

Factory rear sway bar is pretty cheesy.  I left that off my truck and installed the Hellwig Big Wig once I got home.  It's massive and does the job with the camper in the bed fully loaded for a long trip.

 

I didn't option anything up front since I was planning to (add installed) a Trail Ready winch bumper and a Warn 16.5Ti winch.  this winch has pulled my rig through 3' snow banks with ease.

 

I believe remote start is a standard feature on the Lariat, my sub-model.  Very nice to have on cold mornings to warm the motor/oil up without getting out of the camper.

 

Very easy to wire add-on light up front.  Wires terminate on the engine side of the firewall for the upfitter switches.  But a bear to get to!  

 

Definitely go with the 18" wheels.  Not the 20"s!  I have 20s and always asking if someone will swap their 18s for my 20s when at Lowes or Home Depot.  18s have taller sidewalls enhancing the ride when aired down.

 

Ford navigation $ucks.  No other way to say it.  Garmin units are just a baby step better than Ford's;  and that isn't saying much.  Sad that we can't get Nav systems and maps like Simrad's maritime GPS units I use.  Garmin maritime isn't very good either.

 

I like using a GPS/Nav system that is cellular based, but allows me to download detailed maps for use when offline and no land based comms.

 

Google Maps has a download, off-line option.  But I prefer two fee based Nav apps as they update more often and offer more detail;  important IMO when in the back country.  Even so, do not follow any Nav app without good situational awareness (SA).  Just be sure to place your iPhone in Airplane mode when no comm and using for Nav with downloaded maps.

 

Fun spec'ing out your very own new truck!!!

Edited by Advmoto18, 19 March 2019 - 11:06 PM.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

As far as the snow plow package is concerned, it MIGHT be a good idea if you intend to upgrade to a better (heavier) aftermarket bumper like the ones that Buckstop makes.  Or if you intend to mount a front trailer hitch and cargo rack.  But you can always just add an aftermarket upgrade like Timbrens in that case, instead.

 

Otherwise, I agree that it's not a good idea.