55 replies to this topic

[SLOJET]

Firestone airbags. About 30#s. Rides nicely with no issues. Lots of power.

Good to hear! I'm debating on a loaded XLT with eco, or the base FX4 with a 5.0 right now. Need to pull the trigger while the sale is happening this weekend. It's about 1500 more to buy new, with the discounts, than 2-3yr old used trucks with 30k miles on them. Strange. Swore I'd never buy off the lot again, but...

[COBlue]

Slojet- did you pull the trigger?

I had a 2005 F150 super cab (suicide doors) with the 5 1/2 foot bed.  Worthless bed size for camper or carrying stuff.

The length from the front of the bed to the rear axle was very short so you could not get the camper COG very far forward.

And with no camper and the tailgate down you could maybe fit a atv or motorcycle, but it hung off the back.

 

I now have a Ram 2500 Quad cab with real doors and the 6 1/2 foot bed, much happier on both accounts.

Edited by COBlue, 05 June 2013 - 04:30 AM.

[SLOJET]

Nope, but I was about to write the check last weekend. Even test drove one for 24hrs. I really like the trucks, but it was literally a case of the 5.5ft bed being to short for the camper and my other uses and the 6.5 being too long overall. It was the need for a hitch mounted motorcycle rack that killed the 5.5' bed. I was prepared to live with the camper hanging out, but that killed it. The 6.5 ft bed with the super crew has a 157" wheelbase and a 49' turning radius and is 20.5' long. Also the breakover angle was around 15 degrees I think. Just too long and low for some of the driving I do. It just wasn't a good fit overall. Still love the fit, finish, and power of the trucks, it just wasn't the right choice overall. If I didn't have the camper I would own one though. Looks like I'm back to loving the dodge 2500 again.... Not a bad thing.

Edited by SLOJET, 05 June 2013 - 05:34 AM.

[COBlue]

That's one of things I like about the Dodge quad cab short bed vs the Ford- the cab is 'big enough' with four real doors, and the 6 1/2 foot bed is "big enough" for a shorter camper and something off the hitch.

[brianjwilson]

I wish ford would have kept the cab size from 04-08. In 09 they stretch the cab 6" on the crew cab and it really didnt need it. I always felt like my 06 crew cab with 5.5' bed turned great, but would have been happy to have a 6.5' bed. But I think the new longer crew can and 6.5' bed is a bit much for a half ton.

[Marshfly]

Nope, but I was about to write the check last weekend. Even test drove one for 24hrs. I really like the trucks, but it was literally a case of the 5.5ft bed being to short for the camper and my other uses and the 6.5 being too long overall. It was the need for a hitch mounted motorcycle rack that killed the 5.5' bed. I was prepared to live with the camper hanging out, but that killed it. The 6.5 ft bed with the super crew has a 157" wheelbase and a 49' turning radius and is 20.5' long. Also the breakover angle was around 15 degrees I think. Just too long and low for some of the driving I do. It just wasn't a good fit overall. Still love the fit, finish, and power of the trucks, it just wasn't the right choice overall. If I didn't have the camper I would own one though. Looks like I'm back to loving the dodge 2500 again.... Not a bad thing.

I have an 09 F150 Screw 5.5' bed that I put an ATC Couger on. It hangs just slightly behind the open tailgate. I occasionally want to pull my poling skiff when I have the camper in. The skiff on the trailer weighs about 1500# with a correspondingly low tongue weight. I had a local fabrication shop build a custom extended hitch that fits in the receiver that's about 28" long. Maybe you could do the same. I pulled the boat with this setup ~1000 miles from Miami to South Louisiana a couple of months ago without a single problem and perfect road manners on the interstate.

For those interested, the truck has a Helwig rear sway bar and air springs that I inflate to 30#. No load range E tires yet but the tires installed are about 400# more rating than stock. I figure that there are Tacos that inflate bags to 60# and run 1000s of miles so my much more capable half ton is fine.