The latest rental truck has arrived

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 07/10/2019 at 00:07 • Filed to: None

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In case you’re wondering, it’s mighty big. Loads better than the Silverado.

Yes, the seat is adjusted properly and no, I’m not height-challenged.

The last F-150 I had was more luxurious, but this one is mighty comfy. The red wire is my USB cord which I use to enable CarPlay. My phone sticks to the mount right by the grab handle. Speaking of the handle, my wife found it very handy for climbing in and out of the truck. After climbing aboard, s he started making jokes about needing a step ladder.

The back seats have more leg room than most luxury cars. Both seats flip up to create a large flat floor space, perfect for loading my luggage. One of the things I hated about the Chevy was the uneven floor. A flat floor just makes carrying cargo so much easier. I’ve discovered that people just can’t keep rentals clean. This truck had 4,000 miles on it and already has several stains on the back seats. I assume that’s from kids or perhaps a college student who went highlighter crazy.

I think this truck is a pretty good mix of amenities. The only thing I really miss from the nicer one I had previously is the driver’s seat. It had more adjustability and was both heated and ventilated (but not cooled) . I think I’d spec mine with a proper towing package too. Other than that, I really like this truck!

CRider > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 01:08

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A Lariat 4x4 w/5.0 and a Roush supercharger (~ 700 hp) and you’ve got a nice hauler. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > CRider 07/10/2019 at 07:28

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And the mileage would be?

Discerning > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 07:29

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“ventilated (but not cooled)“

I have a 2018 lariat and didn’t even realize this until you mentioned it. I guess it just vents. That’s disappointing. But I keep the interior cool so it’s still pretty effective for me

Discerning > CRider 07/10/2019 at 07:50

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I’ve been seriously contemplating getting a D1X for my 2018 5.0. It would certainly help towing.

With the direct injection, the twin screws and centri blowers seem to make about the same torque and have similar torque curves. But the centri is more linear. The centri less harsh to engine and drivetrain as a result. Which is part of why some mustang guys have exceeded 1000 with it.

It is very hard to not order a bunch of parts, but it’s technically the SO’s truck long term and she doesn’t want to risk warranty.

But once I get the green light it is getting a D1X, opg, LT's, and CJ or ported 18 GT manifold. 

Arrivederci > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 07:50

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Negative 5.

shop-teacher > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 08:42

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If I were to buy a truck right now, it would be an F-150 SXT. A crew cab with the 2.7 Ecoboost and 4wd is $45k sticker. I'm sure the street price is a lot cheaper.

Fuckkinja > shop-teacher 07/10/2019 at 09:15

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I have this configuration. $38000 out the door. Then I said let’s lease it. Our 8th f150 lease. They are great trucks under a warranty. 

412GTI > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 09:39

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Not a bad truck for sure, I’d rather be in one than the Chevy for sure. The Ram’ s still my favorite and I don’t like the F-150's steering, but a solid rental for sure.

Having spent 4 years working for Enterprise in college I can say that trucks always got treated to worst. God help us if we gave a brand new one to the oil company guys. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > Discerning 07/10/2019 at 09:43

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I was thinking about the added complication of actually cooling the seats. Conclusion? Ventilated is fine.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Discerning 07/10/2019 at 09:44

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My last F-150 rental was a 350. I can tell the difference when stepping on the gas at highway speeds. The standard V-6 doesn’t have the same oomph.

TheRealBicycleBuck > 412GTI 07/10/2019 at 09:46

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The Chevy was definitely beat up when I got it. Work truck rental for sure.

Discerning > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 09:50

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It seems to work well enough that I have only complained once. The interior was extra hot (Atlanta heat) and we had just gotten into the car after it sat in the sun. I couldn't figure out why the air wasn't cool but the ac was working fine.

facw > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 10:32

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The back seats have more leg room than most luxury cars. 

I was taking lots of Ubers after my car got wrecked by Harvey, and honestly an F-150 was probably the most comfortable one (I have no idea how it’s possible to make money driving an F-150 as a taxi...)

CRider > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2019 at 21:20

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More  s miles per gallon than you've ever gotten from a truck. 

CRider > Discerning 07/10/2019 at 21:38

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I don’t like centrifugal blowers that much. It seems like you’ve got the worst parts of a supercharger (parasitic drag) and the worst parts of a turbo (slow to spool up). T he newer Eaton screw blowers are pretty efficient, and modern designs have vacuum bypasses that keep the engine out of boost when you’re not on the gas, so you aren’t always pushing boost into the motor and Roush gives a 3/36 warranty with their 650 hp kit .

Plus it just seems like the immediate low end grunt from a screw type suits a truck b etter than the steady build up you get with a centri. I guess if you’re doing a high power/high boost build, the centri might be easier on the engine assuming  you can keep your foot out of it- which kind of defeats the point, imo.

Discerning > CRider 07/10/2019 at 22:13

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The Centri seems to make similar torque down low compared to a twin screw on the 18 engines.

Also, the centri has the advantage of better cooling via air to air or air to water. You also can get a better airflow to the heads via an improved intake manifold in conjunction with the centri vs. wh atever runners are built into the ts blower option.

Finally, there’s the options of variable boost centri or even just going with a waste gate. Pulley it for higher boost and set the waste gate for lower boost (within reason).

It just boils down to what sort of characteristics you want. A ts could mean more power down low, but that could mean traction issues. A centri is more linear, but without a waste gate or other device you don’t see peak boost until redline.

I feel like the centri is more flexible, and sometimes lighter and lower in the engine bay. I've owned a 2003 cobra and driven centri cars. Either option would make my truck more fun though. So either one would work for me. 

CRider > Discerning 07/10/2019 at 23:36

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I don’t know how a centri can make the same low end torque as a screw type, do they do that using the small pully+ blowoff valve trick?

I think you could stick any intercooler you want on any blower, but I don’t know about the intake being “better”, and c omparing the runners built into a screw blower to an unspecified afterma rket one built for a centri is hard to do.

It seems like you want a project, and your truck is definietly going to be fast and awesome, but you’re looking at doing a lot of customization, custom tuning and making your truck look like a SEMA display of power parts. What kind of power do you have in mind ?

Discerning > CRider 07/11/2019 at 07:34

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This won’t happen for some time and I would be fine with either blower.

SO wanted the TS for the warranty but we’ve put it on hold for now while we look at houses.

Ideally, I would probably go with a lot of off the shelf parts. D1X, lt’s, ported gt intake, flash tune. It doesn’t need gobs of power.

The other thing holding me back is I miss having a car and the truck is supposed to primarily be my fiance’s.

Spending 12k to have a truck that’s as fast as my old lightly modified C5Z sounds both intriguing and disappointing. 

CRider > Discerning 07/11/2019 at 20:50

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“ D1X, lt’s, ported gt intake, flash tune. It doesn’t need gobs of power.”

Does your fiance want an 800hp super truck or is she just going along with this so you'll let her pick the house? 

Discerning > CRider 07/11/2019 at 21:31

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She knows I miss my C5Z which had about 450whp or so. And that car was on the lower end in terms of acceleration I’ve owned in the past.

She likes the idea of a fast truck but I’ve also decided I’m tired of being huge and I really wasn’t another sports car.

If we hold onto the truck long enough, it will turn into a money pit. But house comes first, then sp orts car ideally.

CRider > Discerning 07/11/2019 at 21:49

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I definitely understand the appeal of fast trucks (well, anything I guess. If I’m going to drive it there’s no reason it should be slow, right?) There’s just no reason for it to not have a lot of power. And if yours is a Lariat or better trim 4x4, 4A mode will end any worries about traction you have.

The truck is definitley no replacement for a sports car, but keeping thetruck build moderate should help keep the money pit status away until your garage welcomes your next one. Unless my estimation of the 5.0/10 speed is way off, anyway. 

Discerning > CRider 07/11/2019 at 22:53

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It’s a lariat with 4x4, offroad package, tow package, etc.

It’s a good commuter and tows our camper well. We’ve put 15k miles on it since November. We pull the camper all over the place.

It might trap 100 on e85 (which I use occasionally) on a cool night. Who knows.

Even bolt ons and a good tune would really wake it up. Maybe after the parts from my last cars finally sell on Ebay I’ll do it.

Honestly, the are some things about the truck that concern me in terms of voiding the warranty with a tune.

Mine makes the same strange noises as every other ‘18 truck and we’ve all been told it’s normal but we’ll see.

It is very tempting but I’m also equally hesitant - which is something I haven’t experienced with a car before. But I’ve never owned a truck, so mayb e that’s it.

CRider > Discerning 07/11/2019 at 23:44

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That’s a nice truck. That’s exactly how I’d build one, bar a Ra ptor.

Warranty is a touchy subject. Tuners all claim they make safe tunes, but it doesn’t need to be a failing on the tune that lands you an expensive bill with no coverage from Ford. One of the big selling points of the Roush system is that Ford is closely associated with Roush and their products are sold through some Ford dealers. Your warranty is probably safer with a supercharger than just a regular tune and bolt ons, especially if you go through the (admittedly more expensive) dealership install route.

What noises do ‘18 trucks make? IIRC the ‘ 18s got direct injection, and DI engines can sound a little unusual. 

Discerning > CRider 07/12/2019 at 07:29

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One sound is a bit like a whistle at medium load and low speeds . As though a turbo is spooling up. I thought it was injector engine because of DI, but others are saying it isn’t. Others theorize that’s just the sound the transmission makes

The other sound is a quiet click clack at initial medium load followed by what sounds like t acks rattling in a can when lifting abruptly.

I’ve taken it into the dealer and they didn’t solve either issue. Based on the forums, the sounds aren’t unusual and the truck has been doing it since 3k miles or less.

Rou sh was our first choice as the dealer actually had one on the lot. Then I learned they charge a lot for labor (keeps warranty like you said) and started looking at other options. But the blower is more than enough.

We shall see