Here's an e-mail I'm planning to send out to a handful of dealers:

Hello, I’m looking to purchase a 2020 F150 XLT with the following specs:

Must-Haves:

• White Exterior Color
• Super Crew Cab (4-Door Quadcab)
• 2.7L EcoBoost 325 Horsepower Engine
• Rear-Wheel Drive/4 x 2
• Passive Alarm
• Shift Lever In The Steering Column (Not The Console)
• Mirror Turn Signal Lights

Prefer To Have, But Not Necessarily A Deal Breaker:

• Black Interior
• 6.5 Foot Bed
• No Packages (Sport, Chrome, Black, etc.)
• Fixed Rear Window
• 17-Inch Rims
• No Leather Seats
• No Running Boards / Side Step Rails / Nerf Bars / Rock Sliders / Etc.
• No Rear Defroster

Must Not Have:

• 4-Wheel Drive / 4x4
• Dealer Add-Ons (Pinstripes, Nitrogen, Door Edge Guards, Etc.)
• Sun/Moon Roof
• License Plate Bracket Drilled/Attached Anywhere
• Any Dealer Advertisements/Logos Attached (Stickers, Decals, Hitch Plugs, Etc.)
• Extended Warrantees, Trial periods, Memberships, Etc.

Financing vs. paying cash is undecided yet, so I’d like to get a quote for just the cost of the truck alone. Trade-in is also undecided, so I’d like to get a quote for just the truck first. Would you be able to e-mail a detailed itemized quote?

Anything I should do differently in this e-mail?

 

You may be looking for a unicorn, but I would at least add the towing package. Also, you should specify what you want in the price (i.e. MSRP before or after sticker package discounts, before or after rebates, etc.)

 

Looking at trucks online, they always seem to have a hitch hookup and tail light sockets to plug a trailer into. I have yet to see any trucks without that. So is that the towing package, or something else?

 

Go to your local Ford dealer and have them locate that truck if its even out there.
Good luck.

 

Yes there are more than one tow package. If it has the Class IV hitch, you're good for at least 5k lbs. The "Trailer Tow Package" 53A will have additional capacity depending on the final configuration you end up with (gear ratio, cab, bed length GVWR etc ..)

What towing requirements do you have?

 

No particular towing requirements. It's not something I'll be doing frequently or for larger weights. So this makes it even more confusing. I thought I saw f150s can tow like 12,000 pounds?

 

You won't get an XLT with a black interior without the Sport package, and you can't get column shift with the Sport so you may want to change your list a little.

302A comes with the Chrome Appearance Package, so you'll be looking for a 300A to stick with the 17" wheels and not get the rear defroster.

Have you thought about special ordering?.

Only way your going to get that tow rating is get a regular cab XL, 8 foot bed with the 3.5 EB, HDPP and Max Trailer Tow Package, If you're going to tow that much, get a Super Duty.

 

black w/out sport package is a no-go. Without sport you get tan or gray. Sport comes with console shifter, w/out sport is column shifter. Your combination can't be had from the factory. You'd need to order a truck with everything but the interior color and swap out the seats, headliner, door panels, carpet, etc.

F-150s can tow that much if properly equipped, which means the bigger tow package and the 3.5eb.

 

Thanks for the explanations. I hadn't thuoght about special ordering. Is that hard to do?

 

Towing is confusing across all brands, none of them make it easy. The Ford's can tow upwards of 13,000 lbs if equipped correctly. As you're looking at the 2.7, the max it can do is 9,000 - but again you have to equip it correctly. At the bottom of my post is a link to a PDF from Ford that helps a bit. For me, I found the best information here as there are several threads that go over this very topic. The most recent that I read was here: https://www.f150forum.com/f118/can-t...-added-475386/

Essentially, my understanding is this (and I'm far from an expert, so others please feel free to correct me):

The Class IV hitch that is on the window sticker relates to package 53B, meaning the 2.7 with the Class IV can only tow, per Ford, 5,000 lbs. If that's enough for you, then you should be good to go. You can add the parts to increase that, but read in particular GMCtoFord's comment in that thread - it's a PITA and IMO would be much easier to get it from the factory.

On the email front, my opinion is that you are giving the dealer way to much power. You can use shopping planner and 3rd party sites to track down the vehicle you want and then engage the dealer from there. Leaving it so generic allows the dealer to run with it. For example, salesmen will not play ball with you if they know you may have a trade and may or may not finance. They might throw a low ball at you, but more realistically they won't even reply. Or worse yet, you'll get an appointment setter who doesn't actually do anything but email you saying come in and we'll help - they only get paid on setting appointments so they'll push for that and if you don't do so, they'll move on as they don't get paid. I know you're replying on the other thread. It's a lot, but Top has shared some great, great information that covers how to do accomplish what you're looking for.

Towing PDF from Ford - https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content...F150_Oct15.pdf