NCFocus12

Hope I'm posting in the right place.....

I'm 40 years old and have owned just about everything under the sun, except a true truck. I've owned my home for a while, good sized lot with trees and plenty of maintenance to do. I even fooled myself into thinking a 7-pass SUV would be a good balance of people mover and hauler, but even if it had a tow hitch, hauling a bunch of straw, or bricks, or dirt isn't really a good idea in a leather-lined cruiser.

I want you guys (appreciate it!) to help me option an F150 the way I really need it, with the following in mind.

Note: I've already decided I want a truck for its raw, intended purpose - utility and years of use. As such, I've decided on an XL Reg cab longbed 2wd, with the V8.

1) I'm 40 and have never owned a truck. This is a total change in direction, and to me, a truck is a long-term purchase and I want something that is as useful and functional now as in 30 years
2) I don't want to worry about getting it dirty, being soaking wet or covered in dust and just hopping into it and wiping it out later
3) I am a traditionalist. My uncles own 91 reg cab 2wd IDI diesel 5-speed F150s and 96 2 door Tahoe LT diesels - heavy-duty, long-term vehicles that I grew up with and love for their oddity and brute functionality
4) I do not believe the hype about any turbo-V6 lasting 30 years and running well sitting most of the time (this thing will be driven maybe 1 day a week at best, plus I despise the stop/start "MPG cheat" feature on every car I've driven that has it)
5) I like overkill. Heavy duty package means tranny cooler, which means (in theory) longer trans life. I won't be towing 10,000lbs, but I'd rather have the ability to tow 10 and tow 5 (car trailer, for example) rather than "go for cheap" and on rare occasion, overload the base suspension
6) call me crazy, but that old-school steel-wheel/vinyl config is just too cool

I've probably missed a few things, but there we are. Here is the specific config I was thinking, and some specific questions:

XL Reg cab 2wd 8ft bed, V8
Race Red
101a
Box access step/ramps
HD payload
trailer tow
tailaget step
drop-in bedliner
ramps
side steps
box link
Vinyl seats
3.73 rear
LED spotlight mirrors (too cool)
extended furl tank (just because)
I think that;s it.

Window sticker comes to about $33,900

In a given year, I'll be loading it with straw and hay, mulch, junk for the dump, tree trunks/stumps/limbs, hauling my Snapper rider every so often, getting a trailer on which I would haul car parts and eventually, collector cars that I buy, possibly my friend's 21 foot boat and possibly another friend's 29 foot boat (both these are rare circumstances)

Some key questions:

Is the vinyl still the sweat-like-hell kind of yore? Does it feel soft and flimsy, or are the new vinyl seats firmer and more supportive?

Is the unladen HD suspension in this config (long bed, short cab) going to bounce up to the sky if I hit a speedbump at more than 1 mph?

Would the ramps allow me to drive the riding mower directly into the bed?

Also, I've had different answers from different dealers: what kind of real-world discounts are there to be had on special-order XLs?

This is a ton of questions, but have at it. Thanks for the replies

News in

The latest vinyl clad truck I've seen was a 2010 f150. I don't see a huge difference between the feel of the newer vinyl seats and leather. I also had a 2001 dodge work truck with vinyl seats. I liked those also. Not sure how they last through the years compared to cloth or leather.

NCFocus12

Good to hear. What about characteristics of the HD suspension in this config? Anyone else with info on the rest?

NCFocus12

Bump

2015F150Platinum4x4

Get the tow package and 4wd with a 3.73 locking rear.

Then you're set for whatever you might need it to do.

(You can only get the max tow package with the 3.5EB)

NCFocus12

Thanks. I really don't want to spend $4k on 4wd for this work truck, I want the V8, and I think the 3.55 locking rear would be the best balance for hauling vs unladen driving, despite what I posted originally. How much difference in RPM is there in a 3.55 vs a 3.73 on the highway at 70mph, for example? Also, I may be mistaken, but it looks like I could only get HD suspension with 3.73......not sure

I know I've asked a lot of questions, but I guess the main ones remaining are how much the HD suspension affects the ride and handling in a reg cab longbed config, what kinds of discounts dealers are doing for special-orders in general, and XLs in particular.