I am playing with combinations on the FoMoCo build-and-configure site, and I'd like to clarify four issues (and get some opinions) please:

1) Fog lamps. They're available as a standalone option for C$220, or included in a SPORT APPEARANCE package for C$650. Are they any good? And if I say no thanks, can I retrofit my own lamps later? (I'm not asking about the wiring - I'm asking about the bumper) And...are halogen housings still thought of as unacceptable for a HID retrofit after purchase? I ask because many people share the belief that non-HID housings are no good for HID's because of reflector design...heat dissipation etc..

2) Headlamps. The XL comes with halogen, which is sooo last decade. Are factory HID's or LED's available? And again are the primary [halogen] housings still thought of as unacceptable for a HID retrofit after purchase?
What is the consensus re: paying for factory HID's (or LED's if avail.) and calling it a day - versus changing the entire housing after purchase to something fancier & better? Crazy expensive? Not cheap but oh-so-worth-it? I am a huge fan of switchbacks, because I really dislike amber lights illuminated at the front end while driving. And -- while some of you have achieved some impressive aesthetic results with baking & painting -- I am not keen on performing this caliber of surgery. So I am keen to hear some thoughts!

3) Side mirror spotlights. They add C$250 as a standalone option, but are they any good? I question their worth at that price point. Are they basically sun visor make-up lamps? or are they better? I realize the sky's the limit when it comes to lighting (I have some experience with aftermarket lighting) but out-the-side lights require some unusual mounting solutions compared to front and rear. I don't NEED out-the-side illumination...but they do seem like a good idea.

4) The fold-away step in the tailgate. I've always wanted one of these, and when I lift the truck it will be even handier. I realize there are plenty of aftermarket solutions - some of which may even be superior. But if I say no thanks at order time...will I get a different tailgate? or is there only one tailgate used? If I said no thanks at build time -- and 6 mos. later I came across a wrecked truck that had the step -- could I install it in my driveway OR...should I say no thanks regardless because there are 2 or 3 aftermarket alternatives that are vastly superior?!

TIA!

 

1) Depends on the bulbs you get for them... stock they are not that useful but if you get better brighter bulbs they are useful .. but you can also get ones later on

2) you have to go up to at least a Lariat 502 to get factory LED and they are $2500. You can retrofit stock headlights or buy aftermarket headlights much cheaper .. that's the option i went with

3) they look cool but its a waste .. had them on my Range Rover i can see the benefit if you drop something but it was mainly for coolness factor

4) I have the tail gate step.. very very useful i would get it

 

yes get the step. if you say no. You will get a different tailgate

also regarding the headlights. like doug said you have to get at least a 502A lariat to get LEDs. And yes don't go throwing HIDs in a factory housing

 

just to add to this.. here is a thread on retrofitting lights .. give you an idea of what's involved https://www.f150forum.com/f83/retrof...lights-431238/

 

1. Definitely worth it I'd say, expecially the LED ones. I'm sure you'd be looking at more than the standalone option price to add them later on.
2. As mentioned, must get a 502A Lariat at least to get the factory LED headlights. If you were getting a Lariat anyways it's worth the jump from 501A to 502A. The halogens blow. Upgrading to the OEM led's is not cheap you are looking at around $1200 at minumum for the assemblies and they retrofit harness. Many people go aftermarket and seem pleased with the results. If you were not planning on getting a Lariat and don't care about the other options it is still much cheaper to go this route and updrade the lights than to step up to a lariat. Tons of people throw LED and HID bulbs in the reflector housings. Been down that road and won't do it again. I don't understand why Ford skimps on the headlights on 50k trucks and still uses halogens.
3. Most people think this is probably a novelty, but I really like the way the ones shine down on the ground around the truck when I press unlock on the key. The ones that shine to the side...I thought wouldn't be of much use but then I realized I use the snot out of them when I go in and out to the deer stand at night and stuff like that. They really help seeing off to the side.
4. Love the step.

 

Interesting! Typically, when there is an option to add "something"...it means that "something else" will therefore be different. If you want the stow-away step you get a different tailgate. If you want the side mirror lights you get different mirrors (and perhaps the door looms are different) If you want fog lights, the bumper may be different (or it's the same bumper with filler bezels installed) And maybe the loom is different and maybe it's not. My point is: a little forward-thinking is useful. I will perhaps upgrade the bumper anyway - and adding aux lighting up front is dead easy under all kinds of circumstances - therefore paying $220 + 13% tax for factory fog lights may not be worthwhile - especially if they are mediocre. But if I say no to the stow-away step - and I therefore get a skinny tailgate - I lose the option of retrofitting one later. If I say no to side mirror lights I lose the capability of retrofitting them (or upgrading them) later because the mirror housing is almost certainly different...not to mention the loom.

I realize that technically I can add all sorts of stuff that I didn't originally order; 'KillinTime' has re-engineered 73% of his truck with enviable results. Sure - I can (and likely will) add aux lighting up front. Eezy-peezy. Sure - I can probably find six different ways to mount side-facing lamps (and power them) Sure - I can buy a swing-out step or one of those mini scaffold steps that straddle the rear tire (or find a salvaged tailgate that already has a step). But I am a little less keen on some of the "really involved" retrofits; if it is a useful option - and can be added in the factory for a "reasonable" cost -- I'm down.

But there's no substitute for hands-on experience...which is why I'm soliciting opinions. So - thank you, and please keep 'em coming!

 

what kind of truck do you want? What are your needs/wants?

 

You can always find a tailgate with the step from a scrap yard, but probably not in your trucks color, so it would require being painted. It may also cost more for a used tail gate, than the actual cost of the option, and usually is. I almost bought a 19 Ram Limited, until I found they don't have a tail gate step. Wont have a truck without one(except for that monstrosity GM calls a tailgate).

 

- Fog lamps. I have them, and never use them. I used to use them until I realized they are a detriment to both myself and oncoming drivers. A detriment to myself by creating a large puddle of bright light directly in front of the truck and therefore reducing my own visibility further down the road. A detriment to oncoming traffic by blinding other drivers just about the time they pass by me. In my opinion, fog lamps for normal night driving result in a net reduction in safety. They're good for extremely slow speed driving down narrow back country roads.

- I am not impressed with the factory halogens. The factory halogens in a "91 F150 I used to have were better. Even though I've heard the current factory halogens are actually a really good design, the visibility you get from them are little better than the average 1960's - 1980's vehicles, especially when it's raining. I drove a 2016 platinum for a while... and the factory LED's are a little better, but not amazingly better. From what I hear, a good projector set or HID's are the best.

- I don't know much about the side mirror spotlights.

- Fold away step is great. It's quite strong, and will hold up to any but the heaviest of people. The back end of these trucks are higher than previous models, and there is no easy way to get into the back without the step.

 

Get all the features you want installed from the factory, unless you like tinkering, and in many cases spending more than the original cost of the option.

As for the tailgate step, yes, it's a different tailgate, so save yourself the headache and get it from the factory.

The side lights are great at a job site at night. In my case, they're great for cleaning up after dark at home, when I've got tools and stuff spread out from working on whatever. They're super bright and cast a great beam.

-John