2017 F-150 Family Camping + Hunting Build

[FORISTR]

I have long been a lurker on this forum. It all started when I bought a new Tacoma in 2006. For a while I was "exploring" in a Forester (thus the current screen name), and I am finally back in a truck and starting a bit of a "build".



I purchased a 2017 F-150 in January of 2019. It is a 5.0 with a 3.55 rear, and as you can see is a Super Crew with the 5.5' bed. This truck will be a daily driver, a kid hauler, a family camping rig, and see duty as a hunting truck for trips in numerous states. I am not a true "overlander", but we do like to camp off of the beaten path and my hunting trips demand that I have an off-road capable vehicle to get me near remote access to the backcountry.

I immediately added Bilstein 5100 suspension all-around, along with the BFG T/A KO2s in 275/70/18.

My first main addition to the truck was a Decked drawer system for the bed, which I absolutely love. It allows me to easily transition my gear storage from a day at the baseball fields with my son, to a family camping trip for the weekend, to securely storing and transporting hunting gear. At all times it also holds my recovery and emergency gear.



I am currently working on adding Yakima's new Overhaul HD rack and crossbar system. I'll have more information and photos of the install soon.

I am looking forward to contributing, in a small way, to this community that has inspired me for many years.

 

[Rippin'AV]

Congrats on the rig! Looking forward to seeing more about your build/experiences. I have essentially the exact same truck as you but in magnetic. I've loved every minute of ownership so far. Mine also sees duties as family hauler, weekend camper, but during the week its my work "toolbox".

I really like those Decked drawers just haven't been able to justify the expense. Curious to hear more about their build quality and strength to hold up to real-world abuse. I treat my trucks like trucks so they would have to be strong to stand up to my needs. Another problem that I have is that I already have the Built Industries Molle mounts on the sides of the bed with my HiLift jack, shovel, axe, fire extinguisher and various other tools mounted right where I like them, but unfortunately I'd have to remove them to install the Decked system which makes that decision even harder to swallow.

Cheers, AV

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Sharp truck, love the color!

 

[FORISTR]

Congrats on the rig! Looking forward to seeing more about your build/experiences. I have essentially the exact same truck as you but in magnetic. I've loved every minute of ownership so far. Mine also sees duties as family hauler, weekend camper, but during the week its my work "toolbox".

I really like those Decked drawers just haven't been able to justify the expense. Curious to hear more about their build quality and strength to hold up to real-world abuse. I treat my trucks like trucks so they would have to be strong to stand up to my needs. Another problem that I have is that I already have the Built Industries Molle mounts on the sides of the bed with my HiLift jack, shovel, axe, fire extinguisher and various other tools mounted right where I like them, but unfortunately I'd have to remove them to install the Decked system which makes that decision even harder to swallow.

Cheers, AV

I have looked at the Built Right Molle panels and wish they offered a short version to run on top of the Decked system. Having used the Decked system for about 2 months now, so far, so good. The materials appear to be, and have been, very durable. I have zero hesitation about loading on top of the deck, which I have done a couple of times now. The drawers themselves roll solid and lock-up well. I do a lot of weighted hikes and often have a 70lb sandbag riding in the drawer and even when the drawer if fully extended and 70lbs is sitting directly at the unsupported end of the "overhang" off of the tailgate, there are no issues. I think they rate the individual drawer capacity at 200lbs each, and the deck-top payload as 2k.

 

[Grassland]

Congrats on the rig! Looking forward to seeing more about your build/experiences. I have essentially the exact same truck as you but in magnetic. I've loved every minute of ownership so far. Mine also sees duties as family hauler, weekend camper, but during the week its my work "toolbox".

I really like those Decked drawers just haven't been able to justify the expense. Curious to hear more about their build quality and strength to hold up to real-world abuse. I treat my trucks like trucks so they would have to be strong to stand up to my needs. Another problem that I have is that I already have the Built Industries Molle mounts on the sides of the bed with my HiLift jack, shovel, axe, fire extinguisher and various other tools mounted right where I like them, but unfortunately I'd have to remove them to install the Decked system which makes that decision even harder to swallow.

Cheers, AV

I have had decked 2.5 years in my F150. The version out now is supposedly upgraded. They are a bit brittle in cold weather, our winters are -20 to -35°c . Some bits cracked from the cold and letting go of the spring loaded handles. They snap back into the plastic of the drawer face.
And Decked is a fair amount cheaper than the other drawers I looked at that can handle similar or greater weight on top. 2 of those years of service were daily use for work.

Sorry for the detail.

OP tire size is about right for your gearing. You are off to a good start. And weighted hikes?? Yikes! You must be in good shape.

 

[FORISTR]

We have been putting the truck to work for some family camping and fishing trips this spring. Gotta say, the drawer, rack, and RTT has been a game-changer compared to how we used to pack for, setup, and tear down camp.

 

[Rippin'AV]

Looks like a great setup. Have not seen those HD Yakima racks before. Happy so far with them? How do they mount to the bed rails exactly? Cheers, AV

 

[FORISTR]

Looks like a great setup. Have not seen those HD Yakima racks before. Happy so far with them? How do they mount to the bed rails exactly? Cheers, AV

Yeah, this is a new offering. There isn't too much info out there on them yet, but I am going to work on some photos/videos of the install, components, and the pros/cons from my perspective. Overall, I am really happy I went with this setup. I was considering some other rack systems (Leitner, RCI, etc), but the adjustability, ease of removal/install, and other features on this rack won me over.

 

[FORISTR]

Been a busy summer/fall and finally getting back to the forums here. Have some upgrades in-progress for the truck, which I'll be documenting here.

In completely stock configuration and with, I got 18.4mpg running 68-72mph on the 300-mile trip home from the dealership where I bought the truck last January. This summer I was able to get a better MPG test after adding the Bilstein 5100s up front, larger BFG KOs, a Magnaflow catback exhaust, and the Omega tune from Oz Tuning. (Also running the AEM drop-in filter, but no CAI.) This isn't a commuter and I don't drive for mileage, I was curious to see some MPG comparisons after the updates. On a family vacation this past summer we covered 600 miles each way. This was with 2 adults, 2 kids, coolers and other gear in the bed, and a LOT of gear in the Decked system. So with with truck updates and the added weight compared to my original trip home from the dealer, I was curious to see what my MPGs would be.



On the 600-mile trip up, I ran conservatively and kept it at 68-72mph, which averaged 19.4mpg. Same speeds as "original", considerably more weight, but exactly a 1mpg improvement. For the 600-miles home I ran 73-77mph, which averaged about 18.9mpg.

I am happy to get better MPGs with the tune, but more than anything the driving experience improved phenomenally. I knew I wanted the Coyote and I am glad I got it, but I knew it could be better. I drive a lot of local roads, which have me cruising between 30-45mph often. The shift points, especially for that type of driving, left me unimpressed to say the least. Sport mode helped, but it also had quirks. I found myself going in/out of Sport mode and manually locking out certain gears quite often.

That got me looking into the world of tuners and custom tunes. After a lot of research, I pulled the trigger on the Omega tune from Oz Tuning. The Omega claims to be a "one for all" tune, instead of offering an economy, a tow/haul, a performance, and octane-specific tunes. It sounded too good to be true. A lot of guys seeking high-end performance touted the praise of the Omega tune. But I wasn't trying to get my truck to run a 1/4-mile quicker. I just wanted it to be more drive-able.

Having run it for many months now, I am really impressed with the Omega tune. Anytime I began to think "I wish it would...", my truck did it. Shift points, power, RPM management, etc. This is the 5.0 the way it should be.

 

[TantoTrailers]

Sweet rig and adventures dude!

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Been a busy summer/fall and finally getting back to the forums here. Have some upgrades in-progress for the truck, which I'll be documenting here.

In completely stock configuration and with, I got 18.4mpg running 68-72mph on the 300-mile trip home from the dealership where I bought the truck last January. This summer I was able to get a better MPG test after adding the Bilstein 5100s up front, larger BFG KOs, a Magnaflow catback exhaust, and the Omega tune from Oz Tuning. (Also running the AEM drop-in filter, but no CAI.) This isn't a commuter and I don't drive for mileage, I was curious to see some MPG comparisons after the updates. On a family vacation this past summer we covered 600 miles each way. This was with 2 adults, 2 kids, coolers and other gear in the bed, and a LOT of gear in the Decked system. So with with truck updates and the added weight compared to my original trip home from the dealer, I was curious to see what my MPGs would be.

On the 600-mile trip up, I ran conservatively and kept it at 68-72mph, which averaged 19.4mpg. Same speeds as "original", considerably more weight, but exactly a 1mpg improvement. For the 600-miles home I ran 73-77mph, which averaged about 18.9mpg.

I am happy to get better MPGs with the tune, but more than anything the driving experience improved phenomenally. I knew I wanted the Coyote and I am glad I got it, but I knew it could be better. I drive a lot of local roads, which have me cruising between 30-45mph often. The shift points, especially for that type of driving, left me unimpressed to say the least. Sport mode helped, but it also had quirks. I found myself going in/out of Sport mode and manually locking out certain gears quite often.

That got me looking into the world of tuners and custom tunes. After a lot of research, I pulled the trigger on the Omega tune from Oz Tuning. The Omega claims to be a "one for all" tune, instead of offering an economy, a tow/haul, a performance, and octane-specific tunes. It sounded too good to be true. A lot of guys seeking high-end performance touted the praise of the Omega tune. But I wasn't trying to get my truck to run a 1/4-mile quicker. I just wanted it to be more drive-able.

Having run it for many months now, I am really impressed with the Omega tune. Anytime I began to think "I wish it would...", my truck did it. Shift points, power, RPM management, etc. This is the 5.0 the way it should be.

Interesting. I have a 2015 w/ the 5.0 & 3:73's. When you were driving in Sport mode, did you find it seemed to hold the gear way longer than it should? Maybe it's just me. Also I noticed when in sport mode sometimes the downshifts would be quite hard. Again, maybe just me?

 

[Rippin'AV]

I have heard a lot of great feedback on those OZ Tunes. I've been down that "tuning" road before and had more than my share of fun and excitement for this lifetime, lol. Staying stock w/bolt-ons with this rig. But its threads like these that always spark that inner "tuner" inside, lol. Great looking truck and list of upgrades so far. Have the same year and 5.0V8 as you, so sub'd to see what your next adventures lead to. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Grassland]

Somebody at Ford needs a firm shaking in regards to throttle and shift tuning.
Even an off the shelf 87 octane tune helps.

Truck is looking good! I'm surprised the larger and heavier tires made so little difference in fuel economy.

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Great looking truck!

 

[FORISTR]

Interesting. I have a 2015 w/ the 5.0 & 3:73's. When you were driving in Sport mode, did you find it seemed to hold the gear way longer than it should? Maybe it's just me. Also I noticed when in sport mode sometimes the downshifts would be quite hard. Again, maybe just me?

Yes, Sport mode was hit or miss for me. It was great when you just wanted to get on it for bursts, but sometimes the gear-holding and down-shifts were to aggressive for everyday driving.

I have heard a lot of great feedback on those OZ Tunes. I've been down that "tuning" road before and had more than my share of fun and excitement for this lifetime, lol. Staying stock w/bolt-ons with this rig. But its threads like these that always spark that inner "tuner" inside, lol. Great looking truck and list of upgrades so far. Have the same year and 5.0V8 as you, so sub'd to see what your next adventures lead to. Thanks for sharing.

This is my first foray into the tuning world. I did a LOT of research and reading, and Ken form OZ was super helpful answering all of my questions beforehand. I am keeping this truck for the long-haul and feel confident that this tune won't be the source of issues. Time will tell.

Somebody at Ford needs a firm shaking in regards to throttle and shift tuning.
Even an off the shelf 87 octane tune helps.

Truck is looking good! I'm surprised the larger and heavier tires made so little difference in fuel economy.

I'm happy with the MPGs considering the extra size/mass. I'm glad the tune fixed the throttle and shifting for me, but I sure wish Ford had it programmed better from the factory.