I'm pretty sure I'm going to give the final go-ahead to the dealer tomorrow for a new F-150 XLT SuperCrew 5.5 bed (my first truck of any kind). It's sitting on the lot waiting for me, the only thing it needs is for me to part with the amazingly large sum of money required to bring it home. It just seems to be that I can have all the benefits of a mid-size SUV with all the durability of a F150 for just about the same price if I'm willing to give up a few creature comforts like leather.

So I have a few questions for the folks here regarding the purchase.

Even though we've already set a price, I'm sure my salesman is going to try to sell me all sorts of extras at the end just like they did with my last car. What I'm wondering is which are worth it?

I've always had the dealer apply undercoating applied to my cars, but I've mostly done this out of habit not because I've done any research that says it's a good thing. I live in Iowa and we use a salt-brine solution in the winter to keep the roads drivable, so I'm fairly sure it's a good idea but I have been wrong before.


Undercoating:
Would I be better off to go to a place like Ziebart to have undercoating done? Is there a quality difference? Approximately how much should it cost for a beast like the F150?

Scotchgard:
This is also my first vehicle in a long time without leather, is some sort of protectant recommended/required for Ford's “premium cloth” interior?

Bed liners:
All my forums research (here and elsewhere) leads me to believe that: A, I should have a bed liner even though most of the time I'll be hauling non-construction equipment (bags of dirt, camping gear, etc). and B: The difference between a drop in liner such as Duraliner or a spray in like LineX pretty much always leads to a religious war. So I just figured that I'd mention that I am getting a liner, and since they appear to be six-of-one and half-a-dozen of another I'll leave it at that.

Extended Warranties:
I've had cars with them, and cars without them. Lately I've been in the camp they're not worth having. How's the track record on the 04-07 F-150s? Am I right in believing it's a pretty solidly built and understood vehicle with most of the bugs worked out?

Anything else I should know about? Any dealer-install items I should make sure I have now because they're harder to get later?

 

Welcome to the boards.

Wow..thats a lot of questions.

I have no idea on this, I live in the South...since I just cleaned the underside of my truck (i was bored) I found stuff that was tacky on the frame but not on all the parts. Is that undercoating? If so, it didnt look like much.

You can do this yourself but I think that Ford backs it up with a replacement offer it you stain it, check into it, if not, do it yourself. My opinion.

You won't like a drop in unless it is a bedrug...however, b/c you now will have a truck, you will be surprised at what you will haul...so I would get a spray in...and yes, this is a highly personal choice you don't have to make now.

There are Ford Warranties that are the web that are typically less than the dealerships...unless they are making you a GREAT offer. This is the BEST place I have found for checking in to the real deal pricing www. fordwarrantys.com

Other than that, congrats on the new purchase, you will find yourself on this site more than you think....look around. There are threads about your truck so you can spend hours on the site.

JP

 

Undercoating is pretty much obsolete these days. The factory rustproofing is fine. Just periodically run it through a car wash that has an undercarriage spray in the winter, preferably a touchless one.

If you want Scotchgard, spray it on yourself, don't pay the dealer for doing the same thing you can EASILY do in a few minutes. This even assumes that Scotchgard is safe to use on that particular fabric.

Do not get a sprayin - it covers the bed bolts and if the bed ever has to come off, whoever has to do it will be cussing you out. It can also block the drain holes.

I believe you have up to a year to buy an extended warranty - I'd wait. If it's trouble free for you, forget it - if you have a lot of problems, then it would pay to get one.

ANYTHING extra from the dealer is mostly profit. It's far cheaper to get accessories aftermarket.

 

You can get an extended warranty up until the last day of the 3 year or 35,999.00 but the price is more the longer you wait.

I disagree with your comment about sprayin.... If they are covered then yes, but a good installer takes them out and takes the drains out prior to spraying. You can find this info by using the search button.

 

Guilty as charged - I didn't search, I merely expressed my opinion.

That's why opinions on sprayin vs. dropin are so divided. I have neither - I use a simple J-Mark rubber bed mat that comes out easily for proper cleaning. My cheapness may have something to do with that too - it was less than 50 bucks.

 

My point was for the original poster to check the section out regarding Bedliners. Yes there are lots of opinions that is why there is a portion of the forum dedicated for the education of newcomers.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/bedliners-caps-tops-lids-32/

 

I'd recommend the rubber mat right off the bat if you want to take time deciding what liner to get. I just hate the idea of putting anything down on a painted bed and causing scratches - if you scratch through to bare metal, there's a corrosion source. The mat helps keep things from sliding around too, it's very grippy.

 

I would skip the undercoating. I live in Iowa too and I have never had undercoating put on any of my vehicles and I have never had a problem.

 

I had pretty much decided on Spray-In, our local Line-X does remove the bolts, although I never thought to ask about the drain plugs. I'll make a note to request that as well. I was trying hard to not start that discussion

Thanks for the information on the warranties, I hadn't heard of that website but I'll look into it if I have any issues.

 

check around the BedLiner forum there is a great local (Texas) dealer that can make a phone call into your location and make sure they do all the proper prep and stuff...if you reach out to him (TruckGasm) he can tell you what apps they offer there like color match etc. You have a few cool options with Line-X

Best of luck and again welcome to the forum. You'll find tons of info here...and of course lots of opinions. But that's what happens when you pull together a passioinate bunch of Ford owners.

 

Thanks for the information. I am thinking about a spray-in liner. Will good installers remove the drain plugs and and bolts before spraying?
I have caps on my bed rails. Can these be removed and reinstalled after the bed has been sprayed?

 

I have had 3 different brands of sprayin's, it all really comes down to the person shooting it. My recomendation is to call the place you are using and ask them.

If they don't, ask them too...if they say no, find another dealer.

 

They should, but I would ask them to just to make sure. They won't spray your caps.