Hi all! I originally signed up here probably 7 years ago when I had a '98 F150 Supercab. That truck has been gone for a while and I want to get a truck again. Since I liked my last F150 an F150 is at the top of my list this time around. My circumstances are a bit different now, I have two more kids (a total of three, ages 11, 5, and 1). The truck will be an occasional family hauler...the wife's minivan does that most of the time. I have been leaning towards getting a Supercrew, but not sure. Also, I'm planning on buying something used. So, with that in mind, does anybody have recommendations for me?

 

2004-2007 Super Crew 4x4

 

Nah, Harley Davidson F-150, Have your cake and eat it too.

(If you dont off-road or tow much)

 

Supercrew 4x4 with a 6.5' bed. Big enough to haul the kids and still be able to haul stuff in the bed with the tailgate closed.

Shop around- theres good deals on used trucks if you look hard enough. I paid $5k below book value (and $20k below original sticker price) for my '06 Supercab in February with absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

If you do get a Screw I'd look for one with the 5.4 and 3.73 gear's to get these heavy truck's rolling. 2004 to 2008 whatever you can afford.

 

I'd look '06 or later to avoid the '05 injector issue. Or better yet, look at an '08 model to avoid the two-piece spark plug issue......

 

i would get a screw, your kids will be much happier in the back and will be easier to get your 1 year old in the car seat.

as for motor, i really dont think it matters, the 07-08 4.6's are much quicker than the 04-06's. if you tow, go with the 5.4 but dont let the motor be a deal breaker if you find a truck you really like.

4x4 is up to you.

if you haul try and find a 6.5ft bed, i wish i had it on my truck

 

I was planning on an '06 or later just because they generally have lower miles...but what is this two-piece spark plug issue?

btw...thanks for the replies everyone!

 

The original spark plugs that were put into these trucks have a tendency to come apart when removed, leaving a portion of the plug in the head that must be extracted. This has led to some fairly expensive repairs, and in my opinion, even shops that are experienced in doing this service jack up the price a bit to cover their backsides in the event they get a real "booger" of a case. The most recent trucks received a revised head and plug design that supposedly addresses this issue.

If I were buying a used truck, this would be a big concern to me, since you will likely be the one footing the bill for a plug change at some point in time during your ownership of the vehicle. I wouldn't let it be a deal breaker, but it's something you should be aware of with this truck.....

 

OK. That makes sense. Just after I posted that question I saw a thread started in the V8 section about changing sparkplugs in a 3V 5.4 and figured that was what you were talking about.

Another question...how are the cloth seats? Are they hard to keep clean? The car I will be replacing has cloth seats that are nearly impossible to keep clean...not cool in a family vehicle.

 

I answered my own question today. Went and looked at a couple of trucks this weekend. I checked out two Supercrews, an XLT with gray cloth interior and an FX4 with black leather. The center armrest on the XLT had a distinct brown tint to it that I noticed as soon as I got in the truck, that pretty much turned me off. The FX4 was awesome. I didn't test drive either because we were short on time and I had the wife and all three kids along (I wasn't excited about putting the car seat into a couple of trucks just to take test drives).

 

Super Crew with a small bed. If its for a family car, with the option of hauling something every once in a while that'd be just fine. And with kids leather might be good. The cloth seems to show a lot of stains and dirt. Even the littlest of things. something along the lines of an 04-08. But like people have been saying, 08 if you dont want the plug issue. With a family having the expense of a plug problem can be a real financial deal.... Oh and FX4 FTW. No offense to anybody elses rigs. Their all nice trucks

 

I've heard that the cloth in these trucks (04-08) stains from getting water on them, so I'd go with leather...

 

Still cant figure out a way to get'em out

 

04-08 FX4 w/ 5.5' bed. I couldn't be happier with my 05 FX4 and will worry about the injector issue if and when it happens. Ford is offering the extended warranty to 120k miles on them and I of course didn't know about it until afterwards. I'm not too worried about it though. The plug issue can easily be resolved with the removal kit and a good Saturday of work. Don't let that deter you from the right truck.

The benefit I see of the 5.5' bed is the ease of parking and it also fits in the garage too I love that I can hop on my bike and drive to work and know that the truck can be in the garage not exposed to the weather.

I was able to get my 05 late last year w/ 29k miles on it in perfect condition w/ a leveling kit, wheels, and 35's already on it for 18k. The deals are out there!