How well does the leather hold up. I have 2 sons, ages 10 and 5. They are not destructive kids but, can the KR leather withstand the normal wear and tear from kids. You know how stuff happens, ball practice is over and some of the players need a ride to home, they just throw there gear inside and jump in. Will this leather show scratches and etc bad? Wife loves the leather but thinks I will regret getting the KR in 6 months after seats start to show wear.

Guys help me out here, the leather is the reason I want the KR. I don't want to make this $purchase and regret it later.

Would I be better off getting a Lariat/FX4 w/ the standard leather seats?

 

Wow... been here nearly two years and we get your first post!?! I'm impressed!




But seriously, the leather does take some work and it's pretty unforgiving. It will soak up just about any liquid and, unfortunately, is kind of hard to 'fix' when a problem occurs.

My personal thought is that, based upon what you've described, Castano might not be the best choice for your situation. If you're so laid back that you don't care what it's going to look like -- then sure, it's fine... if you're like most that do, I think it might bug you frequently and your kids might think dad has become pretty uncool making so many rules for his new truck.

Feel free to ask other questions but, all in all, it is a labor of love for nearly all of us who own a Castano interior... and we do labor.

RP

 

The Castano leather is very thick in my opinion. It will withstand minor scuffs from getting in and out of it but sharp objects can gouge the surface. (Keys, tools, etc). The biggest concern I have with kids is food (especially oily stuff). Once you get soda, ketchup, french fry oil or something like that on it you will need to work to get it clean. The leather is not sealed like other interiors (including the Lariat) and by nature it is very absorbant.

My 2 cents..

 

Glad to see this post. I have a 5-year old. I love the look and feel of the KR leather but honestly would not have bought a new truck with it because of the boy. I got a great deal on my '01 KR Screw (low mileage, knew who had it before, etc.) so I couldn't pass it up. But with kids, stuff is going to happen. I actually don't mind the scratches and scuffs because they clean up pretty easily and go with the scars and other textures that are already in the leather from the cow. But stains from spills are harder to deal with. So (look away you hardcore KR owners) I have bought Seat Gear covers from Cabela's for all 4 buckets. Got the Realtree camo pattern which has enough brown tones to somewhat go with the leather on the console tops and steering wheel. Plus they have a gazillion storage pockets for all the stuff required by 5-year-olds on a long road trip. I just leave 'em on all the time since we go camping a bunch and I hunt and fish. I really think the Lariat leather is much more practical if you use the truck hard, but the KR leather is the best looking by a long shot.

 

I have three boys: 6, 5, and 1. Didn't think twice about getting the King Ranch. For normal stuff, I just throw there car seats on the bare leather. No problems at all. For times when I know there'll be extra dirt (like camping), I use a cheap $20 Cabela's seat cover. If you've got kids that don't mind well, then maybe the KR isn't a good idea. Otherwise, it works fine for me and my family.

 

I registered when I had to check a code for that dreaded CEL. (02 sensor). This is a great site for someone who can do some minor repairs.

As for the KR Castano leather, I appreciate all of your honest replies. I have a couple of months before the mileage is up on my company car(crown vic). My company is trying to get away from providing company vehicles(insurance/lawsuits) and has started giving a vehicle allowance. My 97' F150 only has 67,000 miles on it but I would not be eligible to use it because it is more than 6 years old.

 

IMO, and I do have a 8 year old son and my BF has a 4 year old son, I think kids need to learn how to respect vehicles and it starts with respecting the leather and interior. If you want the KR because you love the leather then buy it.

 

I have two boys, ages 4 & 7. I've had my KR for 8 months and the leather still looks new. We rarely eat or drink in the truck. If we do, it's usually just water (no juice or soda), and non-messy foods like pretzels, nuts, or dried fruit. The kids sure do get healthier snacks now that we have a King ranch.

 

OMG I love it. What a wonderful sales pitch. "Buy a King Ranch. It will make your children more respective and healthy."

 

Like I tried to say in my above post, I love the KR leather but I will not get it again. The whole reason I own a truck is to have a truck to use as a truck. The leather would not be a problem if all I did was drive back and forth to my day job. But quite often I get into the truck wet from a cold rainy day in a duck blind, soaked in sweat from landscaping work, boots caked in manure from cleaning stalls, etc. The kind of things where it is not an option to shower and change clothes before driving home. We quite often drive 11 hours one way to visit my mom where I'm as guilty as my 5-year-old about dropping a stray greasy french fry on the seat and leaving a stain on the leather. Life's too short to let the truck's interior be a top priority so my next F150 will be with the Lariat trim. Believe me though, if I could afford to keep two trucks around, the around-town truck would definitly be a KR!

 

They don't ride in the truck alot and they have to follow the ground rules - no food or drink in the truck. I also put a towel under their car seats. That said, the back seats look better than the front due to UV fading. I have had it for 3 1/2 years and the back seats look brand new.

If you make the rules and they listen, go for the KR. Otherwise get the Lariet.
I plan on keeping mine long enough for it to be my son's first vehicle, so he has a vested interest in keeping it up.

 

The Lariet is a darn nice truck. You get pretty near the same fluff as the KR. You can either order options or go aftermarket and set that thing up to be a real showstopper.
KR leather is something that, in my opinion is better suited to a more controlled use environment than you are probably going to have. Kids are unpredictable! They are also way way more important than seat covering material.
This sounds like fatherly advice maybe, but my suggestion is that you choose to live your life around your kids, not around KR seat leather. They'll grow up soon enough. Mine did. Too damn fast, if you ask me. There will come a time when the question will not need to be asked. You will know when that is. You're gonna' wish it never came. When it does, you can fill your idle hours tinkering with finicky leather. For now, you may be better with a nice, strong people hauler. That Lariet is a darn nice truck.
Just my humble opinion. Best of luck either way. Let us know what you decide.

 

Grady95

Well said. I'd rather have my boy excited to load up and go with me (and believe me he thinks our truck is the coolest thing going) than to dread getting in because he thinks I'm going to be a pain in the *** with a bunch of rules. In the end if the truck can't be used as a truck because I'm worried about the leather on the seats, then it is the wrong truck for me. That's what I have realized. And, as much as I like the look and feel of the KR interior, I won't get another one as long as me and my boy need a truck to get to the woods, lake, or farm and get filthy doing fun stuff together.

 

Please stay involved with this forum, even if you don't currently have a King Ranch truck. You have unfortunatly been bitten by the bug. You have all the classic symptoms. Sorry bud, there's only one cure! Enjoy your time with your son. This other stuff can wait. The trucks aren't going to disappear.
Thanks for your response.

 

Thanks, I'll let yall know what I decide to get.