2024 F150

[windtraveler]

I recently purchased a new 2024 F-150 XL 4x4 with locking rear diff & 5.0 engine. I love the way the truck drives but after crawling around underneath it I'm concerned about all the wires for all the technology getting ripped off if I accidently run over something I shouldn't have and haveing the truck shut down because of a broken wire or some other electronic interlock. I'm also becoming increasingly frustrated with the technology in the cab. It seems I have to acknowledge 100's of different annoying bells and messages. Things like door ajar, engine running, car is in neutral, etc...not to mention that I can't back up with the tailgate down without the electronic emergency brake being applied. I'm a little older and at the point that I'm trying to simplify things in my life. I have no interest in learning or utilizing gadgets. then there is the transmission that I didn't really research prior to purchasing. 10spd electronic. Really smooth most of the time but hard shifting at other times. There is a lot of negativity out there about this transmission. Now I'm at the point that I am ready to start a mild build and the doubts that have surfaced have given me pause.

Any thoughts or experiences anyone could pass on would be appreciated. Am I being overly cautious? making a mountain out of a mole hill? Just ignorant of the the progress of modern cars & trucks?

note: I come from 4runners, and land cruisers, but was looking for something a little more spacious.

 

[Ozarker]

My F 150 has been driven over and in the woods, never had a snag. Never heard of anyone having a snag.

If you're concerned, it would be an easy mod to get under there and put wiring up higher on the frame with some fastners.

 

[ITTOG]

I have hundreds of miles of off-roading in my 2018 f150 and even though I have dragged bottom a lot, I have never had an issue. My only real concern underneath is the plastic transmission pan. If you are really bothered by it just get skid plates. I have also spent a lot of time in high water and have not had any issues with water getting in the electrical plugs.

You should ask the dealer to reset your transmission. Mine is the 10 speed and it works great.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

 

[dstefan]

Not a Ford/Domestic, but those are similar reasons to why I jumped on a new ’21 Tundra for my built. I wanted the old generation platform, many complained about (Edit: cause the design and geewhiz features weren’t updated to match the competition). A few nannies still bug me, but I couldn’t be happier with the old tried and true — especially with all the issues the new 3rd gens are having. Newer is definitely not always better IMO.

 

[Gravelette]

You might go to a dealer and look underneath one with the FX4 pkg. If those "skid plates" cover what concerns you it should be easy to add them to your truck.

 

[p nut]

I had an XL. Although the electronic nannies get annoying, you get used to it fairly quick.

What type of trails will you be doing? If you’ll be doing rough trails where you’re doing to be dragging bottom a lot, RCI makes skid plates.

Transmission should learn how you drive and it should smooth out. I loved the 10-speed, more so than the 6-speed from the prior gen.

It should be a good truck. Definitely much more comfortable than a 4runner.

 

[windtraveler]

THanks. I appreciate y'alls feedback and it makes me feel a little better. THere are so many things that I really like about the truck, particularly the ride and the gas mileage. 700+ miles to a tank is awesome. Anticipate mostly dirt roads. no rock crawling or anything like that, just plan on being "out there" for long periods of time.

 

[ITTOG]

THanks. I appreciate y'alls feedback and it makes me feel a little better. THere are so many things that I really like about the truck, particularly the ride and the gas mileage. 700+ miles to a tank is awesome. Anticipate mostly dirt roads. no rock crawling or anything like that, just plan on being "out there" for long periods of time.

What? How big is your fuel tank? I don't even get that with the 3.5L and 36 gallon tank. But turbo's do chug fuel.

 

[p nut]

What? How big is your fuel tank? I don't even get that with the 3.5L and 36 gallon tank. But turbo's do chug fuel.

I was able to squeeze 700-ish miles on both the 2.7 and 3.5 (both had 36 gallon tank). But I was light footing it at 70mph. 33” tires, but stock suspension.

 

[windtraveler]

What? How big is your fuel tank? I don't even get that with the 3.5L and 36 gallon tank. But turbo's do chug fuel.

38gal. I should have qualified that statement - unloaded on open roads around 65-70mph. I have put 9700 miles on the truck and the highest "miles to empty" I've seen after fueling was 747. To be honest, I never actually measured the distance from full to empty; I like what the computer is telling me, so that is what I choose to believe...haha

 

[andy_b]

38gal. I should have qualified that statement - unloaded on open roads around 65-70mph. I have put 9700 miles on the truck and the highest "miles to empty" I've seen after fueling was 747. To be honest, I never actually measured the distance from full to empty; I like what the computer is telling me, so that is what I choose to believe...haha

LOL my miles to empty is always great when I just drove 30mph to the local gas station and the computer uses the current MPG to project the future. It gets way worse (and more realistic) once I‘m on the road.

 

[Todd780]

I recently purchased a new 2024 F-150 XL 4x4 with locking rear diff & 5.0 engine. I love the way the truck drives but after crawling around underneath it I'm concerned about all the wires for all the technology getting ripped off if I accidently run over something I shouldn't have and haveing the truck shut down because of a broken wire or some other electronic interlock. I'm also becoming increasingly frustrated with the technology in the cab. It seems I have to acknowledge 100's of different annoying bells and messages. Things like door ajar, engine running, car is in neutral, etc...not to mention that I can't back up with the tailgate down without the electronic emergency brake being applied. I'm a little older and at the point that I'm trying to simplify things in my life. I have no interest in learning or utilizing gadgets. then there is the transmission that I didn't really research prior to purchasing. 10spd electronic. Really smooth most of the time but hard shifting at other times. There is a lot of negativity out there about this transmission. Now I'm at the point that I am ready to start a mild build and the doubts that have surfaced have given me pause.

Any thoughts or experiences anyone could pass on would be appreciated. Am I being overly cautious? making a mountain out of a mole hill? Just ignorant of the the progress of modern cars & trucks?

note: I come from 4runners, and land cruisers, but was looking for something a little more spacious.

Done lots of off road with my '22 F150 XLT. It has the 360 cams and all the other techy bells and whistles and the only issue I had so far is I chipped and scratched my wheels. You mentioned you'd pretty much be exploring dirt roads, not rock crawling. Sounds like the exploring I like to do with my truck. Enjoy your mild build and checking out trails!

 

[deserteagle56]

What? How big is your fuel tank? I don't even get that with the 3.5L and 36 gallon tank. But turbo's do chug fuel.

Only if you are in to the turbos all the time. Otherwise, its a gas sipper.

Been driving my 2016 F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost, 3.55 gears, for almost 9 years now; my overall fuel mileage since new is 20 mpg and that includes a lot of towing miles which halves the non-towing fuel mileage. And that mpg figure is calculated by an Excel spreadsheet I enter all data into, not the truck's display. But then my truck is essentially stock. Lifting a truck and putting bigger, heavier tires on it really drops the fuel mileage.

On this back country trip I was very pleased that, after having driven 400 miles since filling up I still had over 400 miles to empty!

 

[p nut]

Only if you are in to the turbos all the time. Otherwise, its a gas sipper.

Been driving my 2016 F150 for almost 9 years now; my overall fuel mileage since new is 20 mpg and that includes a lot of towing miles which halves the non-towing fuel mileage. And that mpg figure is calculated by an Excel spreadsheet I enter all data into, not the truck's display. But then my truck is essentially stock. Lifting a truck and putting bigger, heavier tires on it really drops the fuel mileage.

On this back country trip I was very pleased that, after having driven 400 miles since filling up I still had over 400 miles to empty!
View attachment 867069

I think that’s the highest range I’ve seen in an F150. Do you have the 2.7 or 3.5? What’s your gearing?

 

[deserteagle56]

I recently purchased a new 2024 F-150 XL 4x4 with locking rear diff & 5.0 engine. I love the way the truck drives but after crawling around underneath it I'm concerned about all the wires for all the technology getting ripped off if I accidently run over something I shouldn't have and haveing the truck shut down because of a broken wire or some other electronic interlock. I'm also becoming increasingly frustrated with the technology in the cab. It seems I have to acknowledge 100's of different annoying bells and messages. Things like door ajar, engine running, car is in neutral, etc...not to mention that I can't back up with the tailgate down without the electronic emergency brake being applied. I'm a little older and at the point that I'm trying to simplify things in my life. I have no interest in learning or utilizing gadgets. then there is the transmission that I didn't really research prior to purchasing. 10spd electronic. Really smooth most of the time but hard shifting at other times. There is a lot of negativity out there about this transmission. Now I'm at the point that I am ready to start a mild build and the doubts that have surfaced have given me pause.

Any thoughts or experiences anyone could pass on would be appreciated. Am I being overly cautious? making a mountain out of a mole hill? Just ignorant of the the progress of modern cars & trucks?

note: I come from 4runners, and land cruisers, but was looking for something a little more spacious.

I hear you about the electronic nannies. I was not ready to buy a new pickup in 2016 but I read that Ford was going to put the automatic start-stop technology and the new 10 speed automatic in the 2017 models so I bought early to not have to put up with start-stop and be a beta tester for the new transmission.

I live in rural Nevada where there is very little pavement. My F150 spends most of its miles on dirt roads and I too worried about protecting the underside so I eventually broke down and bought a full set of RCI skid plates. They cover pretty much everything under the truck and may even help fuel mileage as they leave the bottom of the truck smooth and slick.

Yes, this is a road. But during spring runoff it can also be a stream bed.