Whether hunting is a seasonal weekend activity or your lifelong passion and livelihood, more than likely you need a way to get to your hunting area with all your gear and back hopefully with your tags filled. While you can do this with a minivan or a Prius, the handiest vehicle for the outdoorsman is a pickup truck.
The outdoorsman is brand-loyal and I get that, but today I’d like to share a little about the new 2015 Ford F-150. I had the opportunity to drive this beautiful truck this fall thanks to the good folks at Ford Motor Company and I’ve got to say, the new F-150 has a lot to offer the outdoorsman.
Outdoorsmen demand power. Of course, we do. We’re not just dropping off the kids at school and driving across town to Pilates class. We are hauling our gear and sometimes a trailer.
To meet our demands, Ford offers four fantastic engines including the all-new 2.7L EcoBoost. I can hear some of you now: “2.7L engine? In a pickup truck? Please.” And to that I say, “Yes, PLEASE!” This engine provides 325 horsepower and 375 lb. ft. of torque, a maximum tow rating of 8,500 lbs., and a maximum payload of 2,250 lbs. These numbers increase with the available 3.5L EcoBoost to a maximum tow rating of 12,200 lbs. and a payload rating of 3,300 lbs.
It’s not just about the horsepower and the torque, though. Power-to-weight ratio affects performance in a big way and Ford’s new 2.7L EcoBoost has a better power-to-weight ratio than what you find in most V8s. Ford’s objective for the 2015 F-150: reduce weight while increasing strength. By using a new high-strength aluminum-alloy body wrapped around a military-grade steel frame, Ford found a way to shave up to 700 pounds off this new F-150.
Which engine is right for you?
- The New 2.7L EcoBoost with Auto StartStop: 325 horsepower, 375 lb. ft. of torque, 8,500 lbs. maximum towing, and a 2,250 lb. maximum payload
- The New 3.5L Ti-VCT V6: 283 horsepower, 255 lb. ft. of torque, tows up to 7,600 lbs., and a 2,250 lb. payload
- The 3.5L EcoBoost: 365 horsepower, 420 lb. ft. of torque, a best-in-class 12,200-lb. maximum tow rating, and 3,300 lb. payload
- The 5.0L Ti-VCT V8: 385 horsepower, 387 lb. ft. of torque, maximum tow rating of 12,200-lb., and 3,300 lb. payload
Outdoorsmen demand durability. Your truck has to get you though some tough spots and many miles. Thankfully, Ford has done the dirty work for us in this department.
With more than 10 million miles of testing, Ford put the new F-150 through every test. The pinnacle of testing came in the mother-of-all durability races, the Baja 1000. Using an aluminum body/steel frame F-150 prototype powered by the 2.7L EcoBoost V6, Ford hoped to test the power-efficiency and durability of this new engine. In fact, Ford tested the overall capability of the soon-to-be 2015 F-150 by using as many stock parts as they could in this race. Other than shocks, a fuel cell in the bed, a roll cage, and high-performance all-terrain tires, every part of the truck was stock. What’s even better? The only thing they had to change was the engine filter. The F-150 with the 2.7L EcoBoost took on this brutal race and conquered it. Oh, and they drove it all the way home to Michigan. Yes, it’s durable.
Outdoorsmen demand capability. What can the new F-150 do for you?
It can tow.
- Up to 12,200 lbs. (8,500 lbs. with the 2.7L EcoBoost)
- Dymanic Hitch Assist provides line-of-sight hitch guidance
- Smart Trailer Tow Connector informs the driver of trailer connectivity issues such as a burned out light
- Trailer Sway Control
- Trailer Brake Control
It can haul.
- 3,300-lb. maximum payload (2,250 lbs. with the 2.7L EcoBoost)
- Stowable Loading Ramps assists in loading your ATV or snowmobile
- Flexible, configurable BoxLink system allows you to attach and tie down various cargo as needed
- LED Box Lights helps illuminate the truck bed workspace
Outdoorsmen do not usually demand innovation, but with the 2015 F-150 they get it. Outdoorsmen are resourceful. We make do with what we have. We have a ton of gear and we like to use it, but we are just as successful with the basics. So, too, with our trucks. We need four-wheel drive and a big bed for our gear and our harvest. But, hey, if our truck happens to have a couple of bells and whistles we can handle that.
Contrary to the term “outdoorsman,” you probably spend quite a bit of time inside your vehicle. The drive to and from your hunting area itself can be long and the interior of the cab is your little home-away-from-home. Here are just a few of the new additions to the inside of the F-150 designed to make your time a bit nicer:
- A wider interior
- A front row cargo capacity that is nearly double previous models which allows you to store twice as much within arm’s reach
- A fully flat load floor with more under-seat storage space than ever
- 110-volt/400-watt conventional AC plug-in outlet located on the center instrument panel stack
What’s new on the exterior of the new F-150? In a word, lighting. Ford provides LED lighting just about everywhere the outdoorsman needs it.
- Quad-Beam LED headlamps and LED tail lamps provide brighter, more efficient, and longer-lasting lighting.
- LED side-mirror spotlights let you illuminate any task you may have (unloading your weapon, filling out your tag) once night falls.
- LED Box lighting provides light in the bed of the truck, giving you the nighttime workspace you need after a last-light harvest.
- The tailgate LED will prove most helpful if you’re hooking up a trailer at night.
These features and numbers are impressive on paper, but in the real world we need a truck that works for us. We spend more and more time in our vehicles whether it’s traveling, commuting, working, delivering, or hauling. Let’s face it: many of us practically live out of our vehicles. They serve as more than transportation. They become our office, our storefront, and our storage unit. The new Ford F-150 delivers it all.
As a member of Connect Ford, I may have received incentives and opportunities to test Ford products. All opinions are my own.
