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Ford F-150 King Ranch truck spins off a four-door SuperCrew
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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TEXARKANA, Tex. -- Livestock, cornered near the wire fence on a sprawling Texas cattle ranch, give the big truck a wary eye as we bump over a soggy pasture. Recent rains in successive waves have flooded fields and turned a route through the cow pins into spongy sod interspersed with squishy patches of tire-sucking mud.
To make forward movement possible through the gumbo requires a husky vehicle not only hiked high in the chassis but equipped with a traction system that applied the engine's muscle to all wheels.
For this chore we're steering a super truck segmented out of the full-size F-150 SuperCrew series by Ford.
It comes with the power of 260 horses as harnessed through Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8, and massive torque racked as high as 350 lb-ft.
It also employs Ford's four-wheel-drive system with a control knob on the dashboard for dialing up a driving mode, from rear two-wheel traction to four-wheel high and low or automatic all-wheel-drive. For pavement travel the system seamlessly distributes traction to wheels that maintain tread grip, yet when heading off pavement -- such as this pass through cow country -- the 4WD high and low system locks the differential and applies torque evenly to both sets of wheels.
However, this particular truck totes more than muscle and mechanical substance. It also coddles the human cargo by installing a big cab capable of supporting sedan-size front and rear captain's chairs as well as four car-like side doors for easy interior access.
Then it's fitted with cushy comforts and convenience features, fine leather lining the buckets and big flip-top consoles front and rear, heat elements in both front seats and a six-disc CD changer mated to the premium stereo.
There's even a moonroof installed, one of several options that extend to a video entertainment system with video cassette player.
Ford calls this new truck the King Ranch, after the immense Texas ranch by the same name, then embosses the King Ranch brand on leather seatbacks and headrests.
It's a spectacular treatment that, when considered from a passenger's perspective perched on fine cowhides, makes it difficult to realize the expansive compartment is not some luxurious limousine but a big truck capable of tough chores.
That's the result of a clever cab design for SuperCrew, which begins with the platform of the F-150 truck but instead of the typically tight space of a conventional truck cab installs a longer cabin that can accommodate full-size seats in front and back along with four car-like side doors.
Each rear door mounts to the center pillar with front-edged hinges. These back doors have a handle inside and out and may be opened independently of the front door.
Adding conventional rear doors transforms the cabin into a space that resembles the compartment of a big sedan rather than a confining truck.
To hold the vehicle's overall length within a reasonable measurement so it will maneuver easily in urban traffic, the truck bed in the rear is cropped from the usual length of 78.8 inches down to 67.2 inches, dropping 11.6 inches, or almost a foot of length. Despite the crop, this box will still pack bulky loads like 4x8 sheets of plywood if you drop the tailgate.
An optional extension device functions as a bed-expanding brace to corral those longer loads of cargo. It's U-shaped in three-bar tubular stainless steel and flips out from side pivot points on rear walls of the box to rest on the tailgate folded flat.
The box contains indentions in a design that supports partitions to segment cargo, and there's a step bumper pinned below the tailgate. In addition, protective bed rails ring the box and a tie-down hook mounts in every corner.
Exterior styling for the SuperCrew King Ranch shows curvy muscular shapes up front. Corner clusters of multi-beam reflector lamps flank a large honeycomb grille underlined by a thick bumper in chrome with lower fog lamps and central air intake port.
A sloping hood rises to the raked windshield as sides show rolled shoulders and flat panels interrupted by ripples of trim rings articulating oversized wheelwells. Below, ribbed running boards tinted to match trim rings and fascia add concealed night lights.
The SuperCrew cab configuration off the F-150 truck divides into two trim designations of XLT and Lariat. Base XLT stocks bench-type seats front and back that can carry three people each. Both seats split in 60/40 sections, but up front the bench may be switched to optional captain's chairs divided by a floor-mounted console.
The King Ranch edition builds upon deluxe amenities provided for the Lariat trim, adding captain's chairs and a console for both front and rear sections, plus the supple leather upholstery with fancy seam stitching.
Other appointments exclusive to the King Ranch include special floor mats embroidered with the King Ranch symbol, the heated front seats and six-disc CD changer, a sliding rear window and lighted running boards. The interior shaded in Medium Parchment combines with a two-tone exterior paint scheme of Arizona Beige trim accenting a unique clearcoat metallic color (Chestnut, Charcoal Blue or Estate Green). Also, 17-inch spoked aluminum wheels carry all-season tires for the rear-wheel-drive version but all-terrain tires on the 4WD truck.
For power, the SuperCrew employs as its standard engine a single-cam 4.6-liter Triton V8 scored at 220 hp with as much as 290 lb-ft of torque.
The 5.4-liter V8 with 260 hp is optional.
Due to the high output of horsepower and torque, this larger V8 works best for pulling a trailer. The maximum trailer weight extends to 8000 pounds in the rear-wheel traction mode, or 7700 pounds for four-wheeling traction.
Fuel economy figures on the 5.4-liter V8 with 4WD tally to 13 miles per gallon for city driving and 17 on the highway.
Either plant connects to an excellent four-speed automatic transmission.
A transmission high-gear lockout switch inset as a button in the tip of the column-mounted shift lever enables a driver to downshift with only the tap of a thumb. It's handy when passing another vehicle or checking speed on a downhill grade.
The sticker of a 4WD SuperCrew King Ranch used for our Texas trek totaled to $36,495 and included a $715 delivery fee. Base price for the 4WD version amounted to $33,815, then applied the 5.4-liter V8 for $800, a power moonroof at $810, pickup box extender for $195 and protective skid plates on the undercarriage for $160.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2001 FORD F150 KING RANCH Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size 4-door pickup truck |
| Model Options: |
Full-size 4-door pickup truck |
| Wheelbase: |
2WD: 138.5 inches, 4WD: 138.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
2WD: 225.9 inches, 4WD: 225.9 inches |
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 4.6-L V8, SOHC 5.4-L V8 |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear 2WD, 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) |
| Gross Weight: |
2WD: 6600 pounds, 4WD: 6750 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
2WD: 8000 pounds, 4WD: 7700 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
5.4-L 2WD: 13/18 mpg, 5.4-L 4WD: 13/17 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 31,225 to $ 36,495 |
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