Obervations from a new owner ...

[JimJa]

'24 RR
- Ordered June '23, built Jan '24, delivered April '24 w/66 miles
- Hot Pepper Red
- Options: Spray in bed liner, mud flaps, dealer installed Ford roll-up aluminum bed cover.

Dealer is in north central Iowa and the day after purchase drove 1,150 miles to Wyoming home.
- MPG 15.7-17.9.
- Great highway driver, regardless of speed (have a date in July for Ford's Assault Course). Ford does seats great. Very comfortable.
- Large screen a significant distraction - be careful.
- On screen owner's manual are just Clip Notes. Shame on Ford for not including a real manual. Purchased one on line - $55 delivered.
- Ford's roll-up bed cover is a disappointment. Was bad enough dealer ordered a second and it still doesn't fit correctly. I'm returning it and have ordered a Bak.
- Lots of "holes" for dust/dirt entry in bed. Given number of owners that install a bed cover, cap or carpet, a proper manufacture engineered tail gate seal seems logical.

Removed the factory running boards - they look nice but I'm old and wife hates them. Currently in the process of installing electric running boards. Got the Go Rhino boards because I did not want to tie into the OBD port. I like the magnetic trip and 4 motors. Instructions are a disappointment, but a couple of University of Youtube clips and it's easy to figure out. Hot and Ground wires to battery a little short so have extended them. Install not complete so can't tell how they work yet.

Ordered some slightly raised letters for the recessed stamped letters in the tailgate, BUT ... be suspect of ads indicating letters that fit '19-'24 models as the tailgate letters on the current RR are slightly narrower than previous G5 models and G5 letters do not fit.

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[OH3Cobra]

Interested further in your opinion on "fun to drive" given your Focus RS ownership. Like that it is good on the highway because we will drive this alot on long trips.

 

[jrRaptor]

I found it very good and fun to drive on the highway. The day after I took delivery I drove 9 hours to Texas for vacation and spent a lot of time on and off highways. The RR did great. It was a fun learning experience with the truck, getting lots of seat time over the week away from home. Even got some mild off-roading in that made me realize the truck has way much more abilities that are just screaming to be explored. I just hit 4,000 miles this morning on my commute to work and she makes a great daily driver. Now it is subjective and I was coming from a 20 year old daily beater with other toys in the stable, but I smile every time I go for a drive or even look at her.

*I will say the backseat was packed full for a trip for 2 people so any more and you may be limited for space. The bed is not waterproof even with a topper so you'd have to plan accordingly.

 

[JimJa]

@JP. Of course it can't compare to my RS. The RS is a totally different experience. Living where I do in Wyoming, it's hard to go anywhere without going through a canyon and it's where the RS shines. I've owned two Carreras purchased new and although they were quietly beyond description - whatever you asked of them they did, without fuss or fanfare. It's difficult to describe, you have to experience it to completely understand. The RS is more visceral and in your face. Comparing the two is like comparing a Mossberg to a Bernelli.

But that said, the RR has it's own personality and a better comparison is to my '19 Ranger. I have to drive 6 miles of gravel, potholed road just to get to the highway. The RR is much more "solid" and feels more like a single unit than a collection of pieces as the '19 does. The '19 doesn't rattle and like the Raptor there is no wind noise, but the Raptor is more "together." Manufactures call it NVH. The '19 is great on the highway and comfortable, just not as comfortable as the Raptor - on or off the road. More economical too but the feeling at turn-in is more planted with the Raptor. I'm not hard core off-road type and deal mostly with snow and mud (snowed 3/4" this morning - May 23rd in fact). The Raptor feels larger than it is, certainly larger than the standard Ranger.

BTW, just finished the electric running boards an hour ago. I altered the install by running the wires in the back seat and "B" pillars instead of the floor in front of the driver's seat. Because the boards are significantly lower than the factory boards, they make getting in/out much easier. A side benefit when folded is they cover the frame as viewed from the side. Makes it look more finished and professional. I still like the looks of the factory running boards, but they didn't do it for me or my wife when getting in or out.

 

[telenerd]

Can’t get away that easy without any pics.

 

[maxxvito]

I’ve had my RRaptor for 4 weeks now, 1300 miles. Love the truck. Drivers smooth and handles really well. Sounds really good actually.
BUT..
-Apple CarPlay has an issue where no sound will play. Same issue I had in my 2021 F-150.
-Rear right pillar is a decently sized blind spot.
-Driver seat leather is loose and got a crease within the first 100 miles(common issue)
-Raptor button on steering wheel has stopped working

 

[T-Rev]

-Raptor button on steering wheel has stopped working

A couple others have mentioned the same. It may start working again on its own or you can also try resetting by removing negative battery terminal for 15-30 min.

 

[JimJa]

@ Telenerd. Took my time and boards worked fine the first time. Fit was excellent too. Couldn't resist a photo of my '18 RS.

 

[Johnny 5]

@ Telenerd. Took my time and boards worked fine the first time. Fit was excellent too. Couldn't resist a photo of my '18 RS.

Just a heads up, one of the threads on here said their power running boards retracted too hard a couple times and put small dents in the rocker panel. My wife has a white Ranger Raptor and I just ordered an identical one and was thinking of doing the same. Nice truck my friend!

 

[JimJa]

@Johnny 5. I saw the post about the damage to the rocker panel. As a result of that post I double checked the clearance between the boards and the body. There is about a quarter of an inch from one end to the other on both sides. I have a certain amount of apprehension about the mud and slush I will experience next winter, but will lube the joints and pressure wash when it gets bad - and it gets bad here with our clay based soil. It's also why I purchased the Go Rhino - there is a motor on each of the four mounts to the body which should be better than one larger motor on each side. We'll see.

Since you are considering ordering electric running boards you've no doubt done some research. I strongly suggest you consider running the PAX side wires in the back seat. So much easier than trying to run wires under the carpet of the front seat or up in the dash.. I removed the two storage "buckets" under the rear seat. Threading the PAX side wiring was then easy and painless without having to deal with the console. I drilled a just-large-enough hole on the driver's side rear between the upright steel supporting the rear seat and the kick panel, and after running the wires filled the hole gap with RV rubber cement. Depending on the brand, AMP or Go Rhino, you may have to extend the wires, but that's not a big deal. I was careful to tuck the wiring up and out of the way on the underside of the truck so rocks and off-road scrapes will not damage those wires. Frankly the biggest concern were the wires to the battery. They go next to the driver's side catalytic converter and the concern is heat. Be careful there.

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