OK, she's here, what do I do to her first? (request for recommendations)

[momike]

Whelp, this is quite a moment for me. Super stoked for this new rig. This pic is within an hour of delivery, realized I hadn't taken a snap of it yet

I'm going to enjoy it as it for awhile, but I'm also aware that there are some things to make it even better, I guess that's part of the fun.

First question: Are there any modifications I should make right away, things that are protective or preventive? For example, when I was considering a tacoma, I saw a video where people were rigging up shields to protect the engine bay from wheel spray, and put silicone liners in teh cup holders because they are not well sealed against leaks. Are there known issues like that that I should take care of right away while it's still new?

Second: Here are the things I'm planning up front (say within the next few months).
Spray in bed liner. Is there a reference brand or material for this?
PPF: This I'm not sure about. I'd want to find someplace to do it for a more reaonsable price.
Some sort of protection for the rear seats. Ski boots, packs, and other gear will definitely get tossed back there. What's the best way for me to avoid needlessly thrashing the leather?
Tonneau cover: is there a reference best version?
Rock sliders. These steps are a serious weak point. What's the agreed on best capable rock slider?
Sign up for Ranger Raptor school
Delete whatever tracking it does.
What am I missing on this list?

Later:
Lift: I think I read somewhere on here that Fox is developing a lift kit. I'll wait for that, as it is attractive to me to have something blessed by the manufacturer.
Tires: How big can I go? I'm sure there are many threads on that.
Rims: Are methods a good compromise between the stock rims and heavier bead-locks?
Tune: Probably will get the Ford performance tune after I break it in and get bored with how it digs trenches in basic form. Probably won't do anything else to modify it. Unless I do.
What am I missing on this list?

AND:
Camper. What's the best source for finding the ideal camper, and parsing out the best way to go for me? As you can see, I want the option to use the bed, so maybe slide in is best. Is there a unicorn slide in that's also light enough to not need to modify suspension? Does a camper void the warranty?

I may start separate threads for some of these things and do more reading. Feel free to get annoyed at me to not doing that first, but better would be to take this as an expression of my excitement. (Me last night : "I never thought I'd say these words to you. I bought a Ford.") And here I am with the best truck available, and it says ford on it. Who wouldah thunk!?


ment.

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[superj]

nice!! welcome to the group. nothing in particular that i can think of needs to be done straight away. just drive it and have fun

 

[Flak]

Personally I would put a tarp in the bed before you dump a bucket of... Oh never mind too late

 

[Flak]

Personally I drive a lot on mud/gravel so mud flaps are a must. I killed so many parking sensors on my last truck before finally getting some. "Surely this muddy snow covered road won't once again slide back into my bumper and destroy my reverse sensors a third time this year."

Auto start stop eliminator, but that's more a personal thing at some level, but absolute must for me.

Bedliner for sure if you are actually going to use it.

Oh, IMO 20$ screen protector for the infotainment well worth doing now before it gets dusty and smudged.

Rest is just toys and fun stuff imo.

 

[Falconer]

I added these and would recommend them:
1. a Bakflip MX4 bed cover - I bought this for my 2019 Ranger Lariat and bought a second one for my 2024 Raptor. They are not interchangable - this is the right one at this price point. But it depends on how you'll use the truck. If you're an around town kind of guy, I would definitely get one. If you're on the farm, it's not worth the money.
2. an Autostop Eliminator if auto stopping annoys you, this is a great option.
3. my bed liner was added at the factory. I think all the after market spray-in's are good. But there are other, cheaper options includuing a slide-in pad that covers the bottom only. I had that on my previous truck and it worked fine at a 1/4th of the cost. They use a velcro/glue adhesive to attach to the truck bed and stay in place.
4. F150LEDs.com grill lights. Installing these were a little tricky, but they really make the truck look nice. My raptor is a 2024, I think they have upgraded the lights now making installation easier. Check out my previous post on installation. I hope they're easier to install now.
Not a lot of money, and well worth it.
Good luck.

 

[PA RR]

Nice RR,Congrats!

 

[Onceaneagle]

I also factor in lead time for appointments (two weeks or more), ordering and shipping, and install time (hours or days). Got the spray in, under coating, and rust proofing done under 100 miles at the same time and it took 8 hours. But I got a lifetime warranty since it was done under 1000 miles. I used Phoenix products this time, which is similar to Linex. Rhino is also good. I had a tonneau and e boards installed, five hours. Borla exhaust, two hours. If you look at my signature block, I put in what I had did, in order, if that helps you pick and choose based upon what you want your truck to look like and be used for. PPF coming, with window film and ceramic coat, two days install.

 

[jordantii]

Twins minus the dirt. I just got mine a week ago. So I am very interested in this thread as well.

 

[Dino Jockey]

Love the color, same as mine….. 1st thing….. break in the engine then bury the skinny pedal…. What a ride

 

[DirtDerrick]

Anything performance related shoot me a message. I have two most powerful in the world & should be able to beat anyone's price on performance related products.

 

[randomquickness]

Nice color and congrats! Feel free to watch my vids for some ideas. So far nothing expensive…


Project Zygarde

 

[POULINR]

Nice truck I would replace the antenna with a snub short one the one it comes with looks like an RC toy car……and the turn if you want more power not that it need it you will need to run 91 or 93 octane if you do. Less than satisfactory. Is.

 

[BigAir]

If you live up north and will drive it in the winter, you absolutely need PPF. The paint chips easily. If you don't want to spend what PPF costs, and don't hate the look, invest in a bug deflector at least to protect the leading edge of the hood. The factory running boards might not make good rock sliders, but they protect the paint extremely well when combined with mud flaps/splash guards. If you do away with the running boards, you will need to PPF the rocker panels if you drive on any gravel roads. The stock tires pick up and throw gravel something fierce.

 

[Dre' Dawg]

Whelp, this is quite a moment for me. Super stoked for this new rig. This pic is within an hour of delivery, realized I hadn't taken a snap of it yet

I'm going to enjoy it as it for awhile, but I'm also aware that there are some things to make it even better, I guess that's part of the fun.

First question: Are there any modifications I should make right away, things that are protective or preventive? For example, when I was considering a tacoma, I saw a video where people were rigging up shields to protect the engine bay from wheel spray, and put silicone liners in teh cup holders because they are not well sealed against leaks. Are there known issues like that that I should take care of right away while it's still new?

Second: Here are the things I'm planning up front (say within the next few months).
Spray in bed liner. Is there a reference brand or material for this?
PPF: This I'm not sure about. I'd want to find someplace to do it for a more reaonsable price.
Some sort of protection for the rear seats. Ski boots, packs, and other gear will definitely get tossed back there. What's the best way for me to avoid needlessly thrashing the leather?
Tonneau cover: is there a reference best version?
Rock sliders. These steps are a serious weak point. What's the agreed on best capable rock slider?
Sign up for Ranger Raptor school
Delete whatever tracking it does.
What am I missing on this list?

Later:
Lift: I think I read somewhere on here that Fox is developing a lift kit. I'll wait for that, as it is attractive to me to have something blessed by the manufacturer.
Tires: How big can I go? I'm sure there are many threads on that.
Rims: Are methods a good compromise between the stock rims and heavier bead-locks?
Tune: Probably will get the Ford performance tune after I break it in and get bored with how it digs trenches in basic form. Probably won't do anything else to modify it. Unless I do.
What am I missing on this list?

AND:
Camper. What's the best source for finding the ideal camper, and parsing out the best way to go for me? As you can see, I want the option to use the bed, so maybe slide in is best. Is there a unicorn slide in that's also light enough to not need to modify suspension? Does a camper void the warranty?

I may start separate threads for some of these things and do more reading. Feel free to get annoyed at me to not doing that first, but better would be to take this as an expression of my excitement. (Me last night : "I never thought I'd say these words to you. I bought a Ford.") And here I am with the best truck available, and it says ford on it. Who wouldah thunk!?


ment.

Here are the things I did so far.

1. Came with a factory bed liner but if you don't have one get it ASAP
2. Rubber bed mat from Ford on top of the spray in.
3. Tonneau cover from Leer Ford branded. Almost water proof and lays very flat.
4. If you do a tonneau cover seal the bed fender caps to keep water our. I used black silicon and Gorilla water proof patch and seal.
5.. Hydraulic hood struts from Red Line.
6. PPF on front, hood and front fenders with small piece on rear fender well.
7. Ceramic coat the whole thing. Canceled my car wash... saw where a member had the
antenna ripped off from one. Pricey but I think will be well worth it.
8. Hard wired my Valentine One Gen 2 radar detector to my rear view mirror power (amazon has
a kit to back tap the connector (some one had a real good post on what and how to tap)!
9. Muslogy center console storage organizer, especially the one that fits inside the console top.
Great for putting wallet, gift cards and cash in.
10. Black ET Truck Spline Lug Nut Kit; 12mm x 1.5; Set of 24 (19-26 Ranger)
11. Three front grill lights from Ford Next Gen Raptor- RP24 Dual Colour LED Grille Lights
(White & Amber). I tapped the under hood fuse box by adding a circuit easy installation. I put a quick connect / disconnect on both the amber and white so I can change colors if I want.
12. Last but not least a custom license plate RPatrol, those born before 1960 will get it!

If you need more detailed info let me know.

 

[Glisch]

Tonneau cover: is there a reference best version?

As others have mentioned, BAKflip mx4 is very popular. I've had it on other trucks and loved it.

I spent the evening looking for the best deal I could find. Talked to 6 different vendors, including directly through realtruck support. The best price I could find was through napaonline.com

Add it to your cart and talk to support, they could get it down to $997

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