F-150
 

Finally getting around to posting what I've done to my truck thus far.

First: Scanguage placed over the hole that used to have a cigarette lighter. The cable is run through the dash into the port. You can also see the backup camera. I still need to put on a switch inline since the 12v outlet is always on - a leftover from when it powered the cig lighter...

Baseline numbers were 14 city & 17 hwy.

Drilling into the pop-in plastic pieces in the dash is the only thing I have done that isn't completely reversible to stock, and I figure they can't be too hard to replace if it comes to that. So far, that's kept the family at peace over the projects.

Next: mechanical fan removal and replaced by twin 14" electric fans. I used a bracket that mounts onto the same points as the previous fan shroud since I just didn't trust zip-ties through the radiator. The fans are seperately controlled, and I've only ever heard them kick on in stop & go traffic during the summer. This keeps my water temps at about 207 with where in the radiator I have the temperature probes located. Hwy driving without a load my temps are ~198, (190 coasting down from the divide, 200-202 in the summer). The engine usually hits 209 as the radiator is just starting to open on warm-up, so I'm pretty happy with this.

Edit: Temps to 217 with the heaviest load I've pulled to date going over Vail Pass and outside air near 80 @ 10,000 ft.

Numbers now 16 city and 17-18 hwy.

Third: Replaced the shell that came with the truck when we bought it used to an Aerolid. I don't need to re-hash the various aerolid threads, but I love the fact that Bondo's lid pops up and still lets me sleep on the carpet kit with our camping gear or whatever underneath.

Numbers now 16-17 city and 22-24 hwy

Next: Airbags. This didn't change the mileage at all, but sure makes the truck ride better when we've got a trailer on the back.

And just today, I finished the first piece of my undertray. I put on an airdam from Bondo a while back, but finally got around to filling in some of the gap underneath with coroplast. There are pieces of angle iron bolted through the fiberglass portion of the air dam and then the coroplast is screwed in using speed nuts. The cross bar is angle aluminum braced off the frame with hose clamps and I just zip-tied the hell out of it there. The trailing edge has a piece of angle aluminum cut to shape and then hose-clamped in place along the frame. There are several self-tapping screws holding the coroplast at the back edge. In the wheel well I've continued the mud guards down to the air dame so that hopefully not too much snow / mud / etc. builds up on the nice shelf I just added to my truck.

No miles on it yet to know if it is actually going to make a difference or not...

The next step will be filling in the space between the frame and the body. I really wish someone sold a bolt-on kit for that since the truck is set up to bolt on a step. Then maybe continue on the belly pan to the next frame piece.

Hey Round Boater,
I like your mods, I have a 07 F-150 FX4 and am interested in tweaking it for more millage. Currently I"m getting 16.4 mpg going from Denver to Steamboat (thats over 2 big Mt. passes. In your post you mentioned "coming down from the Divide" Just curios where you live? Also is your truck 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive?
And why did you not re install the fan shroud? Wouldn't it help guide Air to the hot parts of the engine vs. just drifting up and all around? I want to do the electro fan conversion but hesitate to just start tearing into my truck.
Thanks

Hey round.boater,

Some very nice mods you are doing. I really like the way you closed out the gap behind the air dam. The electric fans are nice also. Ford has made them standard on the 2010 model F-150's.

I might have to place my backup camera monitor where you did. Good idea. Glad you are enjoying the Aerolid. The whole reason it was designed to pop up and have an inhabitable space was for people like you who enjoy the great outdoors.

Keep posting those excellent numbers on your fuel log. I can say with some certainty you have the most fuel efficient F-150 in the country right now.

Bondo

Airnordica - It appears he lives in Aurora, CO according to his info by his avatar, so maybe you're close.

Really like the finish of the bondo aerolid - looks sharp, not at all goofy like so many of our cars (mine) do. Very nice.

Sorry this took a while, I've been out playing. :D It's been a great summer for rafting!

Over the divide for me is typically I-70 from Aurora, and then either branching off on 9 towards the 'boat, at Rifle towards Vernal, or on past Junction. My truck is 2wd and stick - not many like it out there, honestly - which coupled with the scan guage lets me engine brake until the gas starts flowing again, and then just coast with the engine on. For some reason hills like the tunnel down to Silverthorne seem to be too long to have no-fuel engine braking the whole way. 70 mgp isn't nearly as much fun as 9999.

The fan shroud wouldn't have fit over the electric fans, and they sit flush to the radiator anyway. I might lose a little direct airflow cooling over the engine block, but I don't think very much by the time it's all said and done.
As for ripping into the truck, I could pull the electric fans off and put the factory fan and shroud back, and no one would ever be the wiser. Part of why I was willing to do it...