If Ford made a RaptorSD, how much deeper than a decal would it need to be to inspire you to buy it?

When Ford introduced the King Ranch, it was originally on the F-150 platform. I thought, what a travesty, Ford missed the boat on the market that would really identify with a cattle brand and saddle leather… the horse market, and they pull their prizes with Super Duties, not ½ tons. Two or three years later, Ford followed up by expanding the package on the gooseneck trailer pulling platform that made more sense for it.

Does the same hold true for the Raptor? What do you think of a RaptorSD? (Probably shouldn’t call it an HD, as it would sound too much like a GM). “SD” conveys the same idea, leveraging the already well established Ford Super Duty initials.

The new common body crease profile and shared aluminum cab might open the doors (ha ha) for cross platform concept execution at a lower cost. So how much deeper than a decal and a grille would this imaginary RaptorSD have to go to give it some trail cred?

Many people regard the “FX4” package as a joke… red and white shocks and a skid plate. So what would you want a RaptorSD to have to bring some authenticity to an off road performance package?

Here is an example of real deal off road performance enhancements, as found in a 2000 SD concept developed in conjunction with the US Army…



This COMmercially BAsed Tactical Truck (COMBATT) had electronically controlled variable dampening rate shock absorbers, a strengthened and shielded cab floor, supplemental air springs, upgraded axles, springs, bumpers, skid plates, and FLIR night vision (might help spotting the deer), among other gizmos.








Toward the opposite direction, is this F-350 Raptor concept made more for style and street show rather than sturdiness and steep slopes…




So which camp are you in? The army camp, or the campy styling? Or something balanced in between?

Or is a RaptorSD concept an inappropriate waste? The F-150 Raptor concept was born from desert racers getting airborne with their highly modified, long travel independent front suspension F-150s, like this:








Is the F-150 the only appropriate platform, where the Raptor concept should stay put?

Or should Ford try to cash in more on the cachet of the successful Raptor package/brand, by porting it over to the new Super Duty as well?

What would it have to have for you to buy it?

 

It's cheaper to buy a 4wd super duty and build your own "raptor style" SD.

 

Personally, I think a 'Raptor SD' would need to be more of a rock crawler than a high-speed offroad running like the current Raptor. I just don't think the big, heavy, Super Duty platform lends itself well to a high-speed offroad truck. Just my opinion.

 

Agreed. More like a power wagon competitor. Locking front and rear diffs, disconnecting sway bars, and make it available without being a crew cab unlike dodge. I personally dont need a truck that can haul **** trophy truck style. I would rather have the mudding, rock crawling style

 

Personally I've always wished Ford would give the Powerwagon treatment to the Superdutys.

The Raptor fills is niche' we'll with the 1/2 ton trucks. But I think an off road spec Superduty should be more along the lines of the Powerwagon.

As already stated, Front and Rear lockers to start, Disconnecting sway bar, An uptuned version of the 6.2L making 450/475hp or so among other goodies.

The two thing's that I think could set it apart from the Powerwagon would be adding the Powerstroke 6.7L as an optional engine, and adding more model veriety. For example, offering this package in your choice of bed and cab configurations as well as having optional choice's for engines.

 

I agree, give the FX4 locking front and rear Diggs and the sway bar release. That's all we need.

The Power Wagon is sweet but can't tow much more than a half ton.

 

The one thing about the Power Wagon and any rig that is set up with a long travel suspension is the significant loss of weight carrying capacity.

As stated above, front and rear lockers, disconnect able rear sway bar AND a small (2.5") lift from somebody like Carli and not just some stickers would make the SD much more capable off-road without sacrificing capacity or road manners. This would help with the approach and departure angles as well which is the downfall of a large truck like this.

Of course it should have a diesel option as well...

 

And would you guys actually take your new Super Duties rock crawling?

I photographed a few rock crawling competitions 20 years ago, before everyone had a camera. I even helped a neighbor finish building his crawler. What stood out to me was the largest full size vehicle competing on the trail was a caged K5 Blazer. Most recreational crawlers were in smaller nimbler 'Yotas. And, by far, the most successful, serious, and survivable crawlers were brandless custom built buggies... fully welded roll cages of 4130 chromoly steel.

Would you take your $60K - $75K, aluminum cab, 140" - 160" wheelbase brand new truck out rock crawling? This isn't a sarcastic question... this is a serious one, because from what I've witnessed at crawling competitions, your responses quoted above quite surprised me.

Or is it more about simply having running gear (locking diffs, releasable swaybar, etc) that CAN better articulate over tricky uneven ground surfaces on occasion, over the normal course of driving off road, that is the appeal here?

 

We just want more off road capabilities so we can get stuck even farther away from civilization!

Givit it a winch too!

 

I notice that no one has mentioned big tires, like the 37's on COMBATT.

Part of the problem with mounting big tires from the aftermarket is the reduction of reliability, and even driveability, in the running gear. From poor transmission shift points on hills (effectively reducing the number of available gears) to premature wheelbearing failure, to high centers of gravity increasing risk of roll over... big tires without the gearing and engineering to back them up can be a downgrade from stock, not an upgrade.

So would a package that included big tires from the factory be appealing? Suppose it included deeper gearing, appropriate transmission programming and engine calibration, upgraded wheel bearings, wheel well flares, Super 60 Fat Boy front axles, with perhaps even different "high cut" fenders?

Or, by virtue of the fact that these mods came from the factory, would they by definition not be enough? In other words, would you rather just have a generic platform to tack on aftermarket products to?

 

Yeah, 35" aggressive A/T tires would be sweet! Can't be a huge lift.... we still need to tow bumper, goose, and 5th wheels without major issues.

Also add bright, adjustable LED lights all around the truck while we are dreaming.

 

No, this isn't about dreaming. Make this realistic.

Ford hit it out of the ballpark when they took their number one selling vehicle, that is also number one in it's segment, and made a halo package out of it, called the Raptor. I'll bet the Raptor's success took even Ford by surprise.

And that success isn't just measured by unit sales. It is measured by a fuzzier, more difficult to achieve metric. If we are talking, and I say, I'm thinking about a Raptor... what do you picture in your mind? A Velociraptor dinosaur? Or a Ford F-150?

To literally redefine a common noun in the modern vernacular is quite an achievement in branding. I don't think Ford is going to leave money on the table with that brand. And with a common cab once again shared by all the F-Series pickups, I wouldn't be surprised to see some type of RaptorSD in the future.

The question I'm wondering is, what would the Super Duty version need to have for you to take it seriously, and yet still be affordably priced? Not a dream, but a wish list.

I don't have any personal need or desire for such a truck, so I can't think of what should or shouldn't be on it. But I'm quite certain that there are a lot of people who'd like a Raptor, but the F-150 was too light of a truck for their needs. It seems like a logical (and good business) move for Ford to expand the Raptor brand to encompass a heavier GVWR truck, because the design and tooling to make new body panels is already done.

 

I like the ideas of the winch, lockers front and rear, disconnects, a small lift and slightly bigger tires and everything engineered to handle the mods.

But as one post above mentioned, the truck should still be able to work and carry a a family. This shouldn't be a baja truck, it should be an all season all terrain truck that feels as at home in mud and snow as it does on pavement, sand and gravel.

Less tech = more reliability.

Ford has taken Platinum F-150 like accessories and made an amazing beast. Most of the trucks that I've seen are merely highway queens and are likely not introduced to the pounding nature of off roading.

As for fit and finish, from the factory, Linex the bed, bumpers and lower quarters from stem to stern.

 

Nope. If I was going rock crawling, it would be in a 20 year old specially built vehicle, not a 65k brand new Super Duty.

^^^ This.

 

Personally, I think a smaller, Ranger based Raptor is more likely and would be far more useful/popular. Even then, I doubt if they'd do the full treatment. I think it would be more of a 'Raptor light', in the same vein as BMW making true M-series vehicles, while also attaching the 'M' to lesser modified cars that don't quite meet the standard they've set.

A SD Raptor would really just be locking diffs and sway bar disconnects, bigger tires - and imo, that's not what a Raptor is all about. I'd love it if Ford built just that, but I don't think it would justify a Raptor nameplate.