This is not meant to anger anyone, I just thought it was a rather 'down to earth' perspective'.

I work in the IT industry, make a fair wage as do my co-workers. One of my co-workers also farms almost 1000 acres (corn and soybeans). He always claims that he has to work so he can farm, but you never know...

Anyway, let him drive my new 05 today at lunch. As we were driving I was telling him that they don't put a block heater cord on in MO, nor a glove box light. After we were done, I had neglected to tell him about the power sliding rear window and the adjustable pedals.

He looked at me like I had a screw loose. Said, 'So these guys figure we have everything else on this truck, let's make the pedals adjustable. And while were at it, lets make the sliding window power operated'. BUT, let's not put a glove box light or power cord on it.

No purpose to this story, just his observations. I'll do without the glovebox light, but the block heater here in KC MO is required, or if not required, at least desired.

 

Yeah thats a good one. The block heater is an option on the 05 and your salesman should have informed you on that since you live in MO. The glove box light is just Ford cutting cost just like the hood blanket, splash shields and the light on the door panel. You can go back to Ford and order the cord for the block heater and if you really need the glove box light you can get that too.

 

I'll assume, which is a bad thing to do, that you bought your truck off the lot instead of ordering it with the options you wanted.

I see where your friend is coming from. My take is that it's probably near impossible to add adjustable pedals and difficult to add a power slider. It's easy to add the block heater harness, just irritating the dealer didn't order it that way.
I'm with you on the glove box light. Not necessarily a big deal but it does seem cheap to omit. I'm more irritated by the lack of door lights which, I believe, is a safety issue.
I think I'll always be a 'Ford guy' but sometimes it seems like a pretty girlfriend with annoying habits.... you still love 'em but wonder why they keep doing some of the things they do!

 

I did buy it off the lot, but even if I had ordered it, I doubt I would have known (or remembered), that the block heater cord, glovebox light, splashguards etc weren't there. None of those things missing really bothers me, I'll get what I need/want and put em on. It's just cheap of FMC.

 

the only missing item that bothers me is the rear splash liners, they help keep all the road dirt out of the bed. glove box lights i've seen to many go bad and kill a battery making need of a jump start. how often do you go in your glove box any way.

 

They have glove boxes?

Wonder if that is where my ding dang sunglasses went.

BTW: As told to us in the beginning ...The missing items are victims of the bean counter virus and provide a low margin of return. But, easily retrofit if an owner cares enough to notice.

Moon roofs, adjustable pedals etc carry a better margin and are not easily retro'd.

But the key difference, in my mind, is marketing. Most do not get excited about splash guards, hood blankets, and glove box lights. Maybe more importantly, they do not help sell the "better half" on 'ol Dad spending that kinda $$$ on a big 'ol stinky truck.

The cool stuff, however, has moved many a customer into buying more than what they came in for. Naturally, I am not privy to Fords marketing strategy but, I doubt that the adjustable pedals where introduced to the Super Duty as comfort enhancement for the construction job site supervisor, farmer, or the landscaping crew.

With the possible exception of vertically challenged guys, like Choctaw Bob , it is my opinion that adjustable pedals in the SD are specifically targeting the people that make the real decisions. As the saying goes..."If the momma ain't happy...nobody is happy".

Sell the sizzle.

 

You got it KW.

My wife just had to have the 'moonroof', $1,000 bucks! I could have gotten a Detroit Electrac in the Dana 60 for that much.

She loves it, she's happy, I'm happy!

 

I thought I would add that I have 2 05's and neither had adjustable pedals, since my 04 had them I wanted them, so i bought the parts and pluged them in, easy took maybee 1/2 hour labor, parts totaled about $200.00. The new trucks wire harness and fuse box are all built with all options, so all you have to do is plug them in. Same with the power rear slider, one of my 05's have it the other does not, so I am going to add it, everything is there. Oh I almost forgot my one 05 did not have clearance lights so I added those, same thing wires are there just add the lights.

 

Hey GM cuts stuff like to. My Chevy has to short a cord for the block heater and no service light when you open the hood - (not that I know what under the hood loks like - just covering my ash there). But I have 6 way bucket seats and power lumbar. These are just basic cornors that are cut in order to keep costs down. I just wish some of that stuff was at least as option - like a 'service option' or something.

 

no service light when you open the hood - (not that I know what under the hood loks like - just covering my ash there)

Nice save.

 

the moon roof that in wind storms or on highway's with a 75mph speed limit has a masty wind howl because it doesn't seal for crap? yea i got that same $1k soaking...

now tell me why an XLT with no cab steps, clear glass all around, cloth interior, came with a friggin sun roof?

 

A canceled special order.

 

It must just be your roof that doesn't seal because I forget that I even have one, no noise or leaks.
On the way home with my truck from the dealer I failed to close the roof all the way and it did have wind noise but that was my fault and when I closed it the noise was gone.
So just because yours has problems doesn't mean that they all do and to that end why not take it to be fixed?

 

i know 2 other people with the same issue, and were given the same line from the dealer.

"there are no 75mph zones in our alowed test drive area, so we are unable to duplicate, sorry"

 

I doesn't have to be 75 mph, I have the same issue, I hate that damn thing sounds like you have a window cracked open. Put a camper in the back that overhangs the cab and you dang near have to yell to have a conversation inside. Torq's me that they would put such a shoddy POS in the vehicle, I'd be happy to pull mine out and smack the goon who design it with it...