Hi All.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been wanting to add a truck to the stable for a few years now and finally got my car paid off and am going to look at a 2011 Ecoboost Supercrew short bed with Max Tow on Saturday and need some help as to what to look for. The price is right and with 43k, should last a while. The plan is to get an RV (around 30 ft or so) in a year or so and the Max Tow package will come in handy for just that.

I'm pretty familiar with the Ecoboost engine as the daily driver is a 2010 SHO that I've had since 2009. It's a great engine and I'm at just 70k on it and it's still been fun and trouble free.

How to tell if the truck has the Max Tow package? Putting the VIN into the link that gives you the window sticker says it does but I've seen conflicting reports on how to really tell. Some say you get 7 lug wheels and others say not. Looking at the pics online the mirrors don't seem to be much bigger than standard mirrors.

I've heard about the condensation issues (they don't exist in the car version) and is there an easy way to see the shroud that is part of the TSB?

How long does a set of brakes usually last on an F150? I'm on my first set of brakes (changed at 18k due to grinding noises) in the Taurus and at the last oil change they still had plenty of meat on them. At 43k will they be about shot?

Anything else to look out for other than the usual odd noises, odd steering, etc.?

Thanks for any pointers!

 

The Heavy Duty Payload package comes with 7 lug wheels. The max tow package does not.
You should have someone run an Oasis report to see what the truck has had for prior service. This may tell you if the truck had the IC condensation issue before.

 

Some visual cues for Tow Max are,

Large mirrors
Trailer brake controller in dash
More substantial hitch, regular tow package vs max tow package - Page 11 - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

There are other features but if you check those you'll be good.

 

The larger mirrors will indicate tow package.

 

Thanks for the replies and link. I'm pretty sure it has the Max Tow as that's what the online window sticker thing (the inventory.ford.com link) shows but I just want to confirm.

 

Large mirrors are not exclusive to Tow Max. Need to see other Tow Max features to be sure.

 

It's got the brake controller as I can see it in the pics. I'll have to double check the hitch.