What the King Ranch should be:
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 739
From: Texas
a few years ago the KR was better than platinum it everything and still does have all leather except in expedition 3rd row seats
before the cooled seats, the leather was thicker saddle leather and was awesome at wear and needed just a little care and feeding to make it stay supple and nice
i like the cooled seats here in texas, wish they woul put a lower dash vent in to blow chilled air at the *****
we also get nice scroll work on the dash panels of the king ranch,
we used to get a nice bag form KR when you bought the truck
i have liked my last 5 and imo
they are perfect for me
before the cooled seats, the leather was thicker saddle leather and was awesome at wear and needed just a little care and feeding to make it stay supple and nice
i like the cooled seats here in texas, wish they woul put a lower dash vent in to blow chilled air at the *****
we also get nice scroll work on the dash panels of the king ranch,
we used to get a nice bag form KR when you bought the truck
i have liked my last 5 and imo
they are perfect for me
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 751
From: SoCal/Wyoming
They were all basically the same. One could be optioned to include all the gadgets while the other came that way. Interior and exterior color variations and some extra trim stuff but that was about it. We went with a loaded KR instead of the others at the time as I did not want a black interior. I just buy off the lot and all of the ones within 100 miles of me had a black interior.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2025
Posts: 156
Likes: 104
From: Southern Alberta
Yep, XL now already comes with power windows+locks, cruise control, and heated mirrors, all options that one had to pay for before 2023. My body seems to be along the lines of what the average male body is in the country so the manual seats work for me just fine.
The rest is just window dressing. I don't need a rear bed camera when I can just turn my head, no need for360 cameras with mirrors adjusted properly and a back up camera. I don't need a freaking computer to keep me centered in my lane and I set the lower blind spot mirrors properly so no need for BLIS and the 3k tail lights that it requires.
But hey, people and their money, and all that. LOL.
The rest is just window dressing. I don't need a rear bed camera when I can just turn my head, no need for360 cameras with mirrors adjusted properly and a back up camera. I don't need a freaking computer to keep me centered in my lane and I set the lower blind spot mirrors properly so no need for BLIS and the 3k tail lights that it requires.
But hey, people and their money, and all that. LOL.
managed to park beside a 350 diesel tremor this morning...got a bit more fender gaps so am a slight bit taller which was my goal, peasant ranch vs king ranch lol, well it may not be a KR but it has the silver tailgate thingy so whatevs
prolly 1100 lbs lighter than that winched diesel even with my longer bed too
Last edited by 26 Peasant Ranch; Mar 16, 2026 at 04:04 PM.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 753
Likes: 495
From: NE Ohio
They were all basically the same. One could be optioned to include all the gadgets while the other came that way. Interior and exterior color variations and some extra trim stuff but that was about it. We went with a loaded KR instead of the others at the time as I did not want a black interior. I just buy off the lot and all of the ones within 100 miles of me had a black interior.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 149
Likes: 68
From: Georgia
Yeah I was just wondering if there is some electrical reason why the KR with a 7.3 gas requires the dual battery/alternators in the first place. Sounds like it is "just part of the package" and not there because electrically you need it when you move from Lariat to KR.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 739
From: Texas
The King Ranch has been and always will be the biggest shakedown trim option in Ford's truck lineup. I have to giggle when I see one for they are driven by such proud owners. They might even come with a matching KR tattoo and a tricked out Kimber 1911 worn in a fancy leather owb holster. Those guys kind of go hand in hand. Presentation over any function.
those of us that are real native texans .
We say sir and ma am,
we dont love the cowboys
We do love texas a &m and lsu
we do not recognize dallas, austin or Houston as Texans, just recognize them as step kids.
We love our texmex, local rodeos, Church
and our kids, and generally help anyone that needs it, even people from Oklahoma 😁
As far as pistols..you never know what or if we are carrying.
People that open carry are trying to make up for mommy issues
We say hello,in various forms
our trucks are stock ht..we dont bro dozer, etc
the pimp panels are gawdy..our trucks are constantly in need of a wash and interior dusting
Non Texans have zero idea of texas.
Its not Hollywood,
We are proud of all our ranches that raise beef critters
Bless your heart
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2024
Posts: 119
Likes: 69
ROFL...
Not a Texan. Been to Dallas, El Paso, Austin, and Houston, and I realize that most of them are not Texas either.
Been to some of the good "city" BBQ (example Salt Lick in Austin near Driftwood, not the airport)...or at least good Texas BBQ to me because we don't get good beef up here, but I know they don't hold a candle to the BBQ that is located a little further out (I prefer Cooper's out in Llano, mostly because of the cobbler)
I also know I am not a farmer or a rancher, but as I've mentioned, I have farmers in my family and I worked on the family farm before it went to my uncle. I also live what was the country when I moved in, but has since transitioned to suburb (I miss having Corn, Wheat, and Beans as neighbors vs the actual neighbors I have now). My truck is not the truck my uncle would use on the farm, and it's not the truck the industry I work in buys to send out to service equipment.
The truck the OP proposed is a great truck for the urban/suburban cowboy who uses the dualey SD as a sedan 99 percent of the time. Not for someone who tows (especially livestock), hauls goods, or uses the bed as intended (cargo hauling, not a hot tub). For them the LX and LXT are good, and the Lariat is a good compromise between someone who uses it for work and plays hard on the weekend...
Not a Texan. Been to Dallas, El Paso, Austin, and Houston, and I realize that most of them are not Texas either.
Been to some of the good "city" BBQ (example Salt Lick in Austin near Driftwood, not the airport)...or at least good Texas BBQ to me because we don't get good beef up here, but I know they don't hold a candle to the BBQ that is located a little further out (I prefer Cooper's out in Llano, mostly because of the cobbler)
I also know I am not a farmer or a rancher, but as I've mentioned, I have farmers in my family and I worked on the family farm before it went to my uncle. I also live what was the country when I moved in, but has since transitioned to suburb (I miss having Corn, Wheat, and Beans as neighbors vs the actual neighbors I have now). My truck is not the truck my uncle would use on the farm, and it's not the truck the industry I work in buys to send out to service equipment.
The truck the OP proposed is a great truck for the urban/suburban cowboy who uses the dualey SD as a sedan 99 percent of the time. Not for someone who tows (especially livestock), hauls goods, or uses the bed as intended (cargo hauling, not a hot tub). For them the LX and LXT are good, and the Lariat is a good compromise between someone who uses it for work and plays hard on the weekend...
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 503
From: DFW
maybe in your world of bro dozer folks, those of us that are real native texans. We say sir and ma am, we dont love the cowboys. We do love texas a &m and lsu; we do not recognize dallas, austin or Houston as Texans, just recognize them as step kids. We love our texmex, local rodeos, Church, and our kids, and generally help anyone that needs it, even people from Oklahoma 😁 As far as pistols..you never know what or if we are carrying. People that open carry are trying to make up for mommy issues. We say hello,in various forms our trucks are stock ht..we dont bro dozer, etc the pimp panels are gawdy..our trucks are constantly in need of a wash and interior dusting. Non Texans have zero idea of texas. Its not Hollywood. We are proud of all our ranches that raise beef critters.
Bless your heart
Bless your heart
The KR used to be cool, maybe back in 2000 give or take a few years. And it's a neat place, but it's corporate now, like "Yellowstone"
But as a native Texan, I wouldn't knock anyone's style if they're willin to work. Farm, ranch, oil field, cattle, deer, goats, cotton - earn it!
You'll see trucks of every shape and size when you get 50 miles away from the city - and they're dirty workin trucks, so they should be.
Last edited by CBEllis; Mar 17, 2026 at 12:44 PM.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,875
Likes: 177
IMO...no...
KR should have been the ultimate SD. I actually think it should have been above Platinum or at least equal to the platinum plus package
The best thing about the KR was they used good leather for the interior, not the plastic coated crud that they called leather.
If you want a real work truck, what you suggest still makes it a barn queen that will never see a day of work in it's life (like the current KR) There is a big difference between a working farm truck, and a truck that is used to haul the playmobile (5th wheels, boats, etc.) around. And yeah, the only reason we get a SD is for the towing capacity to haul our boat around, but I worked on my grandma's farm a number of years before she sold it to my uncle, so I know what a farm truck needs to handle...
That said, there are lots of good aftermarket options. I went with a Katzkin leather interior after an aftermarket radio installer sat in my seat with a screwdriver and ripped my factory interior to shreds. IMO, they make a far superior product compared to most of the ford interiors I have seen. They also have a great warranty.
Unfortunately, Ford seems determined to keep some much desired (by me and the wife) options hidden behind the upper end trims, or I would have ordered another Lariat and then replaced the seat covers on day 1..
KR should have been the ultimate SD. I actually think it should have been above Platinum or at least equal to the platinum plus package
The best thing about the KR was they used good leather for the interior, not the plastic coated crud that they called leather.
If you want a real work truck, what you suggest still makes it a barn queen that will never see a day of work in it's life (like the current KR) There is a big difference between a working farm truck, and a truck that is used to haul the playmobile (5th wheels, boats, etc.) around. And yeah, the only reason we get a SD is for the towing capacity to haul our boat around, but I worked on my grandma's farm a number of years before she sold it to my uncle, so I know what a farm truck needs to handle...
That said, there are lots of good aftermarket options. I went with a Katzkin leather interior after an aftermarket radio installer sat in my seat with a screwdriver and ripped my factory interior to shreds. IMO, they make a far superior product compared to most of the ford interiors I have seen. They also have a great warranty.
Unfortunately, Ford seems determined to keep some much desired (by me and the wife) options hidden behind the upper end trims, or I would have ordered another Lariat and then replaced the seat covers on day 1..
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 791
Likes: 182
From: Tupelo, MS
maybe in your world of bro dozer folks,
those of us that are real native texans .
We say sir and ma am,
we dont love the cowboys
We do love texas a &m and lsu
we do not recognize dallas, austin or Houston as Texans, just recognize them as step kids.
We love our texmex, local rodeos, Church
and our kids, and generally help anyone that needs it, even people from Oklahoma 😁
As far as pistols..you never know what or if we are carrying.
People that open carry are trying to make up for mommy issues
We say hello,in various forms
our trucks are stock ht..we dont bro dozer, etc
the pimp panels are gawdy..our trucks are constantly in need of a wash and interior dusting
Non Texans have zero idea of texas.
Its not Hollywood,
We are proud of all our ranches that raise beef critters
Bless your heart
those of us that are real native texans .
We say sir and ma am,
we dont love the cowboys
We do love texas a &m and lsu
we do not recognize dallas, austin or Houston as Texans, just recognize them as step kids.
We love our texmex, local rodeos, Church
and our kids, and generally help anyone that needs it, even people from Oklahoma 😁
As far as pistols..you never know what or if we are carrying.
People that open carry are trying to make up for mommy issues
We say hello,in various forms
our trucks are stock ht..we dont bro dozer, etc
the pimp panels are gawdy..our trucks are constantly in need of a wash and interior dusting
Non Texans have zero idea of texas.
Its not Hollywood,
We are proud of all our ranches that raise beef critters
Bless your heart
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 739
From: Texas
LSU? Dam ... you lost me on that one. We got plenty of good TX schools to support before LSU even makes the list at the bottom of page 4.
The KR used to be cool, maybe back in 2000 give or take a few years. And it's a neat place, but it's corporate now, like "Yellowstone"
But as a native Texan, I wouldn't knock anyone's style if they're willin to work. Farm, ranch, oil field, cattle, deer, goats, cotton - earn it!
You'll see trucks of every shape and size when you get 50 miles away from the city - and they're dirty workin trucks, so they should be.
The KR used to be cool, maybe back in 2000 give or take a few years. And it's a neat place, but it's corporate now, like "Yellowstone"
But as a native Texan, I wouldn't knock anyone's style if they're willin to work. Farm, ranch, oil field, cattle, deer, goats, cotton - earn it!
You'll see trucks of every shape and size when you get 50 miles away from the city - and they're dirty workin trucks, so they should be.
being in the piney woods, lsu is a good one to get the jibber jabber going around the fire pit
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,766
Likes: 638
Don’t know too many real cowboys here in Texas that want a Platty or KR. The dust alone on a black interior Platty would be funny.
Most West Texas Cowboys have cloth xl, diesel, Crew, 4x4,….oh and white paint with no bed.
Most West Texas Cowboys have cloth xl, diesel, Crew, 4x4,….oh and white paint with no bed.
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 3,866
Likes: 2,245
Yeah I was just wondering if there is some electrical reason why the KR with a 7.3 gas requires the dual battery/alternators in the first place. Sounds like it is "just part of the package" and not there because electrically you need it when you move from Lariat to KR.
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 3,866
Likes: 2,245
totally, only got mine feb 17 so i guess a month now but have 2500 clicks on it now (1550 miles) and i'm set up for the long haul without issues, seat is plenty comfy and adjusts fine, steering wheel feels good, i can get purdy darn relaxed behind the wheel and long haul worries are gone, happy to live without all the extra fluff, remote start will i'm sure come along for the lock/unlock/lock via amazon or something and i'll add it one day but no biggie to run out and fire it up and lock it and use the keyless pad to get back in after warm up...i find it kind of refreshing, love my keyed ignition, that reminds me, gotta yank that telematics module next lol, finally some warm weather coming this week so i'll get the tonneau on and the hood deflector/bug thingy stuck on...nearly all set up, then just use the **** out of it as the damn tool it is, a comfy tool that will be no problem doing 800-900 kms in a day (~500 miles for you muricans)
Maybe when I get older I want to be more pampered with heated and cooled and massage seats and all that but as of right now, a durable, simple truck with a little as possible to break that I can hop in and out of without any assist is close to heaven.