2023 Ford Super Duty F-350 Limited
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DETROIT – Let’s set the scene: a pickup truck driver and his spouse, a truck reversing attempting to align the hitch ball on the pickup with the connector on the trailer. “Just a little to the left. No, your left. No, YOUR left. OK, just a little to the proper now. Never mind. Lets try again”.
Including that familiar headache Ford engine refines the technology in its most costly pickup trucks to make the vehicles easier to make use of for brand spanking new owners and alleviate the most important problems of experienced truckers.
The Detroit-based automaker is adding features to its 2023 Ford Super Duty line-up to drive up truck transaction prices and ease the issue of a few of its most significant vehicle functions: towing and hauling.
“It’s about making the truck safer for our customers, equipment and every thing you tow. It’s about productivity. It’s about ease. It’s about saving marriages,” said Tim Baughman, general manager of Ford’s business division. “With our latest trailer towing features, I’m sure we’ll save a couple of marriages based on what it might probably do now.”
In line with Ford, many pickup truck owners, especially newer ones, struggle with headaches equivalent to determining how much weight they will safely put of their vehicles or attaching trailers to their trucks.
The latter challenge specifically could cause relationship issues, as it might probably take two people and several other tries to get the trucks and trailers properly positioned for towing – as in our all-too-common but fictionalized scenario above.
“Our team is obsessed with our customers,” said Baughman. “It’s about understanding the client and obsessing over the client. And every thing on this truck is purpose-built.”
Ford says 96% of its customers tow their F-250 pickup trucks to the F-450 Super Duty, which is the larger sibling to the well-known F-150 trucks. Most also use these vehicles to hold heavy loads in vehicle beds, which start at around $44,000 and may cost over $103,000, depending on the model.
To help with hitching and towing, Ford uses technologies equivalent to latest camera functions, automated assistance and intelligent taillights.
Easy hitch setup
Ford’s latest “Pro Trailer Hitch Assist” system simplifies this process. The cart robotically reverses and aligns the hitch ball with the trailer socket. This feature is standard or available on several models starting at $1035.
“That is to ease the pain,” said Aaron Bresky, Ford Super Duty technical director. “People have to tow for recreation and work, and the more we are able to ease the pain, the more natural it becomes.”
The 2023 F Series Super Duty trucks can tow anywhere from 14,000 to 40,000 kilos, depending on the truck.
Ford’s “Pro Trailer Hitch Assist” robotically reverses the truck and aligns the standard hitch ball with the trailer socket.
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On-board light scales
Along with towing or a trailer, Ford Super Duty pickups can pull lots by themselves, as much as 8,000 kilos, depending on the model. This includes all people, cargo and any items that could be on the pickup bed.
Nevertheless, guessing or calculating how much you are carrying might be difficult, especially when there are passengers within the vehicle or you do not understand how much your load weighs.
Ford’s answer to this problem is what it calls “Onboard Scale with Smart Hitch”, which debuted on the 2021 F-150. The system uses the vehicle’s scale to find out the full payload/weight of the vehicle.
Drivers can use the vehicle’s infotainment system screen or app to find out payload, but Ford also offers a more unique technique to do that. The vehicle’s back lights illuminate at different levels, letting the owner understand how close they are to reaching the vehicle’s full payload.
If a vehicle exceeds its certified payload, the highest bar will flash, alerting the owner that they might have to rethink what they are carrying or abandon one or two passengers.
Taillights will also be used to balance the trailer with the vehicle, also often known as trailer tongue weight.
Onboard scales with a sensible hitch are available for $650 on Lariat models and standard on high-end trucks.
Recent available ‘Onboard Scales’ measure and display the approximate weight of the load in Ford trucks. Load information is displayed on the middle touchscreen, within the FordPass app or within the truck’s intelligent taillights.
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Tailgate camera
The best latest feature is a reversing camera mounted on the highest of the vehicle’s tailgate. While it faces the sky when the tailgate is up, it provides a transparent view of what’s behind the vehicle when the tailgate is down, offering an additional pair of eyes when the owner is dragging something longer on the vehicle bed.
While all latest vehicles should be equipped with rear-view cameras, Ford was the primary to introduce such a camera, which is helpful when the tailgate is down. Standard rear view cameras on US pickups face the bottom when the tailgate is down.
The choice also includes built-in sensors that work with the camera to notify the motive force when the lowered tailgate is approaching an object.
A latest reversing camera and sensors are standard on higher trim levels, but not available on entry-level and lower-priced trucks.
Ford has placed a camera and sensors within the tailgate of its F-series Super Duty pickups, which might be used when the tailgate is down.
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