Tim -
It sounds remarkably similar to yours. 2014 F-150 Lariat, 4X4, [5.0 L] V-8, Supercab (not crew cab), standard bed. Yesterday we had a bed liner, tri-fold (3 1/2 folds, actually) hard tonneau cover, and retractable step installed.
As I have posted before, I considered my 2002, and then my 2007, 4.6 L V-8 Explorers to be ideal tow vehicles for us. I would have bought another Explorer without hesitation if Ford had not gone through the nonsense of jacking up the Explorer nameplate and sliding a Taurus under it. That made it too small for me to be comfortable. We got interested in a Dodge Durango, but it was pricey and had a few drawbacks that made me hesitate. So we shopped - and discovered that there is no ideal tow vehicle any more, at least according to my list of needs, at a price I considered reasonable. I know that everyone has a different definition of acceptable and ideal, and I don't want to start a debate or range war here. I'd be glad to discuss our motivations and choices offline with anyone.
In the end, the closest we could come was a pickup. We didn't have time to order exactly what we wanted from the factory - the dealer said 8 weeks minimum. So we had him look around the Northeast - New York and New England - to find something. We had to make a number of compromises, but we found one we could be happy with.
I have two first impressions. First, I can't believe how much technology has been added to the cab and the rest of the truck. The integrated brake controller is said to be wonderful, dual LCD touch screens is certainly different, and the addition of a Tow-Haul mode is something I've wanted for years. Bluetooth turned out to more interesting than I thought. Second, the thing is HUGE. (Hence the name "The Moose".) I'm not sure we are going to enjoy that, but all the other trucks were just as big. Interestingly, the mpg seems to be about the same as the Explorers. We don't yet have enough miles on it to be definitive.
I will post more about it as we use it and learn more.
Bill
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