Spray on? Slidein? One is not necessarily better than the other, but the slide-in variety might be a little less susceptible to denting.

You just brought that brand new pickup. It’s all shiny and clean and you’ve vowed to keep it that way. It’s not that difficult a task — until you consider the pickup box. How do you keep that from being all scratched up?

The obvious answer is a box liner, but what kind? Spray on? Slide-in?

One is not necessarily better than the other, but the slide-in variety might be a little less susceptible to denting.

Then you have a box cover to consider. A tonneau cover keeps the weather out, protects cargo (so long as it does not extend above the box rails) and keeps goods out of sight. What will it cost all cost?

Manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford and Dodge have dealer-installed bed covers, box liners and side rail protectors available. Bed mats start from about $130 for a 6.5-foot box. Rail protectors start at about $160, and bed liners around $370. The box liner can run you up to the $600 range, depending on manufacturer.

Soft, folding tonneau covers start around $550 and run over $600 while the hard type can cost over $1,600.

The downside to hard covers is that they need to be removed if you’re going to carry a tall load.

There’s a downside to slide in box liners, too. If you’re carrying loads like sand or dirt you will find grit gets under the mat where cargo hooks protrude. You need to cover those or you’ll discover a scratched paint job on your box when you remove the liner.

You’re not locked into dealing with your truck’s manufacturer. A number of after-market suppliers sell almost any kind of liner you can imagine — even wood. Prices run the gamut from around $78 for a box mat to well over $2,500 for a state-of-the-art tonneau cover.

Another option offered by after-market dealers is a spray-on liner, usually applied to a thickness of one eighth of an inch, although it can be put on thicker if you require. The price? Around $500.

Harry Pegg is an automobile writer based in Calgary, Alta.

The post Help With Your Box Liner Decision appeared first on Grainews.

There’s no mistaking a Raptor, especially dressed in orange with “mud splash” graphics. It’s 178 mm wider than the stock F-150 and it’s aggressive-looking. The 35-inch all-terrain tires on the 17-inch wheels increase the overall height of the vehicle by 200.7 mm (about eight inches.)

Instead of roof-mounted clearance lights, Raptor has small grille-mounted LEDs and small LEDs as rear fender markers.

Air extractors on the hood and just under the A-pillars are functional, helping to cool the engine compartment — which houses Ford’s 320-horsepower 5.4-litre V8 engine. Hooked to a six-speed automatic transmission, power gets to all four wheels through an electronically controlled part-time 4WD system.

A tall truck means getting into the box is a bit of a climb, but the test vehicle came with the optional tailgate with built-in step system. It’s a feature that made getting into the box easier than getting into the cabin, even with running boards.

Once inside, visibility is excellent and controls are within easy reach, including optional trailer brake control and a bank of accessory switches — which also houses off-road specific controls to make those off-road excursions a bit easier.

Just above the centre stack is the navigation screen and touch control system for Ford’s Sync entertainment system.

Supercab rear seats require the front doors to be open before the rear doors can be opened. There’s room back there for two medium-size adults to ride comfortably. If you want to carry stuff in the cab, the 60/40 split folding seat cushion can be operated with one hand.

GOOD DRIVABILITY

Flooring the gas pedal is not going to spin those big tires, but the truck gets rolling in a hurry as speed continues to climb. I expected a truck with the ability to handle the Baja desert would be a rigid ride. I was wrong. This is the smoothest off-road 4×4 pickup I’ve driven.

The secret is the SVT suspension. The rear features a special 4.10 axle and unique rear spring setup with triple internal bypass FOX Racing Shox and 12.1 inches of suspension travel.

Up front, unique cast-aluminum control arms provide extra track width for improved stability. Front shocks are the same triple bypass FOX shox that allow variable shock rates based on wheel position for off-and on-road performance. And 11.2 inches of travel.

Handling is precise and predictable. Raptor will fly where you point it. The only downside is that the steering binds a little at a crawl in 4×4 mode — in deep snow at least. If you need to tow, Raptor will tote a 2,722-kg (6,000-pound) trailer and there’s a rear backup camera mounted into the bottom rim of the Ford badge that looks down onto the trailer hitch position.

For the $55,249 price tag, Raptor features options like power moon-roof, graphics package, Sony Navigation Radio, pickup box extender, tailgate step, trailer brake controller, rear view camera and Raptor orange accented interior. And that head-turning look.

Harry Pegg is an automobile writer based in Calgary, Alta.

The post Raptor Goes Off-Road In Style appeared first on Grainews.

to regular cab, extended cab, crew cab, even super cab models.

Instead of seating three people cramped side by side, truck cabs can accommodate up to five — and often in luxurious comfort. In the box, cargo organizers and bed extenders make loading easier.

During that time, life has become a lot easier and safer for pickup owners, whether they use their truck for work or play or both. Every year, there are more usable features added to light trucks — for every use. For instance, Ford has 35 different configurations of the popular F-150 for 2009, including a new Platinum luxury model.

Building from a new, stronger,

boxed frame, F-150 payload and towing capacity has been increased in every cab configuration, while features have been brought down from the heavy-duty F-Series lineup to make life a little easier.

The new truck eliminates knee-knocking after-market trailer brake controllers by offering a factory-installed integrated controller neatly placed in the dash. It’s simple to use and easy to reach.

Standard equipment includes AdvanceTrac with roll stability control and trailer sway control. You can also get a rearview camera, which not only makes reversing a lot easier, its position looks down on the trailer hitch meaning

one person can easily manoeuvre the truck into position to hook up a trailer.

Anybody who has to get in and out of a pickup box frequently will love the new endgate with built-in step and assist bar. Just drop the endgate, unfold the step, lift the hand-bar and step on up.

Loading from the side is also simplified with a kick-out side step. With the side step, you don’t have to climb onto the rear wheel to access the truck box from the side.

You can get anything you want, from plain-Jane interior to high-tech audio systems to cabs with 30 interior storage bins.

STORAGE BINS

Dodge has rolled out a brand new Ram 1500 pickup (rated the best new pickup by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada). Bigger than past models, it also rides on a new coil-spring five-link rear suspension, which drastically smooths out the truck’s handling on rough roads and in off-road applications.

The Ram also offers three cab configurations, including the model’s first crew cab. Interiors run from utilitarian to downright luxurious. Like F-150, it can be ordered with every comfort and convenience feature you’d find on a high-end sedan.

Other than the new rear suspension, the optional Ram Box is a highlight for 2009. The cargo management system includes weatherproof, lockable, illuminated and drainable storage bins in the box sides. There’s a two-foot bed extender, bed dividers and cargo rail system with sliding adjustable cleats.

Ram outdoes Ford in the storage wars with 42 cab-integrated spots including store-in-the-floor bins brought into the truck segment from the Dodge and Chrysler mini-vans.

Meanwhile, General Motors has stood pat for the time being with Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra designs, although integrated trailer brake control is now offered along with a cargo organizing system with bed extender.

Harry Pegg is an automobile writer based in Calgary.

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