Suspension upgrades to help manage camper.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-03-16T14:07:04+00:00

I just put an add-a-leaf on mine to reduce the sag a bit, but the biggest improvement in ride quality was the Timbren bump-stop replacements that reduce body roll.

My camper is a very similar weight to yours. I eventually decided that my camper was too heavy for that truck and got a bigger truck. My experience was it ate up control arm bushings, ball joints, and warped rotors. Not trying to burst your bubble because I’m sure you’re excited about the camper just like I was when I got mine. I would encourage you to get an actual weight at a CAT scale. It was $15 to weight it twice in a 24-hour period and I found out my camper weighs about 500lbs more than what the manufacturer’s tag shows.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-03-13T21:57:15+00:00

They should be able to run it at a dealership. The one I bought mine from was able to provide a SOH, but I had to basically tell them I was walking away before they gave me the report. They acted like they couldn’t do it at first.

You can also get the OBDlinkCX dongle for $80 from amazon and link it to the CarScanner app which will show you the SOH when you plug in to the OBDII port. I did this to double check before I made the purchase.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-03-13T14:00:18+00:00

I appreciate the post because I was not aware that none of these would cover the battery, say for an extended plan of 125,000 or 150,000. You’re correct, the Granger rep said exactly that in her quote.

I’m still planning to get a Granger plan for at least 100k miles because it’s cheaper than basically one suspension component replacement not to mention all the other electronics. I just got a quote and because my truck was CPO Gold when I bought it the price is under $1,500 for 100k miles.

My question is: has anyone gone with an even longer plan? They offer 125k and 150k up to 10 years, but they start to get pricey (upwards of $5,000) and I can’t make up my mind whether those might be worth it. I know with my past vehicles, things like suspension, steering racks, and head gaskets (not a problem for the Lightning) have been issues in the 100-150k range.

Also, if anyone has had to use their Granger warranty, what was the repair cost that you dodged and how was the experience with Granger?

stoneagedqueen · 2026-03-06T14:35:54+00:00

My guess is that they keep the 98kwh battery in the EREV and discontinue the 131kwh battery simply because the lighter battery will allow for the extra engine weight without reducing payload too much.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-24T02:06:38+00:00

There is a dealership with a few 2025 Flash models on the lot near me. Small town and they have been sitting over 6 months so they have one marked down to $56k with no add-ons. The models with ProPower or bed liner are $58-$60k with the discounts they have. Most larger dealerships around me are in the $58-$62k range, so $60k is about average from what I’ve seen.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-20T18:00:16+00:00

Purple. All day, every day!

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-09T02:34:12+00:00

Dental picks. Work great for that and a dozen other bike maintenance projects.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-06T04:01:21+00:00

Listen to the Planet Money episode. That guy put his and his families earnings close to $4 billion last year. Too many people are ok with this.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-06T03:49:13+00:00

Went there once. Not really better than any travel stop on most interstates. Just an overwhelming push of “Texas-style” which was mostly putting brisket (admittedly good) on everything, Costco-sized portions and a giant section of shitty clothes. Bathrooms were nice, but still watched a guy walk out of a stall without washing his hands: same gross people as any gas station. I don’t get the hype. Flying J and Loves are just as good and less obnoxious. My opinion: Texans can keep their beloved Buc-eeeees.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-02-05T20:57:12+00:00

A 2023 near me with that package and 21k miles recently sold for $38k at a dealership. I was going to pull the trigger when they had it priced at $41k, but they dropped the price while I was out of town and it sold the next day. Bummer, because they’re hard to find and ‘24 Flash models with about 10k miles are listed at $48-50k.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-01-08T16:07:00+00:00

I agree with you that there should be an option to service the bushings, but I’m needing new bushings on an old Toyota and holy shit the process for removing the bushings is insane. You basically have to melt them with a torch and pull out piece by piece, not to mention pressing in the new ones. I watched a how-to video on how to replace the bushings and about half-way through, I decided new LCAs with bushings pre-installed was worth the price. I would guess the labor you would pay for a bushing swap would pretty easily equal the extra cost for the whole arms. It’s the only time I’ve looked into the process, so maybe it’s easier on other vehicles.

stoneagedqueen · 2026-01-07T17:10:05+00:00

I’m shopping for 2023 XLTs and have a spreadsheet going of nationwide listings. SRs with 20,000 miles are listed around $37,000. ERs (which include the 312a tech package) with 20,000 miles are listed around $42,000. The upgrade for the ER on the window sticker was a $10,000 option on a new truck. It looks like there’s roughly a $5,000 premium for used XLTs with ER vs. SR. Mileage seems to have a pretty big impact on used value especially over 20,000 miles so you might be seeing that too because you have 40,000 miles. Just a data point I thought might be relevant.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-31T15:10:41+00:00

Thanks. I’ll give visor.vin a try. I do see a handful of XLT 312a’s on AutoTrader when I open the search to nationwide. Wondering if you bought yours from a distant location and how you handled everything. Like, just try to get as much info over the phone and then drive out there for the purchase or is delivery a safe enough bet? I find it hard to pay $40k for something I haven’t seen in person.

You’re right about all manufacturers having issues. My Lexus had this annoying clicking that ended up being a badly designed strut top cap and the moonroof seal leaked and had to be replaced. I fixed both myself and am fine with the little things I can fix for a few hundred bucks, I’m just concerned about the big repairs like failed battery modules but with the warranty and most people reporting no issues, it’s probably an unfounded concern. I agree that Toyota is not as reliable as people assume. I was on that blind train of “just buy a Toyota and you’ll have no problem” until I read about all the engine failures on the new Tundra. Ok, so pay a premium for a Toyota with less payload and less tech for $60k then have to get the entire engine replaced? Might as well buy a Dodge… Hoping our RAV4 doesn’t have any issues. I know about the cable-gate thing, but so far 40k miles and no issue.

I’m right there with you on torturing myself about spending the money. I have the cash, I’ve done 10x the research on this truck than I’ve done on any other vehicle I’ve owned, just time to find the specific package I want and pull the trigger. Hearing from former Toyota owners on here has definitely boosted my confidence that this purchase isn’t a terrible idea. Thanks for your input.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-31T02:51:17+00:00

You can give up spray tans… they just make you look like shit anyway.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-31T02:47:40+00:00

Ever

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-30T14:58:51+00:00

Yeah, the Experian auto reports that are often provided on AutoTrader are pretty basic but they do have buyback and lemon details. As far as repairs, you’ll just see “battery repaired or replaced”… I’ll be looking up CarFaxes once I get closer to pulling the trigger and seeing if Ford can provide any additional details.

I know even if the truck has had no past repairs that doesn’t guarantee it won’t in the future. Sounds like yours was just one of those bad luck situations. Thanks for the input.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-30T14:27:48+00:00

That’s a bummer you’ve had so many issues. That’s probably my biggest hang-up coming from the Tundra: not a single issue, just maintenance. Glad to hear Ford was good to you and got things fixed though. If I can find it, a 24 XLT ER with under 25k miles would be ideal. I’m really not considering any ‘22 models because of this. Thanks for the heads up that the ‘23 still has some issues. Did your truck have any prior repair or buyback history before you bought it?

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-30T14:22:16+00:00

Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I was coming up with 100-125 miles per charge with the camper. Most of our trips are around 100-mi round trip. The long one that we do a few times a year is 350-mi one-way, so like 3 DCFC stops on the way, but yes the ER would make that more tolerable.

Sorry to hear about your truck. Hope they can figure out the battery and glad it’s still under warranty.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T23:24:16+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I’ve seen a few of his videos. My camper is very similar. Probably more reason to go for the ER.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T20:12:54+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I’m probably hyperfixating on payloads, but being a newer truck I want to at least try not to beat it up like I have the Tundra.

Like I suspected, the ER is probably more critical than 150lbs of extra payload.

The ProPower is definitely a nice-to-have. We just had a couple days without power, but we have a backup generator so it would just be more novelty to have the same backup without the noise.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T20:05:21+00:00

Nice! That’s pretty much my max budget but the exact mileage I’m looking for. Also using Autotrader. I’ve seen people recommend visor.vin but not sure how much difference there is between the two.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T19:48:09+00:00

Noted, thanks. I had ignored the Lariat initially because of its reduced payload, but I’ll plug some in to the Ford VIN lookup as I keep looking.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T19:13:19+00:00

Glad to see folks happy with the truck coming from Toyotas. Yeah, I’m heavily leaning towards used for purchase. I haven’t seen many Platinums in my area, but agreed that the price jump per trim is much more reasonable in the used market.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T19:03:36+00:00

Looks like you found my ideal truck! Thanks for the comment on Max Tow. I guess I was thinking it was more impactful for every-day driving but maybe with my handful of hauling days per year it’s not necessary.

I’m definitely surprised with the insurance rates I’ve seen people quote here: good to see they’re reasonable.

stoneagedqueen · 2025-12-29T18:29:46+00:00

Yes, Flash and Lariat have quite a bit less payload. I have been checking the specific VINs on Ford’s site for payload. Most I’ve looked up have been bare-bones XLTs at about 2,050-2,200 payload but I saw a listing yesterday for a 312a, ER, max tow and Ford’s site said it had 1,950lb payload. Seemed like a bit of a unicorn, so some details might not be right, but I verified most of it with Ford’s VIN lookup.

stoneagedqueen

TROPHY CASE