Maverick accessories, mods, how-to's on my Maverick

[Barracuda340]

Heres a public service announcement. I had bought this aluminum key fob cover for my main key to keep it protected. Once I installed this over my key, I could lock and unlock the truck, but it wouldent let me turn the ignition. The aluminum must act like a faraday cage and block the RF from the truck and key to allow you to start the truck. As soon as I removed the key from this, I could turn the ignition and start it up. I will be returning this. I do not recommend this

Sponsored

 

[Barracuda340]

Being mine is an XLT it has only one bed cubby, and a flat blank out panel on the LH side. I dont need dual cubbys. The one on the RH side has plenty of storage for my needs. I wanted to add on a small power bank and use the flex bed wiring pigtail to provide power. I removed the blank panel. 10mm socket. purchased a power panel with 12V socket, dual USB port and on switch from amazon for about $17. This switch and plug kit is nice enough, however the self tapping screws to install it look like drywall screws to me. Plus I'm not a big fan of sharp pointy things that can tear up my hand if I have to access areas of my vehicles by feel.

As such, i opted to drill my mount holes a bit bigger and just use stainless steel screws, and nuts. This stuff is as close as home depot or lowes. I dissassembled and removed everything from the bracket. Then i fit the bracket where i wanted it, and using a metal scribe i marked all 3 holes and all 4 mounting holes. Now I know where to drill. I used a unibit step drill for the screw holes, then to make pilot holes. A 1" holesaw was used for those.

After deburring the edges of the holes, I reassembled in reverse of dissassembly. The sockets are labelled with + and - for the wires. I recommend snapping a pic of the wiring before dissassembly. This part in the pix took me approximately 30 minutes to do during my lunch break. For a novice I'd say, maybe 1 hour. No worries if you mess up. These panels are like $10 from ford. PN# is on the back side of the panel.

Next installment after this is the wiring which is actually much easier than this. I will get to that after I repair my washing machine that conveniently broke when I was out of state picking up this truck.

 

[Barracuda340]

Ok, I was able to get to the wiring. Ford graciously color coded the supplied pigtail with a red and a black wire. These are 20A fused in the cab fuse box. The power panel I am installing has a 10A inline fuse. I left this in place to protect those parts.

I will eventually drill the Ford blanking panel some more and replace the inline glass fuse with a surface mount receptacle for a plastic blade type fuse. I soldered and shrink tubed the connections with the ford supplied pigtail. Thinking ahead, I also soldered in a red and a black wire coming off that solder connection for the bed led strip lighting I plan on adding. The LED lighting doesnt draw a whole lot of amperage, and you wouldent be running all of it at the same time anyways.

For the novice. Red to red, black to black, electrical tape, and done. I always recommend soldering, and shrink tubing. The excess wiring I stowed inside the structural support hole.

 

[Don806]

That is awesome and looks “factory”

 

[Barracuda340]

That is awesome and looks “factory”

Thanks!! Trying to do step by step very descriptive and with pix so the novice DIY person can see how easy it is to do this.

 

[Barracuda340]

Heres a public service announcement. I had bought this aluminum key fob cover for my main key to keep it protected. Once I installed this over my key, I could lock and unlock the truck, but it wouldent let me turn the ignition. The aluminum must act like a faraday cage and block the RF from the truck and key to allow you to start the truck. As soon as I removed the key from this, I could turn the ignition and start it up. I will be returning this. I do not recommend this

Actually looked into this further, and contacted the seller. They redesigned the case, and are going to send me another one to try. What the problem actually appears to be is that the case is too wide/thick at the key end, and hits the rubber bezel around the ignition lock cylinder. With this case, the key does not fit far enough in to turn it. When I get the redesigned replacement and try it, I will let everybody know my results.

 

[Barracuda340]

I'm not a big fan of the fake carbon fiber look, however I felt the area at the radio knobs looked unfinished. Especially in the XLT and lariat with the "porta potty" grey as most call it. I like the grey actually. I found this peel n stick trim cover in a matte black to dress this area up and finish it. It at least ties the radio knob area to the center screen which is how I think it should have been from the get go. I ordered it, but now have to wait. Heres ebay pix to give you an idea on how it looks. Let me know if you agree or disagree on the look. $30 and peel n stick. So it's pretty self explanatory on the degree of difficulty on the install.

 

[Barracuda340]

Some hate the cubby. I find it useful. I have a parking pass for the airport where I work, and nowhere to keep it, plus I have the old style garage door opener with a fob. I used to keep it on my keys, but it adds to the clutter. Anyways, i made an insert out of .020" stainless steel that keeps my parking pass, and will allow me to keep my remote without the parking pass flopping over and getting into the way. Then I plan to line the main cubby area on it in black felt so stuff doesnt rattle around in it. In the end, I bent and glued in place another piece of stainless to act as a ledge to keep stuff inside. Mine is the AWD model, so it doesnt have the card holder in the center console.

 

[abcinv]

I'm not a big fan of the fake carbon fiber look, however I felt the area at the radio knobs looked unfinished. Especially in the XLT and lariat with the "porta potty" grey as most call it. I like the grey actually. I found this peel n stick trim cover in a matte black to dress this area up and finish it. It at least ties the radio knob area to the center screen which is how I think it should have been from the get go. I ordered it, but now have to wait. Heres ebay pix to give you an idea on how it looks. Let me know if you agree or disagree on the look. $30 and peel n stick. So it's pretty self explanatory on the degree of difficulty on the install.

I think I like this. It does a good job of cleaning it up in my opinion. Let us see it when you get it installed.

 

[Barracuda340]

I think I like this. It does a good job of cleaning it up in my opinion. Let us see it when you get it installed.

It says that it will be here beginning of December. Slow boat from China lol. Honestly I dont even use those center dash buttons. They look pretty cool though. I use the steering wheel buttons, and touch screen.

 

[Barracuda340]

Next project. Will require me welding a bit plus cutting and drilling. A trailer hitch cover. I'm going to make 2 of these, since next year we will be getting a 2023 for my wife. Heres the raw steel from my scrap bin in the shop. Price is "free". Its scrap pieces I had in my shop. DIY level requires precision cutting, drilling, and welding. Expert or intermediate skill? You decide.

 

[john218]

A “chubby” - cubby in a cubby?

 

[Barracuda340]

Progress on the hitch covers. I had enough scrap to make 2. My wife is getting a maverick near the end of 23, so when making something like this, if I'm tooled up to make one, I might as well make 2. A plain ole hitch cover is cheap enough at $14 on Amazon, the problem is theres an emblem I want on mine that's slightly larger than 3" so I made the plates 3.5" square. I will paint these gloss black, and fit an O ring around the tubes so they fit tight and dont rattle

 

[Barracuda340]

Primer and paint.

 

[Barracuda340]

About 6 months ago I made up 2 pairs of bed tracks. I used logistics track. Surface mount undrilled. I drilled and countersunk these, and made end caps from .040" stainless steel. The stainless steel metric hardware is from www.belmetric.com . the tracks are from www.cargocontrolcorp.com . Cost in materials and tiedowns I got off evilbay I think I spent maybe $60 in materials.

Sponsored