XLT Tremor Family Road Trip Edition

[snowkarver]

Winter Mode:

Summer Mode:

🛞 Now with upsized 245/70R17 tires:

The use case is fun and comfort for a family of four with snowboards in the winter, mountain bikes and camping gear in summer. The Tremor is for extra confidence and margin of safety as the best places for the above are frequently found at the end of long trips on wretched roads or in weather that you would not want to be stranded with kids in.

So the mods are mostly storage, convenience, and an audio upgrade because those drives are long and we take our music seriously.

• Tire Upsize: Toyo Open Country A/T III 245/70R17
• GTR i-LED Ultra switchback DRL/turn signal upgrade
• Diode Dynamics HP24 Switchback LED DRL/turn signal upgrade
• Diode Dynamics LED marker, cargo bed, and CHMSL lamp upgrades
• Line-X Premium
• Bak X4S hard rolling tonneau cover
• Cargo management rails and bed divider kit
• Ford Perimeter Plus and remote start kit
• Stubby antenna for rack clearance
• Thule WingBar Evo roof rack, SnowPack L 6-ski carrier
• Fox Overland Midsize bike tailgate pad
• Tailgate assist
• Ford Black Platinum tailgate lettering kit
• Steeda Strut Tower Brace
• Ecoboost engine cover
• Lariat/hybrid front fender insulators
• Dash trim for audio controls
• Customized Brodit wired CarPlay mount
• Stealth stereo setup:
  • Audison Prima AP8.9-channel DSP amp
  • Morel Tempo Ultra 602 Mk II component fronts
  • Kicker KS 404 rear fills
  • Kicker HS10 Hideaway 10” active sub
  • PnPK custom loopback harness
  • REW RTA correction
• Forscan mod to add back Sport and Eco modes
• Forscan mod to add TSR
• Forscan mod and new turn signal lever to add Lane Keeping System
• Fallout Cubby Friend - 2015 Funko Mini GameStop Exclusive

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[snowkarver]

First mod was the easiest and took a few minutes - the only piece of aftermarket trim I have ever purchased. The original surround for the audio controls looked woefully unfinished.

Before:

After:

 

[snowkarver]

Next up, winter gear for adults and two kids takes up the entire bed, so skis and snowboards go up on the roof. Using a bed rack was not an option here, as we will be using a tailgate pad in summer for up to four bikes - and might need a roof basket for the rest of our gear.

 

[snowkarver]

The factory antenna placement and size just don't work if you are carrying snowboards or a decent-sized basket up on the roof.

Enter this cheap Amazon stubby, which actually looks pretty good once installed. AM and FM still work, at least around town, and sound the same as the stock antenna if the signal is relatively strong. But really, does anyone in Gen X, Y, or Z even listen to terrestrial radio anymore?

 

[snowkarver]

I don't mind wired CarPlay if it is easy to mount and dismount my phone with one hand. I had an old Brodit iPhone holder that I was planning to use with a RAM mount up by the cubby, but decided that I didn't like the clutter of having it next to the center screen.

So I took it apart and mounted the key pieces with 3M VHB directly to the factory phone slot. Fits perfectly, but I also had to stick the large factory rubber insert to the console itself with VHB -otherwise, pulling on the phone would lift it out. This solution is super stable, charges quickly, and keeps my phone out of the way, but visible enough to remind me to take it when I leave the truck.

 

[snowkarver]

Little things. I haven't owned a vehicle without an engine cover since the late 1990s, so the engine bay felt naked without one. I don't even care that it has a Lincoln badge on it - although funny story, it was literally the first comment my neighbor made when poking around.

The tailgate assist has been indispensable for us. We literally never have to open the back unless our hands are full of groceries, gear, or luggage - so it's nice to be able to yank on the release and let it drop without having to catch it or worry that it's going to slam into something on the bumper. It also makes it easier for the little one to grab stuff from the bed without the tailgate falling onto her.

 

[snowkarver]

The big $$$ mods. Shout out to Burnaby Hitch in Vancouver for doing a fast, professional job on these, watching out for things like protecting the factory threads for the bed rails I'm waiting for.

I decided on the Bak Revolver X4S for its theft deterrence when closed, but also how it is compact and still provides a little light and visibility through the back window when open. Since we will be carrying bikes on a tailgate pad all summer long, having an open, functional, and good-looking bed without having to remove the cover completely was important.

Also, my little one loves rolling that thing open and closed.

Before:

After:

 

[snowkarver]

The good stuff for inside starting to arrive. But a proper installation will have to wait for better weather - and more time off from work!

 

[snowkarver]

Got myself a Vgate vLinker FS OBD2 interface and had some fun in Forscan...

Can't wait to hit the road tomorrow and try out Sport mode in the Tremor!

 

[peekaypee]

Great stuff SnowCarver!
Love it all.
I just recently received my Tremor. I'd like to try the Forscan, but quite naive to it all. Where did you order the program? Any suggested sites for tutorial, or would you mind posting one on "How to" on what you did to change the values to sport, eco, and traffic-sign recog?
Thanks for all you do.
Sincerely Paul

 

[snowkarver]

Great stuff SnowCarver!
Love it all.
I just recently received my Tremor. I'd like to try the Forscan, but quite naive to it all. Where did you order the program? Any suggested sites for tutorial, or would you mind posting one on "How to" on what you did to change the values to sport, eco, and traffic-sign recog?
Thanks for all you do.
Sincerely Paul

Thank you! If you are at all comfortable dealing with tech, Forscan is no big deal if you stick to the steps and don't mess around in there. Everything I did has already been posted and verified many times here on MTC, and I have confirmed they work on the Tremor too:

• Do this for the Drive Modes (easy mode)
• Do this for the TSR - this one is a little more intimidating because you will have to go into the [as built] files for the IPC (instrument panel controller) and IPMA (image processing module) which means typing in a couple of hex codes that are not human readable. But the instructions are clear and there is no problem if you go slowly and carefully.

Forscan is a small downloadable program for Windows - I run it in a virtual machine on my Mac. Everyone gets a free 2 month license to use all the features, and it only costs 12 bucks for a full year to support the developers. It's rough around the edges but works well. Kinda like the Maverick.

 

[peekaypee]

Awesome news. Thank you so much for detailing the links and your information.
Much appreciated. I'm looking forward to investing some more time here in the next few weeks to getting things together and updating.
By the way, how does eco work for the tremor? In your opinion? Is there a real noticeable difference?
Thanks again for all you do!

 

[snowkarver]

By the way, how does eco work for the tremor? In your opinion? Is there a real noticeable difference? Thanks again for all you do!

I just wrote a super detailed review of this for the site

 

[snowkarver]

Added the front fender insulators from the Lariat and hybrid models. It’s kind of an odd cost-cutting measure for a mid-spec XLT but is what it is.

With slightly noisier A/T tires, I think this was a good investment as it does seem to cut out some road rumble.

 

[snowkarver]

Decided to add the Steeda strut tower brace to the engine bay and see if it tightens up higher-G turns or adds any understeer bias. Whether it actually makes a difference or not, I do enjoy the placebo effect - and it looks pretty under the hood.

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