Order of Operations

[Tall Hobbit]

Hi everyone,

Seeking Your Kind Advice:
Haven't had a chance to do much at all in the way of upgrades to my '24 XL hybrid Mav, as I am part-time caring for an aging parent and trying to keep head above water, but that might turn out to be a good thing. It gives me a chance to work out the best order in which to do things and think them through. In mathematics as in life, it matters what you take on first, if you want the right results. So, for these groups of projects, what do you suggest doing first? Perhaps you have some rules of thumb for the order of modifications in general.

In the bed:

Tonneau cover / Tiedown rails / USB chargers / Bed lights / Molle panel​

• like a lot of people I'm flummoxed by the choices out there (following that forum with the increasingly comprehensive list) but feeling increasing urgency to get something so I can make better use of the bed, and use my truck as a truck. Thinking of a retractable hard cover, which would sacrifice some bed space but clear it out of the way better than some other solutions. That might impact installing a molle panel -perhaps a half-panel underneath? I'm somewhat averse to doing any drilling at all into the bed though.
• also I'd like to DIY the tiedown rails I was too cheap to get at a higher trim package. It might be good to have the rails installed before clamping down a bed cover; I'd hate to discover the rail obscured a set of plugs needed for the cover's drainage tubes.

On the road:

Alloy rims to replace the hideous steelies / Tire upgrade -e.g. modest AT / 2" lift​

• my dealership gave a 1-year warranty on rims so there's not yet a hurry to replace them (thus far thinking the white Motegi battle wheels to rustle everyone's jimmies)
• the Continentals are eh, but I won't likely have an opportunity to wear them out any time soon. (put on 2200 miles since my purchase in late March)
• a lift (not too high to void my ESP warranty) facilitates going up from 17" to 18" rims if I so choose, and changes the circumstances of offsets I think. If a lift should come at the same time as these other changes, it all might have to wait because I don't want to make it harder for my mom to get in/out of the vehicle while she's still able.

Thanks in advance for all your expertise; this is my first new vehicle and I'm a babe in the woods.

edit: facilitates

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[EllenL]

I have the Ford bed rails for tie-down and just installed a Gator tri-fold tonneau cover. I'd suggest doing the cargo rails first. They weren't in the way installing the side rails for the tonneau but the tonneau clamps would have been a pain installing the cargo rails.

 

[rtphokie]

I was overwhelmed by tonneau choices too. Created this list to help make sense of them all. Hopefully it will help you too



For the record I went with the Rev Hard Roll-up cover through Ford Accessories. It was the best value for what I wanted after the 20% off promo code and Ford Points from the original vehicle purchase. I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Master Blaster]

Drop the lift kit off your list. There are no lift kits available today that do not exacerbate the marginal CV joint issue, and you don't have the time to be repeatedly replacing halfshafts every other year. None of them provide a full engine cage frame to drop the engine down and do it correctly. If you want to raise the vehicle, put on much higher profile tires instead and fix the revs/mile factor in engineering mode on the dash.

 

[Tall Hobbit]

Thanks everyone so far. My attention has been divided before, during, and after the vehicle purchase so I'll get to responding. Almost thought this thread would go unnoticed, but thanks to those that took the time to post.

 

[Tall Hobbit]

I have the Ford bed rails for tie-down and just installed a Gator tri-fold tonneau cover. I'd suggest doing the cargo rails first. They weren't in the way installing the side rails for the tonneau but the tonneau clamps would have been a pain installing the cargo rails.

This is helpful, thanks. Most likely I can stumble through selecting, acquiring and installing the rails in much less time than the bed cover project would take.

Do wonder, has anyone regretted putting the rails over the small rubber plugs that are in line? I've yet to see the purpose of those holes.

Thanks again!

 

[Tall Hobbit]

I was overwhelmed by tonneau choices too. Created this list to help make sense of them all. Hopefully it will help you too



For the record I went with the Rev Hard Roll-up cover through Ford Accessories. It was the best value for what I wanted after the 20% off promo code and Ford Points from the original vehicle purchase. I couldn't be happier with it.

I'm already following that compilation thread with interest already. Looks like the seasonal sales will probably pass me by before I make my choice. For now I'm most interested in in the hard retractable covers like Flowkottu or Synetic, because although they take up cargo space, they do the job and get out of the way without any flapping. I'd lose a tiedown spot in the upper corners by the bulkhead, but the tradeoff might be worth it. Rails first probably, as EllenL suggsted.

 

[Tall Hobbit]

Drop the lift kit off your list. There are no lift kits available today that do not exacerbate the marginal CV joint issue, and you don't have the time to be repeatedly replacing halfshafts every other year. None of them provide a full engine cage frame to drop the engine down and do it correctly. If you want to raise the vehicle, put on much higher profile tires instead and fix the revs/mile factor in engineering mode on the dash.

Very interesting, hadn't yet researched enough to know what you discovered but thanks. Perhaps by the time I'm in the market there will be better kits. Or, higher profile tires as you mentioned -on larger rims, or would it work best to get alloys to match my 17's when the time comes?

 

[rtphokie]

I'm already following that compilation thread with interest already. Looks like the seasonal sales will probably pass me by before I make my choice. For now I'm most interested in in the hard retractable covers like Flowkottu or Synetic, because although they take up cargo space, they do the job and get out of the way without any flapping. I'd lose a tiedown spot in the upper corners by the bulkhead, but the tradeoff might be worth it. Rails first probably, as EllenL suggsted.

I wouldn't worry too much about sales passing you by unless you are otherwise in a hurry. Sales exist to drive demand in part through FOMO

With 100+ competition products, there will be other sales.

 

[Tall Hobbit]

Well, I put in a pair of tiedowns on the bed floor a while ago. The optimist in me says tiedown rails along the sides can't be too far behind now.

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