If you want to add a cap or ladder rack, you need to add a load box kit

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Fossil

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Bought a Ranger Raptor and went to get a cap ordered from my ARE dealer. Any 2024 Ford Ranger that you want to add a cap, ladder rack, cross bars,
etc. above the side rails needs to be altered. A "Load Box Reinforcement Kit" need to be installed before any item over 88 pounds is installed
above the side rails. I guess the side rails could bend or twist if they are not reinforced properly. Cost of the parts are about $160 for a Raptor and
$170 for a non-Raptor, plus installation if you do not do it yourself. Hopefully this will be done at the factory for next years model.
 
Ford fucked up on this one. It's the same thing on the Australian version of the Ranger. insane that they would not install those braces from factory. Accident/lawsuit waiting to happen. Most people do not read their owners manual, they just load it and sent it.
 
testerdahl said:
Cost. That’s the answer I’d get. Since not everyone does this, they don’t make it standard and that keeps the purchase price down.
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Makes me wonder where else did they cut cost and compromise the integrity of the truck? Bed strength is a weird place to cut cost from especially with all the overlanding craze and people putting roof top tent, bed racks, etc. on there.
 
Cost and weight savings. Makes it easier to claim the higher payload numbers, as long as that payload is not very high apparently.
 
TheDo114 said:
Makes me wonder where else did they cut cost and compromise the integrity of the truck? Bed strength is a weird place to cut cost from especially with all the overlanding craze and people putting roof top tent, bed racks, etc. on there.
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I wouldn’t go that far. I think they set the truck up for 90% of customer usage and saved the weight. The cap and overlanding crowd is likely under 10% of their target market. I bet they built it to the standards of the majority of the customers and then moved on rather than reinforce it further. Being overbuilt sounds great on paper, but once you look at payload, MPG and powertrain changes to move the extra weight, it doesn’t pan out.
 
testerdahl said:
I wouldn’t go that far. I think they set the truck up for 90% of customer usage and saved the weight. The cap and overlanding crowd is likely under 10% of their target market. I bet they built it to the standards of the majority of the customers and then moved on rather than reinforce it further. Being overbuilt sounds great on paper, but once you look at payload, MPG and powertrain changes to move the extra weight, it doesn’t pan out.
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Really? You think cap & rack use is that low? Huh, I guess but lots of smaller contractors are using these types of trucks and I see lots with racks and commercial caps. Then again, only 10% of truck owners haul anything in their bed..... :p
 
Dusdaddy said:
Really? You think cap & rack use is that low? Huh, I guess but lots of smaller contractors are using these types of trucks and I see lots with racks and commercial caps. Then again, only 10% of truck owners haul anything in their bed..... :p
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I'd argue if a large percentage of people used a cap and/or rack, you'd see Ford offer it as an accessory or offer a model straight from the factory with those items bolted on.
 
Got the bed brackets installed today. Ford is now saying this is a recall. So I did not have to pay for the installation, and I should get my
money back for the bracket kit. The oil gauge seemed to be showing lower than normal, so I checked, and the engine oil was down a
full quart. That had to be from the factory, since there is no oil stain under the truck and I only have about 200 miles on it.
 
testerdahl said:
I wouldn’t go that far. I think they set the truck up for 90% of customer usage and saved the weight. The cap and overlanding crowd is likely under 10% of their target market. I bet they built it to the standards of the majority of the customers and then moved on rather than reinforce it further. Being overbuilt sounds great on paper, but once you look at payload, MPG and powertrain changes to move the extra weight, it doesn’t pan out.
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I just saw this about the bed rail reinforcements. I would agree with TheDo114. I've been through cost cutting pushes to look for things that were "over engineered" several times in my career. You always have to find something every time you go through the exercise. Engineers might not find anything they want to cut back on, but they have to because it's expected or even mandated. The trade off might be to change the design from something you know is going to work 99.999% of the time to something that will work 95% of the time. They are living in the diminishing returns part of the curve, but are forced to make the changes anyway.
 
duggydo said:
I just saw this about the bed rail reinforcements. I would agree with TheDo114. I've been through cost cutting pushes to look for things that were "over engineered" several times in my career. You always have to find something every time you go through the exercise. Engineers might not find anything they want to cut back on, but they have to because it's expected or even mandated. The trade off might be to change the design from something you know is going to work 99.999% of the time to something that will work 95% of the time. They are living in the diminishing returns part of the curve, but are forced to make the changes anyway.
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It just seems like such an afterthought not including it. And how many guys out there will add accessories without ever knowing they need reinforcements? Like TFL....lol. It's not like it's obviously missing something. Then bring it in for warranty when they find a crack. Only to be denied. That seems like a pretty big corner to cut just to save a little on the price.
 
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Dusdaddy said:
It just seems like such an afterthought not including it. And how many guys out there will add accessories without ever knowing they need reinforcements? Like TFL....lol. It's not like it's obviously missing something. Then bring it in for warranty when they find a crack. Only to be denied. That seems like a pretty big corner to cut just to save a little on the price.
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Totally agree. Especially with a structural integrity issue.
 
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