2022 Lightning Yearlong Review Update: Time to Scale Back Expectations? Yeah, the F-150 Lightning is a "real truck." [Motortrend]

Ford F-150 Lightning Yearlong Review Update: Time to Scale Back Expectations?

Yeah, the F-150 Lightning is a "real truck."

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...g-review-update-2-hauling-and-payload-scales/

Interesting that they are so laser focused on the scales. It’s not an EV exclusive feature or benefit, and isn’t a consideration for new truck buyers when they find out it’s been deleted and there isn’t a timeline for it’s return

For me, the scales are a cool parlor trick.

For anyone without scales, the lightning bed holds just under 2 cubic yards. (52.3 cubic feet)
So the way to figure out how much you can hold is to know that rock based products like
RCA/Crushed Gravel/ Concrete/ Asphalt weigh between 2700-3000 per cubic yard. So you can fill your truck bed between 25% to 33% full of the heaviest products.
Top Soil weighs about 60 pounds per cubic foot (varies due to the amount of water or rocks in soil)
so you can fill your bed about 50% of topsoil.
Stacked Firewood is about 30 pounds per cubic foot (really 45 but you have to leave room for air) so you can fill your bed up with that.
Most importantly, Bagged Mulch weighs about 60 pounds per 2 cubic foot bag, which means you can basically fill your entire truck bed with mulch and be under weight. (though make sure it isn't really wet).

I'd also argue that the Motortrend tester is a fringe case, because shoveling rock/ rca out of a pickup truck just sucks to do from a physical exertion perspective and pros will use one of their dump trucks to transport these materials and DYI homeowners are likely to have bulk products like rock base delivered.

My Lightning is used for work every single day and I've yet to find myself in a real world scenario where product weight would be an actual issue.. Full disclosure though, I own a dump truck (F550).

Hope this helps someone out there with a scales delete.

I've got about 2 cubic yards of weeds in my yard, will it hold that?

Zprime29 said:

I've got about 2 cubic yards of weed in my yard, will it hold that?

Click to expand...

That is worth a fortune, just remove the stems and seeds to stay under the payload limit!

Lol, I see what you did there

I was one of the unfortunate ones to Lose the Scales on my 2023 Lariat ER…Since I do not tow or haul heavy loads that often it’s not a major issue but it may be good for Ford to add an interface to manually input the bed load so electric range can be more accurately calculated.