2015–2020 Ford F-150 Upgrades, Ranked: 3 Mods in Order, With Bed Length and 2021 Part-Number Traps

There is no trailer hitch guide and no running boards guide for the 2015–2020 F-150 on this site, so neither is ranked here.

The receiver. Our vehicle data lists a Class IV hitch with a 2 in receiver for this generation. Not every truck has one. Ford's 2020 RV and Trailer Towing Guide lists the F-150's hitch receiver as included with the trailer tow packages, option codes 53A, 53B and 53C. We read the 2020 guide only, as a text extraction of the copy on Ford of Canada's site, so we can't speak for 2015–2019 trucks. Look under the rear bumper and read the window sticker. If a receiver is there, an aftermarket trailer hitch adds nothing.

The rating. Our vehicle data lists a maximum of 13,200 lb. Motor Authority reported that figure for the 2018 truck with the 3.5L EcoBoost, and Ford's 2020 guide shows the same top number under that engine. We did not confirm the maximum for 2015–2017. Your figure is on the door-jamb label and in the owner's manual, and a receiver bolted on later never raises it. As we read the 2020 guide, Ford says not to exceed a 5,000 lb trailer when towing on the bumper alone, and requires the Trailer Tow Package or Max Trailer Tow Package above 5,000 lb.

The steps. Wikipedia's page lists power running boards on the Limited trim. We did not confirm which other trims had factory boards, so look before pricing a set.

Cab decides the floor liners. Bed length decides the cover and, for one-piece racks, the rack. The cab doesn't tell you the bed. Wikipedia and our tonneau guide agree that the SuperCrew came with the 5.5 or 6.5 ft box, the SuperCab and Regular Cab with the 6.5 or 8 ft box, and every 2017–2020 Raptor with the 5.5 ft box, the SuperCab Raptor included.

The 5.5, 6.5 and 8 ft names are nominal. Both bed guides give 67.1, 78.9 and 97.6 in at the rail, our vehicle data rounds those to 67, 79 and 98 in, and retailers print 5'7", 6'7" and 8'2". Measure inside the bed at the rail, from the bulkhead to the inside of the closed tailgate.

The parts catalog for this truck is tangled with the newer truck's. Wikipedia says the 2021 redesign changed 92% of the F-150's parts and carried over only the cab, the pickup box structure and the font design. That fits what the listings show: floor liners cut for the cab and racks that bolt into the stake pockets often span both generations.

Not everything interchanges. BAK, Retrax and Gator sell their hard covers under separate part numbers on each side of 2021. We could not confirm why. Our tonneau guide's finding is that a 2021+ hard cover usually does not fit this truck, so go by the part number. Owners of the newer truck should use the 2021–2026 F-150 page.

The bed rack is last on the buying list and first on the deciding list, because it can rule out the tonneau cover you were about to buy. The pairings our guides could document:

• Roll-up under a full rack: Putco says the Venture TEC works with most inside-rail roll-up covers. Ask whether yours is one.

• Roll-up under the Quick Rack: RealTruck says it works with roll-ups such as the BAK Revolver and Extang Revolution but has to come off to operate hard folders such as the BAKFlip and Gator FX.

• T-slot cover: Retrax sells the PRO in an XR version, T-80373, with T-slot rails, and RealTruck says the GoRack suits covers with a T-slot rail system.

• Hard tri-fold: Rough Country says its low-profile cover, about $700, can be used with bed racks but not with OEM cargo systems.

• Clamp towers: Yakima says select covers need its Tonneau Kit 1.

Anchors matter as much as the pairing. The Putco racks and the GoRack bolt into the stake pockets without drilling. Our bed rack guide cites a 13th-gen owner on F150Forum who calls BoxLink, Ford's cleat system, mostly useless for anything but tie-downs. Our vehicle data lists a bed utility track as optional. If you have it, RealTruck says the GoRack can mount to a utility rail and Yakima says tracked beds need its Track Kit 1 or 2. Rough Country's 10406 installs with nutserts, so read its instructions to see whether your bed needs holes.

Install in this order. Floor liners go in first, with the factory carpet mats out. The cover goes on next, with BoxLink cleats and rail caps cleared from the clamp points. The rack goes on last, torqued to the maker's figures, because an over-tightened clamp can mark or deform the aluminum rail.

Used parts. Our tonneau guide's rule is to read the part number off the frame label and check it against the maker's fitment before paying. For a rack, confirm the bed length it was built for.

Warranties. Our tonneau guide notes that none of its covers' warranties transfers to the next owner: 2 years on the Gator EFX, 5 years on the BAKFlip MX4, Tyger T3 and Rough Country cover, and limited lifetime on the RetraxPRO MX and TruXedo Lo Pro. A used cover has none. Putco, RealTruck and Yakima describe limited lifetime warranties on their racks; we did not confirm whether those transfer, so ask.

Spend against the truck. Our tonneau guide's view is that the RetraxPRO MX, about $2,150, pays off only if you open the bed many times a day. Parts listed across both generations keep their use if you trade up: the Husky sets, the Lo Pro, the Venture TEC and Yakima's towers.

Payload. Motor Authority reported a maximum payload of 3,270 lb for the 2018 truck with the 5.0L V8. That is a best case. Your figure is on the door-jamb label, and passengers, tongue weight, rack, tent and cover all count against it. Yakima lists the OverHaul HD towers at 59.52 lb before crossbars, and Tyger lists the T3 at 33.2 lb. Load a rack to its moving figure: 600 lb dynamic on the Venture TEC and GoRack, 400 lb on the Rough Country 10406 and 500 lb on-road on Yakima's towers. RealTruck gives the Quick Rack a single 1,000 lb figure, so confirm a moving rating with Putco before a tent goes on it.