Here’s a truck I just reviewed, 2023 Ford F150 Raptor R. Sometimes we were airborne, sometimes we raced side by sides on miles of sand and sometimes I towed a trailer. It’s just like a big, fast air-conditioned dessert runner. But the best thing besides all the fun, is it’s the best road truck I’ve ever rode in. Like a Cadillac or Mercedes it’s unbelievably smooth and comfortable. Don’t let the manufactures suggested retail price of $109,740 bother you, if you can find a dealer who has one, it will cost you over $140,000. I hope it’s a tax deduction for your business.

The Raptor R with a 700 horsepower V-8 and a blower can tow 8,700 pounds, most ever in a Raptor. Maybe I can use it in my business, but I can’t afford the premium gas at 10-13 mpg. The R is rated for 14 MPG on the highway, but I couldn’t get there without shutting off the engine and going downhill.

Maybe you could haul hay with it or pull a plow really fast and it would round up cattle anywhere. My video’s in the North Sand Hills by Walden are on my YouTube channel at http://www.MrTruck.TV. Anthony with Jayhawk trailers drove and flew the R and I ran the camera. I did pilot the R towing my 8,000 pound trailer. That was impressive as the RPM’s didn’t drop going uphill, didn’t down shift, the R didn’t notice the trailer. The 4.10 rear axle ratio helped along with 640 torque, making little work of trailering. But with the live valve Fox automatic shocks, made for jumping sand dunes, the R did squat about 4 inches at the rear axle with 900 pounds of tongue weight. The new rear suspension is a five link with coil springs, and a big improvement over previous leaf springs. It floats, you won’t believe it’s a full-size truck.

Payload rating on the R is 1,400 pounds so you can still haul the family in this SuperCrew and some coolers. Top speed is 114 mph, but can’t tell you how I know. It has more 4×4 options than Ram TRX, such as 2-wheel drive, 4H and 4L. Thirty-seven-inch tires are amazing with deep sidewall BFG KO2 all-terrain tires. Thirteen inches of wheel travel for the landing, has a red patch on top of the steering wheel so you can land straight. Trail Control that Ford puts on many of their off-road capable, is like a rock-climbing cruise control. When you change modes to like normal to rock climbing, it’s automatic. The R knows when to shift to 4×4 and low range. On the steering wheel, along with paddle shifters are buttons for changing the exhaust sound to not wake the neighbors at 5 a.m., adjustments for the Fox shocks, and a button to change how the steering feels. Only thing missing is the messaging seats. Though the seats are Recaro that hug you when you race and they even fit this wide body reporter.