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2015 Ford F-150 BoxLink System Detailed

Although many people buy full-size pickup trucks for any other reason except hauling and towing, automakers do their best with every new model to improve the truck's capabilities. But the Blue Oval really went overboard with the aluminum bed of the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 light-duty workhorse.
2015 Ford F-150 Bed 1 photo
Photo: original photo by autoevolution
For the recently launched thirteenth generation of the F-Series, Ford debuted a truck bed constructed from high-strength, military-grade aluminum. For starters, aluminum is tougher than normal steel, but aluminum is also very resistant to the age-old problem of premature rusting because of scratches.

Excluding the high-strength steel frame, the new-gen Ford F-150 is mostly made out of the lightweight yet tough material. Compared to the 2014 MY, the new one sheds some 700 pounds (317 kgs) thanks to the extensive use of the silvery grey material, which also happens to be the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust.

We could go on and on and on about the new tech onboard, super efficient powerplants and how many personalization options you're offered, but those are better enjoyed by taking a look at our review of the 2015 Ford F-150. Today we're going to concentrate on what Ford calls BoxLink, a class-exclusive cargo management system that makes stowage child's play.

Perfecting the box

BoxLink includes four lockable, die-cast zinc tie-down cleats, but also provides a unique interface to the box for improved flexibility and organization, as well as additional locations for tie-downs. Couple those with a power locking and remote tailgate release, LED box lights and useful cargo ramps and you'll understand the extent of how much the envelope was pushed by Ford's engineers with the 2015 F-150.

Additionally, BoxLink is located on a reinforced area of the box at mid-level, accommodating the majority of cargo loads. Reinforcement of the cleats allows them to accommodate a horizontal load of 275 lbs (125 kilos) as well as a diagonal load of 600 lbs (272 kilograms).

Those segment-first cargo ramps are stowed on the sides of the pickup box via the BoxLink system and can be mounted quickly on the tailgate to load ATVs, motorcycles, you name it. Last but not least, buyers can also opt for telescoping ramps that can be tailored to accommodate multiple loading positions.

But words aren't enough to paint the whole picture in our book, which is the reason we've attached the short demonstration video you can watch below.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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