2015 F150 Install Discussion

[Tech792]

I've been mounting antennas on aluminum ambulance boxes (patient compartments) for the past 2 decades with no issues. (Ground plane or corrosion issues). Usually they're double or triple thickness so you'll have to use the adjustable thickness mount. Also, some of your tractor trailer and truck cabs are aluminum. Never had any issues with these either.

 

[mmckenna]

I've been mounting antennas on aluminum ambulance boxes (patient compartments) for the past 2 decades with no issues.

Now that makes sense….

I suspect that some are concerned, as to them, this is a complete unknown. It will probably be many years before I purchase another new vehicle, but I suspect it'll be an aluminum body by that time. I'm sure this Ford is the first of many to come for "average joe" vehicles.
I suspect the CB crowd will be in for a shock when their magnetic mount antennas won't work anymore.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I've noticed something over the last few years. In an effort to further reduce weight, Ford has cut the use of material out of the F150 roof.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the 2014 roofs seemed paper thin. On my 02 and 04's you could put about 10 pounds in between supports and the roof wouldn't pop out bend. The 2014 was doing all of the above with about 6 pounds on it.

I think the new aluminum roofs will be similar in thickness to the 97-04 roofs.

 

[ofd8001]

I've been mounting antennas on aluminum ambulance boxes (patient compartments) for the past 2 decades with no issues. (Ground plane or corrosion issues). Usually they're double or triple thickness so you'll have to use the adjustable thickness mount. Also, some of your tractor trailer and truck cabs are aluminum. Never had any issues with these either.

Same thing for fire apparatus. A signficant percentage of fire trucks are all aluminum. Our fire department has had aluminum trucks for 20 plus years and have yet to see radio issues due to this material. We too have to have "odd sized" mounteds because of thickness.

As a 2013 F150 owner, I use fender mount antennas. I have garage door clearance issues and didn't want to drill roof holes anyway. Plus as others have noticed, the roof is thin and very flexible.

For my two cents having a whip style antenna on a pick-up truck roof is inviting lots of clearance issues. The "knob" style antennas would be a better way if roof mounting was essential.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

For my two cents having a whip style antenna on a pick-up truck roof is inviting lots of clearance issues. The "knob" style antennas would be a better way if roof mounting was essential.

One of the local shop techs told me a story about that…the puck didn't clear the garage…carnage ensued.

The Sti-Co antennas are pretty handy. In 95% of fleet services, the trucks will never see a garage. My personal vehicles haven't seen a garage in over 4 years. Most full sized 4 door with a 6.5 foot bed trucks won't fit in to most garages to begin with…too long.

 

[mmckenna]

I've got a 2011, and while it won't fit in my garage (crew cab, 6.5' bed) it has seen a few parking garages and low branches. While the roof tops do seem to be thinner, using a 1/4 wave whip on VHF hasn't been an issue. I'd doubt the 2015's could be much thinner.

 

[FFPM571]

FYI... A number of experienced installers hang out here... Me being one and I have yet to hear of any issues.

 

[SteveC0625]

I've been mounting antennas on aluminum ambulance boxes (patient compartments) for the past 2 decades with no issues. (Ground plane or corrosion issues). Usually they're double or triple thickness so you'll have to use the adjustable thickness mount. Also, some of your tractor trailer and truck cabs are aluminum. Never had any issues with these either.

I've been doing installs on ambulances for a long time as well. Never had a problem with galvanic corrosion on the roof of an aluminum coach and here's why:

Galvanic action requires three things to take place. Two dissimilar metals (like aluminum and steel) plus an electrolyte. The chemical process is pretty much the same as a battery. The road salt used for snow and ice control is a perfect electrolyte. That's why you'll see lots of corrosion and bubbling paint down low and especially on the rear of aluminum coaches like the Type I and Type III ambulances. No matter how well we wash them in the winter, we never get it all and the chemical action has time to occur.

Now what you don't see is much road salt (if any) getting up on the roof of these vehicles in any appreciable quantity. Gravity tends to keep salt spray on the highway down lower most of the time. And, a properly installed antenna will have an O-ring or gasket between the two metals on the outside surface of the coach. Even if the metal of the antenna base touches the roof, there's usually enough paint thickness to prevent this type of corrosion.

I see no appreciable difference between the '15 Ford body and the ambulance coach in this respect. A properly done install should not be a concern.

One thought does come to mind, however. Aluminum is much softer than steel, at least when it comes to drilling holes. I would suggest an extra measure of caution when installing an antenna on an aluminum body the first time.

 

[josephsimpson]

Fender Mount Question

Same thing for fire apparatus. A signficant percentage of fire trucks are all aluminum. Our fire department has had aluminum trucks for 20 plus years and have yet to see radio issues due to this material. We too have to have "odd sized" mounteds because of thickness.

As a 2013 F150 owner, I use fender mount antennas. I have garage door clearance issues and didn't want to drill roof holes anyway. Plus as others have noticed, the roof is thin and very flexible.

For my two cents having a whip style antenna on a pick-up truck roof is inviting lots of clearance issues. The "knob" style antennas would be a better way if roof mounting was essential.

Do you use the bracket fender mount or the lip. I just got my Tech license and wanted to add a rig but I do not want to scratch or damage the my 2013 Supercrew. The L bracket that used the fender bolt looks like a great solution but can you tell me if it rubs or damages the paint in any way?

 

[PACNWDude]

Former Installer who worked with aluminum.

As a former installer who worked with aluminum skinned vehicles as well, I will concur with the others that have posted here about ambulances and fire trucks. (I did installs on fire trucks, ambulances, aircraft, aluminum vessels and steel ships as well as a few things now in orbit.)

Minimizing galvanic corrosion is the main point to consider. If you keep corrosion in check, the ground plane can be improved. Aluminum usually doesn't harden or age as quickly as people think. Unless an aluminum trunk lid has several 1/2 wave whips bouncing along for a decade or more of use, I doubt it is going to crack or weaken the mounting area.

Ground plane issues are minimal, and can be helped in many cases by adding a highly conductive plate. I recommend copper, but then again you must mitigate galvanic corrosion. When the military started adding the "turtle" and "helmet" tops the HMMWV's, I interjected and had the vendor add a copper mesh ground plane to the roof for antenna propagation. These were for Combat Controller and TACP rigs that would be running multiband antennas on the roof. (Before the vendor became a sole source of supply for the entire DoD HMMWV fleet.)

The only change I made on installation, going from steel to aluminum, besides using a thick NMO mount, was to use a step bit for the additional metal thickness.