2014 Ford SVT Raptor

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Cam

I bought a Ford Raptor. That’s right- I’m a Ford man now. My apologies to all the Ford people I have teased and hurt over the years. I thought it was my unspoken duty since I didn’t actually own a Ford… I see now that I was wrong (so wrong). The Raptor is an amazing truck and I am thrilled with this purchase.

I’ve actually wanted a Raptor for a long time. After I sold my first Tacoma I looked at them seriously and even test drove a couple. Ultimately I went with another Tacoma due to size restrictions (a Raptor would not have fit in my last garage). Later after selling all my cars I looked at Raptors again but decided to stick with my Tacoma and get a new car. And that’s what I tried to do.

Confession time. Back in early July I actually ordered a really nice car. “Two to three months,” they said. I was okay with that. And so I waited. And waited. And waited. After nearly four months I wasn’t any closer to getting a car (due to “allocation decisions” the manufacturer hadn’t even picked the order up from the dealer for manufacturing). I was pretty turned off and so I started to look around again. And that’s when I came across the perfect Raptor…

White, Roush off-road package (supercharger!), sweet upgraded bumpers, massive light bars- it was the one! I know from having watched Raptor listings on dealer websites that they typically don’t last long so I jumped on it ASAP.

I bought the truck from Ken Garff Ford and I have to say that I had a fairly pleasant experience. Everything was super laid back- no pressure (maybe a little too laid back). Everyone was helpful and friendly and they made the negotiations, trade in process and paperwork fairly painless. I was even able to purchase a official Roush warranty through the dealership for extra peace of mind. So far I’ve had my truck to the dealer twice for service issues and modifications and things have gone pretty well (I did run into a couple of issues on my second trip but they got things nicely resolved).

Visually there’s a lot here to enjoy. I love the look of the Raptor’s exterior- it’s big, aggressive, sporty and to me the front grill and wider stance looks way better than a regular F-150. I had the front end on my Raptor raised to level it out a bit. I’m not totally sold on the bed graphics but I think they will grow on me.

I think the Addictive Desert Designs bumpers and Rigid lights in the front (and back) kick the visual appeal up a notch. And the bumpers make me feel like if I get in an accident I’m driving home and they aren’t. The LED light bars are super bright- probably a little overkill (total lumen output is rated at 25,000+). I’m really excited to take this truck off-roading (Baja 1000! Just kidding).

I had Ken Garff Ford put on 20 x 9 BMF Novakane rims & 35 x 12.5″ Nitto Terra Grappler G2’s. Originally I’d wanted the rims blacked out but the wait time was 3-6 months. I opted to get BMF’s “death metal” two tone finish and I really like it. The offset on the rims pushes the tires out a bit past the bumper which I like as well.

The interior is classic black (with some silver trim)- in some ways basic, but very functional. Nice layout, comfortable power seats (heating and cooling!) and lots of cabin headroom even with a sunroof! I don’t know why but I love sunroofs. The gauge cluster and the interior technology are light years ahead of my Tacoma. The stereo isn’t bad either- I think it just needs a better subwoofer (I’m on it!).

And of course the Roush Phase 2 kit. The supercharger bumps the power output to 590 HP and 590 lb ft of torque (crank- and probably not that much at Utah’s elevation). I am wary of modifications like this after what I’ve been through but having a warranty helps me feel okay about it. The kit also includes a cat back exhaust system that enhances the audible rumble from the truck (and creates a small amount of drone at certain RMPs), a boost gauge, embroidered head rests and window and bed decals.

I haven’t had the truck too long at this point but my initial impressions are almost all positive. The handling is exceptional- much better than my Tacoma. Given it’s size the truck feels surprisingly agile and solidly planted to the ground. After changing wheels and raising the front suspension the ride is a bit stiffer but that suits my preference perfectly. Very happy with the drivability.

And, for a truck, the the Raptor is fast (owing that, in part, to the supercharger). I had to pull off to the side of the freeway and when I merged back on I was impressed by the acceleration. It’s not a race car, but it might just be a race truck.

There are some little things that bother me. For example the 12V power plugs are always on so I can’t leave any accessories (i.e. a radar detector) plugged in. And even though the car keeps track of nearly every operating parameter there is no easy way see some things (i.e. a digital speedometer or tire pressures). I also wish the truck had side collision detection. As I said, all little stuff.

Overall I’d put myself deeply in the “fanboy” camp. At some point – after I’ve owned it for awhile- I’ll do a more in depth review (I’m probably lying). Bottom line: this is a great truck with some exceptional features. For now it’s going to be my only vehicle (I cancelled my car order) and that’s just fine with me.

First Meeting:

I set eyes on the coolest truck ever.

A real truck. I told one of the employees I was interested in the truck and he suggested I come back tomorrow. I started walking out the door, but then turned around said said that if they were ready to sell I was ready to buy then and there.

I made a deal and took her home that very night.

Goodbye Tacoma!

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Cam

Again? Yes. Like many cars before the time came to say goodbye (perhaps a little quicker than usual). This was my second Tacoma and I absolutely enjoyed my time with it. However, it lacked a lot of features that I wanted and with no major updates to the platform since 2005 I felt like it was time for a change (more on that later).

These are some shots of the Tacoma at the dealer (I traded it in). From what I can tell it sold quickly and I hope it went to a great home. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw it around town (incidentally if anyone happens to know the new owner I have some parts for this truck I’d be happy to pass on).

Hughes Family: October 2014

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Cam

Okay! Made it through October. Didn’t know if I would. Way to go me.

We celebrated Chloe’s 3rd birthday! She is such a great addition to our family. As much as I love to see our kids grow up, those feelings are coupled with a profound sense of sadness and loss. I have known no greater joy than parenthood and I will always be “Dad” but my children will not always be my “babies.” Happy Birthday!

Furniture shopping usually makes me feel sick. I strongly dislike walking around looking at things that might go well with other things. “Hey, this buffalo hide might draw colors from the stainless steel cactus and the human bone table to make them work together.” We have done more shopping in the last month than I can recall doing the previous year. Do you like this chair with circles? Fancy. Table? Rug? Ugh (we did not buy that chair).

Once in awhile I must appease the gods of parenthood and interact with my children. What better place to do this than Nickel City? (yeah… maybe Disneyland). The children quickly became smitten by the ticket bug and exchanged many nickles for the chance to take on fate. Happily I was able to persuade them to play a few “real” games with me.

If you haven’t been to The Museum of Natural Curiosity yet (at Thanksgiving Point) you’re missing out!

The kids always have a blast at Cornbelly’s. Fran and I met up for dinner, but I wasn’t feeling well enough to hit the main events this year.

We finally got to the keys to our new place! We had a few cabinet related issues that necessitated work even after it was “done.” This is what our house looked like a couple days after closing. No sweat.

Moving in! The guys at 7 Brothers Moving were excellent to work with. And after nearly a decade of love, feeding and education one of our kids can do useful things!

We wasted no time in starting the landscaping (no time). A bit of dirt here, some curbing there, a few sprinklers, some fence posts, more dirt, a trampoline pit and maybe some grass if we hurry. Winter Shminter.

Halloween 2014! Fran and the more agreeable kids dressed up like the characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. The older ones were committed to doing their own thing. Admittedly Claire made a cute vampire. I have no idea what Michael was- some kind of shadow guy in gym clothes (“I’m a morph, I told you!” “Okay, sure.”)

Eating some Halloween breakfast (wearing costumes to school is a thing now- I don’t remember doing it when I was a kid). And then the long awaited Sabin Halloween Party! Each year the decorations get more elaborate, the costumes get weirder and the fun gets pushed past the maximum allowable limit.

Here’s a couple of October parting shots. Mike got his Arrow of Light award! Claire was asked to go to a recording studio to sing a French song for a Christmas album. Gabe has become an excellent RC car racer- he’s now working on becoming an excellent RC car mechanic. Chloe and I went shopping and she insisted on carrying the basket until it was literally too heavy for her to lift (cute, but inefficient). Awesome kids? Check.

Captain, I see November dead ahead! Should I drop the anchor?
There’s no point. It will just come to us.
Can we outrun it?
No… we’ll have to batten down the hatches and sail full speed ahead. Heaven help us.

Tacoma’s First Scratch

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Cam

There comes time when a new vehicle sustains some kind of damage. Unfortunately that day came for my Tacoma today. As I was backing out the garage I swiped the body of the truck against the stucco. This is actually the second time I’ve done this (the first time was in a Corvette). I need to pay more attention when I back out. On the plus side most of the damage is on the fender flare and should be simple to repair. Sigh.

cap

Hughes Family: September 2014

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Cam

Yet another month has gone by. This one all too quickly. There were some good times, some bad times, some rip my hair out and then set the Earth on fire times. This post is going to be short and sweet (maybe just short).

My lovely little girl celebrated her birthday with a trip to Texas Road House. Spoiled much? Yes.

September highlights include putting up a tent in our microscopic backyard (Fran slept in the tent with Mike so he could pass off a scouting requirement). In an attempt to become tougher I ate a Jalapeno pepper. It turned into the worst stomach ache I can remember having (I also fed slices to my kids- some cried). Chloe ate her first Sushi roll- she seems partial to the California. The rest of September is a horrid blur.

Our home is still not quite ready. It looks like we’ll be moving sometime in the next couple of weeks but the house still needs some work. I used to joke that I was building a fixer-upper, but it looks like the joke is on me. More to come… probably.

Hughes Family: August 2014

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Cam

What did we do in August? Oh yes… we moved. We have been moving perpetually. In between moves we found time to go have a few adventures.It was a busy busy month!

Toward the beginning of the month Fran had a baby and a bridal showers to attend I got to hang out with boys for the day. We hit JCW’s, went to see Guardians of the Galaxy (great movie) and worked on moving things and getting our old home cleaned up.

Later that week we went to Lagoon with the Sandbergs. I know thatLagoon isn’t Disneyland but I think it’s a fantastic local park with plenty to do if your expectations are realistic. The weather was overcast so the park crowds were just right and everyone had a fantastic time.

Lagoon has plenty of fun rides for thrill seekers. Wicked, in particular is a blast. Samurai is another fun ride… until is starts going backwards. For people not impressed with Lagoon’s coaster options the Cannibal is opening in 2015.

Chloe had a lot of fun this time! She was pretty fearless and wasn’t afraid to go on any of the rides (and on some of the rides the kids have to go on alone).

What trip to the park would be complete without some ice cream? And a broken phone. Fran’s phone was a victim of the Samurai- midway through the ride those of us on the ground watched her phone literally launch off the ride and sail about fifty feet through the air onto a bathroom roof and then onto the ground. Amazingly the phone still worked.

The carnival games at Lagoon were as popular as any of the rides. Personally I don’t see the allure of throwing my money away on junk (okay, I’m sure some would disagree). The park food is so-so but there’s something exciting about eating it (maybe knowing you could barf it back up later).

Here are a few fun parting shots. A pic from Colossus (it was really hard to hold my camera going to through the loops). I went with Chloe on the BomBora roller coaster. Claire was really worried when I pulled out my phone for a pic on the Rocket. “No Dad! No! Put your phone away. Hurry!” But I’m not the one who breaks my phone on rides 😉

House stuff…

After selling our Hunter’s Grove home we moved into a rental up in Traverse Mountain. It’s an interesting place (both Traverse Mountain and the house). The home has some quirky features… For example the only outside access to the [very tiny] backyard is through a gate on the side of the home. It’s conveniently blocked by a rather large retaining wall. If you actually managed to work your way to the gate you’d find that it swings open into one of the porch supports ensuring continued difficulty. Awesome. And in the kitchen “there are four lights!” There is a strange sad little fifth light with a burnt out bulb. I think you could make a case that this is the location Captain Picard was held after being captured by the Cardassians. I discovered the lights while I was lying on the ground trying to hold our dishwasher door closed with my foot (otherwise it won’t complete a wash cycle). Aside from the home’s strange quirks we enjoy having potential buyers walk though at all times of the day.

The house is coming along. The exterior is mostly finished at this point. I saw a rainbow shooting into our house and I’m totally sure that’s a sign we’re supposed to live here. Sigh.

Lots of concrete! I’m happy we pushed the driveway out (via the retaining wall). Can’t have to much driveway, I always say… I’m pleased that Ivory epoxied the garage floors- they look great and it saves us a ton of money. I love a nice garage… Wish I had something to put in it.

There’s always time for a wedding! Caroline and Brian were married in August. Beautiful wedding and a fun reception. Congrats! “What? That’s all your going to write about the most important day of her life?” Uh… yeah?

I happily accepted the ALS ice bucket challenge extended by my sister, Erin. The water was way colder than I thought it would be! I called out my business partner, Jim, my friend, Tom, and my sister-in-law, Catherine. I think the general assumption is that people who pour the ice water on their head are getting out of donating to ALS, however for the curious I also contributed money toward their research (you can too by visiting www.alsa.org).

The kids got called out by their friends (and each other) and chose to participate as well:

Not done yet…

Over Labor Day weekend we went camping near Mirror Lake with the Ercanbracks- Catherine (Fran’s sister), Lauren (Catherine’s daughter) and Randall (Catherine’s husband). Lots of good food, adventures and fun.

Kids in nature are extra cute! They carve wood, play chess, build traps and collect firewood. They also get dirty and complain. All part of the gig.

Mirror Lake was really pretty and equally as cold. Next time we’ll need jackets and maybe some fishing gear. Or maybe we could just look at these pictures and call it good.

Hughes Family: July 2014

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Cam

While there was a good chance July was destined to destroy me I somehow persevered. I worked on the home to make is presentable. Darin listed the home and within ten days it has sold. The packing was then started. As far as I’m concerned this is how I spent my July:

I put things in boxes ’cause boxes are fun!
I won’t even know where I’ll live when I’m done.
I stuck all my crap in boxes with labels
In went my books and my chairs and my tables.
I packed through the day and I packed through the night.
I packed all the heavy and packed all the light.
Two hundred boxes put onto a truck
Where are there going? Who gives a…

Meanwhile…

Leaving Dad all alone in Utah. My lovely little world travelers…

A layover in Paris for a few days. Lots of stuff to see (like that Eiffel Tower thing) and it helps with the time zone adjustment (ultimate destination is 10 hours ahead of Utah).

Arrived in Reunion safe and sound. One of the first orders of business is a trip to get munchies… what a great view.

Check out all this foooood. This is why they go to France & Reunion. I just know it.

View from the beach house – not too bad. Some obligatory ocean time and a quick shopping trip – facilitated by Fran’s parents – to get some nets so that the sea life could be captured and studied.

Playing in paradise – Reunion is a lot like Hawaii with lots of lush tropical vegetation. Three trampolines with swings. Doesn’t get any better than that.

More time on the beach.

Hanging out, playing and eating- the key ingredients of a perfect vacation.

Fracoise’s family: Parents (Alain & Danielle) and her brothers and their wives (Pamela & Christophe & Alain-David & Sandra). They made the blog. Totally epic.

This section above is the France / Reunion trip. If my wife so desires she can hop onto the blog and update captions. She has that power. Will she use it? Well, it’s hard to say. History suggest that it’s unlikely. But there’s also a good chance that I’ve captioned the pictures so poorly her sense of order might override her apathy. It looks like it was a fun trip. Once they perfect teleportation technology I can absolutely see myself popping over to the island for a few days of sun, fun and food.

Fran and the kids got back at the end of July and, after they had recovered for a couple of days,we lit off some fireworks in honor of Pioneer Day.

Fran and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. Things were chaotic but we managed to squeeze in a dinner outing at Shoots.

Having given up any hope of moving things ourselves we hired 7 Brothers to come take care of the furniture and boxes. They did a great job- if you need a moving company I can recommend them.

The new house is coming along. In July Ivory finished most of the exterior, got the drywall and texturing done and made good headway on our retaining wall / driveway.

I’m not really sure where the time for this post came from. I looked in my draft folder and it was just sort of there. So way to go me.

Moving On

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Cam

I’m not sure when I’ll get around to posting a “July” update (or even an “August” update for that matter). July was the busiest month yet and I’m still in the process of recovering from everything (although the recovery is going poorly since August is giving July a run for its money…). How can there be so much freaking stuff?

I did want to make a quick post about one thing though:

Fran took the the kids and went to visit her family for a few weeks and that was an ideal opportunity to get the house in shape and put it up for sale. After being listed it was sold in less than two weeks!

Over the course of the ten days following the sale we moved into a rental in Traverse Mountain. We’ll be in that location until the end of September. Hopefully our new house will be done by then… if not I don’t know what we’ll do. Move again? You think I’m grumpy now…

Things on Ivory’s end are progressing more slowly than I’d hoped (albeit at the rate I expected). One of the big hang-ups is the cabinetry. Ivory is using a new company and the latest update we got is that closing has been pushed back three weeks because the cabinets won’t be ready on time (we have been very unimpressed with this new cabinet company). Overall the building experience with Ivory Homes has been okay. I’ll do a write-up at some point in the future.

I will miss our old house- it was in a great spot, we had great neighbors, and the home never gave us any trouble (outside the “normal” scope). I expect I have already idealized things in my memory.

Side note: Originally we were considering selling the home ourselves but a friend who’s a real estate agent convinced us to let him sell the home. I’d definitely recommend an agent for the additional exposure (i.e. an MLS listing) and convenience (you don’t have to deal with the hassle of scheduling showings, paperwork or negotiating the actual deal). If you need someone to sell your home contact Darin Southam.

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