South Padre is easy going on the sand. Last time I was out there I drove my F350 on pizza cutters with highway pressure and never came close to getting stuck. Just stay off the dunes, there are cops with F150s driving around handing out tickets for that.
The benefit really depends on the engine and vehicle. Per Ford there is a horsepower and torque increase with running at least 91. I haul fuel and for just about every station around here uses the exact same fuel, other than additives which really don't do much. I personally fuel up at the one...
It sucks that you found out that way. I would think they were aware of the issue as Stage 3 Motorsports has a warning on the page for the intercooler saying the parts are incompatible.
Jeep culture is a weird one around here. All the off road groups I've found around me only allow jeeps, and they have a list of models they limit to at that. "Factory open-top" jeeps only, I don't get it. Most of the off-roading I've done over the years was in an old farm truck or in the more...
I came to the Bronco from having HD trucks. I always wanted something like a Jeep but not with Jeep "quality". It's been a big difference from the duallys I've owned in the past and I haven't quite figured out where to put a round bale. They're fun though and I've enjoyed owning one for the two...
While I'd love to have even just a Coyote V8 for a $3-10000 upcharge, having a simple straight diesel with a manual would be fantastic ie Cummins 6BT. It would never happen with todays emissions standards and consumer habits unfortunately.