Blank canvas: F-250 PSD Camper Rig

[jackattack]

Hey all, I'm new to the forum. The wife and I have decided that part of our quality of life plan is to buy a truck and camper to go outside and explore NW North-America.

I'll save this space to list ongoing projects and current pics as things progress.

Current wish list:

• On-board air -- After a few short trips on dirt, it's clear the stock tire pressure is way too high. I want to be able to drive 100 miles on the highway, drop pressure for dirt road handling, and then air up before getting back on the freeway.
• 12/120v Fridge -- I want something that can sit behind the driver seat, but will also fit in the Golf Sportwagen (GSW) and eventually find a home in our future camper. What size do I need to supply the 2 of us for a week?
• 50 Gallon Fuel Tank -- Transfer Flow vs Titan vs Aero? 26 gallons is just not okay for a 8 cyl diesel. I guess Ford shouldn't care, cause they keep selling them.
• Running Boards -- I hate the stock boards. Wife loves them. I can't justify power boards for now, and honestly, I'd prefer low-tech. Any low-profile alternatives to the stock boards?

 

[jackattack]

I've been shopping for a truck for a few years now. I've looked at all the usual 1/2 tons, but we finally settled on a new 2015 F-250. It's an FX4 with the "campering" package -- which includes F&R HD springs, sway bar, and an extra HD alternator and battery. This one had been sitting around for longer than the dealer wanted it, so with the current Ford incentives, we were able to get it for a great price.

The primary goal for this truck is to put a FWC/ATC or similar pop-up in it and go. That's not going to happen this year, so my first goal was to find a canopy to use in the meantime. Local CL did not disappoint, and $300 later I had a solution:

The wife had to work Labor day weekend, so I dove into the scrap pile. When I came up, I had to a halfway-decent bed platform set up. We have an old ikea memory foam mattress that is perfect for the truck bed.

Don't worry, it was properly broken in later that night.

 

[legendaryandrew]

Awesome haha

 

[givemethewillys]

This is a timely thread, I have practically the same needs/concerns with my 2005 F-250. I'll be keeping an eye on this one

 

[jackattack]

This is a timely thread, I have practically the same needs/concerns with my 2005 F-250. I'll be keeping an eye on this one

Feel free to contribute -- or perhaps there should be a Super Duty megathread.

 

[SDDiver5]

Nice! Pics don't work on my comp but good choice on the F250. With a little bit of $$ you can make the 250's look ************.

 

[Poohbah]

"•50 Gallon Fuel Tank -- Transfer Flow vs Titan vs Aero? 26 gallons is just not okay for a 8 cyl diesel. I guess Ford shouldn't care, cause they keep selling them."

I put a Transfer Flow 50 gal. in my 250 about a week after I got it in 2011. It is a very good thing and has been trouble free. It is possible to over fill out the top vents which leaves a diesel smell for a while. When you hear it burping...stop filling... after all, its almost double the original tank.

 

[406expo]

of all the info and potential upgrades I'm most happy to know you broke that set up in properly already! LOL

We love our F250, I'm also looking at a bigger tank. I believe we will go with the Titan but had not heard of AERO, so may look them up real quick.

 

[jackattack]

"•50 Gallon Fuel Tank -- Transfer Flow vs Titan vs Aero? 26 gallons is just not okay for a 8 cyl diesel. I guess Ford shouldn't care, cause they keep selling them."

I put a Transfer Flow 50 gal. in my 250 about a week after I got it in 2011. It is a very good thing and has been trouble free. It is possible to over fill out the top vents which leaves a diesel smell for a while. When you hear it burping...stop filling... after all, its almost double the original tank.

Good to know.

of all the info and potential upgrades I'm most happy to know you broke that set up in properly already! LOL

Ha, yeah! She was very impressed.... with the bed.

We love our F250, I'm also looking at a bigger tank. I believe we will go with the Titan but had not heard of AERO, so may look them up real quick.

I believe Aero is comparable to Transfer Flow. They use aluminized steel. From what I've read, they have to do the installation in their SoCal location for the warranty to be valid. They bolt the tank directly to the frame, as opposed to the other two that use straps. Due to the cost of installation, it's priced between the other two. Not sure what the cost of installation would be for Titan or TF. TF could potentially be cheaper if you installed it yourself. My folks are in SoCal, so that could make it worth it to go with Aero. This is a low(er) priority for me because the stock tank works just fine as long as I keep it full.

 

[Montereyman]

I have a diesel pickup and for hauling a heavy 3400 lb. camper or towing my 9,000 lb. boat and trailer the diesel torque is great. For general use however in the backcountry I would always choose a gas powered vehicle. Many small towns do not have gas stations that pump diesel. I often get fuel when the tank is only half empty as I know I need a full tank to make it to the next fuel stop. You can also forget about going into Mexico with any diesel vehicle made in the past 5 years as it will require ULSD which is not found south of the border. Diesel engines also add weight at the front wheels which is exactly what you do not want for an offroad vehicle.

Dropping the air in the tires on dirt roads is not a good idea. It greatly increases the chances for sidewall damage that takes a tire out permanently. I drop the air pressure when on sand but never on dirt. Better to use a tire that is good for both dirt and pavement. Tires that are good for sand are also generally good for snow as in both situations you want the tires to ride on the surface on not dig down.

I understand about the ride quality or lack thereof with a solid front axle. Having had solid front axle 4WD vehicles including ones from Willys, Dodge, and Toytoa, I welcomed the much better ride with an independent front suspension when it became available with the Toyota trucks and my current full size diesel is a GM as it too has IFS which makes for both a smoother ride off the pavement and a tighter turning radius.

You will have the most flexibility offroad with a 1/2 ton with a popup camper though many people tow a high clearance trailer so they can put toys (snowmobiles, ATV's, etc. in the bed of the truck.

 

[jackattack]

10-4 on your recommendation (condescension?), but the truck is already in the driveway and I'm sure it will exceed my needs. Yes, there will be an occasional tight-spot, but I'm not the first person to take a 2500 diesel off-highway.

To clarify...

I have a diesel pickup and for hauling a heavy 3400 lb. camper or towing my 9,000 lb. boat and trailer the diesel torque is great. For general use however in the backcountry I would always choose a gas powered vehicle. Many small towns do not have gas stations that pump diesel. I often get fuel when the tank is only half empty as I know I need a full tank to make it to the next fuel stop.

A lot of people use diesel power in the "backcountry" and make it back at the end of the day. I always work off the top of my tank. I would do the same in a gas-powered vehicle. At least we have one thing in common. Eventually, with 50 gallons, the range of this truck will be at least 600 miles.

You can also forget about going into Mexico with any diesel vehicle made in the past 5 years as it will require ULSD which is not found south of the border.

Did I ever say I was planning on going south of the border? North of the border is more likely. It's just too hot for me down there and during the winter I'm seeking cold smoke, not the beaches of Baja.

Diesel engines also add weight at the front wheels which is exactly what you do not want for an offroad vehicle.

When I say "dirt" I mean washboard and graded gravel roads. The unloaded weight of this truck is much lower than is required for the stock pressure of the tires. I expect loading a 1200# camper + gear in the bed will somewhat balance out the weight of the diesel. Not to mention that the general consensus for pop-up owners is that most 1/2tons are grossly overloaded with the run of the mill FWC Hawk, Granby, etc. I don't have any delusions about taking off on a 4x4 track with my new, stock, 3/4ton truck.

Dropping the air in the tires on dirt roads is not a good idea. It greatly increases the chances for sidewall damage that takes a tire out permanently. I drop the air pressure when on sand but never on dirt. Better to use a tire that is good for both dirt and pavement.

This is literally the first time I've ever heard this. Sure, you don't drop the pressure as much for driving on firm washboard as you might for deep sand or rock crawling, but that doesn't mean it "is not a good idea" to adjust the tire pressure to the conditions and speed.

Tires that are good for sand are also generally good for snow as in both situations you want the tires to ride on the surface on not dig down.

Likewise, first time I've ever heard this. Admittedly, I don't know what makes a good sand tire, because it's not my playground. Fresh snow, however, is pretty easy to get along in. Any decent A/T will do just fine. Snow and ice are totally different and this is what you encounter on your way to the ski hill. Soft compounds, siping and pressure are what make a good winter tire, not something that "floats on top" -- that's what makes a really good ski.

Agree to disagree?

 

[Regcabguy]

Transferflow's quality is unbeatable.
Checkout the popup offerings thoroughly. Lots of neat brands out there.
ULSD is available everywhere in Baja Norte.
Nice looking truck!

 

[Clutch]

[*]Tires -- we do a lot of skiing, and I'm not confident in the OEM Michelin LTX/AT2 for snow and ice. Thinking about some Duratrac or BFG KO2's. Current size is 285/70-18 can I go bigger on the stock wheels?

Could go up to 35's stock, 37's with a 2.5 lift/leveling kit...or no lift and some trimming.

[*]Running Boards -- I hate the stock boards. Wife loves them. I can't justify power boards for now, and honestly, I'd prefer low-tech. Any low-profile alternatives to the stock boards?

Sliders.

 

[Seabass]

I'm driving a much older version of your truck. I freakin love my old truck. It's a 97 F-350 crew cab long bed. I have a Titan 40 gallon in my front position and the factory tank in the rear position. I also have a 40 gallon transfer tank in the bed. It's about 60" wide, 19 inches tall, and 9" thick. Or roughly those dimensions. I'm packing close to 100 gallons when I want to. The bed tank is fitted with a big pump on top and about twenty feet of hose. It's real function was for filling up tractors on the farm. But it's really nice to take that much fuel if I'm concerned I'm headed to a place where I might not be able to find diesel. My range....at 17mpg.....really far! Love my old 7.3. I too air down for rough roads. I only go down to about 55psi- but it makes a big difference. 80 psi on the highway is great-on the highway. VIAIR makes several 12v compressors. Amazon sells a lot of models..I'm wanting one bad. They got one that makes about 200psi and is self contained. It's around $300 as I recall. A lot of guys are usin the ARB fridges.....they ain't even a little bit cheap. I really like your rig. Hope you get it lined out. I got a build thread down the list a ways, I've tried to keep it updated. I still got a lot I want to do. I just sold my slide-in and am wanting to make the most awesomest topper set up anybody ever saw. I'm still figuring that out again, nice build. And I gotta drop a pic of my ole girl.....

 

[jackattack]

Sliders.

Check. From what I've seen, this is primarily a custom product, no? I've seen some stock products, but so far I haven't seen anything that really does it for me.

I'm driving a much older version of your truck. I freakin love my old truck. It's a 97 F-350 crew cab long bed. I have a Titan 40 gallon in my front position and the factory tank in the rear position. I also have a 40 gallon transfer tank in the bed. It's about 60" wide, 19 inches tall, and 9" thick. Or roughly those dimensions. I'm packing close to 100 gallons when I want to. The bed tank is fitted with a big pump on top and about twenty feet of hose. It's real function was for filling up tractors on the farm. But it's really nice to take that much fuel if I'm concerned I'm headed to a place where I might not be able to find diesel. My range....at 17mpg.....really far! Love my old 7.3. I too air down for rough roads. I only go down to about 55psi- but it makes a big difference. 80 psi on the highway is great-on the highway. VIAIR makes several 12v compressors. Amazon sells a lot of models..I'm wanting one bad. They got one that makes about 200psi and is self contained. It's around $300 as I recall. A lot of guys are usin the ARB fridges.....they ain't even a little bit cheap. I really like your rig. Hope you get it lined out. I got a build thread down the list a ways, I've tried to keep it updated. I still got a lot I want to do. I just sold my slide-in and am wanting to make the most awesomest topper set up anybody ever saw.

Amen.

Nice truck! I have a soft spot for the OBS Fords! You're haulin' all the fuel. If I get a tire carrier on the tailgate like yours, I could add a 30-40 gal aux tank. That would be 90 gal somewhere down the road....

I've looked at the viair systems. On the other hand, a CO2 tank seems really simple, albeit more expensive per fill, if used extensively.