2021 Ford F250 Tremor Adventure Rig

eyemgh

Well-known member
We spent almost the entire summer running around Oregon with our jaws on the ground, especially up and down the coast. We've spent quite a bit of time in Oregon but basically living there for the summer was a dream come true. Not all roses and sunshine...but mostly.

Rig Update

We replaced the crappy factory fog lights with a set of Morimoto 4Bangers and I cannot overstate how much of an improvement it made. I've long wanted to replace the truly God awful factory halogen headlights with a set of Morimoto's but other upgrades have taken precedence. After seeing how bright the fog lights are, I'll have the headlights in by the end of the year.

The biggest modification: we replaced most of the FWC factory wiring, both solar panels and the entire electrical system with one from Victron and Battleborn Batteries. We now have 400W solar and 200ah lithium batteries, as well as an extra two outlet plug and two more USB outlets. The lowest I ever saw our batteries dip was (I think) 74%, and they recharged insanely fast through solar (and when driving). Never once did I worry about running out of power. We used toasters, charged all of our electronics, all the lights, fans, water pump, fridge, waffle maker....all of it. This is literally a game changer and I can't believe we didn't do it sooner. Power anxiety is a thing of the past.

We removed our Rigd Ultraswing (it's for sale) and installed a Kuat hitch reducer and their Hi-Lo hitch extension, which is much more stable with a vertical bike rack and three bikes attached, and our departure angle is slightly better.

Our next upgrade will likely be the headlights. There really isn't a whole lot more we want to do to the rig/camper but I'm not the first or last person to say that, and then make several more modifications. Headlights, ARB underhood compressor, skid plates, possibly a Transfer Flow fuel tank...and I think that's about it.

The Oregon Trip

We had no real plan; just areas we knew we wanted to visit, mostly for mountain biking. We started in Bend, headed to Oakridge, then over to the Coast, to Hood River, back to the Coast, Eugene and a few spots in between. We're planning to spend next summer on the road too, and we learned a few valuable lessons this time around. In retrospect, we spent too much time driving between spots and not enough settled in a location for a few days. We chased weather and whims, and while that was fun, it led to an enormous fuel bill and we lost time doing fun things. We did make some wonderful discoveries along the way, though.

The Oregon Coast seems to be absolutely littered with bakeries. The best we found was Pacific Sourdough in Waldport. Do yourself a favor and just go. Know that your waistline will likely expand a little bit, though. Also enjoyed Stimulus Coffee in Pacific City, Pastries and Pizza in Bandon, and Coasties Roasties in Newport.

While in Newport we randomly stumbled upon some new MTB trails that are some of the best I've ridden in Oregon, and the trail development is just getting started. I don't think the trail system has a name yet but the climbing trail, Level Up, is actually fun to ride. The descent, Dude Sweet, is as good - if not better - than many bike parks. We did multiple laps all three times we rode there. Yes, we kept going back to ride because it was so good.

We rode all the hot spots: Bend, Oakridge, Klootchey Creek, Whisky Run, Mt. Hood, etc. All were good, except for the McKenzie River Trail. Never need to ride it again. Pretty, but boring.

We did some hiking (Tamanawas Falls was mind-blowing), and a lot of tide pooling and beach strolling. Plenty of time spent doing...nothing.

I know that's not many words to describe an entire summer in Oregon but most people don't read much anyway, and photos tell a better story, so please enjoy the gallery below. Wish I could upload more than 10 photos. Maybe I'll try to do a Part II a little later.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
The Morimoto hybrids are awesome and a great deal. They're $1200, but they'll give you $300 back for your stock halogens. I can't overstate the impact they've made.
 

BretEdge

Adventurer
The Morimoto hybrids are awesome and a great deal. They're $1200, but they'll give you $300 back for your stock halogens. I can't overstate the impact they've made.
I've literally never heard anything bad about them. I'll definitely pick them up and can't wait to see the difference they make.
 

sumnrfam

Active member
We spent almost the entire summer running around Oregon with our jaws on the ground, especially up and down the coast. We've spent quite a bit of time in Oregon but basically living there for the summer was a dream come true. Not all roses and sunshine...but mostly.

Rig Update

We replaced the crappy factory fog lights with a set of Morimoto 4Bangers and I cannot overstate how much of an improvement it made. I've long wanted to replace the truly God awful factory halogen headlights with a set of Morimoto's but other upgrades have taken precedence. After seeing how bright the fog lights are, I'll have the headlights in by the end of the year.

The biggest modification: we replaced most of the FWC factory wiring, both solar panels and the entire electrical system with one from Victron and Battleborn Batteries. We now have 400W solar and 200ah lithium batteries, as well as an extra two outlet plug and two more USB outlets. The lowest I ever saw our batteries dip was (I think) 74%, and they recharged insanely fast through solar (and when driving). Never once did I worry about running out of power. We used toasters, charged all of our electronics, all the lights, fans, water pump, fridge, waffle maker....all of it. This is literally a game changer and I can't believe we didn't do it sooner. Power anxiety is a thing of the past.

We removed our Rigd Ultraswing (it's for sale) and installed a Kuat hitch reducer and their Hi-Lo hitch extension, which is much more stable with a vertical bike rack and three bikes attached, and our departure angle is slightly better.

Our next upgrade will likely be the headlights. There really isn't a whole lot more we want to do to the rig/camper but I'm not the first or last person to say that, and then make several more modifications. Headlights, ARB underhood compressor, skid plates, possibly a Transfer Flow fuel tank...and I think that's about it.

The Oregon Trip

We had no real plan; just areas we knew we wanted to visit, mostly for mountain biking. We started in Bend, headed to Oakridge, then over to the Coast, to Hood River, back to the Coast, Eugene and a few spots in between. We're planning to spend next summer on the road too, and we learned a few valuable lessons this time around. In retrospect, we spent too much time driving between spots and not enough settled in a location for a few days. We chased weather and whims, and while that was fun, it led to an enormous fuel bill and we lost time doing fun things. We did make some wonderful discoveries along the way, though.

The Oregon Coast seems to be absolutely littered with bakeries. The best we found was Pacific Sourdough in Waldport. Do yourself a favor and just go. Know that your waistline will likely expand a little bit, though. Also enjoyed Stimulus Coffee in Pacific City, Pastries and Pizza in Bandon, and Coasties Roasties in Newport.

While in Newport we randomly stumbled upon some new MTB trails that are some of the best I've ridden in Oregon, and the trail development is just getting started. I don't think the trail system has a name yet but the climbing trail, Level Up, is actually fun to ride. The descent, Dude Sweet, is as good - if not better - than many bike parks. We did multiple laps all three times we rode there. Yes, we kept going back to ride because it was so good.

We rode all the hot spots: Bend, Oakridge, Klootchey Creek, Whisky Run, Mt. Hood, etc. All were good, except for the McKenzie River Trail. Never need to ride it again. Pretty, but boring.

We did some hiking (Tamanawas Falls was mind-blowing), and a lot of tide pooling and beach strolling. Plenty of time spent doing...nothing.

I know that's not many words to describe an entire summer in Oregon but most people don't read much anyway, and photos tell a better story, so please enjoy the gallery below. Wish I could upload more than 10 photos. Maybe I'll try to do a Part II a little later.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
@BretEdge ,, did you go with the ‘XHB’ or ‘NCS’ 4Bangers ?
 

BretEdge

Adventurer
Riiiiiiight before the temps in Moab plummeted I snuck out for a quick overnight at a spot I'd stumbled upon a couple weeks ago. I'd hoped to fly my drone a bit but the wind was blowing a little too hard for the little DJI Mini 3 Pro so I stuck to shooting from the ground. I haven't made any modifications since my last post but we do have the new FWC Thermal Liner on the way, which I'm hoping will make it more comfortable in colder temperatures. The new thermal liner includes insulated covers for the back three windows, which is where my son sleeps. He frequently gets cold in a 20 degree bag with the heater on, so hopefully these will resolve or at least minimize the heat loss through the single pane glass.

We're planning to spend all of next summer on the road again, like we did this year in Oregon. Haven't decided where we're headed but Washington and Montana are high on the list. I just need to be close enough to an airport so I can get in and out for work without too much hassle. Before we leave, I'll definitely replace the terrible factory headlights with Morimoto. Unsure if we'll make any other mods between now and then. Still on the list are skid plates and air compressor.

Next trip will be over Christmas, two weeks in Arizona. We usually camp and mountain bike around Phoenix but this time we're likely heading farther south to explore Tucson and southern Arizona. We'll bring the MTB's but are going to do more hiking this time than we usually do.

Headed out tonight for another quick overnight around Moab. Weather's looking good so we're taking advantage of it while it lasts. Here's a few photos from the last overnight.
 

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Power Wagon Family

I Hate Off Camber
I love following your adventures and our future plans include a flatbed FWC but not sure if we will keep our current truck platform or not. For now, we are enjoying our current build and trying to get out as much as possible.
 

BretEdge

Adventurer
I love following your adventures and our future plans include a flatbed FWC but not sure if we will keep our current truck platform or not. For now, we are enjoying our current build and trying to get out as much as possible.
You've got a pretty bada** rig yourself! Every platform has pro's and con's. Those Project M's are great because they're so lightweight and highly customizable. One of the cool things about living in Moab is that we get to see every iteration of rig coming through town, from the low budget dirtbag builds all the way up to million dollar plus mobile condominiums, and everything in between. I'm a nerd so I love seeing them all and when the opportunity presents itself, talking to the owners. Lots of really cool rigs and people out there!
 

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