F250 flatbed camper build

PDX_Jay

Member
Thought I'd start a build thread here.

2022 F250 Tremor with the 7.3 that I purchased used last summer. Installed a Bowen Customs flatbed, with the forward garage option this summer . This bed option basically gives you an 8ft bed, but on the shorter wheelbase... extra overhang on the back which is annoying, but the forward garage storage is massive. Eventual plan is to have a counter top with drop in sink on sliders (for outdoor kitchen setup), with room above them to slide in a bike or two. Flatbed portion is about 80" x 80" - with storage on side and long storage drawer in rear.

Truck is stock, other than:
• dometic console fridge (love it, although starts freezing food if you're driving more than 6-7hrs)
• Wolf digital rear-view mirror (love it, much better than expected for the price)
• 58 gal Transfer Flow tank (love it, even though outrageously expensive)
• cat-tranny skid plate (mostly to avoid having cat stolen) - not sure I'd do this one again, is kinda a pain for oil changes
• Marathon seat covers (pricey, but so far, the best seat covers I've ever had)

Camper is aluminum, just a shell, made by Drew from Bison Overland. Insulated pop-top, on 4 electric linear actuators. Interior of camper still just an empty box. All I've finished so far is insulation and plywood ceiling, and got lights in it. Enough to make it useable for some camping this summer/fall... but hope to make some progress on it before next season!

Current plan is:
• Rixen heat/hot water, pulling gas from a secondary fuel pickup already installed in the gas tank
• 900w solar on roof (rails already in place for it)
• Goal Zero Yeti 4000 (and eventually, one expansion battery)
• approx. 30 gal freshwater tank, and 5 gal under-sink gray water jug.
• queen bed running north/south in cabover
• 18" wide kitchen counter with drop-in sink that pulls out of the forward garage, so that we have an outdoor kitchen space to use when the weather is nice. Bike storage above the pull-out counter (hopefully, initial measurements seems to work, but won't be sure until we actually get it built).

And then down the road further, when I have more budget to work with:
• Carli suspension of some sort w/37's
• front winch bumper (any recommendations for something that will let me keep my adaptive cruise?) w/winch
• Dirt Church compressor mount behind rear seat, w/ARB compressor

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pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
"extra overhang on the back which is annoying." Looks like you still have plenty of clearance on the rear and the proportions look good.
 

SimplyAnAdventure

Well-known member
Can Bowen accommodate BLIS and do they relocate the rear camera?
Also interested in hearing the answer to this, when i was considering the OEV flatbed from OK4WD Rin was very specifically advising me not to get BLIS system because it wasn’t working with the OEV tray, that was a year or so ago so it should change. In general I wouldn’t worry about the rear camera. If you’re putting a Bowen it’s presumably for a slide in and your camera will likely b moved to the camper. I opted to have Supertramp add a camera to my camper and entire 360 camera system works flawlessly. A Bowen bed is on my long-ish term list for upgrades as it offers a lot to the system.
 

PDX_Jay

Member
Can Bowen accommodate BLIS and do they relocate the rear camera?
Sorry, totally missed this comment. Bowen relocated the rear camera, although I didn't like the position they relocated it to, and I relocated it again (much better for the 360 camera system in the new location).
They don't do the BLIS system (so I disabled mine using Forscan so I would quit seeing the errors). However, I still would like to get them reinstalled someday (I kept them, but gonna take some work to track down the wiring again, after Bowen spliced in the new lights, and capped off everything unused).
I'll probably do a similar approach to what Mainline Overland did for the Tight Loops Fly Tundra - and mounted the sensors off the side of the rear hitch mounts.

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PDX_Jay

Member
Also interested in hearing the answer to this, when i was considering the OEV flatbed from OK4WD Rin was very specifically advising me not to get BLIS system because it wasn’t working with the OEV tray, that was a year or so ago so it should change. In general I wouldn’t worry about the rear camera. If you’re putting a Bowen it’s presumably for a slide in and your camera will likely b moved to the camper. I opted to have Supertramp add a camera to my camper and entire 360 camera system works flawlessly. A Bowen bed is on my long-ish term list for upgrades as it offers a lot to the system.
Mine is a flatbed... and the camper is going to stay on pretty much 100% of the time. Mounted my camera right at the top edge of the flatbed. Probably wouldn't be a great mounting system if the camper was removed regularly, as it would be a bit exposed if you were say pulling lumber off the back of the flatbed...but in my scenario, it's well protected.
Not pictured here, but I ended up adding the camera for my Wolfbox G900 digital rear view mirror camera right on top of the factory backup camera. Works very well, and I love having that rear-view mirror.


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