straightoutaoside
New member
Hi Everyone,
I have been lurking on the Expedition Portal for a while and am stoked to get my own build up here finally. I am on a tight budget so this build be done over about a year or so (don't hold your breath). I recently purchased a 97 F350 4x4 7.3 Powerstroke with a ZF5 transmission with 135 k on the clock. It has had a Lance camper (that came with it) on it since the day the it rolled off the lot hence the low miles. I owned a Tacoma Reg Cab 4x4 before this an used it extensively for overlanding around Baja but physically outgrew it (I am now 6'3") hence the change to the full size. My main goal with this rig is to build a reliable overland platform to boondock in Baja.
I have already had a CPS fail on me and now carry spares. What else is should I be prepared to have fail down south? I plan on bringing extra fuel filters, fan belt, CPS and am still assembling the rest.
I currently have a pretty solid fuel leak (diesel in the engine block valley and on everything underneath it). How hard is it to fix this myself? Does anyone have a detailed post on how to fix this common issue? A mechanic in Oceanside quote me $800 which seems like too much. Does anyone have a diesel mechanic they can recommend in the North County San Diego area?
I currently have 235/75r 16's on it and am looking for something a touch bigger that won't rub on full lock and flexed at all (with stock rims and suspension). Those of you running 285/75r 16's do you rub and will the tires wear properly on the stock 16x7's? Also will a full size spare fit in the stock location?
One of the locations that I like to frequent is a 500 mile+ roundtrip from the nearest PEMEX that has diesel (My current range with camper is about 450 miles). Has anyone with an OBS put a 38 gallon bronco tank where the rear tank is? How hard is it to pull this off?
I had extended diff, tranny and transfer case breathers on my tacoma. Does anyone have a post on how to do this (or any advice)? I don't plan on fording anything gnarly but with the impending El Nino don't want to get stopped by a flooded vado.
For the time being I am planning on the leaving the stock leaves on and want to save up for the RSK shackle reversal plus Atalas expo leaves on all four corners. I am thinking about throwing on Bilstien 5100's, but have never owned this large of a rig before will they control 10k in weight OK (I know it won't ride like my mid travel Tacoma haha)?
Regarding the camper I plan on adding solar panels, a 12v fridge and couple of other gizmos to make my stay more comfortable. Any words of advice to make my Lance camper more solid off road? I predominately drive graded dirt roads, with some moondust and beach driving.
Here is my new rig not sure what to name her yet:
I have been lurking on the Expedition Portal for a while and am stoked to get my own build up here finally. I am on a tight budget so this build be done over about a year or so (don't hold your breath). I recently purchased a 97 F350 4x4 7.3 Powerstroke with a ZF5 transmission with 135 k on the clock. It has had a Lance camper (that came with it) on it since the day the it rolled off the lot hence the low miles. I owned a Tacoma Reg Cab 4x4 before this an used it extensively for overlanding around Baja but physically outgrew it (I am now 6'3") hence the change to the full size. My main goal with this rig is to build a reliable overland platform to boondock in Baja.
I have already had a CPS fail on me and now carry spares. What else is should I be prepared to have fail down south? I plan on bringing extra fuel filters, fan belt, CPS and am still assembling the rest.
I currently have a pretty solid fuel leak (diesel in the engine block valley and on everything underneath it). How hard is it to fix this myself? Does anyone have a detailed post on how to fix this common issue? A mechanic in Oceanside quote me $800 which seems like too much. Does anyone have a diesel mechanic they can recommend in the North County San Diego area?
I currently have 235/75r 16's on it and am looking for something a touch bigger that won't rub on full lock and flexed at all (with stock rims and suspension). Those of you running 285/75r 16's do you rub and will the tires wear properly on the stock 16x7's? Also will a full size spare fit in the stock location?
One of the locations that I like to frequent is a 500 mile+ roundtrip from the nearest PEMEX that has diesel (My current range with camper is about 450 miles). Has anyone with an OBS put a 38 gallon bronco tank where the rear tank is? How hard is it to pull this off?
I had extended diff, tranny and transfer case breathers on my tacoma. Does anyone have a post on how to do this (or any advice)? I don't plan on fording anything gnarly but with the impending El Nino don't want to get stopped by a flooded vado.
For the time being I am planning on the leaving the stock leaves on and want to save up for the RSK shackle reversal plus Atalas expo leaves on all four corners. I am thinking about throwing on Bilstien 5100's, but have never owned this large of a rig before will they control 10k in weight OK (I know it won't ride like my mid travel Tacoma haha)?
Regarding the camper I plan on adding solar panels, a 12v fridge and couple of other gizmos to make my stay more comfortable. Any words of advice to make my Lance camper more solid off road? I predominately drive graded dirt roads, with some moondust and beach driving.
Here is my new rig not sure what to name her yet: