so this is my truck, i've been lurker here for probably a few years posting here and there. i wanted to have something to show off before i started my build thread. seems like every other day i get an ahh cool truck comment and then i proceed to tell them i want to drive from alaska to Chile when i retire, i'm not sure if i will ever get that far but i'm definitely going to be exploring out west some more.
here is how i bought it, please ignore my awesome paint skills:

it came with a RDS(?) in bed fuel tank/tool chest combo that i sold for 450 dollars as i wanted that space for sleeping and storage
38r turbo
single shot injectors
edge CTS
6 position chip
33" tires
moto metal 18" wheels
08 mirrors (i'd like to get actual ford mirors and get the folding/telesoping functions to work)
4" flowmaster exhaust
ranch hand rear bumper
airdog fuel pump (i'd like this moved as you can see from the pic its kind of exposed, a rock would destroy this thing)
I then added
ARE DCU topper, its got the dual doors in the back
Kargomaster roof rack

shortly thereafter i added an Icon 5" excursion lift w/ bilstein 5100 shocks and steering stabalizer, the reason i went with this lift is that its an all spring lift rather than adding blocks in the back. i figured it was going to raise the SD 4" because the Xs sit lower than the trucks. also before the lift the front springs were sagging a bit so after the lift its sitting a bit higher than i thought it would, and the shop reused the stock blocks in the back so the *** end sits slightly higher, i havent decided if i'm going to take them off or leave it as is figuring it will level out when its at load.
marathon seat covers, in tan. I have a Rhodesian ridgeback who is only 10 months old (now 2, an 8 week old and 10 month) so these have been a life saver, shes gotten into the covers a little bit, as of right now she sleeps in the second row of the truck while we are camping, so at least shes destroying these instead of my interior. plus they are super durable 1000 cordura nylon so they've held up well to my abuse.
i also added the Titan 51 gallon fuel tank, you might be able to see the two stainless steel straps on the underside.

future plans...include:
37 inch tires- i'm undecided on the Cooper STTs which is a 37x12.5x17 load range D weights 84 lbs. i found it for under 300 bucks a tire w/ 130 shipping for a set of 5
Toyo open country M/T which is a 37x13.5x17 load range E weights 93 lbs 325 a tire with same shipping
now the wheels i want are only rated at 2900 lbs a wheel and i checked the sticker inside the front door and the rear axle is only rated for 6k lbs which makes me lean towards the Coopers as i
wont really be able to use toyos anywhere near their load range, plus i'll save ~40 lbs in rotating mass, plus 125 bucks. but also the axles on the 250s and 350s are the same, so i'll have to
double check but i think they are rated and 6.5k, i'll have to double check but it would nice to be able to have that buffer, i could just get wheels that are rated higher.
Rock Monster wheels- they only come in a 17" w/ 4.5" backspacing. they are aluminum, double beadlock wheels made by the same people that make HMMWV wheels. only real down side is their price and the fact that
they are only rated at 2900 lbs as per the website. i'd like double beadlocks but i guess its not a necessity.
bumpers- i'd like aluminess bumpers all round because of the added protection w/o the huge weight penalty but i think they kind of fall into the mega huge bumper category that look soo ugly. i like the
look of the ARB bumpers as they add protection w/o drooping low like Jay lenno's chin, maybe aluminess can make something ARBish i haven't contacted them yet as its a ways off. the rear will
have the tire carrier, maybe a lock box for recover gear, don't really need more fuel as i have the larger fuel tank already and i've got plans for water for the inside.
LED lights- i'd like to have some spot lights forward facing on either the roof rack or the bumper than have flood lights lighting up around the truck to provide light at night when we are stopped.
Lockers- most likely going with ARB Air lockers f/r because i can turn them on or off and availability w/ the sterling 10.5 plus they have a bulletproof reputation. also a compressor, not sure if i want to
mount it in the engine bay, or maybe somewhere under the truck, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
engine rebuilt- i probably don't need to as its got 205k on the clock, but i'd like to just so i know stuff like the UVCH and CPS and a bunch of other 7.3 issues are taken care of. i was looking at swamps rebuilt
engines, but 7.7k is a pretty big pill to swallow. maybe i'll just have a shop rebuild it and have swamps tune it, as they are local to me and it smokes pretty good pre-boost in the mpg(?) setting.
transmission- its got a 6spd which is awesome and super rare for a CCSB but i think the 2nd gear syncros are going as some times it will grind going into second.
T/c The only "bummer" to this truck is the ESOF T/c i wish it had a manual, there is nothing more reassuring than feeling it clunk into gear. maybe if i do serious engine work i'll change this guy out
also, plus it would free up some dash space for some upfitter switches
Hub conversion kit- i'm thinking of going with spyntec, these will help with the 37" tires and reduce repair costs and availability of parts should they ever fail and give me the ability to limp home rather than be dead in
my tracks
Truck bed- i'd like a system similar to this:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/47516-LATEST-PROJECT-Truck-Drawers-Sleeping-Platform
with a few differences, i don't think i'll bother with a space heater in the back rather i'd have a water heater as a warm shower is awesome i really like the AT 12v water heater but im concerned with its
amp draw, suggestions? and possibly a slight design change depending on where we can squeeze the fridge. but generally enough room for food, water, supplies with enough room to sleep on top. Also a
dual battery set up, i'm hoping i can squeeze 2 batteries in the bed as i'll be powering, the water pump, water heater, laptop charging, fridge(thing of one from truck fridge), camp lighting, plus other
stuff i'm sure.
So i got a crewcab because we have 2 Rhodesian ridgebacks and friends that like to go camping but don't really have a rig for what i have in mind so when i got the topper i ordered it with the roof rack to put a RTT on it. so that would give us the ability to transport and sleep 4 comfortably. i haven't decided on brand but i was thinking Eezi awn as i could just fold it off the back, than that area where we'll probably be in and out of the most would be covered from the rain giving us a two-fer. I also really like how this roof rack is mounted in that there are 1/4 plates extending off of the top of the bed at each corner and the rack simply bolts to these plates, making me think if i ever get the garage space i could just hoist it off keeping the tent/rack secure/clean when i'm not using it.
Solar- so as i mentioned before i'm going to be putting a little strain on the battery system, and i'd rather have a way to recharge it without having to start up my 7.3L generator. so i've been looking at solar
i'm thinking the peel and stick variety, because although not nearly as efficient as a typical solar panel (the correct terms are escaping me at the moment) it is effected less by shading and will work on a
cloudy day. though its hard to find them in the right size, most tend to be way too long as they are intended for either a RV or the roof of a building. i think i've found some
we'll see if they are available when i go to buy them. so again ignore my sweet paint skills, my plan was looking like this:
the green rectangle is the RTT, the red line would be a probably aluminum or some other "board" with a set of probably 3 peel and stick panels on them, then there is an angled white piece which helps
move the air over the RTT and the next layer of solar panels, which initially i wanted to be like and accordian, with 2 pieces lying flat while in transit that it would unfold to the side exposing a total of 6
solar panels, providing shade with a hard roofed awning and then allowing the RTT to unfold to the rear.

Ok almost done, still with me? =) so as you can see those are some pretty big plans. Aim for the stars land on the moon right? i grew up camping out of a tent sleeping on the ground cooking off of a fire not showing for days on end but my SO didnt so i've got to keep her happy and comfortable or else the ship doesnt sail. we've been out a few times already, keeping it pretty tame and generally going to a state campground mostly because i wanted to get a feel for how much room i've got with our stuff and the dogs. and how much room there is for two people in the bed, pleased to say we fit pretty easily so thats where it sits right now. Thoughts? Suggestoins?
here is how i bought it, please ignore my awesome paint skills:

it came with a RDS(?) in bed fuel tank/tool chest combo that i sold for 450 dollars as i wanted that space for sleeping and storage
38r turbo
single shot injectors
edge CTS
6 position chip
33" tires
moto metal 18" wheels
08 mirrors (i'd like to get actual ford mirors and get the folding/telesoping functions to work)
4" flowmaster exhaust
ranch hand rear bumper
airdog fuel pump (i'd like this moved as you can see from the pic its kind of exposed, a rock would destroy this thing)
I then added
ARE DCU topper, its got the dual doors in the back
Kargomaster roof rack

shortly thereafter i added an Icon 5" excursion lift w/ bilstein 5100 shocks and steering stabalizer, the reason i went with this lift is that its an all spring lift rather than adding blocks in the back. i figured it was going to raise the SD 4" because the Xs sit lower than the trucks. also before the lift the front springs were sagging a bit so after the lift its sitting a bit higher than i thought it would, and the shop reused the stock blocks in the back so the *** end sits slightly higher, i havent decided if i'm going to take them off or leave it as is figuring it will level out when its at load.
marathon seat covers, in tan. I have a Rhodesian ridgeback who is only 10 months old (now 2, an 8 week old and 10 month) so these have been a life saver, shes gotten into the covers a little bit, as of right now she sleeps in the second row of the truck while we are camping, so at least shes destroying these instead of my interior. plus they are super durable 1000 cordura nylon so they've held up well to my abuse.
i also added the Titan 51 gallon fuel tank, you might be able to see the two stainless steel straps on the underside.

future plans...include:
37 inch tires- i'm undecided on the Cooper STTs which is a 37x12.5x17 load range D weights 84 lbs. i found it for under 300 bucks a tire w/ 130 shipping for a set of 5
Toyo open country M/T which is a 37x13.5x17 load range E weights 93 lbs 325 a tire with same shipping
now the wheels i want are only rated at 2900 lbs a wheel and i checked the sticker inside the front door and the rear axle is only rated for 6k lbs which makes me lean towards the Coopers as i
wont really be able to use toyos anywhere near their load range, plus i'll save ~40 lbs in rotating mass, plus 125 bucks. but also the axles on the 250s and 350s are the same, so i'll have to
double check but i think they are rated and 6.5k, i'll have to double check but it would nice to be able to have that buffer, i could just get wheels that are rated higher.
Rock Monster wheels- they only come in a 17" w/ 4.5" backspacing. they are aluminum, double beadlock wheels made by the same people that make HMMWV wheels. only real down side is their price and the fact that
they are only rated at 2900 lbs as per the website. i'd like double beadlocks but i guess its not a necessity.
bumpers- i'd like aluminess bumpers all round because of the added protection w/o the huge weight penalty but i think they kind of fall into the mega huge bumper category that look soo ugly. i like the
look of the ARB bumpers as they add protection w/o drooping low like Jay lenno's chin, maybe aluminess can make something ARBish i haven't contacted them yet as its a ways off. the rear will
have the tire carrier, maybe a lock box for recover gear, don't really need more fuel as i have the larger fuel tank already and i've got plans for water for the inside.
LED lights- i'd like to have some spot lights forward facing on either the roof rack or the bumper than have flood lights lighting up around the truck to provide light at night when we are stopped.
Lockers- most likely going with ARB Air lockers f/r because i can turn them on or off and availability w/ the sterling 10.5 plus they have a bulletproof reputation. also a compressor, not sure if i want to
mount it in the engine bay, or maybe somewhere under the truck, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
engine rebuilt- i probably don't need to as its got 205k on the clock, but i'd like to just so i know stuff like the UVCH and CPS and a bunch of other 7.3 issues are taken care of. i was looking at swamps rebuilt
engines, but 7.7k is a pretty big pill to swallow. maybe i'll just have a shop rebuild it and have swamps tune it, as they are local to me and it smokes pretty good pre-boost in the mpg(?) setting.
transmission- its got a 6spd which is awesome and super rare for a CCSB but i think the 2nd gear syncros are going as some times it will grind going into second.
T/c The only "bummer" to this truck is the ESOF T/c i wish it had a manual, there is nothing more reassuring than feeling it clunk into gear. maybe if i do serious engine work i'll change this guy out
also, plus it would free up some dash space for some upfitter switches
Hub conversion kit- i'm thinking of going with spyntec, these will help with the 37" tires and reduce repair costs and availability of parts should they ever fail and give me the ability to limp home rather than be dead in
my tracks
Truck bed- i'd like a system similar to this:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/47516-LATEST-PROJECT-Truck-Drawers-Sleeping-Platform
with a few differences, i don't think i'll bother with a space heater in the back rather i'd have a water heater as a warm shower is awesome i really like the AT 12v water heater but im concerned with its
amp draw, suggestions? and possibly a slight design change depending on where we can squeeze the fridge. but generally enough room for food, water, supplies with enough room to sleep on top. Also a
dual battery set up, i'm hoping i can squeeze 2 batteries in the bed as i'll be powering, the water pump, water heater, laptop charging, fridge(thing of one from truck fridge), camp lighting, plus other
stuff i'm sure.
So i got a crewcab because we have 2 Rhodesian ridgebacks and friends that like to go camping but don't really have a rig for what i have in mind so when i got the topper i ordered it with the roof rack to put a RTT on it. so that would give us the ability to transport and sleep 4 comfortably. i haven't decided on brand but i was thinking Eezi awn as i could just fold it off the back, than that area where we'll probably be in and out of the most would be covered from the rain giving us a two-fer. I also really like how this roof rack is mounted in that there are 1/4 plates extending off of the top of the bed at each corner and the rack simply bolts to these plates, making me think if i ever get the garage space i could just hoist it off keeping the tent/rack secure/clean when i'm not using it.
Solar- so as i mentioned before i'm going to be putting a little strain on the battery system, and i'd rather have a way to recharge it without having to start up my 7.3L generator. so i've been looking at solar
i'm thinking the peel and stick variety, because although not nearly as efficient as a typical solar panel (the correct terms are escaping me at the moment) it is effected less by shading and will work on a
cloudy day. though its hard to find them in the right size, most tend to be way too long as they are intended for either a RV or the roof of a building. i think i've found some
we'll see if they are available when i go to buy them. so again ignore my sweet paint skills, my plan was looking like this:
the green rectangle is the RTT, the red line would be a probably aluminum or some other "board" with a set of probably 3 peel and stick panels on them, then there is an angled white piece which helps
move the air over the RTT and the next layer of solar panels, which initially i wanted to be like and accordian, with 2 pieces lying flat while in transit that it would unfold to the side exposing a total of 6
solar panels, providing shade with a hard roofed awning and then allowing the RTT to unfold to the rear.

Ok almost done, still with me? =) so as you can see those are some pretty big plans. Aim for the stars land on the moon right? i grew up camping out of a tent sleeping on the ground cooking off of a fire not showing for days on end but my SO didnt so i've got to keep her happy and comfortable or else the ship doesnt sail. we've been out a few times already, keeping it pretty tame and generally going to a state campground mostly because i wanted to get a feel for how much room i've got with our stuff and the dogs. and how much room there is for two people in the bed, pleased to say we fit pretty easily so thats where it sits right now. Thoughts? Suggestoins?