Hey folks, lots to update on this build since my last post! I'll start with the easy one; BLIS warning lights. Took it to our local Ford dealer for an oil change and asked if they could delete the idiot lights. They flashed 'em and now they're gone. No more annoying messages every time I start the truck! Read on for lengthy descriptions of the latest mods and future plans.
Suspension
Last month the Carli Pintop 2.5" suspension lift I ordered a few months ago was installed by the talented crew at
Boulder Vehicle Outfitters. I opted for the basic kit for starters, including the sway bar end links but not the torsion sway bar, radius arms or steering stabilizers. At some point in the future, likely next spring, I'll purchase and install the torsion sway bar and steering stabilizers. Too many other modifications eating up our bank account right now. I also had a set of custom Alcan leaf springs made to replace the factory set.
There's a lot of hype about the Carli kits and plenty of detractors who feel they're too "bro". I couldn't care less which camp you're in but I can tell you now, after about 4,000 miles of both on and off-road travel, it's the best suspension I've ever run. Period. I bought mine from
CJC Offroad and though I'm sure I abused their willingness to answer stupid questions, their customer service remained top notch. And, nobody knows more about Carli suspension and heavy duty trucks. The Carli Pintop combined with the custom
Alcan leafs create an unparalleled ride quality that is smooth and compliant on highway and eats miles and miles of washboard without ever feeling harsh or overwhelmed. Slower, flexy offroading and the rig remains equally composed. It's everything I've ever wanted from high-end suspension and this is the first time it's actually delivered. For context, I've run Old Man Emu, King, Radflo and Bilstein on prior rigs. They were all good and reliable, but none offered this level of ride quality and performance.
Lew at Alcan was awesome to work with. He gave me a tour of the shop in Grand Junction, told me exactly what data he'd need to build a set of leaf springs that would support the weight of my truck and delivered the springs ahead of time. This is the second set of Alcan springs I've bought and though they may not have the name recognition of some other brands, they're every bit as good. Highly recommend!
Camper Upgrades
While the rig was at BVO for the suspension install we had them install a Xantrex 2,000W inverter that powers both outlets in the camper and a second Maxxair fan over the bed. We've been wanting an inverter because I've gotten soft and can't eat a bagel for breakfast unless it's been properly toasted. We were going to opt for a cheap one but after listening to Matt at BVO explain why that would be a mistake, we plunked down the money for the Xantrex. Totally worth it, 100%. No regrets.
Tires and Wheels
The Toyo Open Country R/T tires (37" x 12.5 x 17) wrapped around Method 704's have also been fantastic. They do seem to be wearing a little faster than I'd hoped but performance is stellar and now that we've got around 8,000 miles on them, I can say that they're really not any louder than the factory tires. Very impressed. We've had them in dirt, sand, mud, sandstone, gravel and pavement - great performance all the way around. Snow and ice performance TBD. The Method's are exactly what I expected. They look great and are 100% reliable. Also, my tire shop tells me they're super easy to balance, evidenced by the fact that even with these large tires the ride is smooth as silk.
Auxiliary Lighting
Just today I received a big ol' box from KC HiLiTES. Inside are a whole bunch of Flex Era 4's and a set of Cyclone rock lights. Two of the FE4's are being installed as ditch lights while the rest will be mounted to the bumper with the FE4 on either end setup with a spot/flood combo beam pattern and the middle ones all spot. The bumper lights will be on a separate switch from the ditch lights. The Cyclones will go in the wheel wells for ambient lighting at camp and to help spot obstacles at night. I've got six of them and may install the other two under the hood or on the rear of the flatbed...or maybe not at all. Those will be installed within the next couple of weeks by Dixie 4x4 here in Moab.
Full-Size Spare Tire
Last, but not least, the full-sized spare dilemma. I agonized over this one for a long time, going back and forth between all the different options. I finally settled on a custom rear bumper designed and fabricated by
Trailready in Prineville, Oregon. While we were in Oregon last month I stopped by the factory and met with the owners to discuss my needs. They'd just built a rear bumper for a Four Wheel Campers Ram demo truck with a Norweld flatbed tray and determined that it wouldn't be too difficult to adapt it to my F250. The bumper will replace the factory hitch, providing about 4" more ground clearance in the rear while carrying a 37" spare. It also has integrated recovery points. The design nicely follows the contours of the Norweld tray and unlike every other bumper I've seen on a flatbed, this one actually looks damn good. If all goes as planned the bumper will be on the truck before I head down to Flagstaff for Overland Expo at the end of September.
We're traveling/exploring/camping/mountain biking/hiking every weekend but two over the next 2 1/2 months. Headed to Sedona for over a week during Thanksgiving and then down to Phoenix for two weeks over Christmas. There will be lots and lots of photos and adventures to update y'all on in the near future. I'll try to keep as current as possible.
As an aside, while we were in Bend we took the opportunity to visit with the folks at
Earthcruiser. Mother of God, y'all. If I had the means we'd be rolling in one of those beasts. Outstanding crew producing the most impressive overlanding machines I've ever seen. With a little planning and a lot of luck we'll pick one up when I retire in five years.
Any questions? Just ask and I'll do my best to respond within a reasonable time.
Now, for a few pics from the Oregon trip and another from last weekend in the Abajo Mountains.
