A very nice built FWC on Ford super duty.

[Paul B.]

I found this old thread. Wanted to bump it as this is something I am seriously considering.

Per info in another thread, I have a '93 Ford F-350 4x4, 4 door and an '88 FWC Keystone (the big one). The truck has a steel flat bed and lift gate that need to come off anyway. Bought an aluminum flat bed cheap, but not sure that is the way to go. I'm no fabricator, hell I'm not even a truck builder. Likely got to have all this done in a shop somewhere. So I thought a custom built, lightweight as possible (aluminum?) utility bed might be faster, easier, maybe even cheaper, considering the custom fab work. Any thoughts, opinions, experience shared, are greatly appreciated.

(I have some extra time to plan. This tax season is gonna be brutal for me. Need to cough up a poop load of money very soon. I may have to sell off the parts before I even started the build. But that's not what I'm hoping for. Got a lot of work coming up, hoping to get out from under and get going with camper project by summer.)

Also shout out to old Dave Bybee, who posted on this thread years ago. That's gotta be Hot Springs Gazette Dave Bybee, no?

 

[Overland Hadley]

Great to see this thread up again! Such a good rig.

 

[Paul B.]

So I send off a price request to Diamond in Stockton, see what a fully custom, hopefully light as possible, utility bed would cost, built to fit my truck and camper. If the price isn't too much more than $7k it was years ago, maybe it would make sense.

 

[longhorn1]

Post pictures if you go through with the build.

 

[pete.wilson]

Hey

Haven't seen this thread in a few years but it brought back memories and am looking at this idea right now for a camping/bigfoot research rig for here in Montana.

Pete
Sasquatch Watch of Montana

 

[Paul B.]

I recently completed (to a "state of completion" if you know what I mean, it's now drivable/campable, but not ever finished with the tweaks) Utility bed/FWC Keystone combo rig on a 1993 F-350 4x4, 4 door. I am trying to get the pictures up.

 

[4x4JeepCamper]

... I am trying to get the pictures up ....

I think you are torturing us on purpose... "Uncle" ... Post the pictures please :drool:

 

[Paul B.]

Started this project right before I joined this forum in December 2014. That's why I joined. Lost my way during the build,took couple steps back, way out of money at one point, finally got it to this stage in the last month. We've taken it on some long road trips, LA to San Diego. Maiden voyage to the Saline Valley coming soon,

 

[Regcabguy]

Prett cool. I like the side steps access.
You've got to really think out turns and parking lots. I see the guys with the long wheelbase trucks parking on the outskirts of Home Depot.
Smooth riding I'm sure.

 

[Motafinga]

I'm curious if you had to cut up the camper to make it fit into the utility bed. I have an Alaskan in a ute bed and modded the bed to fit the camper.

 

[Paul B.]

I'm curious if you had to cut up the camper to make it fit into the utility bed. I have an Alaskan in a ute bed and modded the bed to fit the camper.

We modified the utility bed so the camper would fit. Worked put well.

 

[Motafinga]

I see, did you lose a lot of the capacity in the utility bed storage compartments? Got any pics by chance of the bed after modding?
Thanks!

 

[Paul B.]

Yes. The storage was decreased significantly in the upper portions. Where we made the cut. The lower portion still hold quite a bit of stuff. Batteries propane tanks, Etc. I will try to find some pics. I had them as I was building it. And they got scattered and I can't find a lot of them.

 

[Paul B.]

 

[Motafinga]

Gotcha I had a feeling due to the fwc design. I had to lose a little of storage in the rear box on mine but Alaskan doesn't use the space above the wheel wells. Did you bother to weld the cut sections back in to seal em? I thought about the option of a fwc as my next camper but im not sure about cutting into my bed again...it was a lot of work!