theron
Member
Hey y'all!
Wanted to share and document the beginning of my new adventure mobile build, a 1995 F250 7.3L turbo diesel, and how it evolves over the next few years. For the past 4 years I've been traveling in a 1987 FJ60, I have a pretty long build thread over on ih8mud. I loved stomping around in my 60, especially in the years it a 5.3L, but I got a point where I want a space I could relax and thrive in. A space that had a desk, I could stand up inside, and more built in amenities. Being in a roof top tent in bad weather just wasn't much fun anymore. Even considering all the places the 60 could take me off road.
I considered a lot of vehicles when I was looking to get a new rig. The parameter were few but important: 4x4, 15mpg+, something I could stand up in, and a bonus would be diesel. I've never been much of a VW guy and the effort they take to keep running so I didn't consider the Vanagon long. I don't love the aesthetics of the Sprinter vans but I get how practical of a platform they are so I considered them. But as ya'll know the 4x4 models are crazy expensive so I moved on. I poked around some 4x4 E350 type vans, the Sportsmobile types, but I def wasn't going to drop $100K+ for a new one and I wasn't in love with the quality of living space they did provide. What pushed me towards the 1995 F250 was mostly the 7.3L turbo diesel engine but also that it flirts that line between 'modern' truck (ie: it has cruise control, A/C, etc) but the aesthetic feels way more classic than new vehicles. With my camper on @ 70mph I get 16.5mpg which I'm real happy with. That's running 3.55 gears and 285/75r16 AT type tires.
The perfect iteration of this rig would be a 1994.5 - 1997 F350 version since those came with a solid front axle vs. moonbeam IFS thing of the F250. But I found my F250 with 90,000 miles, no rust, and in great shape so I went for it. It was $19,0000 so certainly not the cheapest truck out there but the prices of the OBS Fords are quickly rising and when you consider you need $50,000 to get an easy 4x4 Sprinter it felt like a good deal. The other point was I found an amazing camper for it that I only had a few days to pickup.
Two of my good buddies have 4 Wheel Campers that they got used for a song so I started to hunt for those. I can't imagine buying a brand one of theses new from the factory. They are nice but the build quality to price point on them just isn't right. But used? Amazing value! So after 2 months of hunting on Craigslist I came across a garage kept 1988 Grandby for $3500. It had everything I would have wanted from the factory, most of it all is standard issue but it has a furnace so I'm def content. The other neat thing about these older campers and trucks is they are wider than newer ones out there. The tail gate opening and space between the rear wheel wells is wider so it provides more space inside, just a little detail I learned after diving in.
There's a few more photos of my new rig over on my Instagram, I post there a good bit, but anyhow here's my rig with the camper on:
And with the camper popped down at a spot I love in TN:
The two biggest upgrades I've made so far are installing a new Engel SB70F fridge that replaced the original 3-way Dometic fridge. On the older fridges you had to change between AC/DC/Propane on the outside of the camper, it wasn't automatic. One day I forgot to switch to propane from DC and the fridge quickly dead killed my 2 truck batteries....expensive mistake. So I knew it was time for something more efficient and to have batteries for just the camper.
My buddy Tom at Adventure Ready in Seattle ordered the fridge for me but his shops biggest contribution to my rig was installing a top shelf solar system. I'll highlight all that in another post but his work was beautiful and clean. Now my rig is completely off the grid and that feels so good.
Here's a few more images of my truck:
Outside look at the back of the new fridge
Shore power connection that is still used with the new solar setup
Propane tank for the furnace and stove naturally
Loves the old logos, more charming than their new branding
Quick peek inside, I love the strong 1980 vibes
Wanted to share and document the beginning of my new adventure mobile build, a 1995 F250 7.3L turbo diesel, and how it evolves over the next few years. For the past 4 years I've been traveling in a 1987 FJ60, I have a pretty long build thread over on ih8mud. I loved stomping around in my 60, especially in the years it a 5.3L, but I got a point where I want a space I could relax and thrive in. A space that had a desk, I could stand up inside, and more built in amenities. Being in a roof top tent in bad weather just wasn't much fun anymore. Even considering all the places the 60 could take me off road.
I considered a lot of vehicles when I was looking to get a new rig. The parameter were few but important: 4x4, 15mpg+, something I could stand up in, and a bonus would be diesel. I've never been much of a VW guy and the effort they take to keep running so I didn't consider the Vanagon long. I don't love the aesthetics of the Sprinter vans but I get how practical of a platform they are so I considered them. But as ya'll know the 4x4 models are crazy expensive so I moved on. I poked around some 4x4 E350 type vans, the Sportsmobile types, but I def wasn't going to drop $100K+ for a new one and I wasn't in love with the quality of living space they did provide. What pushed me towards the 1995 F250 was mostly the 7.3L turbo diesel engine but also that it flirts that line between 'modern' truck (ie: it has cruise control, A/C, etc) but the aesthetic feels way more classic than new vehicles. With my camper on @ 70mph I get 16.5mpg which I'm real happy with. That's running 3.55 gears and 285/75r16 AT type tires.
The perfect iteration of this rig would be a 1994.5 - 1997 F350 version since those came with a solid front axle vs. moonbeam IFS thing of the F250. But I found my F250 with 90,000 miles, no rust, and in great shape so I went for it. It was $19,0000 so certainly not the cheapest truck out there but the prices of the OBS Fords are quickly rising and when you consider you need $50,000 to get an easy 4x4 Sprinter it felt like a good deal. The other point was I found an amazing camper for it that I only had a few days to pickup.
Two of my good buddies have 4 Wheel Campers that they got used for a song so I started to hunt for those. I can't imagine buying a brand one of theses new from the factory. They are nice but the build quality to price point on them just isn't right. But used? Amazing value! So after 2 months of hunting on Craigslist I came across a garage kept 1988 Grandby for $3500. It had everything I would have wanted from the factory, most of it all is standard issue but it has a furnace so I'm def content. The other neat thing about these older campers and trucks is they are wider than newer ones out there. The tail gate opening and space between the rear wheel wells is wider so it provides more space inside, just a little detail I learned after diving in.
There's a few more photos of my new rig over on my Instagram, I post there a good bit, but anyhow here's my rig with the camper on:
And with the camper popped down at a spot I love in TN:
The two biggest upgrades I've made so far are installing a new Engel SB70F fridge that replaced the original 3-way Dometic fridge. On the older fridges you had to change between AC/DC/Propane on the outside of the camper, it wasn't automatic. One day I forgot to switch to propane from DC and the fridge quickly dead killed my 2 truck batteries....expensive mistake. So I knew it was time for something more efficient and to have batteries for just the camper.
My buddy Tom at Adventure Ready in Seattle ordered the fridge for me but his shops biggest contribution to my rig was installing a top shelf solar system. I'll highlight all that in another post but his work was beautiful and clean. Now my rig is completely off the grid and that feels so good.
Here's a few more images of my truck:
Outside look at the back of the new fridge
Shore power connection that is still used with the new solar setup
Propane tank for the furnace and stove naturally
Loves the old logos, more charming than their new branding
Quick peek inside, I love the strong 1980 vibes
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