workerdrone
Part time fulltimer
This is a bit of a feeler post to check interest and options - my wife and I have been full timing in this rig since November 2015, still are, and we love it - but we’re considering later this year heading over to Europe for some extended travel there, and are able to borrow vehicles there as well, so we wouldn’t be shipping this rig. Cash sale or interesting trades (as in, full time liveable travel rigs) considered. Would consider selling camper and truck separately but will not sell truck before camper. Price at bottom of text here -
I actually purchased this setup a bit over a year ago on Expedition Portal - http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...SB-and-2003-Ford-F550-for-sale-in-Southern-CA Flew to San Diego from Boston, bought it, drove it back cross country. I’ve since done a bunch of work and customization to it and we’ve sold our house and I know this rig as someone who lives full time in it should
I am not interested in any comments such as, “too bad it’s a 6.0 liter”. I would personally take the bulletproofed 6.0 liter over the 7.3, the 6.4, the 6.7 any day. YMMV. I have spoken to a number of independent diesel mechanics who hold the same opinion. The 7.3’s are great motors but just too noisy for us and most of them are getting a bit long in the tooth. This is a 2003 with 135k on it, no DEF fluids to deal with, not picky about ULSD, good economy, quieter than the 7.3, no rust or issues, and completely gone over inside and out at 116k and pronounced shiny.
This one had the full cab-off bulletproofing job done shortly after I got it home - I’ll never know if it was all necessary I guess since it ran just fine all across the country and up and over the rockies before any of the work. But I wanted no concerns since we were going to be living in it full time.
The bulletproofing was done by BVP diesel performance at 116k, and Chris and the crew there said they had never seen such a clean 6.0 truck or motor in their shop before, inside and out. It’s Massachusetts and things rust with a vengeance there, so they were amazed to see a 12 year old truck with zero rust haha, but they were also talking about the engine internals. ARP stud job, head machining, EGR delete, new HPOP, new fuel pressure spring, new oil cooler, new radiator, added a coolant filter…I know there’s more. Basically all these guys do is work on Powerstrokes and they addressed all they would want done on their own truck.
BVP also added an SCT livewire tuner which is great for live monitoring all engine parameters and comes with several built in tunes you can switch back and forth between. They installed a Ford door keypad for keyless entry which is nice if you want to purposely lock your keys in and say, go to the beach. They did some brake work, replaced a ball joint and steering stabilizer, changed the trans fluid, and blessed us to take the truck all over creation with no worries
The rig came with two generators, one built in propane and one external Honda 3000i with a funky custom rack welded up in back. I’m not into generators so I ditched both of them. The Honda and funky rack are gone and the rear jacks have been reinstalled so the camper can be removed again in minutes using the wired Happijac remote control. The internal propane generator (noisy Onan) is gone and in its place are four 6v deep cycle batteries and a 2000w pure sine inverter. 3x100 watts of permanently roof mounted monocrystalline solar (wired in parallel, NOT series) keeps all 7 batteries topped off via a Morningstar 45 PWM solar charge controller. Another 100 watts of solar stands ready to be deployed on an extension in case the rig is parked in the shade and there is sun nearby.
7 batteries? Yes, two starting batteries under the hood, the four 6v batteries for the main house bank, and another 12v ‘deep cycle’ marine battery in the truck body used mainly to run our 2nd fridge, a 50qt ARB. In 8 months of travel, we have yet to use more than 25% of the battery capacity. There is a second 600 watt pure sine inverter in the truck cab mounted with an isolator switch and a rig runner 12v supply panel bristling with Anderson connectors ready to serve your 120/12v needs in there. You can run everything but the AC off batteries now - microwave, all the lighting, tv, blu ray player, Vitamix blender, hairdryers, etc. There are eight 120v outlets (two outside), three 12v outlets, 3 usb ports in the camper currently. I was going to upgrade the wire from the dual alternators to the camper battery bank but the solar has been more than up to the task so we’ve never really needed any extra house bank charging from driving the truck. You can go a bunch of days with no sun, or parked in the shade, and still be fine. It does charge if you want, it’s just through smaller gauge wire so it won’t take a bunch of amps at once from the engine.
All the lighting inside and out on the camper has been changed to LED’s. I added a couple marine grade 12V ‘cigarette’ style outlets and a dual USB outlet for running accessories and charging gadgets. Added a 24” flatscreen TV, basic HDTV antenna, and Blu-ray player for those rainy days or boondocking in boring locations I removed/rebuilt the weird black and gray water plumbing the PO had installed, the tanks are individually valved and dump again like a proper truck camper. Used new valves. I removed most of the original stenciling on the fiberglass body so now it’s just pure white with a couple of small Bigfoot logos remaining. Cleaned and polished the gelcoat all around. The original ‘dumb’ converter has been replaced with a new 4 stage smart charger/converter for when you’re plugged in at home or on the road - when I purchased the camper the house batteries were cooked dry from the dumb converter being plugged in all the time in storage. The passive roof vent over the bed has been changed to a top of the line Maxx fan with remote control. I thought the remote for this would be silly but it’s really nice actually.
The camper carries 38 gallons of fresh water and 40 lbs of propane internally (two standard BBQ tanks with an auto switchover regulator). It has separate 22 gallon black and 32 gallon gray tanks. It has a 30K BTU propane furnace, 6 gallon propane hot water heater, air conditioner, and bathroom fan in addition to the bedroom Maxxfan. It has indoor (wet bath) and outdoor showers. I added an electric/hybrid heat option to the hot water heater - so you can run it on propane normally but if you’re hooked up to power you can switch on the electric heater coil and have hot water ready all the time using no propane. Same for the 6.0 cubic foot Dometic fridge - it sips propane but if you’re hooked up to power it will run on 120v. I replaced the original LP detector with a brand new LP/CO detector. It’s really a super comfortable camper with tons and tons of storage, great insulation, double paned sliding windows, etc. Also - 6’4” of interior headroom! (We are tall). Double sink in the kitchen, 3 burner stove, oven, and microwave oven. Tons of lighting inside and out, all LED. I understand the dinette converts into a bed; we’ve never done that More than 2 people, I think I’d put the extra people in a tent outside haha. But it would be cool for a family with a kid or two. There is a car stereo / CD player / iPod hookup built in inside. The fiberglass, dual panes, insulation, and the fact that it’s sitting on a 550 dually makes it just very very cozy - no rocking worries in high winds, very quiet, very warm. I’ve never put the jacks down for any stability, only to remove it from the truck. I added an ARB2500 awning on the passenger side which is huge and sturdy and makes me smile when it’s set up. I added a wireless backup camera. Let’s see, what else - it has a ladder mount bike rack for 2 bikes, and a roof rack for…I don’t know - but it’s there The PO did hit something on the front left and right rear corners, repairs have been made, structurally it’s 100% but you can see the repairs. There is a bit of wear in the interior, again functionally it’s 100% but it is a 2005 camper.
The truck itself stands ready to do anything. With a 550 frame, springs and brakes, Dana 60/135 axles, four wheel drive, the 6 speed with 4.88 gearing, and the Prodigy tow controller, it’s ready to pull anything as is or already has the correct gearing if you decide you want to go BIG on tires and make it go anywhere offroad. With the massive custom front bumper (and 550 frame and airbags etc) we fear no errant mammal or drunken driver. It’s extremely stable on the road; there is no swaying or anything weird in the driving or stopping. It has Centramatic wheel balancers so you don’t need to balance the tires or mess with beads or weights. With the Lariat package (Power heated leather seats, cruise, PW, PDL, whatever else is included with that), it’s very comfortable. It has great range with the dual tanks and we have been averaging from 11-14’s mpg depending on terrain. I get 14-18 with the camper off. With the 4.88’s, I usually drive 60 or under - it will happily go faster but your mileage will drop a bunch. We haven’t been in a hurry anyway. The storage on the utility body is ridiculous - all the compartments have matching locks and the larger ones are 22” deep. It’s so easy to be super organized when everything has its own compartment. I removed the rear seat, added soundproofing on the rear firewall, and we use that area for even more storage and our 2nd fridge. I still have the seat in storage so it can be returned to a comfortable 5 passenger camper if you like.
Wife says price it at $39,500 . I do know I’ve invested a ton of time and $ since purchase, it’s a supremely versatile and comfortable rig, and a new custom bodied 550 diesel / Bigfoot setup like this would be well north of 100k. Why are we selling? We went from a 5 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom house to this rig, and each time we’re happier and happier. It’s super comfortable but we’re looking for something a bit more suited to world travel, a bit smaller and less luxurious probably. Maybe we’ll hit the perfect win/win with someone here who has a great expo rig but needs some more space, storage, comfort, or something that can double as a camper and solid work truck.
I will keep the thread updated with our current general location for anyone that wants to check it out in person - today we're in Crescent City, CA hanging out near the coast and the Redwoods.
Also please note we're traveling full time and often spend a few days in between cell phone and internet access - but I'll reply to any PM's or thread questions as soon as I'm able - thanks!
I actually purchased this setup a bit over a year ago on Expedition Portal - http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...SB-and-2003-Ford-F550-for-sale-in-Southern-CA Flew to San Diego from Boston, bought it, drove it back cross country. I’ve since done a bunch of work and customization to it and we’ve sold our house and I know this rig as someone who lives full time in it should
I am not interested in any comments such as, “too bad it’s a 6.0 liter”. I would personally take the bulletproofed 6.0 liter over the 7.3, the 6.4, the 6.7 any day. YMMV. I have spoken to a number of independent diesel mechanics who hold the same opinion. The 7.3’s are great motors but just too noisy for us and most of them are getting a bit long in the tooth. This is a 2003 with 135k on it, no DEF fluids to deal with, not picky about ULSD, good economy, quieter than the 7.3, no rust or issues, and completely gone over inside and out at 116k and pronounced shiny.
This one had the full cab-off bulletproofing job done shortly after I got it home - I’ll never know if it was all necessary I guess since it ran just fine all across the country and up and over the rockies before any of the work. But I wanted no concerns since we were going to be living in it full time.
The bulletproofing was done by BVP diesel performance at 116k, and Chris and the crew there said they had never seen such a clean 6.0 truck or motor in their shop before, inside and out. It’s Massachusetts and things rust with a vengeance there, so they were amazed to see a 12 year old truck with zero rust haha, but they were also talking about the engine internals. ARP stud job, head machining, EGR delete, new HPOP, new fuel pressure spring, new oil cooler, new radiator, added a coolant filter…I know there’s more. Basically all these guys do is work on Powerstrokes and they addressed all they would want done on their own truck.
BVP also added an SCT livewire tuner which is great for live monitoring all engine parameters and comes with several built in tunes you can switch back and forth between. They installed a Ford door keypad for keyless entry which is nice if you want to purposely lock your keys in and say, go to the beach. They did some brake work, replaced a ball joint and steering stabilizer, changed the trans fluid, and blessed us to take the truck all over creation with no worries
The rig came with two generators, one built in propane and one external Honda 3000i with a funky custom rack welded up in back. I’m not into generators so I ditched both of them. The Honda and funky rack are gone and the rear jacks have been reinstalled so the camper can be removed again in minutes using the wired Happijac remote control. The internal propane generator (noisy Onan) is gone and in its place are four 6v deep cycle batteries and a 2000w pure sine inverter. 3x100 watts of permanently roof mounted monocrystalline solar (wired in parallel, NOT series) keeps all 7 batteries topped off via a Morningstar 45 PWM solar charge controller. Another 100 watts of solar stands ready to be deployed on an extension in case the rig is parked in the shade and there is sun nearby.
7 batteries? Yes, two starting batteries under the hood, the four 6v batteries for the main house bank, and another 12v ‘deep cycle’ marine battery in the truck body used mainly to run our 2nd fridge, a 50qt ARB. In 8 months of travel, we have yet to use more than 25% of the battery capacity. There is a second 600 watt pure sine inverter in the truck cab mounted with an isolator switch and a rig runner 12v supply panel bristling with Anderson connectors ready to serve your 120/12v needs in there. You can run everything but the AC off batteries now - microwave, all the lighting, tv, blu ray player, Vitamix blender, hairdryers, etc. There are eight 120v outlets (two outside), three 12v outlets, 3 usb ports in the camper currently. I was going to upgrade the wire from the dual alternators to the camper battery bank but the solar has been more than up to the task so we’ve never really needed any extra house bank charging from driving the truck. You can go a bunch of days with no sun, or parked in the shade, and still be fine. It does charge if you want, it’s just through smaller gauge wire so it won’t take a bunch of amps at once from the engine.
All the lighting inside and out on the camper has been changed to LED’s. I added a couple marine grade 12V ‘cigarette’ style outlets and a dual USB outlet for running accessories and charging gadgets. Added a 24” flatscreen TV, basic HDTV antenna, and Blu-ray player for those rainy days or boondocking in boring locations I removed/rebuilt the weird black and gray water plumbing the PO had installed, the tanks are individually valved and dump again like a proper truck camper. Used new valves. I removed most of the original stenciling on the fiberglass body so now it’s just pure white with a couple of small Bigfoot logos remaining. Cleaned and polished the gelcoat all around. The original ‘dumb’ converter has been replaced with a new 4 stage smart charger/converter for when you’re plugged in at home or on the road - when I purchased the camper the house batteries were cooked dry from the dumb converter being plugged in all the time in storage. The passive roof vent over the bed has been changed to a top of the line Maxx fan with remote control. I thought the remote for this would be silly but it’s really nice actually.
The camper carries 38 gallons of fresh water and 40 lbs of propane internally (two standard BBQ tanks with an auto switchover regulator). It has separate 22 gallon black and 32 gallon gray tanks. It has a 30K BTU propane furnace, 6 gallon propane hot water heater, air conditioner, and bathroom fan in addition to the bedroom Maxxfan. It has indoor (wet bath) and outdoor showers. I added an electric/hybrid heat option to the hot water heater - so you can run it on propane normally but if you’re hooked up to power you can switch on the electric heater coil and have hot water ready all the time using no propane. Same for the 6.0 cubic foot Dometic fridge - it sips propane but if you’re hooked up to power it will run on 120v. I replaced the original LP detector with a brand new LP/CO detector. It’s really a super comfortable camper with tons and tons of storage, great insulation, double paned sliding windows, etc. Also - 6’4” of interior headroom! (We are tall). Double sink in the kitchen, 3 burner stove, oven, and microwave oven. Tons of lighting inside and out, all LED. I understand the dinette converts into a bed; we’ve never done that More than 2 people, I think I’d put the extra people in a tent outside haha. But it would be cool for a family with a kid or two. There is a car stereo / CD player / iPod hookup built in inside. The fiberglass, dual panes, insulation, and the fact that it’s sitting on a 550 dually makes it just very very cozy - no rocking worries in high winds, very quiet, very warm. I’ve never put the jacks down for any stability, only to remove it from the truck. I added an ARB2500 awning on the passenger side which is huge and sturdy and makes me smile when it’s set up. I added a wireless backup camera. Let’s see, what else - it has a ladder mount bike rack for 2 bikes, and a roof rack for…I don’t know - but it’s there The PO did hit something on the front left and right rear corners, repairs have been made, structurally it’s 100% but you can see the repairs. There is a bit of wear in the interior, again functionally it’s 100% but it is a 2005 camper.
The truck itself stands ready to do anything. With a 550 frame, springs and brakes, Dana 60/135 axles, four wheel drive, the 6 speed with 4.88 gearing, and the Prodigy tow controller, it’s ready to pull anything as is or already has the correct gearing if you decide you want to go BIG on tires and make it go anywhere offroad. With the massive custom front bumper (and 550 frame and airbags etc) we fear no errant mammal or drunken driver. It’s extremely stable on the road; there is no swaying or anything weird in the driving or stopping. It has Centramatic wheel balancers so you don’t need to balance the tires or mess with beads or weights. With the Lariat package (Power heated leather seats, cruise, PW, PDL, whatever else is included with that), it’s very comfortable. It has great range with the dual tanks and we have been averaging from 11-14’s mpg depending on terrain. I get 14-18 with the camper off. With the 4.88’s, I usually drive 60 or under - it will happily go faster but your mileage will drop a bunch. We haven’t been in a hurry anyway. The storage on the utility body is ridiculous - all the compartments have matching locks and the larger ones are 22” deep. It’s so easy to be super organized when everything has its own compartment. I removed the rear seat, added soundproofing on the rear firewall, and we use that area for even more storage and our 2nd fridge. I still have the seat in storage so it can be returned to a comfortable 5 passenger camper if you like.
Wife says price it at $39,500 . I do know I’ve invested a ton of time and $ since purchase, it’s a supremely versatile and comfortable rig, and a new custom bodied 550 diesel / Bigfoot setup like this would be well north of 100k. Why are we selling? We went from a 5 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom house to this rig, and each time we’re happier and happier. It’s super comfortable but we’re looking for something a bit more suited to world travel, a bit smaller and less luxurious probably. Maybe we’ll hit the perfect win/win with someone here who has a great expo rig but needs some more space, storage, comfort, or something that can double as a camper and solid work truck.
I will keep the thread updated with our current general location for anyone that wants to check it out in person - today we're in Crescent City, CA hanging out near the coast and the Redwoods.
Also please note we're traveling full time and often spend a few days in between cell phone and internet access - but I'll reply to any PM's or thread questions as soon as I'm able - thanks!
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