lchrum
Active member
An Introduction: This build will start with the sale of my 2013 Ram 2500. I absolutely loved that truck and it was a true beast of a machine. I did a mild camping/overland build. I live in the midwest and unfortunately there really is not much in the way of off-grid, overlanding trails here. Enter the Expedition Portal website and forums. A member saw my post about possibly selling the RAM. He asked questions.. I answered. Lots of pictures. Then we struck a deal.
In the background of the sale I had already been looking for a truck I had been wanting for a LOOOONNNNGGG time. I once had a 1995 ford f-150, 2wd, 5 speed manual, longbed, that came with a color matched fiberglass tonneau cover . It was only about a month after I had purchased the truck that I added a fiberglass shell. Had this truck as a single dude and drove the hell out of it. Got married in 1999 and we took that truck all over the country. Lived in Evansville Indiana for a little more than a year and took it camping a bunch. Back then a 2x10 cut the with of the shell made a nice shelf, and the futon mattress was perfect. We took a couple week trip to check out some law schools. Indiana to St. Louis to Miami, Miami to Michigan, Michigan back to St. Louis. I towed my sisters tiny pop-up camper the whole way. We ended up in Michigan while I was in law school, and that was my first introduction to "lake effect" snow. Holy hell. That 2wd had no problems whatsoever in 18 in of snow. However, that is the second time I had seen a Crew Cab Long Bed OBS truck. I saw it every day to and from campus sitting outside of a decent 4wd shop. It has been on my bucket list since. However at this point, I cant roll with 2 trucks, so one needed to go to make the second happen *needed is a stretch, but certainly a better decision.
The preowned truck market is overinflated in the St. Louis region. I am not sure why that it is, but it is. I decided that for the right truck I would be willing to travel in the COVID ridden country to get the right one. I saw some nice trucks and some that were more money than my 2013 Ram 2500. No way. I wanted to get into a truck for the "equity" I had in my Ram. No truck payment. (that is a personal goal for me) I hate payments.
I found it. In a little town called Dakota City, Nebraska. The listing had plenty of pictures and the seller very responsive. Over the period of 3 days and a bunch of negotiating, I struck a deal for about 1/2 of what the same truck was going for in St. Louis. The buy of the Ram was in the Kansas City area. He asked if I would be willing to deliver the truck in that his wife was due any day. OF COURSE I will deliver. The farewell trip with the Ram. I made a plan to drive to KC on April 24, rent a car one way to Dakota City, NE, pick up the F350 and drive home. Possibly make a weekend out of it so I brought the tri-fold mattress just in case. The problem with my plan... NO ONE RENTALS. Flights were almost $1000 and no buses or trains. Then it hit me. I rented a 10ft Uhaul box truck. A couple weeks prior to this whole debacle, my dad had fallen pretty ill (non covid related). I had seen him on that Thursday for a short while. I got to the buyers house. Some brief tire kicking and we went to the bank. While in the drive-thru of the bank my mom text me. "dad has passed away". Buyer dropped me off at the Uhaul shop and I was on my way. That was a very long 5 1/2 hour drive. A lot to think about, in the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever driven aside from a Deuce and half on the autobahn in Germany.
Enter Dakota City, NE. There is a tyson chicken processing plant. I did not see much else. I saw the Ford. It was actually cleaner and more solid than the pictures. There is no rust other than just the usual surface rust on the undercarriage. Everything was damn near perfect. Only things that I noticed was the ashtray didn't stay seated when closed. Horn didn't work and there was an aftermarket cruise control that didn't seem to work. I am thinking it is the just the clock spring.
Introducing the next chapter.
So here it is
The Find:
1997 F-350, Crew Cab Long Bed, 7.5 460 gasser 4wd. The only thing that I didn't get on the wish list were the bucket seats. Saying that, the bench seats in this truck look brand new. The truck has the vinyl flooring, no power locks, no power windows, kind of crappy after marked stereo, and original ford speakers. Sounds very Tinny. The truck has a fiberglass shell with the raised roof (plus for camping for sure)
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