Total Composites flatbed build

[andy_b]

Well, time has passed. Although the 2000 F350 we started with was amazing, it was also unbearably loud and hard to be in on long trips. Also, while pre-DEF diesels have their own cachet, cold starting one in the garage attached to your house becomes a real drag. We had a chance to update our surroundings to a 2024 F350 and we have no regrets. This truck might be the nicest vehicle I've owned lol. The box itself is the same camper body swapped over to a new chassis. The wheels and rear shocks also swapped over which is a real bonus. Still awaiting re-valved shocks from ADS but otherwise it is almost good to go.

 

[StenchRV]

WOW! What a difference! The rig looks awesome and can not wait to see it in person. WELL DONE SIR!

 

[rruff]

The box itself is the same camper body swapped over to a new chassis.

As I recall you had a spring loaded subframe on your old truck. Did you transfer that over as well?

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Looks great!

 

[TonyCatmandu]

As I recall you had a spring loaded subframe on your old truck. Did you transfer that over as well?

I think you can see the yellow springs under the bed. Not 100% but looks like it was switched over.

 

[andy_b]

I dont see a door emblem so reckon you got rid of "gross" diesel and are now cookin' with gas.

How's the driveability loaded up ?

We're waiting on a 7.3 and I'm really looking forward to comparing it to our 6.4 oil burner.

The old 7.3 had a decent amount of work done on its motor so it was pretty dang fast loaded up. The new 7.3 doesn’t accelerate as fast currently but we haven’t had any issues thus far. We can still pass other vehicles uphill, have no trouble maintaining freeway speeds, etc. You can tell I’ve had older Toyotas and Land Rovers before because the novelty of driving the speed limit still hasn’t worn off lol. While the new shocks aren’t on yet, overall it’s driveability is great. Personally, I see no reason for the 6.7.

As I recall you had a spring loaded subframe on your old truck. Did you transfer that over as well?

Yeah, the original spring mounts were carried over.

 

[zach_c]

Do you have a link to pics of the complete build?

 

[yamaha225]

That is a dang nice looking truck! I’ve often considered upgrading my 7.3 to a newer Superduty. The current generation really looks awesome and ticks a lot of boxes. Maybe someday!

 

[zach_c]

What entry steps / ladder are you using and is it customized? How is stored?

 

[gator70]

Our builders still have the option to offer custom builds. Due to the nature of processing custom orders, some are slowly backing out of this and focusing more on the truck campers. We are seeing a huge increase in requests for those. To be honest, it's very hard to make money with custom expedition bodies. Therefore I don't blame any of our builders to reconsider.

My box is totally custom and I had no problem

 

[andy_b]

Do you have a link to pics of the complete build?

In this thread are the pics that I have so far. Is there a specific thing you’re interested in? I don’t take a ton of pics as I work. The entry ladder is stored inside the bathroom just inside the door; it is a modified Little Giant step ladder.

 

[andy_b]

That is a dang nice looking truck! I’ve often considered upgrading my 7.3 to a newer Superduty. The current generation really looks awesome and ticks a lot of boxes. Maybe someday!

Yeah, the improvements across the years is amazing. The new SD is one of the best vehicles I’ve owned.

 

[yamaha225]

Yeah, the improvements across the years is amazing. The new SD is one of the best vehicles I’ve owned.

That’s great to hear! What trim and packages does yours have? I’ve been eying the XL Off-Road package, but it looks like yours is a higher trim level. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the XL Off-Road comes with the 7.3, just the 6.8.

 

[andy_b]

That’s great to hear! What trim and packages does yours have? I’ve been eying the XL Off-Road package, but it looks like yours is a higher trim level. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the XL Off-Road comes with the 7.3, just the 6.8.

Lariat. FX4 and not much else. I wanted something “luxurious) but I hate adaptive cruise and all the other nannys. I didn’t love the interior colors of the Platinum and I’m not hillbilly enough for the King Ranch. With Forscan, I’ve been able to remove almost all of the annoying beeps and boops. The 360 camera, adjustable pedals (we’re short, ok!), and vented seats of the Lariat sealed the deal for us - it really makes road-tripping so much easier.

 

[simple]

Sounds like your flatbed and spring mounts have been a successful solution. I think you would have noticed any issues when swapping it over. How many miles on it? Any significant off road twisting?

What is your takeaway on electrical? 800w solar and 600ah battery seems like a lot. We recently camped 3 nights in our trailer with 400ah battery and no charging. Temps at 30F, ran diesel heater, fridge and lights. Used 20% of the battery capacity.

I'm encouraged that you stuck with a 1ton and didn't feel the need to move up. I still want to do a similar build on a 1ton chassis.