notsocleverbot
New member
Location currently Albuqurque, NM
Truck
2013 Ford F-350 XL 4x4 Regular Cab
85,000 Miles
Engine 6.2L Gas V8
MPG Cruises at about 65. Averages around 10mpg. Highly dependent on wind, grade and elevation. On a flat road in low elevation it can see 13mpg. On steep roads at 10k feet, it’s more like 8mpg. Where I live now (~7k feet elevation) on moderate grades I get 10mpg.
Axle 3.73 Electronic Locker
Suspension
Leaf springs upgraded by Mc Brides in Albuquerque
Timbren Severe Service load helper bump stops
Bilstein 5100 shocks all around
Tires BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 - 285/75r17 (~34 inches tall)
Bed 8ft Aluminum Frame, Wood Floor, Headache Rack, Toolboxes
Toolboxes Weatherguard Aluminum Diamond Plate 346-0-02 (keyed alike)
Front Bumper Warn Trans4mer Gen 2 with Grill Guard
Winch Warn M12000 (Steel Cable)
Stereo
Pioneer head unit (AVH-W4400NEX)
Wired/wireless Carplay and Android Auto
Front and Rear camera
Upgraded Kenwood speakers
Camper
2002 Northstar 850sc
Electrical
125ah 12v Torque Lithium iron phosphate Battery
Included Bluetooth app to monitor
Indicates 135ah of actual capacity
3x100 Watt Solar Panels
Victron MPPT 75/15 (Yes, it’s over paneled. In ideal conditions the controller will limit charging to 15 amps)
1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter (no idle draw)
All camper lights are LED
Truck has LED light pods on each side with a wireless remote
System is designed to live off grid. There is no built in AC-DC charger for the battery. In dire situations I've used a standard car battery charger to get power.
Plumbing
30 Gallons fresh water
20 Gallons gray water
Cassette Toilet
6 Gallon Propane water heater
Uses standard 20 pound propane tank
New pump
New dump valve
All New Fixtures
Included Extras - 2 propane tanks, 6 Gallon water carrier (used for drinking water), Fill hose, Fill spout adapter (makes filling much easier), Water bandit (rubber hose end that fits on odd spigots, 4-way spigot key
Sleeping Arrangements
Queen bed in cab over area
Couch area converts into bed (about a long twin size)
Bathroom
Cassette Toilet (built in flush pump is not working, but shower is right there and works better)
Shower area with curtain
It’s not a spa treatment, but it’s great when needed
Kitchen
Brand new butcher block countertop
Undermount stainless sink
New faucet with pull down sprayer
2 Burner propane stove
12v DC compressor fridge
Included Extras - Folding oven that fits over stove, Cookware that fits in oven
Misc
New cushions
Propane forced air furnace (new control board)
Maxxfan Deluxe 5100k (10 speed, reversible, built in rain cover, 78 degree thermostat)
Reflectix window covers to help insulation and “stealth” camping with roof down
Roof crossbars
Carried kayak for thousands of miles without issue
All solar panels are on driver’s side so that passenger side can hold cargo
Shovel mounted to passenger toolbox
Recovery tracks mounted to driver toolbox. Used once and should probably be replaced, but they managed to get this heavy hog out of a mud hole.
Bad Things
The camper has electric jacks, but they’ve never worked right. I rarely take it off the truck. But a cordless drill and a big battery gets it on and off in about 10-15 minutes when it does need to happen.
There was a roof leak when I purchased it. As a result part of one of the roof panels (plywood) is damaged. It’s never leaked with me but it’s slightly noticeable in the ceiling above the bed. The roof was resealed after I purchased it.
Some of the zippers are broken in the pop up windows. Overall the top is showing its age, but it does the job and does not leak anywhere.
Background Story Time
This was built as a full time “van life” alternative. Purchased the camper in Massachusetts and drove it back home to Tennessee. Drove it back 1,200 miles on a F-150 and realized that the chassis wasn’t up to the task, especially with my off road ambitions. Purchased the F-350 in Kentucky and began working on overhauling and building. Spent about a year working on this while getting my house in TN ready to sell. Completely went through the camper replacing just about everything. The day that I signed my house away I hit the road. Traveled all around the US living the dream most days. Got tired of the cold and decided to pick up skiing as a hobby. Booked a 2 month stay in Santa Fe to warm up and hit up the nearby ski hills. Then COVID hit and put my plans on hold. Then I met a girl and before I knew it I had signed a lease and moved into a home without wheels. I’ve got a lot of great memories with this truck and I hate to sell it, but I hate seeing it parked more.
This is a bit of an oddball configuration, but I absolutely love it. I put a lot of thought into the initial build and have improved it with the experience of spending months living in it. It’s not a pavement princess and has the scratches to prove it. I’ve spent the last few weekends going through and cleaning things up and addressing old to-dos that I’ve been putting off. These are old pictures from when I was still on the road. I should have new ones up this weekend. I tried to cover every detail that I could think of above, but let me know if you have any questions. I don’t see anything like this on the market right now so I’m open to all offers.
Truck
2013 Ford F-350 XL 4x4 Regular Cab
85,000 Miles
Engine 6.2L Gas V8
MPG Cruises at about 65. Averages around 10mpg. Highly dependent on wind, grade and elevation. On a flat road in low elevation it can see 13mpg. On steep roads at 10k feet, it’s more like 8mpg. Where I live now (~7k feet elevation) on moderate grades I get 10mpg.
Axle 3.73 Electronic Locker
Suspension
Leaf springs upgraded by Mc Brides in Albuquerque
Timbren Severe Service load helper bump stops
Bilstein 5100 shocks all around
Tires BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 - 285/75r17 (~34 inches tall)
Bed 8ft Aluminum Frame, Wood Floor, Headache Rack, Toolboxes
Toolboxes Weatherguard Aluminum Diamond Plate 346-0-02 (keyed alike)
Front Bumper Warn Trans4mer Gen 2 with Grill Guard
Winch Warn M12000 (Steel Cable)
Stereo
Pioneer head unit (AVH-W4400NEX)
Wired/wireless Carplay and Android Auto
Front and Rear camera
Upgraded Kenwood speakers
Camper
2002 Northstar 850sc
Electrical
125ah 12v Torque Lithium iron phosphate Battery
Included Bluetooth app to monitor
Indicates 135ah of actual capacity
3x100 Watt Solar Panels
Victron MPPT 75/15 (Yes, it’s over paneled. In ideal conditions the controller will limit charging to 15 amps)
1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter (no idle draw)
All camper lights are LED
Truck has LED light pods on each side with a wireless remote
System is designed to live off grid. There is no built in AC-DC charger for the battery. In dire situations I've used a standard car battery charger to get power.
Plumbing
30 Gallons fresh water
20 Gallons gray water
Cassette Toilet
6 Gallon Propane water heater
Uses standard 20 pound propane tank
New pump
New dump valve
All New Fixtures
Included Extras - 2 propane tanks, 6 Gallon water carrier (used for drinking water), Fill hose, Fill spout adapter (makes filling much easier), Water bandit (rubber hose end that fits on odd spigots, 4-way spigot key
Sleeping Arrangements
Queen bed in cab over area
Couch area converts into bed (about a long twin size)
Bathroom
Cassette Toilet (built in flush pump is not working, but shower is right there and works better)
Shower area with curtain
It’s not a spa treatment, but it’s great when needed
Kitchen
Brand new butcher block countertop
Undermount stainless sink
New faucet with pull down sprayer
2 Burner propane stove
12v DC compressor fridge
Included Extras - Folding oven that fits over stove, Cookware that fits in oven
Misc
New cushions
Propane forced air furnace (new control board)
Maxxfan Deluxe 5100k (10 speed, reversible, built in rain cover, 78 degree thermostat)
Reflectix window covers to help insulation and “stealth” camping with roof down
Roof crossbars
Carried kayak for thousands of miles without issue
All solar panels are on driver’s side so that passenger side can hold cargo
Shovel mounted to passenger toolbox
Recovery tracks mounted to driver toolbox. Used once and should probably be replaced, but they managed to get this heavy hog out of a mud hole.
Bad Things
The camper has electric jacks, but they’ve never worked right. I rarely take it off the truck. But a cordless drill and a big battery gets it on and off in about 10-15 minutes when it does need to happen.
There was a roof leak when I purchased it. As a result part of one of the roof panels (plywood) is damaged. It’s never leaked with me but it’s slightly noticeable in the ceiling above the bed. The roof was resealed after I purchased it.
Some of the zippers are broken in the pop up windows. Overall the top is showing its age, but it does the job and does not leak anywhere.
Background Story Time
This was built as a full time “van life” alternative. Purchased the camper in Massachusetts and drove it back home to Tennessee. Drove it back 1,200 miles on a F-150 and realized that the chassis wasn’t up to the task, especially with my off road ambitions. Purchased the F-350 in Kentucky and began working on overhauling and building. Spent about a year working on this while getting my house in TN ready to sell. Completely went through the camper replacing just about everything. The day that I signed my house away I hit the road. Traveled all around the US living the dream most days. Got tired of the cold and decided to pick up skiing as a hobby. Booked a 2 month stay in Santa Fe to warm up and hit up the nearby ski hills. Then COVID hit and put my plans on hold. Then I met a girl and before I knew it I had signed a lease and moved into a home without wheels. I’ve got a lot of great memories with this truck and I hate to sell it, but I hate seeing it parked more.
This is a bit of an oddball configuration, but I absolutely love it. I put a lot of thought into the initial build and have improved it with the experience of spending months living in it. It’s not a pavement princess and has the scratches to prove it. I’ve spent the last few weekends going through and cleaning things up and addressing old to-dos that I’ve been putting off. These are old pictures from when I was still on the road. I should have new ones up this weekend. I tried to cover every detail that I could think of above, but let me know if you have any questions. I don’t see anything like this on the market right now so I’m open to all offers.
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