F350 CCSB build

[highboy4x4]

Where do I start? I blog all my projects on a google page so doing this build thread on OB makes me pause and evaluate if I will keep up with it or not. I am new to your community and need to start somewhere.

Overlanding by definition is easy to find yet I find it is very personal. As the vehicles I see vary, one must use what they have. Given the predominance of Jeeps, Toyota's and the like, the trails they go on are awesome! Some of the rigs are exceptional. But using a F350 for this adventure seems to have been mocked by the hard core riders. I am seeing more acceptance now and decided to jump in with both feet.

They say that full size rides, F250-F350, Tundra, Ram's are too wide, your too tall, your too heavy.....Ok I agree, my F350 is 8800+ lbs and is too wide for some trails. (10" wider than a Toyota) or too tall for a RTT (roof top tent) or too heavy for soft terrain....I agree.... so I just have to pick and choose the trails I ride! I like wide open spaces of the mountain valleys so "Go West young Man" fits!!

Enter my 2014 F350 CCSB! I bought it used so all it had were airbags and 35" rubber. I added Power Stop brakes all around and replaced all 8 cab mounts. Then a serious misstep happened in 2019. The motor had a catastrophic detonation. High pressure oil pump detonated and robbed me of much money, Oil pan to turbo, including fuel system contamination kit...:-(not happy)-: So after more than a few (sic) thousand dollars to the Ford dealer, Here we are! I will never go to a dealer ever again.... I have always done my own maintenance and repairs yet I am not a mechanic and this job just seemed too big for me at the time.

Now that's a brief history, back to the build......

Since I will be most likely riding solo, I wanted to address all mechanical concerns first. Then ADD kicked in and I started building the truck camping bed cabinets. Squirrel!!! Back to the mechanicals of replacing the tired front suspension and addressing the CP4 fuel system. I ripped out the entire front end and rebuilt/replaced everything except the ring/pinion. Lockers will come next year. I replaced the internal ramps, bearings, seals, u joints, ball joints, tie rods, cross over links, stabilizers...and the list goes on! all 4 Shocks, dual steering and dampening shocks, etc......upgraded from 1" to 2" leveling plates, added a winch bumper with a 12k winch, and new to me Aluminum cap with rack and a 2016 tailgate with step! Boredom in retirement is costly......:-)

Hopefully the following posts will document the process of me "getting ready" for my Overlanding experience! My goal is a Feb-Mar test run and then hitting the Rockies in the summer. Lets see if I can capture where I am mechanically. Next post will be the build of the truck camper cabinets, solar, water tank and diesel heater!! Whew... that's enough for now!

if your interested in my other projects, head over to this link and scroll! best if viewed on a pc as mobile doesn't show the navigational tabs on the left.

Overlanding a Full size!!

Where do I start? Overlanding by definition is easy to find yet I find it is very personal. As the vehicles I see vary, one must use what t...

the-project-page.blogspot.com

 

[highboy4x4]

Not trying to be long winded but my requirements for this build are as follows. This will help those questioning my reasoning.

I want to be self sufficient for 1-2 weeks is primary. I want to be able to recover water from any resource and feel confident that I have clean water. I want to have enough energy to not worry about it.

Since I have enough room, vehicle capacity and silliness to make a modular truck camping setup, why not! Modular is key as I still use my truck as a truck. So all cabinet pieces need to be able to be removed with little effort. I wrestled with the concepts of fuel, water, solar, kitchen, fridge and storage. I started at the front of the truck bed and worked my way to the rear. Keeping in mind that I needed a platform to sleep and a section for my low rider chair when the weather goes south. My main concern was fuel and water. I wrestled with a tandem in-bed fuel tank and water tanks in a box but I decided to axe the fuel in the living area and increase my water capacity. I went with a S&B 56 gallon fuel tank to replace the OEM one. (397 pounds)

Enter the water coffin! Since water is non-negotiable, I chose a 46 gallon tank. (383 pounds) It fits forward of the wheel wells and is part of the top level of my sleeping platform (15.5" high). I follow a Overlander named Dan Grec (The Road Chose Me) and I loved his concept of double filtration. So I came up with a plan to mimic his concept. Having the ability to filter the water going into the tank and also filtering as I use the water is priceless. There are many neat ideas that came out of this project. I can pull water from a lake or stream and have the confidence that the 5micron charcoal filter and the expensive UV light filter will keep me safe!

I will post this build in phases. I have completed the water coffin. I am finishing up with the passenger side cabinet that houses the diesel heater, a storage box and the water ports. I have the solar cabinet built and mocked up. I just need to finish the fit and finish and wire it up! The last piece is the kitchen slide out cabinet. I have all the parts but I have not started that yet. So MTF!

 

[highboy4x4]

Water Side cabinets and Diesel heater mock up. Pretty much self explanatory. Hiding the water lines from the water coffin and mounting the heater! FYI: I plumbed the fuel line into the new tank!! Another why not! right!
I still have a few punch list items to complete. Finish protecting the fuel line and pump, finish the exhaust and fresh air intake and then finish the 12v wiring for the quick disconnects. So tomorrow it should be completed.

 

[highboy4x4]

Solar side mock up. This side was a huge learning curve. I have never messed with solar and was able to figure it out by those that came before me. I watched so many videos and read so much that it was tough. But I came up with a plan, was able to get Dan's opinion on things like wire size and batteries. Most grateful to Dan.
3-100 A-hr LI batteries, Renogy 50Amp charge controller, 2-100 Amp 16BB solar panels. I will most likely be adding 2 more panels before the test ride. But I want to test them first and Renogy 3000 watt pure sine wave invertor.

This is definitely not finished but real close. With the fuel system repair, all other projects took a back seat. Except the RV water damage I had to fix. Its like having too many irons in the fire. Yet I am slowly getting things done.

 

[highboy4x4]

Something of note: The water coffin and solar cabinet have a dual function. I currently live in FL. Hurricane and Rainy season is tough. I filled the water tank before the last hurricane as a back up to the well. The solar will be able to assist with house appliances if the generators fail!! I have to test but the math plays out....I think....maybe....????