2019 F350 6.2L 4WD build thread; HPI flatbed, ATO AterraXL composite camper, Carli/King, 37s, 4.88s, etc

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
I've been meaning to sit down and start my build thread for almost a year now. No time like the present, eh? :)

BACKSTORY FROM CHASSIS-CAB TO P/U;
This current build (crew cab 6.75' bed pickup, ie CCSB) is an evolution from the first iteration, which ended up in that truck (the chassis cab) being sold. Read about it here; https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...perfect-roundtheworld-overlander-sold.221185/

The gist of the backstory is that I was at a point in my life where I really wanted to build my "ultimate" round-the-world overlanding truck, even if I wasn't going to ship it round-the-world for some time. It'd have to follow K.I.S.S. principles, which meant no turbo diesel, and no first year of a new engine/trans combo (ie Godzilla 7.3L/10spd). It'd have to be comfortable going 70mph towards a destination, but also then be able to tackle some moderate trails (ie not rock crawling on Fordyce Trail), so it'd be as short wheelbase/lengthwise/heightwise as possible, and narrow as could be (unlike the F450 ambo's I previously looked hard at converting for a long time due to lower entry cost). I wanted a pass-thru for convenience and security, 4 season cabin. I was headed towards a Boxmanufaktur cabin(probably lifting roof), but then came some further challenges I should have done more due diligence about; custom torsion-free subframe (3pt or 4pt?, which specialist to build it), finalizing one of the 30 interior designs I've been working on for ~10 years with @mhiscox, then who to trust to build the interior out of lightweight materials--all industry friends were already busy with their own line-up of projects. It doesn't help being perfectionistic; analysis paralysis.
So I pulled back and looked at other cabin options; poptop campers (we got very close to ordering a FWC Hawk flatbed, but I always had concerns about condensation from the construction), aluminum/composite toppers (some similar condensation concerns, and then what to put underneath the topper since I had no truck bed--custom cargo boxes? And then what to do about a lower door mating to the topper's liftgate, and how to retain cabin climate when those are opened?). But the tipping point was how to handle our kids (2 furry 60-75lb pups) if we weren't going to have a pass-thru cabin? Where were we going to keep them where they could be climatized (in hotter or cooler weather), and how to make that happen? I got frustrated with it all, sold the chassis cab truck to re-group.

The easier solution was to dial everything back, go less custom. It meant I wasn't going to tick all of my boxes, but I still tried to get damn close.
Straightforward solution was a crew cab pickup, and short bed (CCSB). Stay with the simpler 6.2L petrol V8 with the 6R140 TorqShift 6spd automatic.
Then figure out what to do on the rear; keep the pickup bed and find a higher quality composite slide-in poptop camper with more insulation upstairs? Big downside we saw was the narrower hallway, and loss of storage space from having a slide-in. We could resolve that with an aluminum flatbed and storage boxes on the side, like JonBurtt GrampCamp and others. Or retain the aluminum flatbed idea and find a higher quality composite flatbed poptop camper with more insulation upstairs? OEV's CampHBE was looking good, but like an FWC, it was pretty light on interior storage. Now we don't take a ton of stuff for 2 adults and 2 furry kids, but we still have accumulated over 15years of select overland "stuff" to make our trips comfortable and enjoyable; stuff which we'd like to permanently store in the rig so that when we want to take an impromptu weekend trip, we only have to load food/drinks, dog food, few select clothing items, and hit the road (It should be noted this rig isn't a daily driver, and we're not currently working remotely).

CAMPER
What did we choose(as if you didn't already know by the subject line of this build thread)? Well, since we had an AT Overland Atlas topper on order for the chassis cab, we were informed about a new product that was going to hit the market, before it was to hit the market...their new AT AterraXL flatbed composite camper;
AT_Overland_Aterra_XL_Flatbed_Camper_Driver_Side_View_Truck_-_Grey.png


It met most all of our requirements (only one being no cab-cabin pass-thru); composite for less weight and less thermal transfer/condensation, 4seasonability, standing height in some way (I'm 6'), a whole lot more storage than other offerings(including the Nat'l Luna 90L fridge/freezer--our NL 50L has been a rock star thus far), high quality construction and components, light/bright, composite windows with bug screens and blackout shades, fixed bed (can be used as a daybed while the other is in the dinette)--actually this bed slides out to provide more headroom and also unlock more storage, small galley kitchen, interior potti and a shower (interior and exterior) as a bonus, and it looks damn cool too thanks to the pagoda-style roof. So, we pointed our ATO Atlas order towards the new AterraXL (thanks Brent at Oregon Adventure Trucks!). Got in early enough to be production camper #001.

Aterra-Interior-4_720x.jpg


NEW TRUCK
Then we quickly found a truck; was putting a deposit on a slightly used Stone Gray F350 when I found out that the camper couldn't be color matched to the truck. Damn, I really wanted something more unique than a white rig, something ala Earthroamer-esque. The camper was initially destined to only be offered in a medium gray due to the polyurea coating, and that wouldn't look great on Stone Gray. So I found another F350 in white, thinking that I could do something with vinyl graphics to blend the white truck, a black flatbed/accessories, and a gray camper. So we went with a 1owner 2019 F350 Lariat in Oxford White over Black, 6R140 6spd, 3.73s/E-locker rear, ExtraExtra HD 240A alternator, HD battery, Upfitter switches, clearance lights and other options I was searching for, 28k on the clock. Some nerd data; 159.8"WB, 250"OAL, 6336-6738lbs(*Ford discrepancy) base curb weight, 10,900lbs GVWR, 4090lbs payload, 12,300lbs max loaded trailer weight, 19,500lbs max GCWR. (NOTE; the AterraXL now comes standard in RAM's PW7 white, or can now be color matched for extra $ as they found a new way to paint the polyurea. Damn, oh well, too late now for Stone Gray truck/camper).

Screenshot (76).jpg

HEADLIGHTS
First item to upgrade on the truck were the crappy halogen lights. Went with TheRetrofitSource XB LED assemblies; impressive cutoff pattern, although the lenses look a bit more "jewel'y" than I'd like overall (if I had a 2020+, I'd have gone with the factory Tremor headlights). Also, at the same time a friend helped me exchange the chrome front grille (all Lariat's come with the Chrome package, ick. I'll get rid of all of the chrome) with a new factory textured black XL grille. Also installed the Tuffy center console safe, WeatherTech Floorliner HP front mats, and Husky 2nd row mat (for trucks without the under-rear seat storage, which I removed).

Lights1.jpg

Lights2.jpg

Lights3.jpg

FLATBED
I re-contacted my guy Aaron at Highway Products Inc. in southern Oregon (thx to @RAM5500 CAMPERTHING for feedback on their build quality), to change up the aluminum flatbed we had been designing for the chassis cab. With the known dimensions of the camper; we could put the spare/storage box between truck and camper like ATO did on their RAM (if HPI did a frame extension--which I wasn't keen on due to length, nor adding to the Ford frame). Or we could put a full width crossframe/"tunnel" box between truck cab and camper and store the spare on a custom mount off the rear of the flatbed, or keep the spare in the factory location. I decided on the latter (will shave a 37" tire down to fit, thx to info from @montypower). Initially since there was no fuel tank upgrade from the petrol pickup's 34gal tank, I was planning on putting 4 of my 4gal black Rotopax fuel containers in the tunnel box (against the harsh criticism of RAM5500) to have 50gal of fuel capacity, so HPI designed 2 circular vents in the bottom/rear panel of the box. Fuel filler in a custom housing on the driver side of the tunnel box. Both doors to the cross frame box have shocks to keep them open, LED lights turn on when the doors are opened (boxes seal so damn well it feels like doors are suctioned shut). Lots of custom details to try to maximize storage including 8 strips of L-track and 4 removable shelves. 4 under-bed boxes in Gladiator dimpled finish, preserving departure angle (note; the camper will be permanently mounted to the flatbed, so the 4 under-bed boxes can only be installed/fully sealed after the camper is mounted). HPI designed/engineered/crafted the longest bed their engineers felt comfortable with. Small bullet LED clearance lights, rope hook tie downs and 2 small rear steps on the flatbed deck, factory Ford rear camera in custom HPI housing. All powdercoated in BK62 (Black Hammer finish)--this finish appears to have the best longevity. They also custom installed a set of BajaDesigns S1's into the rear apron to act as auxiliary backup lights (they're bright for such a tiny package!), wired into one of the Aux switches. Hugely impressed with their craftsmanship and service, and made in the USA!

Jeremy Williams FB Pic1.jpg

Jeremy Williams FB Pic2.jpg
 
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mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
FUEL TANK
Fast forward a bit in time, and a wizard of a friend (who wants to remain nameless as he doesn't want to re-produce the install) adapted TransferFlow's 60gal diesel midship tank upgrade for my petrol truck. Tank/install looks factory, well because factory parts were used, new fuel/vent lines produced, etc. ~700+miles of range is a lot of peace of mind. He also enabled the FX4's Hill Descent Control, added Warn front hubs, and shortened the factory tailpipe to dump under the truck(prepping for truck bed mods below). Factory FX4 t-case skid plate added around this time too.

Tank1.jpg

Tank2.jpg

FRONT BUMPER/WINCH/LIGHTS
I put my order in for an Outback front bumper from Buckstop (love that they're also in Oregon) as I wanted the bull bar for more front end protection, went with steel vs aluminum (the bull bar is always steel, and the higher cost of the aluminum base bumper turned out to be ~$10.50/lb), both sets of round foglight openings, and asked Lane and Clinton for one custom feature; omit the small 1" tubing and add in another 2.5" tube in the center of the "bull bar" so that more lights could hang from it. Thankfully they made it happen, however my choice of lights changed. While 4 of the Baja LP6 Pro's would fit under the tube, I wanted something different. RAM5500 threw out an idea; why not go with 3 aux lights like the OG Ford racers? Perfect! So, I contacted a trusted fab shop here in Central Oregon, Max and Jeremy at TVO (https://techniquevo.com). They designed a bolt-on mount (powdercoated in the same BK62 as the flatbed and bumper) for the Buckstop which holds 2 Baja LP9 Pro driving/combo, and a center LP9 Pro spot. Baja XL80 in driving/combo and Baja SquadronPro in amber cornering are located in the bottom of the bumper, as well as a ComeUp 12.5RS winch w/ Factor55 FlatLink MultiMount (apologies for the limpness below, we didn't have it sucked back in fully) and a HitchLink 2.0 in the front receiver of the bumper (installed after the pic below).

243334904_382406.jpg

DOG/STORAGE PLATFORM
We needed a solution for the dogs in the rear seat area, and I wanted to also maximize storage opportunities there. I again contacted TVO and they designed a beechin' one-off dog platform w/ a variety of fastener holes for carriage bolts and the like. The platform bolts to existing Ford locations, retains space between the back side of it and the folded up rear seat for storing our FrontRunner camp table, allows full storage underneath it (~16.5"high), and is coated (thanks Tracy at Commercial Powdercoating!) in anti-skid black so the dog crates don't fly around as easily.

DogPlatform.jpg

DogPlatform2.jpg

DogPlatform1.jpg

SUSPENSION
I finalized with Dan Tourino at Carli to get an order in for their full Pintop kit using 2.5" King shocks, ~2.5" front lift/0-2" rear lift (*once the camper is on I'll get axle weights and get Deaver leaf springs thru Carli. I may also drive down to Carli to have them custom tune the dampers to the truck).

Carli-Gears.jpg

GEARS/LOCKER
Truck is getting an Eaton E-locker front diff and Yukon 4.88's installed. We'll wire the front diff into an Aux switch. Ironically I had a new-in-box ARB front air locker from a past E350 project, and while I plan to do an OBA (onboard air) setup, I want the simplicity of the E-locker front to match the factory E-locker rear.

WHEELS/TIRES
For now, the truck has the HPI flatbed on, is riding on powdercoated(satin black) factory 18" steel wheels on 275/70/18 Blizzak LT's for winter.
After the gears/locker are completed, need to get the Carli/King susp on, finalize on 37" tires (was thinking the new Maxxis RAZR AT, but now thinking maybe I'll try the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W as quite a few people I know are raving about them), get the 37s/Method MR703's on.
Waiting for the Aterra XL to be completed.

In the immediate term, needs tint and de-chroming.

Then once the camper is on, simply get out and enjoy it. It's been too many years of perfectionizing and not enough satisficing. :unsure::rolleyes:
Lots of other plans/wish list stuff to come...
Thanks for following along!
 
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mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Thanks!!! This is a very impressive and informative writeup, and sure to be a valuable resource for a lot of people here.

It's been a treat to have been in on all of the different variations that you went through and there's no doubt you settled on a solid approach. Here's hoping everything goes well as you finish up the unit. It should be a really competent rig.
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Thanks!!! This is a very impressive and informative writeup, and sure to be a valuable resource for a lot of people here.

It's been a treat to have been in on all of the different variations that you went through and there's no doubt you settled on a solid approach. Here's hoping everything goes well as you finish up the unit. It should be a really competent rig.

You're in as first reply buddy, well done!
Hopefully this build thread is a helpful resource, as one iteration of the full-size overlander movement. If anything, it's what not to do (years of ultimate perfection for a full custom rig vs usable satisficing with a semi-custom rig).

To confirm, it's been a treat or a hair-pulling-frustration to have been in on all of my variations for the past 4-5years? ;):p
I'm glad you concur this is a solid approach and should be a competent rig.
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
So what is the bed length?
Looking forward to your pics, sounds awesome!
I need to dig back thru all of my emails with Aaron at HPI, but it's between 90"L and 95"L. IIRC it's 93"L. I'll post back up on this.
Thx much!

Man oh man is this gonna be a fun one. Very much looking forward to pics and further posts.
Indeed it will. Thanks much--I've enjoyed your posts and rigs.

Very cool. Love that camper roofline !
Was relocation of the EVAP canister needed in order to install the larger fuel tank ?
The design is definitely unique; the pagoda shape doesn't make the camper look so damn tall/blocky.
Yes to the EVAP.
Thx to Forscan, the truck now knows it has a 60L tank, so fuel range in the cluster is pretty accurate.
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
For sure on the look. I want to go hard side after a lot of years with a pop up but am not looking forward to those typical hard corners way up top.

Just read your c&c for sale tread. Am trying to go reg cab next time but the dog issue gnaws at me (yes pun).

Asked about the EVAP for a possible 2nd petrol tank in a c&c idea. Thanks !

Beauty about forscan.

Will be following :coffee:

Agreed with you on the typical hard sided camper; too big/blocky. This ATO Aterra design (developed with David from Tern Overland) makes a hard sided camper look a whole lot better IMO.

Good luck finding a regular cab; uber rare anymore. We almost went SuperCab to keep the OAL(overall length) shorter, but the kids appreciate the extra room. Plus, if we unfasten 4 bolts and remove the dog platform, 3 adults in the 2nd row can join us on a trip with real leg room.

Eeesh, there's a bit of room aft of cab above the driveline on a Regular Cab C&C, but not a whole lot. I looked in that region to put a tank, but it'd have to be a non-rectangular custom shaped tank. Then you have an aux fuel pump to place, fuel lines running from aft-of-axle 40gal factory tank up to the smaller transfer tank, need a gauge in the cab somewhere. It can be done, and you might be able to get 60gal total. I thought it'd be easier to just keep the factory 40gal tank and augment with fuel jerries; that's an easy 50gal total without a whole lot of work. Not as sexy, but I had my satisficing hat on at the time. ;)

Forscan is sweet; helped to easily enable the Hill Descent Control.
Note while we're talking Forscan; I'd love to be able to TURN OFF THE DRL's by switching the headlight switch to O; would be handy in the woods when we want to be stealthy. I need to look into this further as my friend had done a quick forum search, turned DRL's off in Forscan, but the dang DRL's are still on. If anyone else has done this, please chime in, thx!
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Good luck finding a regular cab; uber rare anymore. We almost went SuperCab to keep the OAL(overall length) shorter, but the kids appreciate the extra room.


Last spring when shopping for my current single cab I scoured the internet and inventories all over the state of Texas. One in every four trucks is sold here and I still only found four RAM 3500's on dealer lots and only one F-350 single cab which are even more difficult to come by than RAM's. Now the small town dealer here in my home town has four 3500 single cab's on his lot as we speak but they are about as base as it gets. Single cabs are a dying breed but I have heard from a few dealers that they have been asked about single cabs a lot more in recent years so maybe they will have a short lived come back lol.
 

Ninelitetrip

Well-known member
What a great setup. Do you have a rough estimate on when the AterraXL will be ready? Being #001 any changes in the design or equipment from the prototype? Congrats on getting that additional fuel tank installed. Can you share some photos of the install? Do you have a rough estimate of what your overall height will be once fully built?
 

Ninelitetrip

Well-known member
Last spring when shopping for my current single cab I scoured the internet and inventories all over the state of Texas. One in every four trucks is sold here and I still only found four RAM 3500's on dealer lots and only one F-350 single cab which are even more difficult to come by than RAM's. Now the small town dealer here in my home town has four 3500 single cab's on his lot as we speak but they are about as base as it gets. Single cabs are a dying breed but I have heard from a few dealers that they have been asked about single cabs a lot more in recent years so maybe they will have a short lived come back lol.


Last year during my search for a F350 it proved near impossible to find something that was not either beat to a pulp or sold before I could move on it. I have friends selling their trucks back to their dealer 2 years after purchase for more than they paid for it. Crazy. Of late I think I will be better off buying new to my spec. And for the 7.3 Godzilla it will be at least the third year of production?
 

ricoisme26

Active member
Single cabs are a dying breed but I have heard from a few dealers that they have been asked about single cabs a lot more in recent years so maybe they will have a short lived come back lol.

One would suspect that those who purchase single cabs use their truck more as a tool than as a family vehicle, one would also suspect that the same people are less inclined to voice opinions. There will be water if God wills it. That is until there's been no rain for over a decade, the truck they had been holding on to, waiting for a single cab long be to become available, is now wearing out and they can no longer wait to upgrade to a new truck. we've just reached that point in time where everything is coming to climax and those people are speaking up. One would think this cycle would repeat every decade or so. Or it is just a trend that is cyclical like fashion
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Single cabs largely tend to be purchased/used by municipalities/utility companies and as runner trucks for small businesses. Around here a few farm and ranch types still drive them as well but most of them are in a dually with a steel flatbed if they aren't in a double cab like everyone else. I think it's more of a cyclic trend than anything else, everything comes back into fashion if you give it long enough.
 

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