Overland Explorer Expedition Cabin on 2020 Ford F350

[Trail Talk]

What are your initial impressions on the 7.3 engine, and specifically the 10 speed transmission?

Hey, thanks for asking! Are you considering one? In a nutshell...

Pros:

• takes regular gas
• more than adequate torque for hills and passing
• quiet on the highway at 2000rpm
• manually selectable downshifts
• 4.30 gearing is great for launching from stoplights and city driving
• 10 sp tranny is unobtrusive in operation, a non-issue for us

Cons:

• thirsty but improving, current average 22 litres/100 kms
• can't think of anything else, had one service appointment at dealer for oil change

 

[simple]

Now that you have been using this truck and camper setup for a few years, I'm curious if you have any updates. How has it been running close to GVWR?

 

[Trail Talk]

Hey, thanks for waking this thread up! As you know from the other thread, we are currently on the road for an Arctic adventure. I’m still very impressed with the way it drives and handles. How much the Radflo’s contribute I can’t say. For winter travel we are at the lightest since we aren’t carrying onboard water. It is sensitive to tire pressure, not too hard or soft. 55/75 is working well for our current travels on gravel and ice.

Mechanically the truck has been rock-solid and maintenance costs are very reasonable. The quality of the dealers is more suspect. I’ve changed several times, either because of a lack of competence or scruples. Once off warranty I’ll be looking for an independent.

The camper systems have mostly been trouble-free also. Our hydronics leaks have been absent since I tightened a few fittings. At the moment I’m fretting over the Webasto Thermo Top itself, which has become excessively noisy in operaton. its the only thing on my list to have checked out when we return home.

We’ve been mostly boondocking and solar is pathetic this far North so the upgrade to 400 Ah of lithium batteries last year has been a good investment and easily accommodates the two days max we’ve stayed in one place.

 

[simple]

Sounds good all around. How many miles do you have on your truck now?

There have been a few threads with opinions saying a 1 ton rear wheel isn't a good choice for a composite camper build due to GVWR. I cant help but think that it is and yours is a great data point.

I also like the way OEV designed the lowered entry door and step in. Has this arrangement shown any drawbacks?

 

[DzlToy]

A "1 ton" rear axle is a bit of a misnomer. Three-quarter ton and 1 ton axles can be rated anywhere from 6,500 pounds to 11,500 pounds depending on bearings, tube (wall) thickness, brakes, tires, single or dually, etc. Further, what Dana Spicer or AAM rates an axle at as an OEM is quite different from what Ford, Dodge, or GM rates that same axle at. Ex: Dana may rate an axle at 6500 pounds, but Dodge may rate it at 5500.

 

[Trail Talk]

Sounds good all around. How many miles do you have on your truck now?

There have been a few threads with opinions saying a 1 ton rear wheel isn't a good choice for a composite camper build due to GVWR. I cant help but think that it is and yours is a great data point.

I also like the way OEV designed the lowered entry door and step in. Has this arrangement shown any drawbacks?

We are just over 50k kms right now.

In summer configuration with all our toys we were a fat cousin over GVWR but the switch to lithium helped out. We’ve learned that we don’t really need all the water this thing can carry but extra fuel can be necessary at times.

That lower side entry is fantastic, one of the major features that sold us on this model and experience on these roads has reinforced the choice. One cool feature Arnold came up with was to flip the exterior step around and lock it in place to bar the door. That has given us peace of mind when leaving the truck at trailheads.

 

[simple]

A "1 ton" rear axle is a bit of a misnomer. Three-quarter ton and 1 ton axles can be rated anywhere from 6,500 pounds to 11,500 pounds depending on bearings, tube (wall) thickness, brakes, tires, single or dually, etc. Further, what Dana Spicer or AAM rates an axle at as an OEM is quite different from what Ford, Dodge, or GM rates that same axle at. Ex: Dana may rate an axle at 6500 pounds, but Dodge may rate it at 5500.

I missed a word in my post. Meant to say 1ton single rear wheel. It wasn't clear but I was referring to 3500 / 350 series pickup trucks. I realize that GVWR varies a bit by model.

Regarding your point it depends partly on the build spec. On the build spec, I imagine that some trucks and components capabilities may exceed their rating and that the vehicles sticker may be de-rated to meet DOT requirements for a specific class of vehicle for registration.