My new truck 2021 F350 7.3gas

its a nice day here in East TN, sunny and mid 40's this afternoon

I learned on my F150 that you can gain a lot of storage in the cab if you remove the rear seat, so that was my first project.

On the F350 the rear seat is split 60/40, with the passenger side back folding forward. The factory jack is hid there and the factory invertor is underneath. I figured out you can take just the drivers side out.

the latch for the back is not easy to get to or figure out, the only you tube video doesnt show this strap to pull. He probably knocked it off like I did.

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I also learned that with the electrical connector on the seat belt unplugged the truck will nag about it.

I am going to have to research that, the center belt is in the way.
 
Having been successful at the seat removal, and not so successful at attempting to get a flatbed,
Apparently CM Truck beds has been shut down all week due to a bit of winter weather.
I decided I really wanted the camper in the truck.

This tailgate is MUCH lighter. there are 2 connectors to unplug and cap. and then its like any other Ford tailgate to remove.

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I am really close to the max height on the jacks, I will need to drill some holes in the jack extensions to make it less frightening.
I had about 1 1/2" clearance backing under. I took me a few attempts, I forgot how close it fits.

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I was a little concerned about clearance to the 2 square antennas on the rear of the cab roof,

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It looks good to me.

Measuring to the center of the wheel wells the camper sagged the rear about 2" and the front about 1"
It's still at least 1" from the helper spring

a second thing to research. I am getting a nagging message about the rearview camera not being installed. I thought the caps installed when removing the tailgate would disable the alarm. I haven't researched a replacement camera yet.

Now I am waiting on my new camper battery and to gather the rest of my gear.
 
Lighthawk said:
Definitely a step up! What kind of ground clearance are you seeing with the new f350? Are the wheels stock?
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The lowest point 11” is the huge air dam that will go away when I put a bumper on.
The steps are 15”
The diffs are less

Those are the factory steel wheels. I think they look pretty good. [emoji16]
 
Awesome. Thank you. I have a Stone Grey, 7.3 L gas Superduty also. Looking forward to putting my new Granby on it in a few weeks.
 
DarinH said:
Awesome. Thank you. I have a Stone Grey, 7.3 L gas Superduty also. Looking forward to putting my new Granby on it in a few weeks.
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Cool, I was hesitant on the stone Gray, it looks better in person.

I'm interested in hearing how you like it at High elevation. In East TN I can get to 5000' but not for long.

I am thinking my first extended trip is going to be late August/September to the Beartooths , I prefer to take at least 2 weeks for a trip like that, it just takes too long to get there from here.


EDIT: I meant the Bighorns, But either would appeal to me.
 
I've been slowly working on things.

This is the area with the drivers side of the back seat removed.
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With the nanny systems I couldn't remove the seat belts. so I covered them up
this levels the floor area too

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a couple more pieces, I'll put a drawer in later

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and a top, (the red jack is a telescoping bottle jack from Northern tool, 14" of travel) I miscalculated an it doesn't fit well

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and a couple cushions from the camper, Gabby Likes it

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I'm loading up and heading out for a good shakedown trip in the AM. The extent of my planning is to take the Natchez Trace Parkway south.
 
I had a decent trip.

I made a mistake on my platform and can nnot raise the center seatback, meaning I can not get into the below seat storage.
That will be redone.

The camper cushion on the platform tends to slide towards the right, I need to think about it.

The truck did great, There are some good hills between Knoxville and Nashville on I40 and it never downshifted from 10th. holding 75mph

75mph means low 12mpg, once I hit the parkway with a 50mph limit I got in the high 13mpg. Not too bad for pushing a barn door.

All the visitor centers on the Natchez trace are still on Lockdown, you might be able to talk to a person through a piece of plexiglass.
It's hard to get the history of a historic road without the interpertation. its a long limited access 2 lane road.

I found a great little ACE campground west of Birmingham. it was completely empty.

I'll add some pics later.
 
Thanks for sharing your update. Building out the backseat can be trial and error.
We've done it with our Tundra AC, and have another truck on the way.
 
Thanks for the recommendation on the Little Giant step ladder. Although it's bulky to transport, it's a small price to pay for the ease of my 55 yo bones to get in and out of the camper. I have the Tremor package on my F250, which is 3" taller than a standard 4x4 F250, so the 4 step ladder is perfect height for it.20210404_085524.jpeg
 
I know its been a while since my last update. Pictures will come as I start processing them.


I just got back from a 3 week trip. In East TN they have a term, loafering, it pretty much means wandering around going where the roads take you.

I had a vague "plan".

8/20 After work I left home and stopped at my sisters to visit her and my Mom

8/21 I drove all day to Pony Express lake in Missouri,

8/22 the next day I made it to Guernsy State Park in Wyoming,

8/23 Short drive to Outlaw Cave Campground, I spent the week there exploring and relaxing. Some interesting history and interesting scenery changes, This is Hole in The Wall country and the cave is a place where the gang hid out.

8/26 Tracy, a friend met me and we visited and explored some more.

8/28 We packed things up and went to explore the Bighorn Mountains. Crazy Woman Canyon is fantastic, we grabbed a spot near the top for the night.

8/29 We drove Hyattville road and then the Red Gulch/Alkali Backcountry Byway. stopping at the Dinosaur Tracks for the night.Hyattville road had Tracy questioning my navigation, it turned into an interesting 2 track and none of it had been graded this year.

8/30 Tracy had to go back to his life and left very early. I headed to Greybull for gas and went up 14 to Shell Falls ad took a "shortcut" of Hunt Mountain Rd to see the Medicine Wheel, Then I decided it was time to find a camp with a shower and laundry.I stopped at Bear Mountain Resort, I can not recommend this. the campground looks to be mostly permanent campers and the whole place seems run down, the Laundry worked but not well, the showers are in the main building behind the bar, there are only 2. the place is for sale, if anyone wants to take over a huge project.

8/31 I finished my loafer through the Bighorns by going to Sheridan and buying a Forest service map through their window. At least this way I could figure out where I went. (I love paper maps). None of the visitor centers were open. I ended the day at a 4H campground in Roundup, Montana

9/1 I stopped at the BLM office in Lewiston Montana, There were 2 very helpful ladies there, This is the office that handles the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument. I was told the new map has just gone to the printers and won't be available for 5-6 weeks. I made a side trip to Judith Peak, there are 2 spots that are supposed to have quartz crystals, I don't know what to look for and am not patient enough to find any. there is a nice view from the top, I made it to Judith Landing where I shared the campground with some cattle.

9/2 I drove to Fort Benton to the interpretative center hoping to get some more info, I did find a Delorme atlas at the Ace Hardware so I at least had a decent map to go by. I made a big circle and drove the Upper Missouri Breaks Backcountry Byway. This is an interesting route, Lower 2 calf creek road is at best a 2 track and going to the creek is a 13 degree slope of washed out gullied 2 track. it is worth the drive if you have a vehicle that can handle it. I didn't see any decent dispersed camping so I stopped at the James Kip Recreation area campground.

To Be Continued
 
9/3 I drove the Charles M Russell auto tour, this goes by the Slippery Ann Campground and Elk viewing area. I did not see any Elk but it looked like a nice campground.
I then drove the Missouri Breaks Historical Homesteads Auto Tour. It takes you by or near 9 homestead sites, I found 4 of them. this is another "High clearance vehicle needed" road, probably avoid in wet weather. I can just imagine someone trying it in their Camry.
I found an really awesome campsite on a lake that is part of a small wildlife sanctuary
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9/4 While sitting enjoying the scenery drinking my am coffee I spotted some white Pelicans. This was a huge surprise to me but it is their breeding grounds. I then drove us2 east across Montana to Teddy Roosevelt NP. being Labor day weekend I found Medora, ND packed, I drove part of the park rd and saw a few Bison. I then had enough of people and headed towards Elkhorn Ranch where it was TR's favorite place. the small NF campground was full so I pulled up the next holler and set camp for the night.

9/5 I hiked into the Elkhorn Ranch site, all that is left are a few foundation stones. It is a very peaceful place on the river. I drove around to the north unit of the park and again it was pretty busy, I saw a few more bison. and stopped at the Patterson lake rec area in Dickinson, ND for the night.

9/6 I drove across North Dakota on a mix of 2 lane and interstate, stopping at Jorgens Hollow campground in the Sheyenne National Grasslands. very nice place in what is considered oak savanah.

to be continued
 
Glad you’re enjoying the truck! We’re pulling the trigger on a 2022 F350 Super Cab with a 7.3/4.30 this week.
 
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