DIY Ford F250 Super Duty Overland Build From Scratch

Off-road adventures open up new horizons for us and allow seeing some of the world’s most spectacular locations, but sacrificing creature comfort is often the reality the majority of the 4×4 fans have to face on the flip side. Although it may not fully apply to the owners of full-size trucks who actually have enough space to load up everything they need for a trouble-free living off the grid.

The Ford F250 Super Duty is one of the full-size truck platforms that gets a lot of attention from the overland community, and it’s no surprise. These trucks have always been praised for ultimate durability, reliable and highly potent engines, and of course, the payload capacity. They allow you to load up literally anything you may need during a few-week-long trip out in the wild. Plus, their 4×4 capabilities will make sure that even the Jeep trails remain accessible on the way to finding the thrill of adventure.

To showcase an example of a solid F250 overland build, we reached out to Scott, the owner of this flame-red Ford Super Duty truck, who was kind enough to share his story of building his perfect adventure truck.

Owner’s Story

I’ve had this truck for over 16 years, the wedge camper build started in January of 2021 and was finished that July. The rest of the build has been an ongoing project (are they ever really done?) My wife and I have traveled all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming logging over 55k miles and over 160 nights in the last 4 years. This truck build has been a labor of love and the memories its helped create are lifelong.

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Exterior Modifications & Overland Gear

• MOVE front winch bumper with Iron man winch
• DIY rear bumper with double swing outs including:
  • Full size spare mount
  • (4) 2 gal. Rotopax mount
  • 20# propane tank mount
  • Ax mount
  • Shovel mount
  • Max Trax mount

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• AMP Research power steps
• DIY roof rack with:
  • Roam storage case
  • Firewood basket

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• DIY wedge camper with:
  • Queen size bed
  • Custom sewn tent
  • Roof rack for kayaks
  • DIY ladder

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• Pull out kitchen with:
  • Camp Chef stove
  • ICECO JP50 fridge
  • ICECO JP40 freezer

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• 8×8 deployable awning (rear or driver’s side)
• 10 gal. water storage with pump
• Portable toilet
• Diesel heater with external 2 gal. Rotopax fuel tank
• On board air with tank

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How did you get involved in overlanding?

– Well I’m kind of always done it even before it was called overlanding. I am 55 years old, used to take my old Chevy up and we just camp in the bed of the truck. I camped as a kid with my parents, as life went on I had a toy hauler to haul all my dirt bikes around (I used to race dirt bikes). It kind of still do.

– Around 2020 I got married and my wife and I wanted to go to Mexico but we couldn’t, so my wife suggested we just go camping. Jason and I sat down, got on Gaia, and he worked out a little route with a bunch of camping spots he’d visited during his adventures.

– So we went out on a week trip after the wedding. I’ve owned Clifford, the F250, for about 15 years now and we just took it. It had a canopy on it. I pulled my little enclosed trailer with our kayaks, just camping gear that we’d had forever and a cooler. We hit about three or four different camp spots on lakes and rivers through Eastern Oregon and it was just awesome. I thought “okay, I’ve got to do something now, this is kind of fun” and that’s kind of what started the truck build.

– After that, I just started trying to come up with what I could build with what I had. I figured it was a good platform – it’s got a good reliable 7.3 Powerstroke in it. I’m kind of one of those jack of all trades guys – I’m an electrician, I was a heavy equipment diesel mechanic before that, so I can weld and do all those things. So I just started building a camper. Found a guy online that had made a similar wedge camper on a Toyota, and he had kind of a little build sheet. I’m kind of a visual guy so if I can see something – a picture, a drawing, or in person – I can usually figure out how to build it. Anyway, he had a good build sheet, a lot of pictures, I even had a list of parts. So I kind of took what he had come up with – his name is @Ripcord, he’s from Colorado. I took his basic idea and modified it to fit on a full-size truck, which gave me a queen size bed.

– At the beginning of the build and even now I never worried about weight, because it’s a full-size truck. When we’re loaded for the trip, it weighs more than 10,000lbs. It does fine off-road, I’ve never had any issues with it. I’ve been stuck in the sand a couple of times. I’ve been on some crazy trails with this truck including the McGrew trail (more of a Jeep trail in South Western Oregon). You can watch the trip video Chamber’s Family Overland.

Why did you choose and F250 truck for your project?

– It’s kind of what I had. I didn’t feel that I wanted anything newer, because I knew I wasn’t going to be nice to it. I bought the truck about 15 years ago, paid in cash for it. It’s been my daily for quite a few years. I used to live in Central Oregon. The truck has a little over 350,000 miles on it and it’s been flawless. It’s just a great platform. Easy to get parts for, reliable – I carry some spare electronic parts, although it has never let me down.

What was the most difficult part of the build?

– The most difficult part of the build was the tent. My wife sews. Up until that point I’d never sewed anything in my entire life. I talked my wife into doing it for me using the sewing equipment that I inherited after my mom passed. I ordered the samples of the material, sat down on YouTube and took it on. I did the tent in 3 full days. I’ve since pulled it out and modified it, but it’s held up great. We’ve been rolling this thing quite often as we go out at least once a month. And it doesn’t look homemade! People often ask me what brand is my camper. I kind of like that.

What do you love the most about your truck?

What do I love the most about my truck? I love everything about it. It drives like a Cadillac. I get 22-23 miles per gallon rolling down the highway at 65 miles, which is unheard of. It’s got plenty of power. It looks pretty good when it’s polished out, even though it’s usually dirty or muddy or scratched. I love that my granddaughter loves the truck.

Conclusion

Scott’s F250 build perfectly demonstrates how a combination of hands-on skills, dedication, and the right platform can create an exceptional overlanding rig without breaking the bank. His DIY approach to most modifications, from the custom wedge camper to the electrical system, proves that personal ingenuity often trumps off-the-shelf solutions. With over 160 nights of camping and 55,000 miles of adventures across five states, this flame-red Super Duty stands as a testament to what’s possible when you build something tailored exactly to your needs.