Starting F-150 build for big national park trip

[AddHawkins]

I was gifted a 2015 f-150 from my father law about a year ago. We decided to spend a year “deciding” whether to keep it or sell it. It fits our family well and the camping and adventure trips we take in Michigan great. Now we are planning a build.

The truck is currently bone stock but I’m looking at a three phase build. I have ordered a King 2.5 coil over suspension for front and rear with some new wheels and tires coming before the end of the year. Then we want to assess and build towards a big trip in 2025 (long term).

I get three straight months off from my job and we are going to overland from Grand Rapids Michigan to Seattle (ish) and back. Our hope is to hit as many national parks as possible and camp 80% of the time (a hotel sprinkled in sounds nice).

I’d love for your opinions on necessary build items as we start our major adventure. We are hoping this becomes a life long thing that binds our family together. I’ll update along the way, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and recommendations on build, locations to visit etc. excited to be here.

 

[socal66]

I had visited most of the national parks west of the Rockies before my 1st true fully off-road capable vehicle and a stock 4x4 with all-terrain tires will be all that your really need as the majority of roads within those parks are well maintained. There can be more requirements on your vehicle for some of the Utah parks or other wilderness areas adjacent to the NP's where you may want to upgrade your suspension and lift more. You may want to think about how you will be camping in the truck. Is it ground tent, roof-top tent, or some form of camper? The more weight in the bed will make you want to upgrade the springs in the rear. Since you will be camping as a family you may want to first figure out how you will be accommodating everyone and their stuff and then build around those requirements.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Maintenance maintenance maintenance. All the best off-road goodies and fanciest camping gear don’t do a lot of good when it can’t run . Go through every fluid on the rig , put in a bigger trans cooler , every belt and hose plus check out every rubber component . Upgrade battery cables and add a couple extra ground straps .

 

[G0to60]

I agree with both of the above posts. You don't need a really built rig to hit pretty much any National Park. If you can spend some time with some maps of the areas around the NPs and try to find some less popular but still amazing places that are a little more challenging to get to.

Regardless, post up pics of how what route your taking with your rig and your trip.

 

[brokenfingers]

Around here 35" tires will get you over 98% of the trails, yet you see a lot of jeeps rolling 37, 40+ tires... Don't spend all your money making your truck a cool looking off-road beast, it'll end up being terrible on the highway. Reliability is way more important, if you have doubts on something mechanical that should come first. A tablet, a badelf, and map software like gaia will get you into some really cool places. Satellite comms is also good to have like inReach.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Congratations on getting 3 months straight off from work! If I'd had 3 months, wow i could have seen a lot. Congrats as well on such a considerate and substantial gift!

Anyway, all of the above is true.

When you think that your average vehicle in the 1950's and 60's was able to drive through many national parks, you realize that most modern vehicles should be able to drive through most national park roadways.

Of course, it all depends on how much off-roading you want to do, and where.

Full size pickup trucks require very little to make them "good enough" overland vehicles.

-Lifting is fun - I leveled the front of my 2014 Sierra, but i found it unnecessary, though I still like it. Having leveled the front and put a cap on the bed, then filling it full of gear, I found myself wishing I had also put blocks or helper springs in the rear. Strictly leveling it sends a couple hundred pounds rearward. Add a 200 pound cap and a couple more hundred pounds of tools, gear, coolers, ice and food, and you could get yourself up to a third of your or more of your cargo capacity before you sit in it. Starts feeling a little light in the steering and looking a little saggy-assed. Especially for a truck with a few years on it.

-make sure you have good tires. They dont have to be BF Goodrich ATKO's or Duratracs, but as long as you have something pretty new and strong you will be fine. I prefer a mild AT myself, but even just going with a slightly taller road tire, you should be fine on desert roads and such and not sacrifice too much fuel economy on the highway.

-get your National Parks pass. Eighty dollars well spent. Gets you into every national park (usually $35 per carload per park).

-you mention camping but dont mention how many or what the sleeping situation is. Personally I like a nice Leer bed cap/ camper shell. Lady Beagle and I camped through our trip last May and slept in the bed of the truck under the camper shell. Even if you dont sleep back there, it makes for a lot of extra covered and locked storage space!

-if you do decide to camp in the back, you may want to build a deck back there. Something you can put drawers or totes under, that you can put an air mattress on top of to sleep.

-As Smiley said. Maintenance. God knows you dont want to be out there with a winch, crazy lighting, GPS tablets, comms, MaxTrack and every cool Overlanding item under the sun but didnt change your oil before a 6,000 mile trip. I would advise an oil change, coolant change, drop & fill of the tranny fluid with a new filter, 4x4 fluid (usually same as tranny fluid, brakes. Recharge AC. I had a small leak on my condenser and replaced the whole thing.

-if like to add some outside lighting

Really these trucks have so much space, it's less about the build and more about the equipment you carry and how you drive.

Theres a lot just between you and Seattle. We came out of Boston and wound up stopping at
-a giant truck stop on i80 in Iowa.
*nothing* prepared us for the view as we first crossed into the real west! There was a simultaneous exhale and total silence in the truck at that moment.
-We camped in Badlands in South Dakota and it was so wonderfully alien to a New Englander, we could have been on a different planet. Stunning. Loved it.
-Deadwood. Small but fun and interesting to anyone remotely fond of "old west" history.
-Big Sky Montana
-Gallatin Gateway Montana including rt 191, Buck's T4 Lounge, the Rainbow Ranch, the Corral restaurant...
-Yellowstone. The geysers and hot pools are stunning. Crossed the Great Divide. We could go east, we could go west - it was all up to us to decide!
-Grand Tetons
-We stayed at a camp site near or in the Grasslands of Colorado. That was nice, too.

 

[BlackDog1]

We could go east, we could go west - it was all up to us to decide!




nice Segar reference... Roll me away, tonight....

I like to go with "up with the sun gone with the wind......"

 

[BlackDog1]

BTW, I have an f150 and I love it Ive had a few you'll chug miles on it. you'll love the capacity on long trips. It can tow/haul/go over anything-mostly-confortable etc

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I like to throw a few subtle references out there. Tells me who's on a similar wavelength.

Saw him live on his last tour. Twice. Once in Virginia Beach, once in Boston.

Love "Sunspot, Baby" and "Tryin to live my life without you" but I've never heard him do that last one live, myself

 

[BlackDog1]

I like to throw a few subtle references out there. Tells me who's on a similar wavelength.

Saw him live on his last tour. Twice. Once in Virginia Beach, once in Boston.

Love "Sunspot, Baby" and "Tryin to live my life without you" but I've never heard him do that last one live, myself

Im in Detroit, saw him for the first time several years ago when he was on his last tour. In the Palace. First time for me. He started off with Roll me away and he finished with Rock and Roll Never Forgets-it was so good. Now that Alto has passed Bob said the Silver Bullet Band died with Alto. He and Bruce Springsteen are good friends...The Boss told him he has to keep writing....because..."what else are you going to do? Its who you are..." (I heard this in an interview) So maybe he'll write some stuff down the road. But being over 70....

 

[BlackDog1]

sorry for he threadkiller

Back to the F150

 

[Cody Streeter]

I was gifted a 2015 f-150 from my father law about a year ago. We decided to spend a year “deciding” whether to keep it or sell it. It fits our family well and the camping and adventure trips we take in Michigan great. Now we are planning a build.

The truck is currently bone stock but I’m looking at a three phase build. I have ordered a King 2.5 coil over suspension for front and rear with some new wheels and tires coming before the end of the year. Then we want to assess and build towards a big trip in 2025 (long term).

I get three straight months off from my job and we are going to overland from Grand Rapids Michigan to Seattle (ish) and back. Our hope is to hit as many national parks as possible and camp 80% of the time (a hotel sprinkled in sounds nice).

I’d love for your opinions on necessary build items as we start our major adventure. We are hoping this becomes a life long thing that binds our family together. I’ll update along the way, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and recommendations on build, locations to visit etc. excited to be here.

If you are looking for an awesome phone mount, I like the ProClip USA mounts. I have one driver and passenger side. Also, I went with Bilstein 6112s and 5160s for suspension. Great bang for the buck. Throw some AT tires on there and you'll be able to go pretty much anywhere within reason.

I've lived out of my truck full time twice for really long cross country trips with a roof top tent. My best advice would be to take a few weekend test trips before your big trip to work out the kinks with gear/organization.

If you want to see my truck you can check it out here.

 

[ZombieCat]

@ThundahBeagle, @Smileyshaun & @socal66 are all spot on!
Rather than tricking out your F-150 like the Overlanding Playtruck Centerfold of the Month, sink your money into a few useful upgrades (lift, tires, rack), timely maintenance, a good shelter (tent, camper top), comfortable sleep system, camp kitchen setup and organized storage for everything. Your truck will be quite capable and you’ll be comfortable.
Then…PLAN. If you intend to travel this summer, you should be booking late July NOW. You don’t need a reservation for every night of your journey, but at least get sites confirmed for the most popular parks. Location, location, location! Camping inside National Parks that require timed entry tickets allows you to bypass that requirement. Boondocking is an adventurous and economical (free) way to camp, but doesn’t always get you close enough to the parks. It’s a better option for less crowded destinations.
You can probably skip the hotels if you book at state or local parks that have shower facilities. Ah, the joy of a hot shower and getting really clean! That’s the #1 reason we break down and book a hotel room, right? Do a bit of research to identify a few laundromats along your route, as well as Walmarts or other grocery stores where you can restock.
Finally, simply researching the areas you want to visit beforehand - the recreational opportunities, local events, festivals, sightseeing - will save you time and frustration. I know someone who planned a visit to South Dakota in August and was unaware of Sturgis Bike Week. You guessed it, she was unable to find a campsite within 100 miles.
Be kind to yourself - expect a few mistakes and frustrations along the way. Keep calm and overland on. You’ll have a great adventure and many stories to tell upon returning home!

 

[AggieOE]

I will second the above post on planning! 6-mo out is almost cutting it close on some parks. The big name ones' campgrounds book up quick!

Also!... Pics or didn't happen. lol

 

[tjZ06]

I was gifted a 2015 f-150 from my father law about a year ago. We decided to spend a year “deciding” whether to keep it or sell it. It fits our family well and the camping and adventure trips we take in Michigan great. Now we are planning a build.

The truck is currently bone stock but I’m looking at a three phase build. I have ordered a King 2.5 coil over suspension for front and rear with some new wheels and tires coming before the end of the year. Then we want to assess and build towards a big trip in 2025 (long term).

I get three straight months off from my job and we are going to overland from Grand Rapids Michigan to Seattle (ish) and back. Our hope is to hit as many national parks as possible and camp 80% of the time (a hotel sprinkled in sounds nice).

I’d love for your opinions on necessary build items as we start our major adventure. We are hoping this becomes a life long thing that binds our family together. I’ll update along the way, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and recommendations on build, locations to visit etc. excited to be here.

Year, model, drivetrain, etc?

-TJ

 

[AddHawkins]

Sorry it’s been a whirlwind with this truck recently.

A few updates are needed.

It’s a 2015 xlt 4wheel drive with a few minor upgrades.

Had to replace some basic maintenance, battery, water pump, belts and a pulley, driver side rear hub assembly all done in my garage.

Currently I’ve been plagued with a failing 4wheel drive system. It’s a vacuum system that fails often on ALL of their models on this truck dating back to 2004. I’ve replaced almost the whole system and it’s still failing. It’s been at our local mechanics shop for almost two weeks now. I’m super bummed and just ready for next steps.

Here’s what’s around the corner once this issue is fixed.
- front suspension, decided to go with Fox Shocks 2.0 front.
- Rear is already installed, Bilstein 5160
- wheels and tires
- added a free Roam phone carrier

Anyways I’m just a bit discouraged by the constant problems with this truck. I love it otherwise.

 

[AddHawkins]

It's been a year but here is quick update.

The 2015 was swapped for a 2020, same trim package. I've added just a few things to get us going;
1. Ebiach level kit on front
2. 17" Pro Comp 32s wrapped in Yokahama Geolander ATs (285/70/17)
3. Some comms for our trail runs, just GMRS at this point

We have a few more things in the works but we moved from Michigan to Missouri this summer so we are laying low and getting outside some more.

Currently looking to get some form of a trailer for our camping trips. Not sure what yet we've looked at everything from a Taxa Wooly Bear with a RTT to the Taxa Mantis, Opus trailers or something else. We'll keep looking.

I'll post some pictures soon.

 

[AddHawkins]

Just a quick side view of the current build. Trying to figure out what is coming next.

 

[r_horner]

Just a quick side view of the current build. Trying to figure out what is coming next.

are you running the coil spring/strut combo? what notch are you on and is rear stock suspension

 

[Kueezy]

Just a quick side view of the current build. Trying to figure out what is coming next.

are you running the coil spring/strut combo? what notch are you on and is rear stock suspension

Running stock struts on mine with Bilstein 5160s for the rear. Seems to do the job for kind of trails/off-roading I do atm.