F150 worth keeping for Overlanding?

[Epix]

I've had my 98 F-150 for a very long time and it is very capable. Yes, I have gotten stuck and there are things I have not been able to get through or over but you'd be amazed at the things I HAVE gotten through/over. The options are limited as far as lift and bumpers but that means you take some classes and learn how to weld! I'd do it but I use my truck as a DD still and need it to look semi professional. Or, look on CL, Ebay, forums, etc for used things. Lots of guys start with a small suspension lift, then move up to a semi or long travle and sell their old parts.

Like people have said before. Use what you have. You dont need a 6inch lift. An F-150 needs maybe a 2 inch suspension lift (no body lift), a locker and some good tires. Maybe some skid plates if you dont already have them. Dont do more than a few inches of lift because then you have to get a drop down bracket for the IFS and that completely defeats the purpose of a lift. You can also crant the t bars for a few inches. You don't need a massive front bumper or rear bumper. You have great tow hooks in the front and (most likely) a trailer hitch in the rear. Both are very capable of recovering you or another vehicle. Get a shell, make a sleeping platform and boom. Spend a little bit of money and you will be very pleased.

PM me if you have questions.

SDDiver5, thanks for the help and yes I will for sure PM you and ask a lot of questions if that's ok with you.

 

[Epix]

×2

A welder makes all the difference in the world when it comes to prepping a lesser-supported vehicle.
I built a Bronco II for my travels because it fits my needs far better than the usual go-to, often-impractical Jeep Wrangler, while it has just a tiny fraction of the aftermarket support when it comes to bumpers, racks, armor, and other bolt-ons... So I built those items myself. This lets me tailor them to my exact needs/wants, as well as an ability to say 'I built them myself'.
A welder also lets you easily adapt things made for other applications to your ride as well (welding new brackets to that fancy bumper made for a Dodge you bought off Craigslist, for example). There isn't a whole lot of variation in the design of many items, it's where/how they attach to the vehicle that mostly makes them different.

Hobart seems to be the go-to brand. They are made by Miller which is a highly-respected name in the welding business. I don't think classes are necessary though... With a little bit of simple reading you should be able to quickly get a good grip on the process of MIG welding, as it's not only one of the easiest to learn, but is also among the better processes to use on the mild steel that makes up most bumpers, suspension parts, and vehicle frames.
Harbor Freight has some welding outfits also (for a lot less $$$), but I have no idea of their quality/usefulness.

Hope that helps.
I agree with everyone else, keep your Ford. It's better than anything else for the simple reason you already own it.

4x4junkie, your response if greatly appreciated. I'm fortunate that my neighbor is a professional welder and my little bro is almost done with his welding school classes so I will be definitely learning how to weld here pretty soon and will be working on front and rear bumpers.

 

[Epix]

Your F150 is a great expo platform......keep it. Super reliable motor and tranny, strong frame, plenty of room and I would guess it is paid for.

If you put $3-4k into a mild lift and a rear locker you will have a very capable vehicle that can take you most anywhere.

Only if you are planning level 5 rock garden trails that favor a short wheelbase wiil the F150 be lacking.

Good luck

R

EMrider, yeah it's paid for. The lift and locker are what I plan on getting done this year.

 

[Ivan]

Ivan, currently my truck has the following: Ranch Hand brush guard, Bilstein 4600 non HD shocks, K&N cold air intake, Flowmaster Super 40's with true duals, JBA shorty headers, Cobra CB 29 WXNWST, 4' Firestick. As for the short term trips I'm heading out to Palo Duro State Park at the end of the month. Then hopufully Black Bear Pass and possible tackle the swtichbacks, but before I do that I'm gonna think about that one. From what I've seen it's very possible with my truck.

Oh wow, then I would definitely not sell it. Just get the arb for the rear like you're already planning, wheel it, and go from there.

And once y'all start welding stuff up for the truck, I might hit y'all up for some bumpers and sliders, lol

 

[Big50]

I could never step down to a smaller vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of the midsize builds but I'm to used to the room of a full size. Make sure not spend to much money on modding instead of actually going on trips. Unless your planning on doing rock crawling, theirs no reason to swap your truck out. Get out there and see what you need to mod from experience.

 

[Wolvee]

I overland a near stock 01 Supercrew. It's perfect for what overlanding is all about. If there's accessory or part you want, it can be made. We have bumpers available although I think they are over rated. Most overlanders I've seen don't even need them. On a tiny SUV, sure. On a half ton truck, not really. Heck, we don't even really need a lift unless you're doing real rock climbing, which we are usually not doing.

OL is more than the coolest toys bolted to a rib, its about the self sustainability and the fun. If a Hoda's all you got then do t.

 

[Epix]

Oh wow, then I would definitely not sell it. Just get the arb for the rear like you're already planning, wheel it, and go from there.

And once y'all start welding stuff up for the truck, I might hit y'all up for some bumpers and sliders, lol

I will definitely let you know about those bumpers once I'm ready to fab them up.

 

[Epix]

I could never step down to a smaller vehicle. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of the midsize builds but I'm to used to the room of a full size. Make sure not spend to much money on modding instead of actually going on trips. Unless your planning on doing rock crawling, theirs no reason to swap your truck out. Get out there and see what you need to mod from experience.

Big50, your right I'm making all these plans but I havent even wheeled my truck as is and havent even seen what its capable of doing. Like I said in my earlier post im ready to start really using the truck the way I want instead of just driving it around town. Eventually I look forward to upgrading to a Raptor like you. Love that truck!

 

[Epix]

I overland a near stock 01 Supercrew. It's perfect for what overlanding is all about. If there's accessory or part you want, it can be made. We have bumpers available although I think they are over rated. Most overlanders I've seen don't even need them. On a tiny SUV, sure. On a half ton truck, not really. Heck, we don't even really need a lift unless you're doing real rock climbing, which we are usually not doing.

OL is more than the coolest toys bolted to a rib, its about the self sustainability and the fun. If a Hoda's all you got then do t.

Wolvee, I agree with what your saying. I have no experience in overlanding like most of you guys on here. Now that I'm at a point where I can do more to my truck I'm getting ahead of myself and trying to do so much at once that I dont even know where to start. However after getting back the responses from everyone that posted in this thread I realize the most important thing to do is just get out there and overland and begin to see what the truck needs based on those trips.

 

[Mad_Texan]

I am most likely a little biased...your F150 can take you many places! If your truck has the off-road package or fx4 package you have skid plates. Most important on being the fuel tank. You can adjust your torsion bars to gain some height in the front...just don't max them out to keep downward travel. I changed my rear shackles to a shorter one to gain 1" in the rear. If you have a limited slip that is a good start. If not a locker in the rear makes a huge difference. Side steps or Step bars hang low...remove them for clearance. Nobody makes sliders for this truck so they would have to be fabricated. I also was able to get rough country to sell me just the skid plate for the front differential to protect the aluminum front diff. Supercrews from my reading came with the softest torsion bars...helps with some flex despite being IFS. Final pic is from a trip out west fully loaded with camping gear, 25 gallons of water, food, cooler, tools, hi-lift and floor jack, and necessary dog supplies.

 

[rcintx]

If I am counting correctly, that makes 3 of us in this post with F150's from Texas. I am up near Lubbock. Where are you guys from?

 

[Epix]

If I am counting correctly, that makes 3 of us in this post with F150's from Texas. I am up near Lubbock. Where are you guys from?

rcintx, I'm located in Deer Park, which is 25 outside of Houston on the Southeast side.

 

[Epix]

I am most likely a little biased...your F150 can take you many places! If your truck has the off-road package or fx4 package you have skid plates. Most important on being the fuel tank. You can adjust your torsion bars to gain some height in the front...just don't max them out to keep downward travel. I changed my rear shackles to a shorter one to gain 1" in the rear. If you have a limited slip that is a good start. If not a locker in the rear makes a huge difference. Side steps or Step bars hang low...remove them for clearance. Nobody makes sliders for this truck so they would have to be fabricated. I also was able to get rough country to sell me just the skid plate for the front differential to protect the aluminum front diff. Supercrews from my reading came with the softest torsion bars...helps with some flex despite being IFS. Final pic is from a trip out west fully loaded with camping gear, 25 gallons of water, food, cooler, tools, hi-lift and floor jack, and necessary dog supplies.

Mad_Texan nice truck, as far as the skid plates go I havent had any luck finding the OEM plates on ebay or F150online forum so I may have to have some custom fabed. What kind of locker did you go with on the rear? I will try and post some pics of my truck tonight so you can see how it is at the moment.

 

[Mad_Texan]

I found mine on craigslist...found someone parting out a wrecked truck. I am running a aussie locker in mine. It clicks and chirps the tires occasionally but with the long wheelbase it is not as noticeable as the one I had in my CJ7