2021 Ford F-350 Lariat Tremor custom build

Dave Isaacs, the owner of this mint 2021 Ford F350, tells us he is in the process of entering semi-retirement and has taken delivery of a larger 4.5-tonne caravan to enjoy in his new-found spare time.

Having owned a large range of four-wheel drive utes beforehand, including a new Nissan Navara, Hilux N70, D40 Navara and a 200 Series LandCruiser he had converted to a ute, owning another four-wheel drive was always going to be on the cards for this next phase in his life … it just needed to be bigger and better this time around.

113

That is the main reason he purchased this 2021 Velocity Blue Ford F350 Lariat Tremor brand new, with not a single modification undertaken at the time of purchase. As he wanted not only a tow rig capable of tugging his caravan but also a capable tourer, it was never going to stay stock for long.

When we asked him about the build process, Dave said there were zero issues encountered along the way, which is refreshing but not surprising considering the top-notch companies he has enlisted to help with the build.

For now, he’s comfortable in the knowledge he can travel anywhere he wants in comfort, and is planning on touring Australia with his Bushtracker caravan in tow. Let’s take a closer look at this beaut Ford F350 that is just as happy blasting through sand dunes, as it is eating up Outback corrugated roads.

Lights and 12V power

It’s a cliché, but it sure does seem like Dave is scared of the dark considering how much LED lighting adorns his pride and joy. On the front AMVE alloy bumper are a pair of Australian-made Ultra Vision Nitro 180 Maxx LED driving lights, which also feature a handy high/low function, allowing Dave to adjust the lights for the terrain he’s driving.

As well as the LED driving lights, Dave also has a 30-inch Ultra Vision LED lightbar mounted to the bar as well as a 45-inch Ultra Vision LED light bar mounted to his Rhino-Rack roof platform. Four Stedi fog lights have been bolted in the recess of the front bar, and his headlights have been upgraded to Maritimo XB LED units, rounding out a very complete lighting package.

113

In terms of camp and work lighting, Dave has Ignite Lighting LED work lights above the rear wheels, Ultra Vision Atom flush-mounted LED reverse lights, and four Ultra Vision LED work lights fitted inside the roof rack, two per side, to help illuminate campsites late at night.

As this is a tourer, Dave has installed two high-quality Invicta 200amp lithium batteries with Bluetooth capability, both of which are charged by a Redarc Manager 30 charger, with an additional 50amp Redarc DC-DC charger to allow the big F Truck to be charged up from any charge point. If parked up at camp for a few days, Dave opted to have two 180W Redarc solar panels mounted up, which is more than enough power to keep him remote for days on end.

Suspension

A big vehicle needs big suspension, and Dave has not done things by halves here. On the front end, the second most obvious addition is twin King steering dampers bolted to the steering arm, which not only look impressive but help the big F350 track true and take any shimmy out of the front end.

113

The most obvious addition, however, would have to be the installation of King coil-over shocks providing a four-inch lift, which was fitted up by Todd at Seven Slot Off Road in Ormeau, Queensland.

At the back of the Ford, Dave had the Seven Slot team give his vehicle the King shock-absorber treatment, but he has stayed with leaf springs in the rear which also provide four inches of lift. Dave tells us he is stoked with this package, which handles well on-road, off-road and when towing his heavy caravan.

Touring mods

As the main brief for this build is to be able to travel anywhere in Australia, comfortably and easily, Dave has gone to town with his F350 when it comes to touring modifications.

The most obvious one being the lovely AMVE 4X4 canopy which bolts directly to the chassis and has the factory central locking wired up to anything that opens and shuts. Dave has decked this out with all his electrical gear, as well as a Pro Eagle three-tonne Big Wheel jack and recovery gear.

There is also a slide-out kitchen with built-in pantry, internal slide-out drawer system on the driver’s side, a 140L Dometic upright fridge and an additional 40L Evakool drawer fridge secured to the passenger’s side. In the passenger-side toolbox, you’ll find an ARB twin compressor with 20L air tank, vital for pumping those meaty 37s back up to road pressures.

113

For protection from the elements, Dave has gone all out with a Bush Company XT 270-degree awning fitted to the passenger side and a Bush Company 180-degree awning on the driver’s side.

Water and fuel are critical for remote travel, and Dave has increased the capacities of both. Starting with a 230L Transfer Flow replacement fuel tanks, which if isn’t something to shrug your shoulders at, Dave has then added a further 180L of fuel storage with an Australian-made Brown Davis auxiliary fuel tank mounted in the original spare-wheel recess. Water-wise, Dave has had a 150L stainless-steel food-grade water tank fitted up, which is hooked to a pump as well as two outlets.

Power

The 6.7L V8 turbo-diesel Ford Power Stroke engine found in Dave’s F350 is no slouch in factory form, producing a claimed 475hp at 2600rpm at the flywheel.

While this is an impressive number, why not make a good thing even better if you can? Dave had the team at G&L Performance in Brisbane handle a high-performance custom tune to the big rig. The tune features five different mapping settings, so Dave can dial in more (or less) power when he sees fit.

113

As well as the engine tune, a custom automatic gearbox tune was done at the same time, and the diff ratios swapped out to 4.3:1 ratio with the installation of a front locker to match the rear factory diff lock, to help spin the big 37-inch Nitto tyres.

Engine internals remain stock, with the only other addition being a five-inch AMVE snorkel with custom airbox to help the big diesel breathe easier. And the result? Dave tells us that his F350 now makes 560hp and 1500Nm conservatively. That should be enough to pull that 'van of yours, mate.

Special thanks

Dave would like to thank the following people and companies for their hard work seeing his dream build come to life: Jamie, Jayden and the staff from AMVE 4X4, Reece from G&L Performance, Todd from Seven Slot Off Road, VDC Corporation, Harrisons F Trucks, Gavin from Auto Karma, Byron from Tint a Car Milton, and Northfield Car Sound.