2015 F-150 Owner Turns His Truck Into an Overlanding Rig

Ford mechanic has loaded his EcoBoost-powered F-150 with the stuff he needs for overlanding, including a tent and water supply.

Overlanding is a term that means “self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal,” according to Overland Journal. It’s synonymous with vehicles such as the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner. But as this video from the YouTube channel Overland Network TV shows, the Ford F-150 can be a suitable overlanding vehicle, too.

Host Ruston Smith takes some time to interview his friend Chris about his Blue Oval build. It’s a 2015 F-150 XLT SuperCrew with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 and the FX4 package, which gives him a combination of fuel range and factory off-road hardware. But overlanding requires a lot of special equipment so Chris outfitted his truck by either buying what it needed or making it himself.

Traction is key when you’re far from civilization so upgraded wheels and tires are a logical upgrade to make. Chris swapped out his truck’s stock setup for a set of 18-inch wheels wrapped in 33″ X 12.5″ mud-terrain tires. Despite their chunky appearance, they’re surprisingly smooth and quiet on the road. They’re also durable. Chris has put 20,000 miles on them and “there’s no chunks missing,” according to him. Thanks to a leveling kit, his F-150’s front end sits 2.5 inches higher than stock.

The bed has an array of essential features. As spacious as the F-150’s SuperCrew cab is (and as much as seat covers with modular storage options help), it can’t hold everything. Chris installed a set of custom sliding drawers that hold tools and cooking supplies in the cargo box. He also put in a battery-powered fridge that can keep his food cool for two nights on a full charge. It can take a lot of abuse, just like the F-150. According to Chris, “I’ve had rainstorms pouring rain on it and it just keeps going.” A pressurized water supply and pop-up shower and toilet facilities enable Chris and his wife to stay clean during their excursions.

Chris could’ve gone one of two ways with his high-mounted tent. He either could’ve put it directly above the cab and not been able to park his truck in his garage or placed it over his truck’s bed and kept his F-150’s dimensions garage-friendly. Chris opted for the second route. That required a rack to install the tent’s base on at a time when those weren’t readily available. Chris decided to fabricate his own out of lightweight aluminum and secured his bed-away-from-home above it. His build was ahead of its time. He tells Smith, “As soon as I made this, like about a month later, I started seeing them on Tacomas, built by the popular companies.”

Overlanding is about more than just the right vehicle and the proper gear, though. It also requires adaptability and problem-solving skills. We’d say Chris has all of those bases covered.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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