In 2019 Justice Peru was spending about 85% of the year travelling for work. Not wanting to miss out on his son’s milestones, Justice convinced his wife Charma and son to join him on the road. They didn’t want to be bouncing from multiple hotels and airports, so Justice decided to create a tiny home on wheels. Instead of lugging a huge camper behind a truck, he chose to create a home on wheels that could travel anywhere on road or off.
Justice was inspired by the Ford F-550 Earthroamers, but didn’t like the $665,000 starting price. Instead, he chose to start with a Ford F-450 and build his own overlanding vehicle. The Ford F-450 has an 8,600-pound curb weight and 35,000-pound maximum towing capacity, so it could tow a large camper if he ever wanted to. Especially with the 6.7L turbo-diesel V-8 that produces 450 horsepower and 935 pound-feet of torque.
To switch from a dually rear end to a “super single” setup with square track width, Justice added custom Stazworks forged aluminum wheels and wider McNeil Racing front fenders.
321 Auto in Merritt Island, Florida installed the Carli suspension, wider McNeil Racing front fenders, 20×10-inch Stazworks wheels, and 41-inch Goodyear tires. The front bumper contains a Smittybilt XRC Gen2 12,000-pound winch. Expedition One built the rear bumper featuring containers for water and fuel, as well as a custom dual swing tire carrier to support the hefty 206-pound full-size spare tire.
Initially, the truck was set up with an aluminum camper in the bed, but limited capabilities and structural issues led Justice to ditch that setup for a Black Series HQ17 off-road camper. That left the bed open for a Mule Expedition Equipment rack, which offers adjustable height to clear dirt bikes and other tall cargo. The rack supports a 23Zero Kabari roof-top tent and two Peregrine 180 awnings, so there’s still a comfortable place to sleep when they’re not towing the camper. A second Mule rack was added to the truck’s roof, and carries four AluBoxes loaded with gear, plus a 23Zero Peregrine shower enclosure.
The Ford F-450 rides on a Carli 4.5-inch Pintop suspension kit with King 2.5-inch shocks up front and Carli heavy-duty leaf springs with 3-inch lift blocks in the rear. Since the new camper weighs up to 9,000 pounds loaded, Air Lift Load Lifter airbags were also installed, along with Daystar airbag cradles that are detached to maximize off-road suspension travel when they’re not in use.
An array of LightForce products lights up the trails and campsites at night. These include four HTX2s and two Strikers on the front bumper, six more Strikers on the roof rack, four Nightfall ROK 40s on the rear bumper and ditch brackets, and a handful of ROK 20 and ROK 9 utility lights all around the bed rack. An RCR-Force-12 control unit from Switch Pros toggles all the lighting on and off.
Inside the cab, two-thirds of the rear bench seat has been removed to make room for a platform containing toolboxes, a storage cubby, a Goal Zero 500X portable power station, and a Dometic CFX3 35 fridge. A smaller Dometic CCF-T fridge was installed in the center console to keep drinks and snacks cool. There’s still enough room in the back of the cab for the Perus’ dog and a passenger. Up front, 67 Designs phone mounts make it convenient to check downloaded OnX Maps for off-grid navigation, and a RAM floor mount holds an iPad that monitors the F-450’s vitals through the EZ LYNK Auto Agent app. Handheld Rugged Radios allow communication with spotters on difficult trails.
Specifications:
Year/Make/Model: 2019 Ford F-450 4×4 Lariat
Drivetrain: 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V-8 with S&B Filters intake, intercooler pipe, MAP sensor spacer, and 68-gallon fuel tank; TorqShift 6R140 automatic transmission with Proven Diesel tune; PMF Dana 60 front axle truss and front diff cover
Suspension: Carli 4.5-inch Pintop front suspension kit with torsion sway bar, radius arms, and King 2.5-inch remote reservoir shocks; Carli Deaver HD rear leveling leaf springs on 3-inch lift blocks, Air Lift Load Lifter 5,000 airbags, Daystar airbag cradles (all components from CJC Off Road)
Wheels & Tires: 20×10 Stazworks 3-Piece Forged Super Single wheels with G275 335/80R20 Goodyear tires
Body Modifications: McNeil Racing 6-inch bulge front fenders, Expedition One Ultra HD front bumper (modified to fit wide fenders) and prototype reinforced Dual Swing rear bumper, Ford OEM upgraded LED headlights and black XL grille, Mule Expedition Equipment roof rack and customized 8-foot bed rack, Icky Concepts bulkhead MOLLE panel
Lighting & Accessories: 23Zero tent, awnings, and shower enclosure; LightForce LED lights with Switch Pros control unit, Smittybilt 12K winch with Custom Splice 3/8-inch Diamondback Mainline rope and Factor 55 UltraHook, dual Extreme Outback Magnum air compressors, Equipt1 AluBox cases, Dometic refrigerator, Goal Zero Yeti 500X power station, iPad in RAM Mount
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