Goose Gear’s Ford F-350

After owning a Toyota Tacoma for overlanding, Brian of Goose Gear decided it was time to move up to something larger. The large tires and added weight of overlanding gear made the Tacoma feel to heavy and sluggish for his liking. Brian wanted a vehicle with the power and payload to take his family across the country in comfort, the capability to tackle technical trails, and a suspension that could fly down desert backroads.

Brian chose this 2018 Ford F-350 with a 440 horsepower 6.7L diesel that puts down 925 lbs-ft of torque. It has a 11,500 GVWR as well as solid axles and a factory rear locker.

Brian upgraded the ride with a Carli suspension system. He selected their 2.5-inch pin top kit with Carli Spec King reservoir shocks on all four corners and then paired that with Carli coils in the front, and custom Deaver springs in the rear. Brian told Deaver that he needed “springs that are built for a load 1,600 pounds heavier than stock in the rear, but they also have to ride like a 1970’s Cadillac and maintain the 16-inches of travel that the standard Carli specified springs would have.” Carli then took the truck at its loaded weight and tuned the shocks to match the load and new rear springs perfectly.

With the additional height of the suspension, Brian mounted 17-inch Method 701s wrapped in 37×12.50R17 General Grabber X3s. The 701’s offer Method’s “bead grip technology” which acts like a light-duty bead-lock, allowing you to run lower tire pressures with less chance of rolling the bead and getting a flat.

The exterior of the truck is protected by a set of custom built rock sliders by Castle Fab.

The front of the F-350 features a Warn winch bumper that houses a 12,000 pound winch. Brian has since decided to upgrade to a larger 16,500 pound winch to match the trucks weight. The bumper also features (4) Baja Designs XL80 lights along with a pair of ditch lights mount above the hood.

The FiftyTen Camper

these fully aluminum modular camper systems are made in Germany and are comprised of a flatbed, canopy, and pop-top tent. The base tray features side storage boxes behind the wheels and a storage drawer in the rear for tools and fluids, and can be used as a flatbed for hauling cargo or as the base for the camper box which mounts to it. The camper itself is also built from aluminum and features two large gull-wing-style doors on the sides, a lift door for entry and exit in the rear, and an optional tire carrier specifically designed to accommodate sizes up to 40-inches for large trucks. Onboard air is available from two Extreme Outback Endura compressors and a 5-gallon reserve air tank with air chucks located on either side of the truck for easy access. All of this weighs in at approximately 1,200 pounds, but after removing the factory truck bed, Goose Gear only wound up with a net gain of around 900 pounds.

The standard FiftyTen arrives as a blank slate with a bed, which is why Brian developed this magnificent layout from their S-Series product line. “The Interior systems we (Goose Gear) developed for the FiftyTen campers are part of our S-Series product line. We designed them to be stronger and lighter than the M-Series modules that we have been using in SUVs since the start of the company, and tailored them specifically for higher-end campers, expedition vehicles, and vans.”

This setup also features a Dometic CRX 110 upright fridge/freezer and an integral sink and faucet in the back. An Eberspacher diesel heater keeps the cabin warm in all weather conditions, and a passive-radiator-style heater by Elgen keeps your water hot at the tap. Almost all of the electrical systems are made by Victron Energy and run off of a 160ah smart lithium battery which charges from Twin Renogy 100-watt solar panels and the Ford’s factory dual alternators that produce 440 amps. Battery control is covered by the Victron BMS 12/200 battery management system, with monitoring by a BMV 712. Twin solar panels are mounted to the roof and controlled by another Victron component, the Smart Solar MPPT 100/50, which allows Goose Gear to wire the panels in series.

The bed in the FiftyTen is more than just a foam pad. It’s a German made Froli suspension system paired with a Froli mattress and is considered one of the best sleep systems for campers.

Communications are handled by a Yaesu FTM-100DR with a hidden head unit. The F-350’s back seat retains the 40 portion of the 60/40 split, but the 60 side has been replaced with a Goose Gear drawer module for a flat mounting surface and secure storage.