Hauling To The Hills

Part II: Flat bed, front bumper and more for the 2011 F-450

Published in the October 2011 Issue October 2011 Build Ryan Harris

This truck's previous installment showed how we are transforming a 2011 Ford F-450 from a basic trailer tower to a customized hauler truck.

As it comes from the factory, the F-450 is no slouch. It has one of the best power plants ever offered to consumers in the 6.7L V8 Power Stroke turbo diesel. Its six-speed TorqueShift is tough as nails. The updated body work and interior give the truck a sharp look with a very comfortable cabin. And things like the Wide Boy front axle, which give the truck a very tight turning radius, make it a great platform for a hauler.

But there's always room for improvement, no matter how much better the OEMs make these trucks.

We've added a 65-gallon replacement fuel tank from Titan Tanks. The Titan tank gives the truck tremendous range, which is a big factor considering the remote locations its owner-Bret Rasmussen, a professional snowmobiler who does instructional rides throughout the western U.S. and Canada-is taking it into.

We also installed a set of 19.5-inch Vision Hauler Dually wheels and some Sumitomo traction tires.

Heavy Metal

The next big step in the build was to replace the stock truck box with a hauler-style flatbed. We turned to Bradford Built out of Washington, Kan., for a bed designed for our needs.

Bradford Built recommended the new style Stepside bed. The Stepside bed was designed as a result of customer feedback. It features four sealed and lockable toolboxes. The Stepside bed has a finished look, with diamond plate deck and smooth plate steel sides and rear skirt. The bottom edge of the bed sides are finished with a nice rocker flare and wheel fenders.

The deck itself is built from 1/8-inch thick tread plate and incorporates a 30,000-lb. rated gooseneck hitch with cover plate. There is also a receiver-type bumper hitch built into the rear skirt of the bed. There are enough D-rings and chain slots to be able to secure any load on the bed.

The headache rack and rear skirt both feature sealed flushmount beam lights, while the rear skirt features tapered sides to protect the lights from backing into loading docks and added turning clearance with trailers.

There are flip-down sides with spring-loaded releases for easy use. The entire bed is powder coated for a lasting, durable finish.

We removed the factory truck bed at Powerlabs Diesel and delivered the truck to Riverside Boot and Saddle, a Bradford Built dealer in southeastern Idaho, where the bed was installed.

We pulled the backup camera out of the tailgate and mounted it to the headache rack to make backing up to gooseneck trailers easier. The camera comes out of the tailgate handle assembly. We just had to cut a section of wire harness out of the back end of the factory bed to complete the truck's factory harness connection to the Bradford Built bed with the camera.

We also had the back-up sensors removed from the factory bumper and installed in the Bradford Built Stepside bed. The sensors were installed in the rear skirt of the flatbed.

On The Road Again

One thing you notice right off when you switch to a big flatbed like this is the added weight over the rear end. On an F-450, that is actually an improvement when you run empty.

Aside from the custom look, the bed is built for use and abuse. That's something you can't say of the stock pickup box.

The shape of the headache rack fits the truck body lines very well. And we love how the width of the Stepside bed follows the truck body.

As for the weight and the truck's rear suspension, we solved any issue there by adding a set of Firestone Ride-Rite air bags with on-board compressor and Wireless Air Command remote control. The Ride-Rite setup keeps the fenders from rubbing the rear duals under a heavy gooseneck tongue weight. And the wireless remote means that Rasmussen can adjust the air bag pressure from inside or outside of the truck cab.

Gauging Things

As for performance, we wanted to stay mellow with the power output given that the truck will mainly tow a 38-foot gooseneck loaded with snowmobiles, fuel and equipment over snow-covered roads. Rolling off high numbers on the dyno isn't what a build like this is about. However, that doesn't mean we can't use the latest in performance technology for monitoring and a little help with fuel economy.

For that, we went with an XRT Pro tuner from H&S Performance. The XRT Pro gives you full control over what's going on under the hood of your truck, from tuning to EGR management and everything in-between. It's all right there at your fingertips.

Counter Balance

A truck like this needs a finishing touch to really catch the attention of minivan dads and long-haul truckers it passes on the highway.

Throttle Down Kustoms builds some of the highest-quality bumpers we've seen on diesel trucks. And that shouldn't come as a surprise given the fact that Jeremy Pulse, TDK's owner, is a long-time fabricator and off-road truck racer.

Every Throttle Down Kustoms bumper we've installed on a project truck has slipped right into place and bolted up without any grinding, bending or use of big hammers. When you're installing a heavy front bumper like this with just a couple guys, having it line up right the first time makes it totally worth it.

This TDK bumper is unique in that it's built for the new Ford Super Duty front end and has a full wrap-around grille guard that matches the contours of the truck's front end. We had C&S Auto Body in Idaho Falls, Idaho, paint it Summit White to match the truck. The bumper rounds out the appearance package of the F-450 hauler build perfectly.

So if you're one who travels the winter highways of the West, keep an eye open for our custom F-450 Hauler this winter. It will be rolling over the winter snowpack all season long.