Photos and words by, Dave Jansen
Basecamp F550
I wanted something to take my family camping and carry all my toys. I wanted to be sufficient for off the grid camping and not stress about my bikes disappearing or being damaged in transit.
This build was completed by industry professionals. The camper is constructed from aluminum and composite. Using these materials keeps the F550 at about 14K lbs (about 5.5K lbs less than an Earthroamer).
The Truck:
The truck is a 2017 F550 Diesel 4x4 Lariat. It seats 5 in the spacious crew cab configuration. Everything on the truck is under full factory warranty as everything was done to spec to keep the warranty intact. The truck has 4,500 miles on the odometer.
The truck is equipped with Hutchinson Military Spec 2 Pixel Bead Lock Wheels with 41” Michelin X 335/80R20 tires. It has a 6” Dirt Logic alongside Fabtech fully adjustable coil-overs and radius arms (similar to those on trophy trucks). The overall lift with tires and lift itself is about 11”. The rear end has custom Atlas rear leaf springs. To help with the height, the power steps are extra-long and drop an additional 5”.
The total length of the truck is 29’ making it very practical for getting around. The front end has custom high clearance fiberglass fenders 12” wider than stock. It is also equipped with an Aluminess front bumper with 4 Rigid LED high intensity off road lights. Inside the bumper is a Warn 16500lbs winch with synthetic rope. The rear also features a custom bumper with an electric hydraulic swinging tire gate.
The Camper:
The camper consists of an aluminum frame and composite body. It is insulated with 2.5” foam. Sound deadening was added throughout the camper to help with noise as well as temperature. There is a pass-through to the camper that can be sealed off with cushions that close off the cab to create a temperature seal and noise reduction. The exterior has a vinyl wrap that can be easily removed.
Quick Specs on the camper:
Sleeps 5:
-1 King Bed
-Dinette turns into larger twin
-Fold Down twin bunk beds along gear wall
50 Gallon Fresh Water Tank
30 Gallon Grey water tank Wet Bath featuring:
-Cassette Toilet- Thetford 10 Gallon
-Interior Shower
-On Demand Airxcel Hot Water Heater
-Macerator in drain so you don’t have to worry about what you’re showering off yourself after riding bikes or a day at the beach.
Tons of custom cabinetry for interior storage
2 Huge exterior water tight storage compartments along the camper body
-Stores 2 12V batteries
-110 amp hr total
-Has wiring to add a permanent generator if desired
400W of Lensun Solar on the roof- Marine Grade- can be walked on
Red Arc Charge Controller- Maintenance free- Designed to do all the thinking for you
Interior Volt Reader next to sink
Large Sink with stainless custom countertop
110 Shore Power Plug
2 Fantastic Fans for airmovement- 1 in main kitchen area, 1 in bathroom
Floor is aircraft checmical resistant water proof linoseal
Propane Catalytic heater- Olympia Wave 6 Directional Heater
4 Tie down points in camper floor
Custom GearKeep Storage wall
-Has all the arms to store surfboards, bikes, and more
-Folds down to create 2 bunkbeds
-Can fit 3 dirtbikes in camper
The camper has a surprisingly light yet sturdy staircase for access. It attaches to the rear door for convenient storage and use. The bottom has adjustable legs to allow for uneven surface use. I also have the moto ramp for loading and unloading motorcycles.
Overall I built the camper to be trouble free. I created the interior systems to be exchangeable if a problem arises. During build process, I never said no to upgrading to the highest quality materials to be used.
I spent over a year having this beast created unfortunately life changes and demands other things of me so the beast if for sale.
Proof of funds required for test drives.
Located in Southern California
Price: $225K
