What kind of support truck would you build for supporting your livelihood? Would it have giant tires and get horrendous fuel economy? Would it have so much power that it could spin the earth the wrong direction when you got on the accelerator?
Or would it be everything you needed it to be and nothing more? Our perfect work truck would have tires just big enough to get us through 95 percent of what we'd encounter and sufficient power to comfortably climb grades with big loads while not being a black smoke belcher. It'd be easy to drive, easy to load (not too tall), and would still go places a stock truck could not.
Dennis Gregory of Oceano, California, had just about the same perfect plan for his 2001 Ford Super Duty F-250. And luckily for him, he stuck to that plan instead of getting caught up in the excitement of giant tires and quadruple-digit torque numbers. Dennis owns a 4x4 shop just a few miles from Pismo Dunes, and he's seen too many trucks and fixed too many broken parts to not build a sensible Super Duty when it came time to modify his own truck. He needed something that would be ultra reliable and functional because this truck supports his livelihood. And we can attest to the utility of the F-250's build, as it's come to the rescue of OFF-ROAD's toys more than once (thanks again!).
This Super Duty doesn't have all the flash that our own Project STD does, but it runs 100 percent of the time and is a heck of a lot easier to park than ours. Wanna trade, Dennis?
 Though Dennis uses this as...  Though Dennis uses this as his primary work truck and support vehicle, he still doesn't mind going out to have a little fun and getting it dirty. The stock bumpers have enough clearance for what the truck is normally used for, so a Randy Ellis Designs lightbar was used to put two Hella 4000s on for better night visibility. |  The Kelderman airbag suspension...  The Kelderman airbag suspension is controlled by ride height sensors at each corner of the truck, monitored by an AccuAir control system.Rancho 9000XL shocks are utilized with the airbags. The bundle of wire above the airbag bracket was not there when we drove this truck, but this is an initial install image Dennis provided us with since everything underneath was covered in mud after our shoot. |  |
 Looking at this truck parked...  Looking at this truck parked in a lot, you wouldn't guess that it had a Kelderman airbag system at all four corners. Dennis went with a 0-2-inch suspension system that allows his truck varying ride height positions. The front axle is still located by the main leaf in the leaf spring, but other leaves were removed and the airbags now take the majority of the front end's load. |  |  The rear of the Kelderman...  The rear of the Kelderman 0-2-inch kit is an industrial-sized four-link system that uses semi truck rod ends for the links. The airbags are attached to a reservoir with a larger diameter air hose than what feeds the reservoir. This is to allow the rapid compression and decompression in each airbag as the suspension oscillates. |
 |  Inside, Dennis has an overhead...  Inside, Dennis has an overhead S-Pod with an integrated air pressure gauge to allow him to control his AccuAir ride height leveling and control system. He also got the new E-Level interface remote to control the AccuAir from either inside the vehicle or standing outside. The AccuAir system automatically levels the vehicle for optimum results when driving. |  |
 Obviously, Dennis puts his...  Obviously, Dennis puts his 7.3L Powerstroke diesel engine to work, and he used a Bully Dog Four-Bank chip to enhance the F-250's towing capabilities. A BD transmission also sits behind the big diesel since the factory one took a crap just 20,000 miles into the truck's life.The truck is loaded down with a Lance 820 camper on top, and is yanking a Sloan Kwikload 24-foot trailer behind it. Dennis custom-ordered this trailer to his specifications and it is just about the coolest trailer we've come across. The trailer axles actually move forward to tilt the entire trailer instead of requiring ramps. |  Dennis truly uses this truck...  Dennis truly uses this truck the way a truck is supposed to be used.With that Polaris RZR strapped securely in the back, it felt like nothing at all in the back of this utilitarian truck. |  Instead of being bitten by...  Instead of being bitten by the big tire bug, Dennis managed to control himself and go with a set of 305/70R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on some Ultra Gear wheels. Keeping to a 34-inch tire allows him to still easily load and unload things into the back of his pickup. |
 Xtreme D? Dennis was able...  Xtreme D? Dennis was able to acquire a license plate to match his shop, Xtreme Unlimited. | | |