46,243 miles isn’t a lot for a rig that could have easily been driven that much every year over the last 29 years. The story goes that this 1997 Ford F-350 XLT dually was bought in order to go camping, and we don’t know if it was pulling a trailer (there is no fifth-wheel hub in the bed) or with a camper on the back. It’s listed here on eBay in Artesia, California; there is no reserve, and the current bid is $10,800.
I don’t know if there’s a better finish/color/tone for a Southern California vehicle than white, Oxford White in this case. Most vehicles there seem to be black for some masochistic reason. Hey, let’s live in the desert southwest and have a black vehicle! I know it’s about personal preference, and everyone has air-conditioning, so maybe it isn’t an issue. We all know that the “color” white reflects the hot sun rather than soaking it in. As they say, black is the new black (I just made that up).
Speaking of the southwest, you’ll notice Arizona plates. The seller says the owners have it registered in Arizona, even though they live in California, in case you were wondering. The photos are outstanding, truly a fine job by the seller. Pretty much everything is shown inside and out, and also underneath, where it looks as solid and nice as can be. I know you can put a trailer hitch on this truck, but I expected to see a fifth-wheel connection or a ball hitch in the bed. I don’t see either. Maybe this one had a camper on the back? We don’t know.
As with the exterior, the interior of this ninth-generation F-series, in one-ton form, looks almost like new. I see the steering wheel cover, but I don’t see tint on the windows, or the pitch-black tint that most vehicles have these days. They really took care of this one. No dash pad either, maybe they used a sun shield, although that’s rare to see. Do any of you use a sun shield when you park outside in the sun? I do 100% of the time. The SuperCab configuration is my favorite; it gives more than enough room inside for occasional adult passengers, yet it seems a bit more secure than having four doors. I’m probably wrong on that, since there are still windows in the back. This one has the optional “cloth front captain’s chairs” in front and a cloth bench seat in back, a nice upgrade.
This one isn’t a diesel, and there’s no manual transmission, but the powertrain is Ford’s 7.5-liter (460-cu.in.) OHV V8, which was rated at 245 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. The 460 was standard on the 2WD F-350 with dual rear wheels. Backed by an optional four-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels, the seller says this one runs great, but it has been in storage a lot over the last few years, and the air-conditioning isn’t blowing cold. It also needs new tires, as these are from the glory years when it was regularly used for camping. Tires and an AC service won’t be inexpensive, but given the overall condition of this beautiful truck, this looks like a winner to me. Any thoughts on this F-350?
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