I thought overlanding was a relatively new phenomenon, but this 1968 Ford F250 appears to prove me wrong. The waters of “expedition” and “overlanding” are a little muddy, largely differing in the intent of the trip, but if you’re not familiar with overlanding, Overland Journal defines it as “self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal.” It looks like this 1968 Ford F250 could be a vehicle capable of such adventure, as long as there’s plenty of headroom for that boat! Thank you to an anonymous Barn Finds reader for sending in this tip. It can be found here on Bring-a-Trailer, where bids are currently at $12,500.
This is one of only 411 1968 F250s painted in Pebble Beige — a color that seems so fitting for this setup. These were equipped with only a 5-digit odometer, which is currently showing approximately 22k miles. The seller doesn’t indicate if it’s rolled over, but it looks like this really has covered less than 500 miles per year since new. Hood and tailgate paint have been touched up, but appear to match well. The basic hubcaps on the body colored 16″ wheels keep with the utilitarian theme. It’s hard not to notice the boat and trailer stored on the roof of the camper. I’ve never seen anything like this, nor do I expect to see anything like it ever again. Rather than try to describe how this actually functions in text, scroll to the end of the pictures in the Bring-a-Trailer listing to see photos.
Not to be outdone by the exterior, this F250’s interior contributes to the assumption this has only 22k original miles. Standard 1968 interior fare that I would believe looks even better than it did when new. Several gauges have been added, including a tachometer and voltmeter. There’s even an added altimeter on the steering column! All of these offering peace of mind for that next overland trip, right?
I can’t lead with this being a camper and not actually show the camper part. Not many niceties here — really just a clean space for catching some shuteye and escaping the elements. Again…keeping with the theme — (presumed) low-mileage utilitarian. I’ve never thought any vehicle could simultaneously be utilitarian and inviting. This truck just keeps proving me wrong.
According to the Marti Report, the 360-2power plant mated to the NP435 4-speed manual transmission was not an uncommon combination. After being pulled from a 20-year storage this year, a remanufactured carburetor was installed, ignition components were replaced, and engine fluids were changed.
There’s a lot that can be said about this 1968 Ford F250, but I think the 400+ photos do a much better of saying them than I can. If you’re looking for something you never knew you needed, this just may be that thing for you.
This is pretty cool. Judging by the passenger side of the interior not usable, this tells me, this was someone’s personal getaway vehicle. I think that’s a “tip-o-meter” on the steering column, so someone planned on going way back in the hills. With the boat on the top, they must have pulled something else, like a 4 wheeler. Sure seems like a silly and complicated way to haul a boat,( and watch those overhangs at the Sonic) but this is America, where we’re limited only by our imagination. And for the umptininth time, IT DOESN’T HAVE 20K MILES,,,sheesh! Somebody wouldn’t do all this work and not drive it. I see a few of these types of trucks out here in Co.
It looks like 122,000 from the condition of everything. However it is one cool truck. The boat loader looks to be complicated from the pictures but maybe a canoe or 2 kayaks would fit up there just as easy.
What’s up with the front of the cowl. Looks like some type of repair work that was required like water leaking into the cab and it was screwed back together and some type of sealant used. It’s odd since there is a lot of welding done elsewhere on this truck.
This is very cool. The more you look at the pictures, the more interesting detail you see. The owner/builder put a ton of work into this. I sometimes wonder about said person, maybe: a single guy, loved the outdoors, has a wide range of skills, maybe an engineer or architect by trade but also has fabrication/ wiring/ welding skills, spent years building out this fascinating piece of equipment.
Check out the pic of the letter he wrote to Ford with engineering-related questions. The mark of someone who is deep into the details.
With all the bends and angles, my favorite 4-speed shift lever.
One clarification from the Marti report: I remember Pebble Beige as being fairly common, so I was surprised to see only 411 F-250’s in this color. However when one examines the report, it is 411 F-250 4wd models. That makes more sense, there likely were thousands of F-250 2wd models in this color. This is a common error in understanding a Marti report, i.e. not realizing the “basis” for the data.
Lots of trucks like this out here in New Mexico and with great history too from gold panners to fisherman.using trucks like this.
And the favorite camper used would be an Alaskan, the kind that goes up and down.
I can really appreciate a man with this level of OCD! He knew what he wanted and knew how to make that vision a reality. I’m sure I would have liked to have been able to meet him, get a nice campfire going and let him commence with the stories.
What a cool rig!!
Neat way to carry the boat, until it rains. Then you have several tons of water over your head. Boat would be better upside down.
Boat would have a drain plug
Looking at the way it sits, the rear end of the boat sits very high, so half full before water ever got to it. That is if the owner remembered to pull the plug, or trash did not plug it up.