Looking back now, Big Blue was probably the most generic name I could have come up with but at the time I thought it was the perfect fit for my navy blue 7.3L Power Stroke build. Since then I’ve come across some very inspiring and creative names for truck builds that either perfectly sum up the entire project in a couple of words, or the name is so out there that it just makes you want to know more.

Best example of this might just be our Road Treasure build years ago. Dave Friedli never hesitates to investigate those items on the side of the highway that have fallen off another vehicle. Over the years he’s found coolers, motorcycle helmets, tools, ladders, CD cases and just about everything else you could imagine. He even once found a Bible that he was able to return to the owner, so it’s not always about keeping what he finds. Although he has several hobbies, one of them without a doubt is scouting for what he refers to as “road treasure.”

Our big ride just got built up even bigger! That’s right: the suspension on our F350 Soup build just got even cooler and more sophisticated with the installation of new Air Lift LoadLifter 7500XL air bags with a WirelessAir 7400EZ controller. At Diesel Tech we plan on hauling some really heavy trailers, so we teamed up with PowerTech Diesel to get those heavy-duty air bags set up. The 7500XL air bags are Air Lift’s strongest air bags, offering up to 7,500 pounds of load-leveling capacity to level massive loads like they’re nothing. The large double-bellows springs provide greater leveling strength at lower pressures, and they’re easy to control with the WirelessAir controller. The installation of the entire system was completed by PowerTech technician Jordan Johnson.

It’s not too often you see an old Dodge Power Wagon driving around in 2021. It’s unique; and that’s what Mike Presher loves about his 1959 Power Wagon. The three-quarter ton truck turns heads everywhere the owner takes it, and so far that’s been a lot of places.

“My buddy rode with me the other day. He said, ‘Man, you’re like a rock star in this thing, huh?’” Mike recalled. “Everybody waves at you. You fill up with fuel and they want to talk about the truck. Lots of positive reactions.”

While it’s not quite a daily driver, it’s pretty dang close. Mike works as a dirt contractor in Tatum, N.M., and will often take the Power Wagon with him out onto dirt roads to perform estimates on jobs in oil fields or elsewhere. It’s reliable enough that Mike mentioned he would take it on a road trip all the way up to Oregon if he needed to. A tall order for a 62-year-old truck, though not surprising for a build once used as fire trucks, a job that relies on reliability.

July 8, 2019. The day started like any other for Kendall Reed. She drove to work at 5:45 like she did most mornings, except this particular day it was raining. As Kendall picked up speed around a curve that merged onto the highway, her back wheels kicked out as if she had hit black ice. At the speed she was going, it’s easy to overcorrect, and that’s exactly what happened. The truck spun and Kendall found herself going 60 mph while facing backward on a freeway. She hit a curb and braced herself for the inevitable roll.

Kendall (Instagram: @kendiesel_227), 25, lives in Washington and loves being outdoors. As a little girl she was constantly camping, fishing, hunting and rock climbing with her family. When she was just four, Kendall hopped on a dirt bike for the first time and was off to the races. She’s used to wiping out on her dirt bike which prepared her for what she thought was going to happen: she was going to get knocked out. But it didn’t happen. In fact, Kendall walked away with only minor injuries, though she still goes to the chiropractor for a neck issue.

Gearwrench

New 90-Tooth Ratcheting Wrenches

You don’t need to be a professional mechanic to appreciate quality tools; at least that’s how I was able to justify investing in the latest from GEARWRENCH. It’s a name I trust when working on my own truck and with large hands like mine I’ll take any advantage I can get when trying to squeeze into those hard-to-reach places.

The 90-tooth platform with 66 new ratcheting wrenches are available in the two most popular styles – combination and flex-head combination – but for the record it’s not just about the number of teeth. The new GEARWRENCH ratcheting wrenches create a 4-degree swing arc to work in tighter spaces and the longer and thicker beams improve leverage and increase your comfort.

Icon Vehicle Dynamics

Alloy Rebound Wheels

A new lift kit on our F350 Soup Project truck allowed us to bring in some stellar new wheels for the rig. While black wheels may look really cool, in a way it’s kind of becoming cliché to have those on a white truck. We ended up breaking away from tradition and went with the titanium ICON Rebound wheels, and their color fits very well with our Ford build. More importantly, however, these wheels sport a bold new look and add some incredible strength and handling. We chose the wheels to improve the form and function of our one-ton truck, as they feature sharp lines, a concave spoke design, and “ICON- optimized” dimensions.