How to Build a Ford F-150 for Trail and Overland Use

A Tacoma build is about armor. An F-150 build is about what the bed can move.

A Tacoma or a Wrangler build centers on rock sliders and skid plates because those trucks go somewhere technical. The F-150 aftermarket leans a different direction. Bumpers and lighting cover the front end, but the real build decision is what the bed does for you: haul dirt bikes to the trailhead, sleep in it at basecamp, or both on different weekends.

This guide covers the F-150 specifically, with bumper coverage split by year. If you're running an F-250 or F-350 Super Duty, that's a heavier-duty platform with its own bumpers. The Ford collection has those separately.

Step 1: Front and rear bumpers

Pick the bumper for your year first. It sets the front-end look and determines what lighting you can mount.

Front bumper

For 2018 to 2023 trucks, the Ford F-150 Ambush Front Bumper is 3/16" and 1/4" cold rolled steel with two welded D-ring mounts and room for a 30" dual-row LED bar plus 2 cube lights. It bolts on with no drilling or welding and works with factory sensors. For 2009 to 2014 trucks, the F-150 Front Bumper is a lighter 1/8" steel plate design sized for a 20" light bar or up to 4 cube lights, with the same bolt-on approach.

Worth knowing before you buy a winch: both of these are non-winch bumpers. They're built for D-ring recovery points and light mounting, not a winch mount. If a winch is part of your plan, choose a winch-rated bumper for your year instead.

Rear bumper

For 2015 to 2020 trucks, the F-150 Rear Bumper (Ambush) improves departure angle, adds shackle anchor points, keeps the factory tow hitch and OE sensors, and has built-in step pockets for bed access, which helps once you're loading a rack back there. The F-150 Rear Bumper covers the same years with the same step pockets, hitch, and sensor compatibility.

Step 2: Lighting

Once the bumpers are on, lighting is straightforward. Match the bar to the bumper's mount:

• Ambush front (2018 to 2023): the 30" Blackout LED Light Bar is a dual-row combo beam for the 30" mount, and Blackout LED Cube Spot Lights fill the two cube mounts.
• 2009 to 2014 front: the 20" Blackout LED Light Bar, or up to four cube lights. Blackout LED Cube Flood Lights spread light wide for dust and tight trails.

Browse light bars and LED lights for the full range.

Step 3: Bed storage, hauling bikes and motos

This is where an F-150 build earns its keep. The bed is the largest usable cargo space of any truck in this guide series, and the gear here is built around using it without giving up the tailgate, the hitch, or the backup camera.

Entry point

The Big Days Trailbreaker Moto Rack holds one to three dirt bikes depending on configuration and bed length, with the tailgate closed. The hitch stays free for towing and the backup camera stays clear. It fits inside bed widths of 40 to 64 inches and works with most folding, retractable, and roll-up tonneau covers. An in-bed loading ramp is available separately.

Step up

The Big Days Chase Rack Essential carries two motos and includes the ramp. It's worth it if you know you're carrying two bikes every trip. Both this and the Trailbreaker use a T-Track mounting system, so you can swap between moto mounts and other accessories without tools.

Top tier

For serious hauling, the Big Days Chase Rack Baja 1000 Pro carries three motos and is built for desert racing and long-distance runs. Big Days lists the F-150 among the trucks it fits, with the same tailgate-closed, hitch-free design and heavier-duty construction.

If you haul bicycles instead of motos, the Big Days Chase Rack Truck Bed Bike Rack holds up to six bikes in a full-size truck on the same above-bed mounting principle. Browse the full dirt bike and moto rack collection for every configuration.

Step 4: Truck bed sleep system

This is the other use for that bed, and it's worth deciding which one you're building for. A loaded moto rack and a full-length mattress don't share the space on the same trip.

Luno makes the full-size truck bed mattress in two lengths: the Full-Size 5.5ft Truck Bed Air Mattress and the Full-Size 6.5ft Truck Bed Air Mattress. Luno lists the F-150 for both. Pick the length that matches your bed, 5.5 ft or 6.5 ft, not the truck's badge. If you're not sure which bed your F-150 has, confirm with us before ordering.

For shade at camp, a vehicle awning on a bed rack or roof rack covers the tailgate. On a 2015 to 2020 SuperCrew, the upTOP KILO F-150 Roof Rack adds a low-profile aluminum platform on the cab. It also fits the 2017 to 2020 Gen 2 Raptor SuperCrew, but not 2021 and newer trucks.

Step 5: Power and comms

These come last because they depend on what you're running. A compressor fridge from the portable fridge freezers collection is the biggest draw, and the Dometic HWK-DC Hardwire Kit gives it a dedicated, fused 12V socket. The Dometic PLB15 Portable Battery (192 Wh) keeps phones, cameras, and camp lights charged.

For comms once you're out of cell range, a GMRS radio keeps your group in touch. The Rugged Radios mobile kits in our radios collection are built for Toyota, Jeep and Bronco, so on an F-150 plan on a universal GMRS radio.

The order, in short

• Front and rear bumpers: sets the front end; know that these are non-winch before you buy
• Lighting: a bar and cube lights sized to your bumper's mounts
• Bed rack: moto or bike hauling, sized to how many you're carrying
• Sleep system: the alternative use of the bed, matched to your exact bed length
• Power and comms: sized to what you're running once everything else is decided

The F-150 isn't about crawling technical trail like a Wrangler. It's about getting bikes, gear, or a place to sleep to the trailhead without a trailer. Build around the bed first and the rest is straightforward.

Shop F-150 accessories or the full Ford collection.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Ford Bronco trail overland build guide
• Bronco Sport car camping setup
• Tacoma overlanding build guide
• Dirt bike rack buying guide