And, just like that, I’m on the production schedule at a Ford plant somewhere.
Even though the build date isn’t until February 16th, I can’t imagine it’ll take Ford very long to build my truck.
In 1944, at the height of World War 2, the Ford Willow Run plant was turning out a nice, shiny new B-24 Liberator bomber every 63 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and my truck is nowhere near the size of a bomber so maybe, just maybe, I’ll take delivery by the end of February?
A girl can hope, huh?
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I ordered my new truck this week. My chariot that will carry me across the country.
I had to order it because, apparently, nothing remotely like this exists in the Ford inventory in a 750 mile radius. I need/want the dually because of the width of my camper/cabin and I just like the look. And I need/want an eight foot bed for the same reasons.
So, anyway, I went to Beach Ford and I had to order it and now I just have to wait for Ford Motor Company to build it for me.
When I was done with the signing of the order and had paid the deposit, I asked the sales guy how long it would be before it’s delivered.
And he said- four to eight weeks.
And I said- but maybe closer to the four weeks?
And he shook his head and said- maybe could happen.
So, we’ll see.
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So this is what happened.
As I mentioned in my previous post the plan was to build a little camper on the bed of my 1989 F350 for my cross country trip.
Well, that’s changed.
On Tuesday morning I was at Pungo 4X4. I needed three new tires, two of which were the steers. Everything went well and I was able to make an appointment for Wednesday at Bert’s Alignment to get my new steers aligned so that they wouldn’t wear all cock-eyed the way the old ones had.
On Wednesday morning I get to Bert’s and as I was getting out of my truck I smell gas. I look back to where the gas tank filler necks are and sure enough gas is pouring out of the front tank filler. AGAIN.
This has been an ongoing problem (among others) with my truck for the last two years. Instead of one gas tank my truck has two 19 gallon tanks, a sending pump in each tank, a delivery pump somewhere or other, and a fuel switch that is supposedly, somewhat, sometimes, controlled by a switch on my dashboard that is supposed to let me decide which tank I want to use.
Any and all of these components can fail (and have) or operate erratically (and do).
I watched the fuel flowing out of my front tank down the side of my truck for a moment before switching over to the other tank and calling Miss Carol to let her know there’d be another repair bill coming up.
To say she wasn’t too happy would be like saying I don’t like beets (I hate beets) and after venting her frustration in me, my truck, our marriage, and her life for having married someone like me with a truck like mine, she asked me if I had any idea how much we’d spent in repairs in 2025.
And, of course, I didn’t.
But over the course of the next two days I found out and added it all up. Then I got on the Ford website and “built” a replacement F350 to get some idea of what the truck payments would be. And you know what? The annual truck payments for a 2026 were not terribly different from the repair bills on my 1989.
So I’m still doing my cross country trip, and I’m still gonna build a little camper on the back but, instead of on an 1989 F350, it’s gonna be on a 2026 F350.
For decades and centuries I’ve wanted to do a cross country trip. I’ve spent my life up and down the east coast and traveled up and down the west coast, but I’ve never seen the middle.
So I finally decided to do it. Route 50 from Ocean City, Maryland to San Francisco, California and then down the Pacific Coast Highway to Sacramento and drive the Mother of Roads- Route 66 to Chicago.
That’s the plan anyway.
Speaking of plans, I’ve drawn up plans for the little camper I’m gonna build on the back of my 1989 F350 pickup and started to purchase some of the things I’ll need for my month long trip.
And today, I made the reservation for my first stop in Ocean City Maryland.
I can feel my motor hummin’.
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oceandoggy.com 