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My father developed the first bed/conversion for dual wheeled Ford pickups in the mid 1970s. There were two model years. He called them "Outrider" pickups. They were 3/4 ton and 1 ton vehicles. They were characterized by 12 gauge beds with fiberglass fenders. The bed was standard sized but the fenders extended some 8" out to the sides. The lines on the cab extended to the bed which used standard chrome and trim. The tailgate was custom built and the tail lights were Mustang tails lights that had been stood on end and reversed with fenders angled to fit the tail light. The rear differentials were exchanged for dana models that were used for ambulances for strength and stability.
They looked like they were factory built. He sold 250 models that were shipped across the country. I was sweeping floors and learning to weld, cut, sheer and break in hopes to work at his shop. The first were built in our garage but later ones were built in a shop in Orem Utah.
Rick Warner used Dad's brochure and presented the idea of Ford making their own to compete with Chevy using Dad's company and portraying it as his pilot project. The Warner conversion ended up being a standard bed cut away with some bubble fenders bolted to it. Long lug bolts for the extra wheel. It cut my father completely out and put him out of business.
Dad was furious about the design compromises and demonstrated the weakness by taking one for a test drive and sheering the outside dual off by driving it up onto a curb. 20 years later we owned a body shop and saw a customer come in that had been hit one of these wheels flying off at freeway speeds. It cut into his truck like butter.
Dad has recently suffered a few heart attacks and undergone quadruple bypass surgery. He never kept a single model of his truck. I would like to try and find one to show him some pictures of a surviving model.
Harry Stewart, my father passed away on June 2, 2015.
I found out that some family members have some pictures of the Outriders as they were being built and delivered. I will post them here as soon as I have the images in hand.
We're still trying to find any surviving models.
I check here regularly, so it would be great if anyone knew of a 1976 or 1977 Ford Dual Wheeled pick up in 4x4 or 2x4 that had the Outrider bed by Stewart Manufacturing installed.
Sorry to read about your father, wished he could have gotten one of his truck boxes back. I'm one of those who is doing a dually fender on a regular box to make my 78 F350 look like a regular truck. Most of the conversions I've seen look like after thoughts and haven't really impressed me. The rendition that I'm thinking about doing will probably follow the lines of the tri 5 gm fender as I think it would blend into the body lines better. Have a hood, 2 fenders and a pair of doors waiting to volunteer their metal for this project, here's hoping that I get it right within 5 attempts.
My father developed the first bed/conversion for dual wheeled Ford pickups in the mid 1970s. There were two model years. He called them "Outrider" pickups. They were 3/4 ton and 1 ton vehicles. They were characterized by 12 gauge beds with fiberglass fenders. The bed was standard sized but the fenders extended some 8" out to the sides. The lines on the cab extended to the bed which used standard chrome and trim. The tailgate was custom built and the tail lights were Mustang tails lights that had been stood on end and reversed with fenders angled to fit the tail light. The rear differentials were exchanged for dana models that were used for ambulances for strength and stability.
They looked like they were factory built. He sold 250 models that were shipped across the country. I was sweeping floors and learning to weld, cut, sheer and break in hopes to work at his shop. The first were built in our garage but later ones were built in a shop in Orem Utah.
Rick Warner used Dad's brochure and presented the idea of Ford making their own to compete with Chevy using Dad's company and portraying it as his pilot project. The Warner conversion ended up being a standard bed cut away with some bubble fenders bolted to it. Long lug bolts for the extra wheel. It cut my father completely out and put him out of business.
Dad was furious about the design compromises and demonstrated the weakness by taking one for a test drive and sheering the outside dual off by driving it up onto a curb. 20 years later we owned a body shop and saw a customer come in that had been hit one of these wheels flying off at freeway speeds. It cut into his truck like butter.
Dad has recently suffered a few heart attacks and undergone quadruple bypass surgery. He never kept a single model of his truck. I would like to try and find one to show him some pictures of a surviving model.
Can you help?
Wayne Stewart
(503) 707-0284
(971) 226-0989 Cell
Hi Wayne, welcome
you wont find any finished duallys with a truck bed and fenders on here.
There are some guys on here building some and i cant wait to see the out come.
Here is a pic of mine. Its a 1 Ton, abulance rear end, bored out 460 and Arrowcraft fender flares. The truck was a flat bed dually at first. The only conversion would be the abulance rear end, bed and fenders bolted on.
My dad, his brothers and my uncle built most of the truck and when my dad passed away i got the truck and finished it. My dad had the truck for 20 years and i have had it for 17 years.
75 250 CS with weird box on the street, 78 f350 custom cab dually on 89 f350 dually chassis with 75 regular box in shop, 79 f350 srw disassembled for parts in shop, 88 f450 dually in shop for parts. Have most of the parts I need just have to wrap up a sidewalk, drywell and gantry projects and then it's TOY TIME and to hell with everything else. To do list is almost done and nothing more to be added til next....... whenever.
Hi Wayne, welcome
you wont find any finished duallys with a truck bed and fenders on here.
There are some guys on here building some and i cant wait to see the out come.
Here is a pic of mine. Its a 1 Ton, abulance rear end, bored out 460 and Arrowcraft fender flares. The truck was a flat bed dually at first. The only conversion would be the abulance rear end, bed and fenders bolted on.
My dad, his brothers and my uncle built most of the truck and when my dad passed away i got the truck and finished it. My dad had the truck for 20 years and i have had it for 17 years.
Love this truck. Mine's a '65 dually with a flatbed. Bought it with a '73 straight-6. Nice truck. Looking maybe into putting a bed on it. Did you have to customize yours? If so, would love to learn how to do the same. Not having success finding a bed for sale with such large fender flares. (Obviously) Thanks!
Thanks Chrispy65f350
The fenders are Arrowcraft brand and discontinued(you might find some on ebay?). They bolt on to a regular long bed (after shaving the wells and drilling holes in the bed for the fenders) so some customizing is needed.
I hope this helps a little. Keep us posted on your build
We found the brochure for the 1975 Outrider Ford Dual Wheeled Pickup
My mother Sondra Stewart and my brother David Stewart, both featured in the attached brochures found these images of the 1976 model year brochure for the Outrider pickup for Ford Motors. We are looking for larger images and I will post those as soon as I get those as well. If you find a working model of one of these that would be awesome!
You'll notice that the address is a residential address. These were originally built in the garage of Dad's house. The garage was even used as a paint booth with an exhaust fan cut into the back door of the garage.
Front of the 1976 Outrider brochure for the Ford Dual Wheeled upgrade.
Back of the 1976 Outrider brochure for the Ford Dual Wheeled upgrade.
Last edited by aguyiknow; 08-23-2017 at 07:33 PM.
Reason: This was a misprint, should read 1976
Here are some concept drawings and mock ups for the Outrider pickup.
This was the first model
An alternative idea for the tail light tailgate setup.
Applications for the Outrider
Color Outrider
Description of the problems that traditional trucks and dual wheel pickups run into as part of a brochure mock up
Outrider brochure mock up.
This is the only drawing that I have found of the second year model of the Outrider pickup. The reflectors across the tailgate were originally created with rainbow tape sandwiched between red lexan.
That's pretty cool! I have to say that this is the first I've heard of those - I can't remember ever having seen one. If 250 were sold, then chances are good that someone still has one.
Wayne, if you could come up with a list of VINs of trucks which were built, you might be able to find out if any still exist.
09-05-2011, 02:37 AM
