When I created The Ranger Station, my goal was to share how others and I were modifying our Ford Rangers with emphasis on DIY home fabrication and how you could build an awesome truck for less. One of the biggest trends these days is overlanding, or what I simply call adventure travel. It’s insane how much money people will spend on gear to go camping with their truck. I recently saw a company that sells a $90 electric pump to go on your water jug, so you don’t have to lift it up and pour. I’ve seen trucks that have so much expensive gear on them that the gear probably cost as much as the truck. People wanting to pursue their own adventures probably see those trucks and think to themselves, “I can’t afford to do that.”
The good news is you don’t. The 1988 Ford Ranger STX 4×4 you see here is owned by forum member ‘mc_raptor_820’. The truck has been named ‘Clifford’ and I have to wonder if it comes from ‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’. Clifford didn’t receive a bunch of extensive mods, just the needed ones.
The 7.5-inch rear axle was replaced with a Ford 8.8-inch out of a 1999 Ford Explorer that came with larger 31-spline axle shafts and 4.10 gears. The Dana 28 TTB front axle was replaced with a Dana 35 TTB and regeared with 4.10 gears to match the rear. A Rough Country 4-inch suspension lift makes room for Celimo 32×11.50r15 M/T tires. The rear actually uses 4-inch lift leaf springs, not blocks.
A 270-amp alternator keeps two yellow top batteries charged under the hood. Two 100-watt Renogy solar panels on the roof charge a Renogy 100ah AGM battery mounted in the bed. The battery enables a 45L fridge/ freezer to run 24-hours a day. All of the exterior off-road lights and rock lights are from Diode Dynamics.
The snorkel is from a 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser. He used a factory 4.0 intake tube with the factory air flow sensor mounted to an ammo can with a section of 3-inch pipe off to the side to connect the intake to the snorkel.
The grill guard was found for $100 and modified to fit the Ranger.
The roof top tent is a standard size tent from Inspired Overland and a Vevor diesel heater keeps the tent warm in colder climates. Don’t get intimidated by the cost of a roof top tent. People think they have to have one, spend over $1000 to buy one, use it once, and eventually list them on Facebook Marketplace for $600-$800.
Don’t think that you need a new truck or an expensive setup to go out and have your own adventures. Clifford proves that you don’t.
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Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
