2002 Ford F-350 with 2001 Cummins 5.9 = Fummins

Joshua Austill had a not-so-good experience with a new RAM truck, and that set him off on a quest for something better. “About two years ago I bought a new Dodge RAM with the 6.7L Cummins, and I drove it for about a month and realized that I absolutely hated the thing! To me—the experience was trash. For example, the back window cracked and leaked water after three weeks of owning the truck. So, I just decided that if I couldn’t have a new truck that I liked that I was going to build one that I did like.”

So Joshua set out on his quest, finding the only way to satisfy his desire for the perfect truck was to merge two trucks. “I bought a 2002 Ford F-350 and then a 2001 RAM with a 5.9L Cummins, took the engine out of the RAM, and put it into the Ford. To me, back then, Ford made a superior truck. I’m using the Ford 4R100 transmission with an adapter plate. I’ve had custom leaf springs for the front made for the weight of the Cummins, and so much more. I’ve done so much to this truck that it’s obscene, but it’s completely mine and I love it!”

The iDash turned out to be an incredible help as Joshua toiled over making his own control system for the Frankenstein truck. “I work as a software developer for a living. I set out to crack the Cummins CAN-Bus to get more info. The iDash was very helpful because it connected to the OBD-II. I didn’t want to use the Ford ECM, so I wrote my own code for a custom PCM that just output over OBD-II. I basically used the iDash as my testbench for everything. It’s super flexible, and it’s just an awesome little machine. I also integrated one of the Analog Sensor Modules to read boost, MAP, and fuel pressure. I think the versatility of Banks’ electronics is far superior to what’s out there, and it just made things so much better.”