New Super Duty or Raptor for Alaska

[Ragin Cajun]

A 45/70 and a 10mm of your choice. My mountain bowhunting and fly fishing rig is a G21 converted to 45 Super with 255gr hard cast flat point @ 1050 FPS carried in a chest rig. This has proven very effective on wild boar. I also occasionally go with my Kimber Rapide 1911 with 150gr Xtreme Penetrator.
When you get there, purchase a used Glock 20 with 2 extra mags and Kenai chest rig. Load it with some good hard cast or monolithic projectiles call it good. The Glock 29 is a bit smaller and still holds 10 rounds.

 

[Godzilla/Tremornator]

you will be able to purchase & take possession of a long gun when you get to Alaska.

you can not by a handgun & take possession out of your home state.

federal law

you can ship a handgun to yourself from any state to any state through a FFL to another FFL.

make sure the shipment is to yourself in care of the FFL. call and talk to both FFLs prior.

i used a place in Kalispell, Montana. shipped to a little outfit in Tok, Alaska

Home - Alaska Gun Shipping https://share.google/C1fX1t3PKWCdsILUz

do not let the paperwork say it is shipped to the FFL. if they make this mistake they have to do transfer paperwork & they can't transfer ownership, to you if you are out of state.

do your due diligence

you won't be able to take a firearm in or through Canada unless you have a competition event or hunt setup.

 

[Wildcat82]

Lived in Alaska for almost 12 years. Lots of great advice so far on here. Only thing I'll double down on is to get at least your front end PPFd. Lots of rock chips on vehicles and the PPF has saved several of our vehicles. In addition, use starlink or a Garmin inreach as service is spotty on many places. If you plan to hike a lot, get the Garmin at a minimum.

 

[Silverghost]

you will be able to purchase & take possession of a long gun when you get to Alaska.

you can not by a handgun & take possession out of your home state.

federal law

you can ship a handgun to yourself from any state to any state through a FFL to another FFL.

make sure the shipment is to yourself in care of the FFL. call and talk to both FFLs prior.

i used a place in Kalispell, Montana. shipped to a little outfit in Tok, Alaska

Home - Alaska Gun Shipping https://share.google/C1fX1t3PKWCdsILUz

do not let the paperwork say it is shipped to the FFL. if they make this mistake they have to do transfer paperwork & they can't transfer ownership, to you if you are out of state.

do your due diligence

you won't be able to take a firearm in or through Canada unless you have a competition event or hunt setup.

Long guns through canada is allowed as well as shotguns for a fee and paperwork. Handguns through BC is a ton of paperwork making it not worth the hassle. I travel through BC and Alberta frequently and have to remind myself to leave the .45s at the house.

 

[usmcshepherd]

All...can't thank everyone enough for your thoughts and recommendations...as I'm not planning to live in this rig except for the occasional overnight I think the the Leer Fiberglass top will probably be my go too...have had 4 of them over the years and they've always served me well. On the point of PPF I will certainly do that...that's a great recommendation...even down here in the lower 48 the roads and debris continues to get worse. Good to hear that these modern diesels are doing so well in extreme cold...when I live there I'll have a heated garage and will run anti-gel...drove a 7.3 gasser and just didn't care for the way it drove. Good info on the gun issue too...I have several 45/70s & .45s that I'd ship to myself when I move there as well as a very nice 12 gauge that will be accompanying me if I drive through Canada (with appropriate paperwork). Keep all the good comments coming...planning to come to AK next summer for a recon and salmon fishing the Kenai River hopefully!!

 

[Godzilla/Tremornator]

they won't allow the shotgun either.

didn't allow me to keep mine anyway!!!!

don't count on it!!!

 

[Wildcat82]

All...can't thank everyone enough for your thoughts and recommendations...as I'm not planning to live in this rig except for the occasional overnight I think the the Leer Fiberglass top will probably be my go too...have had 4 of them over the years and they've always served me well. On the point of PPF I will certainly do that...that's a great recommendation...even down here in the lower 48 the roads and debris continues to get worse. Good to hear that these modern diesels are doing so well in extreme cold...when I live there I'll have a heated garage and will run anti-gel...drove a 7.3 gasser and just didn't care for the way it drove. Good info on the gun issue too...I have several 45/70s & .45s that I'd ship to myself when I move there as well as a very nice 12 gauge that will be accompanying me if I drive through Canada (with appropriate paperwork). Keep all the good comments coming...planning to come to AK next summer for a recon and salmon fishing the Kenai River hopefully!!

Kenai river has been bananas the past few years with commercial fishing suppressed from going out. Plan on getting my limits in a couple weeks as usual

 

[MrFancypants]

Given you're going to Alaska, land of big parking spots, I would get a long bed. While you can get a Tremor long bed now, I would stick with the FX4 and upgrade the suspension yourself. I would also go 3.73 instead of 4.30 and let the 10 speed do its thing.

Assuming you go long bed, I would base your decision of 7.3 gas vs. 6.7 diesel on whether or not you can stomach a dually. If you can, then jump up to a F450 diesel for the improved turning radius. If you can't, gas vs. diesel is literally a coin toss. I can tell you after owning both there is negligible ROI difference and it really boils down to preference. Do you want the torque or not? Do you tow big loads or not?

The 7.3L has plenty of muscle if you tow <10K and there is not a lot of difference in acceleration between the two engines when stock unloaded. Where the diesel shines is when you're pulling weight.

The range is better on the diesel but with the bigger tank on the long bed I think it isn’t such a big issue.

It literally boils down to whether or not you prefer the smell of diesel. For me personally, I prefer the diesel but if I had to buy a brand new truck today with no insurance money involved I would buy the 7.3L.

 

[TX03RUBI]

they won't allow the shotgun either.

didn't allow me to keep mine anyway!!!!

don't count on it!!!

Depends on the Canadian border agent. Ive had two allow me through with no issue, and another raise hell. Same shotgun, same paperwork, etc.

 

[TX03RUBI]

Given you're going to Alaska, land of big parking spots, I would get a long bed. While you can get a Tremor long bed now, I would stick with the FX4 and upgrade the suspension yourself. I would also go 3.73 instead of 4.30 and let the 10 speed do its thing.

Assuming you go long bed, I would base your decision of 7.3 gas vs. 6.7 diesel on whether or not you can stomach a dually. If you can, then jump up to a F450 diesel for the improved turning radius. If you can't, gas vs. diesel is literally a coin toss. I can tell you after owning both there is negligible ROI difference and it really boils down to preference. Do you want the torque or not? Do you tow big loads or not?

The 7.3L has plenty of muscle if you tow <10K and there is not a lot of difference in acceleration between the two engines when stock unloaded. Where the diesel shines is when you're pulling weight.

The range is better on the diesel but with the bigger tank on the long bed I think it isn’t such a big issue.

It literally boils down to whether or not you prefer the smell of diesel. For me personally, I prefer the diesel but if I had to buy a brand new truck today with no insurance money involved I would buy the 7.3L.

My kidneys started to hurt just at the mention of a 450 for Alaska. Unless it’s absolutely required I’d do my best to stay away from a dually for AK usage much less a 450. If it’s necessary then it’s necessary though.

 

[usmcshepherd]

Thanks again for all the thoughts…my towing will be minimal (ATV, Snowmachine, Drift Boat) so towing isn’t that big of a deal…I do like the thought of the factory installed winch I can get on a SuperDuty vs Raptor!! Also in the SuperDuty line I tend to lean towards diesel for mileage as it sounds like that 7.3 is thirsty. My F150 Raptor gets about 15 mph and has a 36 gal tank so can get 400+ mile range…the F250 is going to be much more limited unless I install an aftermarket tank which honestly I probably would.

 

[FunctionFirstDesign]

Thanks again for all the thoughts…my towing will be minimal (ATV, Snowmachine, Drift Boat) so towing isn’t that big of a deal…I do like the thought of the factory installed winch I can get on a SuperDuty vs Raptor!! Also in the SuperDuty line I tend to lean towards diesel for mileage as it sounds like that 7.3 is thirsty. My F150 Raptor gets about 15 mph and has a 36 gal tank so can get 400+ mile range…the F250 is going to be much more limited unless I install an aftermarket tank which honestly I probably would.

Oh the 7.3 is definitely thirsty. But for what it’s worth, I can still get about 500 interstate miles out of a stock tank with my 7.3 gasser. Obviously not towing or heavily loaded but just to give a point of comparison. I thought fuel mileage was going to be a much bigger deal than it turned out to be moving from a 1/2 ton Ram.

 

[usmcshepherd]

Boy I'm just seeing this, must have had too much Tremor Reserve III over the weekend, today is my Monday. Modern diesels I've never had trouble with starting cold. My K5 with the 6.2 I got started one warm -35 day in Fairbanks without being plugged in. I had a manual glowplug controller with the military 24v starting system. Held that glow plug button down while cranking and it did start, that was basically unheard of back then for an unplugged/not garaged diesel. Today they just start. The 7.3 is what I ordered when I bought my SD. It obviously starts no problem in the winter it's a good truck. Diesel def will freeze between starts if that's a concern. There are actually a couple stations now though with seasonal def pumps. We have taken one round trip to the L48 and back, and plan to do another. Coming back home last summer I was getting 4.7mpg hand calculated towing the trailer and we didn't run out of fuel. There's enough gas around to make it without worrying if you take the opportunity to fill up. One of the 58 gallon tanks would be phenomenal for towing, the idea does keep rattling around the brain. It would be cool to get a Tremor glacier run in this winter if you're around come Jan/Feb.

AKDrifter…feel free to PM me…my timeline I has gotten a little delayed but I am coming up May 2027 to spend a week looking around the Anchorage/Palmer/Kenia Peninsula.

 

[usmcshepherd]

Oct 2026 follow up….reviving this thread…I have had a bit of a change of heart on this topic as I am likely going in to order my new 2027 tomorrow…I think I might just go with the 7.3 after all…(despite previous comments). I have gotten used to my Raptor’s 3.5HO and the 7.3 would be so much easier to care for long term I would think (my all synthetic oil changes on my raptor are still half the price of my previous 6.7HO). Thanks again and I look forward to reading any additional comments you all can provide.

 

[Optimus🤖]

Oct 2026 follow up….reviving this thread…I have had a bit of a change of heart on this topic as I am likely going in to order my new 2027 tomorrow…I think I might just go with the 7.3 after all…(despite previous comments). I have gotten used to my Raptor’s 3.5HO and the 7.3 would be so much easier to care for long term I would think (my all synthetic oil changes on my raptor are still half the price of my previous 6.7HO). Thanks again and I look forward to reading any additional comments you all can provide.

You're making the right choice, my friend! Now you'll be able to add a Whipple . Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Whaler27]

I’ll save you the suspense: go with the F-250 Tremor, and specifically the 7.3L gas.

Here's why. The Raptor is an absolute blast if you’re doing 80 mph through the Mojave desert, but for living out of a Leer shell in Alaska for an undetermined amount of time? The payload capacity on a Raptor is completely gutless. By the time you add the fiberglass shell, your gear, supplies, and yourself, you’ll be riding on the bump stops. It’s a desert runner, not built for heavy, long-term overlanding.

The Tremor is exactly what you need for this. You might be tempted by the 6.7L diesel for the torque, but up in Alaska, you do not want to be fighting diesel gelling or frozen DEF lines when the temperature plummets. Plus, finding regular unleaded in remote outposts is going to be a lot easier than hunting down ultra-low sulfur diesel.

Throw the Leer shell on a 7.3L Tremor and don't look back. Let me know when you pull the trigger! I might have to organize a forum group buy for whatever cold-weather gear you end up needing up there.

@AKDrifter is from Anchorage; hopefully he can shed some light on this matter.

These are all good points.

My wife and I love our F350 diesel Tremor, but if we didn’t need to tow or haul big or heavy stuff, we would have bought another Raptor.

We bought a new Raptor in 2018, loved every mile, and sold it in 2024 to get the Tremor because we needed a truck to do real truck stuff.

The Raptor isn’t just for running 80+ in the desert. We flew to Maine to buy ours and drove it across the country to get it home. It was more comfortable and fun to drive on the highways than most sport sedans. It corners amazingly for a truck. In fact, for us, it was good at everything, except towing over 5,000 pounds or hauling anything more than an elk.

Unless the OP needs a super duty, I’d consider the Raptor and, maybe, a small off-road camp-trailer.

 

[usmcshepherd]

These are all good points.

My wife and I love our F350 diesel Tremor, but if we didn’t need to tow or haul big or heavy stuff, we would have bought another Raptor.

We bought a new Raptor in 2018, loved every mile, and sold it in 2024 to get the Tremor because we needed a truck to do real truck stuff.

The Raptor isn’t just for running 80+ in the desert. We flew to Maine to buy ours and drove it across the country to get it home. It was more comfortable and fun to drive on the highways than most sport sedans. It corners amazingly for a truck. In fact, for us, it was good at everything, except towing over 5,000 pounds or hauling anything more than an elk.

Unless the OP needs a super duty, I’d consider the Raptor and, maybe, a small off-road camp-trailer.

Whaler27…funny story…I went and drove a F250 7.3 today…of course I drove my raptor to the test drive of the super duty…and to be honest it was a little disappointing…I’ve upgraded my raptor with ICON overland coils to help carrying a little more load. I have a Leep Shell on my Raptor now and the only thing I think I would haul with any truck would be a small trailer to haul a SXS or Snowmachine. The only thing the Super Duty gives me is a little more room in the back to stretch out in and at this point I ‘m not sure going through all of this is worth it.

 

[Optimus🤖]

Whaler27…funny story…I went and drove a F250 7.3 today…of course I drove my raptor to the test drive of the super duty…and to be honest it was a little disappointing…I’ve upgraded my raptor with ICON overland coils to help carrying a little more load. I have a Leep Shell on my Raptor now and the only thing I think I would haul with any truck would be a small trailer to haul a SXS or Snowmachine. The only thing the Super Duty gives me is a little more room in the back to stretch out in and at this point I ‘m not sure going through all of this is worth it.

The Super Duty will never drive like a Raptor just like a Raptor will never tow like a Super Duty. Add a Banks Pedal Monster and you'll love it. The only Raptor I'd ever recommend is the R.