The smell of diesel, the sound of freedom, and the coal-rolling 2006 Ford F-250, powered by a 6.0-liter Powerstroke turbo diesel engine and a three-speed automatic transmission. Nicknamed the Freedom Beast, my F-250 stands tall and proud, driving me through some of my best memories.
The 6.0-liter engine has 325 horsepower and 570-foot pounds of torque. The truck gets 13.6 miles per gallon. Ford built the F-250 to be the mid-range truck that can bridge the gap between the F-150 and the F-350 so you can tow and have the more heavy-duty frame and drivetrain tow 15,000 pounds. It has a 6-foot bed with a tonneau cover. The truck has the lariat package, with a grey leather interior, a middle front seat, and power/heated seats.
I purchased his truck from my grandfather in early August of 2024 and would never get rid of it. The truck had a lot done to it, such as the aftermarket sound system and subwoofer, the Moto Metal wheels and 5-inch exhaust tip, 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, and the 4″ lift kit. It also has the retracting running boards off of a newer truck, and the newer-style tow mirrors that fold and moves in and out.
The truck has been through a lot in its early life. For example, it was owned by a man who did not care about his truck, didn’t do the regular maintenance, scratched the paint, and beat it up a decent amount. Then, when my grandfather bought it, the truck needed a new motor, transmission, and rear end.
You are bigger than almost everyone when driving the truck and love life. There is one downside to driving this truck: when you hit about 47 miles per hour, you get a big vibration from the drive shaft. The shocks also squeak a little when you hit a bump going down the road, but that is beginning to fix itself. You will have a good time when you are just cruising with the windows down and music playing.
“I can’t tell you how big the smile on my face is when I’m in this truck,” said Brandon Easton, a sophomore at Lakeland High School.
Off-roading in the truck is so much fun when you have music playing, are driving on windy roads, kicking up dust and mud with friends, and are just living life and having no worries.
The truck has a few cons, too. It shakes when driving at 47 MPH, the running boards don’t come down sometimes, the mirrors don’t fold in if it’s cold, and there is a tone of slop in the wheel when driving.