WE PUSH THE 2020 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY TREMOR AT THE SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES

When you think Michigan, a couple things come to mind. Good pizza, bad football teams, brutal winters, great booze, two peninsulas, and of course, the American auto industry. What perhaps goes unnoticed is the highly unique off-roading scene that can be found throughout its 96,716  square miles of diverse expanse. Take for instance the Silver Lake Sand Dunes ORV Park, located in Oceana County: the Asparagus Capital of the World. With some minor mandatory equipment (a flag and ORV stickers), we ventured into the 450-acre scramble area of sand. The only such location east of the Mississippi River. And it borders Lake Michigan on top of it.The vehicle of choice? A 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty Tremor. Also joining us for the adventure was a Hummer H3, Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, and JK Jeep Wrangler Willys.

Under the hood of this particular thunder lizard of a pickup truck was the Godzilla V8 engine: a no-BS pushrod machine with a cast iron block, and apparently, quite the appetite for power. It sends 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, or all four wheels, via a 10-speed automatic transmission. Handling traction duties is the awesome Goodyear Wrangler tire, measuring 35-inches in diameter in this application. Ford and off-road enthusiasts alike should be familiar with this rubber by now, as it’s the tire of controversy that’s available on the Ford Bronco.

Where the Ford Super Duty Tremor lacks features like a detachable sway bar and underbody plating that the Ram HD Power Wagon features, the biggest strength of the Tremor package is its availability. Unlike the Power Wagon, which is a standalone variant, the Tremor package is available on F-250 and F-350 Super Duty XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum trim levels. In our case, it was a top-of-the-line Platinum. The Super Duty Tremor also available with both gas and Power Stroke diesel engines, where the Power Wagon is 6.4L Hemi V8 only.

Price as tested for this fully-loaded, big-bodied 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty Tremor comes in at $78,960. Which is 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 money. Yes, new cars are expensive. But they’re also exponentially more capable from the factory than they’ve ever been before, with loads more creature comforts than years prior. For some crowds, this mechanical Brontosaurus running on dead dinosaur juice is as big of a money flex as can be, and Ford offers up what they’re looking for perfectly.

Showing off in this truck is easy, too. The famous “Test Hill” climb is a breeze in this big bruiser, with plenty of power and grip to scramble up the towering sand dunes like it’s done it a thousand times before. Tight spaces are the only thing that can keep this truck on the back foot, but at the vast sandscape that is Silver Lake, that was nary an issue.

We’ll let the photos do the talking from here. If you have any further questions about our experience with the Ford Super Duty Tremor, please ask in the comment section below, and we’ll be sure to follow up with an answer.

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