Million-mile Super Duty has been all over North America, but it still has its original Power Stroke diesel V8 and rear end.
A million miles is one of the ultimate tests of a vehicle’s durability. Any car or truck that makes it to that milestone is a rolling testament to its respective manufacturer’s quality and its owner’s loving care. But how long does it take to hit the seven-figure mark?
Denny Alexander accomplished the feat in 20 years. And he put all of those miles on the same truck: his 1999 Ford F-350 dually. In fact, he’s the only one who’s driven it since it was new. In this video on the YouTube channel What the Hurloc’s, he says he bought it May 3, 1999. Since then, Alexander has driven to every state in it, except – of course – Hawaii. He and his F-350 have been across the country multiple times. He adds that they’ve “been on Broadway in New York and on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.” He’s even taken his rig as far north as Canada and as far south as Mexico.
That kind of mileage is enough to wear out even the toughest parts. Alexander has gone through three water pumps and is on his second cam positioning sensor. The factory transmission gave up the ghost at 383,000 miles. At 497,000 miles, the right rear brake rotor needed to be replaced.
Alexander also has a great memory for all of the routine maintenance he’s performed – and hasn’t. “I’ve changed the oil in it myself 226 times. I’ve changed the brakes 57 times. I have never changed the rear end oil. I’ve never changed an injector. I’ve never changed the muffler.” The battery in Alexander’s key fob is original, too.
Like most people with a truck, Alexander has helped his friends move – a lot. So much so that he thinks it’ll be part of his legacy. “I think probably when I die, at my funeral, somebody’s probably going to say, ‘He never refused to help us move.'”
But Alexander’s truck is not going anywhere any time soon. Although he doesn’t drive it as much as he used to, he’s going to hold onto it. Over the past two decades, through three different countries, and from the first mile to the millionth (and beyond), this F-350 has only ever been his truck. And that’s all that it’s going to continue to be.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
