Chef and food writer James Strawbridge has converted his Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid into an off-road ‘adventure kitchen’. The build was carried out with conversion specialist Blok Pod. It adds hot water, cold storage, a pantry and a wraparound awning, so he can forage, cook and serve meals far from a conventional kitchen.
A chef’s kitchen on a pickup chassis
Ford’s owner-stories platform From the Road has featured a pickup build with an unusual purpose. James Strawbridge, a chef, author and food photographer, has turned his Ranger Plug-in Hybrid into a mobile kitchen for cooking outdoors.
Strawbridge is best known for sustainable, zero-waste cooking. He has also cooked on board a sailing boat, which taught him how to produce full-flavoured food in a cramped space while on the move. He wanted a truck that would let him do the same thing on land.
Why the Ranger PHEV
According to the feature, Strawbridge picked the Ranger Plug-in Hybrid for three reasons: its off-road ability, its lower-emission powertrain and his family’s history with Ford. The Ranger PHEV is the first plug-in hybrid version of Ford’s mid-size pickup. It pairs a 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery.
For a build like this, the most useful feature is Ford’s Pro Power Onboard system. It supplies power through sockets in the cargo bed and the cabin, so electrical equipment can run away from mains power without a separate generator. In Strawbridge’s truck, the onboard electrical devices run from this system.
What the conversion includes
The conversion was done by Blok Pod, which worked with Strawbridge to turn his brief into a working layout. Ford lists the following equipment:
- A hot water system for hygiene and washing up
- Cold storage for fresh and foraged ingredients
- A dedicated pantry space
- A shower
- A 270-degree awning so he can cook in bad weather
The aim was a setup that could store ingredients, keep things clean and cook for groups, not just provide a camping stove in the back of a pickup.
How it gets used
Strawbridge uses the truck to forage for and store ingredients and to cook on the beach after surfing. He also uses it to run barbecues for the youth rugby team he coaches and to cook on family camping trips. He plans to use it for outdoor food filming and photography around Cornwall, and he has said he may try making desserts from the truck.
What it means
Adventure conversions are usually built on diesel pickups and vans. This project shows a plug-in hybrid pickup being used the same way, with its onboard power taking the place of a generator for kitchen equipment. It is a one-off owner build, not a factory option, but it shows the kind of lifestyle use Ford is promoting for the electrified Ranger.
Facts: Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid adventure kitchen
- Base vehicle: Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid
- Powertrain: 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with electric motor and rechargeable battery
- Onboard power: Pro Power Onboard, with outlets in the cargo bed and cabin
- Conversion: Blok Pod
- Kitchen equipment: hot water system, cold storage, pantry, shower, 270-degree awning
The Ranger Plug-in Hybrid is on sale now. Blok Pod’s conversion is an aftermarket build, not a Ford factory option.
Source: ford.com