Learn Me Truck Fender Flares

This is Gov't Mule that I recently put running board/side steps on. 

2006 Ford F250 Super Duty 2wd single cab

I think the next step for this truck might be some fender flares to hide rust:  

Passenger side is the worst:  

Starting on the drivers side too:  

In searching fender flares I find some that cover 5-6" of body metal (good) but they stick out from the truck another 2-3"(bad).  All the pictures show them with Brodozer-eque wheels and tires.  

In concerned if I add these to my 2wd and stock tire size it will look hokey.  Sample: 

Does anyone have a source for something that covers a lot of the body but does not stick out too far?  

This is exactly, exactly the same thing as the 4Runner. If there are solutions. I'd love to hear it.

After a quick search, I found these Xenon Street Flares. They stick out 1.3" but seem to cover a bit of the fender:

I don't think they look too bro-dozerish with stockish wheels and tires.

https://www.carid.com/2005-ford-f-250-fender-flares/xenon-fender-flare-358562505.html

Bushwacker cut out flares for the rust, where spacers for the overhang?

The later years King Ranch had some flares that would cover that area without looking stupid.

Any time you see a truck around here with aftermarket flares on it you know its a rot box.

When I was looking for trucks, the Ford dealer had a Super Duty with the same rust areas and put a tasteful fender flare that wasn’t too noticeable and hardly stuck out, they looked liked they belonged on the truck. I saw the rust in the pictures and when I went there, the aftermarket fender flares were on. I wish I knew what they were, but they are out there, they just aren’t as popular as the fake riveted ones. 

The Xenons look nice.  However, they are $399 for the set -> $442 with tax.  That becomes some major coin.  Has me rethinking.  

On Rockauto I have found a Stampeed Brand Original Riderz.  These seem to be their slimist at 1.5" out but 5.5" up.  It is hard to find real info about them.  Even the manufacturers' website only shows the product on a GM truck or a newer Ford.  Priced at $243 for the set, the all in price with shipping and tax is $263.  Still steep but 40% less of the Xenons.  

Xenons are $110 per corner!  Stampeed are $60 per corner!  I feel like these things should be $25 per corner.  Approaching $500 I am sure I could have a shop do some much more quality rust repair on the two backs and be good.  

The other thing is this is a cheap truck.  How much do I want to spend fighting rust.  This is just an appearance solution and very little to do with function.  My goal all along for this truck has been to be function over fashion.  

Around here there are several places that stock replacement beds that have been removed from late model trucks and replaced with work body's/flat beds etc. White ones should be easy to find. Then sell your bed on CL or something to recoup some of the cost?

STM317 said:

Around here there are several places that stock replacement beds that have been removed from late model trucks and replaced with work body's/flat beds etc. White ones should be easy to find. Then sell your bed on CL or something to recoup some of the cost?

Just FYI, places like Oklahoma and Texas have a ton of white beds just sitting out front of businesses out there. My buddy lives in NW Oklahoma and I see them everywhere for those trucks. Super Duty’s reign king out in the Oil Fields. 

Fresh beds are available here too but have prices of $2-$3k. Even if just $1k; I'm complaining about $300. 

Not only it this truck rusty, it was a DOT truck which means it was previously owned by those bastards who actually lay down the road salt that brings the rust! 

I see it as a $2500 truck that will always be worth that if it runs but I see no sense in putting $2k into beautification. 

That doesn't look too bad yet (on the continuum of rust belt Ford trucks) - maybe just wire wheel it off, put some rust reformer and spray bomb over it, then douse the inner fenders with FluidFilm.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid said:

When I was looking for trucks, the Ford dealer had a Super Duty with the same rust areas and put a tasteful fender flare that wasn’t too noticeable and hardly stuck out, they looked liked they belonged on the truck. I saw the rust in the pictures and when I went there, the aftermarket fender flares were on. I wish I knew what they were, but they are out there, they just aren’t as popular as the fake riveted ones. 

This posting has inspired me with this idea... 

In the next county over there is a very large car lot that specializes in clean trucks. The whole used car lot is pick Ups. I'll bet they put on a few sets of these every week to hide rust.  I think I'll stop by and see if they will share some of their knowledge of flares.  They don't sell em but I bet they buy a lot of em. 

Bumpy flare?

So what's the plan with this truck? 

If you're trying to clean it up to flip it, I can understand installing some unoffensive flares to make it show better for as little cash as possible.

If you're going to keep it as a work truck, then just clean it up as much as you can and focus on preventing the spread.

If it's going to be a long term "nice" truck for you then skip the fender flare approach because it's just a bandaid and get a more solid bed.

In reply to STM317 :

A good question, "what's the plan?"  

Originally, I thought this would be a good addition for what I thought was going to be "the year of the powerboat". However, in May that unexpectedly changed to "the year of the baby".   

It has been handy to have around though I don't get that much use out of it.  I have considered selling it.  I also have so little in it that I have considered keeping it.  I guess the real answer to the question is to always keep my investment into the truck less than its market value.  Thereby, I keep the options open to selling it at any time.  I sort of enjoy this game.  Here is a recent example of a Toyota Alavon that I owned for 30k miles and my whole vehicle expense was under $300.  https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/the-sumo-wrestler-01-mitsu-montero-limited/130334/page2/

As for preventing the spread and combined with some of what XLR99 wrote...  My intentions before another winter hits is to try my hand at some prevention.  I see this as breaking off some rust and then hitting the whole area with POR-15 and rattle can.  I expect that my work will come out a bit ham-fisted so what I then would really like is to hide all that "prevention" behind some inexpensive plastic cladding (flares).