A major highlight of the annual Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally is the top rig contest. In it, the best rig of the entire event is chosen. With an average attendance of 400 rigs, choosing the best truck camper rig is no small feat. Unlike previous years when a panel of judges chose the winner, this year we decided to change things up by having the attendees do the voting. Truth be told, this approach worked out exceptionally well, with the top rig winning by a large margin. In this article, we shine the spotlight on this year’s winner: Jeff Disler’s DIY truck camper rig. We think you’ll agree that Jeff’s DIY masterpiece was more than deserving. Except for the truck, he designed and built everything. To learn more about Jeff and his amazing overland creation, he was kind enough to answer several questions.
Thanks, Jeff, for talking with us about your amazing rig. But first, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
JD: Like a lot of people, I’ve always been curious about how things work. From a young age I was taking things apart just to see what made them tick. Mechanical and electrical systems especially fascinated me, and that curiosity eventually led me to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. At the same time, I’ve always loved the outdoors. Growing up around the Ozark Mountains, I spent a lot of time exploring the woods and foothills and camping whenever I could. In those days it was pretty low-tech—usually just tarps or tents—but those early trips planted the seed for a lifetime of exploration.
In the mid-1970s a close friend’s father, who happened to be a karst geologist, introduced several of us in a science group to speleology, the study and exploration of caves. That experience changed everything. I eventually joined the National Speleological Society (NSS) and began exploring caves throughout the Ozark region. Not long after that I was introduced to SCUBA diving, and eventually the two interests merged into cave diving. Once that happened, I was hooked.
While pursuing my electrical engineering degree at the University of Florida in the late 1970s, I was also very active as both a cave diver and salvage diver. Florida has hundreds of miles of underwater cave systems, and exploring them became my favorite pastime. I was involved with the NSS Cave Diving Section and the National Association for Cave Diving (NACD).
In those early days specialized cave-diving equipment was scarce, so I began designing and building my own gear. I engineered lighting systems, modified regulators, and adapted open-water equipment for the cave environment. Over time what began as a hobby evolved into a vocation. In the early 1980s I worked with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as a diver and scientific technician installing meteorological and oceanographic monitoring equipment in the ocean and atmosphere, including deployable scientific buoys.
While working there I met Dick Rutkowski, who served as Deputy Diving Coordinator and Director of the NOAA Miami Hyperbaric Facility. He later became instrumental in forming one of the first technical diving agencies. Through that influence I expanded my interests into mixed-gas and decompression diving, which at the time was just beginning to develop into what we now call technical diving.
Around the same time I started a small electronics company called CAI, specializing in custom AV systems and security design and consulting. Meanwhile I continued marine salvage operations and cave exploration projects across North America, Mexico, and Central America—anywhere there were karst escarpments and unexplored caves. At my facility I operated a mixed-gas blending station where I produced specialized breathing gases for deep technical dives. I also designed and built several long-range DPVs (Dive Propulsion Vehicles) used for extended underwater cave exploration.
I became involved in technical diving at its inception. I trained with IAND, which later became IANTD, and eventually became a gas blending instructor, technical trimix instructor, and cave/overhead environment instructor. Over the years I worked with or trained personnel associated with the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of the Interior.
For many years I also served as an NSS Recovery Diver, and until about three years ago I was an Area Coordinator for the International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery (IUCRR) organization. I also worked with the University of Arkansas Biology Department conducting biodiversity surveys of cave-adapted life in underwater cave systems, supported by grants from Fish and Wildlife and the Natural Heritage Commission.
Looking back, cave diving has taken me to places very few people have ever seen. Some places only a handful of humans have reached. Also after many solo cave dives, I sometimes say, “I have stood and gazed upon a hundred places that no other man has reached.”
These days I’ve slowed down a bit. Age eventually wins the physical battles, and I can’t do the long cave dives like I used to. Fortunately, earlier investments in land and commercial real estate have given me the freedom to travel more now. My partner Rhonda Norris shares these adventures with me. She has played a huge role in redesigning the camper interior and making it comfortable and functional for our travels. I’m a pretty lucky guy.
Why did you decide to make your own camper?
JD: Exploration has taken me to a lot of remote places over the years. Many cave-diving expeditions require hauling a tremendous amount of equipment—tanks, compressors, lights, and technical gear. Over the decades I’ve used everything from Suzuki Samurais to Toyota trucks, Land Cruiser troop carriers, Nissan Patrols, and even military vehicles like Ambo-Hummers. They were capable vehicles, but space and comfort were always limited.
When you’re hauling dozens of dive tanks, compressors, and support equipment, things get crowded quickly. Eventually it became clear that building a larger vehicle with dedicated storage for equipment—and at least some creature comforts—would make life a lot easier on long expeditions. That idea eventually turned into this build.
How was the camper constructed?
JD: The camper is built around a multi-hoop, tubular steel frame. Structurally it consists of five transverse broken-arch hoops connected by longitudinal roof stringers, forming a structure somewhat similar to an aircraft fuselage.
The frame uses 1.5-inch square steel tubing:
• .120 wall tubing in the base
• .095 wall tubing in the hoops and upper structure
Exterior materials include:
• 14–12 gauge steel shell skin
• 12 gauge steel tool boxes
• 11 gauge steel floor
• 12 gauge framed steel door panels
The finished structure functions as a steel monocoque shell, where the skin contributes to the strength of the entire structure. I originally designed and built the camper box in 2012–2013 on a 6×10 utility trailer.
Dimensions are:
• Length: 118 inches
• Width: 84 inches
• Height: 77 inches
Steel was the material I knew best how to work with, and I wanted something extremely durable. I wanted the camper to outlast me and withstand rugged off-road environments. I also wanted to avoid issues like wood rot or structural deformation, so no wood was used in the structural elements.
The fabrication process was straightforward:
1. Build the base rectangle (118 × 84)
2. Fabricate a hoop template
3. Duplicate that hoop four additional times
4. Position the hoops 23.5 inches center-to-center
5. Tack weld the structure
6. Install roof stringers
7. Final weld everything together
Once the frame was complete, I sheathed it with steel panels. The roof is a single 10-foot panel that overlaps the sides, front, and rear by about an inch. The side panels also wrap over the front and rear sections. Think of it like the way a bottle cap crimps over a bottle—the overlapping design sheds water and locks the structure together. The camper is now more than a decade old and has been through three interior rebuilds, yet the structure remains perfectly square with no cracked welds or structural issues.
Why did you choose that material to construct your DIY camper?
JD: There are several practical reasons why I chose steel. First is strength and rigidity. Steel is much stiffer than aluminum, which means less flex in the structure when the truck frame twists off-road. That helps keep doors, toolboxes, and panels aligned over time. Second is durability. Steel handles impacts from branches, rocks, and shifting gear much better than aluminum or composite materials. Instead of cracking, steel usually dents or bends. Third is repairability. Steel can be repaired almost anywhere with a welder and grinder. When traveling in remote areas, that’s important. I also coated the exterior with Raptor Liner, which hides imperfections and makes touch-ups easy. The main disadvantages are weight and rust, but the frame and shell weigh about 1,830 pounds, which is reasonable for a structure this size.
Does the camper have anything unique about which you’re particularly proud?
JD: One feature I’m particularly proud of is the integrated receiver mounting system. There are six 2-inch receiver points built directly into the structure—one upper and one lower on each side, plus two integrated into the rear bed frame rails. These allow me to mount a variety of accessories including awning supports, shade screens, hammock mounts, solar panel trackers, steps, and platforms.
The solar trackers hold 400 watts of deployable solar panels that mount on poles attached to the truck. They extend above the roofline so they aren’t shaded by the camper or truck. On the roof itself I run 600 watts of CIGS solar panels. Four hundred watts are flat mounted, and two 100-watt panels sit on the sloped roof sections to help capture sunlight earlier in the morning and later in the evening.
Originally, I designed the camper as a toy hauler. The rear door assembly is nearly five feet wide and includes a pedestrian door mounted inside a larger door. That opening allows motorcycles or even my Polaris RZR 570 to fit inside. These days we usually carry our TerraTrikes instead.
Did you encounter any challenges during the construction?
JD: Like any project, not everything goes smoothly. Staying motivated was sometimes the biggest challenge. There were days I didn’t want to look at it. But once you get back into it, you start making progress again.
One moment that stands out happened while installing the windows. I had cut the opening, applied sealant, and propped the window in place while I went inside to secure it. Suddenly it popped loose and started falling out of the wall—straight toward my partially restored Pontiac parked nearby. Fortunately I managed to catch it with my fingertips before it hit either the car or the ground. Little moments like that along with the cuts, bumps, and bruises are just part of building things.
How long did the build take and how much did you spend in materials?
JD: The structural shell took about five or six months to build, although much of that time was spent sourcing materials. Since then the camper has continued to evolve. I’ve rebuilt the interior three times and made many upgrades to both the truck and the camper. I tried to repurpose materials whenever possible. For example, the roof rack came from an old E-350 van that someone was throwing away. I shortened and rewelded it to fit the Ram. In total, I probably have around $15,000–$18,000 in materials in the camper. The truck itself was about $58,000, so the entire rig is probably somewhere around $85,000–$90,000.
Can you tell us about your camper’s electrical system including your solar power and DC-to-DC charger system?
JD: My electrical system is constantly evolving. I’m currently transitioning to Victron SmartSolar controllers. The system includes two 100/20 controllers, one 100/30, and one 100/50. The battery bank consists of four Eco-Worthy 280Ah LiFePO4 batteries mounted under the bunk in a rack I recently built. Each battery is wired individually with 2/0 cable, and the inverter feed uses 4/0 cable. The inverter is a 3000-watt pure sine unit with a 6000-watt peak rating and a remote monitoring panel.
The camper runs a 12.8-volt system rather than 24 or 48 volts. I chose to stay close to the truck’s native voltage for redundancy and ease of troubleshooting. Solar power currently includes 600 watts mounted on the roof, plus deployable ground panels that bring the total potential solar capacity to about 1,400 watts. I also carry an EcoFlow Delta Pro as a backup power source. The total battery capacity is about 1,400 amp-hours, or roughly 17.9 kWh.
How do you keep your camper’s batteries charged?
JD: Charging comes from several different sources. Solar is the primary source. While driving, the batteries charge through multiple DC-DC systems including an EcoFlow 800-watt charger, a 40-amp Eco-Worthy charger, and a 50-amp Renogy charger. The truck has dual 220-amp alternators, so it handles the charging load easily. I can also charge from shore power or even EV charging stations when traveling.
Can you tell us about your truck?
JD: The truck is a 2022 Ram 3500 chassis cab with the 6.4L HEMI engine. It’s the 60-inch cab-to-axle configuration and includes the Laramie Level 2 package. I specifically wanted the 360-degree camera system and the rearview mirror camera monitor because they’re very helpful when driving a vehicle this size. The rear suspension was upgraded with a Ram 5500 spring pack to increase capacity. I also removed the rear seats and built a drawer storage system and platform since it’s usually just the two of us traveling.
Does your rig have an aftermarket truck bed? Can you tell us more about it?
JD: Yes. The camper sits on a Bedrock Quad Series flatbed that measures 9 feet 4 inches long and 84 inches wide. The bed normally includes a bolt-on headache rack, but I chose not to install it because I wanted the camper positioned as far forward as possible. I modified the bed by cutting in receiver hitch tubes along the frame rails. These provide strong mounting points for accessories such as rear platforms, steps, racks, and other equipment.
Where have you taken your rig thus far?
JD: The truck is just under 25 feet long, about 7 feet wide, and roughly 10 feet tall, so it’s fairly nimble for its size. So far we’ve traveled from the Florida Keys all the way up to the Canadian border near Grand Marais, Minnesota, and west to the Pacific Coast.
We’ve explored more than twenty-five states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and many others. We live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is a great central base for traveling around the country.
Where are you planning to take your rig in the future?
JD: We usually start with a general destination and then let things evolve from there. Some of the best places we’ve found came from conversations with locals along the way. In the near future we’re heading to the MOORE Expo in Springfield Mo. and then Overland Expo West in Flagstaff. After that we may head north through Oregon and Washington and possibly into British Columbia. We’re going to be back in Colorado for Overland Expo Mountain West in August. One thing is certain—we’ll be traveling to parts unknown.
Do you have any final advice for our readers contemplating a DIY build similar to yours?
JD: Build what you want. Research is important, but don’t let other builds limit your creativity. Design your camper around how you actually travel and try to make spaces serve multiple purposes. Most importantly, get out there and use it. Life is pretty good out on the road.
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