Rock-Crawling Ram 3500-Bison Overland Rig Takes 2nd at Quartzsite

Judging the top rig at the 2025 Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally wasn’t easy. In fact, it was kind of hard. For the 2025 rally, we had 20 entries. That’s a lot of rigs, and all of them were quite good. The criteria used to determine the top rig is fairly simple. First, it must be off-road capable. What good is a rig if you can’t take it anywhere. Second, it must be off-grid capable. What good is a rig if you can’t boondock in it for any period of time? And third, the rig must have the “it” factor. This usually relates to how the rig looks, yet sometimes the it factor can be a special modification or an entire restoration setting it apart from other entries. Some rigs met one or two of these criteria, while others met all three. Randy and Brenda Garmon’s Ram 3500-Bison Overland Space Wrangler XL Rig checked all three of these boxes off and more. Building a rig like theirs isn’t easy. It takes a lot of know-how and resources to do it. To learn more about this couple and how they built their amazing rig, we spoke with Randy.

Thanks, Randy, for talking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Randy Garmon: We are Randy and Brenda Garmon and we have been full-timers since January 2024. I think back to our Datsun pick-up with a camper top that we used when we traveled back in the day. We always knew that we wanted to travel full-time someday.

It took us a little over three years to put the rig together, we had a plan and worked on getting all the pieces when they were on sale and tucking them away until needed. Working nights and weekends we finally got the truck camper completed. We tried to build a rig that would serve us well for 10 years.

Late 2023 we started down sizing and getting the house ready to sell. Actually it is very freeing once you get started. Long story short we left Texas with everything left we owned in a 6×12-foot cargo trailer (mostly tools, Brenda’s keepsakes and our Green Egg) for Florida. It’s nice to have a little storage space to swap out gear and clothing according to the destination and weather.

We hit the road in 2024 putting almost 35,000 miles on 13 months. We have met so many great folks in our travels and we have tons more stuff to see and explore. We have truly been Blessed!

Can you tell us about your truck camper and why you chose that particular make and model?

Randy Garmon: We chose Bison Overland Camper who was a newer builder on the scene in 2020 and we liked that they were a small business that would really have their hands on every aspect of the build. At that time they were building flatbed pop-up models with an all aluminum frame with aluminum composite skin. Composite roof with an insulated fabric on the sides and they were available as a shell only build which we wanted.We drove from Texas to Oklahoma to talk with them and put our order in.

We went with the Space Wrangler XL which was the 8 foot model with a cab over. Being full-time we wanted as much room and storage as possible. And with the 6-foot 3-inch inside height it really is roomy. These things are built tough and it was nice to have a blank slate to start with.

Does your Bison Overland Space Wrangler have anything unique or custom about it?

Randy Garmon: The Space Wrangler is built as a shell, so you have to build it out yourself. We framed out the cabinets using 80/20 aluminum extrusions with birch plywood panels. We opted to go with Step 22 storage bags versus drawers and cabinet doors which work exceptionally well when traveling rough roads. The dinette seat tops are birch and have hatches to access storage areas from inside as well as outside. Solid wood counter tops. Ash table top with swivel mount which can be moved down to make a twin bed in the rear making it possible to sleep with the top down when needed. There is also ample head room to use dinette with the top down when stealth camping or during severe weather which we have done several times.

Inside cooking is done with a portable induction cook top and kettle. Outside cooking which we do mostly can be done with propane or induction as well. We outfitted the camper with a 30 gallon fresh water tank. We also use a 5-gallon Lifesaver filtering Jerry can for drinking water, so we can source drinking water from just about anywhere.

We opted for no gray or black tanks so we use a Thetford cassette toilet which works great for us as we usually boondock off-grid and it’s easy to empty at rest areas, vault toilets, and construction site porta johns.

We opted for an AluCab outside shower cube with a portable on-demand hot water heater when boondocking. Our set up can draw water from our water tank or can pump water out of a 5 gallon bucket, jug, stream or lake.

What are your favorite camper features?

Randy Garmon: First, would be the 2.5-inch Froli Modular Sleep System under the queen cab over bed. It provides ample air circulation to avoid any moisture or mildew issues. When in below freezing temps we use two small USB powered fans which help circulate warm air under the foam mattress which is nice. It’s just comfortable! Our 72L SnoMaster dual zone fridge freezer which runs on 12/24 volt DC or 120 volt AC is also another favorite. We’re also big fans of our Planar diesel heater. We have been down into the single digits for extended time and can maintain 72F easily. The diesel heater is located in the storage compartment under the sink. It’s designed to draw the cabin air in through the screen doors and over the batteries, over the water tank to the heater then back out by the dinette so we’ve had no water freezing issues.

Did you perform a restoration or major modification to your camper. If not, did you make any modifications to it that are worthy of note?

Randy Garmon: The roof-raising system has been totally redesigned using four 400-pound capacity electric lift actuators and controls from Progressive Automations. The actuators have the optional feedback sensing so the top always goes up and down smooth and evenly.

Can you tell us about more about your truck?

Randy Garmon: It started life as a 2020 Ram 3500 4×4 6.7L diesel SRW pick up. We added 3.5-inch suspension lift and lots of other upgrades to the truck including a Buckstop front bumper with 17.5k winch and 12k winch in the rear. We also added an onboard VIAIR full duty air compressor with air quick connects on each side of the truck. We built a back seat delete which has storage underneath and gives us room to travel with our folding electric bikes as well. There is a Prinsu roof rack we installed for extra storage. It holds two traction boards, our portable solar panel, tw0 aluminum storage boxes as well as KC off-road lights.

Under the hood, I built a relay panel that controls all of the electrical needs of all the exterior lights and winches. This way only low voltage feeds inside the cab to the switches that control the relays. This keeps heavy power runs short and circuits completely off until powered up.

Can you tell us about your camper’s electrical system including your solar power and DC-to-DC charger system?

Randy Garmon: The campers electrical system is based around three 100 amp Battle Born LiFePo4 batteries with heater option. There are four 100 watt Zamp Obsidian solar panels mounted on the roof along with a 100 watt portable Zamp Obsidian panel that stores on the truck’s roof rack when not being used. A 3,000 watt Go Power inverter provides DC-AC conversion for our camper. The whole system is managed by a REDARC RedVision. I really like how it manages power inputs for charging the batteries as well as fusing for electrical components. We also roll with a 30 amp DC-DC charger for charging when on the road. The control screen handles all switching duties for inside and outside lighting, both MaxxAir fans, front, rear and outside accessible 12 volt power/charge pods and the refrigerator-freezer.

Have you made any modifications to your truck to carry your truck camper or improve its ride?

Randy Garmon: All of the front suspension has been upgraded to Carli Suspension with 3.5 inches of lift. Alcan Spring designed and built custom rear spring packs for a smoother ride while handling the extra weight. Plus they added a lot of extra flex and travel when off-road. The shocks where upgraded using 2.5-inch RadFlow shocks with external reservoirs. I kept the Air Lift air bags after the rear spring upgrade. I air them up to stiffen up the on-highway ride and let them down for more flex and a softer off-road ride. We also upgraded the wheels to Method HD series for heavy off-road use with the added weight.

Love your aftermarket truck bed. Can you tell us more about it?

Randy Garmon: We changed to a flatbed tray for the camper design. It’s a self-design and built aluminum flatbed and aluminum under boxes. It’s 102 inches in length leaving room for the spare tire and storage compartment in the headboard design. Also has a locking fuel filler compartment for both tanks. The mounting is solid in the front and spring anchor point in the rear allowing for flex in the frame not to transfer to the bed. There is a 4x32x48-inch slide-out drawer in the back for longer tools and makes a great work top and cooking surface. Then everything on the tray got a coating of LineX.

Does your rig feature any other accessories or features worthy of note?

Randy Garmon: Yes. We added a second 30 gallon fuel tank making it possible to carry 82 gallons of fuel for long trips.

Do you have any plans for future upgrades or modifications?

Randy Garmon: Nothing planned for the truck, I think we are there. Down the road, if we get tired of the pop-top, I am putting together ideas to modify to a solid composite roof that will be permanently mounted on top of the walls.

Do you have any regrets in your choices? Anything you wished that you had done differently?

Randy Garmon: No regrets, but I would go with the Buckstop aluminum front bumper to save some weight up front.

What kind of mileage do you get when hauling your truck camper?

Randy Garmon: We average 15 to 16 mpg on the highways and 10 to 12 mpg in the big mountains.

What tires do you have on your truck and what inflation values do you typically run when driving on and off-road?

Randy Garmon: We started on BF Goodrich KM3 37×13.5/18E. On road, we run 70 psi front and 75 psi rear. Off-road 40 psi front and 45 psi rear.

We are now rolling on Toyo Open Country R/T Trail 35×12.5x18F. On road, we run 74 psi front and 78 psi rear.  Off-road 50 psi front and 55 psi rear. We lost the KM3s due to severe off-road abuse ( 1/2-inch tread puncture and a side wall slice in mountain shale) after 27,000 miles. We went with the Toyos due to availability in rural Canada. Honestly, I will be going back to the 37 KM3s. The rig felt much more stable on- and off-road and the fuel mileage was almost the same.

Where have you taken your rig thus far?

Randy Garmon: We have been full-time since the end of January 2024. We went to Florida and Key West to start our trip north to the Arctic Ocean. We crossed into Canada in Montana traveling through Banff and Jasper before crossing over to go up the Cassiar Highway. We spent five months in Alaska and traveled from Valdez and Homer north to the Dalton Highway and to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean, Eagle Village and Circle on the Yukon River east, then west to Denali National Park. We traveled the Top of the World Highway in to Canada to the Dempster Hwy and up to Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean again. We dropped into Haines, Alaska on the way south and traveled on the Alaska ferry system to Juneau and Skagway before popping back into Canada and back to Montana.

Later, we went back east to the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina then on to Maine for some deer hunting. We left there with our freezer full down to Ohio for Thanksgiving and to Florida for Christmas. After the New Years we headed to Quartzsite Arizona to enjoy the warm weather until the Truck Camper Adventure rally.

Where are you planning to take your rig in the future?

Randy Garmon: We plan to explore more of the Western US and Rockies, there is still lots to see here. Our next big trips will be Baja, Mexico maybe next winter and the east coast of Canada needs to be explored as well.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your truck camper rig that would interest our readers?

Randy Garmon: Our vision for a truck camper rig is a little different than most. We love the utilitarian style and ease of keeping the inside clean and organized. We use our rig hard, this is why we built it the way we did and it enables us to get far off the beaten path for weeks at a time when wanted. We have traveled some of the coolest and hardest roads in the US and Canada, like the Dalton and Dempster without any issues. The pin stripes, scratches and dings are badges of honor that our rig wears proudly.

Do you have any social media channels where our readers can follow you?

Randy Garmon: You can follow our adventures @roaming4adventure on Facebook and Instagram. Maybe YouTube in the future.

This has been great talking to you. Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us. Do you have any final advice for our readers?

Randy Garmon: Thanks to everyone at Truck Camper Adventure and thanks to everyone we met at the rally. We love owning a truck camper, if you’re thinking about buying one, do it! Don’t wait.