chopyourown
Advanced Member
I figured I'd put together a little build thread on our ATC Panther shell, both to spark discussion (and bring up things I haven't considered), to document for myself in the future, and to help others that may be considering a similar build out.
Apologies this is so long-winded. Hope you all get something useful out of this, and I welcome your thoughts!
Background and mission statement:
I've been camping and exploring the west in one way or another for as long as I can remember. I've slept in tents and hammocks, under tarps and overturned rafts, curled up in the back seat of a Honda Civic, and many, many nights in the bed of a pickup. Camping has always been a part of life for our kiddos too - we took my oldest on his first overnight at just a month old. Once we had our second, we decided it was time to upgrade from the trusty pickup topper we'd used for years - just not enough space for all four of us, and the midsize truck bed was overfull with kid gear and baby gear, not to mention adventure gear.
In late 2023 I bought an old Roamin' Chariot for $800 from this site (thanks Shap!) and put it on my 2003 Ram 2500. Did a little build out and repair work, then a 3000 mile road trip to visit southern Utah. The Roamin’ Chariot worked great and provided proof of concept – truck campers are awesome. After that first big trip, we used it for another year of local overnights, and as a base camp for ski and mountain bike day trips. We learned a lot along the way too – how to build a camper electrical system, install a diesel heater, repair a roof, and ultimately what we want – and don’t want – in a camper. Unfortunately, we knew from the beginning that it was going to be too small – the wedge didn’t provide the space for a growing family, and it was hard to haul all the gear we needed for our favorite sports. We needed a camper that would better fit the truck, better fit the family, and make the most of the space we had available. The Chariot was sold on to another family, and we dove deep into the search for the new camper.
I looked for a used camper for more than a year and nearly pulled the trigger a couple of times on a used Hawk, but ultimately I'm pretty picky and knew I'd just be happier building out my own to be exactly what we wanted.
To that end, the mission requirements for our new camper looked like this:
Go anywhere the truck can go (light weight a bonus!)
Space inside for sleeping 4 people in comfort
Minimal extra stuff - mostly want storage space for camp gear and adventure gear
Power, water, and fuel to easily stay out for a week at a time.
The ATC Panther really appealed to me for the extra width (I'm 6'4"), and the simple design ethos. Seeing long-term use from folks here on WTW helped seal the deal - I want to still be using this camper 10 years down the road. We finally placed an order in March of this year for a Panther shell. I wanted to keep it pretty minimal, but did request a king size bed, a roof fan, some exterior lights, and extra-tall fabric panels. I had ATC leave out the standard wiring and the outdoor carpet, since I knew I'd be doing a build. The only thing left to do was wait... oh, and order a bunch of goodies for the build!
Part II is next.
Apologies this is so long-winded. Hope you all get something useful out of this, and I welcome your thoughts!
Background and mission statement:
I've been camping and exploring the west in one way or another for as long as I can remember. I've slept in tents and hammocks, under tarps and overturned rafts, curled up in the back seat of a Honda Civic, and many, many nights in the bed of a pickup. Camping has always been a part of life for our kiddos too - we took my oldest on his first overnight at just a month old. Once we had our second, we decided it was time to upgrade from the trusty pickup topper we'd used for years - just not enough space for all four of us, and the midsize truck bed was overfull with kid gear and baby gear, not to mention adventure gear.
In late 2023 I bought an old Roamin' Chariot for $800 from this site (thanks Shap!) and put it on my 2003 Ram 2500. Did a little build out and repair work, then a 3000 mile road trip to visit southern Utah. The Roamin’ Chariot worked great and provided proof of concept – truck campers are awesome. After that first big trip, we used it for another year of local overnights, and as a base camp for ski and mountain bike day trips. We learned a lot along the way too – how to build a camper electrical system, install a diesel heater, repair a roof, and ultimately what we want – and don’t want – in a camper. Unfortunately, we knew from the beginning that it was going to be too small – the wedge didn’t provide the space for a growing family, and it was hard to haul all the gear we needed for our favorite sports. We needed a camper that would better fit the truck, better fit the family, and make the most of the space we had available. The Chariot was sold on to another family, and we dove deep into the search for the new camper.
I looked for a used camper for more than a year and nearly pulled the trigger a couple of times on a used Hawk, but ultimately I'm pretty picky and knew I'd just be happier building out my own to be exactly what we wanted.
To that end, the mission requirements for our new camper looked like this:
Go anywhere the truck can go (light weight a bonus!)
Space inside for sleeping 4 people in comfort
Minimal extra stuff - mostly want storage space for camp gear and adventure gear
Power, water, and fuel to easily stay out for a week at a time.
The ATC Panther really appealed to me for the extra width (I'm 6'4"), and the simple design ethos. Seeing long-term use from folks here on WTW helped seal the deal - I want to still be using this camper 10 years down the road. We finally placed an order in March of this year for a Panther shell. I wanted to keep it pretty minimal, but did request a king size bed, a roof fan, some exterior lights, and extra-tall fabric panels. I had ATC leave out the standard wiring and the outdoor carpet, since I knew I'd be doing a build. The only thing left to do was wait... oh, and order a bunch of goodies for the build!
Part II is next.
