TCA Roadrunner Rig

The Truck Camper Adventure Rig consists of a 2013 Ram 3500 outfitted with a SherpTek truck bed and a 2021 BundutecUSA Roadrunner (#001). The Roadrunner is the brain child of BundutecUSA owner Rory Willett. Rory has designed dozens of campers in his lifetime and the Roadrunner is probably his best. The camper has everything we wanted without being too big. You know the drill—everything you need, nothing you don’t. The Roadrunner’s floorplan mirrors other popular camper models like the Lance 825 and Northstar Laredo SC with a kitchen and wardrobe on the driver side and a bathroom and dinette on the passenger side. However, the Roadrunner’s 8-foot 7-inch long floorplan features a larger bathroom, tons more storage, a taller cabover, the Truma Combi water heater-furnace, a Tern Overland roof hatch—a vast improvement over the Dometic Heki—and a True Induction dual cooktop.

The Roadrunner’s all-wood construction consists of an insulated, all-wood frame with glued and screwed joints. The rugged frame is overlayed with an attractive gray fiberglass tastefully accented with black hatches, lift jacks, and windows. We originally wanted Bundutec’s smooth aluminum, but due to COVID-19 the supply was low at the time and we opted for fiberglass instead in order to speed up delivery. The exterior of the camper features an attractive black diamond-plated bottom, four Dometic Seitz Windows, and remote-controlled lift jacks made by HappiJac. The new jacks feature the new vertically-mounted motor which supposedly is more reliable. We’ll see. Entrance to the camper is facilitated with the excellent Easy Hitch Step, which folds away easily when not in use.

Since we do most of our camping off-grid, we wanted the Roadrunner to feature the best power system and equipment that money could buy. The Roadrunner features a 360 amp hour Expion360 lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, a Zamp 340 watt roof-mounted solar power system (supplemented with a 160 watt portable panel for a total of 500 watts, which ties into the main charge controller), a Xantrex Freedom X 3,000 watt pure sine wave inverter with a built-in transfer relay, a Progressive Dynamics 45-amp Converter-Charger, and a Dometic CR-110 3.7 cubic foot DC compressor refrigerator. Power is monitored through the Expion360 battery monitor, which provides voltage, state of charge, power consumption, and charging status simultaneously.

We’ve made several modifications to the 2013 Ram 3500 truck. Modifications include a SherpTek truck bed with under-bed storage boxes, an aluminum Buckstop Baja Bumper with a Warn 16.5ti heavy-duty winch, SumoSprings, a Hellwig Big Wig Rear Sway Bar, Bilstein 4600 Shocks, Bushwacker Fender Flares, Cooper Discoverer AT3-XLT tires, and a set of Ion 134 Aluminum Wheels. Most of these modifications can be explored in greater detail in the “Modifications” and “Product Reviews” sections in this website with some links provided below.

Details on the Truck Camper Adventure Rig

I. 2013 Ram 3500 4×4 Short-Bed Pickup

OEM Weight: 7,897 pounds
Payload: 3,809 pounds
GVWR: 11,700 pounds (CAT Scale weight w/camper: 11,700 pounds)
GAWR Front Axle: 6,000 pounds (CAT Scale weight w/camper: 5,120 pounds)
GAWR Rear Axle: 7,000 pounds (CAT Scale weight w/camper: 6,580 pounds)
Total weight with camper (including gear and two passengers): 11,980 pounds
Color: True Blue Pearl Coat (PBU)
Engine: Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel: 370 horsepower, 800 pound-feet of torque
Weight of Cummins 6.7L TD: 1,150 pounds
Transmission: 68RFE 6-speed automatic
Tires: Goodyear Duratrac RT 275/70R18E (33.2×10.8R18) All-Terrain (weight capacity: 3,640 pounds)
Wheels: Ion 134 Matte Black Wheels (134-8970MB 18×9 inches, offset 0 mm)
Tire Pressures Loaded w/Camper: 65 psi front/80 psi rear
Tire Pressure Monitoring System: TST-507 w/color monitor
Tire Pressures Unloaded: 60 psi front/45 psi rear
Front Axle: AAM 9.5 14-bolt, 35 spline, GAWR 6,000 pounds Max
Rear Axle: AAM 11.5 14-bolt, 30 spline (1.5-inch diameter), GAWR 10,120 pounds max
Wheelbase: 149.5 inches
Rear Differential: 3:42
Differential Cover: AFE Power Raw (5 quarts)
Diesel Fuel Tank Capacity: 31 gallons
Alternator Output (single): 180 amps
Truck Bed: SherpTek Truck Bed w/flanks and under-bed storage boxes (dry weight of 422 pounds)
Front Bumper: Buckstop Baja (aluminum version) with Warn electric winch (260 pounds)
Winch: Warn 16.5ti rated for 16,500 pounds.
Fender Flares: Bushwacker Pocket Max Coverage (unpainted)
Springs: Rebel SumoSprings (front and rear axles) (20 pounds)
Shocks: Bilstein 4600 monotube
Rear Sway Bar: None
Camper Step: Easy Hitch Step 3-Step Adjustable with Curt 30-inch Extension (61 pounds)

To read our review of the 2013 Ram 3500 pickup truck, click here.

II. 2021 BundutecUSA Roadrunner #001

Dry Weight: 2,450 pounds
Actual Wet Weight loaded: 3,331 pounds
Exterior: Gray Fiberglass Gelcoat
Interior Color: Silent Night Gray (1613) Benjamin Moore
Fresh Water Tank: 35 gallons
Gray Water Tank: 20 gallons
Cassette Toilet Black Water Tank: 4.5 gallons
Truma Combi Water Heater Tank: 2.6 gallons
Propane: One (1) 5 gallon, 20 pound tank
Battery: One (1) Expion360 VPR 4EVER Platinum 360 amp hour Lithium-Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Battery (weight: 95 pounds).
Solar Power System: 340 watt roof top system comprised of two (2) 170 watt Zamp monocrystalline solar panels (Imp 9.25 amps per panel) controlled by a Zamp ZS-30A PWM charge controller. The portable system consists of one (1) Zamp 160 watt monocrystalline portable solar panel (Imp 9 amps), which ties in directly with the Zamp ZS-30A main charge controller.
Inverter: Xantrex Freedom X 3,000 watt pure sine wave w/transfer relay
Radio: Pioneer MVH-X36BT AM/FM/MP3 (Bluetooth)
Cellular Booster System: WeBoost Drive-X RV
Refrigerator: Dometic CR-110 DC Compressor (Danfoss), 3.7 cubic feet
Air Conditioner: Coleman Polar Cub 9200 (runs on 2,000 watt generator or 15 amp 110 volt AC)
Hydronic Water Heater-Furnace: Truma Combi Eco Plus (110 volt AC and propane)
Cooktop: True Induction Dual 1+1B (propane and electric induction), 1,600 watts
Dinette Table: Arizona laser-engraved birch by SmithCreek Mill
Windows: Dometic Seitz Acrylic Thermal Pane
Roof Vent and Egress: Tern Overland Roof Hatch (700mm x 500mm)
12 Volt Fan: Dometic Fan-Tastic Vent 7350
Insulation Upgrade: Foil block foam in walls, Astro foil in ceiling
Bed: Froli Star Modular Sleep System
Total Length: 16 feet
Floor Length: 8 feet, 7 inches
Width: 7 feet, 1 inch
Interior Height: 6 feet, 4 inches
Mounted Height to Roof (rear): 9 feet, 8 inches
Truck Camper Stabilizer: StableCamper (22 pounds)