DIY Spotlight: Shane Murray’s Aluminum Flatbed Truck Camper

The DIY truck camper. Few things are more satisfying than building your own DIY camper. Most DIY builders start with a commercially produced camper shell, like those made by Total Composites and SpaceKap, but not always. Some prefer making their own camper out of either wood or aluminum, which works just as well as long as you have the time and skill set to do so.

Truck Camper Adventure is always on the lookout for DIY builds and we were fortunate to have several at the 2024 Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally. If you’ve been a Truck Camper Adventure reader for any length of time you know we love aluminum campers. We’ve restored several Airstream travel trailers in our day and will soon be restoring a 1967 Avion C-10 truck camper. As you’d expect, Shane Murray’s buck riveted, DIY aluminum flatbed rig with the rear kickback and Jerry Can Holders really caught our eye. Why did he decide to build his own aluminum camper rather than going the commercial route? Two things: cost and layout. Building your own DIY rig allows you to control both. Shane’s build took a full nine months and results are stunning. To learn more about his DIY build, Shane was kind enough to answer several questions.

Hi Shane. Thanks for talking with us. Tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?

Shane Murray: I’m from Reno, Nevada. I retired from a career in federal law enforcement in 2022 and I plan to do a lot of traveling, so this camper was definitely in my retirement plans.

Your DIY camper is amazing. How long did it take you to build it?

Shane Murray: I started building my rig in the summer of 2022. The build process took me approximately nine months of working on it every day and a few more months of working on it part-time to finish it out.

Why you chose to build your own camper rather than buying used or new?

Shane Murray: I decided to build my own for a couple of reasons. First, was cost. I could build my own rig for a lot less money than a commercially built rig would cost. Second, I wanted to create my own layout. Most commercial camper companies won’t customize their rigs to individual customer needs.

Can you explain how your camper was built?

Shane Murray: I wanted to build my camper as light as I could, so I used aluminum wherever possible. I started by building and welding an aluminum frame of 1.5 x 1.5-inch square tubing and skinning that with aluminum sheets. I insulated the camper and used very lightweight birch plywood for the interior. I know this method causes some thermal bridging, but this type of build was within my skill set and the thermal bridging I do have isn’t much of a problem where I live.

How did you affix the skin to the frame?

Shane Murray: I attached the aluminum skin to the frame by using only VHB tape. I used VHB tape and buck rivets to attach the angle aluminum around all of the edges of the skin and on the flat strap aluminum that covers the skin’s vertical seams.

How is the interior laid out? What features does it have?

Shane Murray: I have a rear dinette, which I really like, because it allows me to have my table right next to a big window. My galley and cabinets occupy the center, along with an electrical cabinet and an ICECO portable refrigerator-freezer on the other side. The camper is also outfitted with a queen-sized bed with a real mattress and under-bed storage.

Is there anything in particular that you really like about your camper?

Shane Murray: I like the fact that it’s lightweight, simple, and that it functions the way I use the rig.

What kind of batteries did you install in your camper. Do you use solar power or a generator to keep them topped off?

Shane Murray: I have two 100 amp hour Battle Born lithium batteries. I have 400 watts of roof-top solar, and a 2,000 watt inverter, which is more than ample for my needs. I can also charge my batteries while I’m driving using a DC-DC charger.

What are your favorite features in the camper?

Shane Murray: I think my favorite feature of my rig would be my large windows. For the living area, I purchased three large Arctic Tern windows and they’re amazing. They’re double-paned and have built-in blackout and bug screen panels. These large windows allow me to be a part of the outdoors, even when I’m inside.

Do you have any lessons learned from building an aluminum camper?

Shane Murray: Yes. The main thing I learned is that the aluminum frame and skin method I used created many thermal bridges throughout the camper. While it hasn’t been a problem, eliminating these thermal bridges would make for a more efficient camper. I used the frame and skin method because I was confident it was within my skill set, but if a builder has the expertise to make their own laminated panels, thus eliminating the need for most of the framing, it would drastically reduce the thermal bridges. Home-built, laminated panels, however, commonly separate if not done right and unless one’s absolutely confident in their design, I wouldn’t attempt to use them.

Can you tell us about your truck?

Shane Murray: Yes, it’s a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L Cummins diesel extended cab. I absolutely love this truck. With no additional suspension upgrades, other than air bags, it handles the camper like it’s not even on the truck. It’s very comfortable to drive long distances and has room to carry extra gear in the back seat area.

The flatbed looks great with your camper. Who made it and how is the camper attached to the bed?

My flatbed tray was made by Hillsboro, which is a company that makes a lot of farm and ranch truck beds.  They’re really well built and a fraction of the cost of those custom overland truck trays. They have dealers all across the country, but I purchased mine through Idaho Trailer Sales, in Buhl, Idaho and I had the best experience. They were by far the most affordable and the staff was super friendly and very knowledgeable.  Installation was not just a simple “bolt on” job, as they had to fabricate extensions to take my larger tires into account and fabricate the fuel fill plumbing so that diesel wouldn’t splash all over while filling up. These fabrications and wiring in the numerous lights on the tray into the truck was a big job, but they had the job done in a single morning. They really know what they’re doing and I highly recommend using them.

The camper is attached to the tray by four large bolts that go through the base frame of the camper and through the flatbed tray. I used large washers to avoid the bolts being pulled through the camper tray. I also added four camper turnbuckles to the camper’s exterior corners, which aren’t necessary, but give me added piece of mind.

After using it now for a year, are you planning on making any upgrades or modifications?

Shane Murray: One thing I plan to upgrade is the heater. I’m currently using a Wave 6 catalytic heater and it creates a little too much condensation, especially when it’s humid. I plan to install a Webasto diesel heater, which I’m told will take care of the condensation problem. I’m also going to start traveling with a small Honda Trail 125 mini-motorcycle, which will be carried on a hitch-mounted rack.

Where have you been in your rig thus far?

Shane Murray: It’s only been completed for just over a year now, but I’ve camped on the Black Rock Playa, at Death Valley National Park, at Tecopa in California, and at Goldfield in Nevada. On my recent two-month trip, I’ve camped at Quartzsite, Yuma, Parker, Lake Havasu, Needles, Kingman, Laughlin and Pahrump.

What kind of mileage are you getting with your setup?

Shane Murray: I’m averaging 11.85 miles per gallon, which isn’t too bad considering that my rig has a pretty high profile.

What wheel and tires do you have on your truck and what inflation values do you typically run?

Shane Murray: I have Toyo Open Country AT/3 tires that I just run at the recommended tire pressures.

What kind of places are you planning to visit in your truck camper rig.

Shane Murray: I want to visit as many national parks as I can and I also plan to drive up to Alaska and spend three to four glorious months there.

Do you have a website and/or social media channels that our readers can follow?

Shane Murray: I have a little blog called The Aimless Roamer. It’s a great resource for those looking for more detail about my DIY aluminum truck camper build.

Do you have any closing thoughts that you’d like our readers to know about your DIY build?

Shane Murray: I built my rig to be as simple as I could, yet still be comfortable. I have gravity fed water system using Jerry cans, so no there are no big tanks to clean, maintain, fill, flush and winterize and no 12 volt water pump to deal with. I use a simple composting toilet that works beautifully, LED lights throughout, and I use a solar shower, so there is no need for a water heater. By doing these things, I’ve kept the weight to a minimum and maximize the space inside considerably.