Looking for some inspiration for your next truck camper build? Well, look no further. The Bowen Customs “Warthog” has it all including an Elevation Off-Grid Black Edition Ram 4500, a Bowen Customs truck bed, a Supertramp Flagship LT pop-up truck camper, and a 23Zero roof-top tent. The truck and camper combination offers plenty of comfort whether you’re on the road or boondocking in the mountains.
The features of the Supertramp Flagship LT are particularly noteworthy for a pop-up camper. The camper’s full composite construction offers a modern interior, a 330 watt solar power system with a Victron MPPT charge controller, a Truma Combi water heater-furnace, bunk beds for the kiddies, an electric actuator that raises and lowers the roof, a Battle Born 400 amp hour lithium battery bank (100 amp hours is standard), and a Dometic RTX 2000 DC air conditioner. Additional standards include a 24 gallon fresh water holding tank, a 5 gallon grey tank, a portable cassette toilet, a folding marine faucet, two Maxxair 7500k roof vent fans, and a Victron DC-DC alternator charger.
Any truck camper rig worth it’s salt needs a good truck, and Bowen Customs chose the best by going with an Elevation Off-Grid Black Edition Ram 4500 chassis with an 84-inch CA upgraded with 41-inch EarthRoamer-size tires and a silky-smooth LiquidSpring Suspension. A custom Buckstop front bumper outfitted with a Warn 16.5ti Winch and Baja Designs Lights not only provides the rig with good looks, but functionality off-road.
If your looking for storage, the Bowen Customs truck bed offers plenty. Featuring numerous sub compartments, the custom 12-foot bed rides on top of an articulating sub frame and features a massive 60-inch forward garage. This allows the truck’s massive tires and LiquidSpring Suspension to lift over 40 inches in the air, while preventing any torsion from the frame transferring into the bed or camper.
We gave the Warthog a first place finish at the 2023 Overland Expo West and for good reason. The Warthog is a unique truck camper build. There’s nothing quite like it on the road today. To learn more about this amazing build, we spoke with Brent Bowen, the CEO and owner of Bowen Customs.
Thanks, Brent, for talking with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business, Bowen Customs?
Brent Bowen: My name is Brent Bowen and I own Bowen Customs in Arvada, Colorado. I’ve been camping and exploring the outdoors since birth and have always had a passion for anything with a motor in it. In 2019, we started building truck beds as a side hustle and in 2021 we introduced our Overland flatbed and started full-scale manufacturing. In 2022, we launched our now patent pending Camper Bed and that has become our biggest seller and what we are known most for.
That’s great. Can you tell us about your truck camper and why you chose that particular make and model?
Brent Bowen: We chose the Supertramp Flagship LT for our camper for a number of reasons. One of the biggest factors for us was the full composite construction. The camper is made from molds like a yacht, which will significantly extend this camper’s lifespan. The systems and overall design on the interior are not only very functional, but also welcoming. We have heat, air conditioning, running water, a cassette toilet, bunk beds, and tons of storage. That’s a pretty impressive list of features for a camper designed for a 6.5-foot factory bed. Keith and Kelsey, the owners of Supertramp, are also some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
Does your Supertramp Flagship LT camper have anything unique or custom about it?
Brent Bowen: We optioned the bunk beds as my wife and I have two young kids. We also upgraded to 400 amp hours of Battle Born Lithium batteries in the camper to power the Dometic RTX 2000 DC-powered air conditioner. The camper comes with the Truma Combi water heater-furnace, which is a nice touch as well. Supertramp also wrapped the camper in a matte green to match the cab of our truck.
What are your camper’s favorite features?
Brent Bowen: Supertramp Camper’s electronic actuators that open and close the pop-top in 10 seconds. It’s a game changing feature for sure. The Truma Combi water heater-furnace and Dometic air conditioner are also great and help us get out even if it’s hot or freezing outside.
Have you made any modifications yet to your Supertramp camper?
Brent Bowen: We added a cargo net type feature to keep my four year old from rolling off the top bunk. We also added a bug net to the entry door.
Can you tell us about more about your truck?
Brent Bowen: The foundation is a Ram 4500 chassis cab with the 84-inch Cab to Axle. The truck is a Limited trim level with the four door crew cab.
Can you tell us about your camper’s electrical system?
Brent Bowen: Our Supertramp Camper is powered by 400 amp hours of Battle Born Batteries, 330 watts of solar, and a full Victron power management system installed by the team at Supertramp. We have a secondary power system that powers the garage components (including exterior kitchen). This system is powered by the Battle Born 270 amp hour “Game Changer” battery. Managed by a Redarc Redvision system and charged by the alternator via a DC-DC charger.
Have you made any modifications to your truck to carry your truck camper or improve its ride?
Brent Bowen: We had the privilege of working with Elevation Off-Grid here in Denver to transform the truck into what it is today. The list of work they preformed is extensive, but the highlights are a full LiquidSpring Suspension, super single wheels and tires, custom front bumper with Warn winch, full black out of the truck using Ram factory parts like blacked out headlights (No Chrome!!). This truck drives like a dream whether fully loaded or empty. It really is amazing how they transform a chassis cab truck.
We love your Bowen Customs truck bed. Can you tell us more about it?
Brent Bowen: We started with our Bowen Customs Camper Bed with forward garage option and then began making dimensional changes to fit the truck and camper. This entire build centers around the massive 60-inch forward garage. We stretched the bed to approximately 12-feet long so we could slide the camper back far enough to only cover the garage and not the cab of the truck. Not only did this give us the garage, but we were also able to install a 23Zero rooftop tent on the Sherpa roof rack. The bed rides on top of our articulating sub frame. This allows the massive 41-inch tires and a LiquidSpring Suspension to lift over 40 inches in the air while preventing any torsion from the frame transferring into the bed or camper. We are working on building out the garage currently but it has everything including a full-size spare, slide-out kitchen, power management system, bike storage, water tanks, etc.
Does your rig feature any other accessories or features worthy of note?
Brent Bowen: Pure Blind wrapped the entire cab of the truck in the green color and applied all the graphics.
Do you have any plans for future upgrades or modifications?
Brent Bowen: Yes, we will continue to build-out the garage and make modifications based on use, but overall we are very happy with its current configuration.
What kind of mileage are you getting with your setup?
Brent Bowen: We are getting approximately 12 mpg. Fully-loaded, the rig weighs about 15,000 pounds.
What tires do you have on your truck and what inflation values do you typically run when driving on and off-road?
Brent Bowen: Goodyear 335, 41-inch mud-terrain tires. We run around 60 psi on the highway. We are still fine-tuning the psi for off-road use.
It’s a great rig. Where are you planning to take it in the future?
Brent Bowen: We have a Baja trip planned at the end of 2023 and we are hoping to drive to Alaska in 2024
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your truck camper rig that would interest our readers?
Brent Bowen: Yes, some people might look at this EOG truck and think it’s too big. So, I’ll just point out that it turns just as tight—if not tighter—than an F-350/Ram 3500 with an 8-foot bed, but I have probably 4,000 pounds more payload capacity than that truck. And my truck is now traveling around nowhere near its capacity. The overall life of every component will be longer as a result. Don’t be scared-off by going with a chassis cab truck.
That’s great advice. Do you have any social media channels where our readers can follow you?
Brent Bowen: We do. You can find us on Instagram: Bowen_Customs and on YouTube: @Bowen_Customs.
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?
Brent Bowen: Yes, know how much you weigh! I talk to too many customers who are just barely underweight when planning their builds on paper. Give yourself some extra room there. Your truck will thank you! And thank you, Mike, for the opportunity to chat.
Interesting is seeing the Warthog in person? You’re in luck. The rig will be on display at the 2023 Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, August 25-27. Look for it at the Bowen Customs display, booths B101 and B113.
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