When Keith and Kelsey Panich couldn’t find the truck camper they wanted, they built their own. Now, with 100 units sold and a new expedition vehicle in development, Supertramp Campers has established itself as a premium innovator in the overlanding space.

Golden Colorado is known as the Gateway to the Rockies, and in 2017, Keith and Kelsey Panich chose this city to be the home of Supertramp Campers. Having spent many of their vacations in Colorado, they finally decided that it was time to plant roots in the state.

In 2017, they were shopping for a camper for their truck and were disappointed in what the market had to offer; in both new and used campers, everything seemed to be the same; there were no real innovations, and everything just seemed tossed together. So, they set out to create what they needed.

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Keith and Kelsey Panic, Founders of Supertramp Campers

Keith quit his job, and as he worked on the first prototype, Kelsey worked. The first two prototypes were made out of aluminum, each taking about three months to complete.

Then they tested it over the winter, ensuring everything was working, but they were heavy, had condensation, and not what Keith had in mind.

For the third prototype, they delved into the world of composites, which was a new area for Keith to explore, but he is the type that, when he has a subject and a goal, and won’t stop until he figures it out.

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So, in 2020, they came out with prototype number three and knew this was the winner.

They launched the product in August of 2021, and in that first year, they sold four. As they grew over the next few years, Supertramp expanded.

Growing in the number of their Flagship LT campers sold and expanding their team. This winter, they installed Flagship LT #100.

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In 2022, they were awarded an Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant, which helped them with the reusable vacuum bag technology. This technology helped them reduce waste, save time, and reduce materials costs.

Also in 2022, Kelsey was able to come on full-time and utilize her background in sales to help grow the company on her end. As they grew and streamlined,

Keith brought the company to the point of building a camper a week, which helped them decrease lead times and, in turn, grow the company by developing new projects.

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The latest project that they are working on is the Megatron. This home on wheels is built on the Ford F550 chassis in partnership with Elevation Off Grid (another Colorado-based company) and Liquid Spring.

This “turnkey expedition vehicle” has everything you need to live for a vehicle-based adventure, from a kitchen setup to a shower and bed; there is now another luxury option on the market for those who want to move up from the Flagship LT.

This vehicle will utilize the same technology as the Flagship LT, so the quality that has become synonymous with Supertramp will carry through into this project.

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If you have seen the Flagship LT at one of the Overland Expos or out in the wild, you know this camper is unique. The concept, materials, and quality are all of the highest caliber.

So, what does the future hold for Supertramp? Keith’s brain is always going, looking for, and working on new and innovative ways to push forward.

As a company, they have set a goal to be one of the top companies in Colorado to work for. They strive to build a strong culture within the company and to have a high quality of life and good pay to bring in and retain quality people.

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Regarding products, they are confident with the Flagship LT and have set a pace that they can maintain for yearly sales with this product.

While they have projects in mind for the future, the Megatron is where the company is focusing its resources for now.

The other goal is to get a bigger facility. They have outgrown their initial warehouse, so they picked up a second one in the same business park. But have already outgrown that.

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So, they hope to find something that can fit their needs all under one roof and stay in Golden, Colorado.

For the time being, you can explore their products at Overland Expo and visit their website: supertrampcampers.com.

 

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This article originally appeared in OVR Issue 09. For more informative articles like this, consider subscribing to OVR Magazine in print or digital versions here. You can also find the print edition of OVR at your local newsstand by using our Magazine Finder.

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