Mesa Overland

Composite body camper design development

Type : Interior camper component design, exterior metal components.

Method : Sheet Metal, CNC (bamboo plywood, composites)

Scale : 2 standardized models, 6 customized builds

Skills used: Fusion 360 - Asset development and management, parametric components and standards, sheet metal, toolpaths, drawings

Other Skills: Inventory tracking, leading client design meetings, marketing materials

A beige pickup truck equipped with a camper shell and a rooftop unit, driving on a salt flat with mountainous terrain in the background under a cloudy sky.

Overview

Interior of a small camper with a bed, pillows, and a view of a lake and mountains through large windows.

Mesa Overland is a small custom expedition vehicle builder in Delta, CO. They use a truck body and a composite panel shell to make a very awesome adventure rig. They create the composite shell by taking a lightweight and very durable composite panel and assemble it between specially designed aluminum extrusions to create a fully sealed shell. Kind of like if your grandpa’s truck camper was engineered for space launch instead of the local KOA.

The shell is half of it, they also take the truck and completely overhaul the frame and suspension so it’s designed to handle the dynamic load the camper. Additional features are added to the truck like lights, bumpers, storage boxes, ladders, gear mounts, alternator charging and anything else to make it the more capable for offroad adventure.

The problem I have been obsessed with solving is turning this shell into the most functional living situation it can possibly be. It’s cascading, there are so many different variables and problems that arise at every addition and subtraction you make. Customizations quickly add up, it can be like building an entire house every time you build a single camper. I was brought on because I have experience to solving this problem in the best possible way while simultaneously streamlining the manufacturing process to be as efficient as possible.

A white RV parked on snow-covered ground with trees in the background. A woman and a young girl are standing near the RV door, and a woman wearing orange ski gear is holding a child. There are ski equipment and shoes outside the RV.

Previous methods

Before I was brought on, the design had been mostly in Shaper3D in one off components, then manually flattened out and CNC cut. This method works, but is very time consuming and doesn’t build up much that you can use in the future since components were not cleanly broken down and separated in a way that allows repetition. Being a small operation, the owner was originally doing all of this and absolutely drowning in the work load.

After understanding the problem, it was clear what I needed to do:

Immediately transition to Fusion 360. Create a library of parts and system to operate
Prepare renderings and drawings for clients to communicate build specifications and confirm details
Build a library of wood, metal and composite component models that are more adjustable to be functionally used across multiple builds
Create a system for flattening wooden components into 48” × 96” bamboo sheets production files for CNC cutting.
Process CNC toolpaths and cut files for CNC
Create sheet metal DXF files and detailed drawings for assembly by outside vendors
Manage assembly files and build details for the shop floor, 3D model access for detailed viewing in the building process

A 3D model of a composite camper build, a rectangular body, and various components, including black panels on top, visible internal structures, and part of the chassis and wheel assembly.

Hand-drawn floor plan on graph paper of a camper layout with labeled rooms, dimensions, and features.

A hand-drawn floor plan for an electrical system in a camper van

Main functions

I was able to own this new role at Mesa and helped guide the development of their CAD system. A slim team meant I had many hats to wear, some days it was leading design discussions with the client walking through the drawings and renderings I created, other days I was programming toolpaths and remotely working with the shop floor. Here’s some of what I did:

Design CNC components

Galleys, benches, closets, upper cabinetry that were specific to each build and could offer variations for the client. Around 10 different component made up each build, all unique to their own model, floor plan and build.

Wooden camper furniture frame for shelving or cabinetry with multiple open compartments and adjustable shelves.

A seating area with two black cushioned benches facing each other and a small wooden table in the center, all made of light-colored wood with wooden slats on the sides, against a plain white background. Camper bench component

Interior of a composite body camper with wooden cabinets, a stove, microwave, and small windows in a modern camper

A 3D model of a wooden cabinet with an open drawer, a wall-mounted control panel with a circular display, and black circular speakers or vents.

A tall wooden cabinet with multiple compartments, a small touchscreen display, and open slatted sides. Camper van cabinetry

A detailed illustration of a camper van interior with various wooden and metal components.

Rendering and drawings

Client facing renderings and drawings to communicate and confirm build details. If you would like to see a sample deliverable PDF, click here.

Interior of a camper with a compact kitchen and a sleeping area at the back, featuring modern design with wood finishes and small windows.

A white Ford Super Duty truck with a large, custom camper attached to the back, featuring windows and a door, set against a plain gray background.

Interior layout of a compact, modern camper van showing kitchen, seating, storage, and bathroom area with wood and white finishes.

Top view of a white camper or RV showing windows with a glimpse of the interior, including a microwave and wooden cabinets.

Technical blueprint of a building, showing top view layout with labeled rooms and measurements. Project title: Mesa Overland, Ferb Build, date September 19, 2025, drawn to scale 1:15.

Create library of existing parts

Create designs of windows, fridges, sinks, faucets, and other components that exist in the marketplace, for manufacturing to accurate dimensions and rendering. 50+ parts were reverse engineered to help support our builds.

A 3D digital illustration of a modern roof ventilation fan with a dark-colored cover, vent grill, and mesh screen beneath. Maxx Air fan cad model

Sheet Metal Components

External components (tire carriers, mole panels, storage boxes) and internal components (shower assemblies, boxes, accessories) were created. They are made to flatten and easy to read by the manufacturer with specific welding call outs as needed.

CAD design of an exterior rendering of a vehicle

A 3D rendering of a rectangular metal drawer with side and front panels, showing screws along the edges, viewed from an angled perspective.

Manufacturing

Use plugins in Fusion to flatten 3D parts into DXF files that can be taken into Vectric, then programmed these toolpaths to be cut. Then provided detailed assembly documentation for the shop floor

Blueprint diagrams of a modular camper interior with labeled sections including top, bottom, front, rear, and assembled structure, featuring detailed component layouts and an isometric view.

Systems design

How the camper is going to work- water, electrical, heating/cooling systems. Make sure everything is accounted for and allowances for all parts are cut into the cabinetry.