When it comes to mobility, versatility, and drivability – you really can't go wrong with
a truck bed camper. There's no need to buy an additional RV or caravan. Your truck can
convert to a mobile home and back again – with the benefit of only paying one registration fee!
Here are the 10 best you'll find in North America.
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If you have a ½ or ¾ ton truck with a 5.5- or 6.5-foot bed – then the 2021
edition Camp-X has to be on your radar. They use a proprietary aluminum/composite
sandwich panel that does a better job keeping you warm in winter
and cool in summer than most others. The all-but elimination of thermal transfer through the walls
doesn't add much to the overall weight either – it actually makes it lighter.
Inside, you'll find a very decent-sized fridge/freezer combo unit,
as well as a spacious twin burner hotplate and sink in the food prep area. A pop-up top
increases headspace by 1.5 feet, revealing a comfy bed that will more than accommodate two people.
Up top, the addition of a hefty solar panel ensures that off-grid camping
is a distinct possibility.
The Rogue EA EB-1 takes a slightly different approach.
It's purpose-designed for mid-sized short bed trucks. It favors an angled elevated
roof that looks like it'd be cramped inside – but it is actually the opposite.
Instead of increasing the vertical real estate the whole way around, the roof opens up higher
thanks to being cantilevered towards the bed. The net result is more space and 4 additional
inches of head height where you'll be standing up – 7 feet 8 inches at its highest point.
The addition of a vast dome-shaped skylight right above the sleeping area
helps alleviate any feelings of claustrophobia.
A freshwater tank feeds an on-demand water heater for the detachable
outside hot showers. You can also stay toasty inside with the 20,000 BTU propane furnace.
Definitely, on the large side, the Mammoth 11'6"
LongBed Dually turns your truck into an RV – without a pop-top canopy in sight.
It's a vision of luxury, size, and quality that looks like the inside of a house.
Once deployed and the triple slide-outs are locked in, there is a separate
bedroom with a king-sized mattress and a dual entrance bathroom with a toilet and shower.
There is a leather sofa and dedicated dining table to overlook the electric fireplace
with 32-inch TV on the mantle.
The kitchen actually has an impressive dual door 8 cubic foot refrigerator,
plenty of room on the molded countertops, and an adjacent laundry area with washing machine.
The unit weighs in at a base weight of 4,000 pounds,
which goes up to 5,500 pounds when furnished.
At a bare minimum, something like an F-350 truck would be needed to haul this beast around.
The thing that immediately jumps out about the Northern Lite 2021 Limited Edition
is the build quality. There is a reason they offer a 6-year warranty on the
exterior of their campers. Everything metallic is high-grade stainless steel.
This genuine four-season unit has dual-pane windows that help prevent heat loss from the
10,000 BTU A/C and 18,000 BTU auto-lighting furnace.
There's even a heat duct in the cabinet where all the water pipes connect
so they won't freeze. Winter gets serious up in Canada. Thoughtful.
There is a compartment for a generator on the outside. A 2,000 watt unit can run everything at once
minus the microwave, and a pair of 20-pound propane tanks are hidden away via a slide system.
The woodgrain finishes on the inside are a nice touch without making the camper overly heavy.
The ALP Eagle Cap 1165 is another Big Bertha, uber luxury style camper that comes in at almost
6,500 pounds fully loaded, meaning an F-450 or larger truck must cope with such a payload.
Bigger is better. A 75-gallon freshwater tank means you'll never run out – enough to
last a week between fills. Additionally, the basement compartment can hold twin 30-pound
propane tanks – more than enough to handle the cooking, hot water, and heating demands.
The living space is vast, with a room that houses sofa chairs for two
and an additional lounge and dining area that can fit four.
The kitchen has an open island plan and sits on the other side of the dry bathroom.
The bedroom section is anything but pokey and has ample room for a queen mattress
and a multitude of storage.
The Project M topper, opting for a more compact and lightweight approach,
makes owning a truck bed camper a possibility on a budget. They suit
both mid and full-sized trucks meaning something like a Ranger or Tacoma is up to the challenge.
They're aimed at the outdoor adventurer, with plenty of options to pack on kayaks, stand-up
paddleboards, surfboards, bikes, and anything else you need to fully enjoy the wide-open spaces.
The exterior is made from rugged, durable materials that match the conditions it's
meant to be used in. A gas-assisted system allows you to pop up the top to retire for the night,
even with gear packed on top – with only one hand. The inside is relatively utilitarian
and can be fitted with as much or as little equipment as you fancy.
For a hard-side, non-slide camper, the Cirrus 620 sure does pack a heap inside – while
still retaining functionality with a half-ton truck payload.
Inside there's seating for 4 adults or a couple and 3 kids at the dining table.
A sink, hot plate, and Adle hydronic heating system that consists of a boiler, convectors,
and central control system are all welcome creature comforts.
However, the Cirrus 820 is the next echelon up – with improvements across
the board. The mattress is just 2" shorter than a residential queen,
and while thin like any RV, does sit on a Froli system. The sprung squares
allow the mattress more flex while retaining airflow underneath to prevent condensation.
However, despite outward appearances, there is an indoor toilet – but
no shower—something the 820 has over the 620.
With user satisfaction at the forefront of the design brief, the Real-Lite Hard-Side Max HS-1910
is undoubtedly one of the most comfortable units for its size on the market right now.
There is a slide-out section on one side to internally extend the sofa area
and free up more walking space. The wet bathroom is conveniently located at the opposite end of
the camper to the double mattress – a feature uncommon with other campers.
There's room for a 5-burner stovetop and oven inside, as well as a full double sink. The TV
can be swung around viewed while lying down in bed or enjoying a meal on the kitchen table.
The big draw for the HS-1910 is the absolute abundance of storage.
Every nook and cranny has been utilized as an area to stow away your clothing and gear securely.
The Hiatus Camper takes up only a smidgeon more room than a traditional
enclosed rear canopy. It's a knockout for those traveling overland and into
remote places due to its low center of gravity, minimal footprint, and frame.
The inside is very basic. An additional head height of 3 feet is gained by extending the
overly tall pop-top section. Not soft walled, but hard sides that fold out
and are weatherproof when erected. The system is designed to be operated by a single user.
A plug-and-play floor tracking system allows the bespoke modular inserts to be arranged however
you like. The standard configuration consists of a cooking and food prep area on the driver's side
and bench seating on the other – whose tops reconfigure to form the base of the bed above.
When you're done, it takes just minutes to pack up. Too easy.
As a company, Scout values being minimalistic
and lightweight while having a unit that can cope with the rigors of off-road use.
The Kenai looks pretty basic from the outside, but where it shines is on the inside.
A mudroom is a smart addition.
It has a heated rinse station to rinse off dirty shoes, gear, clothing,
and a stowaway cassette toilet, both concealed by an old-fashioned privacy shower curtain.
A solar panel up top and lithium battery station onboard stores
enough power to last indefinitely while off-grid.
The big draw is that despite weighing just 1,400 pounds,
it can fit up to 6 people in relevant comfort.
The bed is a queen size, which is notoriously hard to fit in a camper with these dimensions.