Best Light Truck Campers

‍If you don’t want a separate travel trailer or RV, perhaps you might consider a truck camper that mounts to the back of your existing vehicle.

We’ve reviewed the 12 best lightweight truck camper choices, including the key pros and cons of each model and why you should consider them. Our top five truck camper models are:

• Lance 650
• Adventurer 80RB
• Northstar Liberty
• Lance 825
• Alaskan Cabover

A lightweight truck camper is a great alternative to a traditional RV or travel trailer, and can offer most of the same amenities you would get on a larger model without having to consider towing capacity. This means that today’s half ton trucks (like the Chevrolet Silverado or Toyota Tundra) will be able to tow any of these selections and still have plenty of payload capacity. We’ll help you choose from these lightweight truck campers to find the right one for your needs.

‍Best Light Truck Campers

Lance 650

Summary

The Lance 650 is one of their smaller lightweight truck campers, but it’s an excellent combination of value and amenities for those just starting out with truck campers. It is built especially for trucks with 5 or 6 foot beds, which allows them to be used on smaller half ton pickup tricks.

This truck camper has a U-shaped dinette table that can be converted into a short bed, which complements the existing north south queen bed. The bathroom also makes great use of a small space, and the kitchen area is well stocked too.

Why You Should Consider the 650

• Convertible dinette space for an additional short bed
• Compact wet bath
• Plenty of water storage capacity

Specs and Price

The 650 truck camper weighs 1700 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 15.5 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $16,000.

Adventurer 80RB

Summary

The 80RB builds on more than 50 years of truck camper development by the Adventurer badge, offering a great combination of space-saving and comfort. It’s built for smaller vehicles with either with short pickup truck or long pickup truck beds.

The galley kitchen is attractively laid out and very well equipped, and there’s plenty of room for dining and sleeping. The wet bath doesn’t have a sink, but the shower is spacious enough, and the stainless steel sink in the kitchen can serve that purpose.

Why You Should Consider the 80RB

• Excellent kitchen
• Ability to add air conditioner and awning
• No bathroom sink, but kitchen sink can pull double duty

Specs and Price

The 80RB truck camper weighs 1800 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 16 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $29,500.

Northstar Liberty

Summary

The Liberty is the shortest and lightest truck campers in Northstar’s lineup, but that doesn’t mean you lose out on comfort or quality.

The sleeping area of this truck camper has plenty of overhead cabinets, a camper light, and space for a TV stand; and the wet bath gives you everything you need in a compact space (plus an option for an outdoor shower). The dinette space has a table that swivels into position, saving you space and giving you flexibility on the inside layout.

Why You Should Consider the Liberty

• Great kitchen layout
• Plenty of room to relax
• Indoor or outdoor shower options

Specs and Price

The Liberty truck camper weighs 1800 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 14.5 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $32,000.

Lance 825

Summary

The Lance 825 is one of Northstar’s most popular truck camper models, and with good reason.

The wet bath is very spacious for a truck camper, and the kitchen has premium finishes that feel like a full-sized house kitchen. The shower also has heated vents, and there are built-in plugins for solar panels or an exterior generator. There’s also plenty of overhead storage and privacy in the queen bed sleep area.

Why You Should Consider the 825

• Spacious interior with premium finishes
• Good-sized kitchen
• Heated vents in the shower area

Specs and Price

The 825 truck camper weighs 1800 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 16 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $24,000.

Alaskan Cabover

Summary

The Cabover is a unique truck camper, in that it is also in the class of pop up truck campers (or hybrid campers). The walls on this pop up truck camper are solid, but they can telescope and extend to give you more interior room once you arrive at your destination. This is similar to a camper trailer that pops up at your campsite.

Alaskan popup campers pride themselves on the maple trim interior paneling, including the fully loaded kitchen that includes a two burner stove, refrigerator, and sink. The ceiling height (once extended) is taller than 6 feet, making it comfortable for most occupants.

Why You Should Consider the Cabover

• Extendable interior
• Premium finishes
• Fully equipped kitchenette

Specs and Price

The Cabover truck camper weighs 1400 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 6.5 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $30,000.

Travel Lite 960RX

Summary

The 960RX is a larger truck camper model that is only built to be accommodated by long cab pickup trucks due to its length and weight, so keep this in mind when purchasing.

That being said, there’s lots to love about this truck camper. There’s a true queen-sized bed in the sleep area, and the convertible dinette can fit two smaller sleepers on a short bed if need be. Other places where the larger interior space shines include the bathroom and kitchen areas.

Why You Should Consider the 960RX

• Larger interior
• Regular queen bed and converting short bed option
• Spacious shower

Specs and Price

The 960RX truck camper weighs nearly 2100 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 16 feet, and can sleep up to four people. Pricing starts at $16,000.

Capri Retreat

Summary

The Retreat is another smaller and lighter option, and one of the best truck camper options for half ton pickup trucks and beyond that don’t need to accommodate multiple sleepers. Additionally, you can buy the Retreat fully loaded or as an empty shell with only a bed - you might want deluxe accommodations, or just an open space to fill with your own kit.

The stocked option includes all major amenities, including a shower, microwave, cooktop, and sink.

The exterior of this hard side truck camper is an aluminum-lined wood shell, and the aluminum siding comes in multiple color options.

Why You Should Consider the Retreat

• Sturdy construction with exterior color options
• Well-stocked basic interior
• Option to buy just the shell
• Trim lines for different truck bed sizes

Specs and Price

The Retreat truck camper weighs 1200 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 13.5 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $22,000.

Palomino Real-Lite HS-1803

Summary

The Real-Lite is a relatively small hard sided camper that is no featherweight at 1900 pounds, but is still lighter than most towable travel trailers. The HS-1803 is compatible with standard or long bed trucks.

The wet bath has a decent-sized toilet and good shower space, and the dinette converts to a twin bed or has plenty of room for a table insert. The sleeping area is built for comfort with a spacious bed, plenty of entertainment and power options, and a windshield to see out the front port. There is also a larger fridge option opposite the cooktop and counter space.

Why You Should Consider the HS-1803

• Kitchen is built for optimum livability
• Great bathroom layout
• Sleeping space is great for short-term or long-term trips

Specs and Price

The HS-1803 truck camper weighs 1900 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 16.5 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $31,000.

Arctic Fox 811

Summary

The 811 is one of the largest and heaviest truck campers here, meaning you will need a powerful truck to take it along for the ride. That being said, size does matter, since this is one of the best equipped truck campers out there.

The bathroom has a built-in sink in addition to a spacious shower and toilet. The dining area has true booth seating that converts to an additional bed space, and the kitchen area has a true oven in addition to the three burner stovetop, as well as a refrigerator and separate freezer.

There’s also lots of cubbies for storage, including a pull-out pantry. The sleep area boasts a queen bed, room for a 32 inch flatscreen TV, and spacious overhead storage room so you don’t feel cramped while you sleep.

Why You Should Consider the 811

• Extremely spacious interior in all zones
• Premium kitchen fixtures
• Fully stocked kitchen
• Deluxe mattress and sleep area

Specs and Price

The 811 truck camper weighs 3500 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 17 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $28,000.

Livin’ Lite CampLite

Summary

The CampLite is a bit on the heavier side, and has a smaller interior than some lightweight truck campers, but it’s still a solid option that can sleep a family of four in relative comfort.

There’s not much counter space with this model, but it does features a kitchen sink and two burner stove. What’s more, the wet bath has its own sink as well, and there’s plenty of storage throughout the cabin.

Why You Should Consider the CampLite

• Sleeps up to four (not easy in a truck camper)
• Compact but efficient interior layout
• Heavy enough to require a larger truck, but still offer comfort to its occupants

Specs and Price

The CampLite truck camper weighs 2000 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 14 feet, and can sleep up to four people. Pricing starts at $36,000.

AT Overland Habitat

Summary

The Habitat is another unique pop up truck camper, in that it is an expandable camper. Like an expandable travel trailer, pop up truck campers allow you to pack the trailer into the truck bed for a much smaller setup during transit, then pops up to reveal a rooftop tent compartment once you arrive - equally at home at RV parks or in the wild.

It is far and away among the cheapest pop up truck campers you can buy, as well as the lightest truck camper here.

The Habitat pop up camper may not be built for comfort like other truck campers, but it definitely provides optimal storage space underneath the pop-up tent section. Once you go into the rooftop tents, it offers decent sleeping space with great ventilation panels. The floor of the upper area slides into place to provide plenty of room for a solo traveler to stretch out and relax, while the kitchen and other equipment can be set up below.

Why You Should Consider the Habitat

• Far and away the cheapest truck campers you’ll find here
• Highly compact design
• Perfect for single travelers
• Great views and ventilation from the tent
• Extremely lightweight and less expensive than other options

Specs and Price

The Habitat truck camper weighs 350 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 8 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $14,000.

California Flatbed Hawk

Summary

The Flatbed Hawk is among the most expensive truck campers here, but you do get solid construction and a spacious interior built for optimum onsite livability. Furthermore, the construction and profile of this camper mean that it can withstand the harshest environments.

The interior has plenty of headspace across the cabin, and although you don’t have an interior shower that does free up walking and living space elsewhere. The dinette is positioned at the rear of the vehicle rather than the center, giving more standing room for the kitchen. The commode offers plenty of sitting room in the open-air cabin (including a portable toilet) but the sleeping area is also spacious.

Why You Should Consider the Four Wheel

• Hardy construction
• Spacious interior layout, including large dinette
• Spartan amenities but plenty of living space and under bed storage
• Portable toilet

Specs and Price

The Four Wheel truck camper weighs 1300 pounds for its dry weight, has an overall length of 12 feet, and can sleep up to three people. Pricing starts at $37,000.

Other Considerations for Truck Campers

We’ve talked about the interior layout of these truck campers, but the functionality of your truck camper is important as well. Remember, these don’t have the same payload capacity or power as four wheel campers or fifth wheel campers, but the lightest truck campers can be pulled by full size trucks or half ton pickup trucks, meaning even half ton truck owners with short bed trucks can choose the right lightweight truck camper for them.

As we’ve mentioned, consider the size of your truck and assess whether your chosen truck camper will fit in your truck’s bed. If you have a smaller truck, your choices for truck campers will be limited; but if you plan to upgrade anyway, your options are far more open.

Each of these truck campers has tradeoffs in cabin space and finishes, as well as the capacities of the various required fresh water tank and waste water tanks:

• The fresh water tank holds the clean water you’ll use in your sink and shower.
• Gray water is the leftover wasted water from your sink and shower.
• Black water is the solid and liquid waste you produce.
• Water heaters will give you hot water on command, but capacity is limited.

You’ll also need to think about the power generator capacity and air conditioning, depending on where you plan to travel and how you’ll need to account for the weather and climate at your destination. Most truck campers will offer premium upgrades for more power, or options to add exterior generators or solar panels.