The Best Truck Campers for Off-Road Adventures

If you own a truck and have been thinking about taking it out on the road for a few days or an off-the-grid overlanding adventure, consider opting for an attachable camper rather than a towed trailer. Many people don’t realize that onboard sleeping cabins can offer most, if not all, of the same capabilities as the vessels that trail behind your truck, and with some added benefits. 

Typically cheaper than buying a trailer or towed camper, truck campers also provide better maneuverability in most situations, allowing you to utilize the functionality of your pick-up while keeping your sleeping and storage area intact. Each traveler will be particular about what he or she wants in a camper — as they should be when spending thousands of dollars on anything. Accordingly, most companies offer a plethora of customizations and upgrades due to the flexible nature of these cabins. To help you choose from everything available on the market, we’ve put together a guide to the best truck campers to buy for your next adventure.

Hard-Sided Vs. Pop-Up

Similar to rooftop tents, there are hard and soft versions of truck campers as well. However, in this case, the hard-sided — or slide-in — campers don’t fold back down when you’re driving around, although many come with a pop-up option. While this can increase the clearance height and wind resistance of your truck, it’s also less work you have to do in between drives. In fact, many owners keep their hard-sided campers in place as permanent fixtures on their vehicles. 

On the other hand, softer pop-ups — which are ironically more similar to hard-shelled rooftop tents — are exactly what they sound like. These are better for owners who want to use their pick-up trucks as actual pick-up trucks after they return home. Likewise, pop-ups are more affordable and still made with high-quality, weather-resistant materials that won’t compromise your comfort or safety when using them on your next adventure off the grid or on the road.

what to look for

Truck Compatibility: This is a big one. Before you purchase ANY camper, you should know if your current vehicle is compatible with your camper of choice.

Size: Before you make your purchase, make sure you consider who will typically be joining you on your adventures. If you’re a frequent solo overlander, you obviously won’t need as much space. However, if you and your family love adventuring together, you’ll need much more space.

Durability: Durability can be a factor if you’re traveling during rainy/snowy seasons or in high winds. If so, you may want something with a more rigid construction.

Truck Bed Access: If you’re looking to convert your camper into a full-on apartment on wheels, you may want to look for something with access to the truck bed below. Many options have removable sleeping floors, which allow you full room to stand up from the bed itself.

Accommodations: This will change from person to person, but you’ll want to go into your shopping experience knowing what you’re comfortable living with and without on your off-grid excursions.

Can a Half-Ton Truck Accommodate a Camper?

Yes, but not all campers. Since many half-ton pick-up trucks have payloads of around 1,600lbs, you may want to steer more towards the lighter camper options. If you’re passionate about a certain heavy camper option but don’t want to swap trucks, there may be some improvements you can make to your pick-up so it can handle the extra poundage.

GFC Platform

Best Budget Pop-Up: The GFC Platform is a nest-like pop-up that has a place to sleep up top while allowing you to still use your truck bed as a truck bed. The three-piece modular floor gives you easy access to the upper bed and enables the conversion of the queen-sized sleeping area to a bunk-style twin bed. During the day, the three panels make for easy stowing so you can stand fully erect inside.

The walls of the cabana down below open up for easy access, meanwhile, an attachable ladder lets you enter or exit the nest through the waterproof side panels.

OVRLND Pop-Up

Best Budget Overlander: Simple and reliable, yet incredibly spacious, OVRLND’s campers are also designed to be endlessly customized to even the most creative owner. Weighing 375lbs at the most, yet with more side-to-side room than its contemporaries (along with a 6’5” standing height), this straight-walled pop-up has a nested queen-sized sleeping area that leaves the truck bed available down below.

Hand-made in Flagstaff, AZ, the OVRLND pop-ups might not be built for luxury, but they are certainly built for utility and comfort.

Rossmönster Lagom

Best Overall: A major benefit of sleeping on the roof of your vehicle is the ability to take in the views around you, whether it’s watching the sunset or simply enjoying the beauty of nature. Swedish brand Rossmönster made the perfect camper for this with its Lagom model, which sports clear windows on the front and back of the upper nest for the ultimate luxury experience.

However, this hard-shelled camper also thrives on simplicity, letting you use your truckbed as intended, with open access from both up top and outside, as well as 200W of solar power thanks to the Goal Zero Yeti power bank.

Four Wheel Campers Slide-In Models

Most Versatile: If you’re going to be living in your truck for an extended amount of time, you might as well build it out exactly how you want it. Four Wheel Campers’ Slide-In models are slide-in hybrids with a pop-up nest up top for sleeping. These campers have found ubiquity on the road simply because of how versatile they can be, with options for full-size pick-ups or short-bed trucks.

Likewise, the company outfits its wide range of models with high-quality appliances and furniture that help you when trying to resell it down the line.

Scout Olympic

Best Utilization of Space: Truck campers definitely have a traditional, roughneck implication, but there are a handful of modern brands that are making the off-the-grid experience more fun and convenient. Weighing just 1,091lbs — far less than its other hard-sided competitors — Scout’s Olympic camper definitely punches above its class.

Sleeping between 4 and 6 people, this shell also gets its power from the sun thanks to a 190W Go Power Flexible Solar Panel. The standard options are more than enough, but add-ons include a Dometic fridge, a slide-out kitchen prep station, and a rooftop tent. 

nüCamp Cirrus 820

Best Class C Conversion: One misconception people have about truck campers is that they can’t compare to the luxury of tow-in trailers or RVs. nüCamp’s Cirrus 820 slide-in line aims to prove naysayers wrong. Made for permanent life on the road, the brand’s most capable model, comes equipped with a toilet, shower, kitchen with a fold-down sink, and plenty of room for an array of activities.

Intended for ¾-ton or 1-ton short-beds, this hard-shell camper is much similar to the Arctic Fox, but with better four-season amenities such as Alde hydronic heating that can be controlled remotely and allows you to take a warm shower at any time of day. It also has solar power, plenty of storage space, and a roomy lofted sleeping area.

Loki Icarus Series

Best Compact Slide-In: Debuting a couple of years ago as a more compact alternative to the brand’s popular Falcon camper, Loki’s Icarus Series is anything but cramped, featuring a removable interior shower, a full-sized bed, a kitchenette, and an A/C and heating unit, capable of being powered by the 300W of solar power. There’s also a heated floorboard option!

Then there’s the construction. While most of its compatriots are built from aluminum, the body on the Icarus hull is made from aluminum-reinforced fiberglass that’s able to shed some weight for an easier ride.

EarthCruiser Terranova

Best High-End Camper: EarthCruiser’s all-in campers are bought as an entire package, overhauling a standard F350 or RAM 3500 pick-up truck with everything you’ll need for either frequent overland adventures or permanent life on the road. The brand’s newest pick-up model, the Terranova, is its biggest and most capable yet. Featuring 8 windows for a 360-degree view, the large pop-up roof raises electronically in seconds via a flip of a switch or even remotely from your key fob. The over-cab sleeping area sports a queen-sized mattress for front-to-black sleeping rather than side-to-side so you won’t have to climb over anyone to get out of bed.

Likewise, the interior won’t lack much of anything that the rest of these campers come equipped with. It’s also one of the only options on this list that’s more than an actual RV, so be prepared to spend a pretty penny if you want one of the best overlanders available.

The Best Camping Gear Essentials

If you’re looking to go camping any time of the year, check out our thorough guide to the best camping gear essentials.