How Much Do Truck Campers Cost? (17 Examples)

In the world of RVs, there is no other RV that is cheaper than a truck camper. There are numerous factors that impact the price tag such as space, insurance costs, and registration fees. The space that a truck camper gives you in comparison to other RVs is smaller and therefore costs less.

It is cheaper to insure a truck camper because it is generally the same size as the truck and is easy to maneuver, also if you were to get into an accident there is not much other than the additional weight that would add to collisions.

It is also cheaper to register truck campers because in 42 states they consider truck campers as cargo that does not need to be registered like RVs do. 

Examples Of Truck Campers and What They Cost

Here is a list of 17 popular truck campers in order of price that are bound to have what you are looking for in a truck camper.

Knowing what you will have to pay for certain features helps to realize what you value in a truck camper and what you are willing to sacrifice for a cheaper price tag.

Note that not all of these RVs are available through their original retailers anymore but you can easily still get them second-hand from sellers all around the country. 

1. Forest River Polomino  – $11,999

This is a soft-side truck camper and is a great choice for those who like to travel every now and then and have a limited budget.

It weighs just 1,197 pounds which will fit nicely onto the back of your truck and it may be a bit small with a floor length of 6 feet and an exterior length of 12.8 feet but it is big enough to fit a 2-burner cooktop, small fridge, sink, storage, ample seating, and a 60 X 76 mattress. 

2. Travel Lite Super Lite 590 – $12,695

You can get this truck camper in seven different floor plans at different prices, but the cheapest floor plan comes in at $12,695.

It has a cab-over area that includes a bed and the rest of the space in the camper includes a refrigerator, a dinette with a table, plenty of seating, and a two-burner stove.

The exterior length of the camper is 10.3 feet, and the interior length is 5.9 feet with an interior height of 6.9 feet which lets you walk around inside without having to bend over. 

3. Bundutec Wild – $18,600

The Bundatec Wild weighs 1610 pounds and has a compact, lightweight design. It offers a wet bath, cassette toilet, refrigerator, kitchen dinette, and a good amount of storage on either side of the 56-inch X 74-inch lift-up mattress.

It also has a water heater, gray water holding tank, and a freshwater tank for all of your practical needs. The interior floor-length is 7 feet and has an interior width of four foot so it is impressive how they utilize the space so well. 

4. Rugged Mountain Polar 860 – $19,988

This is another truck camper that has a wet bath as well as a clothes wardrobe, microwave, 3-burner stove, sink, overhead cabinets, a 60-inch by 80-inch mattress with cabinets on either side of it, and a tv stand.

It’s like your own little house and is great for people who like to entertain as well as it is nearly 16 feet long and you can slide out a dinette that can easily fit four people that you can also feed using the five cubic foot refrigerator.

5. Adventurer 80RB – $24,207

If you have a short pickup truck then you might want to consider the Adventurer 80RB because it is designed for these trucks in mind. It has a shower, bathroom, and toilet that all fits inside a nicely sized bathroom.

Since the camper is designed for short trucks, it is lightweight at 1,819 pounds and has a forward center of gravity.

It makes the most of its interior space by including a toll-over sofa that can convert into a bed that gives the camper the ability to sleep four people in total when including the cab-over bed as well. 

6. Palomino Real-Lite HS-1912 – $25,995

You can get this truck camper in a hard side and a soft side model and has an interior length of 9 feet and a height of nearly 7 feet.

This camper comes in a bit heavier at 3,261 pounds but includes a lot such as a mattress in the sleeping area which also has a wraparound nightstand, a closet, and a chest of drawers which gives you a lot of places to tuck away your belongings into.

The living area has a dinette, refrigerator, a wet bath, and a pantry in the kitchen which also has a microwave, sink, and a three burner stove. 

7. Northstar Laredo SC – $26,845

This truck camper has an interior floor length of 8 feet 6-inches and you can build it to fit trucks with a short bed or larger trucks with longer beds.

It has black foam insulation and a furnace with a digital thermostat to keep you nice and warm when you travel to those colder parts of the county. It also has an interior shower, cassette toilet, and a three burner stove.

8. NuCamp Cirrus 820 – $27,995

You can find a lot of interesting features strategically placed in the interior 8 feet and 6 inches floor length.

There is a cab-over sleeping area that has a large mattress with storage space to the side and a TV you can swing in and out to conserve space.

The bathroom consists of a wet bath and the living area has a dinette, five cubic foot fridge, wardrobe, and a two burner stove. This truck camper comes to 2,685 pounds in weight. 

9. Northwood Wolf Creek 850 – $33,985

The Northwood Wolf Creek 850 truck camper is very sturdy. It has a thick aluminum frame, and the insulation is made from high-density foam insulation but this does not make the truck camper especially heavy as it weighs in at 2,008 pounds.

It has an interior floor length of 8 feet and 8 inches and can sleep up to four people. The living area has a bed in the cab-over section, and you can get a rollover sofa or a bunk bed in as well.

There is also a wet bath, fridge, and a three burner stove, sink, and storage overhead. 

10. Northwood Arctic Fox 900 Long Bed – $36,988

If you have a pickup truck with a long bed, this camper will be a contender because it was designed for these pickups in mind.

The frame is thick aluminum and foam insulation for all weather conditions. Externally, it has an electric rear awning, ladder, and a roof rack.

Internally you will find a six cubic two-way refrigerator and a 22-inch microwave which is ideal for feeding lots of people at once. You can sleep up to four people in this camper and the dinette area has an overhead bunk. 

11. Outfitter Apex 8 – $38,995

This is a good truck camper for those that want to spend a lot of time on the road. It has a water tank that can hold an impressive 44 gallons which will save you having to stop off in towns to fill it up. There is a 2500 generator for power backup so you can stay off the grid for longer.

It also has a heated basement and insulated walls which does a great job at keeping you warm throughout the cold nights.

Despite its large water tank, the Outfitter Apex 8 has a sturdy and lightweight foam construction and only weighs 1,450 pounds which makes it great for traveling along roads that are more dirt than tarmac. 

12. BigFoot 2500 9.4 Series Short Bed – $41,525

To accommodate the size of your truck bed, you can get this truck camper in two variations. It is expensive but has the features to warrant the high price tag. It has a rear door awning, electric jack, and living room skylights.

You can stay comfortable all year round with the 30,000 BTU furnace and you can add an 11,000 BTU air conditioner as well if you like. It has other features that make you feel at home and safe such as wireless rearview cameras, exterior speakers, and an optical rear vision door.

The interior floor space height is 6 feet 4 inches which may not be high enough for some taller people but is enough space for others who are shorter. It weighs 2980 pounds. 

13. Northern Lite 10.2 EX Limited – $49,275

This is another truck camper that has a heated basement, it also has a queen bed and a dry bath in the bathroom. You can sleep up to four people and there is seating space on the dinette.

There are many other options that you can add so that you get the most out of your truck camper.

The Northern Lite 10.2 EX Limited is on the heavier side though, weighing in at 3,265 pounds so you need to make sure you have a truck with the correct weight capacity for it before you buy.

The ceiling on the inside reaches 6 feet 6-inches which is a good height for the average person to walk around comfortably.

14. Host Cascade 10.6 Smokey River – $52,911

The Host Cascade 10.6 Smokey River camper truck is fully made out of aluminum, the outside is completely fiberglass and the walls are foam insulated which makes it a very sturdy camper.

Like the other high-budget truck campers, there are options that you can add as you go through the process of purchasing that will make your camper have everything that you need to stay comfortable and happy on the road.

This one can come with a king bed, rear sofa, exterior speakers, and an L-shaped dinette which can seat more people than a standard dinette. The interior floor length is 10 feet 75-inches and the interior height is 6 feet 5-inches. 

15. Lance Short Bed 855S – $53,769

This truck camper has a very modern and efficient interior design. It has a dinette that can seat four people that pulls in and out to conserve space and can also be converted into a bed that can sleep two people.

It has a queen-size bed, TV stand, nightstand, and a wardrobe closet that gives you plenty of space to store your traveling necessities.

As well as this, there is a wet bath, refrigerator, three burner stove, and a sink in the kitchen that has storage overhead for pots and pans. It weighs 2,997 pounds with an interior floor length of 8 feet 11-inches and an interior height of 6 feet 7-inches. 

16. Adventurer Eagle Cap 1200 – $58,985

The Adventurer Eagle Cap 1200 may be expensive, but it also has an impressive amount of space to offer for a truck camper.

With 100 square feet to move around in, you can get comfortable and enjoy the amenities that come with it, such as the California king bed with cabinets and nightstands on either side in the bedroom.

In the bathroom, you will find a separate shower and toilet, and in the kitchen, there is a fridge, double sink, and a three burner stove. Along with this, there are two sofas and a wardrobe to help you feel at home. 

17. Host Mammoth – $68,999

As you can imagine, the Host Mammoth got its name because it is a big truck camper.

The interior floor length is an impressive 11 feet 6-inches and has three slide outs that add a lot more interior space which comes to a total of 180 total square feet.

With all of this space, the camper weighs 4,700 pounds which is too big for a lot of standard pickup trucks which can handle other truck campers, therefore to accommodate this camper you will need a truck with a 5,500 pound payload capacity. 

What is a Truck Camper?

Before we get into the cost of truck campers, let’s elaborate a bit more on what they are and why you might want one.

A truck camper is quite an interesting contraption and is like an RV that is fixed onto the inside of your truck bed. They are the smallest RVs you can get and are so small that 42 states count them as cargo instead. 

Truck campers are great options for those who want a smooth driving experience as you do not have to navigate a new vehicle that you are unfamiliar with.

Driving an RV on narrow, windy roads can be a stressful experience and is not something you want to have to go through when you should be enjoying your trip.

The only adjustment that you will have to make when driving with a truck camper is the added height and weight on your truck but this is easy to get used to. 

With truck campers, you can drive your truck as you would normally but keep the benefits of an RV which works best for shorter trips or personal use due to the limited space that they can offer compared to other RVs. Even if they are the smallest type of RV, they have plenty of benefits. 

First of all, they do not require a lot of attention which is a great feature to think about when you are new to the whole RV scene and do not have much experience yet. 

They are designed with the intention to not cause any disruption to your usual truck’s abilities such as driving, parking, and storing, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice anything to achieve such benefits. 

Truck campers are great for parking because of where they sit in the truck bed, they do not take up any extra room on the road unlike a camper attached by a hitch that takes up a whole extra parking space and may even require you to detach it when you park or park at peculiar angles which takes a lot of practice and patience.

One of the reasons why you are looking for a place to park may be because you are looking for a place to spend the night.

Most places have restrictions against sleeping overnight in an RV which results in extra fees and less freedom on where you can stay but you do not have to worry so much about this if you are in a truck camper because they are not limited by the same restrictions.

However, this depends on the laws that each state has but most of them have a policy that means if your overnight plan doesn’t work out and there are harsh weather conditions then you are able to sleep in your camper overnight. 

You can easily store truck campers because they are smaller than your truck when you detach them which makes them able to easily fit inside a garage or if they are durable against the elements then they can be stored outside without taking up much space.

This is especially beneficial when you are traveling around in a new area that may not have the space needed for anything bigger. 

A popular alternative to the truck camper is a van camper which is essentially a class B RV with your vehicle and home combined.

Having to drive your home around with you, has a negative impact on your fuel efficiency and has a devastating impact if you lose it through an accident or theft, but if you have a truck camper you can separate your home from the vehicle and nip around in your truck. 

Truck campers are great, but they may not be the best choice for everyone though and this should be taken into consideration before you jump into buying one. One of the areas that the truck camper falls short on is off-roading capabilities which are due to the added weight of the camper.

Even if you have a 4X4 truck, the added weight of the camper can cause it to sink into the terrain more than it is supposed to and can result in it getting stuck.

Also, if you go off-road with a truck camper attached, the suspension can damage the structure with every bump being amplified with the added weight. The truck camper was built for the road and this is where you will see it prosper. 

Another issue that you might find with the truck camper is that you need to have the right truck and the right camper to attach to it. If you do not have the right combination of truck and camper then you can damage both of them. 

The truck camper has enough space for one person and if you are planning a road trip with multiple people, it will most likely be too small to accommodate all of you, especially in the sleeping and bathroom spaces.

As well as this, the storage space is also affected which is not ideal if you are planning on bringing lots of equipment or luggage. The equipment you need for hunting and fishing should fit though and if you are only taking the necessities, the storage will not let you down. 

Finally, another aspect of the truck camper that you should think about before buying is the added height. Harsh winds can make you feel like you are being pushed if you have campers that are reaching up to 15 feet, it is not that dangerous but you may notice your steering wheel being swayed a bit by the wind and can lead to accidents if you overcorrect this movement.

Additionally, keep an eye out for low-hanging roofs if you are driving through town and height limit signs when you come to tunnels. Damaging the roof of your camper or someone else’s property will be expensive, time-consuming, and all-around stressful so it’s best to avoid it from happening in the first place.

However, being sensible and safe when you are driving with a tall camper will prevent accidents like this from happening. 

Soft Side Campers compared to Hard Side Truck Campers

The difference between a soft-side camper and a hard-side camper is pretty straightforward. A soft side camper has sides that are made from canvas and fold down when you are driving along the road to become more aerodynamic and compact. When you are stationary you can pop these canvas sides out to reach its full size. 

On the contrary, a hard-sided truck camper has walls that do not collapse which makes them taller and slightly heavier on top. 

How To Attach A Truck Camper

We have covered all of the best truck campers that can work with different trucks and preferences. If you have found one on the list that you like the look of, you might be wondering how on earth you attach a truck camper to your truck. 

Every truck camper is different and may need different steps to be taken for it to be attached to the truck properly so it’s good to check through any manuals that you get with the camper. Generally, the first thing you have to do is find ground that is level and get someone to help you.

Then, you need to clear the truck bed before centering the truck and backing up. The truck camper needs to be centered above the rear wheel wells and sides of the truck and make sure that the camper’s power cord is not hanging in the way so that it doesn’t get caught.

With the spotter’s help, they can help you reverse into the right place. It’ll take time and patience but once you get the hang of it, it’ll become much easier. 

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