How to Pick a Truck Camper
Picking a truck camper that fits on your truck can be a difficult task. Before purchasing a truck camper, it is important to understand the different styles and basic characteristics available. Truck campers are manufactured in two basic styles: hard-side and pop-up, and may contain a slide-out or non-slide and a wet-bath or a dry-bath.
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Instructions
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Preparations
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Before you can purchase a truck camper, you must purchase or be in possession of a pick-up truck with a flat bed.
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Research your truck's payload capacity; one, two, three, four, or five thousand pounds.
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To ensure you begin your truck camper search with the correct size camper, measure the width and length of your truck bed.
Instructions
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Pop-up truck campers are often hundreds of pounds lighter than hard-side truck campers and therefore are an easy choice for use with lighter duty trucks. Their low profile and aerodynamics when collapsed are advantageous during travel and are typically less expensive than hard-side truck campers.
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Hard-side truck campers are larger, heavier and more expensive than pop-ups. With a more domestic RV-feeling, they offer more storage, more insulation and when equipped with a slide-out have more room than pop-ups.
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Truck campers with a slide-out offer users more space but cost and weigh more than non-slide campers. Lighter-duty truck owners may be limited to non-slide-outs depending on their weight restrictions.
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Truck campers are typically equipped with a bathroom. The style of bath can vary between a wet-bath or dry-bath. Wet-baths are designed where the whole bathroom, toilet and sink, are in the shower stall. A dry-bath is designed much like domestic bathrooms with the shower area separate from the rest of the bathroom.
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Tips & Warnings
- Truck campers are manufactured with different layouts. The kitchen, dinette, bathroom and storage areas vary depending on the size truck camper and manufacturer.
- Visiting dealerships and attending RV shows will familiarize you with manufacturers, layouts and prices.
- Truck campers have been around for many years, so talking to previous or current truck camper owners can be a useful tool to help you better understand your needs.
