The Best Truck Campers (2027 Models)
Updated 2026-10-16 · ACamper RV Research
Match the camper to the truck's payload, not the camper's marketing. A truck camper's loaded "wet" weight is usually 400–800 lbs more than its published dry weight once you add options, water, propane, batteries and gear.
For a 3/4-ton, the Northwood Arctic Fox 865 is the best all-around hard-side camper: a 58" × 80" bed, a wet bath, 42 gallons of fresh water and a strong four-season reputation. Step up to the Arctic Fox 1150 on a 1-ton for a slide and a dry bath.
True half-ton campers are small. The nuCamp Cirrus 620 (1,565 lbs dry) and pop-ups like the Palomino Backpack SS-550 fit most half-tons. The popular Lance 650 (1,813 lbs dry) needs a half-ton with a high payload rating.
Payload is everything
Wet weight vs. truck payload
Add the camper's dry weight, every factory option, water (8.3 lbs per gallon), propane, batteries, food, gear and every passenger. That total must be under the payload on your door-jamb sticker. Rear axle and tire ratings matter too.
Bed length and floor length
Campers are built for short beds (about 6.5 ft) or long beds (about 8 ft). The camper's floor length must match your bed. A long-bed camper on a short bed hangs too far back and puts too much weight behind the axle.
Center of gravity
The camper's center of gravity should sit just ahead of the rear axle. Manufacturers mark it on the camper. Heavy options at the back, like a big rear bumper or generator, push it rearward.
Hard side, pop-up or slide
Pop-ups (soft or hard sides that fold down) are lightest and lowest, which is best off-road and on half-tons. Hard sides insulate better. Slides add space but also several hundred pounds.
For half-ton and midsize trucks
Under about 1,800 lbs dry. Even here, check your payload; many half-tons are rated 1,400–1,900 lbs.
nuCamp Cirrus 620: Best hard-side for half-tons
It's a molded fiberglass hard-side with a cab-over bed, a dinette, a small kitchen and a wet bath, built by the Ohio maker of the TAB teardrop. At 1,565 lbs dry, it's one of the lightest campers with a real bathroom.
Watch for: It uses a cassette toilet (5-gallon black). The fresh tank is 20 gallons.
- length
- 12' 8"
- dry
- 1,565 lbs
- height
- 8' 2"
- sleeps
- 3
Truck: Half-tons with a 6.5-foot bed and good payload. Some midsize trucks with high payload.
Price: New from $29,913 (median $41,995, 17 listed) · used from $24,995
Palomino Backpack SS-550: Best budget pop-up
The roof folds down for driving, so it's only 6 feet tall on the road, with less wind drag and more clearance under trees. Inside there's a cab-over bed, a dinette and a kitchen. At under $20,000 new, it's the cheapest way into a real truck camper.
Watch for: There's no bathroom and only 15 gallons of fresh water. Soft-side walls are cold below freezing.
- length
- 13' 5"
- dry
- 1,613 lbs
- height
- 6' 0" (lowered)
- sleeps
- 3
Truck: Most half-tons with a 6.5-foot bed.
Price: New from $17,499 (15 listed) · the larger SS-1251 from $20,499
Lance 650: Best half-ton camper with a wet bath
It's the camper most people mean by "half-ton truck camper": a front bed, a rear wet bath, a dinette and a fridge in 15.5 feet. Lance is the best-known truck camper brand, and used Lances are easy to resell.
Watch for: Published weights vary from about 1,640 to 2,060 lbs depending on the year and source, and a wet, optioned 650 is often 2,200+ lbs. That's beyond many half-ton payloads. Tanks are small (22 gallons fresh).
- length
- 15' 6"
- dry
- 1,813 lbs
- height
- 8' 1"
- sleeps
- 3
Truck: A half-ton with a high payload rating (about 2,200 lbs or more once wet weight and passengers are added), or a 3/4-ton.
Price: New from $34,995 · used from $26,995 (few listed)
For 3/4-ton trucks
About 2,000–3,000 lbs dry. This is where most truck campers live: a real bed, a bath and enough water for a long weekend.
Northwood Arctic Fox 865: Best all-around truck camper
Arctic Fox campers are known for cold-weather build quality. The 865 has a 58" × 80" cab-over bed, a wet bath, a dinette that converts to a 38" × 68" bed, and big tanks for a non-slide camper (42 gallons fresh, 32 grey, 31 black). The rear bumper is ready for Northwood's "Fox Landing" step platform.
Watch for: At 10 feet tall, it's tall on the road. It's a wet bath, not a separate shower.
- length
- 17' 0"
- dry
- 2,641 lbs
- height
- 10' 0"
- sleeps
- 4
Truck: A 3/4-ton with a long bed (8 ft).
Price: New from $45,988 (median $52,995, 19 listed) · used from $29,998
Northwood Wolf Creek 850: Best value hard-side
Wolf Creek is Northwood's lighter, lower-cost line. The 850 has the same 58" × 80" bed and wet bath layout as the Arctic Fox 865, about 600 lbs lighter and over a foot shorter in height. The dinette converts to a 38" × 77" bed.
Watch for: It has less insulation and smaller tanks (33 gallons fresh) than Arctic Fox.
- length
- 16' 2"
- dry
- 2,008 lbs
- height
- 8' 7"
- sleeps
- 4
Truck: A 3/4-ton, or a heavy-payload half-ton with a long bed if you pack light.
Price: New from $39,900 (30 listed) · used from $19,990
Northern Lite 8-11EX Limited Edition: Best fiberglass shell
Northern Lite molds its campers as two fiberglass halves, like an egg trailer, so there are no roof seams to leak. The Limited Edition adds an 11,000 BTU A/C and upgraded finishes. They have a strong following among owners who camp in cold climates.
Watch for: It's heavy for its size; check your payload carefully. The black tank is 13 gallons.
- length
- 16' 3"
- dry
- 3,050 lbs
- height
- 8' 4"
- sleeps
- 3
Truck: A 3/4-ton with high payload, or a 1-ton.
Price: New from $59,866 (median $69,988, 25 listed)
Northern Lite 8-11EX Limited Edition floorplan, specs and listings
For 1-ton trucks
Over about 3,300 lbs dry, usually with a slide. These are for long trips and full-time truck camping.
Northwood Arctic Fox 1150: Best slide-out camper
The slide holds a dinette that converts to a 42" × 76" bed, which gives you a real living area. It has a dry bath with a separate shower, a 58" × 80" bed and 59 gallons of fresh water. It's been built for about two decades, so older ones are plentiful.
Watch for: It's 10 feet tall and very heavy once loaded; a 1-ton dually is the realistic truck.
- length
- 19' 0"
- dry
- 3,358 lbs
- height
- 10' 0"
- sleeps
- 4
Truck: A 1-ton, ideally a dually.
Price: New from $56,881 (median $61,995, 27 listed) · used from about $12,000 for older units
Lance 1172: Best family truck camper
It sleeps up to six, has a slide, and carries 42 gallons of fresh water and 35 each of grey and black. That's close to small-trailer capacity in a camper you can take anywhere your truck goes.
Watch for: At over 4,000 lbs dry, it's too heavy for any single-rear-wheel truck once loaded.
- length
- 20' 4"
- dry
- 4,063 lbs
- height
- 9' 0"
- sleeps
- 6
Truck: A 1-ton dually.
Price: New from $58,500 (median $67,995, 12 listed) · used from $49,900
Where "half-ton camper" claims go wrong
"Half-ton" truck campers
Lists often put campers like the Lance 650 and Arctic Fox 865 in a "half-ton" category. The 865 is 2,641 lbs dry, a 3/4-ton camper. The 650's published weight ranges from about 1,640 to over 2,000 lbs depending on the year and source, and Lance originally matched it to a specific high-payload F-150. Use the weight of the camper you're buying, with options, plus your passengers.
Dry weight that leaves things out
Truck camper "dry weight" often excludes options like A/C, generators, extra batteries and solar. A 3,000 lb dry camper with A/C, a generator, lithium batteries and full water can easily weigh 3,800 lbs.
Wet weight worksheet
| Camper dry weight | From the spec sheet or the camper's weight label |
| Factory options | A/C 80–100 lbs, generator 100–150 lbs, solar 40–80 lbs, awning 50 lbs |
| Water | 8.3 lbs per gallon of fresh, plus whatever is in the grey and black |
| Propane | About 20 lbs per full 20 lb cylinder (plus the tank) |
| Batteries | 25–70 lbs each |
| Food, gear, tie-downs, people in the cab | Often 400–700 lbs |
FAQ
What is the best truck camper?
For a 3/4-ton truck, the Northwood Arctic Fox 865: a 58" × 80" bed, a wet bath, big tanks and a strong cold-weather reputation. For a half-ton, the nuCamp Cirrus 620 or a pop-up like the Palomino Backpack SS-550.
Can a half-ton truck carry a truck camper?
Yes, a small one. Look for campers under about 1,600 lbs dry, and add options, water, gear and passengers before comparing to your payload sticker. Most half-tons have 1,400–1,900 lbs of payload.
What is the difference between dry and wet weight on a truck camper?
Dry weight is the camper with standard features and empty tanks. Wet weight adds water, propane and batteries, and real-world weight also includes options and gear. Wet weight is often 400–800 lbs more than dry.
Short bed or long bed truck for a camper?
A long bed (about 8 feet) opens up far more campers and puts the weight better over the axle. Many campers are built specifically for short beds (about 6.5 feet). Match the camper's floor length to your bed.
How we researched this
We started from the truck campers on top-ranking lists (RVBlogger, Truck Camper Magazine, Campground Views) and the most-listed 2026–2027 campers in our catalog.
We sorted them by dry weight from the spec sheets and checked each layout on the manufacturer drawing.
Prices and counts come from ACamper's crawl of dealer inventory through Oct 14, 2026.