Looking for a lightweight truck camper that can fit on your pick up truck?
Truck campers come in different sizes and mostly weigh between 1200 to 4000 lbs. Having a big truck camper can provide you good space and amenities but that extra weight also puts pressure on your trucks miles per gallon efficiency.
A small, compact camper means you haul less weight. There are several companies that make campers that weigh less than 2000 lbs.
In this article I am going to present to you the best of truck camper weighing less than 2000 pound.
Here are the top 10 best truck campers that weigh less than 2000 lbs.
| Truck Camper | Dry Weight |
|---|---|
| Capri Retreat | 1750 lbs |
| Northstar Liberty | 1775 lbs |
| Lance 650 | 1700 bs |
| Alaskan 6.5 Cabover | 1390 lbs |
| Travel Lite 770R Super Lite | 1385 lbs |
| Adventure 80RB | 1808 lbs |
| AT Overland Summit | 340 lbs |
| Caribou Lite 6.5 | 950 lbs |
| Scout Olympic | 1161 lbs |
| NuCamp Cirrus 620 | 1491 lbs |
1. Capri Retreat
With a dry weight of 1,750 pounds and a base price of $21,845, the Capri Retreat is a lightweight no-frills style recreational vehicle that’s perfect for day-to-day camping.
You can order it with or without a bed included. Its notable amenities include a 4-gallon water heater, a two-way 3-cubic foot fridge, a 30-gallon water tank, a shower and an air conditioner.
Others include blackout shades, manual jacks, a dinette table, a 12V electric outlet, a sink with faucet, a cooktop and a microwave.
- The manufacturer can allow you to separately order accessories such as a dinette window, remote-operated electric jacks and a fan.
- When purchased, the camper comes with a diamond pattern aluminum exterior that makes it appealing to look.
- The Capri Retreat measures 82 inches in exterior height, 6 feet 4 inches in interior height and 7 feet I’m width.
Capri Retreat is available in different interior finishes with the option of customizing the exterior finishes by yourself. It also features a phone shelf that comes with 12V USB ports and a small shelf that houses a fridge and can hold other small items.
The camper comes with a Fan-Tastic fan to facilitate airflow across the room and a Wave 6 Catalytic heater to warm the room when it’s cold.
The single-pane windows also facilitate airflow in and out of the camper and help prevent rain water from entering your living space.
2. Northstar Liberty
With a headroom of 6 feet 4 inches, the Northstar Liberty comes designed to fit on half-ton pickup tracks. Its floor plan includes a queen-size bed, a Thetford cassette toilet with a wet bath, a large, spacious kitchen and an L-shaped dinette.
Its holding tanks include a removable 5-gallon black water cassette, a 13-gallon gray water tank and a 20-gallon fresh water tank. You can order the recreational vehicle for only $24,115.
The Northstar Liberty has a dry weight of 1,775, which makes it appealing to camping enthusiasts looking for a lightweight truck camper. Its walls and frame entirely feature wood as the main construction material.
The truck camper has an overall length of 14 feet 5 inches, an exterior width of 7 feet, an interior height of 6 feet 4 inches and a floor length of 7 feet With these dimensions, it is the shortest and lightest hard wall camper ever made by Northstar.
3. Lance 650
Though its design partly borrows from the 1970s 6-Pac D650 model, the Lance 650 features pretty impressive amenities. It comes equipped with a full-size wet bath and sink, a north-south queen-size bed, a spacious dinette and a large kitchen.
All these amenities fit perfectly in the camper’s floor plan with the fridge occupying the cabover space. The Lance 650 has a dry weight of 1,700 pounds, an interior height of 6 feet 9 inches and a floor length of 6 feet 10 inches.
With 16 gallons for black water, 15 gallons for grey water and 22 gallons for fresh water, the tank sizes on the truck camper are fairly spacious.
The Lance 650 comes with a tankless water heater and is versatile enough to fit on a mini-short bed and regular short-bed (Ford’s short bed excluded) pickup truck.
Its standout features include a one-piece PVC roof, Euro-lite framed cabinets, a Bluetooth enabled stereo system, ducted heat, acrylic tinted Euro windows and aluminum frame construction.
If you want to go full time and want to live in all seasons that this is a great 4 season camper option you can try.
4. Alaskan 6.5 Cabover
If you’re looking for a hybrid truck camper, you may want to consider the Alaskan 6.5 Cabover. The camper features a patented pop-top that can rise up or go down with a flip of a switch.
It boasts a full standing interior room, improved gas mileage and wind resistance, which make it ideal for off-road adventures.
Notable amenities of the camper include attractive maple cabinets, a wood-paneled ceiling, a wider counter space, lots of overhead storage and a leather dinette.
With a dry weight of 1390 pounds, the Alaskan 6.5 Cabover comes with a 5-gallon propane tank, a 2.5-cubic-foot fridge, a 15-gallon fresh water tank, a full-length door and Henr windows.
You can order LED lighting, a Suburban 20,000 BTU furnace, a 4-gallon water heater, a 160-W Zamp solar power system and a Thetford C-200 cassette toilet as accessories from the manufacturer.
For $29,039, you get the Alaskan 6.5 Cabover, which has an interior height of 6 feet 4 inches and an interior floor length of 76 inches. Travel Lite designed the 770R Super Lite for half-ton and mid-size trucks.
5. Travel Lite 770R Super Lite
The 770R Super Lite is among the truck campers manufactured by Travel Lite in an old fashioned way. The camper features 2×4-inch and 2×2-inch solid wood, double plywood insulated flooring and a .024-inch aluminum siding to make it more habitable for camping.
It also boasts a 1385-pound dry weight that allows it to fit properly on the majority of the half-ton trucks out there.
Its floor plan (which measures 7 feet 4 inches) accommodates a face-to-face dinette, a Porta potty, a small kitchen, several overhead and cherry cabinets and a 48 by 82 inches east-west bed.
With a base price of $12,580, the 770R Super Lite comes equipped with a two-burner cooktop, a Group-27 battery, a propane-fired furnace (of 12,000 btu), a 20-pound propane tank and a three-way refrigerator of 3 cubic feet).
You can separately buy accessories such as a 5-foot rear awning, a fiberglass nose cap, a 80-W solar panel and an indoor shower to complement the camper.
6. Adventure 80RB
With a base price of $19,208,the Adventure 80RB is a camper uniquely designed to fit on long-bed and short-bed half-ton pickup trucks. Its notable amenities include a kitchen (with a refrigerator of 4 cubic feet), stainless steel accents and appliances, cherry cabinets and a decently equipped wet bath.
The wood-framed 80RB also comes with three holding tanks (6 gallons for black water, 6 gallons for gray water and 15 gallons for fresh water).
- It boasts a roomy interior, a 1808-pound dry weight and a dinette that includes a flip-out sofa which you can turn into a bed.
- The Adventure 80RB has an overall length of 15 feet 10 inches, a floor length of 8 feet, a width of 90 inches, an interior height of 80 inches and an exterior height of 96 inches.
- When purchased from a dealer, it comes with standard build options such as the Camper Caddy, the AM/FM/CD/DVD/Bluetooth stereo system and a rear awning.
The truck camper also boasts a one-piece TPO (Thermo Polyolefin) roof, Lamilux 4000 Fiberglass front wrap on the exterior and R-9 insulation.
7. AT Overland Summit
The AT Overland Summit is a 340-pound wedge-style pop-up shell expertly designed for fuel-efficient trucks with adequate room for customization. It can accommodate a 100-pound cargo on its roof when deployed and sleep two people in the living area.
The camper has a top width of 93.5 inches, a base width of 53 inches, a top length of 93 inches, a base length of 76 inches and a height of 32 inches.
- With a 8-foot headroom at the highest point and a 6-foot headroom at the lowest point, AT Overland Summit combines the features of both a slide-in camper and a truck topper.
- The truck camper boasts lightweight aluminum and honeycomb composite construction for increased strength and durability.
- It also features a waterproof, breathable fire-retardant canvas tent to secure you from harsh weather conditions and other natural disasters when camping.
The Thinsulate liner comes with matching window openings with a high heat retention capacity to keep you warm during the cold seasons.
It will cost you $8,900 to get the AT Overland Summit which comes with a 40×80-inch queen-size bed and a mattress that is 2.5 inches in thickness.
The gas springs on the bed allow it to fold upwards when not in use thus giving adequate living room for your camping adventures.
AT Overland designed the camper to fit midsize trucks with 5-foot and 6-foot beds, full-size trucks with 5.5-foot and 6.5-foot beds, heavy-duty trucks with 6.75-foot beds and full-size trucks with 8-feet beds.
The Summit is spacious and comfortable enough to allow you to work while camping or relax indoors.
8. Caribou Lite 6.5
This is a solid built camper and yet weighs just around 950 lbs. It packs in lots of standard features good enough for anyone to live in it comfortably.
It is made for trucks with bed of less than 8 feet length. If you own a Tacoma or a ford ranger than this is a perfect camper for your RV adventure.
Its lightweight profile makes it one of the most economical camper in the industry. The construction consists of aluminum roof that is welded and torsion roof lift system.
The standard base model comes with a 1.9 cubic feet refrigerator, a 3 cook top burner and a 16,000 BTU air furnace for winter. With such a good profile the camper isn’t costly and is priced at $19,995.
Here are its features and specifications:
- Dry weight : 950 lbs
- Length : 13’4″
- Floor length : 81″
- Sleeps : 4 people
- Height : 77″
This camper is best suited for mid sized trucks like Colorado, ranger and Toyota Tacoma. This camper has a stiff competition against other truck campers like four-wheel hawk, palomino Branco and NorthStar 950SC.
Caribou lite is definitely one of the best truck campers under 1000 pounds.
9. Hallmark Milner 6.5
This short bed truck camper weighs 1212 lbs and perfectly suited for small bed trucks like Ford F-150. Its a perfect camper that packs in good number of features and hence it is priced a little higher.
The base price stands at $36,995 with option of adding number of added features and extra cost.
Its fiberglass construction makes it lightweight and yet gives a good structural strength increasing its durability.
Roof is a single piece construction of a fiberglass molded material.
Internal material can be chosen as per personal choice. You can choose between wood, aluminum or Coosa for internal cabinetry.
It comes with 5 year structural warrant which is good in the industry.
Below are some of its standard features and specifications :
- Floor length of 80″
- Interior height of 14′
- Width of 8’3″
- Powered option lift system
- insulated walls
- LED lighting
- Big Double windows for better views
- 30 gallons fresh water tank
- 30 lbs of propane tank
- Optional grey and black tanks
9. Scout Olympic
This is a great lightweight truck camper that can sleep upto 6 people making it great for small family and friends. Its perfect camper for your boondocking adventure and short adventure trips.
It packs in good number of features suited for RVing adventures. It weighs around 1161 lbs and is priced at $19,980.
This camper comes with several features that will make your life comfortable. Some of its features are listed below:
- Fiberglass exteriors
- LED lighting
- 5 lbs propane tank
- dual 110 V outlets
- USB outlets
- Solar pre wiring
- Sink cover
This were just a few number of features, check out its features on their site.
10. NuCamp Cirrus 620
Nucamp cirrus is a perfect camper that weighs less than 1500 lbs. To be specific it weighs 1491 lbs. This is a revolution if you compare amount of features you inside it.
Its a perfect camper for your RVing adventure. It is built for half ton trucks like Ford F-150 and other with short beds. Its overall length of 12’8″ and width of 8’2″ is perfect for your small pick up truck.
Camper includes 2 sleeping areas one being 60″ x 76″ in dimension while the secondary is little small at 30″ x 78″ dimensions.
Its a perfect RV for your boondocking adventure as it brings in fresh, grey and black tanks that are pretty god in size. Below are the exact capacities.
Fresh water tank : 18 gallons
Black tank : 5 gallons
Grey Tank : 12 gallons
Its convivence package includes features like backup camera, cassete toilet, 2 battery compartment, solar kit to name a few.
Is 2000 lbs a good weight for a truck camper?
On an average truck campers weigh between 1000 lbs to 5000 lbs and a lot depends on how big the camper is and also the construction type. A small camper may not always be lightweight as the material used, overall construction will affect its weight.
The campers that we saw above are among the best top quality that are less in weight weight but not by comprising their structural quality or even features.
Truck campers can be hard sided or pop up tent type of canvas types. The hard sided ones add a lot of weight. Most of the campers that we saw in our list are hard sided except some that are pop up and their weight is way less below 1000 lbs.
can 1/2 ton truck carry a truck camper
Modern trucks have become way more efficient and their hauling or weight carrying capacity has also increased a lot. Also, there is stiff competition among several companies that has also made these trucks way more affordable as well as capable.
Though its between to have a3/4 ton or 1 to truck to carry a bigger truck, 1/2 ton can also carry most of the truck campers that I listed above.
How is it like living in a truck camper?
If you haven’t camped in a truck camper before then be sure to know below points. Living in a motorhome or fifth wheel is way more easy then in a truck camper. Its mostly because they are smaller and aren’t as capable as modern motorhomes. But, they do have their onw pros.
- Truck campers are small and compact and do not pack in a whole lot of features. Though they would have good number features its no match to a full sized motorhomes or a fifth wheel.
- It puts pressure on your truck efficiency. A bigger, better truck is a must if you want to carry bigger truck camper.
- A truck camper can be lifted and parked separately while RV camping or even storage. This also means you can use your truck separately if needed for other purposes. The lift option can be both automatic or manually. But, with modern campers its way more easier than people think.
- Boondocking is much easier in case of truck campers than other type of RVs. They are easy to travel with and also easy to park and camp.
- Parking on streets or parking lots is easier as they do not need extra space like travel trailer or fifth wheel. They occupy most of truck bed so its as good as parking a normal pickup truck.
- Though they are small, compact, they are much more versatile. You can have features like awning, or other internal features customized as per your needs.
- They are cheaper. Most truck campers range between $8,000 to $30,000. A lot depends on features and brand. You can get a pop up campers that is simple and way less expensive and also hard sided campers that provide for living full time.
- One of most easier RVs to drive. Most people find it as good as driving a truck with no added stress.
- One of the best in terms of depreciation. They do not loose their value like a motorhome or a travel trailer does.
Conclusion
Truck campers are ideal if you’re looking for a lightweight and budget-friendly solution to outdoor camping. The campers discussed on this guide feature simplified versions of most of the amenities that you would find in a large recreational vehicle.
They come in different shapes and sizes, including pop-ups and hard-side as well as non slide-out and slide out.
Despite these differences, truck campers offer a wide range of benefits to camping enthusiasts. They include unmatched versatility, maneuverability, drivability, off-road capability, low maintenance, fuel efficiency, easy to store, upgrade independence and excellent depreciation value.
