10 Best Lightweight Truck Campers 2025

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Last Updated on February 13, 2025 by Paul Clayton

10 Best Lightweight Truck Campers

RVs are great, but not everybody likes to roam in full-size RVs. Some like to keep it simple, light, and affordable. For those, lightweight truck campers are the best solution.

Key Takeaways

- Lightweight Truck Campers Are Ideal for Simplicity & Mobility: Truck campers provide a compact, cost-effective, and versatile alternative to full-size RVs. They are perfect for those who prefer a more nimble camping experience.
- Diverse Options for Different Needs: The top 10 lightweight truck campers vary in design, features, and weight, catering to different travel styles and truck sizes.
- Key Features to Consider:
  - Build Quality & Materials: Aluminum framing, fiberglass shells, and wood interiors impact durability and weight.
  - Comfort & Convenience: Sleeping arrangements, kitchens, bathrooms, and insulation levels play a major role in camper usability.
  - Off-Grid Capabilities: Campers offer solar power, large water tanks, and propane systems for extended remote trips.
  - Customization & Upgrades: Some brands allow modifications such as additional storage, heating, and power solutions to enhance the camping experience.
- Notable Models:
  - Palomino Real-Lite: Offers rugged construction, solar power prep, and a Badlands package for extreme adventurers.
  - Lance 855s & 825: Well-known for their quality construction and lightweight designs.
  - Northern Lite 8-11EX WET: Luxurious and durable with a molded fiberglass exterior.
  - Arctic Fox 811: Heavy but highly durable with premium features.

However, getting a truck camper is not straightforward. There is a lot to consider before picking the perfect vehicle to make your journeys super comfortable and memorable.

There are several lightweight campers available in the market. Not every truck camper will give you the experience of a lifetime. Some are good; others are not impressive, but who’s to tell? I am.

To make things easier for you, I have done half your work by scouring the market up and down to pick the top ten lightweight truck campers.

You can choose the best option by reading this post thoroughly, examining the features closely, and selecting the one that best suits you.

Let’s get into it.

Top 10 Lightweight Truck Campers

1. Palomino Real-Lite

Palomino Real-Lite Truck Campers: Built for Adventure, Designed for Comfort

Crafted for the explorer at heart, the Real-Lite Truck Campers by Palomino redefine off-grid travel with their lightweight, durable, and feature-packed design. Whether setting up at a bustling campground or venturing deep into the wilderness, this camper offers all the essential comforts of home while remaining rugged enough for extreme adventures.

Built Tough for Any Terrain

Lightweight Aluminum Frame Construction – Strong yet light for better fuel efficiency and easier towing.
High-Quality Insulation – Designed for all-season camping, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer.
Electric Roof Lift System – A hassle-free way to set up and pack down with the push of a button.
Solar Power Prep – Ready for off-grid adventures so you can stay powered wherever you roam.

Ultimate Comfort & Convenience

Cozy and Spacious Living Area – Thoughtfully designed interior with premium finishes.
Fully Equipped Kitchenette – Comes with a 2-burner cooktop, refrigerator, and ample counter space for preparing meals.
20,000 BTU Furnace – A powerful heating system ensures warmth in chilly conditions.
Queen-size bed – Plush, roomy sleeping space for a restful night under the stars.
Convertible Dinette – Transforms into an extra sleeping area, perfect for additional travelers.
Dome Skylight – Enhances natural lighting and gives an open, airy feel inside.
Wet Bath (Shower & Toilet) – A rare luxury in truck campers, providing the convenience of indoor plumbing.

Unmatched Storage & Functionality

Abundant Storage Compartments – Thoughtfully placed storage spaces to organize gear and essentials.
Toy-Hauling Capability – Bring your favorite bikes, kayaks, or off-road gear effortlessly.
Outdoor Awning – Provides shade and shelter, making outdoor lounging even more enjoyable.
Propane System – Powers the stove, heating, and other essential appliances for extended trips.

Upgrade Your Experience with the Badlands Package

For adventurers who demand even more power and capability, the Badlands Package enhances the Real-Lite Truck Camper with premium features:

200-watt Solar Power System – Keep your devices and appliances running no matter where you are.
Thetford Cassette Toilet – A high-end sanitation solution that adds extra convenience.
North-South Cabover Bed – Easier access to sleeping space for a more comfortable layout.
Custom Flooring & Cabinet Finishes – Choose between amber bamboo or maple cabinetry to match your style.
Low-Profile Air Conditioner – Stay cool even in the hottest summer conditions.
Inverter with Transfer Relays – Ensures smooth power management when using multiple devices.
Side Awning – Expand your outdoor living space for extra shade and comfort.

Water Tank Capacities – Designed for Extended Stays

30-gallon Fresh Water Tank – Plenty of clean drinking, cooking, and cleaning water.
14-gallon Black Water Tank – Large capacity for waste storage without frequent dumping.
12-gallon Grey Water Tank – Holds wastewater from sinks and showers, keeping your site cleaner.

Fits Most Truck Sizes + Unmatched Durability

Compatible with both short-bed and long-bed trucks, making it a versatile choice for different vehicles.
Backed by a 5-year Structural Warranty, ensuring long-term durability and peace of mind.

2. Outfitter Apex 8

The Outfitter Apex 8 was designed by the extremely skilled Scott Mavis, president of Outfitter Manufacturing. This is not just another truck camper. It has so many features to discuss.

Starting with some basic ones, the Apex 8 flaunts a huge 44-gallon freshwater tank, one of the largest holding tanks in a pop-up truck. However, the gray and black water tanks each have a 16-gallon capacity.

Other prominent features include:

Dual thermopane Sietz windows
Weblon soft-walls
Three-way 3-cubic ft refrigerator
Marine-grade porcelain toilet
Progressive Dynamics 45 amplitude charger/converter
Overhead storage cabinet
Underbed storage
Maple interior cabinets
5-gallon propane tank
Dry weight: 1450 pounds

The Apex 8 features a large battery box. It can easily fit one group-27 battery, but you can add more. This includes a 7.5 cubic ft Nova Kool Compressor Refrigerator, an Onan 2500 Generator, and a Yakima Roof Rack (with ladder).

Furthermore, the composite foam core roof and body construction of Apex 8 is sturdy and long-lasting. It fits the short-bed, ¾ ton pickup truck quite easily.

The superb layout, low profile, and amazing tank capacities have made this camper a great choice among overlanders.

3. Alaskan 7 Cabover

Next on this list is a hybrid camper from Alaskan that brings you a little bit of both types: pop-up and hard-side. That’s right. The Alaskan 7 Cabover’s pop-top has a solid wall construction and a hydraulic mechanism that lowers and raises the camper’s top with a simple switch-flip.

This telescoping design is super-beneficial. It provides a full-length room with a classic interior during camping. It also offers better gas mileage and less wind resistance when traveling.

The most prominent features of this camper’s interior include:

Leather dinette
Maple cabinets
Wood-paneled ceiling
Large countertop
Overhead storage

This overhead storage and the countertop space are much more than I have seen in most hard-side campers.

Some other standard features include:

NovaKool 2600 refrigerator
5-gallon propane tank
Full-length door (no need to bend or stoop to enter the camper)
27-gallon freshwater tank
Dry weight: 1560 pounds
One group-34 AGM battery

You can add more batteries if you want. The most popular choices include:

Zamp 170 watts solar power system
Thetford C-200 swivel cassette toilet
4-gallon water heater
LED lighting
Suburban 20,000 BTU furnace

The Alaskan 7 Cabover fits perfectly on long-bed and short-bed trucks.

4. Capri Retreat

Situated in Bluff Dale, Texas, Capri leads the camper industry by making out-of-the-box designs, ideal for ½-ton and ¾-ton pick-ups.

The Capri Retreat is no less. Built entirely of high-quality wood wrapped in aluminum, this camper is built to last.

Furthermore, you can order a Capri Retreat as a lightweight shell (with a bed) or a fully equipped and decorated camper. I liked Capri’s option “The Works” for this camper. It includes:

A shower
A Polar Cub 9200 air conditioner
30-gallon freshwater tank
4-gallon DSI water heater
A microwave
Two-way Domestic 3-cubic ft refrigerator
A cooktop
An audio/video package
A sink and faucet
A dinette table
12-volt electrical system
Blackout shades
Manual jacks

Now, you can also get some other products as a single choice. This includes:

A furnace
A vent fan
Portable toilet
Large dinette window
Remote-operated electric jacks

This Capri camper features an attractive, diamond-pattern aluminum exterior. This exterior is available in 10 base colors with various colored strips and accents.

Capri also offers four different yet elegant interior wood paneling options. This includes:

Ridge Pine
Weathered Cedar
Pecan
Cypress

Furthermore, you can order this camper according to the bed length. Options include 5.5-foot, 6.5-foot, and 8-foot. This makes the Capri Retreat a great choice for various types of trucks. It only weighs 1,750 pounds dry.

5. Four-wheel camper Flatbed Hawk

California’s Four Wheel Campers brings you one-of-a-kind, highly durable pop-up campers. One such example is the Flatbed Hawk. No matter how extreme the off-road environment is, the Flatbed Hawk, with its distinct rear kickback and narrow girth, is built to last.

Its features are quite interesting. Firstly, the Flatbed Hawk is only 59 inches tall with the pop-up down. Secondly, it weighs only 1,325 pounds dry and 2,100 pounds when fully loaded.

Furthermore, its super-lightweight, one-piece aluminum roof is highly durable, waterproof, and designed to last decades. Other prominent features of this extraordinary camper include:

A small kitchenette
East-West 72 x 78 inches bed
Isotherm 1.7 Cubic ft three-way refrigerator
Huge dinette at the backside

Other popular add-ons include:

Wrapped Green 12-volt portable toilet
14 interior fabric choices
Dual battery box
Isotherm 65, 85, or 130 l DC compressor refrigerator
Indoor shower
320-watt solar power option

The only downside of this otherwise amazing camper is the small size of its freshwater tank, which is only 20 gallons. However, you can always install another water tank in the tray to increase its capacity.

Lastly, this camper is designed for full-size trucks with a 6.5 ft tray. T

6. NuCamp Cirrus 920

Based in Ohio, NuCamp is a pioneer in producing high-quality, innovative truck campers. The Cirrus 920 is the highlight of NuCamp’s camper line due to its various features, which are hard to find otherwise.

Some of these uncommon features are:

Whisper-quiet water heater furnace (saves weight and space)
Alde hydronic heating system
Froli modular sleep system
Space-saving folding bathroom sink
Heated floors

Similarly, the prominent features of its spacious 10’1’’ floor plan include:

A large cabover
A large wet-bath
North-South queen-sized bed
Huge storage space
Massive wardrobe
Face-to-face dinette
Thetford three-way five cubic ft refrigerator
A large kitchenette with a two-burner cooktop

Likewise, other noteworthy highlights of this off-road beast include:

Dual battery compartment
Custom diamond-plated rear bumper with hose storage
An 8-foot side awning
Two 20-pound propane tanks
Dual thermopane windows
32-gallon grey water holding tank
38-gallon fresh water tank
18-gallon black water holding tank
Dry weight: 3,530 pounds

You have plenty of great options to add, too, including:

Maggie roof rack
Torklift Glow Steps
160-watt solar power system
Lagun swing away table
Motorized rear awning

Furthermore, you will have numerous color choices while ordering a Cirrus camper. You can also choose a white or silver exterior with ten different color accents. Get the one that matches your truck.

All these great features make this truck one of my personal favorites. Hands down, it is one of the top truck campers available.

7. Lance 855s

Lance manufacturers aren’t new in town. They are one of the most trusted truck camper manufacturers, with nine high-class models. I liked the 855s the most. Why? because they are a great choice when it comes to lightweight truck campers.

The Lance 855s is a perfect short-bed truck camper design. Its slideout dinette easily seats four people and converts into a two-person bed.

Likewise, other features include an aerodynamic nose cap, LED lighting, a bathroom, a deluxe innerspring mattress, and a carpeted bed base.

Most importantly, Lance 855s’ construction is super-sturdy, with aluminum-framed floors, walls, roof, and cabover. Furthermore, the floors are insulated and laminated, and the roof is a one-piece design.

To summarize, the significant features of the Lance 855s include:

Dry Weight of 2997 pounds
Sleeping capacity of four to five-person
Dining capacity of four-person
Sturdy construction
Maple interior
8’ 11’’ long floor
LED lighting
A bathroom

8. Lance 825

Keeping the trend alive, the Lance 825 is a proud production of Lance Campers. Needless to say, Lance Campers is one of the leading camper manufacturers in the industry, which is probably why this list has two from Lance Campers.

The good folks at Lance Campers have worked hard for several years to build the most durable and lightest truck campers. Their efforts resulted in the 825, a terrific, extraordinary short-bed camper.

Believe it or not, this camper’s dry weight is only 1,832 pounds. Even when fully loaded, it is a great choice for 3/4-ton trucks.

The Lance 825’s 8’6’’ floor plan provides you with all the best features, including:

North-South queen-size bed
Classy interior with cherry-stained cabinets
Well-equipped kitchenette
Full-size dinette
Small wet bath with a shower
Large wardrobe

Likewise, other prominent features of this aluminum-framed camper include:

Two-burner stainless steel cook-top
Dometic three-way, 3-cubic foot refrigerator
5-gallon propane tank
Atwood 18,000 BTU propane-fired furnace
30-gallons freshwater tank
Atwood 6-gallon water heater
14-gallon black water tank
13-gallon grey water tank

Now, the best options are quite overwhelming, too. These include:

Rear and side awnings
100-watt rooftop solar power system
Lance’s roof rack system
Removable carpet kit

Furthermore, this camper has a one-piece TPO nose cap that gives it an aerodynamic and sleek look.

It also includes Lance’s most innovative Easy Charge exterior charging center. This allows the user to connect a generator or a portable solar panel for quick and easy battery charging.

This helps, especially since the 825 has only one group-27 battery box. However, if needed, the battery compartment is big enough to hold two larger group-31 batteries.

9. Northern Lite 8-11EX WET

Who makes the most luxurious camper trucks? I will say it’s Northern Lite. While this claim has many reasons, the most prominent one is Northern Lite’s fiberglass clamshell exterior.

This molded fiberglass construction makes these campers look super stylish and aerodynamic. They also ensure high durability and zero leakages.

From all the classics of Northern Lite, I have picked 8-11EX WET for this list. Its 9 ft floor plan offers a variety of features, including:

Spacious wet-bath
North-South queen-size bed
Plenty of storage
Face-to-face dinette
A large kitchenette

Similarly, other prominent features are:

A mirrored, three-way, 6.3-cubic foot refrigerator
All-wood cabinets with Sapele veneer paneling
Dual battery compartment
6-gallon DSI water heater
Three-burner propane cooktop
Seitz windows
18,000 BTU furnace
9,200 BTU air conditioner
Dry weight: 2,650 pounds
Two 20-pound propane tanks
LED lighting
95-watt solar power system
45 Amplitude Progressive Dynamics converter/charger with three-stage Charge Wizard
Side and rear awnings
33-gallon freshwater tank
24-gallon grey water tank
13-gallon black water tank

You can also order an 8-11EX WET with a dry bath.

Another amazing thing about this camper is that it comes with a six-year warranty. The hefty price might initially sound a little steep, but the features are worth it.

10. Arctic Fox 811

Northwood Manufacturing’s Arctic Fox 811 delivers fully on features and quality. Before I talk about its awesome features, I should tell you that this off-road beast weighs a hefty 3,468 pounds.

Although Northwood’s website mentions only 2,873 pounds as this camper’s dry weight, this is not true. The company offers a mandatory Fox Package that weighs around 595 pounds, which adds to the camper’s initial dry weight.

The fully loaded version of this bad boy will weigh around 4,500 pounds or more. But don’t worry. Once I discuss its features, you will understand the Arctic Fox 811’s excessive weight.

Built like a Sherman tank, the 811 has some extraordinary features. Here are some highlights:

Sturdy, full walk-on cathedral arched ceiling
A large basement
2-inch thick, heavily insulated walls
Two huge 30-pound propane tanks
20,000 BTU propane-fired furnace
45 amplitude Progressive Dynamics converter/charger with a three-stage Charge Wizard
6-gallon DSI water heater
Huge two-wa,y 7-cubic foot refrigerator

Similarly, the Arctic Fox 811’s floor plan is quite spacious, nine feet long. Other prominent features include:

50-gallon fresh water tank
38-gallon grey water tank
23-gallon black water tank
4-feet high cab over

Furthermore, Northwood offers many other best options, including:

Thermal pane windows
Tork Lift’s Fox Landing Step
170-watt solar power system

Although it is designed for one-ton, short-bed trucks, its weight makes it great for a DRW truck. Finally, Arctic Fox 811’s base price is not too bad, making it a great camper to invest in.

Final Words

Buying a truck camper isn’t something you will do quite often. It is a once-in-a-decade kind of purchase.

Spending thousands of dollars on something that is not worth the price is not what you and I would like to do. Hence, it is better to make an informed decision.

This review provides the top ten lightweight truck campers, so you won’t have to look further. Pick the one you like the most, look closely at the features, and if the price suits you, go for it.

Finally, I recommend considering the features and the price simultaneously. This means you should buy something with high-class features at an affordable price.

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