Pop Up Camper Vs Truck Camper: What You Need To Know

When most people hear the world RVs, they think about the massive Class A motorhome. However, that isn’t the only type of RV available.

Depending on a couple of factors such as your preference and camping style, all that additional space might be unnecessary. Added to the fact that a class A RV can cost quite a bit, it makes sense to look elsewhere.

For couples, individuals, and small families, truck campers and pop-up cameras are the seemingly better option for RVing. This does beg the question; how do you pick between these two types of campers?

To answer this dilemma, this comparison article was created to help offer a bit of perspective to you so that you can select the one that best suits your needs.

Table of Contents

Pop-up Campers

A popup camper can be described as the smallest and most basic end of a travel trailer. There are numerous types of popup campers with some models sleeping 1 and some other sleeping 3 or 4 individuals, depending on the floorplan configuration.

A unique feature is their ability to expand in size and that makes them perfect for smaller families. That being said, they are not the best at insulating due to the soft wall designs they have.

Price

When it comes to price, popup campers are very inexpensive compared to other RVs. It is no surprise why those looking to test the waters of the RV lifestyle purchase popup campers first.

Even a fully loaded popup camper comes at a fraction of the cost compared to truck campers. Given that they have large axles and floorplans, it is quite strange that they are still mostly cheaper than a similarly rated truck camper.

Extra room

The majority of popup campers tend to be built with bigger floor plans compared to truck campers. These campers can feature hidden beds that increase the amount of liveable space.

Having a larger room means that you can have more features. Features such as a dry bathroom, dinette, full kitchen are just some of the features that are commonplace in a popup camper.

Towability

Popup campers have to be towed, there are no two ways about it, however, they can be easily hitched and their low profile and weight make them so effortless to tow compared to larger trailers.

Hooking up a popup camper to a tow vehicle is something that can be done in mere minutes. At a campground, it can be quite easy to unhitch the camper ensuring that you are not inhibited from using your vehicle as you please.

Unique camping experience

Thanks to their size, these campers can be taken just about anywhere. There is quite a lot of state and national campgrounds that were created half a century ago to cater to much smaller RVs.

The gigantic toy haulers and motorhomes will be unable to access numerous national campgrounds. With a popup camper, you can be closer to nature without actually being in it. A regular travel trailer would have you locked away but a popup camper brings the outside to you.

Storability

By design, popup campers can collapse into flat trailers and this makes them quite easy to store. You simply need to create space for them wherever.

With a travel trailer, you will either have to rent RV storage to park it when it is not in use, or you could hope that your driveway is long and wide enough to accommodate your RVs.

Truck campers

Truck campers are named so because they are mounted in a truck’s bed and typically have a platform called a cabover that goes beyond the truck’s cab. What a truck camper is in essence, is a type of RV that has been designed to be portable and hauled around in your truck’s bed.

It is perhaps the smallest type of RV available and in the majority of states in the country, it is not legally referred to as an RV. What it is is cargo. This just goes to show how convenient and small a truck camper is.

Leaving the truck camper behind is not as easy as leaving a popup camper behind. There are a few benefits to selecting a truck camper over a popup camper. They are:

Driveability

A major benefit of getting a truck camper is the fact that it is quite easy to operate. When you have a popup camper or any other travel trailer, the additional length can make reversing and cornering complicated and difficult.

With a truck camper, the height of the truck increases by a couple of feet. However, given that your truck camper is still not as tall as a travel trailer should be, you need not worry about height.

The increase in weight, however, will be noticeable in braking and the amount of power you have available to you. Nevertheless, this does not mean that driving with a truck camper would be dangerous.

Comfort factor

Truck campers can be quite cozy thanks to their very unique floor plan design that places everything you need in a single area. You get everything from lounging to sleeping and cooking all in a tiny bit of space.

For this reason, a truck camper can be an optimal romantic choice for couples or the perfect RV for a one-man camping trip.

When you think of the truck camper, you should think of it in terms of being as cozy as a tent, with a comfortable bed, increased insulation, and much better protection from nature wrath.

Amenities and features

When it comes to the features and amenities available, truck campers take the win with numerous floor plans and styles. Some models come with slide-out compartments that provide additional room for a toilet or a dinette.

Other truck campers come with a complete kitchen, equipped with a refrigerator and a cooktop. You can also get an air conditioner and a furnace in your truck camper making it the ideal choice for a winter camping trip.

Dry camping friendly

Dry camping or boondocking is an activity that quite a lot of RVers do and a truck camper can be the perfect RV for it. This is down to the fact that a truck camper can go just about anywhere and it is small enough to not be cumbersome.

Campsites can be a great place to camp with your massive travel trailers and fifth wheels full of the latest and most luxurious amenities. However, if you are searching for an RV that enables you to enjoy the best that nature has to offer then a truck camper is the best choice.

Traveling without a truck camper is a very satisfying trip if you’re the type of individual that loves adventure and off-roading. Camping in a truck camper cannot be compared to any other type of RV.