The tiny living movement has been growing off the charts over the last five years as more and more people chase a nomadic lifestyle of adventure. The trend to purchase or build a home on wheels gives so many of us the freedom to travel and take our homes everywhere. When we first became full-time RVers, we purchased a 28 ft travel trailer. Ever since then, we envisioned going even bigger and upgrading to a 42 ft fifth-wheel, but as time passed, we did the opposite – we went smaller.
Big rigs are great for full-timing in resorts and campgrounds, but they make it more challenging to get out into nature and off-grid. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more people selling their things, buying a small adventure camper, and setting out on an adventure of a lifetime. It makes sense why – the smaller your home on wheels, the more you can explore! Small campers like class Cs, class Bs or vans, and truck campers are all great choices!
We personally chose the truck camper route and wouldn’t have it any other way. We already had the truck, and we found the perfect truck camper. Since getting a truck camper, our country has become our playground. We’ve been able to camp on a sandy lakeside beach in Utah, among the red rocks of Arizona, and in the snow-covered mountains of Colorado! Traveling in our truck camper has allowed us to be so spontaneous – it’s so easy to hit the road without any plans in mind. We now have the freedom and capability of being able to stop anywhere because of our size. If you love adventure and being spontaneous, keep reading to learn more about how truck campers can be a great option.
Why Buy a Truck Camper
Choosing an adventure vehicle was tough – we were torn between a van and a truck camper. We weighed the pros and cons, cost, features, and more before deciding to proceed with truck camper life.
Overall, it made so much sense to choose a truck camper over a van for our situation. If we went the van route, we would have had to trade in the SUV that we use to commute to work in exchange for a van to build out. The costs of time needed to build out a van and the thought of getting rid of our current vehicle wasn’t worth it to us. We already had a capable truck and could find a used truck camper that was compact enough to fit inside the bed of our truck with our tailgate closed. And, it allows us to tow our 28 ft travel trailer at the same time. We were fortunate to find a road-ready truck camper that was in excellent shape, only two years old and less than half the price of a new truck camper off the lot.
“A used truck camper cost us thousands less than building out a van and It’s a huge decision, but as you’ll see, choosing a truck camper was a no-brainer!”
Pros & Cons
Each class of RV has its pros and cons – today, we’re focusing only on truck campers.
Pros to Truck Camper Camping
- A truck camper is small + compact.
- It’s road-ready! – once mounts are installed on your truck, you can be on the road with a truck camper in minutes.
- You can have all of the features of a typical RV (bathroom, shower, sink, fridge/freezer, AC, microwave, etc.)
- You can turn your everyday truck into an RV.
- You’re able to travel anywhere your truck is capable of going.
- You don’t have to learn how to tow.
- It’s easy to find parking in towns with small parking spaces.
- You’re able to tow toys with you like boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, trailers, motorcycles.
- You can leave it at your campsite and take only your truck into town.
- It can be more affordable than other “tiny living” options.
Cons to Truck Camper Camping
- You need a truck capable of carrying the truck camper weight
- It can be hard to find a truck camper due to the lower production of truck campers
- Truck campers have a higher price per square foot compared to some trailers/RVs
- Some truck camper mounting systems may be permanent and non-transferable to future vehicles
- Truck campers can make your truck ride “top-heavy.”
Cost
Price is a huge factor when deciding what type of compact adventure RV is right for you. We couldn’t rationalize spending more on our adventure RV than we did on our full-timing RV, so we knew a truck camper was the way to go!
Truck campers can be hard to find. Unlike the most popular styles of RVs (class A, class C, fifth wheels, and travel trailers), truck campers have fewer units manufactured, and the amount produced yearly is a lot lower than other RVs. There are fewer companies that manufacture truck campers in comparison to the manufacturers who make different classes of RVs. This leads to a supply and demand issue with truck campers. Aside from that, the available ones can vary significantly in price depending on used versus new, age, features, and brand.
Brand New Truck Campers
$20,000 to $60,000 (average)
Similar to all other RVs, the cost varies greatly on the size, brand, and amenities of the truck camper
Used Truck Campers
$5,000 to $20,000 (average)
There is surprisingly a decent used truck camper market available. Some original buyers might have started out with a truck camper and decided to upgrade to a larger RV or have decided that they weren’t fit for the camping life. When you find a used truck camper, expect the quality to vary. You will find that some are old and need a lot of TLC, where others may be nearly brand new! The best thing you can do when buying a used truck camper, or any used RV for that matter, is to inspect it with a fine-tooth comb and make sure the unit is solid, has little to no water damage, and in good enough shape for your liking.
