5 Best RV Truck Campers with Slide Outs

When you want to RV efficiently, a truck camper is a very versatile option to consider. Instead of driving a motorhome or towing a trailer, you carry the camper in your truck bed.

A truck camper design allows owners to slide out the unit at a campground and have full use of their vehicle for checking out the local sites.

The latest truck campers expand living space by including slideouts in the design, and I put the best makes and models in this guide so you can easily compare them.

Whether you plan to RV solo, as a couple, or even as a family, a truck camper with slide outs will give you all the space and amenities you need for fun and comfortable camping trips, so come along and check them out!

What is a Truck Camper?

A truck camper attaches to the bed of a pickup truck. This type of recreational vehicle is also called a slide-in camper or pickup camper.

You carry the camper like you would any cargo in your truck bed, which means you cannot exceed the truck’s payload capacity once you fill it with all your camping essentials.

This factor is the main reason you’ll need a more powerful truck than a 1/2 ton to use a slide-in camper as a recreational vehicle safely.

There are two types of truck campers; stationary and detachable.

Stationary truck campers are bolted permanently to the pickup bed, making them much more stable when driving.

Detachable truck campers strap securely to the pickup bed, and when you reach your destination, you can remove it. The process entails dropping legs from the four corners of the camper box to the ground, lifting it a few inches from the truck bed, and driving the truck out from under it, so it’s free-standing.

Truck campers provide many of the same amenities of larger Class C, Class A, travel trailer, and fifth wheel RVs, but have a much smaller profile, so they are easier to drive, park, fuel up, and maintain.

Depending upon the length of the truck bed, you can get a slide-in camper that ranges from 8-feet long to one that is 20-foot-plus, including an over-cab extension.

The drawback to a truck camper is that most standard models are only 6-7 feet wide inside, which makes the living quarters tight.

The camper floor also needs to sit inside the wheel wells of the truck bed, which can mean the main walkway can be anywhere from 31-48 inches wide. Watch this video on slide-in campers to learn which model type will fit your truck.

With the advent of truck camper slides, you can now enjoy more interior space and amenities such as bunk beds or expanded kitchens, making each RV trip much more comfortable.

What Truck Camper Fits My Truck? (Video)

Pros and Cons of a Truck Camper with Slide-Outs

Let’s break down what benefits and disadvantages buying a truck camper with slide-outs will offer.

PROS:

• Roomier interior living space
• Extra storage capacity
• More amenities

The additional space slideouts provide in a truck camper make the interior much more airy and open, so you have room to spread out a bit more or to fit in more sleeping quarters so extra passengers can travel with you.

Often, the slide will increase storage capacity, especially if it has under-seating compartments or extra cabinets.

The extra width a truck camper slide provides can allow more or larger appliances or other amenities that won’t fit in a standard slide-in camper.

CONS:

• Slides add weight to the camper
• Truck campers with slideouts cost more
• RV slides are prone to leakage or mechanical failure

Standard truck camper weight can already push the max payload boundaries of many 1/2, 3/4, and 1-ton trucks, so adding slides will only make this issue a bigger concern.

The lightest weight of a single slide is still around 300 pounds, with most much heavier.

Buying a truck camper with one or more slides will almost always require a pickup truck with a payload exceeding 3,000 pounds to safely handle the load once you add in camping gear and passengers.

The larger and heavier the truck camper you install on your pickup, the more strain and stress it will put on your truck framing, chassis, and wheels which can shorten the lifetime of components before failure.

Do expect to pay around $3,000-$5,000 more for a truck camper with slide-outs, which is a consideration to keep in mind if you have a tight budget for your RV purchase.

Also, keep in mind that all RV slideouts have a tendency to leak both air and water, so you may need to run the AC or furnace more to offset the heat or cooling loss or pay for repairs to stop water damage, which adds to your overall camping expenses.

Mechanical issues with slides are also common, with the electric or hydraulic components jamming up or breaking. Not only are these issues pricey to fix, but it prevents full use of your truck camper’s interior in the meantime.

The 5 Best Truck Campers With Slide-Outs

Now that you understand what a truck camper is and the pros and cons of buying a unit with slides, let’s go over the best makes and models currently on the market.

1. Host Campers Mammoth Truck Camper 11′ 6′

The Mammoth 11′ 6″ Truck Camper offers three slide-outs and luxury-level amenities that make the higher price tag well worth it.

The single floor plan keeps the manufacturing of the units consistent, but the company does offer a wide range of options to customize the truck camper to suit your needs. For example, the rear slide can house a washer and dryer, couch with overhead storage, or a closet with a clothes rod and dresser.

I find the dual-entrance bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet one of the best features in the Mammoth. A truck camper with a bathroom makes camping trips very comfortable, especially when you can avoid campground restroom trips in the dead of night.

I also like the choice of either a king or queen-size bed in the bedroom and the option to swap out the U-shaped dinette with a couch and high-low table that works as a coffee table or raises for dining or work.

Other Top Standard Features:

• Two-way 8-cubic-foot refrigerator
• 3-burner cooktop with cover
• Grani-Coat solid surface countertops
• 25,000 BTU furnace
• 1,000-watt inverter
• Tanks: 65-gallon fresh/51-gallon grey/31-gallon black
• 6-gallon DSI water heater
• Dual battery compartment
• 30,000 BTU furnace
• Enclosed and heated holding tanks
• Lightweight and durable aluminum framing
• Vacuum-bonded foam-insulated walls, floor, ceiling
• One-piece TPO roof
• Exterior shower

Host Campers Mammoth Truck Camper (Video)

2. Lance Camper REV Group 1172 Truck Camper

The Lance 1172 Truck Camper is over 20-feet long and features two slides, for the ultimate in spacious camping adventures.

The camper has large windows, skylights, and a crisp interior neutral-tone color scheme that is bright and cheerful, making the inside feel more like a traditional RV.

I like the passenger side entry that opens into the spacious living and kitchen area so you can easily access snacks or personal items without the need to make tight maneuvers.

The rear slide holds a wide sofa with a removable table, and the driver’s side slide contains a booth dinette and the refrigerator. The rest of the well-appointed kitchen and a dry bath is on the opposite side of the camper.

The separate loft sleeping quarters hold a queen-size mattress, lots of storage, and a wardrobe for your clothing.

Other Top Standard Features:

• 3-way 6-cubic-foot refrigerator
• Stainless steel 3-burner cooktop and oven
• Pantry with adjustable shelves
• Dometic 10,000 BTU A/C
• Tanks: 42-gallon fresh/35-gallon grey/35-gallon black
• Water heater
• Solid surface countertops
• 20,000 BTU forced-air furnace
• Insulated and heated holding tanks
• Solid aluminum framing
• Azdel interior walls and insulated floor, walls, and roof
• Electric remote camper jacks with swing-out brackets
• Exterior wash station

Lance Camper REV Group 1172 Truck Camper (Video)

3. Adventurer Campers 910DB Truck Camper

The Adventurer 910DB Truck Camper is one to look at if you have a long-bed truck. The features abound in this model, including the full-wall side that holds the convertible dinette (with optional power bunk), refrigerator, and extra storage.

I love how bright the camper’s interior is, with large windows and skylights in the bedroom and the dry bath that houses a sink and toilet. The kitchen has a double-basin sink with a high-clearance faucet, stainless steel oven, three-burner cooktop, and laminate seamless-edge countertops.

The bedroom has a king-size mattress and ample storage for clothing and gear. In addition, you can choose from a variety of optional features, such as the rear awning that increases outdoor comfort.

Other Top Standard Features:

• 7-cubic-foot refrigerator
• Stainless steel appliances
• Fantastic Fan exhaust roof vent
• Tanks: 44-gallon fresh/31-gallon grey/31-gallon black
• Four-season insulated compartment doors
• 20,000 BTU furnace
• Enclosed basement tanks with insulation
• Solid aluminum framing with R-13 block foam insulation
• 1-piece thermo polyolefin (TPO) roof
• Pre-wired for solar
• Exterior wash station

Adventurer 910DB Truck Camper (Video)

4. Northwood Manufacturing Arctic Fox 811 Truck Camper

The Arctic Fox 811 Truck Camper prides itself on quality construction and materials for long-lasting value from the thickly insulated walls, huge basement storage capacity, and 45-amp converter with Charge Wizard to keep your house battery in top condition.

I find the nearly four-foot clearance in the cabover bed area very impressive. I also find that the insulation level and thermopane windows make this truck camper an excellent choice for winter camping fun.

The residential-size built-in microwave is an excellent touch in the kitchen, but all the appliances such as the 3-burner cooktop with cover, oven, fridge, sink, and pull-out pantry make cooking on the road a pleasure.

This model is for one-ton, short-bed trucks, which limits the brands it will fit.

Other Top Standard Features:

• 2-way 7-cubic-foot refrigerator
•  
• Multi-speed reversible fan vent
• Cathedral arched ceiling
• Tanks: 50-gallon fresh/38-gallon grey/23-gallon black
• 6-gallon DSI quick-recovery water heater
• Interior command center
• 20,000 BTU forced-air furnace
• Heated holding tanks and black water flush system
• Thick-wall aluminum framing
• Made for four-season use
• 45-watt Solar Panel/Sidewall Solar
• LPG quick-connect

Northwood Manufacturing Arctic Fox 811 Truck Camper (Video)

5. Palomino RV HardSide MAX Truck Camper HS-2902

The HS-2902 HardSide MAX Truck Camper uses the deep slide to house the convertible booth dinette for extra roomy living and kitchen space the whole family can enjoy.

I like the rear entry that allows direct wet bath access and keeps foot traffic flowing nicely into the kitchen and bedroom areas. The kitchen has a full range of amenities for efficient campsite cooking like the three-burner cooktop and oven, two-basin sink, microwave, fridge, and a large pantry for storage.

So many convenient features come standard on this truck camper with a slideout that makes it a top choice. Another great point is that you can haul this unit with a 3/4-ton truck with a 6’6″ or 8′ bed, which increases its value.

Other Top Standard Features:

• 6.2-CF refrigerator
• Enclosed and heated basement
• 45-gallon fresh/20-gallon grey/20-gallon black tanks
• On demand water heater
• Mortise and tenon hardwood cabinets
• 20,000 BTU LP forced-air furnace
• Exterior battery charging station
• Exterior hot and cold shower
• Welded aluminum super structure frame
• High-density block foam insulation in floor, walls, and roof
• Alpha SuperFlex membrane roof
• Pre-wired for electric jacks

Palomino RV HardSide MAX Truck Camper HS-2902 (Video)

Truck Campers FAQs

Do Truck Campers Tip Over Easy?

When you get into larger truck campers, especially those with slides, the center of gravity becomes a genuine concern, as they can become very top-heavy.

The design of the truck camper structure and how it attaches to your pickup truck bed will enable it to travel safely down roads and highways if you follow payload guidelines and load it correctly to keep everything in balance.

You must distribute the weight of your camping supplies and personal belongings evenly. However, you still need to take care not to take corners too fast or sharply to avoid the truck and camper from tipping over.

How to Know What Truck Camper is Best for your Truck?

Before you begin looking for a new or used truck camper, you need to know the specs of the pickup truck you plan to use to carry it.

Don’t buy a truck camper that exceeds the pickup’s payload capacity, and you must remember that the dry weight will not be the final weight total once you add in supplies and people.

If you want the option to pull a boat or trailer, you also need to take into consideration the truck’s towing capacity and overall stresses you’ll be putting on the truck chassis and axles.

It’s all too easy to buy a truck camper that is too large for your truck to handle safely, so expect to need a heavy-duty, or even dually, model pickup for the best performance.

Do All Campgrounds and RV Parks Allow Truck Campers?

I wish I could say that you can camp anywhere with a truck camper RV, but that isn’t true.

Many private campgrounds forbid truck campers, especially removable versions, as they pose an insurance risk to you or other RV park guests if the legs collapse and the trailer fall over.

Other RV campground owners don’t like their look and will not allow you to rent a campsite, much like you’ll find discrimination against schoolies or recreational vehicles over ten years old.

Luckily, most private campgrounds and all state and national parks welcome truck campers, so you won’t have difficulty finding plenty of amazing places to camp.

To avoid surprises, always call a private campground directly if it’s your first visit to ensure they allow truck campers.

Final Thoughts

Truck campers give outdoor enthusiasts a convenient and more affordable way to camp without the hassle of trying to drive, tow, or park a large recreational vehicle.

Being able to have the freedom to fit into smaller campsites and drop the camper box so you can use your truck for sightseeing are other reasons to look into truck camper ownership. In addition, hunters and fishing enthusiasts love the ease of bringing these campers along for overnight adventures.

I hope this guide helps you learn more about truck campers with slide-outs and you take the time to see some of the models above in person. The spacious interiors and quality amenities will surprise you!