How Much Does a Pop-Up Camper Weigh?

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Updated April 5, 2024

There’s more to choosing a pop-up camper than looks alone. As a responsible recreationist, you’ll want to take many factors into consideration. Not the least of these is the weight of the pop-up camper.

But how much does a pop-up camper weigh? A pop-up camper, also known as a tent camper, for a motorcycle, can weigh as little as 250 lbs. and a full-sized camper can weigh up to 2,500 pounds. The weight of a pop-up camper varies tremendously depending on the size and amenities of the camper.

We’re here to break down the most important considerations when purchasing a camper. From the size of the camper itself to the capabilities of the vehicle you’re driving, it’s all in the details.

Don’t Max Out Your Vehicle’s Tow Capacity

In the world of haul-happy vehicles, tow capacity is a competitive department. Automobile makers are continually trying to out-tow their competitors. When eyeing a new ride, people love to compare numbers. It makes them feel secure in their purchase.

Keep in mind that the towing capacity of your car, truck, or SUV is a maximum. Moreover, as you near the limit, your gas mileage severely suffers. If you have a sedan with a 1,500-pound towing limit, you may want to keep your camper weight under 1,000 pounds. If your truck’s capacity exceeds 10,000 pounds, cut yourself down to size by a few thousand units. This will allow extra capacity for groceries, supplies, camping gear, clothes, etc.

This tip comes even more into play if you’re loading up the camper with gear. Your own luggage will probably only add 10 or 20 pounds to the load. Still, extra gadgets and amenities add up, so be mindful of the final weight. Should you surpass the towing capacity and damage your vehicle, you may void a much-needed warranty.

An adventure is more fun when you don’t have to stop for gas every hour. Knowing you can easily cruise off the beaten path with a pop-up camper behind you is also a plus.

Can You Tow A Pop-Up Camper With A Car?

There are cars that are capable of towing a pop-up camper, but it also depends on your idea of a car and a pop-up camper. If you’re thinking about a Toyota Prius, then the odds are against you. Average, lightweight pop-up campers weigh around a ton to 2,000 lbs.

Small SUVs, some minivans, and some cars are capable of towing up to 3,500 lbs. However, you also have to consider the weight of your passengers, the total GVWR, and the cargo-carrying capacity of the pop-up. It’s easy enough to assume that because your car is rated to tow anything up to 3,500 lbs, a 3,000-lb pop-up camper is good to go.

Weight distribution hitches are the best bet for car towing since they work to distribute the center of gravity in a way that’s more amenable to your car.

Pop-Up Camper Categories and Their Weights

There are innumerable makes and models of pop-up campers on the market today. However, we’re able to break down these campers into five general weight categories based on size.

The first two are motorcycle-friendly pop-up campers. The smallest of these weigh only 250 pounds. There’s also a slightly larger motorcycle pop-up camper that reaches about 375 pounds. These are obviously the most compact and minimalistic.

If you’re planning on driving a crossover or compact SUV, sedan, or minivan, there’s a pop-up camper for you. With a weight of 600 pounds, it’s big enough to be cozy but small enough to accommodate your vehicle.

The final two categories are fit for the truck-driving lifestyle. A medium pop-up camper typically weighs about 900 pounds. Meanwhile, a large pop-up camper can easily exceed a single ton or 2,000 pounds. These campers are more spacious but also come with more to carry.

What Determines How Much A Pop-Up Camper Will Weigh?

Most pop-up campers have similar foundations. It’s not the walls and the trailer that make a camper heavier. It’s the accessories and amenities within those walls that increase the weight.

The most basic of pop-up campers are bound to be the lightest. For many people, this is enough, as they’re just seeking a way to get off the ground. However, some people crave a bit of luxury, even in small ways. If you don’t mind the added weight, a well-equipped pop-up camper can become an inexpensive glamper.

So what kind of extras are we talking about here? Having a kitchen in your pop-up camper means added weight. You’ll be investing in a built-in sink, stove, cupboards, and a refrigerator to boot.

A glass shower door and extra wiring for your entertainment needs are no exception, either. An indoor bathroom means taking on the weight of plumbing and water (the latter of which is awfully heavy).

Basically, if you need to limit your pop-up camper weight, make a list of what really matters. Would you rather have a kitchen or a bathroom? An entertainment center or a large bed? If you want it all, perhaps it’s time to invest in a heavy-hauling machine.

What’s The Cargo Carrying Capacity Of A Pop-Up?

From the tiniest pop-up camper to the largest the industry has to offer, the cargo-carrying capacity ranges from 100 lbs to 600 lbs. There are always exceptions to the rule, but those are the numbers you’re most likely to see in pop-up campers. These campers aren’t behemoths, after all.

Along with knowing how much your pop-up camper will weigh it’s also important to know the cargo carrying capacity or CCC.

To find the CCC of a pop-up, or any trailer for that matter, subtract the UVW (dry weight of the camper) from the GVWR. The answer is your CCC. Now, tabulate the weight of any appliances, cookware, clothes, outdoor gear, electronics, and yourselves on top of that and you can see how easily you can overcome the CCC, and quickly.

Pop-Up Campers for Motorcycles

Motorcycles are a wonderfully free mode of transportation. Believe it or not, you can haul a pop-up camper behind your bike. You just have to keep the weight to a minimum.

In reality, a camper that’s small enough to be hauled behind a motorcycle is not far off from camping. You’ll still reap the benefits of the great outdoors, just with extra comfort in the sleeping department.

Another huge benefit? You get to avoid having to pack and repack your bags every time you move campsites. On a motorcycle, this can be a major lifesaver.

For the adventure of a lifetime, try a 250- or 375-pound pop-up camping experience paired with a motorcycle journey. Roadman Campers carries some really nice pop-ups and accessories for motorcycles.

RELATED READING: Chexck out our article called 6 Best Pop Up Campers for Motorcycles to see some really cool road trip ready popup campers!

Pop-Up Campers for Cars and Compact SUVs

Vacationing with your loved one on a daily ride can be pretty convenient. Have your vehicle pull a well-fitting camper, and the adventure becomes even more exciting.

In campers like this, you can add a TV for a romantic movie night. So too can you include a small kitchen. In these, you can cook up warm breakfasts to go with your morning joe. By the time the weekend comes, the extra space may prove to be rewarding.

The sleeping area in these kinds of campers is typically set for two to four. Some of these small to medium-sized pop-ups even come with bathrooms. During the day, you can flip up the bed for a screened-in sitting area to get away from the bugs.

A newer type of pop-up that is very popular is the A-Frame pop-up camper.

RELATED READING: For more info about this type of pop-up check out our article How Much Does an A-Frame Pop Up Camper Cost? where we discuss the cost but and also the features of an A-Frame pop-up.

For a seamless family holiday, attach a 600-pound pop-up camper to the back of your family crossover. Then load everyone in the vehicle and hit the open road.

Pop-Up Campers for Trucks

This is where the pop-up genre shines. Heavy-hauling trucks are capable of carrying the coolest pop-up campers on the market. Should you have a truck that can handle the job, it might just be the way to go.

With a sizable camper, you’ll still be able to get away on rainy weekends and enjoy it all the while. They’re big enough to stretch your legs and then some while holding all your favorite amenities.

Choose a large camper with or without a bathroom, kitchen, and movie zone. (Or include as many amenities as you like; just make sure your truck can handle the weight!)

For a comfortable getaway, pop-up campers in the 900 to 2,000-pound range offer an inexpensive amenity-filled, easy-to-tow camping option. They’re like a home away from home, and that’s what really matters.

The Benefits of a Pop-Up Camper

Are you on the fence between pulling a pop-up camper or driving an RV? Each has its own benefits, but a pop-up camper is undoubtedly suited for many people with a car or truck that can only haul a light load. This is one of the main benefits of how much a pop-up camper will weigh.

Loading and unloading a pop-up camper is a quick and easy process. In fact, you can keep much of your weekend gear in the camper permanently. This means you don’t have to transport it to and from the garage for each vacation.

Pop-up campers also come with some great amenities like pull-out kitchens, a toy hauler option, and bathrooms with a shower and air conditioning! Ever wonder if the A/C works in a pop-up camper?

RELATED READING: Check out one of our more popular articles called Does Air Conditioning Actually Work In a Pop Up Camper? for all the details.

Due to its compact size, you can store your camper in your garage or on your property with ease. No RV storage facilities (or the monthly bills that go with them) are necessary.

When pulling a pop-up camper, you fill your gas tank as usual. It’s an attractive alternative to gas-guzzling motorhomes and coaches.
Are you new to the recreational vehicle scene? If so, pop-up campers are a great way to learn about the ins and outs of the RV community and camping in general
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Because they’re more lightweight than a travel trailer or 5th wheel, pop-up campers are easy to maneuver. Should the backroads and winding highways call, you’ll be able to jet off at will.

Carry On, Camper

Pop-up campers are a wonderful addition to any outdoor adventure. They’re compact until you say otherwise, and they’re versatile beyond belief. So long as you have the logistics down pat, they’re simple to transport from point A to point B.

Now that you know how much a pop-up camper weighs, it’s time to get packing. As weekend warriors ourselves, we know all too well the troubles of a set of itchy feet.

RELATED READING: If you are considering buying a popup camper maybe you should rent one first to see if you like it. There are tons of Popup Camper Rentals all across the country. Check out our article called Pop Up Camper Rentals ~ Best Deals in 2020 to learn more.

Are Pop-Up Campers Good For Families?

Pop-up campers are good for family outings—hitting up the local lake and campground, a few nights out, and some family cookouts. However, for full-time living, not so much. They’re simply too small for long-term viability, whether that’s living or traveling for extended periods.

Depending on the towing capabilities of your car, you’re probably not going to end up with a gigantic pop-up. Even if you do, it wouldn’t be conducive to full-time living. But pop-ups are a ton of fun for the whole family, especially for short-term events. Many pop-up campers out there offer several sleeping spaces and some feature additional tent attachments for adding space when needed.

You also have to consider bathrooms, which most pop-ups lack, and where you will take the pop-up. If you’re in a campground, bathrooms aren’t an issue, but the lack of one can be limiting, especially for mid-size and larger families.

Final Words About Pop-Up Camper Weights

As it turns out, you can haul a pop-up camper with almost any vehicle, except smaller cars, depending on how much the pop-up camper will weigh. Plus, pop-up campers have come a long way since the common pop-up that always comes to mind.

Lightweight, yet comparably strong materials, size and expansion innovations, and the capabilities of smaller vehicles have all advanced in many ways. If you want a camper for fun family activities, but don’t want to pay the price of upgrading to a larger vehicle, pop-up campers may be the perfect option for you.

Do you have any thoughts or experiences you would like to share about your pop-up camper experience and what they weigh? Please share them in the comments below!

Mike Scarpignato – Bio

Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.

Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.

We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.

We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.