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Updated February 25, 2024
What are the best truck campers for half-ton pickup trucks in 2024? Let’s clear the road for a minute and find out what’s a truck camper.
Truck campers are just what they sound like. They sit in the back of your pickup truck. You will find them in various sizes that fit different-sized trucks.
They have a small but versatile living space that generally fits a solo traveler or a couple. Some have space for a rooftop tent that kids would absolutely love.
When it comes to a truck camper, you can’t beat it for convenience, ease of use, and a great option for getting off-road. You won’t need to concern yourself about towing or backing a camper.
On the flip side, because your camper is on your truck, you can tow a boat or trailer if you want and still have your living space.
Truck campers can come in hard-side, pop-up roof, flatbed, or chassis-mount (although chassis-mounted truck campers are now categorized as expedition vehicles).
You can have campers with slide-outs and tons of living space. Some are just big enough so you can sleep in and have basic features.
The truck campers we’ll dive into are on the smaller side and are the best truck campers for half-ton trucks. Join us as we check out these 10 best truck campers for half-ton pickup trucks:
Why Should I Choose a ½ Ton Truck Camper?
Truck campers are becoming more popular because they are smaller, easier to maneuver, and have a great ability to access remote locations. Truck campers for half-ton trucks are ideal for solo campers or couples.
Many women striking out on their own choose truck campers in record numbers. Like vans, truck campers are great because they provide that all-in-one package. They are easy to park, and store, and cheaper than camper vans and many travel trailers.
When you think about stopping at a roadside attraction or trailhead, you can probably forget it if you pull a travel trailer due to length restrictions. Some Class C motorhomes may be too awkward for a small parking area. You can easily navigate those in your truck camper.
Your maintenance costs and fuel economy will be lower than a larger rig. You won’t have to learn new driving skills or worry about low bridges when you’re on a trip.
10 Best 2024 Truck Campers for 1/2 Ton Pickup Trucks
The list below includes some of the best truck campers for half-ton trucks in 2024. They include a solid mix of off-grid versatility, old-school appeal, spacious living areas, and creative modular options.
Whether you need a truck camper for fishing or for a sustainable, off-grid lifestyle, there is something here for everyone.
1. nuCamp 620
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Cabinetry is Amish manufactured, with a clean, modernized aesthetic
⛔ One of the priciest truck campers on the market (for this size)
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 6.5′
- Exterior Length: 12.7′
- UVW: 1,637 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 24.7″
- Sleep: 3
The interior aesthetic of the nuCamp conveys a modern aesthetic, that makes the living space seem larger than it really is. The durable, Amish-made cabinetry is highly durable, and resembles the inside of some 25th-century spacecraft, without all the gadgets.
Everything on the interior is useful, even the entryway door, with its built-in garbage can and cubby holes. The thermal pane windows help keep out the cold in the winter, and there are hamper lids everywhere, offering a large degree of lightweight storage.
You’ll need a hefty half-ton to haul this puppy, which is one of the very few drawbacks.
2. Scout Olympic
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Comes with a rooftop tent and a high degree of sustainable living
⛔ Heating system is limited to 4.5 BTUs
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 6.5′
- Exterior Length: 10.6′
- UVW: 1,091 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 27″
- Sleep: 6
The Scout Olympic is tailor-made for sustainable, off-grid lifestyles. It comes standard with solar panels that pour juice into a GoalZero Yeti, Lithium 1500 battery. Since nothing is technically installed in the Scout Olympic, everything is upgradeable and easy to remove and replace at will.
To lighten the load, the Scout relies more on racks and hangers than built-in, heavy storage. The huge moon roof offers incredible nighttime views, especially if you can find an open place in the countryside. If you need the extra sleeping space, however, the moon roof pops up into a rooftop tent.
3. Soaring Eagle Adlar 5.0
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Completely aluminum, no-wood frame is highly durable, with a fiberglass exterior
⛔ It’s a small camper, with only the essentials for camping
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 5′
- Exterior Length: 8.5′
- UVW: 795 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 20″
- Sleep: 3
The Soaring Eagle Adlar 5.0 is a tiny little thing, designed for the shortest of truck beds and weighing only 795 lbs dry. This is the ultimate in fishing or hunting campers, for those riding solo or even as a couple.
You won’t find a ton of amenities or high-tech components in the Soaring Eagle, but that’s not the consumer this product is aiming at. This is life at its simplest, with the essentials readily available and the comfort of outdoor living on the fly.
4. Cube Series Camper
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Four-battery capacity for some serious boondocking
⛔ The interior aesthetic is quite sterile and could use some creativity post-purchase
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: Ultra Short to Long
- Exterior Length: 7’4″
- UVW: 1,206 lbs
- Center of Gravity: N/A
- Sleep: 4
Like the name suggests, the Cube is one of the best truck campers for half-tons for more than its unique shape and design. It rides flat in the truck bed, making it an aerodynamically superior truck camper, and pops up under power when you’re ready to camp.
The dual-pane polycarbonate windows are highly durable and insulating, and though the windows are small, more than enough natural daylight seeps through. There’s enough interior space and accommodations to sleep four, with a large dinette, with the option to expand your sleeping space with a non-standard berth that attaches over the dinette.
5. Northern Lite 610
Our Pros and Cons
✅ This thing has a basement, well, sort of
⛔ Weight is enough to eliminate a lot (but not all) of 1/2 tons
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 6.5′
- Exterior Length: 11.3′
- UVW: 1,500 lbs
- Center of Gravity: N/A
- Sleep: 4
The brand new Northern Lite 610 is a rehash of a much older model. Northern Lite seemingly tore a page out of Oliver’s and Scamp’s book, going with an all-fiberglass, clamshell construction. All the amenities are available in this new edition, including your fresh and grey tanks, a cassette toilet, and a hot water heater.
The best part is the lithium battery that comes with it. Truck campers don’t need the kind of draw that larger travel trailers and 5th wheels do, so throwing a lithium battery in the mix is overkill in all the best ways.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait till a little later in 2024 to get your hands on one.
6. Four Wheel Campers Raven
Our Pros and Cons
✅ A wide range of 1/2 tons will have no problem handling this camper
⛔ As a very small camper, sleeping three people is really pushing it, in terms of just living space
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 5′
- Exterior Length: 9.8′
- UVW: 850 lbs
- Center of Gravity: N/A
- Sleep: 3
Some of the best truck campers for half-ton trucks are also some of the smallest. The Four Wheel Campers Raven is no exception. Though it’s made for a 5′ bed, they packed a lot into this small space. The powered pop-up is quick and easy to operate and provides a better aerodynamic profile on the road.
As small as it is, you get a 22-gallon freshwater tank to go along with it, as well as twin 10-gallon propane tanks. Everything in the Raven is designed for low power consumption, so a single battery will take care of most of your power needs. However, if you want, you can order an optional two-battery setup as well.
7. Supertramp Flagship LT
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Foam-core fiberglass construction is surprisingly durable and lightweight
⛔ Limited availability
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: 6.5′
- Exterior Length: 12.3′
- UVW: 1,350 lbs
- Center of Gravity: N/A
- Sleep: 3
Another one of 2024’s announcements is bound to be one of the best truck campers for half-ton trucks this year. The Supertramp Flagship LT is introducing an aerodynamic design with a vacuum fiberglass exterior, a 24-gallon freshwater tank, a 100Ah lithium battery, and space enough for a queen bed.
The storage is incredible, with deep and spacious cubby holes under the queen and bench-style seating across from the kitchen counter. It also includes a 65L Isotherm fridge, and a portable cassette toilet that easily stows away, out of sight and out of mind.
8. Palomino Rogue
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Footlockers are just a small part of an extensive amount of storage options
⛔ Includes a tankless hot water heater but the shower is exterior, with only an 8-gallon tank
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: Short
- Exterior Length: 12’5″
- UVW: 1,383 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 29″
- Sleep: 2
The Palomino Rogue is a slick-looking truck camper that’s built for the great outdoors. The low aerodynamic profile will save you some gas money on long trips. It also includes a tankless hot water heater, which makes a lot of sense in a truck camper of this size.
However, the exterior shower is wide open, so you’ll have to purchase an exterior shower shell or take your showers out in the middle of nowhere. If you opt for the “Badlands” package, you’ll get some solar love, with enough juice to keep you out there for a little while longer. If not, the batteries charge off your truck while traveling.
9. Lance 650
Our Pros and Cons
✅ The dinette is very large and spacious, with plenty of room for 3 to 4 to eat comfortably
⛔ Pushing the very upper limit of what only a small number of 1/2-tons can handle
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: Short
- Exterior Length: 15’6″
- UVW: 2,061 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 22″
- Sleep: 3
Of course, there are no best truck campers for half-ton trucks without Lance showing up every now and then. The Lance 650 is on the absolute upper limit of what a small number of 1/2 tons will handle, so it may be too much for your truck.
The weight conveys more size, and there is plenty of it on the inside. This includes a wet bath that takes up one corner of the camper, while the dinette takes up the other, as well as half of one side. The bed is a sizeable full, with a wardrobe for hanging your clothes up on the side.
Overall, it’s a large, spacious offering that barely falls in the 1/2-ton window.
10. Kimbo
Our Pros and Cons
✅ The entire interior is padded and water-resistant, allowing for the addition of insulation panels
⛔ You’ll have to bring your own toilet and no grey water tank either
- Truck Category: 1/2-ton +
- Bed Length: Short
- Exterior Length: 10.9″
- UVW: 1,020 lbs
- Center of Gravity: 24.3″
- Sleep: 2
Kimbo truck camper are arguably the wildest and most unique-looking truck campers for half-ton trucks. The angular exterior practically screams “spaceship”, while the interior echoes the same aesthetic.
Riveted aluminum sheets keep things lightweight and interesting-looking while offering a ton of amenities.
The surprisingly spacious interior offers a full bed, a fold-away shower (optional add-on), a gravity-fed water system, and double-pane, flip-up windows. The only thing this camper is lacking is a toilet, which you’ll have to bring yourself.
How Do I Know My Truck Camper’s Center of Gravity?
The center of gravity on a truck camper is the point where most of the camper’s weight sits. There’s a point on the truck bed where this point of your camper should sit. When positioned correctly, you’ll have a good, stable driving experience.
The center of gravity is an important piece of information to know. Damage to your truck and camper can occur if this point is off. Most of the camper’s weight should rest on or in front of the truck’s rear axle, meaning the weight should sit in the front and center part of the truck bed.
If the center of gravity is too far back towards the tailgate, this can cause damage to your truck. This can cause the suspension geometry of the truck to change by lifting the weight off of the front axle and making the rear axle a pivot point. Along with poor handling, this can cause suspension oscillation, resulting in a crash.
As listed above, truck campers should have the center of gravity information included in the camper’s specifications. It may even be marked on the camper. A truck camper’s center of gravity is measured from the front to the back wall. If the center of gravity is 27 inches, that measurement is from the front wall of the camper (where the cargo bed meets the passenger cabin).
Measure your truck bed from the front wall of the bed to the center of the rear axle. This number is the truck bed’s center of gravity point. Your truck camper’s center of gravity can sit anywhere in this area but not behind.
Do I Need to Register My Half-Ton Truck Camper?
The majority of states don’t require truck campers to be registered or titled. In general, they fall under the category of “cargo.” A Certificate of Ownership or a Bill of Sale is all the information you should need to prove that you own the camper.
These states require truck camper owners to register or title their RVs ( Yes = + ).
| State | Register | Title |
| Idaho | + | + |
| Indiana | + | + |
| Kentucky | + | |
| Michigan | + | |
| Mississippi | + | + |
| Montana | + | |
| Nebraska | + | |
| Ohio | + | |
| Oregon | + | + |
| Rhode Island | + | |
| Tennessee | + | + |
| Utah | + | |
| Washington (State) | + | + |
Do I Need RV Insurance for My Truck Camper?
Most states don’t require separate RV insurance. It should be under your truck’s policy as cargo. Check with your insurance agent to find out what your insurance covers.
When you speak with your insurance agent, ask detailed questions. What’s covered exactly? How do repair or replacement procedures work? What about your personal items and camping gear? You may want to learn more about RV insurance to see if it’s advantageous to you.
Final Words On 2024 Truck Campers For Half-Ton Pickup Trucks
Purchasing a truck camper for your half-ton pickup truck is a great option to get out in the fresh air, enjoy the sunshine, have a place to sleep off the ground, and get away from any inclement weather. Like any RV purchase, there are several details that you’ll need to keep in mind before making your purchase.
Always be aware of your payload capacity, bed length, and center of gravity. If you don’t currently have a ½ ton pickup truck, I recommend getting that first. You want the best truck camper for a half-ton truck that matches well with your pickup. Many campers will meet your needs and wants.
If you already have a half-ton pickup truck, make sure your purchased truck camper is compatible with that truck. Your pickup’s payload rating is the most important aspect of pairing your truck with a camper.
Remember, the dry weight is how much the truck camper weighs when it’s empty. Leave some extra weight for you, your gear, and some horsepower to climb through the trails.
Payload rating can be found in your vehicle’s owner’s manual or on the driver’s side door jam. You’ll need to ensure that your truck’s tires and suspension are also up to the task.
If you’re purchasing a truck, make sure it has a payload package ideal for truck campers. If not, you may need to make some modifications.
Once you decide on the best truck camper for your half-ton truck, it’ll be no time before you’re enjoying the great outdoors.
Related Reading:
– 25 Essential Truck Camper Accessories
– 13 Best Flatbed Truck Campers
– 4 Season Truck Campers for Year-Round Camping!
– Is it Legal to Ride In a Truck Camper or 5th Whe
Terri Nighswonger – Author and Full Time RVer
Terri Nighswonger and her husband Todd have been RVing and work camping for six years with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Newton, and their Minnie Australian Shepherd, Remi.
In Addition to the RVBlogger team, Terri has written for RV Life and RV Camping Magazine and is always excited to talk about her passion for RVing and her knowledge and experience in work camping.
Writing is Terri’s passion, but she also loves hiking, kayaking, walking her dogs, and anything she can do outdoors.
They originate from the Midwest but plan to enjoy the West for a few years, wintering in Arizona and summering wherever the road may lead.
I love this list of the best truck campers for half-ton pickup trucks! I have a half-ton pickup and I’m always looking for ways to make my camping experience more comfortable and convenient. These campers seem like they would
I love this list of the best truck campers for half-ton pickup trucks! I have a half-ton pickup and I’m always looking for ways to make my camping experience more comfortable and convenient. These campers seem like they would
Hi Harvey,
Glad you like our list of Truck Campers!
Mike