Renting a Truck Camper Go Where Other RVs Can't
A truck camper slides into the bed of a pickup truck. No towing. No trailer. The camper and truck become one unit that fits in a regular parking space and handles 4WD trails. If you want to camp in places that are genuinely remote — National Forest backcountry, BLM desert land, mountain access roads — a truck camper is the only RV type that gets you there.
Quick Specs
What Is a Truck Camper?
A truck camper (also called a slide-in camper or cab-over camper) is a self-contained living unit that mounts in the bed of a pickup truck. The camper has its own floor, walls, roof and often a cab-over sleeping area that extends over the truck's cab — similar in concept to a Class C motorhome's cab-over bunk but in a removable package.
A full-featured truck camper includes a sleeping area (cab-over bunk + dinette conversion), a small kitchen with cooktop, sink and fridge, and a wet bath (combined shower/toilet). Propane powers the cooktop, fridge and furnace. A house battery system runs lights and the water pump. Some newer models add solar panels and lithium batteries for extended off-grid capability.
The camper connects to the truck through mounting brackets in the bed. It doesn't use a trailer hitch. When not in use, the camper can be removed from the truck in about 30 minutes using corner jacks that lower it to the ground. This means you can drop the camper at your campsite and drive the truck around — similar to unhitching a trailer but without needing extra space for a separate trailer.
The off-road advantage is simple physics. The camper sits inside and over the truck's axles, not behind them. There's no trailer to jackknife, no hitch point to ground out on obstacles and no extra length to manage on switchbacks. A 4WD truck with a camper handles rough roads that would be impossible for any trailer, motorhome or even most campervans.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- → Best off-road and backcountry access
- → Regular parking space footprint
- → No towing — easier to drive than a trailer
- → Can detach camper at campsite
- → Full bathroom in many models
- → Better fuel economy than Class C motorhomes
Cons
- → Requires a compatible heavy-duty truck
- → Limited interior space (smaller than Class C)
- → Higher center of gravity affects handling
- → Hard to find rental listings — niche market
- → Loading/unloading takes 20-30 minutes
- → Payload matching is critical for safety
Where to Rent a Truck Camper
Truck campers are a niche rental category. Fleet companies don't stock them. Private owners list them on Outdoorsy and RVshare — some listings include the truck, others are camper-only (you need your own compatible pickup). Inventory is concentrated in the western US where backcountry access matters most — Colorado, Utah, Montana, Oregon and California have the most listings.
| Platform | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoorsy | $75-$200/night | Best truck camper inventory, some with truck included |
| RVshare | $75-$175/night | Growing selection, mostly western US |
Payload: The Number That Matters
Truck camper safety depends on one number: your truck's payload capacity. Payload is different from tow capacity. It's the weight the truck can carry IN the bed and cab — passengers, gear and the camper combined.
- → Where to find your payload rating. It's on a yellow sticker inside the driver's door jamb. Not in the spec sheet, not on the website — the sticker on YOUR specific truck. Every truck, even the same model, has a different payload rating based on options and configuration.
- → Typical truck camper weights. Pop-up truck campers: 800-1,500 lbs. Hard-side non-slide models: 1,500-2,500 lbs. Full-featured with slides: 2,500-4,000 lbs. Add 200-400 lbs for water, food and gear inside the camper.
- → Half-ton trucks (F-150, Ram 1500): 1,500-2,200 lb payload. Only suitable for lightweight pop-up truck campers. Don't put a hard-side camper on a half-ton — the suspension, brakes and frame aren't designed for it.
- → Three-quarter and one-ton trucks (F-250, F-350, Ram 2500/3500): 2,500-5,000 lb payload. Suitable for full-featured truck campers. This is the correct platform. Most rental truck campers are on these trucks.
Truck Camper FAQ
Truck camper vs campervan?
Truck campers have better off-road access (4WD truck underneath). Campervans have more interior space and are easier to drive in cities. If backcountry access is your priority, truck camper. If driving ease and urban flexibility matter more, campervan.
Can I sleep while the truck is parked anywhere?
A truck camper in a regular parking spot looks like a truck with a topper. It's more discreet than any motorhome or trailer. Overnight parking rules still apply — Walmart lots, rest areas and designated dispersed camping on public land are common options. National Forest and BLM land dispersed camping is free and legal in most areas.
How's the fuel economy?
A heavy-duty truck with a camper gets 10-15 mpg depending on the truck and camper weight. That's worse than a campervan (15-22 mpg) but comparable to or better than a Class C motorhome (8-14 mpg). Diesel trucks are more efficient than gas. Budget $40-$70/day in fuel on touring days.
Explore other camper types
Class A Motorhomes · Class B Campervans · Class C Motorhomes · Travel Trailers · Pop-Up Campers · Teardrop Trailers