Looking for a family-friendly truck camper for family-size fun and outdoor adventure? You’re in luck. The industry offers numerous campers that can be enjoyed by families of all sizes. Researching the dozens and dozens of makes and models, however, can take a lot of time. In this article, we survey the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun and adventure. What was the criteria for making our exclusive list? First, each camper has to sleep more than just four. Second the camper has to have enough floor space to use the bathroom and attend to the kids during the middle of the night. This is based upon personal experience. We know what works and what doesn’t because we raised four boys and camped with them numerous times. Sure, a company may say that its camper sleeps five, but is that a realistic number? Fortunately, we’ve been able to find a good cross-section of both large and small campers, including even a pop-up. Remember, you saw our well-researched list here first before Internet copycats and plagiarists published their so-called best of list too. So without further adieu, here are the best truck campers for family fun and adventure.
1. Lance 1172
Industry heavyweight, Lance Camper, sells more truck campers than any other company on the planet, so it’s no surprise that they made the cut. The company’s flagship model is the Lance 1172, a long-bed double-slide out truck camper. With a wet weight of 4,628, you’ll need a one-ton dual rear wheel truck to haul this hotel-on-wheels around, but you and your family will be able to camp in comfort and style. The Lance 1172 features a north-south 80×60-inch queen-size bed; giant windows and skylights that bathe the interior in light, a “super slide” dinette and galley with flip-up counter extension, and a rear wall slide-out with a sofa incliner to relax in or use as a bed. Standard features include a large dry bath; large holding tanks with 42 gallons fresh, 35 gallons grey, and 35 gallons black; two 7-pound propane tanks; a big 6 cubic foot refrigerator; a 100 watt solar power system; and a 20,000 BTU furnace. Sleeps up to six with two in the cabover, two on the collapsible dinette, one on the optional bunk, and one on the rear fold-down loveseat. Additional options include dual lithium batteries, a 100 watt solar panel upgrade for 200 watts total, a Dometic air conditioner, a 14-foot side awning, an Onan 2500 propane-fired generator with transfer switch, a 28-inch flat screen TV, and an auto tracking satellite dish. Construction consists of a one-piece roof; aluminum framed walls, floor, and roof; block foam insulation and Azdel interior walls; laminated and insulated floor, cabover, and roof. A spacious camper, great for families looking to get away. Lists for Arriving at top dealerships nationwide in early 2021.
2. Outfitter Juno 8.5 Hybrid
Looking for a truck camper that breaks the mold? The Outfitter Juno 8.5 hybrid pop-up is one such camper. It’s not everyday that you see a standard slide-in pop-up with a side-door, a tip-out tent, a north-south bed, and a large wet-bath, yet that’s exactly what you get with the Outfitter Juno 8.5, a pop-up made for full-size, short-bed trucks. Still not convinced that Outfitter Juno 8.5 is for you and your family? How does a 44 gallon fresh water holding tank, a 16 gallon grey water holding tank, and a 16 gallon black water holding tank sound? Or how about a porcelain toilet, molded countertops, insulated Weblon softwalls, along with a 3 cubic foot DC compressor refrigerator, a three-burner cooktop, a 20,000 BTU furnace, and a robust solar power system? Standard features of the Outfitter Juno 8.5 include an electric roof lift with a manual override, a 20-pound propane tank, a Progressive Dynamics 45 amp converter/charger, under bed storage, overhead storage cabinets, and attractive maple cabinets. The battery box in the Juno 8.5 is large enough for only one group-27 battery, but in the ones we’ve seen another battery box can be added quite easily. Popular options include an 80-inch Hide-A-Bed extended cabover bunk, a microwave oven with a 2,000 watt inverter, An 8-foot or 10-foot side awning, lithium batteries, and a Yakima Roof Rack. Constructed of a true composite foam core roof and body, the Juno 8.5 is rugged and built to last. Weighs only 2,300-pounds dry. Sleeps up to five with the optional “Hide-A-Bed” pull-out bunk. Made specifically for short-bed, three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks with the requisite payload rating. A long-bed version is also available called the Juno 10. Easily one of the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun. Comes with a 5-year warranty, the base price of the Outfitter Juno 8.5 is $46,995.
3. KingStar Camino 88
Another family-friendly truck camper that breaks the mold. Made for today’s one-ton truck and even some 3/4-tons, the KingStar Camino 88 features a number of innovations for family fun and adventure. These include underfloor storage, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and a stainless steel shower. KingStar offers four distinct interior layouts, including a couch/bunk option that can sleep up to two adults and four children. All Camino 88 floorplans offer a generous floor length of 9 feet 3 inches, a center of gravity between 34-36 inches, and can be hauled on either a long-bed (8-foot) or short-bed (6.5-foot) truck. The dry weight of the Camino 88 is only 2,225 pounds for the standard-equipped Open Range model. Standard features include a 28 gallon fresh water holding tank, a Suburban 20,000 BTU furnace, a Suburban 6-gallon water heater, two 20-pound propane tanks, a Vitrofrigo 3.2 cubic foot DC compressor refrigerator, two AGM batteries, an outdoor shower, pullout tables, and full window treatments. A smorgasbord of KingStar Camino 88 options include a Truma Combi, a 22-gauge stainless steel shower, a propane cooktop, a 4-gallon Thetford Porta-Potti, carpeting, “soft touch” ceilings, a marine-grade Bomar Skylight, lithium batteries, either a 2,000 or a 3,000 watt inverter, and a full entertainment package. Of course, KingStar’s amazing Hitch Pack, Hitch Pack Tower, and Jack Pack can be ordered as an add-on accessories for additional storage for the family. Available in either retro aluminum or “slick-side” fiberglass siding, with several exterior color options to choose from. One of the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun. Starting at $33,530 for the Couch-Bunk model, the KingStar Camino 88 at top dealerships nationwide.
4. Host Mammoth 11.6
The largest, most luxurious camper on this list, the Host Mammoth 11.5 is also Host Industries’ best-selling camper. The Mammoth name fits because this camper is big, really big. Part of what makes the Mammoth so big is that it features three slide-outs. Yep, you heard us right—three. The camper’s 11-foot 6-inch floorplan includes a large dinette, a massive dry bath, a fireplace, a comfortable loveseat, and a queen size bed with an option for a king. Depending on the layout chosen, this elephant-sized camper can sleep up to six. The Mammoth 11.5, like all Host Campers, is loaded with “host” of standard features, including a two-way 8-cubic foot refrigerator, a 6-gallon DSI water heater, a 25,000 BTU propane fired furnace, a 1,000 watt inverter, and a three-burner propane cook top with a folding cook top cover. Not only that, the holding tanks in this aluminum-framed camper are probably the largest found in a slide-in truck camper, with 65 gallons of fresh, 51 gallons of grey, and 31 gallons black. Other features include beautiful “grani-coat” solid surface counter tops, a dual battery compartment, an exterior 6-foot sliding storage tray, a 25,000 BTU furnace, two 30-pound propane tanks, a 6-gallon water heater, and a 1,000 watt inverter with a dedicated AC outlet. At a whopping 4,700 pounds dry, you’ll need a minimum of a 3500/F-350 dual rear wheel truck with a 5,500 pound payload to safely haul this elephant-size beast around. Indeed, some Host Mammoth owners have resorted to getting a 4500/F-450 or 5500/F-550 truck with an even larger payload to haul this mansion-on-wheels around. Easily one of the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun, the base model lists for $65,000. Available at top dealerships nationwide.
5. Scout Olympic 6.5
Looking for a family-friendly truck camper than can fit on a half-ton pickup truck? This might be the camper for you. With its low dry weight, the Scout Olympic 6.5 has been designed to fit on most half-tons like the ever-popular Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Chevy Silverado 1500, and Ram 1500. Like all Scout campers, the Olympic incorporates a number of removable add-ons to save on weight. These add-ons include a roof-top pop-up tent that increases the sleeping capacity by up to three (accessed inside through an opening in the roof), a Dometic CFX3 75L refrigerator-freezer with WiFi, a 4.9-gallon removable water tank, a removable dining table, a Yeti Goal Zero 1500x lithium battery pack, and a removable propane cooktop. Standard features include a Renogy 160 watt solar panel, a moon roof with a screen and solar reflective shade, a four-person dinette with sleeper conversion, and dual 5-pound propane bottles. The Scout Olympic supports four-season travel with an optional Newport Real Flame 4,500 BTU propane fireplace and standard robust insulation. Interested in a long-bed model? The company has that covered too with the longer Scout Kenai, which features a floor length of 7.6 feet, a dry weight of 1,370 pounds, and a Thetford cassette toilet. One of the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun, sleeps up to six comfortably. The starting price for the Scout Olympic base model is only $19,980. Available at top dealerships nationwide.
6. Arctic Fox 811
One of Northwood Manufacturing’s best selling campers, the Arctic Fox 811 delivers on quality and features in a major way. The listed dry weight on Northwood’s website is only 2,873 pounds, but don’t let that figure fool you. Including the company’s mandatory Fox Package, which weighs an extra 595 pounds, the dry weight of the Arctic Fox 811 is actually a hefty 3,468 pounds, putting this beast at 4,500 pounds fully loaded and probably more. The 811 features a strong, full walk-on cathedral arched ceiling, 2-inch thick heavily insulated walls, a large basement, a 20,000 BTU propane fired furnace, two huge 30-pound propane tanks, a 6-gallon DSI water heater, a 45-amp Progressive Dynamics converter/charger with a three-stage Charge Wizard, and a huge, two-way 7-cubic foot refrigerator. Not only is the camper’s floor length generous, at a full 9 feet, but it also has some of the largest holding tanks in this class with 50 gallons fresh, 38 gallons grey, and 23 gallons black. Even the cabover height is generous at nearly 4 feet, tall enough for the kiddies to walk around. The best options for the Arctic Fox 811 include Torklift’s excellent Fox Landing Step, thermal pane windows, and a 170 watt solar power system. Built for short-bed, one-ton trucks, but due to its weight should probably be mounted on a DRW truck. One of the best family-friendly truck campers for outdoor fun, sleeps up to five with the optional dinette bunk. The MSRP of the Arctic Fox 811 is $29,216, making it the best value when it comes to both quality and cost.
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