Inside the Four Wheel Camper Hawk: An Owner’s Honest Review

One of the things that makes Truck Camper Adventure different from the competition is our preference for owner reviews. This approach helps ensure an unbiased and independent voice in the industry. The latest review comes from Martien Brand, a long-time Truck Camper Adventure reader who hails from Canada. In his review of the Four Wheel Camper Hawk, Martien extols the virtues of this venerable model and why the pop-up truck camper, in general, is a great option. We hope you enjoy it.

After years of camping in hard-side truck campers, we found ourselves wanting something different. Not because we were dissatisfied with our 2023 Arctic Fox 865—it’s an incredible camper—but over time, our style of travel began to evolve, and our adventures took far off the beaten path. Essentially, we wanted to stay longer in remote places without worrying about rough roads and clearance issues. Most importantly, we wanted to simplify our travels.

That shift in mindset led us down a new path—one that eventually brought us to the 2021 Four Wheel Camper Hawk with a front dinette.

Why We Chose a Pop-Up Camper

When we started looking for alternatives, we quickly realized that a pop-up truck camper aligned better with our goals. We weren’t looking for luxury anymore—we were looking for mobility, durability, and just enough comfort, without compromising where we could go. Specifically, we wanted a camper that featured a light weight quality construction, an off-road capability, a functional interior space, and reliable, low-complexity systems inside.

This search took us in different directions. We visited multiple dealers and even toured a few factories to get a hands-on feel for different brands. Countless evenings were spent researching online, comparing construction methods, layouts, and owner experiences.

In the end, two brands stood out above the rest: Hallmark and Four Wheel Campers. Both offered excellent build quality, thoughtful designs, and a reputation for durability. Either would have been a great choice, but then reality stepped in.

Living in Canada added an unexpected complication: tariffs. Importing a camper from the United States suddenly became significantly more expensive, enough to push brand-new units outside our budget. That forced us to rethink our approach and shift our focus toward the Canadian new and used popup truck camper market.

Pop-up truck campers aren’t very common in Canada, so the options were limited. However, we got lucky. We discovered that the former Four Wheel Camper dealer in Canada, Morrissey Industries, was closing its doors and selling off its remaining inventory, including some new and lightly used units. For us, that opportunity was too good to ignore.

The Purchase Experience

In May 2025, we flew out to Vancouver to visit Gary at Morrissey Industries. Since we already owned a full-size truck—a 2010 Dodge Ram Powerwagon—the Four Wheel Camper Hawk slide-in model was the obvious choice. Designed specifically for full-size, short-bed trucks with 6 to 6.5 foot beds, it is widely considered one to be one of Four Wheel Campers’ most popular and versatile models. Two Hawks at the dealership met our needs, and after careful consideration, we chose the 2021 Hawk with a front dinette. Compared to the side dinette layout, the front dinette offers more overall storage, a more open, usable interior with lots of storage, and a layout that felt better suited for long-term travel. This decision turned out to be one of the best we’ve ever made.

Overview of the Four Wheel Camper Hawk

The Four Wheel Camper Hawk is intentionally simple by design. It features a welded aluminum frame, a one piece aluminum roof, and aluminum siding available in various colors and textures. The floor length is 6 feet 6 inches long with an interior height of 6 feet 6 inches and a width of 6 feet 6 inches. The camper’s aluminum frame combined with the pop-up, soft wall construction, keeps the weight low—around 1,100 to 1,200 pounds dry, depending on options. This low weight translates directly into better handling, improved fuel efficiency, and significantly increased off-road capability.

Inside, Four Wheel Camper Hawk layout is compact but highly functional with tons of storage. It features a two-burner propane stove, a 20-gallon freshwater tank, a sink with a 12 volt water pump, two 2.5-gallon propane tranks, an Isotherm 65L DC compressor fridge, a dinette that can be turned into a comfortable bed, queen-size cabover bed, a Dometic furnace, a 12 volt MaxxAir fan and roof vent, a Fiamma F45S awning, rear flood lights, and collapsible entry steps.

One thing the pop-up camper lacks is a built-in water heater. Instead of seeing this as a downside, we actually appreciated the extra storage space it created. That area now serves as a large cabinet for pots, pans, and kitchen gear, and it also houses our 2,000-watt inverter.

Like all Four Wheel Campers, the Hawk does not include gray or black tanks. Gray water drains directly outside through a port, where it can be collected in a container and disposed of properly. This system is simple, lightweight, and easy to maintain.

There’s also no indoor bathroom either, which was a deliberate choice. Instead, that space has been converted into additional cabinetry, providing a surprising amount of storage. We carry a portable toilet, which we store discreetly in one of the lower cabinets by the door.

At first glance, the setup might seem minimal, but in practice, it includes everything we truly need.

First Impressions of the Four Wheel Camper Hawk

We picked up the camper in July 2025 and immediately put it to the test with a 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) drive back to Northern Alberta.

The first thing we noticed was how solid everything felt. At highway speeds and even through tight corners, the camper felt planted and secure. It integrates so well with the truck that you almost forget it’s there.

Another unexpected benefit was how easy it was to maneuver in everyday situations, like pulling into a coffee shop drive-through or navigating parking lots. That’s something we never fully appreciated until we experienced it.

Inside, the craftsmanship stood out right away. The cabinetry is simple yet rugged and well executed. Hinges, latches, and compartments all feel durable and purpose-built.

What impressed us most, however, was the efficient use of space—every inch is thoughtfully used. In fact, one thing that stood out right away, and became even more obvious over time, is how much thought went into maximizing every bit of space. Even under the dinette seats, there are multiple storage compartments, wiring access points, and utility areas. Nothing feels wasted.

Second Impressions of the Four Wheel Camper Hawk

To truly understand the Four Wheel Camper Hawk, we needed to live in it and experience the life and travel we bought it for, so we did. Our two-month, 13,500 kilometer (8,000-miles) road trip to Baja California became the ultimate test of both the camper and our lifestyle. Here’s a breakdown of our impressions.

Sleeping and Comfort

The Hawk’s cabover bed is queen-sized and oriented east-to-west. This means climbing over each other during the night, a small adjustment that quickly becomes routine. The bigger inconvenience is the daily setup: part of the bed platform slides out, and cushions need to be rearranged, which means making the bed every evening. The mattress itself is decent but not luxurious. Adding a topper made a significant difference, and after that upgrade, we slept comfortably throughout the trip. Even after two months, we never had a bad night’s sleep because of the bed, which says a lot.

Front Dinette: A Standout Feature

If there’s one feature that truly defines the Four Wheel Camper Hawk for us, it’s the front dinette. Unlike side dinette or couch layouts, the front dinette creates a dedicated living space that feels both functional and inviting. With the adjustable Lagun table, the area is easily adaptable for dining, working, reading, and relaxing. On days when the weather turned bad, having a comfortable indoor seating area made a huge difference. It’s one of those things you don’t fully appreciate until you need it. Psychologically, the layout also makes the camper feel larger than it is. Combined with the pop-up roof and 6-foot, 6-inch interior height when extended, the space feels open rather than cramped, a critical factor for long-term travel.

Ventilation and Climate Control

Ventilation in the Hawk is excellent. Between the soft walls with multiple windows, the Maxx Air fan, and the roof vent, airflow inside the camper is easy to control. In Baja’s warm climate, this made a massive difference. Even without air conditioning, the day and nights were comfortable. On colder evenings, the Dometic propane furnace and the thermal pack, kept the interior warm and cozy. The insulated soft walls perform better than expected, making shoulder-season camping very doable.

Kitchen and Daily Living

The Hawk’s kitchen setup is simple but effective. We cooked almost every day, everything from quick breakfasts to full dinners. The limited space forces you to stay organized, but it also makes cooking more intentional and efficient. The Isotherm 65L compressor refrigerator performed well, even in hot conditions, which is essential in places like Baja. Our only complaint was the noise that the compressor makes—it’s very noticeable, especially at night.

Water management requires awareness. The 20-gallon tank typically lasted us four to five days with careful use. For longer stays, we carried an additional 5-gallon Jerry can mounted on the back of the camper. At first, having only 25 gallons of water felt limiting, but at the end of the trip, it felt liberating.

Four Wheel Camper Hawk Storage

Storage is often seen as a drawback in smaller campers, but we came to see it differently. Yes, space is limited in today’s pop-up truck campers compared to vans or large RVs, but that limitation is intentional. It encourages simplicity—pack what you need—leave the nonsense at home.

With the Hawk’s front dinette layout, we never felt short on interior storage, even while traveling with our German Shepherd. Staying organized is key, but there’s room for everything that you truly need. We added small net pockets to the doors and panels for items like cables and socks, which helped maximize usable space. On the other hand, outdoor storage is essentially nonexistent. With our full-size crewcab truck, however, this wasn’t a major issue. In the end, that constraint became one of the camper’s biggest strengths.

Pop-Up Roof and Setup

Four Wheel Camper’s manual pop-up roof might seem outdated at first, but in practice, it’s one of the camper’s best features. Setup only takes about two minutes. Gas struts assist with lifting, and the process of raising the roof quickly becomes second nature. More importantly, it’s reliable. There are no motors or electronics to fail, just a simple mechanical system that works each and every time. In windy conditions, you’ll notice some movement in the soft walls, but it never felt unsafe.

Pros and Cons of the Four Wheel Camper Hawk

After two months on the road, several strengths about the Four Wheel Camper Hawk stood out:

• The lightweight design and pop-up roof allowed us to access places that would be impossible with heavier and bigger campers
• Exceptional build quality. The camper handled rough off-road conditions without issue. We took it on some harrowing off road tracks that would shake the fillings out of your teeth, and it hold up.
• Open, spacious interior with lots of smart storage solutions.
• Simple, reliable systems that never let us down
• Excellent ventilation and effective heating
• To experience things that were not possible in our hard-side truck camper.

As good as the Four Wheel Camper Hawk is, no camper is perfect. The Hawk is no exception. A few areas could be improved though none would be considered a show-stopper:

• The plastic slider in the screen door can stick or fall out
• Lack of outdoor storage
• Tight access for installing propane bottles
• The roof is too light to walk on, even when closed
• Cabinet edge finishes could be higher quality
• The thermal pack walls are installed with Velcro to the upper sides of the camper but not to
  the front and rear walls, which it makes it fall down when you setup the camper. We stuck
  some Velcro ourselves in those spots, but this should be standard of factory.
• The interior light strips work great and are dimmable, but we miss some soft lightning,
  for more intimate settings.

Truck Camper Mods made to our Four Wheel Camper Hawk

• Two 200-watt flexible solar panels with solar charger.
• A 2,000-watt inverter and multiple USB charge ports.
• Rear camper wall outdoor storage mount for our 5-gallon fresh water tank and traction
  boards
• Front wall storage mount for two 4-gallon Rotopax fuel tanks.
• Hangers for coats and paper towels.
• Little storage boxes for spices and other small stuff.

Final Thoughts

The Four Wheel Camper Hawk is a great, little camper, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for a truck camper with luxurious, spacious interiors and high-end amenities, this isn’t the camper for you. But if your goal is to travel farther, reach more remote destinations, and embrace a simpler way of living on the road, then the Four Wheel Camper Hawk is hard to beat. Indeed, after two months in Baja, Mexico, we realized something very important: this camper isn’t just a place to sleep and eat, it’s a tool and a home, designed for a very specific kind of adventure. It doesn’t try to do everything. Instead, it focuses on doing a few things exceptionally well, and that clarity of purpose is what makes the Four Wheel Camper Hawk such a winner.