Our good friends at Kingstar continue to release new campers and options at a dizzying pace. When it comes to campers, Kingstar builds what we call the “Cadillac” of slide-in truck campers. Indeed, when it comes to luxury, build quality, and attention to detail, few companies come close to Kingstar. Consumers are taking notice with Kingstar sales spiking nationwide—as a matter of fact, Truck Camper Adventure recently took delivery of our very own Kingstar KRUZR 8. Part of this spike in sales is an intense media blitz campaign and well as prominence at RV and Overland shows nationwide, including at our very own Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally.
If you’re not familiar with Kingstar—and the KRUZR brand in particular—you’ve been missing out. Kingstar has quickly become a force in the industry. The KRUZR features a solid wood-frame construction, 2-inch R-13 spray foam insulation, vented thermal pane windows, and a stainless steel roof and nose. Even the exterior edging is made of stainless steel. Pride of workmanship and professionalism abounds everywhere in the construction of the camper—from the cabinetry, the stainless steel wet-bath, the numerous wiring runs, the plumbing, to the duct work. Sure, lot’s of companies say that they build a quality camper, but Kingstar actually delivers on this promise. It really shows. So what’s new for Kingstar in 2025? Kingstar CEO, Marcus Niemela, reveals all with his new 10 series truck camper.
Hi Marcus! What’s new for Kingstar in 2025?
Marcus Niemela: Hello, Mike. Thank you for asking! The most notable news would be the 10 Series camper, a soon to be mid-season refreshing and refining of the Camino model, additional matte aluminum siding colors of Matte Night (dark grey), Matte Desert (earth tone) and Matte Ice (white) along with the brushed aluminum. We are upgrading our wet-bath in both the KRUZR and Camino and lastly our maximum battery capacity of 1,320 amp hours of lithium and 1,200 watts of solar.
Tell us more about the KRUZR 10? Is it just a longer version of the KRUZR 8?
Marcus Niemela: Yes, the Kingstar KRUZR 10 is 12 inches longer on the floor and 6 inches longer on the bunk. With that, the interior and exterior storage as well as water capacity rises from 65 gallons on the 8 Series to 75 gallons on 10 Series. Max solar on the 6 and 8 Series is 1,000 watts whereas the 10 Series allows for 1,200 watts.
Wow, 75 gallons for the KRUZR 10? The standard offering with the under floor installation is 32 gallons. How are you getting the additional 43 gallons?
Marcus Niemela: We get that number by adding two optional auxiliary water tanks for a total of 35 gallons plus an additional 3 gallons in the cassette toilet reservoir.
How much does the Kingstar KRUZR 10 weigh?
Marcus Niemela: The KRUZR 10 dinette model with 40 gallons of water, two full 20-pound propane tanks is approximately 5,200 pounds. The camper weighs 4,800 pounds dry.
What other features set the KRUZR 10 interior from Kingstar’s other models?
Marcus Niemela: The key difference is the length. The extra 12 inches gets you larger seating area and more counter space and more cabinet space. That is the difference. The widths are the same between the 6, 8, and 10. And then it’s just the length of the camper changes accordingly. So the difference in length between the 8 and the 10 series on the passenger side is you get a foot more So the KRUZR 8 goes from 6 feet from shower wall to the bulk head of the camper while the 10 series goes to 7 feet. And in the dinette, all the layouts go from 6 feet to 7 feet.
What other increases were made to the KRUZR 10?
Marcus Niemela: Between the sink and the cooktop in the KRUZR 8, you have about 3 inches of countertop. With the 10 series we add another foot there. And then with that extra length, all cabinets will get a foot longer in the 10 series. Up on the sleeper bunk, we add 6 more inches to have a esthetic to balance out the exterior look of it because the body, the extra foot of the camper on the floor, we added another 6 inches onto the sleeper bunk just so it looks more proportionate. And by adding that you have you have a nice seating area at the foot of the bed.
On a flatbed build, the flatbed boxes are going to get longer too, a foot longer on each side. So you get 24 more inches of storage on the 10 series versus the 8 series flatbed build. And then your water capacity jumps up an extra 10 gallons on the 10 series from a max of 65 if you get the side saddle tanks to 75 on the 10 series. Also, with the roof length getting bigger, we’re able to go from a max of 1,000 watts of solar on the 8 series to 1,200 watts of solaron the 10 series.
We noticed that the pull-out spice rack is missing. What did you do there?
Marcus Niemela: We got rid of the pull-out spice rack and put that space in the closet, but you still do have a spice area with small shelves. We designed the bottom portion of it where you could put a single cup Keurig machine. You take the shelf out and the Keurig will fit right in there. Or you got all this shelving there. The reason we got rid of the pullout pantry is that we raised this shade, we recessed it up into the cabinet tree. That created a little ledge that you can’t see outside. Then we put an ash strip in the back where you’re able to put spice bottles, soup cans, things like that.
Will the KRUZR 10 have the same options as your other KRUZR models, meaning the LUXE package with upgrades to both solar and lithium?
Marcus Niemela: Yes!
Kingstar’s flatbed offerings, including your undercab spare tire garage, have really taken off. What percentage of your sales include flatbed models?
Marcus Niemela: The flatbed market is by far and away the bulk of our business. A lot of folks that inquire, have or plan to get a SRW one-ton or DRW, but the more they browse the website they conclude they want CA/Flatbed build to get the extra 5 inches of width and accessories such as the front garage and side flat bed boxes. Our clientele are between 50 to 70 years old and view this as their retirement passion versus pastime adventures and therefore decide to get a 450/550 platform for the extra payload.
Nice! Will you be offering a more affordable “Camino” version of the 10 series as well?
Marcus Niemela: Yes, it’s called the Camino 111.
Kingstar campers can only be purchased factory direct. Why did you decide to do this? Was it to improve customer service?
Marcus Niemela: By default it does give a much more personal customer experience, but the driving factor to remain factory direct was array or options and accessories we offer. No fault to the dealer, but no matter what they ordered, it wasn’t the build the customer wanted, which lead to the units sittings on the lot.
Will you be displaying the brand-new KRUZR 10 at any shows soon?
Marcus Niemela: Yes, as a matter of fact we will be at the 2025 Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, May 16th-18th. Booth P35.
Excellent! What does Kingstar’s show season look like in 2025?
Marcus Niemela: Kingstar will be attending all the Overland Expos and will kick-off 2026 in Tampa and at your own truck camper rally in Quartzsite.
Nice! What other plans are in the works from Kingstar? What does the future hold?
Marcus Niemela: It’s very tempting to spell it all out, Mike, but I will give you a hint. Attention dog and cat folks, we have an amazing setup we hope to have available yet in 2025, also, think of a First Class airline flight. That’s all you get for now, Mello!
To learn more about this and other Kingstar Campers or to get a quote, email the company at marcus@kingstar.net.
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