In the world of truck campers, major product launches often involve dramatic redesigns, exotic materials, or revolutionary technologies. Rugged Mountain RV’s newest model takes a different approach. The company’s latest release, the Denali XL, is based on a surprisingly simple idea—add 6 inches.
According to Rugged Mountain CEO Jesse Collinsworth, those extra 6 inches may end up creating the company’s most popular truck camper yet.
“We took our already awesome Denali triple-slide camper and added 6 inches to it,” Collinsworth explained. “My number one most asked question is whether we can put recliners in the rear slide-out. On the standard Denali, we couldn’t.”
For years, Denali owners faced a choice. They could keep the traditional dinette and rear seating arrangement, or eliminate the dinette entirely to accommodate recliners. The camper’s dimensions simply didn’t allow both.
The Denali XL changes that equation.
The Recliner Revolution
The standard Denali 3S has already earned a reputation as one of the most spacious flatbed truck campers on the market. The camper’s triple-slide design creates an impressive amount of interior living space once camp is set up. But customers kept asking for one thing—recliners.
Not just any recliners, either. Owners wanted comfortable theater-style seating in the rear slide-out without sacrificing the dinette area that serves as the camper’s dining room, workspace, and gathering spot.
“The only thing that would fit in the back was a jackknife sofa,” said Collinsworth. “By doing this, they can have the recliners and still have their dinette.”
To make that happen, Rugged Mountain extended the XL’s floor length from 12 feet 5 inches to 12 feet 11 inches and increased the depth of the rear slide-out by 6 inches. Everything else remains largely unchanged, although the extra length increases the dry weight slightly to 5,603 pounds, up from the original Denali’s 5,538 pounds.
The result is a camper that delivers one of the most requested features among full-time travelers and long-haul adventurers, while preserving the functionality that made the original Denali successful.
The cost for this option with the recliners and dinette with a four-way adjustable table base? Only $3,500.
“I personally think it’ll be my most sold unit,” Collinsworth said. “The Denali already was, but I think this XL is going to be my number one seller.”
Triple Slides, Triple Comfort
Beyond the expanded rear slide, the Denali XL retains all the features that have made the Denali 3S a favorite among serious off-grid travelers. The camper continues to utilize a triple-slide floorplan that transforms the interior into something more akin to a luxury fifth wheel than a traditional truck camper. Owners still get access to the same options, layouts, and customization opportunities available on the standard Denali.
There is one caveat. Because of the additional length, the Denali XL creates approximately 2 feet of rear overhang and requires a 2-foot hitch extension for towing. For many buyers, however, that’s a tradeoff worth making.
As Collinsworth joked, “People want recliners more than they care about towing.”
Built for Life Off-Grid
While the recliners may steal the headlines, the Denali XL continues Rugged Mountain’s tradition of building campers designed for extended off-grid adventures.
The numbers for this mountain-sized camper are impressive. The standard customer configuration typically includes one SOK 314 amp hour lithium battery. Buyers wanting even more energy storage can push the system significantly further by adding even more batteries. According to Collinsworth, the Denali XL can accommodate:
- Up to 1,570 amp-hours of lithium using five SOK 314 amp hour batteries
- Up to 2,250 amp-hours of lithium using five Expion 450 amp hour batteries
- Up to 1,200 watts of rooftop solar
- A 3,000-watt Victron inverter system
For perspective, that’s enough energy capacity to support extended boondocking, remote work setups, air conditioning operation, induction cooking, and residential-style appliance use far from the confines of shore power.
Big Tanks for Big Adventures
Water capacity remains unchanged from the standard Denali and continues to target travelers who spend significant time away from RV parks and campgrounds.
Tank capacities include the largest in any demountable truck camper:
- 80 gallons of fresh water
- 78 gallons of gray water
- 36 gallons of black water
Combined with the camper’s substantial battery and solar capabilities, the Denali XL is clearly aimed at travelers who view RV parks as optional rather than essential.
All-Electric Ready
Like the standard Denali 3S, the XL embraces modern RV power systems. Collinsworth has largely moved away from traditional propane-based appliance packages, particularly refrigeration.
“I do not do propane refrigerators,” he said.
Buyers can choose between 8- and 10-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerators. Cooking options include either a propane cooktop and microwave combination or a fully electric setup featuring an induction cooktop paired with a convection microwave-air fryer combination.
For many overlanders and full-time travelers, the all-electric option paired with large lithium battery banks has become increasingly attractive due to simplicity and reduced propane dependence.
Quiet Cooling, Diesel Heat
Air conditioning options remain flexible, although Collinsworth says most customers gravitate toward the excellent Houghton RecPro 13,500-BTU air conditioner. The unit, which operates on 110 volt AC, has earned a reputation among RV owners for its exceptionally quiet operation and efficiency.
“It’s very quiet,” said Collinsworth. “It’s the most efficient too.”
Heating and hot water solutions vary based on customer preference. Buyers selecting diesel-powered systems can opt for the Timberline 1.0 setup, which provides both diesel heating and hot water. Traditional propane configurations remain available through various furnace and water heater combinations.
Every Camper Is Custom
One of Rugged Mountain’s defining characteristics is its willingness to let customers personalize nearly every aspect of the interior. Flooring colors, countertops, cabinet finishes, upholstery fabrics, shower surrounds, backsplashes, and trim stains are all selected by the customer.
Lately, Collinsworth says a clear design trend has emerged.
“Butcher block countertops have been really, really popular lately,” he noted, especially when paired with barn-style bathroom doors.
The result is a camper that feels more like a custom-built tiny home than a camper. Considering Rugged Mountain’s roots in tiny-home construction, that comes as no surprise.
Wood Construction Only—for Now
Prospective buyers should note that the Denali XL is currently available only in Rugged Mountain’s traditional wood-construction platform. The company’s newer composite-construction option, which carries roughly a $17,000 premium, is not yet available on the XL model.
According to Collinsworth, composite construction was introduced primarily to satisfy buyers who preferred non-wood construction methods rather than to solve any inherent issues with wood-framed campers.
“There’s nothing wrong with wood,” he said. “I literally came out with composite just to capture that market.”
The strategy appears to be working, with multiple composite Denali orders already on the books.
Flatbed Campers Continue to Gain Momentum
The timing of the Denali XL is also notable because flatbed truck campers continue to gain popularity among serious adventurers.
Traditional slide-in truck campers remain the dominant segment of the market, but flatbed models offer several advantages that have attracted a growing following. By utilizing the full width of a flatbed platform, manufacturers can create larger storage compartments, more spacious interiors, and improved floorplans without dramatically increasing overall height.
The Rugged Mountain Denali 3S has long been one of the most recognizable examples of this philosophy. The triple-slide design takes full advantage of the available space, creating an interior that often surprises first-time visitors. What appears from the outside to be a “rugged” expedition camper transforms into a remarkably open living area once all three slide-outs are deployed.
Now adding another 6 inches might not sound significant on paper, but in RV design every inch matters. Interior designers frequently describe floorplan development as a game of fractions. A few inches can determine whether a drawer opens fully, whether a bed can be oriented differently, or whether a specific piece of furniture will fit.
In the Denali XL’s case, 6 inches was the difference between a compromise and a solution.
Why Comfort Is Becoming the Next Frontier in Truck Campers
For decades, truck camper manufacturers competed primarily on capability. Bigger tanks. Larger battery banks. More solar. Better insulation. Lighter weight. For sure, those features still matter, but today’s buyers are increasingly asking a different question:
“What will it be like to actually live in this thing?”
The popularity of recliner seating may seem like a minor detail at first glance, but it reflects a much larger shift taking place throughout the RV industry. More travelers are spending weeks or even months at a time on the road. Many work remotely. Others are retired and traveling full-time. Instead of using their camper as a place to sleep between adventures, they’re treating it as a true home away from home.
That means interior comfort has become just as important as off-grid capability. Anyone who has spent a rainy day inside a camper understands the appeal. After a long day exploring trails, fishing remote lakes, or driving hundreds of miles across the country, being able to sink into a comfortable recliner and watch a movie or read a book can dramatically improve the camping experience.
The Denali XL appears to be designed around exactly that type of owner. Rather than chasing a flashy new feature for the sake of marketing, Rugged Mountain addressed a real-world request that customers had been making repeatedly. The fact that Collinsworth describes recliners as his “number one most asked question” says a great deal about where buyer priorities are heading.
Look for the new Rugged Mountain Denali XL at the 2026 Overland Expo Pacific Northwest in Redmond, Oregon, June 26–28.
To learn more about the new Rugged Mountain Denali XL or to get a quote, email the company directly at ruggedmountaincustomrv@gmail.com.
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