In an industry where truck campers are getting bigger, heavier, and increasingly expensive, Colorado-based Outfitter RV continues to follow a refreshingly simple philosophy: build a quality camper, equip it with the essentials, offer plenty of customization, and keep the price within reach of ordinary truck owners.
It’s a formula that has served the company well for 25 years.
Founded in 2001, Outfitter RV has earned a loyal following among truck camper enthusiasts looking for lightweight, well-equipped pop-up campers capable of handling everything from weekend getaways to extended backcountry adventures. And while the company has experienced its share of challenges over the years, including the pandemic-era RV boom and subsequent supply chain disruptions, its commitment to building affordable, adventure-ready campers remains unchanged.
To celebrate Outfitter’s 25th anniversary, Truck Camper Adventure recently caught up with CEO Scott Mavis to discuss the company’s history, its most popular models, the growing demand for custom builds, and some of the exciting technological changes reshaping the truck camper industry.
As we discovered, there’s a lot more to this small Colorado manufacturer than meets the eye.
A Family Legacy Going Back Nearly 80 Years
Although Outfitter officially opened its doors in 2001, its roots in the RV industry go back considerably further.
The company’s history can be traced to three generations of the Ward family, whose involvement in designing and manufacturing recreational vehicles began with Tortuga travel trailers in 1948. Other family ventures followed, including Red Dale in 1958, Warhawk in 1961, and Hallmark in 1969.
In 2001, father-and-son team Bob and Brian Ward separated from Hallmark and established Outfitter Manufacturing with a clear mission: build lightweight, full-featured, aluminum-framed pop-up truck campers.
But they weren’t content to simply follow the competition.
Over the years, Outfitter helped pioneer several features that have become increasingly popular in the truck camper industry, including heated basement water tanks, fully enclosed wet baths, north-south cabover sleeping arrangements, proprietary electric roof-lift systems, and molded composite camper bodies.
The company’s Apex and Juno models are particularly noteworthy for their molded composite construction, offering an alternative to traditional framed campers.
“This year, we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary with Outfitter Manufacturing, which is a huge milestone for any business!” Mavis said.
Mavis became involved with Outfitter in January 2019, when he and several partners acquired the company from Brian Ward.
The timing couldn’t have been more interesting.
Within a year, the RV and overlanding industries experienced an unprecedented surge in demand as Americans sought new ways to travel and enjoy the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of course, that boom came with its own headaches.
Supply chain disruptions, material shortages, and unpredictable production schedules created enormous challenges for manufacturers throughout the industry.
Mavis says those difficult years also encouraged Outfitter to improve its manufacturing processes, refine quality control, and expand its customization capabilities.
Today, the company operates from the same Mead, Colorado, facility where it began 25 years ago, approximately 30 miles north of Denver.
Why Factory-Direct Sales Make a Difference
One of Outfitter’s biggest selling points is something increasingly rare in today’s RV industry: customers buy directly from the manufacturer.
No dealership network. No middleman. No dealer markup.
According to Mavis, that business model allows Outfitter to keep overhead low while offering features and construction quality typically associated with more expensive campers.
“The main thing is the quality that we offer for the price,” he explained.
Mavis estimates that a camper costing more than $40,000 from another manufacturer could be purchased from Outfitter for less than $30,000, depending on the model and configuration.
But affordability is only part of the equation.
Buying factory-direct also means customers can work closely with the people actually building their campers. Instead of choosing from a handful of predetermined packages, buyers can select the equipment and features that best match their camping preferences.
Outfitter makes that process relatively straightforward through an online camper configurator, allowing customers to explore different layouts, accessories, and electrical upgrades before submitting their preferred build to the factory.
And if the desired option isn’t listed?
There’s a good chance Outfitter can accommodate it anyway.
According to Mavis, the company can fulfill approximately 99 percent of special customer requests, provided the modifications are practical and compatible with the camper’s design.
For buyers who want something more personalized than a standard production camper, that’s a pretty compelling advantage.
The Caribou Lite Remains King
With several models in the Outfitter lineup, we were curious which camper has proven most popular.
The answer was immediate.
The Caribou Lite.
“The Caribou Lite is, and has continued to be, our best-selling model,” Mavis told us.
It’s not difficult to understand why.
The Caribou Lite emphasizes the qualities that have made pop-up truck campers so popular: relatively low weight, compact dimensions, and the ability to travel farther into the backcountry without sacrificing basic comforts.
Yet despite its emphasis on simplicity and affordability, the camper isn’t stripped down to the bare essentials.
Standard equipment includes a refrigerator, two-burner cooktop, furnace, water system, and insulation throughout. Outfitter also includes four corner jacks and camper installation in the base price.
That’s worth emphasizing because these items are often treated as optional equipment by other manufacturers.
According to Mavis, a customer can arrive at the factory with a suitable pickup truck and leave with a fully equipped camper ready for year-round adventures.
Outfitter offers two principal construction approaches across its diverse lineup. The Caribou Lite, Caribou, and Spire feature lightweight vacuum-bonded aluminum framing, while the Apex and Juno use fully molded composite bodies.
This gives buyers a choice between more traditional lightweight construction and the distinctive characteristics of a molded composite camper.
The King-Size Bed That Buyers Love
Ask any experienced truck camper owner what they wish they had more of, and storage space will usually rank near the top of the list.
A larger, more comfortable bed isn’t far behind.
Interestingly, one of Outfitter’s most popular upgrades addresses both concerns.
Mavis says the company’s north-south cabover package is the leading option among Caribou Lite buyers.
The package combines an electric roof-lift system, underbed storage, an overhead cabinet, and a generous sleeping area.
On full-size models, the mattress measures an impressive 75 by 80 inches—essentially king-size dimensions.
That’s a substantial sleeping area for a lightweight pop-up camper.
The north-south arrangement also eliminates the need for one person to climb over the other when getting out of bed, a small convenience that becomes increasingly appreciated during extended trips.
Other popular upgrades include lithium battery systems, solar charging packages, hot water heaters with outdoor showers, and cassette toilets.
The takeaway is simple: lightweight camping doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it.
From Toyota Tacomas to Heavy-Duty Pickups
Another advantage of Outfitter’s diverse lineup is its ability to accommodate a wide variety of pickup trucks.
According to Mavis, the company’s most common builds are for full-size pickups with approximately 6.5-foot beds, particularly Ford and Toyota models, followed by Chevrolet and Ram.
For midsize truck owners, Outfitter offers Caribou Lite configurations suitable for vehicles such as the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado, subject to payload requirements.
And the company has tackled some unusual projects.
One of its smallest custom builds was a Flatirons topper designed specifically for the Jeep Gladiator’s bed.
At the other end of the spectrum, larger Apex and Juno campers are commonly paired with heavy-duty pickups such as the Ford F-250 and F-350 and Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD.
Mavis says there are relatively few pickup trucks for which Outfitter cannot build a camper, provided the vehicle has sufficient payload capacity for the chosen model.
That last point is especially important. As we’ve emphasized countless times at Truck Camper Adventure, matching the camper’s fully loaded weight to the truck’s actual payload and axle ratings is essential, regardless of how lightweight a camper may appear.
One Very Special Apex 9.5
When we asked Mavis to identify a particularly memorable camper build, he didn’t hesitate.
His choice was a highly customized Apex 9.5 that recently rolled out of the Outfitter factory.
And this one was anything but ordinary.
The customer wanted a camper capable of extended off-grid travel without sacrificing the comforts of home. Rather than settling for a conventional configuration, the owner worked with Outfitter to create a camper tailored to those priorities.
The finished Outfitter Apex 9.5 featured a distinctive gray molded composite body and an impressive electrical system consisting of 900 amp-hours of battery capacity, 600 watts of solar, and a 2,000-watt inverter.
A 12-volt air conditioner provided cooling without requiring a conventional generator-based setup.
But perhaps the most interesting modification involved the bathroom.
By specifying a composting toilet, the customer was able to increase the camper’s fresh water capacity to an impressive 60 gallons.
That’s a considerable amount of water for a pop-up truck camper and a welcome feature for anyone who enjoys spending extended periods away from developed campgrounds.
Additional custom equipment rounded out the build.
“It really was a fun one for us to help concept and build!” Mavis said.
Projects like this illustrate one of Outfitter’s greatest strengths: its willingness to collaborate with customers on campers that depart from conventional production specifications.
The Next Big Thing? 12-Volt Air Conditioning
When the conversation turned to industry trends, Mavis pointed to one area in particular: electrical systems.
Lithium batteries have already transformed the way truck camper owners approach off-grid camping. With increased energy storage, improved charging technology, and more efficient appliances, it’s now possible to enjoy amenities that once required a generator or shore power.
But Mavis believes 12-volt air conditioning represents an especially important development.
Modern 12-volt air conditioners are becoming lighter, more efficient, and increasingly practical for compact RV applications.
According to Mavis, some units weigh nearly half as much as their conventional 110-volt counterparts.
For pop-up truck campers, where weight and available roof space are always considerations, that’s a significant advantage.
And the appeal goes well beyond saving a few pounds.
Being able to cool a camper on a hot summer evening without firing up a noisy generator is a major improvement in camping comfort.
Other technologies, including compact high-capacity lithium batteries and the Starlink Mini satellite internet system, are also changing what customers expect from their campers.
Mavis says buyers have become considerably more knowledgeable about electrical systems, making personalized system design an increasingly important part of Outfitter’s business.
Rather than simply installing the biggest battery bank available, the goal is to create an electrical system that matches how each customer actually travels and camps.
Adventure Doesn’t Have to Wait Until Retirement
Perhaps the most refreshing part of our conversation came when we asked Mavis what he most wanted prospective customers to know about Outfitter.
His answer wasn’t about construction techniques, electrical systems, or luxury amenities.
It was about affordability and opportunity.
“The main thing is that you don’t have to wait until retirement to enjoy the kind of quality that can last a lifetime,” he said.
It’s a philosophy that resonates with us.
Truck camping has always been about freedom—the freedom to explore remote places, travel at your own pace, and enjoy destinations that larger RVs simply cannot reach.
Unfortunately, the rising cost of trucks and campers has made that freedom increasingly expensive.
Outfitter believes there’s still room in the market for well-built campers that don’t require an enormous financial commitment.
Mavis pointed to customers who have taken their Outfitter campers on remarkable journeys, from the Arctic Circle through Baja California and even into South America.
These aren’t simply weekend toys. They’re campers that owners have depended on for years of serious travel.
And according to Mavis, buyers can get started with an adventure-ready Outfitter for less than $30,000.
Final Thoughts
After 25 years in business, Outfitter RV occupies an interesting position in the North American truck camper market.
It’s not the largest manufacturer, nor is it trying to compete with the increasingly elaborate expedition vehicles that command six-figure prices.
Instead, the company has remained focused on the fundamentals: lightweight construction, practical amenities, customization, and affordability.
That doesn’t mean Outfitter is standing still. Its molded composite models, advanced electrical options, and willingness to tackle unusual customer requests demonstrate a manufacturer that continues to evolve with the industry.
We particularly appreciate the company’s factory-direct approach and its emphasis on including essential equipment in the base price. In a market where optional equipment can quickly inflate the cost of a camper, knowing what you’re actually getting for your money is a welcome change.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from our conversation with Scott Mavis is that you don’t necessarily need the biggest truck, the most expensive camper, or an unlimited budget to enjoy some extraordinary adventures.
Sometimes, a well-equipped pop-up camper and a reliable pickup truck are all you really need.
And after a quarter-century of building them, Outfitter RV appears determined to keep that possibility within reach.
For more information about Outfitter’s lineup and available configurations, visit the company’s official website.
To learn more about Outfitter Manufacturing pop-up truck campers or to get a quote, email the company directly at info@outfittermfg.com.
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