Every camper has a story.
Some begin at a dealership just down the road. Ours started with a 2,000-mile road trip from Arkansas to Bend, Oregon, and a leap of faith that turned into one of the best travel decisions we’ve ever made.
Back in January 2022, there wasn’t a Host dealer within 14 hours of our home, so we worked with D&H RV in North Carolina and chose to pick up our new Host Cascade 10.6 directly from the factory. Looking back, I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
A Factory Experience Worth the Drive
There’s something special about seeing your camper before it’s ever been used—watching it sit on the factory floor waiting for its first adventure.
When we arrived at Host Industries, we were welcomed by owner Dave Hogue as if we were old friends instead of first-time customers. He took us on a tour through the factory, explained how the campers are built, shared plenty of stories, loaded us up with Host shirts and swag, and then spent all the time we needed walking us through every system in our new Cascade.
Before we left, Dave personally helped load the camper onto our truck for the first time.
That level of customer service set the tone for the ownership experience.
Rather than point the truck toward Arkansas immediately, we spent our first week exploring Oregon. It was the perfect opportunity to shake everything down before crossing half the country.
The only hiccup? A faulty oven pilot light.
Host repaired it while we were there. It failed one more time on the trip home, but after another repair it’s been trouble-free ever since.
That’s been the theme of our ownership experience: a few bumps along the way, but nothing that has kept us from enjoying this incredible camper.
The Weight Nobody Talks About
First, let’s address the elephant in the room.
Truck campers have a habit of gaining weight once they’re filled with food, clothes, tools, camping gear, and everything else that makes extended travel comfortable.
Our Host’s sticker listed a wet weight of roughly 4,700 pounds.
Reality? More like 6,000 pounds when packed for a two-week adventure.
That placed us about 500 pounds over the 14,000-pound GVWR of our F-350 dually, not a lot but a number worth pointing out.
Thankfully, we’d already upgraded the suspension with airbags and overload springs, so the truck carries the camper confidently. Still, it’s something every prospective truck camper owner should carefully consider. Brochure weights are one thing—real-world travel weights are something entirely different.
The Cascade Doesn’t Feel Like a Truck Camper
One of the biggest compliments we can give the Host Cascade is that it rarely feels like a truck camper.
Coming from a 42-foot fifth wheel, we expected to sacrifice comfort. Instead, we found ourselves wondering why we hadn’t switched sooner.
The dual-slide design opens the interior dramatically. Friends who step inside are usually surprised by how spacious it feels. You’re not constantly bumping into each other or squeezing through narrow walkways.
The large dinette provides a comfortable workspace for my wife while I cook, and the pair of recliners facing the television and electric fireplace have become our favorite place to unwind after a long day of exploring.
And yes… We absolutely love that fireplace. It adds warmth on chilly mountain mornings and makes the camper feel more like home than an RV.
A Bathroom That Spoils You
Truck campers aren’t exactly known for luxurious bathrooms.
The Host Cascade 10.6 is the exception. Its large dry-bath has spoiled us so much that we rarely use campground shower houses anymore. Having a spacious private bathroom is one of those things you don’t fully appreciate until you’ve lived with it for a while.
If I were grading individual components, I’d probably give the toilet arrangement a B-. Because it’s mounted in the slide, it’s a little awkward to use.
Still, that’s a small compromise for such a roomy bathroom.
A Kitchen Designed by Someone Who Actually Cooks
As the primary cook in our family, I appreciate thoughtful design.
Everything in the galley simply makes sense.
The refrigerator, pantry, stove, sink, and food storage are all within an arm’s reach or a single step. It allows one person to prepare meals efficiently while the other relaxes nearby without getting in the way.
It’s one of those little details that makes living in the camper for weeks—or months—far more enjoyable.
Storage That Just Keeps Going
Another standout feature is the enormous basement slide-out storage tray.
Host advertises it as the largest in the industry, and I have no reason to argue.
It carries our Starlink system, camp chairs, tools, electrical equipment, and countless other items that somehow become essential when traveling across the country.
After upgrading our electrical system, the basement became home to our Victron electrical equipment and lithium batteries.
It’s amazing how much organized storage contributes to stress-free travel.
Things We’d Do Differently
Hindsight is always 20/20, and after four years of ownership there are a few options we’d choose differently if we were ordering another Host Cascade.
The biggest one is the onboard propane generator. While it works well, it consumes propane at an astonishing rate when running the air conditioner overnight. Weekend campers probably won’t notice, but long-term travelers certainly will. Looking back, I would have skipped the onboard generator altogether and carried a portable Honda instead.
The two-way propane/electric absorption refrigerator is another option we’d reconsider. It does its job, but if you’re dreaming about rock-hard ice cream after a hot summer hike, lower your expectations. Someday we’ll likely replace it with a DC compressor refrigerator.
Areas for Improvement
No RV is perfect, and we’ve experienced a few issues with our Host Cascade over the years. However, it’s worth noting that after new ownership took over Host Campers in 2025, the company made several improvements based on owner feedback that already addresses most of our concerns.
Our biggest frustration was with the original 700x500mm Airxcel Skymaxx emergency escape hatch over the bed, which I repaired or replaced three times before finally sealing it shut with silicone. Host has since replaced that hatch with the Dometic Midi Heki emergency escape hatch, which has proven to be a much more reliable design.
We were also disappointed with the factory spring mattress and Homestyle recliners, replacing both early in our ownership. Host has since upgraded to memory foam mattresses and higher-quality RecPro recliners.
It’s encouraging to see Host’s new ownership investing in meaningful product improvements rather than simply accepting these issues as part of the design. While our camper predates these changes, future owners should benefit from them.
Making the Cascade Our Own
One of the joys of RV ownership is personalizing your rig. We’ve done plenty.
The biggest transformation has been our electrical system. Today our camper carries 800 watts of rooftop solar, another 600 watts of portable solar when needed, two Battle Born GC3 270 amp hour lithium batteries, and a Victron 3,000-watt inverter charger.
The difference has been remarkable. We can comfortably run everything in the camper and even power the air conditioner for several hours before needing to run the generator.
Replacing the factory recliners with RecPro power recliners dramatically improved comfort. It was a big win.
We upgraded the old spring mattress to a comfortable memory foam mattress, installed an adjustable lift platform with massage features, replaced the shower fixtures, swapped the original water heater for a Fogatti tankless unit—the jury is still out on this one—and installed Torklift GlowSteps.
Each improvement made the camper feel a little more like ours.
More Than a Camper—A Passport to Adventure
The greatest upgrade, however, wasn’t something we installed. It was the freedom the camper gave us.
Since leaving Oregon nearly four years ago, we’ve crossed 41 states. We’ve attended the Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally three different times. We’ve explored Colorado—our favorite destination—countless times. We’ve stood on the rocky coast of Acadia National Park, wandered through Maine’s famous Lobster Festival, visited family on the Texas Gulf Coast, driven the Overseas Highway to Key West, and completed a 10-week tour from Arkansas to New England and back.
None of those adventures would have been nearly as easy—or as enjoyable—in our old 42-foot fifth wheel.
That’s the magic of truck camping.
When the road gets narrow, the campground is full, or the scenic overlook is just a little farther ahead, you simply keep going.
Our Faithful Ford
Our 2022 Ford F-350 King Ranch has been every bit as dependable as we hoped it would be. With a 14,000-pound GVWR and a 5,400-pound payload rating, it handled the Cascade with confidence. Fully-loaded for travel, the heaviest we’ve ever weighed was 14,520 pounds, while the rig tips the scales at 13,780 pounds with the camper aboard but otherwise empty.
Compared to our previous Ram 3500, the Ford has been a significant improvement in both handling and stability. After adding Torklift StableLoads, Hellwig overload springs, and 7,000-pound airbags with an onboard compressor, the truck settles ever so slightly under our fully-loaded camping weight. More importantly, it has proven to be exceptionally reliable, never leaving us stranded despite thousands of miles of travel.
However, as much as we’ve loved the F-350, our adventures are only getting bigger.
The next chapter will be powered by a new 2026 Ford F-450 cab and chassis equipped with a Kelderman air-ride suspension and a CM aluminum flatbed. The increased payload capacity and enhanced ride quality will provide extra peace of mind as we prepare for the ultimate truck camping adventure we’ve been dreaming about for years—Alaska.
Looking Ahead
If someone asked whether we’d buy this exact combination again, the answer would come without hesitation.
Absolutely.
Has it been perfect? No.
Has it been worth it? Without question.
Every repair has taught us something. Every upgrade has made the camper better. And every mile has reminded us why we chose a truck camper in the first place.
It’s not just about having a comfortable place to sleep. It’s about waking up beside alpine lakes, watching the sunrise over the Atlantic, pulling into tiny mountain towns where big RVs can’t go, and knowing tomorrow’s destination is entirely up to you.
The Host Cascade has become far more than a camper.
It’s become our passport to adventure.
Host Cascade 10.6 Grade: A-
2022 Ford F-350 King Ranch Grade: A
To learn more about Host Campers or to get a quote, email the company directly at rpozzi@hostcampers.com.
Have a truck or truck camper of your own that you would like to review? Contact Truck Camper Adventure at tcadventuremag@gmail.com and we will get you on the publishing schedule.
Be the first to comment