Tennessee Truck Campers Builds a 500-Pound Hardwall Camper for Under $10,000

Truck camping has always been about freedom. It’s about turning down that lonely Forest Service road simply because you’re curious where it goes. It’s waking up beside a mountain lake, brewing coffee as the sun climbs over the pines, and knowing your campsite has a million-dollar view—all without towing a trailer behind you.

As truck camping has exploded in popularity over the last several years, so has the variety of truck campers available. Buyers now have more choices than ever before, from minimalist shells and pop-up campers to fully equipped hard-side models loaded with every amenity imaginable. But for many shoppers, that growing selection has also highlighted a missing piece of the market.

What if you want something lightweight enough for a midsize pickup, durable enough for years of adventure, and affordable enough that you don’t need a second mortgage to buy it?

That’s exactly the question that led Chase Hartle to start Tennessee Truck Campers, a small Tennessee manufacturer building lightweight, hard-side, wood-free campers designed for everyone from Ford Maverick owners to one-ton dually drivers.

The company’s mission is refreshingly simple: build an affordable, American-made truck camper that gives owners the freedom to finish it their way.

A Camper Born From Necessity

Some companies are created after years of market research. Others begin in corporate boardrooms.

Tennessee Truck Campers started because one truck owner couldn’t find what he wanted.

“I started Tennessee Truck Campers simply because I could not find a camper at the weight and cost that I wanted to be at, and I refused to purchase one from overseas.”

Rather than settling for a camper that checked only some of the boxes, Chase decided to build one that checked them all. What began as a personal project quickly evolved into a business as other truck owners discovered they had been searching for the exact same thing.

Today, Tennessee Truck Campers is shipping campers nationwide while steadily building a following among DIY-minded campers, overlanders, hunters, anglers, and weekend adventurers looking for a practical alternative to today’s increasingly expensive RVs.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Instead of offering a complex lineup of floorplans, Tennessee Truck Campers builds each camper around the customer’s truck, including those that are equipped with a flatbed.

Their naming system is straightforward. The company’s original and most popular model is the Model 71, named after its 71-inch floor. But that’s just the starting point.

“We can build up to an 8-foot base and down to a 4-foot base if you have a 4-foot bed in your truck,” Chase explains.

That flexibility allows Tennessee Truck Campers to serve an unusually wide range of pickups. Whether you drive a Ford Maverick, a Toyota Tacoma, a Ford F-150, or a Ram 3500 dually, there’s likely a camper that fits.

Interestingly, Chase says most buyers aren’t driving heavy-duty trucks.

“The majority of our customers are lightweight truck owners like Tacoma owners.”

That’s significant because lightweight trucks often have far fewer camper choices than their heavy-duty counterparts. Every pound matters, and Tennessee Truck Campers has made shaving weight a priority without sacrificing durability or livability.

So, just how light is a Tennessee Truck Camper? The midsize model tips the scales at an astonishing 500 pounds, while the full-size version weighs only 600 pounds.

For a hard-wall, slide-in truck camper, those numbers are remarkable. In fact, Tennessee Truck Campers are easily among the lightest hard-wall campers in the industry—making them an intriguing option for truck owners who want the comforts of a camper without the weight penalty.

Aluminum, Composite…and No Wood

Spend any amount of time around truck campers and you’ll quickly discover that construction methods are one of the hottest topics among owners. Weight, durability, water resistance, and longevity all begin with how a camper is built.

That’s why Tennessee Truck Campers relies on structural aluminum paired with fiberglass composite walls.

“We refuse to compromise on materials,” says Chase.

Even more notable is what’s missing.

Thanks to the company’s patented construction methods, Chase says wood has no place inside the camper’s wall structure—and that’s not changing anytime soon.

“We have zero plans to ever put wood inside our walls.”

For buyers concerned about moisture intrusion, rot, and long-term durability, that’s a compelling selling point.

Simple by Design

Walk into any model of a Tennessee Truck Camper and you’ll immediately notice something.

Nothing feels excessive.

Instead of filling every available inch with cabinets, appliances, tanks, pumps, and plumbing, the layout feels open, practical, and easy to live with.

Standard equipment includes a residential full-sized cabover mattress, a countertop and sink with storage underneath, and a dinette. It’s everything needed for comfortable camping without loading the camper down with systems many owners may never use.

Perhaps the biggest surprise? There are no permanently installed holding tanks.

That isn’t because Tennessee Truck Campers forgot them. It’s because they intentionally left them out.

“Our goal is to allow the customer to make as many decisions about their camper as possible and make it theirs,” Chase says.

Instead of installing tanks that add weight and consume valuable storage space, the sink simply drains into a portable container unless the owner chooses another solution.

The shower follows the same philosophy.

Some owners carry a simple hand-pump camp shower and heat water on the stove. Others install diesel-fired water heaters or compact tankless systems. The camper is designed to support whichever route the owner prefers.

“We do 95 percent of the hard work,” Chase explains. “Customers seem to enjoy doing that last five percent.”

It’s a philosophy that reminds us of the early days of truck camping, when owners routinely customized their rigs to match their own camping style rather than adapting themselves to a manufacturer’s idea of the “perfect” floorplan and features list.

Built for Boondocking

If there’s one trend shaping today’s truck camper market, it’s the growing desire to spend more time off-grid.

Whether it’s dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management land, overnighting in a national forest, or exploring backcountry trails far from hookups, truck campers have become synonymous with self-reliant travel.

“A lot of our customers find us because they want to be off-grid as much as possible,” Chase says.

One of the company’s most popular upgrades is an extruded aluminum roof rack that makes installing solar panels surprisingly easy. Because the mounting system already exists, owners don’t have to drill a collection of holes through the roof of their brand-new camper.

Additional exterior rack options allow customers to mount bikes, recovery gear, cargo boxes, traction boards, fishing rods, kayaks, or just about anything else their adventures require.

Again, the emphasis is on giving owners a strong foundation while leaving room for creativity.

Comfortable in Every Season

One question Chase hears regularly is whether Tennessee Truck Campers are “four-season” campers.

His answer reflects a refreshing dose of honesty.

“There are no legal standards for a four-season camper,” Chase explains. “Manufacturers can pretty much do what they want and put stickers on their campers however they want.”

Rather than relying on marketing labels, Tennessee Truck Campers focuses on solid insulation and practical design. His composite campers are very well insulated, but Chase believes one of their biggest advantages is something many buyers overlook—the relatively small interior volume.

Heating or cooling a compact truck camper simply requires conditioning far less air than a large, multiple slide-out truck camper.

“Our campers are insulated as any camper should be,” he says. “Something to remember is the amount of air capacity you’re trying to heat or cool. Our campers make that very easy.”

That efficiency pays dividends in hot weather. Even the company’s optional 5,000-BTU air conditioner is capable of keeping the interior comfortable because it isn’t fighting the massive air volume found in many larger RVs.

Cold-weather camping is equally flexible. Owners with shore power often rely on a small electric space heater, while off-grid campers frequently choose portable propane heaters or install diesel-fired heaters depending on their camping style.

“Heat is a very easy thing to accomplish in a small space,” Chase says.

Like so much else about Tennessee Truck Campers, climate control comes back to owner choice. Rather than prescribing a single solution, the company gives customers a well-insulated platform that can be outfitted to match the environments where they camp most often.

Upgrade What Matters

While Tennessee Truck Campers embraces simplicity, buyers still have plenty of opportunities to personalize their rigs.

Popular factory options include camper jacks, additional interior storage, exterior rack systems, air conditioning, upgraded mattresses, and a growing list of accessories.

One detail we especially liked is the mattress selection process.

Customers who visit the Lexington, Tennessee factory can actually lie down on several different mattresses before deciding which one they’ll sleep on during future adventures.

After all, a good night’s sleep can make the difference between an unforgettable camping trip and a very long weekend.

Filling the Missing Middle

Perhaps what makes Tennessee Truck Campers most interesting is where it sits in today’s marketplace.

Truck campers have never been more capable—but they’ve also never been more expensive.

Chase sees two extremes.

On one end are expensive truck toppers that offer little more than weather protection.

On the other are luxury truck campers with residential kitchens, entertainment centers, generators, and price tags approaching six figures.

Tennessee Truck Camper pricing targets the middle of these extremes. The 6-foot model starts at just $9,995, while the larger 8-foot lists for only $12,995.

The company currently sells its campers factory-direct, though Chase is actively exploring opportunities to expand the brand’s reach through a nationwide dealer network.

“We’ve been trying to bridge a price gap that we saw in the market,” he says.

“It seems like there are plenty of $10,000 to $15,000 empty toppers and $60,000 luxurious models, but not enough affordable lightweight slide-in campers made here in the USA.”

Judging by the company’s growing customer base, Chase isn’t the only one who noticed that gap.

Final Thoughts

One of the things we enjoy most about covering the truck camper industry is seeing companies challenge conventional thinking.

Some push the boundaries with innovative floorplans. Others chase luxury.

Tennessee Truck Campers has taken a different path altogether.

By focusing on lightweight construction, durable materials, owner customization, and American manufacturing, Chase Hartle and his team have created a camper that feels refreshingly honest. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, it concentrates on doing the fundamentals exceptionally well and giving owners the freedom to build the rest around their own adventures.

For truck owners who believe camping should be simple, capable, and affordable—and who enjoy adding a personal touch to their rigs—Tennessee Truck Campers is a company worth watching.

Because at the end of the day, the best truck camper isn’t necessarily the one with the most gadgets. It’s the one that gets you out there without breaking the bank.

For more information about Tennessee Truck Campers or to get a quote, email the company directly at tennesseetruckcampers@hotmail.com.