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Truck campers are great RVs for more versatile travel, since you’re not towing a large vehicle behind you or rumbling down the road in a big, Class A motorhome. But most truck campers are quite small, and can only comfortably fit two adults.

In this article, I have done the legwork to find the best ones to feature. In addition to this list, I’ll also cover key information about whether truck camper slide-outs are worth it, and why your truck camper’s center of gravity is important.

I mentioned that weight might be an issue with slide-outs in your truck camper, and it’s kind of a big deal. At minimum, a single slide-out will weigh about 300 pounds. If you’re driving a short-bed, half-ton truck, your options may be more limited for hauling a truck camper with a heavy slide-out (or two).

Even with a standard three-quarter-ton or one-ton pickup truck, your payload is limited and every single pound counts. As you’ll find in our list of the best truck campers with slide-outs below, most of the campers weigh more than 3,000 pounds, fully-loaded.

Keep in mind as well, that the weight of the slide out can also cause stress on the frame of your camper, could lead to frame failure. Another negative to consider is that slide-outs can leak, so you’ll need to take extra care to maintain the weather seals, especially if you will be traveling in a humid or rainy climate.

If you’re buying a used truck camper, always be sure to check the roof and the floors for soft spots, which can indicate water damage. Slide-outs can also make year-round camping less comfortable, because they allow drafts, even if the rubber seals are in peak condition.

Something that’s relevant to consider is that your truck camper also won’t have a very large propane tank, so the drafts may tax your furnace system beyond its capabilities. At best, you may eat through your propane store more quickly. So, if you’re planning to camp in rugged, sub-zero locations, slide-outs might not be a good choice for your truck camper.

Drawbacks aside, there’s a good reason (or three!) why some people prefer a truck camper with slide-outs. Of course, the strongest perk is the additional living space provided in your camper.

Beyond the additional space to spread out, slide-outs allow more storage areas in the camper. When the dinette is located in the slide, the camper will have even more storage capacity in the dinette seats, the fold-down bunk area, and more.

Since storage is always a premium in tiny RVs like truck campers, one with a slide-out definitely has more to offer and this may be a strong factor and reason to choose a camper with slide-outs.

With a truck camper, the center of gravity is very important. Not only do you need to be conscious of your camper’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Cargo Carrying Capacity (Center of Gravity), you also need to be sure to distribute weight appropriately.

You don’t want your camper to cause the whole vehicle to tip over when you make a sharp turn! One thing to keep in mind is that the center of gravity may not always be in the center of the camper.

I included the manufacturer’s center of gravity for most of the campers on this list, and to find the center of gravity inside your camper, you just need to take this measurement and use it to measure the distance from the front wall of the camper.

I have done the research to find the top truck campers with slide-outs, and below, I’ll list them with important specifications about their weight restrictions, sleeping capacity, size restrictions (for short-bed trucks), and more.

Although the Adventurer 910DB truck camper is only compatible with long-bed trucks, its amenities make it worth it, with a California king-sized bed in the front of the camper, a full wall slide-out for the dinette, and tons of storage.

The Adventurer 910DB truck camper is made with two-inch aluminum framed and laminated sidewalls (three-year structural warranty) with R-13 closed cell block foam insulation and a laminated ceiling with simulated padded interior.

The roof is one-piece thermo polyolefin (TPO), with a 12 year walk-on warranty. The camper has thick framed radius four-season insulated compartment doors to keep it better insulated.

The Arctic Fox 1150 truck camper from Northwood comes with either a wet or dry bath. There’s a foot-pedal toilet, and shower pan with a shower curtain on a curved track to offer more space. The bath is at the rear of the trailer, with the dinette, a wardrobe, and a 2-way, 7 cu.ft fridge in the slide-out.

The camper’s bedroom has a comfortable NW TruRest queen bed, wardrobes and hampers on either side of the bed, and a shelf at the headboard for more storage. There’s plenty of exterior storage as well, below the slide-out.

One of the most versatile truck campers on the market, the Eagle Cap 811 from Eagle Campers is designed for both long- and short-bed trucks, with room for the optional on-board Cummins/Onan 2500 watt generator.

The camper has aircraft-quality welded aluminum frame superstructure, with two-inch TCC® laminated aluminum framed walls with R-13 Insulation (three year structural warranty).

Some of the construction features that make this truck camper special are the channeled side roofing seal system and the all-season, six-step exterior sealing process, which makes your camper comfortable no matter what climate you’re camping in.

Inside the truck camper, the layout is similar to most on this list – after all, there’s only so many options in such a tiny space! The wet bath is in the rear of the camper on the passenger side, and the shower has a spray wand that extends outside for convenient clean-up.

The Mammoth 11’ 6” Truck Camper from Host Campers is one of the largest and most luxurious on this list. There are three slide-outs as well, significantly increasing your interior space when parked in your campsite.

One feature that’s particularly cool about this truck camper is the dual-entry bathroom, with a rolling door from the main living area and a pocket sliding door for accessing the bathroom from the bedroom.

The Mammoth Truck Camper’s kitchen is in the third slide-out on the passenger side of the vehicle, and has a double-bowl stainless steel sink, a large three-burner range with a folding stove top cover, a double-door 8 cu.ft. fridge, and lots of storage.

Host Campers builds the Mammoth Campers for durability and lightweight engineering, with ultralite 100% aluminum framing, a complete fiberglass exterior, a one-piece TPO roof, and vacuum bonded foam insulation throughout.

The sofa/dinette and two-way 8 cu.ft. fridge are located in the passenger side slide-out, with the spacious dry bath tucked into the rear of the camper.

You can also add a microwave or a combo microwave and convection oven to your camper if you choose. Host Camper also offers the option to have a fireplace and entertainment center in the center of the camper, sharing a wall with the bedroom.

As with the Mammoth series, Host Camper’s Tahoe model is made with an ultralite 100% aluminum structure, complete fiberglass exterior, one-piece TPO roof, and vacuum bonded foam insulation in the walls, floor and ceiling to make it a durable four-season camper.

At over 20 feet long, the Lance 1172 Truck Camper is probably the largest on this list. It also has two slide-outs, putting it on par with the more spacious RVs from Host Campers.

This camper also has Azdel interior walls and a laminated and insulated floor, roof (one piece), and cab-over bed. Lance offers the option for two 100-watt solar panels, in addition to a long list of extra features.

The HS-2902 hard-side truck camper from Palomino RV offers a classic floorplan with everything you need to travel and camp comfortably in any season. It has a white fiberglass or gray gel coat exterior, high-density block foam insulation, an Alpha SuperFlex membrane roof, and an aluminum-framed, fully-welded super structure.

You can haul it in a ¾-ton truck with either a 6’6” or 8’ bed, making this camper more versatile for even short-bed trucks. Inside, the HS-2902 has a 40 by 62-inch convertible dinette in the passenger side slide-out, and a wet bath in the rear driver’s side of the vehicle.

The Polar 860 truck camper from Rugged Mountain RV is the shortest camper on this list. At under 16 feet, this camper is creatively laid out to maximize space. It’s constructed with a TPO roof and a high-gloss exterior finish.

The fridge is a 5 cu.ft. refrigerator/freezer combo, across from the residential-style double-bowl sink. With Rugged Mountain RV’s Rugged package, you can get a 20-inch oven and microwave in your camper.

This camper is an excellent base for your rugged camping needs. It’s also pre-wired for extra comforts and features, including electric jacks, air conditioning, kitchen appliances, and DVD/TV/Cable/Satellite.

If you’re in the market for a truck camper with more space, I hope this article has helped you find some great options for 2023 truck campers with slide outs.

When you’re researching truck campers in general, be sure to check out our post on 12 Of The Best Small Truck Campers On The Market Right Now to browse some other great truck campers!

After living in a truck camper full-time, we’ve come to appreciate the finer things in life like elbow room and storage space. In many truck campers being built today, these basics are lacking. Our camper is no different. As a result, we’ve had to be creative to find places to store things in our rig like in the truck bed and in the cab of our truck, but finding living space in our camper remains elusive. There simply isn’t a lot of room inside for basic things like lounging around and watching TV.

That’s why we were intrigued when we recently had the opportunity to take a closer look at a Host Mammoth 11.6 truck camper at a dealership in town, Tom’s Camperland. This long-bed truck camper not only impressed us with its luxury, size, and quality, but also had us seriously thinking about an upgrade. If a $65,000 camper has that kind of allure after a brief, 30 minute tour, you know it has to be good.

First things, first. The Host Mammoth 11.6 is big. The name fits because this camper is massive, even for a long-bed truck camper. Indeed, with a typical dry weight of 4,700 pounds, an overall length of 19 feet 3 inches, and a floor length of 11 feet 6 inches, it’s one of the largest slide-in truck campers in the industry. Part of what makes the Mammoth so big is that it features three slide-outs. Yep, you heard us right—three. These slide-outs create an enormous amount of living space—180 square feet to be exact—the equivalent of what you’ll find in an average size motorhome.

Of course, you’ll need a big truck to haul this camper. Depending on options and how much “stuff” you put in it, the Mammoth will probably weigh between 5,500 and 6,000 pounds, which means you’ll need a minimum of a 3500/F-350 dual rear wheel truck with a 5,500 pound payload to safely haul it. Some Mammoth owners have resorted to getting a 4500/F-450 or 5500/F-550 truck with an even larger payload to haul this elephant-size beast around.

Luxury is the word that comes to mind when you walk inside a Host Mammoth 11.6 truck camper. Inside, you’ll find a “host” of amenities and high-end touches not found in your typical truck camper like a leather sofa, an electric fireplace, a mantel with a 32-inch flat-screen TV, a large dry bath with a porcelain toilet and a large shower, a two-door 8 cubic foot refrigerator, molded counter tops, and a massive, four-door pantry in the kitchen. If that isn’t luxurious enough, options are also available for a king size bed, a 6 foot sofa with an adjustable high-low table, an outdoor entertainment center with a 24-inch flat screen TV, and a washer/dryer combo.

Truth be told, the lavish interior and attention to detail of the Host Mammoth camper resembles a high-end apartment more than a truck camper. The slide-outs, of course, are a large part of what makes the Mammoth so special. We were amazed at all of the elbow room, storage space, and amenities inside the camper. Full-timing in this thing would be a joy compared to the truck camper that we’re living in now.

“We’re the guys that build a camper with a comfortable living space that has more of a living room type of feel,” explained Randall Pozzi, General Manager of Host Campers based out of Bend, Oregon. “You walk in one of our campers you’ve got the two couches in there, its got the fireplace, the mantel with the TV above it, you’ve got the high-low table that goes up and down, side-to-side, and in and out, you can set it up like a coffee table, you can set it up like a dining table. Our campers make you feel like you’re in a living room set-up rather than your typical camper where the only place you have to sit is at the dinette. That’s what sets us apart from everybody else, our comfortable living space,” he added.

The Mammoth 11.6, like all Host Campers, is loaded with an impressive number of standard features. These include a Dometic two-way 8-cubic foot refrigerator, a Suburban 6 gallon DSI water heater, a Suburban 25,000 BTU propane fired furnace, a 1,000 watt inverter, and a Suburban thre-burner propane cook top with a folding cook top cover. The camper also comes standard with a U-shaped dinette, a loveseat, and a queen size bed. All of the cabinets in the Mammoth are high-end with shaker style doors and drawers with pocket screwed face frames.

If you’re into boondocking or dry camping, you’ll really like what the Mammoth has to offer. The camper has the largest holding tanks in the industry—65 gallons fresh, 51 gallons grey, and 31 gallons black. We couldn’t find a larger fresh water or grey water holding tank in a slide-in truck camper being made today, even in the larger Eagle Cap models being made by ALP (Chalet RV used to produce a camper with a 66 gallon fresh water tank capacity, but that camper is no longer being made).

The Mammoth excels in other ways, too, with the camper capable of carrying 15 gallons of propane, a vented battery compartment large enough to house two group-31 batteries, and a 1,000 watt inverter with two dedicated AC outlets. The camper comes solar ready, but if you want Host offers three excellent Zamp solar power options that can be installed at the factory: a 160 watt, a 320 watt, and a 480 watt system. Many Mammoth owners also opt for the Onan 2500 generator to power the convection microwave, the electric fireplace, and the 11,000 BTU air conditioner while off-grid.

When you first lay eyes on the exterior of a Host Mammoth camper, “wow!” is the first word that usually comes to mind. The smooth, fiberglass exterior of the camper, tastefully accented with Host’s traditional graphics package, presents a muscular yet elegant appearance. One feature not readily apparent when you first look at the camper is the Mammoth’s crowned TPO roof. The benefit of having this feature is that it prevents water from pooling on the roof and creating leaks. We also liked the rear folding ladder, the recessed LED automotive style tail lights, and the toppers fitted above each slide-out, which keep moisture and leaves out of the camper when the slide-outs are retracted. But the one feature that really brought a smile to our faces was the basement storage tray. This easy, pull-out tray provides an enormous amount of storage that would be the envy of any RV owner, let alone a truck camper owner.

Like most of the truck camper’s being built today, the Mammoth’s frame is constructed entirely of aluminum. While many manufacturers build their truck camper frames out of aluminum, few do it right. “What really sets us apart in our framing is our walls,” Pozzi says, “we use studs throughout our walls, and every window, every door, every hatch is an actual framed-in opening, so if you took the window out of one of our campers you’d see aluminum there. Where most of the manufacturers if you take a window out of the wall, you’d see nothing there but foam. So over time the foam starts to compress and now you’ve got a compression ring window that’s squeezing nothing so you have a much higher potential for leakers.”

Frame issues have plagued some truck camper makes with multiple slide-outs, but not at Host. Most manufacturers are building campers with 4- and 5-foot wide floors below the bed rails of the truck. This approach employs the standard stair-step pattern or Z-pattern that is difficult to make strong enough to carry big slides because of the wings and the narrower floor. Host uses a better, completely different approach and backs it up with a three-year structural warranty.

The Host Mammoth is a true, four-season camper. Even though the exterior walls are only 1-inch thick, Pozzi explains that the walls are insulated with a 2-pound high density foam with a high R-rating. This higher density foam insulates just as well as the 2-inch thick walls found in other high-end truck campers. In order to keep the camper toasty warm, the Mammoth is heated with a Suburban high-efficiency 25,000 BTU furnace with full ducting throughout the camper. Most campers have only one vent for the furnace, which is a common complaint we hear hear at Truck Camper Adventure. Moreover, the basement, which houses the battery compartment, all of the camper’s holding tanks, the storage tray, and a good portion of the camper’s plumbing, is also heated. Even the exterior doors and hatches are insulated to ensure that the camper stays warm in winter.

A big concern for many consumers shopping for a truck camper with multiple slide-outs is the slide-out reliability. While some truck camper companies have been having problems with these mechanisms, Host hasn’t had any issues at all. The reason is Host uses Power Gear heavy-duty steel mounting hardware underneath their slide-outs rather than the less reliable Schwintek aluminum hardware, which is mounted on the side. Host’s Power Gear slide-out mechanisms have robust rolling assemblies that simply don’t fail. Yes, these assemblies are heavier than those found in other makes of truck campers, but they hold up better over time. When you consider where most of us like to take our truck campers—off-road excursions on rough forest roads and rutted desert trails are the norm—it makes a lot of sense to have a stronger, more robust slide-out assembly. Who wants to have a breakdown on an outing? We sure as heck wouldn’t.

Another concern that many have with such a large camper is how it will handle on and off pavement. With three slide-outs and the floor mounted above the bed rails of the truck, you’d think that there would be issues, but that hasn’t been the case. The Mammoth actually handles exceptionally well on a one-ton dually with the requisite payload.

“If you look at the design, where the axles hit and you look at what’s forward of the axle, our fresh water tank, our grey water tank, our black water tank, our pantry, our refrigerator, everything that’s really heavy that you’re going to load into this camper, your food, your water and all of these kind of things is all forward of the axle where so many campers are designed where you’re loading the back-end and that’s why the Mammoth drives so well for a big camper because it’s designed to be loaded front-end,” Pozzi explained.

The Host Mammoth 11.6 appears to have everything that one would want in a truck camper. Pozzi tells us that the Mammoth is by far the best-selling camper at Host. That’s no surprise, but because of its size the Host Mammoth isn’t for everybody. If you’re looking for an extreme 4×4 truck camper to take off-road, this elephant-size beast isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a camper to travel in or to use as a base camp to use your other toys, then the Mammoth will fill that need rather nicely. At $65,000 for the base model, there are certainly cheaper options, but they aren’t necessarily better. The high quality frame and slide-out mechanisms, not to mention the lavish, high end features of the interior provide ample evidence of that fact. There’s no doubt about it, the Host Mammoth 11.5 is the undisputed king of the mountain when it comes to the multiple slide-out truck camper market. It doesn’t appear likely that the Mammoth will be pushed off its lofty perch anytime soon.

For the following factory tour articles, Truck Camper Magazine has visited every truck camper and gear manufacturer across the United States and Canada multiple times.  These visits often last several days as we study the people, process, materials, and culture behind the products.  Here’s how truck campers are made, and why they’re made that way.

My 1997 F350 with my 1998 Lance 990 camper in the bed measures exactly 10.5 ft to the top of the air conditioner (no basement). I have not yet encountered any major height issues traveling off road in the U.S. but I have collected a few branches in the luggage rack and solar panel on forest roads in Daniel Boone National Forest. My camper is narrower than the new ones at 93" vs. 96" and does not extend beyond the dually wheel wells (95.4"). I am pretty sure that the duallys would be a limitation for me on narrow two-tracks but I haven"t been anywhere yet that has caused me problems. My camper is somewhat shorter than newer Lance models and that makes it difficult to sit straight up in the cabover. I believe Lance went to taller campers for this reason. I prefer the shorter height of my camper so I can go more places (plus a lower COG) but I am still very tall compared to pop up campers and more hardcore off road campers.

Another limitation is my 24 ft. length with the camper loaded. My camper floor length is 11"3" and I have some serious overhang which causes departure angle problems. I am truly limited to how much off road travel I can do because of this. My truck is a Supercab with a 155" wheelbase, so that helps, but it is not as good as a standard cab. If I didn"t use my truck as a daily driver w/o the camper, I would go with a standard cab truck for off road travel. The Supercab was my compromise and the crew cab was out of the question. Even though I am 2WD with a factory 4.10 LSD, I haven"t been stuck yet. I have a front mounted 12k lbs winch to help me out if I do. Most people will not use duallys for off road travel due to their inherent weakness in getting rocks jammed between the tires and causing major problems but this has not happened to me yet. I love the extra flotation and traction they provide and especially the extra weight carrying capability. My camper is heavy at 3,800 lbs wet weight so I need the dually to spread that weight out. With the camper loaded I am right at my GVWR of 10k lbs so my truck is not overloaded.

Few van models are better suited for off-road adventures than a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in a 4x4 configuration. This 2020 example selling on Bring a Trailer has been converted into an overland camper without overshooting with unnecessary features.

One of the most frequent mistakes people make when buying their first camper is settling for the wrong size. Usually, the needs are overestimated, which makes some buy huge rigs that prove difficult to maintain and operate. And even when right-sizing the camper, they overshoot with amenities, which makes a camper look cramped.

This Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 camper conversion suffers from none of those problems. It’s certainly the right size for most people, especially those who love venturing into hard-to-reach places. Its 4x4 transmission and all-terrain tires can conquer almost any terrain, and its inconspicuous appearance makes it perfect for a stealth camper.

A Lost Hiway Customs aluminum sleeping platform and Tochta mattress are fitted in the rear compartment, with an under-bed gear garage big enough to house two bikes with room to spare. Of course, this would not be an off-grid camper without the 20-gallon (76-liter) freshwater tank and the Shurflo freshwater pump.

The 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 factory rated at 188 horsepower is more than adequate to push this camper uphill in difficult conditions. There’s also a high and low transfer case for good measure, so you don’t need to worry about the terrain. And because the van has only 19K miles (30,600 km) on the odometer, there are no weaknesses or problems that you should expect in the foreseeable future. The best offer it got on Bring a Trailer was $60,500 at the time of writing, but this rig surely deserves more.

CCC is a somewhat new term adopted by the RVIA in 2020. It supersedes an old term, Net Cargo Capacity (NCC), which optimistically overshot the real-world cargo capacity.

Skoda UK has unveiled a one-off camper based on its all-electric Enyaq iV SUV. Dubbed the Enyaq iV FestEVal, the clever conversion includes a roof tent, gas hob, sink, and folding table and chairs.

Sadly, Skoda has no plans to put the FestEVal into production, so unless independent conversion companies or creative campers decide to get on the case themselves, it’s likely to remain a one-off.

While there’s already a company-approved camper conversion of the Mercedes EQV by Swiss converter Sortimo Walter Rüegg, Volkswagen has said it will eventually build a California version of its new ID.Buzz electric van/ MPV. There’ll be a bit of a wait as it’s unlikely to arrive before 2025, though that’s probably still sooner than any camper-converted versions of Tesla’s Cybertruck.

Details remain clouded in secrecy, but the burlier and quirkier-looking this van is, the better. WHAT IT IS: Despite #vanlife completely dominating our Instagram algorithms for a spell, no automaker has yet delivered a factory-ready overlanding camper van. That"ll change with the release of the …

Next, once you allow the first back-in turn to unwind, you will be straightening up the trailer on the campsite pad. Many times, at this point in the process, I find that I have either overshot or undershot where I wanted to be on the campsite pad. If you are fortunate and there is considerable length to the campsite pad, you can back up a ways on the pad before you pull forward to straighten things out.