The truck topper is the hottest trend in the overland truck market due to it’s exceptionally low weight and comparatively low price. Another reason, of course, is the popularity of mid-size and full-size pickup trucks like the Ford F150, Jeep Gladiator, and Toyota Tacoma. When talking about trucks and campers, of course, payload is king. The trouble is mid-size and half-ton trucks lack it, which greatly limits what these trucks can safely carry. Payload ratings between 1,100 and 1,600 pounds is the norm. This limitation has inspired many manufacturers to build what is now popularly called the truck topper—a camper shell without a floor that sits on the bed rails of the pickup truck. At the recent Overland Expo West, we counted over a dozen companies producing such a “camper,” which makes choosing the right one difficult. In this article, we taken the guess work out of buying a truck topper by presenting what we think are the 10 best. So without further adieu, here are the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures.
1. Four Wheel Camper Project M
The best of the best, the Four Wheel Camper Project M truck topper was designed for those who want a camper that is ultra-light, yet retains use of the bed for hauling gear, bikes, firewood, and material for home construction projects. This versatility allows the topper to be used both at home and on your truck camper adventures. Like all Four Wheel Campers, the Project M features an all-aluminum welded frame, aluminum siding, and a one-piece aluminum roof. The 425-pound topper features a fully insulated roof and sides, four large windows with screens and window covers, and an impressive 6 feet 6 inches of interior standing room. The best options include solar power and and a portable battery to power things like power portable refrigerators, computers, phones, and lights. Other options include top, side, and hitch racks for things like water or gas containers, shovels, Maxtrax, surf boards, kayaks, bikes, snow skis, etc. In the future, Four Wheel Campers will offer retrofittable, modular interior options like drawers and cabinets for organization, and racks for easy and safe transport of equipment and gear. Available in numerous colors in smooth, ribbed, or diamond-plate aluminum. Fits both mid-size and full-size trucks including the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Raptor, Jeep Gladiator, and Ram Power Wagon. Without a doubt, one of the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures. Pricing starts at a affordable $10,995.
2. Soaring Eagle OV-X 5.5
A quality topper from a brand-new company, Soaring Eagle Campers. Available in four bed sizes—5 feet, 5.5 feet, 6.5 feet and 8 feet—the Soaring Eagle OV-X tips the scales at only 600 pounds. Constructed of all tubular aluminum and composites, the OV-X is made to stand the test of time while still being robust and rugged enough to tackle extreme off-road trails. The topper features a pull-out king bed with mattress with built-in storage underneath. The open space in the bed provides enough storage for just about anything the owner would ever want to take with them on their adventures. Gas struts making raising and lower the pop-top a breeze. The OV-X’s soft top is both waterproof and durable, providing years of carefree usage. Standard features include two roof top 12 volt vent fans with LED lights to provide illumination throughout the camper. Popular options include roof mounted solar panels, a portable Blackstone griddle, Dometic powered cooler (AC/DC), exterior MOLLE boards for attaching gear, and a roof rack for kayaks. Designed specifically for mid-size trucks with 5-foot and 5.5-foot beds, including the popular Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma. Without a doubt, one the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures.
3. OVRLND Campers Truck Topper
Without a doubt, one of the 10 best truck topper camper shells for 2023. This Flagstaff, Arizona-based company revealed its first pop-up truck topper at the 2018 Overland Expo and hasn’t looked back since. Unlike the traditional slide-in truck camper, which easily weighs over 1,000 pounds, the base model of the OVRLND Camper weighs only 300 pounds, making it light enough to be safely hauled on any mid-size or full-size, half-ton truck, including the Ram Power Wagon. The camper features a vertical pop-top with a canvas height of just under 28 inches and comes standard with a pull-out, north-south 60×80-inch queen bed. The vertical walls of the camper maximize usable space and feature an aluminum “T track” on either side that can be used to secure and mount kitchen counters, stoves, and equipment to provide additional functionality, features, and comfort. Moreover, the topper’s internals can be easily be removed should the owner need the truck to haul plywood, firewood, or any other gear. This can’t be done with a regular slide-in camper. OVRLND Campers are custom-built, so owners can pick from a number of options available such as roof rack tracks, solar power, windows, awnings, extra bedding height, cabinets, counters, rear barn doors, lift jacks, etc. The frame is constructed using welded aluminum tubing, making it easy for interior or exterior hard point mounting of Jerry cans, propane cans, or other recreational equipment. The tubing construction also makes it easy to add 1-inch insulation for thermal protection against the elements. One of the best.
4. AT Overland Aterra Topper
A fairly new release by our friends at AT Overland. The Aterra Topper is unique in that it’s the only topper shell that features a standing room, hard-top rather than a traditional canvas pop-top. The topper, of course, is based upon AT Overland’s popular Aterra XL flatbed camper. “Basically what we did was took our Aterra XL, sliced the bottom off, altered it up a bit, and turned it into a topper using our composite technology, and came out with a cool, sort of toyhauler with a garage scenario,” said Mario Donovan, AT Overland co-founder and CEO. “The idea was that if you’re a motorcyclist, like me, you can actually get your motorcycle into this space, but it’s also wide enough for an ATV.” The Aterra topper weighs only 510 pounds and will fit any full-size truck with a 6.5-foot bed like the Ford F150, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra. Like the Aterra XL, the Aterra topper features a durable honeycomb composite shell with the classic Aterra shape. The topper’s large rear opening liftgate provides enough clearance to load a motorcycle or ATV into the truck bed. The lockable liftgate opens to 90 degrees and provides shading over the truck tailgate when open. The Aterra Topper also features a king-size bed with a 3-inch thick upholstery foam mattress, four Tern Overland double-pane windows each equipped with roller blinds and solar screens, LED strip lighting, USB and 12 volt power points, and a single 185 watt solar panel compatible with portable power stations like those made by National Luna and Jackery.
5. Hiatus Camper Truck Topper
One of the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures. The unique, lightweight design of the Hiatus Camper offers all of the benefits of today’s truck topper without the use of canvas for a better four-season experience. “The pop-up truck camper market is dominated by canvas sided models, so our folding, rigid pop-top really stands out” explained Erin Sofinowski, co-owner of Washington-based Hiatus Campers. “Our fully hard-sided design insulates you from the cold, stands up to wet and snowy weather better, and provides a barrier from wind and external noise. Another thing that sets our camper apart is the option to upgrade to the double-back door, which makes it easier to get in/out of the camper and does a great job keeping dust/water out of the camper.” The Hiatus Camper is fully insulated, mounts to the bed rails of the truck, and provides a comfortable four-season camping experience. The campers weigh 460-550 lbs depending on truck size. The innovative, patented design features a large bed that can comfortably sleep two, which slides-out, and can be assembled in seconds. For a mid-size truck, the sleeping platform is 50×74 inches and for a full-size truck 57×74 inches, but if customers opt to upgrade to the vertical lower frame they will gain 11 more inches of width. Standard features include slider windows with screens in the pop top, a cab pass through window, a side access door, a roof vent, fixed window in the tailgate compatible door, an integrated third brake light, and Yakima tracks. They also offer the option to customize your camper, including adding electronics, extra windows, awnings, and customizable frame options. Highly recommended and one of the best.
6. Far Out Camper Hybrid
Nearly all truck toppers employ a traditional canvas pop-up or pop-top to maximize head room and a cabover bed for sleeping, while a select few opt for a less traditional approach like Far-Out Campers that uses a hybrid, “drop down” design with two sleeping areas that fold out from the sides. The black powder coated marine grade aluminum camper weighs 675 pounds for the standard truck box model. For the 8-foot model, the weight is 725 pounds. The base model comes with numerous features, including pre-wiring and interior lighting. It also includes two high-density foam beds with removable and washable mattress covers, as well as acrylic-coated polyester tenting with three windows per side, complete with mosquito netting. There’s also netting included for extra storage along the front wall. Numerous add-ons are also offered such as roof rails, solar panels, an awning mount, fold-down tables, heaters, electric generators, side-mounting rails, back door rails, wall-mounted trays, netting for the front and roof, curtains with rails, back door screens, step/handles, privacy screens/tent protectors, and bed extensions with mattresses. Made in Canada, only full-size models are offered by Far-Out Campers though the company is in the process of developing a design for midsize trucks. Without a doubt one of the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures.
7. AT Overland Atlas
The AT Overland Atlas delivers on features and adventure in a major way, yet weighs only 360 pounds. Unlike the traditional slide-in camper, the Atlas truck topper sits on top of the bed rails of the truck and has no floor. This new and innovative approach makes the camper lighter than a standard truck camper, yet still retains a comfortable sleeping platform for owners. The Atlas is built from CNC-cut and formed aluminum with a bonded honeycomb composite and features a distinctive wedge-style pop-top that provides up to 6 feet 10 inches of headroom and a 48×80-inch sleep platform with a 2.5-inch mattress that can support up to a whopping 500 pounds. Each topper is made with a durable FMVSS compliant canvas tent. Options include a light-blocking Thinsulate liner providing a 1.4 R-value, a cab slider window, a roof rack, side slider windows, Seitz “Euro-style” side windows (17×43 inches), side hatch doors (17×43 inches), rear lift gate insert window, a 12 volt power system, interior lighting, awnings, interior cabinetry with pull-out refrigerators and cooktops, forced air heating, and a color match to vehicle. Designed by AT Overland co-founder and truck camper designer extraordinaire Mario Donovan. Without a doubt, one of the 10 best truck camper toppers, shells, and caps for your overland adventures. Sold factory direct at the company’s headquarters in Prescott, Arizona or from select dealers nationwide.
8. Go Fast Camper Platform Camper
A top name in the truck topper industry and worthy to be included in this survey, the Go Fast Camper Platform Camper comes in three sizes depending on the size of your truck. The “standard” size is made for mid-sized trucks like the Ford Ranger, Jeep Gladiator, and Toyota Tacoma, while the “XL” version is made for full-sized short-beds like the Ford F150, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra. Full-size long-bed trucks with 8-foot beds get the appropriately named “8-Footer Camper.” All Go Fast Platform Campers offer a whopping 7.5 feet of head room, and come with an upholstered 2-inch mattress that works with what the company calls its “Transform-A-Floor” modular floor system. The sleeping dimensions are surprisingly large with 50×90 inches for the standard model, 56×90 inches for the XL, and 56×90 inches for the 8-Footer. The weights are surprisingly light too, with only 270 pounds for the Standard, 300 pounds for the XL, and 320 pounds for the 8-Footer. The Go Fast Camper Platform Camper top is activated by pulling two levers and pushing the roof of the tent up a few inches. From there, the gas struts take over, fully releasing the tent the rest of the way. It only takes a few seconds. Collapsing the tent is just as easy, just pull down on the tent fabric, hit it inside the extruded aluminum hinges, close the latches, and you’re on the road. Closed, the tent measures just six inches in height, making it perfect for your off-road truck camper adventures.
9. Tune Outdoors M1 Camper
Denver, Colorado-based Tune Outdoors is a relative newcomer but has already made its mark in the industry with a patented wing-wall design. With a base model weight of only 360 pounds, the topper features everything that make the the topper great yet offers a rig capable of tackling any type of outdoor activity, including fishing, surfing, climbing, kayaking, biking, snowmobiling, hunting, and more. The M1’s structure incorporates an aluminum frame, injected ultra-strong composite corner brackets, a clean polyester pop-top canopy extension, and easy-to-fit, FRP honeycomb paneling. Each camper comes with three aluminum or glass awning doors that allow for easy access from any angle, low-power interior halo lighting, and over 440 feet of universal T-track on the interior, exterior, and roof for unlimited customization. A large sleeping loft allows users to sleep sideways, while maintaining 6-4 to 6-10 of stand-up headroom (depending on truck model). The bed and living area can be enjoyed simultaneously, opening the entire cabin to camp living—from hanging out and cooking, to toy hauling and remote working. The Tune M1 camper easily integrates with nearly any pickup chassis—from Toyota Tacomas to the Ford Lightning—providing unparalleled performance and comfort without extensive modifications.
10. Super Pacific Switchback X1
The Switchback XI is Super Pacific’s flagship model and one of our favorites. Like most of the truck toppers featured in this survey, the Switchback X1 is a lightweight, wedge-style camper for mid-size and full-size pickup trucks. It offers a four-season roof-top tent, a commercial-grade, riveted aluminum canopy plus a gear mounting system that’s designed to integrate with any camping setup. The company claims that the camper has been designed with the experience of the end user in mind and we believe them. It offers a four-season tent using a 450 denier polyester textile that is treated with an acrylic coating for resilience against the elements. The tent also features a unique adjustable venting system that makes it easy to control the interior air flow. The owner can completely open the vents to keep things cool and reduce condensation, or can be sealed to trap heat in cold weather. The tent also features three, large screened doors that allow access from the exterior via a ladder if desired. Alternatively, you can remove one or both of the small modular floor panels so you can easily climb from inside the truck bed to the tent without disrupting your sleep set up. The interior of the canopy is lined with M6 threaded bosses that are evenly spaced throughout the interior of the frame for attaching accessories such as molle plates, tools, racks, storage nets, whatever you want. The possibilities are endless. Built like an airplane and made in the USA, the Super Pacific Switchback weighs between 325 and 390 pounds, depending on the truck it’s mounted on.
Outfitting your truck topper
Looking for a way to outfit the interior of your truck topper? A new company, called Roadloft offers a removable conversion kit that offers most of the conveniences found in standard slide-in truck campers. At just 125 pounds, it’s the lightest conversion kit on the market and the first of its kind. The modular kit is designed to fit all 6-foot full-size pickup truck bed, such as the Ford F150, Silverado 1500, Dodge RAM 1500 DS and the GMC Sierra. The company will soon be launching a version of the kit fit for the mid-size pickup trucks like Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Ford Ranger. The fully modular design adapts to your lifestyle and maximizes space without sacrificing your truck’s cargo capacity. The kit includes a bench that unfolds into a single or double bed (48×71-inch) (single only for mid-size trucks) topped with a 3.5-inch high-density sectional mattress. You will also find two folding tables for a dinette or workspace, large storage spaces in every compartment and a versatile kitchen for cooking inside or outside in tailgate mode. The kitchen area offers 3 sturdy drawers: burner cabinet, retractable sink and storage. Built for durability, the 100-lb capacity drawers ensure reliable storage, while the unique clip system allows for tool-free assembly and removal. Made from eco-friendly wood and varnish, all the surfaces of the Roadloft conversion kit are ventilated to allow the release of moisture and prevent mold, assuring a safe living area. Whether for weekend escapes or long adventures, the Roadloft kit combines comfort, functionality, and freedom in one lightweight and durable solution. The Roadloft Pickup Truck Conversion Kit sells for only $4,995 with a one-year warranty and is shipped ready to assemble.
You should review the Harker Outdoors campers ( toppers) . EDC and EXO
I have the EDC and really enjoy the being able to stand straight up to get onto it