The 2024 Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, August 23-25, is now in the books with over 18,000 attendees, 300 plus exhibitors, and over 300 classes. Over 70 journalists covered the show, including Truck Camper Adventure. The exhibitors included some of the biggest names in industry including Four Wheel Campers, Overland Explorer Vehicles (OEV), Scout, Supertramp, Host, AT Overland, Kingstar, Rugged Mountain, Bowen Customs, Soaring Eagle, Outfitter Manufacturing, Elevation Off-Grid, StableCamper, Outpost Campers, Buckstop Truckware, and OVRLND Campers. All of them brought a rig or two, or in the case of Four Wheel Campers, a good half dozen including the new Orvis camper. Of course, you can’t forget the DIY section which showcased a number of noteworthy truck camper rigs as well. With acres of rigs to inspect and tour, it’s no easy task to pick the 10 best, but we’re happy to do it. That’s what we do. So without further adieu, here at the best top 10 truck camper rigs of the 2024 Overland Expo Mountain West.
1. EOG Ford F-550-Bowen Customs-Host Mammoth Rig
The hands-down winner. When you marry an Elevation Off Grid (EOG) truck, a Bowen Customs truck bed, and a Host camper you’re bound to have a winner. It all starts with EOG Ford F-550 Black Edition with 41-inch super singles and a silky-smooth LiquidSpring Suspension. Elevation Off-Grid (EOG) not only builds the best, most capable pickup truck on the planet with a GVWR of 19,500 pounds and a nearly 10,000 pound payload, but also a truck with the ground clearance needed to get off-road. Bowen Customs builds one of the best truck beds in today’s market. Using doors, latches, and seals of a premium quality and constructed using aluminum and steel for extra durability and strength, all Bowen Customs beds are designed to handle the weight of the OEM bed. Topping it all off is a luxurious Host Mammoth 11.6 triple-slide truck camper—the largest slide-in truck camper in today’s market—equipped with an “off-grid extreme” package consisting of a 1,200 amp hour off-grid battery system, 800 watts of solar, and a 3,000 watt inverter. Inside, you’ll find a “host” of amenities, including a leather sofa, an electric fireplace, a mantel with a 32-inch flat-screen TV, a huge dry bath with a porcelain toilet and a large shower, and a two-door 8 cubic foot refrigerator. Both the truck and the Bowen Customs custom truck bed are painted a matching “Nardo Grey,” a custom color not offered by Ford.
2. Rugged Mountain ‘Big Red’ Ram 5500-Denali 3S Rig
If this amazing rig looks familiar, there’s a good reason. It was prominently displayed at the recent Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally in February and at the Overland Expo West in May. We affectionately call this drool-worthy rig “Big Red” and for good reason. Not only is the Rugged Mountain Denali 3S the company’s largest truck camper, but it’s also the largest triple-slide in the industry with 250 square feet of living space. The four-season flatbed also offers the largest holding tanks in the industry with 82 gallons fresh, 77 gallons grey, and 35 gallons black. While the mountain-sized Denali 3S is BIG, it’s still incredibly well-balanced with all of the holding tanks loaded in the front the camper. But what puts the Denali 3S really over the top is the camper’s electrical system which boasts 1,080 amp hours of lithium batteries, a 1,050 watt solar power system, and a 3,000 watt inverter that can run the camper’s 13,500 BTU air conditioner and induction cooktop. For a luxury camper of this size, you’ll need a two-ton chassis (F-550/5500) outfitted with a heavy-duty flatbed like the StableCamper bed picture here to safely haul it. StableCamper has quickly become a major player in the truck bed market with it’s partnership with CM truck beds. The company offers beds outfitted with both above deck and below deck storage to haul your extras.
3. Four Wheel Camper Project M-Bowen Customs Rig
The particular rig has everything you could possibly want in a nimble off-road rig—a Ram Power Wagon outfitted with a Bowen Customs truck bed, topped off with a Four Wheel Camper Project M truck topper. These brands are no strangers to Truck Camper Adventure and for good reason. All are highly capable in extreme off-road environments. We all know what the Ram Power Wagon has—a 2-inch lift, Bilstein shocks, modified control arms, a disconnecting sway bar, lockers, a 12,000-pound Warn winch, and a 6.4L V8 with an 8-speed automatic—but what really set’s this rig apart from recent Power Wagon builds is the Bowen Customs truck bed. Not only does this custom bed add valuable storage space where two Dakota lithium batteries are stored, but it also provides a taller mounting point for the Project M topper which adds even more head room inside. Always a bonus. Topping it all off, you’ll find a Four Wheel Camper Project M Topper outfitted with a queen-size bed, a Dometic CRX3 75DZ Refrigerator, ceiling fans, a microwave oven, a 23Zero 270 degree awning, and more. Additional add-ons for the truck include an AEV snorkel, Black Rhino wheels, X Comp Gladiator X/T tires, a Sherpa Rack System, and Rigid Industries Revolve Series Lumen Lights.
4. Supertramp Megatron
Move over EarthRoamer, there’s a new rig in town called the Megatron by Supertramp Campers that looks and performs just as well yet costs a lot less. The Supertramp Megatron offers the best of both worlds—an Elevation Off-Grid Black Edition Ford F-550 and an amazing camper outfitted with the latest and the best technology that money can buy. Inside, you’ll find 910 amp hours of lithium, an 800 watt solar power system, a massive 200L refrigerator-freezer, nine double-pane glass windows, a dual induction cooktop, 60 gallons of fresh water, 20 gallons grey, and a wet-bath with a sliding cassette toilet. The four-season rig uses hydronic heating similar to the one used by nuCamp Cirrus. Options include a security system, awning, Starlink, an entertainment package, heated floor, a rear winch, and a “Raptor” paint upgrade. It makes sense that the company partnered with Elevation Off-Grid as there isn’t a better truck out there with a top-of-the-line Ford F-550 Lariat trim level, a 10,000 pound payload, a LiquidSpring Suspension, a 6.7L PSD, a 66 gallon fuel tank, an AMP Power Step, and Baja lighting throughout. The Supertramp Campers Megatron Lists for $495,000. For more about this magnificent beauty, check out our recent feature article.
5. Kingstar KRUZR 6 Monster Rig
Kingstar keeps upping the game with new and better offerings as this monster rig clearly illustrates. This rig showcases not only Kingstar’s new KRUZR 6 for short-bed trucks, but also the company’s Luxe package which includes brushed aluminum siding, a Tern Overland door, a walnut countertop and various walnut appointments inside. With a floor length of 8 feet, the KRUZR 6 weighs 2,855 pounds and offers a 25 gallon fresh water holding tank with an additional 25 gallons as an option. In addition, the KRUZR 6 comes with 460 amp hours of lithium, 400 watts of solar, and a 3,000 watt inverter. On a KRUZR 6 you can get up to 1,000 watts of solar and 1,380 amp hours of lithium, enough to run the onboard air conditioner off-grid all day. Customers can order either a standard slide-in KRUZR or a KRUZR with side storage boxes and a 36, 22, or 18-inch garage amidships. Three floorplans are offered for the KRUZR 6: the Couch/Bunk, the Lounger, and the Open Range. Made for those overlanders and adventure-seekers, pricing for the KRUZR 6 starts at a cool $59,960, while the lesser-equipped Camino 66 lists for $39,960. This Kingstar KRUZR 6 rig consists of a Ford F-450 outfitted with a Buckstop Truckware Stage 3 with 43-inch super single tires, outfitted on a CA 60 flatbed with side storage boxes and a garage located amidships.
6. Overland Explorer Vehicle Hudson Bay 8 Rig
Built by our Canadian friends up north, the Overland Explorer Vehicles Hudson Bay 8 is a hard-side version of the company’s popular pop-up. It has the same floor plan as the pop-up model, but offers additional features including upper storage compartments, lighting, and windows. When we stepped inside, we were impressed with the size and roominess of the layout. Like all OEV flatbeds, the camper is engineered to seamlessly fit on the company’s Aluma Tray or any standard flatbed. Sleeps up to four and built incredibly strong, the camper’s robust construction features powder-coated aluminum extrusions and OEV Generation-4 composite materials boasting an impressive insulation rating of R8. Weighs only 2,218 pounds dry, making it perfect for most 3/4-ton trucks and all one-ton trucks like the Ford F-350 shown here. For a comprehensive survey of today’s flatbed campers, click here.
7. Outfitter Apex 8 Overland Rig
Looking for the ultimate, short-bed pop-up camper at an affordable price? Look no further. The Outfitter Apex 8 is without a doubt the best of the best. What makes this pop-up so great is that it features the largest holding tanks in a pop-up camper with 44 gallons fresh, 16 gallons grey, and 16 gallons black, all in a heated basement. Want more? How about 60 gallons fresh of fresh water with the company’s cassette toilet option? The Outfitter Apex 8 features a true composite foam core body and roof, an electric roof lift with a manual override, roof lockers for added storage, and insulated soft-walls. Standards include a 3.8 cubic foot DC compressor refrigerator, a north-south queen-size cabover bed, a 200 watt solar suitcase, under-bed storage, a 20,000 BTU furnace, and a large wet-bath with shower. Popular options include a 400 amp hour lithium upgrade, a 7.5 cubic foot Nova Kool Compressor Refrigerator, a microwave oven and a 2,000 watt inverter, and a Yakima Roof Rack with Ladder. Weighs 2,130-pounds dry. Made specifically for the short-bed, 3/4-ton pickup truck like the GMC Sierra 2500 HD shown here. The base price for the Outfitter Apex 8 is a cool $50,995, a bargain for a pop-up this capable.
8. Outpost 6.5 Overland Rig
A brand-new offering by Colorado-based Outpost Campers, the Outpost 6.5 is a small and nimble truck camper made for short-bed trucks, but don’t let the size fool you. This powerful, little camper features a cutting-edge EcoFlow 48 volt electrical system with a large lithium battery bank, an induction cooktop, aluminum cabinets, a DC compressor refrigerator, a solar power system, and an inverter. The composite camper is also propane free. The heart of the camper is the 48 volt Ecoflow electrical system. Unlike the 12 volt systems found in nearly all campers today, the Outpost 6.5’s EcoFlow system is 48 volts. Being a 48 volt system, the EcoFlow can deliver more power for the same current. The EcoFlow system comes with a 2,000 watt hour lithium battery bank (a 166 amp hour 12 volt equivalent), a 200 watt solar power system, a 3,600 watt inverter-charger, dual MPPT solar charge controllers, and a 50 amp DC-DC alternator charger. The camper is shown mounted on a standard Ford F-250. The Outpost 6.5 lists for $34,995, a bargain when you consider all that you get for the money.
9. Juniper Overland Scout Yoho Pop-Up Rig
Capitalizing on the enormous success of the Scout brand, Adventurer Manufacturing recently launched the Scout Yoho Pop-Up for extreme off-road adventures. Furthering Scout’s ethos of camping simple, the new Scout Yoho pop-up camper features a manual, “easy-rise” roof lift system and an optional bed extension that provides a generous 75 inches of sleeping space. Using the collapsible J-shaped dinette, the camper can comfortably sleep up to four people. Like all Scout campers, the new Yoho pop-up offers a portable Goal Zero Yeti 3000x lithium power station, a Lifesaver portable 4.9 gallon Jerry Can, and an optional portable propane cooktop with a recessed interior countertop mounting. Additional standards for this new pop-up include dual 100 watt rooftop solar panels, panoramic soft wall windows with privacy zip walls and screens, a 12 volt Fan-Tastic Vent Fan, LED lighting, a Lagun adjustable table, a stainless steel sink, and a convertible dinette lounge with sleeper conversion. Built for mid-size trucks, the Scout Yoho Pop-Up is shown on a Juniper Overland equipped Toyota Tacoma. Full-size Scout Olympic and Kenei versions for both short-bed and long-bed trucks will be forthcoming soon.
10. Hotomobil Gladiator LB
Looking for a more rugged, fiberglass camper with modern styling? Then the new Hotomobil Gladiator LB is an excellent choice. The sleek, European styling and one-piece fiberglass body stands out in stark contrast to the more ponderous, fiberglass campers made by Northern Lite and Bigfoot. What also makes the Gladiator stand out is the bedliner texture that’s resistant to scratches. While the Gladiator LB is the company’s largest truck camper, yet it’s light enough to be hauled on full-size trucks with lower payload ratings. This size means the 1,800-pound camper can be hauled on an appropriately-rated half-ton or 3/4-ton pickup truck. The Gladiator offers everything needed to comfortably travel and explore off-grid, including a spacious large cabover bed, a 90L DC refrigerator, a well-equipped kitchen with a two-burner stove, a diesel water heater and furnace, a comfortable U-shaped dinette, and a wet-bath with storage cabinets and a raised bathroom sink. Standards include a stealthy tie-down system that eliminates outriggers, a 23 gallon fresh water holding tank, jacks that can either be removed or flipped in the up position, a side-mounted awning, a lithium battery, a 205 watt solar power system with an 20 amp MPPT charger controller, a rear ladder, a cassette toilet, and an optional roof-top tent. The list price for this stylish, European import is $45,000.
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