Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Read article : Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Readers reveal 14 dream truck camper floor plans that are sure to have industry pens, pencils, and mousepads wagging from coast to coast.  The dream plans start here. This whole thing is another hair-brained idea of mine gone completely amok.  About a month ago I was supposed to be working on an article but, in the back of my inexplicable brain, I was attempting to design a sofa camper, with a booth dinette, dry bath, and no slides. Eventually Photoshop opened and I started creating my dream floor plan.  Two hours later, it was done; a non-slide dry bath sofa camper.  It’s alive!

The problem was that Angela would not be pleased with my lack of progress against my to-do list.  Even so, I wanted to show her my design.  How could I show her my floor plan without spending another night on the slacker sofa of solitude?

“I was thinking we could do a dream truck camper floor plan contest.  To see if the idea could work, I designed my own dream floor plan.  What do you think?”

Angela glanced at me with that, “I know what you’re up to” look, and promptly fell in love with my floor plan and contest idea.  Sometimes being creative can get you out of trouble as fast as it gets you into it.  Not always, but sometimes.  Don’t tell Angela.

What follows simply amazes me.  I was a bit concerned that no one would actually draw and submit a dream floor plan.  It’s a lot to ask, and quite a commitment.

It turns out I had nothing to worry about.  Within hours we had our first floor plan entry.  Within days we had over a dozen.  What follows are the first fourteen of twenty-six reader submitted dream floor plans.  How awesome is that?

Later this week we will publish twelve more dream floor plans and the winner.  And all of this happened because… squirrel!

Click to enlarge the floor plans below to see them bigger.

#1 – Andrew Bengtson, Riverside, California (age 16)

This is my dream 11-foot, side-entry, dry bath truck camper.  It has a passenger side slide-out that includes a large-booth dinette, and a floor to ceiling pantry/closet.

The kitchen is located on the rear and driver side, like most fifth wheel trailers, to give the floor plan a more spacious feel.  The dry bath is huge with one of those roll doors.

In the bedroom, the camper features a queen-sized bed.  This camper has storage everywhere, and large windows everywhere.

#2 – Lorin Lowe, Orem, Utah

This is a 9’11” camper with a dry bath and 57-inch wide floor.  It’s a perfect size with everything you need!

Here are the key features:

1. U-Shape Dinette.  Why a U-shaped dinette instead of a full-booth dinette?  Well, with a U-shaped dinette, all you need to do to convert it into a couch is to remove the table top and leg.  You just saved two feet of camper length, an extra slide, and 600 pounds (and a redundant sitting device and sitting area).  Just store the table top and leg in the shower, under the bed, between the wall slide, or some other handy spot until you are ready to use it again.  Plus, you get an added, long storage compartment outside.

2. Dry Bath in Rear.  Who wouldn’t want a dry bath without adding extra length to a 9’11” camper?  That way you can tow without needing an excessively long hitch extension.  Plus, by putting the dry bath in the rear, it opens up the floor space so the camper feels big and you are not bumping into each other.  Ah… space.

3. Swing-Out Pantry.  Look at that open space in front of a full-wall slide refrigerator just begging for productive use.  This nifty cabinetry allows you to swing open your pantry and have full access to your food items on height adjustable, full-depth shelves.  This allows space on the other side of the camper for a dry bath.  Okay, so you need to open the pantry before you open the refrigerator, but how often are you getting in the refrigerator anyway?  And aren’t you accessing your pantry items most of the time when you open your refrigerator?

Here are the specifications:

9’11” floor length.  This is a manageable length for a camper.

57-inch floor width.  Over the wheel-well height basement design.  Yes, it has winglets, but who cares when you have 57-inches of floor width?

Dry weight 3,200 pounds.  This will be a challenge for the manufacturer, but doable.

Reasonable tank capacities.  45 gallons fresh, 40 gallons grey (yes, 40 gallons so we can take showers for a week), 35 gallons black (dump your excess grey water in your black tank).

Synchronized jacks.  Jack manufacturers take note.  We need jacks with turn counters so they all go up and down at the same rate.  If I press two or more buttons on the remote, the corresponding jacks should move at exactly the same rate.  The next advancements should be height memory settings and auto-level using an accelerometer.  Who will be the first to develop this feature set and take over market share?

#3 – Donald Fox, Chesapeake, Virginia

I would like the bathroom to be smaller.  One way to do that is to incorporate the sink into the wall of the shower.  The sink could fold down during showering and transportation.  You would have to step into the shower to brush your teeth and wash your face, but it would save a lot of space for other stuff.

In order to incorporate the sink, you would move the shower drain to the outside wall and then the sink could have its own drain behind the shower.  Or, it could lay against the shower wall incorporated into that shower wall with a bump out.  This would also place all water systems in the bathroom against an outside wall making maintenance easier.

I would also move the toilet ninety degrees which will give ample leg space between the shower and toilet.  This would free up space for a large pantry; drawers on bottom, and doors on top.  I would install a sliding door to the bath.

Part of the shower would have a side wall, near the door area.  To give more space in the bathroom, the sliding door could be on the outside, or just install a regular door.

I would also like the dinette to be six feet or more in length so that it could be made into a bed.  I’m not certain how long it is in our drawing.  I think it is only five feet.  I would want one dinette seat to slide back toward the sofa to allow for a six foot bed at night.  That would cramp the sofa.

If I could, I would do one of three things to the sofa:

1. I would like to lengthen it once settled so that the sofa could provide more seating.  The sofa could be pulled out toward the steps when desired.  This would also allow it to convert into a bed long enough for a person almost six feet tall.  I know this would interfere with the entrance, but once in for the night, or when inside due to inclement weather, it would provide more space to stretch out.

2. I would like the sofa to slide to the right toward the door once settled in for the night giving more leg room for the person seated on the left of the couch.

3. If that’s not possible, then I would want two small comfortable recliner chairs that, once settled into a place, could be unlocked and moved around.  Once the food is cooked it would be nice to move a recliner chair near the area of the stove providing more comfortable room.  The chair or recliners would be the two options to choose from.

I have on order a Lance 1172 (due for delivery in mid-June).  Had this model been made available, I would have purchased this rather than the two-slide model.  I only went with the 1172 because of the sofa.  Another possibility with your design, which is the best non-slide design I have ever seen, would be to not have a window at the bed step area.

If I could purchase this floor plan from Lance, with a single slide, I would select your design and have the dinette and refrigerator slide out.  I would have the sofa installed like you show it and could easily not slide out when boondocking for the night.  Everything could be used without sliding out but obtain the extra space when needed.

Thanks for the opportunity.

#4 – Tom Rives, San Diego, California

I have a Phoenix pop-up.  Phoenix Campers are custom built to your own floor plan, so it’s exactly what I wanted.  My constraints were how to have a wet bath and queen size bed on a six foot bed, and be self-contained.  The underfloor plan was just as important.

The most innovative item is the passenger side 45-degree seating area.  Even on a narrow truck it gives you enough seating depth and leg room to lounge rather than sit upright.  It gives the cook more room and, at 90-degrees to each other, you can play cards without cheating.

The driver’s side from front to back is a sliding bed over cab, refrigerator/freezer, sink/stove, and the wet bathroom under a flip-up counter/wall at the rear.

There is ample storage because a 7-inch raised floor (basement) accommodates the 25 gallon fresh water, 10 gallon gray water, batteries, and storage for table, two chairs, firewood, and outside kitchen box, all without intruding into the living floor plan above.

During the day, the floor plan is all kitchen and seating with extra windows all around.  This camper provides great air flow and a very spacious (no upper cabinet) feeling.  At night there is a queen-sized bed.

It is very comfortable to live in.  The flow and functionality is amazingly good for such a small space.  For us, it’s all about being comfortable without sacrificing drivability or economy.

#5 – Howard Bisco, Washington, Illinois

Not to cheat, but if this Okanagan 90W had a cassette toilet, this is the floor plan that I would like.

#6 – Scott Mote, Westport, Indiana

My ultimate truck camper would have an L-shaped sofa in the back with an extension that would slide back into the sofa when in travel mode.  The picture doesn’t show it, but a sliding door for the bathroom would make it accessible with the slide-out in.

#7 – Bill and Sue Billyard, Fort Erie, Ontario

Gordon, while Sue and I were impressed with your floor plan, we feel it could be even better.  A copy of our revised plan is included with this email.

The changes we made are:

1. Move the dinette closer to the sofa so the sofa could be used as a seat on one side of the table.  You could also add a removable table extension which would allow two people to sit side-by-side on the sofa and eat, use a computer, or whatever.

2. That would also move the refrigerator closer to the rear and closer to the kitchen area making it more accessible.

3. By making that move, you would have space for a pantry and a hanging closet.

4. Put a microwave over the stove taking part of the overhead storage away.

5. To make up for the microwave storage loss, put overhead storage above the sink.

6. Put overhead storage above the head of the bed.

#8 – Stan Carman, Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Since most manufacturers seem hooked on slide-outs, we offer the attached modifications to the new Lance 975 plan.   Swapping the dinette for a sofa with overhead storage and a skinny wardrobe should be possible in the same slide-out.

Replacing the bathroom door with a slider or folding door might make it possible to access the bath with the slide-out in.  A small folding table in front of the sofa could be stored under the sofa or in the wardrobe.

#9 – Fred Patterson, Fairfax Station, Virginia

Over the years, truck camper manufacturers have steadily improved design and efficiency to the point where we, truck camper owners, can only think we could do a better job if we started from scratch.

That said, there are a couple of improvements most truck camper owners agree should be made and it seems are never adequately achieved – at least in light-weight and mid-weight campers.  This design intends to correct that problem while still maintaining a weight suitable for a single rear wheel truck.

The goal is to add more and bigger windows, so one feels like they are outside, and to add more interior wardrobe/pantry/counter space while not significantly increasing weight.  Most campers without this extra storage space are 9-foot to 9.5-foot floor length, so this design is 10-foot to 11-foot floor length without adding significant weight.

The entire rear half of camper consists of as much window space as possible without weakening the structure.   Most of this design comes from existing camper designs, but the areas marked by red arrows show the storage improvements.

Specifications:  8-foot bed, hard-side, non-slide, shallow basement to allow facing dinette.

#10 – Mary Grandlund, Babbitt, Minnesota

#11 – Burt Brar, Surrey, British Columbia

My dream floor plan is a hard-side, four season design with a north-south cabover and a queen-size bed.  There would be overhead storage and cupboards on both sides of the cabover bed.

The kitchen would feature a small sink, two burner stove, and a refrigerator/freezer in the center of the camper.  The center of the camper would also feature a dry bath with shower, toilet, and sink.  Next to the dry bath would be a storage cupboard.

The rear of the camper has a three seat roll-out sofa that opens into a double bed for two adults.  The entry into the camper is a side-entry.

There would be a large rear window, a large window in the kitchen area, smaller windows in the cabover area, a small window in the dry bath, and a skylight.

This is a basement design with two large drawers for additional storage.  The camper would have two propane tanks, a generator, 100-watts of solar panels on the roof, two batteries, and a furnace that runs of propane, coal, or wood for colder climates.

The camper is aluminum framed with fiberglass or aluminum skin.  The interior cabinetry is also aluminum framed with fiberglass skin.  The floor wold be laminated or aluminum.

Everything on this camper can be 100% recycled.  The weight would be about 1,500 pounds with a 2,500 pound dry weight maximum.  This camper would be for a short box truck, and have full-size truck options.

#12 – William A. Ortiz, Nathrop, Colorado

#13 – Francois Jasmin, Montreal, Quebec

Thanks for your floor plan idea Gordon.  I want one.  Here’s an entry for the floor plan contest based on your camper.

1. Is it possible to move the refrigerator in place of the toilet, and the toilet at the place of the refrigerator?  Then put a flip lavatory sink in the shower, like in a boat.

2. Place the back of the toilet on the wall and put a flip lavatory sink in the shower.

3. Put a smaller window in the bedroom and a larger wardrobe.

#14 – Steve Machen, N. Little Rock, Arkansas

Everyone designs campers for as many people as they can squeeze in.  Nothing is designed for a single person.  Here’s how I would build a Northern Lite 6-10.

Eliminate the oven, move the grill outside to make room for a bathroom.  Seating would be one comfortable chair that you could swivel to the door.  Sit and take off your shoes.  There would be a small swing-up table and an area for pets.

Click here to go to Part 2 and see the winner of the Dream Floor Plan Contest.

Related Items:

Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Read article : Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest – Part 2 http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/dream-camper-floor-plan-contest-part-2/"> Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest – Part 2&BODY=I found this article interesting and thought of sharing it with you. Check it out: http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/dream-camper-floor-plan-contest-part-2/"> 12 more reader submitted dream floor plans including raw concepts, wild ideas, and subtle refinements.  And the winner of the first ever dream truck camper floor plan contest is… Just last week we visited a prominent truck camper manufacturer and the subject of our dream camper floor plan contest came up.  We talked with great excitement about the variety of ideas our readers were presenting, and encouraged them to study the plans when they debuted.  No, we didn’t give them a sneak peak.  It’s more fun to tease. None of the submitted designs, including mine, are anywhere near production ready.  That was never the intention or spirit of this contest, nor is it possible without delving into details like plumbing, electrical, and code compliance.

The true potential of this contest is to give truck camper users from around the United States, Canada, and the world the opportunity to directly inspire professional truck camper design teams.  You know, the folks responsible for the truck campers you see debut here on Truck Camper Magazine, at RV shows, and dealer lots?  This was your shot to show them your big idea, and possibly change the course of truck camper design history.

I know, crazy talk.  Then again, crazier things have happened.  I’m going to lobby the industry to take your designs and ideas seriously, as I do with our bi-annual truck camper survey coming up this fall.  Together, we will change the course of campers.

Far be it for us to determine who should win the best dream camper floor plan, except that’s exactly what we had to do.  This is, after all, a contest, and we are the big cheese, cheesette, and cheese-cat for this electron-only magazine.  After considerable review, and a tail gesture we interpreted as positive, we have a winner.

The winner of the first ever dream truck camper floor plan contest is…

Karl Pettitt, Elmhurst, Illinois – Winner

Above: Click to enlarge this floor plan and the others below to see them bigger.

Although I don’t currently own a truck camper, I would like to in the future.  I often think of what an ideal floor plan would be so this was a fun exercise.  I first did the layout in a program that was to scale.  The dimensions should be pretty accurate.

The floor length is 11-feet.  The total length is 19-feet, 9-inches.  The width is 8-feet.  It’s a single-slide, dry bath, flatbed model.

Although there are a few flatbed model campers on the market, I think there is a great deal of room for more.  Specifically, I think there is room for a larger model that takes full advantage of the ability to place the door anywhere.

To this end, I created a floor plan layout that places the door towards the front of the curb side of the camper.  This allows for greater flexibility in the placement of the bathroom, which I put across the entire rear of the camper.

The slide allows space for both a dinette and a small couch that can turn into a bed.  Placement of the kitchen towards the front, along with the heaviest components such as the fresh water tank, battery bank, and propane tanks, will help in keeping the center of gravity as close to the front as possible.

The placement of the entertainment center allows for viewing either on the main floor or the cabover.  There is overhead storage above the kitchen and couch that makes up for the lack of floor cabinets.  There is also ample windows allowing light in from either side of the camper as well as views.  I think this would make an ideal camper for a family with the potential to sleep up to six people without the use of a bunk.

#16 – David Miller, Branson, Missouri – Honorable Mention

My camper is designed with the premise that the most important things about a truck camper use are (1) the nice, soft, queen bed for sleeping, and (2) the nice bathroom for showering; not a wet bath.

The dining aspect needs less emphasis because, typically, the meals are simple and small.  In most cases, weather dependent, we eat outside at the picnic table.  Thus there is no need for a large dining table.

There is also no need to accommodate guests for sleeping.  If the grandkids are camping with us, they will sleep in a tent outside.  The concept of having the table convert to a bed is unnecessary, and a waste of space for us.

The attached drawing is for a non-slide design to fit a full-size short bed pickup.  I figure this camper will hang over the back of a 6’6” truck bed by approximately 27-inches.

Here are the wonderful features of my perfect truck camper:

It has a dry bath and shower.  This is extremely important.

The dining area has been reduced in size to only seat two adults.  The table is curved and the back of the seat cushion is curved to give the feeling and seating of a corner booth in a restaurant.  The only slight difficulty is that the person who sits down first will have to slide in and cannot get back out until the other person stands up, but, that is just like a corner booth in a restaurant and won’t be too much of a hassle.

There is a closet on both sides of the bed in addition to the foot lockers.  The television is mounted above the table, on the wall of the dry shower.

As you can see, the bed and the dry shower get the most emphasis, and the dining facilities are minimized.  It’s the perfect camper for two adults who want to shower every day after a good nights sleep.

#17 – Jake Schultz, Washington – Honorable Mention

A Folding Camper for the Ford Ranger

This camper is designed to be less than 780 pounds to work within the payload limit of a Ford Ranger.  It’s also designed to be 64-inches wide, with a maximum travel height of 82-inches.  These dimensions allow the camper to fit into a standard 84-inch garage in the folded configuration.

The camper features a full stand-up heigh interior of 76-inches, as shown.  A sun-dome could be added for an additional three-inches of interior height.

The camper has a double-pivot folding hard wall roof and sides with an open and panoramic cabin.

The camper can be used in one of four configurations:

1. Wide open with magnificent panoramic views to the aft sides and back.

2. Open to the aft sides and back, with screen netting in place.

3. Polycarbonate window panels in place (inboard of netting) for inclement weather.

4. Window panels in place and privacy curtains on the interior.

There would be comfortable seating for two at the dinette with the cushions angled slightly inward to account for the wheel well.

The camper would feature a modified full-size bed available at all times.  There would be a 24-inch cabinet for hanging clothes under the foot of the bed.

To save weight, the roof would be built for structure and snow loads only, not to stand on. The floor would be to stand on only if the camper is on the ground or in the bed of the truck, again to save weight.

There would be no jack stands.  The camper is suspended from the owner’s home garage root trusses to remove and store.

There would be an ice chest under one seat and Porta-Potti under the other.  There would be no refrigeration systems or black water tank.

All systems are in one four-foot module along the right side for minimum weight and system run lengths.  The module contains the propane tank, propane heater, two-burner stove, sink, fresh water tank, grey water tank, battery, converter, inverter, and small item storage.

#18 – Mark Larson, Phoenix, Arizona – Honorable Mention

This is my drawing for one of my dream campers.  Please excuse the poor scale on the toilet, lavatory, and kitchen sink.

I know this would be better as a flatbed model because of the side aisle going to the cabover and the location of the shower.  It could also be an above the bed rail model.  I’m with you wanting a camper with no slide outs.  You had a great design of your own.

#19 – Kari Miller, Branson, Missouri – Honorable Mention

My truck camper is the best design ever.  Here are the great features:

1. There is actually a solid wall between the over cab bedroom and the rest of the camper.  This creates total privacy, similar to a fifth wheel with an isolated separate bedroom.

2. The step to the bedroom is offset so there is not direct line of sight into the private bedroom.

3. There is room at the foot of the queen-size bed to access the closet and a real two-drawer dresser, which is what is needed for storing clothes in a camper.

4. A narrow, but deep and tall closet is behind the refrigerator is accessed from the step.

5. Instead of wasting room on a full table top and a table that converts to an unnecessary bed, this camper has a bar top for dining.  The seating consists of two bar stools which can be clamped down for traveling.  People spend many hours sitting on a bar stool so, obviously, these would be comfortable.  Plus, for most eating situations, people will either sit outside at the picnic table, or go out to eat at a restaurant.  There is a big window over the bar top so it would be pleasant sitting.

6. There is a slide-out pantry between the bar top and the range

7. The bathroom has a dry shower, which is important.

8. This camper should fit in a full-size short-bed pickup.  There are no slides, and it is
hard-sided.

#20 – Mike Cianci, Loveland, Colorado

Here’s my plan.  It’s fairly basic.  I chose a wet bath because it’s easier to clean.  Put it in the forward section near the wardrobe with a privacy curtain so nobody has to see your business.  And it’s easier to keep the bed/bath/dressing area cleaner.

I chose wardrobes with shelves or drawers which is more practical than hanging closets.  Who is bringing their tux and ball gown while truck camping?  There are overhead bins throughout where practical.

There would be LED lights, two batteries on a movable tray, and a small solar setup.  Only simple shades are necessary; no cornice, or valance boxes around the windows.

There would be 12-volt and 110 AC throughout, two Fantastic fans – one in the bedroom and kitchen – and an air conditioner   There would be a full-size skylight/dome in the bath with a side wall exhaust vent.

The sofa could be a jack knife-style, or have storage underneath.  And it would have two pull-out tray tables mounted in or adjacent to the armrest.  Plus it would pivot for easy egress from the sofa while eating or using computer, similar to tray tables on airliners in first class.

The television would be on standard pivot for bedroom and living room viewing, and would recess in a cabinet above the slide out pantry.  The rear exit door would have a platform deck for easy entry/egress.

#21 – Kevin Pinassi, New York, New York

#22 – John Wells, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

My design is a modification of the Chalet Ascent S100F, a limited production model (six total!) that Chalet discontinued to pursue production of their more profitable double and triple-slide models.  We love ours because it is completely usable with the slide in or out.

It has huge floorspace when the slide is out for entertaining friends and for ladies to dress in Civil War hoops (don’t ask).  The front bath allows a full height pleated curtain immediately behind the dinette to be drawn across to create a dressing room with access to bath, bed, and wardrobe.

There are no appliances in the slide, minimizing slide-out weight, and wear and tear on electrical and gas connections while maximizing efficiency of the refrigerator.  While we love our camper, please allow me to debut … drum roll… The Wellspring S110F.

My modifications to Chalet’s original design are as follows:

There would be 10-inches of increased length in the main cabin.  On the slide-out side, this extra wall space at the junction of the overcab and cabin strengthens the exterior at the crucial front corner tie-down.  We have already noticed flexing at this point and have taken steps to greatly reinforce this important structural location.  On the kitchen side, this extra 10-inches allows an increase in much-needed counter space, as well as under and over cabinetry.

I would also add about four to five inches to the side-to-side width of the wet bath.  The wardrobe doors and bathroom door would still function even with the slide in.

Additionally, I’d add half-penguin cabinets to the night stands at either side of the bed in the nose of the overcab.  These units would be open-shelved on the sides, half-depth and about 3/4 height, with a small rail or lip on the shelves and top edge to keep books, phones, clock, etc from falling out during travel.

I’d also add a three drawer cabinet with open top shelf and top rail at the foot of the bed on the bathroom side.  I’ve avoided the side hampers as I feel they add significantly to the difficulty of changing the bedclothes, though they could be added quite easily as an option.

#23 – Bob Dold, Monson, Massachusetts

Attached is my submission for the dream floor plan contest.  It is based off an EarthRoamer layout modified with a fore/aft dinette and an undercover slide-out compressor refrigerator chest.  I chose the slide-out compressor fridge since they are more efficient than a three-way refrigerator, and it allows for additional counter space.

One of my favorite features of the EarthRoamer plan is how the closet and bathroom doors can be opened and secured to provide a changing area outside the wet bath with access to the closet.  The wet bath has a wooded floor grate to provide a cleaner surface for the bath when the shower isn’t being used.

Access to the toilet cassette is through the rear storage door which drops down and can be used as a counter when cooking outside.  Another door above the horizontal door to the left of the spare tire can be used to store chairs and other lighter items out of the weather.

I prefer the side entry design as it allows the entire back wall to be used for storage and it allows access to the camper from the curbside when parked without having to remove bikes/trailers from the back of the camper.

The pantry to the left of the closet would be a bank of drawers with a window air conditioner unit above to provide for cool air without the expense and height of a roof mounted unit.  The dinette would be a little under three feet wide and can convert to a single bed if needed.

Large awning windows on either side provide lots of light and views with storage cabinets above them (not shown).  The overcab queen bed runs north/south to allow for getting out of bed without having to climb over your significant other, and has windows on both sides along with a skylight/Fantastic fan for good ventilation while sleeping.

Another feature I don’t see included on many campers any more is a pass through.  I would like the ability to stealth camp and having the pass through allows one to enter and exit the camper without having to go outside.

#24 – Floyd Schotel, Williams Lake, British Columbia

I’ve been dreaming up my ideal truck camper for a little while now, so you’re design contest is a great opportunity to share my napkin sketches!

For fuel efficiency, handling, and stealthiness, my ideal truck camper would be a low profile pop-up design to fit a 6.5-foot bed, full-size pickup.

The camper body extends past the bumper, dropping down for a low step-in side door.  Inside steps lead to the floor height.  This way the back of the camper is open to mount bikes, fuel, spares etc.  Also, the side door is a natural access to the curb or side picnic area.

Most of the windows are in the soft sides of the pop-up.  That way the camper will be more secure when in the locked down position.  In fact, the camper may look more like a service truck than a camper when in travel mode.

I’d keep the camper as small and tight to the truck as possible.  To keep things simple, I can do without a toilet/black tank, but a collapsable shower would be nice.

This camper is designed for boondocking and overland excursions as well as urban stealth camping.  I love the idea of taking my bed and a hot shower with me in a compact camper for a road trip.  No need to stress about finding a hotel, and a meal can be fixed anywhere, pronto!

#25 – Glenn Yauney, Milwaukie, Oregon

Here is an idea of a dream truck camper floor plan.   We started with the floor plan of a 1140 Arctic Fox.   We added a rear slide-out and side entry.

We would prefer a camper with both a rear and a side slide-out.  When towing a trailer, a rear door entry is awkward, thus we prefer a side entry into the camper rather than a rear entry design.   We added a large closet in the rear slide-out opposite the entry door for boots, outdoor clothes, etc.

Storage space is also at a premium, so I propose one that has both ample wardrobe closets and storage space equipped with larger drawers.  You can’t have too much storage space.

Exterior storage isn’t shown, but basement and exterior storage are also a must.

#26 – TJ and Kelly Kretschmar, Kansas City, Kansas

I am a mechanical engineer and have the ability to convert .pdf’s to CAD.  The Unimog part of the drawing can be found in the technical manual from Mercedes Benz website.  I printed the drawing to .pdf, then converted it to CAD.  I then printed the drawing for the Pangea concept and converted the drawing to CAD.

The reason I choose to draw this concept in CAD was to see if it was physically possible to put a garage bay in an expedition vehicle, and to incorporate my own ideas into the same space that would fit on a Unimog chassis with a single rear axle.

I deleted the interior of the lower living area so I could insert my own concept.  The items that I used from the original GXV drawing are the exterior walls, entry door, cassette toilet, and spare tires.  The loft area and access stairway is also GXV’s design, only with one bed instead of the two indicated in their drawing.

I used the Unimog drawing to make sure the entry door, center of gravity, and departure angle were going to work with the design.

We like the Pangea Lifting roof on a Unimog concept, but wanted it to double as a toy hauler.  We put one bed in the loft area to give the dinette area a sense of a vaulted ceiling.  The unit can be used in the down position for extreme cold weather.  The garage door folds down allowing access to spare tires.  The ATV slide out is similar to a Tommy Lift gate.

The camper would be able to detach with its own hydraulic jacks and allow for the installation of a dump bed.

This, of course, is just a dream.  For now our 1994 Hallmark Ute and 2006 Nissan Titan will have to suffice.

Related Items:

2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review

Read article : 2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review 

370 Shares

TCM reviews the half-ton targeted 2016 Travel Lite 625, a short or long bed hard side, non-slide, non-bath truck camper.  Can a camper small enough to fit inside a short bed tailgate actually be worth owning? According to Dustin Johns, President of Travel Lite, the reasons for building the 2016 Travel Lite 625 called him on the phone constantly.  When the625 debuted in Truck Camper Magazine in June of 2015, Dustin explained, “Our customers and dealers have wanted a half-ton short bed camper that would allow the tailgate to be kept up, offer plenty of interior room, and feature basic amenities including a stove, sink, and refrigerator.  I was asked to build this camper many, many times.”

Above: The Travel Lite 625 at D&H RV Center in Apex, North Carolina

From the repeated requests, the Travel Lite team designed a hard side truck camper that would fit inside of a 6.5-foot short bed truck with the tailgate closed.  Keeping the camper inside the tailgate would allow for towing without an extension hitch and provide the best possible turning radius for the rig.  Once lowered, the tailgate could then become a small deck for sitting or gear.

Perhaps the Travel Lite 625’s most impressive trick is its ability to work with short and long bed half-ton trucks.  It looks a bit odd mounted on a long bed, but the two feet of bonus truck bed storage is perfect for toys, gear, and water containers.

To keep the weight down, Travel Lite used the materials, construction approach, and design concepts of their best-selling 770 Super Lite model.  The 625 features the same overall profile, kiln-dried Banak wood from South America, and cabinetry netting as the 770.  Further eliminating weight, the 625 was designed without a bathroom, black tank, or grey tank.

Dustin reported the initial dry weight of the 625 at 1,285 pounds and gave the camper a $10,495 MSRP with standard build options; refrigerator, sink, stove, fresh water tank, converter, and manual Rieco-Titan jacks.  Clearly Dustin was looking to put a sizable dent in the half-ton truck camper marketplace.

Of course the path to half-ton truck camper paradise is paved with good intention truck camper designs that never caught on.  These campers were usually too heavy, too expensive, or too small to become a consistent seller in the marketplace.

The question is, will the Travel Lite 625 break through where so many others have failed, or end up in the half-ton truck camper bin of history?  It’s time to put the 625 under the microscope.

We photographed the 2016 Travel Lite 625 seen in this review at D&H RV Center in Apex, North Carolina.

Floor Plan Evaluation

As seems to be the trend of late, the Travel Lite 625 is infused with the ideas and lessons of the past five decades of truck camper design.  This is not a fancy SolidWorks modeled multi-slide with intricate cuts and exotic amenities.  You’ll find no CNC-routed curves or luxury appliances here.

What you will find is an firmly old-school, pencil-to-paper, saw-to-wood truck camper design that shoe-horns an impressive amount comfort and utility into a short bed half-ton compatible truck camper.  Shut the tailgate and that’s exactly what Travel Lite’s dealers and customers asked for.  As the saying goes, give them what they want.

Above: The large 4-foot sliding dinette window brings in a ton of light

Stepping into the 625, the careful design decisions are everywhere.  The main living space feels open and spacious with plenty of light from a dual-window entry door, two large windows in the dinette, and a cabover side window.  Kitchen and dinette cabinetry and storage are readily available and the overall level of materials feels solid and durable.

While we didn’t take precise measurements, it appears that half of the available kitchen counter top is taken up by the single-basin sink and two-burner cooktop.

The flip-up counter helps by adding about 25-percent more counter space, but it’s still a tight set-up for preparing anything other than the basics.

To put this into perspective, Angela and I are connoisseurs of culinary basics on the road.  Our coffee, tea, one-pot-meals, and endless PB&J sandwich preparations would all work fine between this kitchen set-up and dinette table.  Now our laptop-to-laptop work requirements would be seriously challenged, but that’s another topic.

The U-shape dinette in the 625 was designed to accommodate three to four adults (if they’re very good friends) around the table for meals, conversation, and cards.  In reality, the dinette seating, table, and available leg area is best for two adults.  With just two, there’s plenty of floor space for legs and feet underneath, and ample table room for two plates of food, and drinks.

If this were our camper, we would want a larger table, and a more stable table leg and/or wall attachment system.  There’s nothing worse at a restaurant than a table that moves when you put your dinner plate or elbow on it.  With a single post, this table is fairly stable, but requires care not to bump it.  Naturally, one table leg is less weight than two, and a smaller table weighs less than a bigger one.  Compromises, compromises.

Above: The table and table leg are easy to remove for more room, or to make the dinette into a bed

Above: The porta-potti has a convenient storage compartment under the dinette

The dinette quickly makes into a 6-foot bed with the provided cushions.  This makes the 625 an ideal choice for the hunter or fisherman who wants to bring a friend for a weekend trip to that remote hunting ground or fish camp.

Above: The dinette makes into a 6-foot long bed

On the rear wall, the 625 features a 110-volt outlet and the thermostat.  While I don’t foresee this unit connected to shore power often, this outlet will be vital for charging computers, phones, and cameras while hooked up to AC or a portable generator.

Above: Standard on the 625 is a two-cubic foot refrigerator, which can be upgraded to the three-cubic foot size shown

The three-cubic foot, three-way refrigerator is ample for a camper this size.  In the past, campers targeting the short bed half-ton size and weight came primarily with ice boxes if they had cold-food provisions at all.  Having an actual three-cubic foot, three-way refrigerator is quite a luxury in this weight category and price.

Just below the refrigerator is a cabinet dedicated to a sealed enclosure for the 625’s single battery.  When I opened this cabinet, I was hoping to see storage, and found myself disappointed that this space was almost completely used.

I would look into moving this battery elsewhere.  My favorite go-to battery moving product is the Torklift International Hidden Power that places a battery inside a protected and sealed box under your truck.  With this modification, you could recapture this valuable storage space without losing the house battery.

Another option is changing to sealed AGM battery in this location.  You won’t gain your storage back, but you’ll likely gain more amp hours.  Then again, a bigger battery adds cost and weight.  When designing a camper for a half-ton short bed, trade-offs abound.

To the right of the refrigerator and battery cabinet is a large two-section cabinet and pull-out drawer.  With its immediate proximity to the kitchen and dinette, the drawer will likely be used for silverware, cooking utensils, and other kitchen items.

The large two-section cabinet is open season.  Some will use it for dry food, pots, and pans, while others will store clothing and camping gear.  We would at least attempt to use the cabinet over the sink for all dry food, cups, and plates, and use this space for a limited number of pots and pans, and then clothing and camping gear.  In truck camping, less is more.  In truck camping in a small camper, even less is even more.

Below the pull-out drawer is where you’ll find the stereo system, power converter, and fuse panel.  Having the stereo system and fuse panel easy to reach mid-ship makes sense.

The opening into the cabover is wide open and inviting with white-color LED lights perfectly placed for general lighting and reading.

Above: The cabover ceiling has a 110-volt outlet and provisions to add a 12-volt television

On the other hand, there’s not a single cabinet for clothing in the cabover.  Not one.  There is however a main LED area light, two smaller reading lights, a 110-volt outlet, and provisions to add a 12-volt television.  No cabover muss.  No cabover fuss.  That’s it.

 
Above: The overcab bed on the passenger’s side (left photo) the driver’s side (right photo)

In practice, I expect most folks will bring duffel bags for their clothing and keep the bags in the cabover when they’re not sleeping.  Duffel bags (or whatever cloth based luggage you prefer) are light weight and highly portable, especially compared to standard wood cabinetry.  Unless you just have to have your clothing folded up and put away, duffel bags make a lot of sense in a small camper like the 625.

Specifications

Specifications
Dry Weight	1,285 pounds
Wet Weight*	1,755 pounds
Floor Length	6’2″
Overall Length	10’10”
Width	78″
Interior Height	6’6″
Exterior Height	7’0″
Center of Gravity	29″
Truck Type	Long or Short Bed

At 1,285 pounds dry, the Travel Lite 625 is not the lightest weight hard side truck camper on the market, but it’s in the ballpark.

Travel Lite offers a range of options for the 625 including a solar panel system, electric remote-controlled Rieco-Titan jacks, roof rack, ladder, and an awning.

Above: Rieco-Titan manual jacks, cable television connection, shower power connection, and 110-volt outlet

Unfortunately, you could quickly defeat the concept of the light weight 625 if you add a lot of options.  Just the above mentioned list could add 150 pounds, or more.  In a camper where the design team opted for cabinet netting instead of cabinet doors, that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Above: The Travel Lite 625 is 78-inches wide and 7-feet, 4-inches tall on the exterior

The 78-inch width of the Travel Lite 625 is 14-inches narrower than Travel Lite’s mid-size truck campers and 17-inches narrower than their largest models.  Obviously, every additional inch in length, width, and height on a truck camper adds weight.  For a camper targeting short-bed half-ton trucks, the 78-inch width strikes a good balance between interior space, and weight.

Above: The ceiling in the 625 is full height at 6.5 feet

One aspect of the 625 design that’s full-size is the interior height.  At 6.5 feet, standing in the Travel Lite is like standing in a much larger truck camper.  There’s plenty of headroom, even for tall folks like me.  That headroom helps give the 625 its roomy feel.

Above: The Travel Lite 625 on a long bed truck, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the 625 is its long bed compatibility.  Mounted on a long bed truck, the 625 looks fairly ridiculous as it locates the unit two-feet inside of the truck bed.  To say this is an unusual rig aesthetic would be an understatement.  For many – us included – the immediate reaction was, “What the heck is Travel Lite thinking?”

long bed truck" width="800" height="539" />

Above: The Travel Lite 625 on a long bed truck, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

Well, Travel Lite was thinking that the 625 is compatible with the widest possible number of truck bed lengths and payload capacities.  In short (no pun intended) the 625 is compatible with many half-ton trucks, all three-quarter and one-ton trucks, and works equally well with short bed or long beds.  Does it look funny on a long bed?  Absolutely!  But very few hard side truck campers have this kind of truck compatibility.

short bed tailgate closed" width="800" height="556" />

Above: The 625 on a short bed truck with the tail gate closed, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

And we must recognize the point that mounting the 625 on a long bed allows for the remaining two-feet of bed space to be available for whatever the owner wants it for; bikes, water, gear, you name it.

Capacities

Capacities
Fresh	9 gallons
Grey	N/A
Black	N/A
Water Heater	6 gallons
Propane Tanks	20 pounds
Batteries	Optional

With nine gallons of fresh water, no grey tank, no black tank, and no inside bathroom, there’s not much to talk on the subject of the 625’s holding tanks.  Since you’ll likely only be using the fresh tank to wash hands, wash dishes, and brush teeth, the nine gallons could last upwards of a week, or more.

If you plan to scare the bears and use the outside shower, the nine gallons may only last you a couple days.

city water connection" width="800" height="534" />

Speaking of bears, I can hardly believe Travel Lite included a city water connection for the 650, but they did.  Without an inside shower, I can barely find a reason for this.  Maybe so those who enjoy flashing the wildlife take extended outside showers?  Hide your eyes Mother Nature.  Nothing to see here.

The single vertical 20-pound propane tank is absolutely perfect for the 625.  Not only are vertical tanks exchangeable at nearly every Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and gas station from coast-to-coast, but a 20-pound capacity should last a long time in a camper this size, unless you’re camping in the seriously cold.

When camping with a single tank you always need to keep tabs on your usage.  When that tank runs out, there’s no second tank to change to.  If we had one tank, I would fill it long before empty, just like putting fuel in the truck.

Travel Lite lists the battery as optional on the 625.  You could connect the 625 to your truck’s battery and gain the space we talked about earlier, but that would not be our recommendation.  All it takes is one night of running the furnace in cold weather and you could be stranded with a dead truck battery.  Whether you get the built-in battery Travel Lite provides, or another battery storage solution, we definitely recommend a house camper battery.

Wet Weight Calculation

Using the standardized Truck Camper Magazine wet weight calculation, let’s run the numbers on the Travel Lite 625.

Base Dry Weight, plus single battery option

Travel Lite 625: dry weight, 1,285 pounds + 9 gallons fresh, 75.1 pounds + one battery, 65 pounds + 20-pound full propane tank, 20 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 1,945.1 pounds

Since we don’t foresee or recommend many options being added to the 625, we’re not going to run an optioned wet weight calculation.  As it is, the final wet weight of 1,945.1 pounds may shock some folks.

500 pounds of that weight is the standardized “stuff weight” that we add to each and every wet weight calculation in Truck Camper Magazine.  In a small camper with limited storage like the 625, 500 pounds of stuff weight is likely more than required.  If we subtract half of this stuff weight, we get a more realistic 1,695.1 pounds.

Truck Recommendations

To remain conservative, we are going to match the 625 with a 1,695.1 pound wet weight (250 pounds of stuff).  This may still be high, but we always play it safe when it comes to truck and camper matching.

For those who haven’t looked at too many payload stickers, it may come as a surprise to learn that many half-ton trucks don’t have 1,695.1 pounds of payload.  Many older half-ton trucks, or trucks with fancy packages and long option lists, have considerably less.  Do not assume that any half-ton truck has this kind of payload.  It might, but it might not.

That said, it would be a cinch to either locate or order a half-ton truck with 1,695.1 pounds of payload, or better.  If you approached your preferred local dealer and said, “I need no less than 1,700 pounds of payload in a half-ton truck” they should be able to work out the specifications you require, and locate or order the right truck without trouble.

You could also take those same specifications and find a used half-ton with enough payload.  New or used, always check the actual payload sticker (the yellow sticker inside the driver’s side door) on the actual truck before making a purchase.

If you are purchasing a new or new-to-you truck, it’s also worth considering buying even more truck.  Two years from now you may want a bigger camper.  Why not buy the right truck for that bigger camper now?  In trucks, you often don’t pay that much more to get a lot more payload.

The Verdict

Some truck campers are designed to wow the senses.  You walk in and they have a dance floor of interior space, a dinette ready for six, a refrigerator that could swallow a beer keg, and storage that could empty your attic.  You know you’re in one of these campers when the HDTV is almost as big as the one you have at home, and there’s a fireplace underneath it (almost kidding).

Where these campers “wow the senses”, the Travel Lite 625 “wows with common sense”.  From the very concept of the unit, to the way the camper was designed and built, everything about the 625 is a carefully considered compromise to create a hard-side unit that’s truly half-ton compatible.

Judged from this perspective, the 2016 Travel Lite 625 is a roaring success.  Yes, it’s chock full of compromises compared to the “wow the senses” models, but these compromises were the right ones to make the half-ton targeted size and weight.  The form, function, and comfort this camper offers half-ton truck owners – especially for the price – is very impressive.

In short, Travel Lite has built a truly half-ton compatible truck camper that’s worth owning.  Yes, you will still have to run the numbers to make sure the 625 will match your half-ton truck, but the chances are very high that it will.

If you’re in the half-ton truck camper market, and can live with the 625 list of compromises (tight kitchen, no bathroom, no grey tank, no cabover storage, etc.), this camper deserves to be on your list.  With the 625, Travel Lite has a serious half-ton ready contender.

Pros
Low weight and forward COG maximizes half-ton potential
Short and long bed truck ready
Tailgate closes on a 6.5-foot short bed truck
Excellent sense of interior space for a small camper
Good amount of kitchen and dinette area storage
Dinette makes into a 6-foot bed

Cons
Very tight kitchen area
Very limited 9-gallon fresh tank, no grey, no black
No bathroom, but features a porta-potti cabinet
Extremely tight kitchen counter space, but extension helps
Optional single battery takes up valuable interior storage
No storage in the cabover – pack your duffels

Model Information
2016 Travel Lite 625
MSRP: $10,495
Warranty: 1 year from time of purchase

Travel Lite, Inc.
71913 Country Road 23
New Paris, IN 46553

Phone: 574-831-3000
Request A Travel Lite 625 Brochure
Web: TravelLiteCampers.com

Quality, Customer Service, and Long-Term Reliability

Truck Camper Magazine inspects all reviewed truck campers for design, material, and quality issues and reports what we find.  However, since Truck Camper Magazine reviews only brand new truck campers, our reviews do not address long-term quality, customer service, or reliability.

To learn about a brand’s long-term quality, customer service, and reliability, Truck Camper Magazine recommends talking directly with truck camper owners at truck camper rallies and online via truck camper forums and truck camper owners groups.

Please be sure to balance your gathered feedback across multiple sources including direct correspondence with the truck camper manufacturers and your closest truck camper dealers.

If you are new to truck campers, start here.

Recommended for you