2013 Jayco Seneca 37FS - RV Magazine

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Reviewing Jayco’s Spacious Super C

Jayco discontinued the Seneca after the 2010 model year absence when Chevrolet discontinued the Kodiak medium-duty truck chassis. Reborn in 2012, the Seneca now features a Freightliner M2 Business Class chassis. The 2013 Seneca offers a host of upgrades and improvements and really raises the bar. While it’s available in four different floor plans, including a 37RB rear bath model and a 36FK model with fireplace and large mid-coach entertainment center, the particular floor plan we reviewed was the popular 37FS bunk bed model that can sleep up to eight people.

Photo 2/18   |   2013 Jayco Seneca 37fs front Three Quarter

Construction
For 2013, the Freightliner Business Class chassis features a front leaf spring suspension and a new fully automatic air-ride rear suspension system that gives this Super C a smooth ride reminiscent of a diesel pusher Class A motorhome. A 55-degree wheel cut allows for excellent maneuverability in tight spots.

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Polished aluminum rims help set off the stunning full-body paint. Our particular coach came with the Espresso exterior paint décor and was protected against stone chips by a Diamond Shield paint-protection film.

Exterior
The massive three-piece chrome bumper gives the Freightliner chassis a real “big rig” look, plus you won’t need to replace the entire unit if you damage it when parking. Chrome heated and powered mirrors are augmented with rear and automatic side view cameras, which will display on the entertainment/navigation system by selecting that option on its touchscreen. A Carefree power patio awning provides plenty of shade in your patio area, and a keyless entry pad conveniently located near the entry door controls both the cab and entry power door locks. Deep tinted flush-mounted dual-pane windows give the motorhome a clean look and minimize wind noise. The front and rear fiberglass caps have a unique molded design with no corner seams to cause any leaks. Dual slide-outs are fitted with enclosed awning toppers for protection against debris and the elements.

optional exterior entertainment center includes a 32-inch LCD TV, AM/FM radio, and DVD player and is located behind a weatherproof cover in the patio area."> Photo 3/18   |   An optional exterior entertainment center includes a 32-inch LCD TV, AM/FM radio, and DVD player and is located behind a weatherproof cover in the patio area.

Living Area
Our Seneca was outfitted with the Mocha décor, which is one of three available décor packages. The wood floors and Washington Glazed Maple cabinetry with hidden hinges adds a warm look to the attractive interior and attention to detail, and the quality construction exceeds the fit and finish of some Class A motorhomes we’ve seen. The dual slide-outs in the 37FS open up the living and bedroom areas to provide plenty of floor space, and an 84-inch ceiling height ensures that you won’t be bumping your head. The soft-touch vinyl ceiling contains recessed halogen lighting throughout and a network of adjustable ceiling vents duct air from the dual 15,000 BTU air conditioners with heat pumps.

Photo 4/18   |   2013 Jayco Seneca 37fs living Area

The large front cap area sports a queen-size bed with a 32-inch LCD TV mounted on a powered swivel mechanism on the passenger side of that area. A rocker switch effortlessly allows the TV to swing out for whole-coach viewing or remain flat against the wall for bunk-area viewing or when not in use. A removable ladder affords easy access to the overhead bunk, and curtains can be used to separate that area from the rest of the motorhome. One optional feature, not included on this particular RV, replaces the overhead sleeping area with an entertainment center complete with 32-inch LCD TV and large storage cabinets to each side of the TV.

The driver-side Hide-a-Bed sofa located in the main slide-out makes into a bed for additional sleeping capacity. The Dream Dinette features a legless table that also makes into a bed by releasing a lever to effortlessly raise or lower the table. The comfortable booth seats are hinged to expose storage area beneath while a swivel recliner chair is located opposite the couch. The Flexsteel furniture features attractive UltraLeather upholstery, and seatbelts are provided at all locations, including the booth dinette.

The bathroom is equipped with a Thetford porcelain stool with foot flush and the shower is fitted with a circular enclosure with sliding frosted glass doors that prevent water from dripping on the floor when open. An overhead skylight provides warm, ambient lighting and additional height in the shower stall. The bathroom vanity also features a Corian top and a sink with an overhead medicine cabinet.

The bunk bed area is what separates this motorhome from the rest. The two stacked bunk beds are bound to be a big hit with young RVers. Each sleeping area has individual lighting, windows, and privacy curtains. A pair of optional entertainment centers is mounted in the ceiling above each bunk. Each flip-down display has an integral DVD player so that each occupant can view his or her own movie. External jacks for those all-important game consoles and headphones are provided as well as a storage pouch to place any auxiliary equipment to keep them out of the way. A cavernous drawer fitted with ball-bearing slides is located beneath the bunk beds and offers plenty of storage space for bedding or other large items.

The rear bedroom is equipped with a king bed with a comfortable pillow-top mattress. A large mirrored wardrobe complemented by a number of huge drawers in the bedroom slide-out at the foot of the bed provides tons of room for clothing. A 26-inch LCD TV is also placed there and is mounted on hinges to expose a deep storage area behind the flat screen. A large window located in the rear cap also serves as an emergency exit if needed.

Cockpit Area
The cockpit area is the typical Freightliner business class layout. The switches operating the cruise control are found on the dash. We would have preferred if they were mounted on the steering column for easier access because it was a bit inconvenient to reach. The Allison transmission’s T-handle shift lever is dash-mounted to the right of the steering column. The center dash area contains an entertainment and navigation system that uses a touchscreen to control the GPS navigation functions, radio, DVD, iPod, or rear-view camera functions. Immediately beneath this is the control panel for the Power Gear leveling jacks. A side cabinet located above the recliner contains the various controls used for the coach accessories, such as the Onan EC-30 automatic generator start module and a control panel for a Xantrex 1,800-watt true sine wave inverter that supplies power for the microwave oven and the RV’s entertainment systems. A holding tank monitoring panel and the slide-out operation switch are also placed here. Six-way power seats provide comfortable seating for both the driver and copilot. Power windows are also standard.

instrument panel includes a T-handle shift control for the Allison transmission as well as a radio/DVD/GPS system and controls for the Power Gear automatic leveling jacks."> Photo 5/18   |   The instrument panel includes a T-handle shift control for the Allison transmission as well as a radio/DVD/GPS system and controls for the Power Gear automatic leveling jacks.

Basement Area and Utilities
The basement storage space on the Seneca is nothing less than amazing. Every time I opened one of the side-hinged compartment doors, a spacious compartment made of tough, leak-proof Rotocast composite material was displayed. If you are one of those RVers who never has enough room to store your cargo, you’ll be very pleased with the Seneca. Excellent compartment height and wide swinging doors made it an easy task to load or unload cargo.

Photo 15/18   |   2013 Jayco Seneca 37fs basment Storage

A bank of four batteries is located in a forward driver-side compartment. These batteries are mounted on a slide-out tray for easy access when performing battery maintenance. The rearmost driver-side compartment houses an 8,000-watt Onan Quiet Diesel generator while a power cord reel makes quick work of rewinding the 50-amp power cord. A 10-gallon propane/electric hot water heater is located at the driver-side rear of the coach, while the 40,000 BTU propane furnace is located on the passenger side. A 56-pound chassis-mounted LP tank provides fuel for the water heater, furnace, and cooktop.

The plumbing service bay is spacious, offering plenty of room to store sewer hoses, fresh-water hoses, or a macerator pump. A whole-house water filter feeds the coach’s fresh-water system and an array of valves and controls offers access to operations such as filling the fresh-water tank, bypassing the water heater during winterizing, or operating the water pump. A paper towel holder, outside handheld shower attachment, black-tank flush attachment, and dump valves for the black and gray tanks complete that area.

storage bay features a long pass-through area that reaches to the far side of the RV for storing ladders or other tall items."> Photo 16/18   |   Basement storage space is cavernous in a Seneca. This particular storage bay features a long pass-through area that reaches to the far side of the RV for storing ladders or other tall items.

Driving the Seneca
Driving the Seneca imparted more of a big-rig feeling than in your typical Class C motorhome. The aerodynamically sculptured fiberglass hood tapers down at the front, which makes it easy to judge distances. The 340-horsepower Cummins diesel brought us up to speed rapidly, and the crisp handling of this chassis made the Seneca feel quite sporty for an RV. The hydraulic brakes were adequate to bring this 21,000-pound vehicle to a stop in short order, although it does take a bit more pedal pressure than the air brakes I am used to from driving Class A diesel pushers. This is a front-engine diesel chassis, so you won’t get the quiet sound of a rear engine diesel pusher, but I didn’t find the noise to be objectionable at highway speeds.

Photo 17/18   |   2013 Jayco Seneca 37fs floorplan

The change to the air-ride suspension that Jayco made during the 2013 model year is a welcome improvement. The fully automatic air-ride rear suspension system provided a much smoother ride. This is a big step forward for the Seneca and will probably make for an enticing upgrade to owners of earlier models with rear leaf spring suspensions.

The Seneca fills a sweet spot between typical Class C motorhomes and their more expensive Class A cousins. The Seneca is a great choice for Class A owners who want to downsize but don’t want to lose the quality, amenities, and storage that they are accustomed to. From its solid surface countertops, to its wood floor, to hardwood cabinetry with screwed stile construction, they may even find it exceeds what they were accustomed to. While large in size, most Class A motor-home floor plans aren’t designed to sleep many people. The 37FS Seneca can easily sleep eight, so large families will find this particular floor plan very desirable. For a couple who travels alone, the rear bath 37RB floor plan is another popular choice.

The torque and power of the Cummins diesel combined with a 10,000-pound trailer hitch means you won’t have any trouble hauling anything you need. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the Seneca is its huge amount of storage space. With a generous cargo-carrying capacity in excess of 4,000 pounds, you can feel free to load it up.

Jayco has equipped the Seneca with a ton of upgrades as standard equipment. In fact, our well-appointed Seneca only had two options—a larger 8kW generator and the DVD players in the bunk beds. The only other available options that were not selected were a choice of combo or stackable washer-dryer and a front entertainment center to replace the overhead bunk. This pricing method is a plus at resale time because RV dealers generally look at base price without options when determining a trade-in value, so the Seneca should fare well when it’s time to trade up. Jayco backs the Seneca with a two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is also a plus when comparing it to other motorhomes and does add a testament to the quality they put into this unit. With all these features packed into an attractive motorhome, the Seneca will be a tough act to beat.

Photo 18/18   |   2013 Jayco Seneca 37fs onan Generator

At a Glance
Base Price: $216,720 (MSRP)

Standard Features:
• Full-body paint
• Accuride aluminum wheels
• 32-inch exterior LCD TV in galley slide
• 1,800-watt true sine wave inverter
• 32-inch LCD TV in main living area
• 26-inch bedroom LCD TV
• 40,000 BTU LP furnace
• 10-gallon gas/electric DSI water heater
• King bed with pillow-top mattress

Customer Value Package
Includes:
• 12-cubic-feet refrigerator with ice maker
• Two 15,000 BTU ducted air conditioners with heat pumps
• Backup and side view cameras and monitor
• Convection microwave oven
• Power electric cord reel
• In-motion Minimax satellite dome
• Touch screen in-dash CD/DVD/MP3 sound system with GPS navigation
• Flexsteel UltraLeather driver (powered) and passenger (no power) seats

Optional Features:
• Onan 8,000kW Quiet Diesel generator (6kW standard)
• Dual CD/DVD players in bunk beds
Price as Tested $218,779 (MSRP)

Specifications
2013 Jayco Seneca 37FS
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR): 26,000 lbs
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR): 33,000 lbs
Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC): 4,639 lbs
Wheelbase: 275 in
Overall Length: 39 ft, 1 in
Overall Width: 102 in
Overall Height: 151 in
Interior Height: 84 in
Fresh Water: 81.5 gallons
Gray Water: 41 gallons
Black Water: 52 gallons
Chassis: Freightliner M2 Business Class front-engine diesel
Tires: Michelin XZE2 275/80R22.5 14 Ply Load Range G
Front Suspension: 8,000lb Taperleaf leaf springs
Rear Suspension: 18,000lb Airliner fully automatic air-ride suspension
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, front and rear
Fuel Tank: 30- and 40-gallon saddle tanks (74-gallon total), plus 6-gallon DEF tank
Trailer Hitch Capacity: 10,000 lbs
Engine: Cummins 6.7L ISB with exhaust brake
Horsepower: 340 hp @ 2,800 rpm
Torque: 660 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Allison 2500 six-speed automatic

2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review

Read article : 2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review 

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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?”

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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.

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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.

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What's New in Truck Campers

Read article : What's New in Truck Campers

It’s also an economical approach, with campers starting at under $15,000 and extending upward to $40,000 or more. At the low end, you’ll find basic sleeping accommodations. Spend more and you can get many of the luxury features that would be found in a small motorhome, with good kitchens, full bathrooms, queen-size beds and entertainment centers.

The size of the camper is necessarily limited by the size of the pickup hauling it, but there are lots of options to choose from. And with new materials enabling manufacturers to reduce the weight of their campers, it’s possible to pack more amenities inside a camper without overloading the truck.

Here is a sampling of new campers offered by leading manufacturers:

Adventurer
The Adventurer 93FDS, a 2007 floor plan available in June, will add to a wide array of camper models designed to fit everything from small imports to big one-ton trucks.

The new 93FDS has a full-wall slideout that extends the dinette and refrigerator area. The dinette converts into a bed, enabling the camper to sleep four. The bathroom is given extra spaciousness with a huge skylight.

The suggested base retail price of about $24,000 includes numerous standard features, such as solar reflective windows, a Dometic two-door refrigerator-freezer, a fiberglass shower inside, an outside shower, a slide awning, an exterior yard light, and Happijac electric remote jacks to simplify loading and unloading. The holding tanks are heated and enclosed.

Adventurer campers are lighter in weight than many competitors because of their design and construction, including an aluminum frame and fully laminated walls. The Model 93FDS has a box length of 9 feet, two inches, and an estimated dry weight of 2,850 pounds.

For information, contact Adventurer Manufacturing Ltd, 33541 Maclure Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2S 7W1. Phone (604) 852-5731 or visit www.amlrv.com

Alpenlite
Alpenlite made its reputation in the truck camper field by pioneering aluminum frame construction and vacuum bonded walls. That emphasis on technology continues today with features such as block foam insulation, a laminated, vacuum-bonded crowned roof and a gelcoated exterior surface.

Now in its 34th year of building truck campers, Alpenlite offers eight floor plans in a range of sizes. One of its best sellers is the top-of-the-line Santa Fe 1150, which is Alpenlite’s biggest and roomiest model.

The Santa Fe 1150 includes a full queen-size bed, a center dry bath with a tub and shower seat area, Karadon solid surface countertops, and a basement storage area. The fresh water and other fluid tanks are all large-capacity, enclosed, and insulated so that the camper can be used in all seasons. Among the options is a dinette skylight with a retractable shade.

The dinette area slides out for extra room and can be converted to a bed for an additional sleeping area. The suggested retail price on the Santa Fe 1150 is $26,592. If you don’t want a slideout, you can choose the Santa Fe 1100, which offers much the same floor plan as the 1150, and also offers the option of a dinette with a fold-away table and two Flexsteel swivel chairs.

For information on Alpenlite Limited truck campers, contact Western Recreational Vehicles, P. O. Box 9547 Yakima, WA 98909. Phone (800) 777-4133 or visit www.wrv.com.

Arctic Fox
Arctic Fox truck campers, such as the new model 990 Silver Fox edition, are durable and rugged enough to endure cross-country and off-road travel because of innovations in camper engineering.

The Silver Fox edition features an aircraft-style superstructure, transverse floor, and a full-wall slide room that is 26 inches deep. The transverse floor design increases the width of the floor inside, creating a feeling of spaciousness. By using a dual rack and pinion slide mechanism and a strong aluminum superstructure, Northwood Manufacturing builds its Arctic Fox campers so that the slideout can be extended even while people are sitting in the slideout area. Heavy-duty rollers move the slideout smoothly and quietly, while five separate seals guard against water intrusion during wet weather.

With the extra depth of its slideouts, Arctic Fox is able to offer several options. For example, in the overhead bunk option, a hinged interior panel folds down from the upper wall and ceiling of the slideout and converts into an additional bunk bed over the dinette. Another option is a lounge instead of a dinette, with an optional “roll-over” lounge that converts into an extra sleeping area. All standard dinettes also convert to beds.

The bedroom suite in the Arctic Fox features a deluxe queen-size mattress with coordinated bedspread and window valence accents. A folding wall between the main cabin and sleeping area provides privacy.

Arctic Fox campers come in three interior color schemes. The interiors include solid oak hardwood features, textured wallboards on the interior walls and Ozite finished ceilings. Vinyl floor coverings are commercial grade, and there is also a carpeting option. The company offers campers in a range of floor plans, all with full-wall slideouts. The wet bath version of the Silver Fox Model 990 carries a suggested base retail price of $23,929.

For information on Arctic Fox campers, contact Northwood Manufacturing, 59948 Downs Road, La Grande, OR 97850. Phone (541) 962-6274 or visit www.northwoodmfg.com.

Bigfoot
New for 2006 from Bigfoot Industries in British Columbia is a long box version of the short box 25C9.4 camper that was introduced last year. These models are part of the Bigfoot 2500 camper series.

The model offers a spacious layout, with an aft galley with a three-burner cooktop, stainless steel double sink, 6-cubic-foot refrigerator and dinette with face-to-face seating.

All of the models in the 2500 series are constructed from two molded fiberglass shells and insulated with 1 1/2-inch high-density polystyrene block foam insulation. The fresh and wastewater holding tanks are enclosed, insulated and heated by a 30,000 BTU high-output furnace. There is an abundance of interior storage as well a large exterior basement storage compartment. The suggested base retail price is $21,870.

Bigfoot Industries, which also builds trailers and motorhomes, is in its 28th year as an RV company. For information about Bigfoot campers and to order a brochure, contact Bigfoot Industries, 4114 Crozier Road, Armstrong, British Columbia V0E lB6. Phone (250) 546-2177 or visit www.bigfootrv.com.

Citation Supreme
Built in British Columbia by General Coach, Citation Supreme truck campers are designed for all-season comfort. The company’s Polar Pak includes such standard features as high-density foam insulation, two-inch thick vacuum bonded walls with 3/4-inch thermal break, and a fully insulated basement with tanks and valves heated directly by the furnace.

New for 2006 is the Model 1050 slideout for long box trucks. The 1050 is a 100-inch wide body design that includes a queen-size bed, a bathroom with a separate sit/stand shower, and an expansive dinette area that slides out. The bedroom has more headroom than most other campers. Options include dual pane skylights with condensation control and Stormtite thermopane windows that eliminate condensation and filter out UV rays, reducing summer heat buildup.

New on the 1050 and other models is a redesigned optional bumper with three steps, making it easy to enter and exit the camper. A ladder provides access to the roof, and an optional awning over the entrance door extends eight feet. Suggested retail price on the base model 1050 is $25,380.

General Coach, which is part of Thor Industries, backs the Citation with a six-year limited structural and two-year component warranty.

For information, contact General Coach, P. O. Box 700, Oliver, British Columbia VOH 1T0. Phone (250) 498-3471 or visit www.generalcoach.bc.ca

Eagle Cap
The Eagle Cap 1050 offers a new design that includes a forward bath and a large rear kitchen/dining area, with a dinette slideout for extra room. Despite its many amenities, the 1050 has a comparatively low dry weight of 2,950 pounds.

Eagle Cap builds its campers with a welded aluminum superstructure, 100 percent vacuum laminated components and marine-grade fiberglass exterior. The materials and design keep the weight low, giving buyers flexibility in choosing a truck to carry the camper.

The manufacturer’s suggested base price on the Eagle Cap 1050 is $23,275, but popular options can push it above $30,000.

Eagle Cap is now owned by West Coast Leisure Homes, the Canadian builder of Okanagan campers. Intermountain RV, which built Eagle Cap campers, ceased operations in October of 2005, and its assets were purchased by West Coast Leisure Homes.

With new management and a staff of 42 at its plant in La Grande, Oregon, Eagle Cap has resumed production of its most popular models, with a dinette slideout available on most floor plans. Brian Tolley, Eagle Cap sales manager, said Eagle Cap is making improvements to what was already “a sound and innovative product line” by increasing the sidewall gelcoat thickness, for example, and adding other steps to add to the fit and finish quality.

For information, contact Eagle Cap Campers, 59999 Smith Loop, La Grande, OR 97850. Phone (541) 663-1607 or visit www.eaglecapcampers.com.

Host
If one truck camper slideout is good, Host Industries figured two should be even better, and so it has pioneered double slideouts, building campers that are known for their spacious interiors.
With two slideouts extended, the new Host Tahoe 10’6” has 10 feet, six inches of interior width, with the dinette area sliding out on one side and the kitchen on the other. The result is a wide, unobstructed floor area that offers room to maneuver. When one person is cooking at the stove, for example, another person can walk by easily, instead of having to squeeze by.

Host Co-owner Dave Hogue said slideouts on both sides of the camper also add to the balance of the unit. Other design measures, such as putting holding tanks forward in the unit, also enable Host to build a truck camper that handles very well on the road. Host campers are built light, using a vacuum lamination process, an aluminum frame, a fiberglass exterior and a one-piece roof of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO)

The Tahoe has a powerful 34,000 BTU forced-air furnace and large holding tanks: 60 gallons for fresh water, 45 gallons for gray water and 35 gallons for black water.

Double slideouts are available on three of Host’s models; single slideouts are either standard or an option on all models. The Tahoe carries a suggested base retail price of $27,370 with the standard single slideout; a second slideout adds $1,400.

Host Industries was started by Hogue and Mark Storch, whose fathers created Beaver campers and motorhomes. For information about Host campers, contact Host Industries, 300 SE Scott St., Bend, OR 97702. Phone (541) 330-2328 or visit www.hostcampers.com

Lance
By adding four new floor plans for 2006, Lance gives buyers a choice of 15 models—one to fit just about any size or need. As the nation’s largest truck camper manufacturer, Lance groups its models into four product lines: Lance Lite, Lance Sports Camper, Lance and Lance Max.

The low-priced Lance Lite series has six models tailored to people’s budgets. The new Sports Camper series was developed for serious outdoor enthusiasts. The “value-added” Lance series is for RVers seeking more features and comes with increased cabover headroom, more floor space and larger tank capacities.

All Lance Max models come with full-wall slideouts, greatly increasing the interior room and adding to the overall comfort. That feeling of spaciousness is carried through in the Lance Max 981 with a huge skylight above the bed in the cabover area and another large skylight in the bathroom.

Even larger and more luxurious is the Lance Max 1191, which has the advantage of a side entry, an extra convenience for anyone who wants to tow a boat or trailer. The 1191 includes a large bathroom with separate shower, additional storage space and very large holding tanks (42 gallons fresh, 35 gray and 38 black).

New this year in all Lance and Lance Max models is a full-size mirrored wardrobe in the cabover. The wardrobe is deep enough to handle storage bins. Another new design this year is a wraparound sofa/bed in Ultra Leather. It has a removable table, and a center section that pulls out for lounging or sleeping.

Lance builds its campers with welded aluminum and bonded lamination technologies, TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) roofs and solid high-density, rigid block foam insulation for year-round use. Suggested retail prices of Lance Max models range from $29,848 to $35,987. Other models start as low as $13,454.

For information, contact Lance Camper Manufacturing Corp., 43120 Venture Street, Lancaster, CA 93535-4510. Phone (661) 949-3322 or visit www.lancecamper.com.

Northern Lite
New for 2006 from Northern Lite is the 9’6” Queen Classic SE, which offers lots of extra features and still maintains a surprisingly low weight—2,150 pounds with standard equipment and under 2,400 pounds even with a number of options.

Northern Lite builds its campers with a process that uses two pieces of molded fiberglass and is similar to construction of a fiberglass boat. Owner Mac Donkin said the weight is kept low by the use of materials such as Nidacore flooring, which is half the weight of plywood, and Dometic acrylic thermal pane windows, which are half the weight of conventional thermal pane windows.

The 9’6”Queen Classic SE includes a face-to-face dinette, a full queen-size mattress, heated and insulated tanks, an extra-large dual battery box, stainless steel sink, and a 6.3-cubic-foot refrigerator. The model carries a suggested retail price of $24,070.

Northern Lite uses oak veneer paneling, builds drawers with Russian birch and metal guides, and never uses particle board. Careful attention to quality has earned the company a five-star rating from the RV Consumer Group for eight straight years.

For information, contact Northern Lite Manufacturing, 322 Totom Court, Kelowna, British Columbia V1X 5W6. Phone (800) 887-5342 or visit www.northern-lite.com.

Okanagan
You can warm yourself by the electric fireplace while you are watching a DVD on a flat-screen TV in the new 116ULT camper, part of the Ultimate Suite Series from Okanagan.

The 116ULT is a double-slideout model with a U-shaped dinette extending outward on one side and an entire kitchen extending outward on the other to create a roomy interior. In addition to an electric fireplace, this model also offers many other options, such as an 8- or 10-cubic-foot refrigerator in place of the standard 6-cubic-foot version, a Step-N-Stow storage bumper with a fold-down step, and a large rear awning.

The 116ULT is designed for extended camping with large heated and enclosed holding tanks, including a 63-gallon fresh water tank. Okanagan says its bathroom is the largest seen in a truck camper, with a full-height fiberglass neo-angle shower with a skylight, a large linen closet and a spacious vanity. The camper has 40 cubic feet of exterior storage to handle camping gear and other items.

Construction features include welded steel framing that is laminated into the floor and attached around the perimeter of the slideout openings for superior structural integrity. The peaked laminated roof is 3 1/2 inches thick at the center, creating a ducted roof air conditioner option. Suggested retail price of the Okanagan 116 ULT ranges from $36,000 to $42,000, depending on how it is equipped.

Okanagan campers are built by West Coast Leisure Homes, which also produces fifth wheels, travel trailers and van conversions. For information, contact West Coast Leisure Homes, 316 Dawson Avenue, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 3N6. Phone (250) 493-1535 or visit www.okanaganrv.com.

S&S
S&S has introduced a new truck camper, the Ponderosa 8.5 FBSC, billed as the only non-slideout camper with a full-booth dinette and a sliding step. The camper has a set of steps that can be hidden away under a booth seat and then pulled out to provide easy access to the queen-size bed over the cab.

S&S Owner Doug Sieler said many camper buyers are older people who find it awkward and difficult to climb into a high bed. The innovative step system solves that problem, and when not in use, the steps can be stored away to create more floor space.

The new model is a self-contained unit that is 8.5 feet long and 8 feet wide. It comes with an insulated and heated basement, a double stainless steel sink with cutting board, a three-burner range with oven, double-door refrigerator, a 20,000 BTU forced-air furnace, and a one-piece TP0 (thermoplastic polyolefin) roof. Other standard amenities include a mirrored headboard, AM/FM/CD stereo system, and a Montana gun drawer.

Another unique advantage for a camper of this size for both long and short box trucks is that it has room to add an optional Onan generator. Suggested retail price is about $18,000.

For information, contact S&S Campers, 2740 Highway 93 South, Kalispell, MT 59901. Phone (800) 735-6909 or visit www.s-scampers.com

Top RVs, campers and tents of 2014

Read article : Top RVs, campers and tents of 2014

Another year, another few dozen ways to escape urban life and set up camp in the wild ... 2014 has been an interesting year for campers. From the heavy-duty off-road machines of Overland Expo to ultralight bicycle campers, and from familiar campground designs to new concepts of sea and air camping, the year has seen a large variety of innovative designs from around the world. Here are our picks for the best tents, camper vans, trailers and mobile homes of 2014, in no particular order.

Tentsile Vista multi-story tree tent

Since we first featured Tentsile in 2012, the company has continued to impress us with its suspended tents. Other manufacturers offer hammock-based tents, but Tentsile makes large, spacious aerials that are more like canvas treehouses, none more so than the all-new Vista. The non-weather-sealed nature of the design isn't for everyone or all conditions, but the available multi-floor layout is certainly an interesting twist on the tree tent. The primary Vista tent protects three campers with a combination of detachable insect mesh and removable rain fly. The really cool part of the design is that you can add extra floors to make a suspended, multi-level "portable treehouse" for nine or more people. The basic tent without extra floors costs US$595.

SylvanSport GO-Easy ultralight camping trailer

A compact, 275-lb (125 kg) gear trailer, the SylvanSport GO-Easy is designed to give the smallest cars and motorcycles the ability to haul all kinds of sports gear and tools. To add overnighting capabilities, SylvanSport teamed with Roost tents to create a flip-top tent camper with underbody storage. When you don't need a tent, remove the foam mattress and canvas sides and Roost's innovative two-person clamshell becomes a gear box. To add some of the comforts of home, SylvanSport offers options like Goal Zero solar power systems and the Road Shower. Combine the $2,000 price of the GO-Easy with the $3,000 price of the Roost tent, and you have an ultralight, ultra-versatile camping trailer for around $5K.

Tonke Fieldsleeper International expedition vehicle

Prior to 2014, we knew Tonke as the Dutch company behind some the most stylish wooden trailers we've ever seen. This year, it added one of the most stylish aluminum trailers on the market not named Airstream. The Mercedes Sprinter-based Fieldsleeper International is built as an expedition vehicle, available in both 4x2 and 4x4 drive options. Its aluminum skin creates a more modern exterior style, but the interior still features the warmth of mahogany wood.

Tonke attempts to give Fieldsleeper International owners more off-grid autonomy by eliminating the liquid propane systems typical in RVs in favor of a roof-mounted solar array and auxiliary diesel tank. The 400- to 600-watt solar system powers onboard equipment like the refrigerator, stove, lighting and even air conditioning. The five-person camper includes a washroom with sink, shower and cassette toilet.

When we covered it earlier in the year, the International was offered with a 190-hp Mercedes Sprinter 519Cdi for $192,000, but now it's listed with a 160-hp Sprinter 516Cdi base for a bit cheaper – $154,576.

XVenture XV-2 penthouse trailer

Simple problem, simple solution. The military-grade Xventure XV-2 makes the most of its small trailer form by pushing the pop-up tent high above the cargo box below using an elevated rack system. The adjustable height opens up more storage space in the cargo box – enough for an ATV, even – and makes everything inside that cargo box easier to access. As a few astute readers pointed out, it looks like the configuration could prove quite chilly in the winter, when the thin floor of the XV-2 could use the added insulation value of a trailer directly below, but that shouldn't be as much a problem in the popular warmer months, or with a heavier sleeping pad. And if it is, you can always adjust it to one of the lower settings on the six-setting rack. The pricing information we received earlier in the year put the XV-2 with elevating rack system and roof tent at around $14,500 to start.

Wide Path bicycle camper

There are dozens upon dozens of camping trailers on the market, but the overwhelming majority of them are designed to be towed by vehicles with motor. The slim, 88-lb (40-kg) Wide Path Camper, on the other hand, is built to be towed by leg power alone. The bicycle camper offers enough sleeping space for two adults and one child and includes a basic but functional interior with a folding table, convertible bed/seats and 300 liters (79 gal) of storage capacity. Add a few select pieces of gear like a propane stove and portable toilet and suddenly you have a fully functioning mobile home on the back of your 12-speed.

The Wide Path Camper was still in the prototype stages as of last month, but its Dutch designer hopes to have it ready for sale next year, starting around $2,500.

Amok Draumr hammock tent

While not quite as common a sight at the campground as a dome tent or RV, the hammock shelter is a widely available camping option offered by brands like Hennessy Hammock and Grand Trunk. Typically, these hammocks are strung between trees end to end, but the Amok rotates the Draumr around 90 degrees, creating a side-to-side hanging structure. This construction creates a flat, sleeping pad-cushioned bed designed to deliver a more comfortable night of sleep. With a few tugs of the adjustment straps, it also turns into a suspended chair.

The ISPO BrandNew Award-nominated Draumr is available now for $379, which includes mosquito netting, straps and a rain fly, but not the required sleeping pad. All in, the Draumr weighs less than 4.5 lb (2 kg).

MVP Aero MVP seaplane camper

We're already suckers for amphibious vehicles, so throw in a convertible overnight package, and you get one of our favorite vehicles of the year. Billed as the "world's most versatile plane," the MVP, which we checked out at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014, is part seaplane, part fishing boat and part floating/flying camper. The tri-phibious plane can land on dry land, snow or water. On water, it can motor along and act as a boat, and slide the canopy back and it offers a flat deck for fishing and observation. The wings also fold up, adding to its maneuverability on water.

At night, the MVP's instrument panel lifts out of the way, creating a large, flat floor with the help of a four-panel origami deck that slides over top the seat wells. Tent fabric secures over the entire cockpit area, providing shelter for two occupants. A fitted inflatable mattress offers added comfort, and there's also a hammock that sets up between the engine pylon and the tail.

The MVP isn't exactly a practical camper for the masses, but one can certainly dream of using it on some pretty epic adventures. The aircraft is still in the prototype stages, but for those that simply can't wait, it's available for reservation at a price of $189,000. Delivery is not expected until 2018/19, however.

Audi-Heimplanet Q3 tent camper

Two innovative German brands teamed up for something a bit different at Volkswagen's 2014 Wörthersee festival. Heimplanet custom-fit its inflatable tent technology to the hatch of an Audi Q3 2.0 TDI. The design created an extended car-tent living space with vestibule and also allowed for a freestanding tent set-up. The inflatable tent and Q3 combo certainly wasn't the most rugged camper design of the year, but it was rated up to wind speeds of 43.5 mph (70 km/h).

The Audi-Heimplanet inflatable car camper was clearly designed as an eye-catching showpiece (a role it filled quite nicely), and we don't expect to see Audi dealerships advertising the Q3 "overnight package" anytime soon.

2014 EarthRoamer XV-LTS xpedition vehicle

A beastly, intimidating contradiction on wheels, the 2014 EarthRoamer XV-LTS combines one of the more rugged 4WD expedition vehicle platforms out there with a carefully-detailed, luxury-level interior and front porch. In designing the truck, Colorado-based EarthRoamer fortified a commercial-duty F-550 chassis for rough, off-road use, bolted a composite living module to the back and outfitted it for comfortable off-grid living. The design includes a cozy six-seat living room, sleeping space for four to six and a bathroom with a sink, full-height shower and cassette toilet. Occupants are furnished with utilities by way of a solar-driven electrical system, engine-powered dual alternators and a 90-gallon (340.7-L) fresh water tank. It appears to be an extremely cozy space to retire to after hard days of fighting through mud, boulders and dust with the 300-hp V8 turbo diesel and 37-in tires. The model we stepped inside at Overland Expo even included luxuries like a wine cabinet with engraved wine glasses, slide-out Keurig coffeemaker, and exterior tailgating package with retractable 46-in TV.

The 2014 XV-LTS sold out, but EarthRoamer is now advertising the 2015 model at prices between $312,000 and $560,000.

ADAK Trailer

It's not at all rare to find a gritty, all-terrain expedition vehicle furnished like a luxury apartment on wheels. In fact, there are two on this list, including the EarthRoamer we just looked at. When you're spending six or seven figures on a large, motorized toy, there's no reason you can't have it all.It is rarer to find that mix of any-terrain readiness and luxury in the far more modestly priced camping trailer segment. Most off-road trailer manufacturers we've covered seem to put all their R&D money into building a bombproof chassis and body ready to take on everything Mother Earth can throw at it, leaving live-in accommodations to a simple fold-out tent or small, spartan teardrop interior.Built by a group of outdoorsman tired of inferior campers quitting when the road got rough, but too seasoned for a skimpy, uncomfortable shelter, the ADAK Trailer offers an admirable combination of rugged exterior and spacious, comfy interior. The design uses a mix of aluminum and composite to hold up to rough, choppy roads and off-roads. Inside the trailer's 116-sq ft (10.8 sq m) cabin, campers find three beds, a bathroom with toilet and shower, a tankless hot water system designed to work in the middle of winter, and available wood flooring and cabinetry. When we originally covered the ADAK earlier in the year, pricing started at $49,000.

Volksleisure T5 camper van

After more than a decade of focusing on camper conversions for vans from manufacturers other than Volkswagen, Wellhouse Leisure presented its first production-ready VW camper van this year. The first offering from the brand's VW-centric subsidiary Volksleisure, the little people mover packs enough versatility for both everyday and holiday use. It's Wellhouse's electric rear bench that makes the Volksleisure camper a van that you can overnight in on the weekend and get the kids to school in come Monday morning. The bench slides the length of the cabin, allowing it to work as a live-in camper, regular people mover or big-item hauler. The camper van offers sleeping space for up to four people, along with a kitchen area, refrigerator, dining table, and 35-L (9.2 US gal) fresh and waste water tanks. Volksleisure's T5 camper is currently listed at a £47,850 ($75,000) base price.

Safari Condo Alto R1723 teardrop pop-top

Combining two timeless camping-trailer concepts into one seamless family tag-along, the Alto R1723 by Safari Condo is a pop-up teardrop camper designed to get the family outdoors. The 83-in-high (2.1-m), 1725-lb (782-kg) teardrop design gives the Alto R1723 drag-cutting aerodynamic performance on the road and garage clearance during storage. The electric aluminum roof pops up at camp to offer 82 inches (2.08 m) of interior headroom, more than enough for the average person to stand up and walk around, a convenience that smaller, lower teardrops lack. The trailer sleeps three or four and includes home-like comforts such as a flush toilet and shower. The large windows let you experience the grand scenery of the outdoors while remaining under the roof.

The Alto R1723 starts at around CAD$28,500 (US$24,500), and Safari also offers the smaller R1713 for CAD$1,000 less.

Knaus Travelino camper concept

Much like automakers do at every major auto show, German manufacturer Knaus Tabbert has been using the annual Düsseldorf Caravan Salon to showcase ideas for the future of the industry. It followed up last year's much talked about Caravisio concept with the 2014 Travelino trailer.

While we aren't really sold on the odd, broadsided shape of the black-and-white Travelino, the real highlight is the interior. The caravan offers very versatile use of its limited space through carefully designed and placed equipment. In place of a dedicated bathroom, a folding-panel wall and slide-out cassette toilet provide indoor privacy without permanently occupying floor space. The indoor and slide-out outdoor kitchens share a portable camping stove, eliminating the need for fixed cooktops.

The Travelino launched as just a concept, so there was no accompanying price information, but it's easy to see how some of its features could find their way into production camping trailers.

Marco Polo Activity light camper van

Manufacturers around the world have come up with very clever ways of packing all kinds of amenities and comforts into small, portable vehicles. But there's really only so much equipment you can fit into a camper while keeping it light, spacious and comfortable. And not every overnight trip requires a full bathroom, kitchen and living room. If you're sleeping in a ski resort parking lot or adjacent to a surf break so that you're in prime position to take advantage of first tracks/early morning waves, you don't necessarily need a fully equipped RV, just a roof and a comfortable place to sleep.In that spirit, Mercedes-Benz dropped some of the usual camping equipment to make a lighter, simpler camper van in the form of the Marco Polo Activity it revealed in Düsseldorf. The Activity has a three-seat bench that extends clean across the width of the van thanks to the absence of the kitchen unit. That bench folds down into a bed for up to three, and two more people can sleep below the pop-up roof. If you need to cook your own meals, you can slide the bench forward on its rails and store a stove, cookware and plenty of other gear in back, then eat on the included folding table in the cabin. What you give up in equipment and amenities, you gain in versatility and spaciousness. The Activity was released at a starting price of €38,960 (US$49,000).

Action Mobil Global XRS 720 6x6 camper

Our second rolling, all-terrain luxury apartment, the Action Mobil Global XRS 7200 introduced at the 2014 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon was this year's exercise in no-expense-spared expeditioning opulence, the type of vehicle one only considers if the very thought of "roughing it" is a much bigger deterrent than a seven-figure price tag. The 720-hp, 18-ton MAN-chassised 6x6 is eager to travel to any part of the world and stay there about as long as its occupants can handle. Once inside the spacious, climate-controlled cabin, they'll immediately forget about whatever harsh, desolate reality surrounds the exterior walls. The cabin is appointed in materials like stone and metal, includes a master bedroom, is hydrated by a 720-L (190-gal) fresh water tank, and keeps everyone entertained with a multimedia system that's more impressive than what many people have in their living rooms – 40-in HD TV, satellite internet, Apple TV, Bose audio, and a large-capacity hard drive for storing multimedia content. There's even a bidet and washer/dryer. Not a bad living situation for the middle of $#@#$in nowhere.

Pricing info out of the Düsseldorf show put the XRS 7200 at €850,000 (US$1.1 million) to start.

Look through our gallery for a closer look at the interiors and features of each of these campers and tents. And if you're wondering how this year's designs compare to last year's, take a trip back in time with our best of 2013 camper round-up.

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