A Truck Camper on a Flatbed Trailer
I found this camper on KSL Classifieds the other day and it really got me thinking.
The big question I have is, “Why?”
Why do people put truck campers on flatbed trailers and sawed off halves of trucks. I’ve noticed this phenomenon before:
- Starling Travel – The Top Five Benefits of Owning a Redneck Trailer
- Starling Travel – The Affordability of the Redneck Camper
I think truck campers are incredibly efficient. In a well-designed truck camper, you can sleep 5-6 people, whereas a similarly sized trailer usually only sleeps four, if that. The bumper pull and fifth wheel market has concentrated on making their trailer more like “home,” whereas truck campers are entirely utilitarian.
Take this truck camper on a flatbed for example:
They have added these storage bins to sit where the truck bed sides would be.
There is plenty of room on the flatbed for a four-wheeler and a cooler. You could use it to haul bikes, motorcycles or extra gear.
According to the description, you can sleep six people in this camper, but they really didn’t show how that could happen in the photo. I suspect you can sleep two in the overhead cab, two on the dinette and there must be a fold-down bunk over the dinette.
It even has a bathroom.
All of this is in the length of a TWELVE foot flatbed for less than $1000. I can’t even BUY a twelve foot trailer from any of the manufacturers except the T@B trailers.
Why do people keep plunking truck campers down onto flatbed trailers? Because it’s the best way to get a tiny trailer with ALL of the amenities.
Update 03-13-13:
I just found another spectacular example of a truck camper on a flatbed trailer.
They have built a complete storage area under the bunk. It looks like a kludge, but it’s a wonderful one!
The inside of that camper looks exactly like mine but the outside is different. The third bed is actually a shelf above the dinette. I don’t think you can really sleep six though since that shelf only fits one unless you put three people in the queen sized bed.
Comment by Graywolfsurvival — June 26, 2013 @ 2:09 am
That is an Amerigo camper with rear Snap N Nap option, a tip out bed platform. I have one of these rare campers!
Comment by Eric — August 28, 2013 @ 1:03 am
I also have one of these. It will sleep 6 pretty comfortably. 2 in the back (snap n nap) 2 in the dinette, and 2 in the cabover.
Comment by Deb — July 16, 2014 @ 2:08 pm